This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

A Win for a Free Press and for a Free Society!

As a resident of Woodbridge Township, I have watch the McCormac Administration pull, what some consider, a number of 'shanty Irish' tactics to dissuade members of the township from voicing any dissenting commentary regarding the administration's  shenanigans.

They have arrested members of the public, who have dared to question the powers to be, on at least two separate occasions, on old, out standing misdemeanor warrants, when they came to town hall to attend a town council meeting.  The also use that venue to severe subpoenas on those they wish to involve in their legal problems.  Gestapo tactic?  Well, you be the judge.

As many know, the town council, and if correct, the McCormac controlled BOE have limited camera time of speakers at the mic to a quick pan and then the camera stays focused on the council members, BOE members and their respective administration members, as applicable.  Why?  Because they know that a voice is far more effective when it is coupled with a visual.  So what, in my opinion, do these cowardly politicians and bureaucrats do, cut the visuals, save for their camera opts. Moreover, they are now limiting the time that a citizen can have to address their elected officials.  Clearly a move to further suppress free speech and limit any questioning and/or challenged to McCormac regime!  

Fortunately, we still enjoy a free press in this nation and it does fight for its rights, as well as ours.  Case in point, the resent win by the Gannett New Jersey media company against Raritan Borough over the submission of documents in electronic format in response to OPRA requests. (See:http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20140205/NJNEWS20/302050050/Raritan-Borough-owes-media-compan...)  Both Sergio Bichao, the journalist that wrote the story and his employer, the Gannett media company, deserve high praise and our gratitude for their efforts on this freedom of information issue.

While I having nothing but praise for the Woodbridge Township Town Clerk, Mr. John Mitch and his staff in regarding to their handling OPRA requests, it will be interesting to see how they will handle future OPRA request for records in other than pdf formats.

Many politicians and bureaucrats detest OPRA because it forces them to provide information they would just as soon kept in their files, out of public view.  Yet those same individuals are quick to stand for and recite the Pledge of Allegiance; but do they real believe it the meaning of those beautiful words or are they just repeating them?  Based on their actions, which speak louder than their words, one has to wonder, especially in my township, which is applicable to them? 




 


We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?