THE POWER!

There are times when one is bemused by the course of events, especially when separate, yet closely related events occur on the same day at different times.  That just happened to me on Tuesday, November 12, 2013.

While I was busy making motzo ball soup (from a mix) Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from Ms. Suzanne Russell, Staff Writer at the Home News Tribune.  Ms. Russell asked for my commentary on a matter regarding the mayor of Rahway intention to have the Rahway town council exclude the videotaping of public commentary at the end of their town council meetings.  Ms. Russell included my commentary in her article which ran in the Wednesday, November 13 Edition of the Home News Tribune.  Please go to the following link to read her article: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013311120040

The Woodbridge Township town council also meet on the evening of November 12; a meeting that had major issues on its agenda.  Since I have already written on the hottest issue, the Ordinance that allows the township’s municipal government to Bond $9.89 Million in new debt for school grounds improvements, I won’t belabor that point.

At the commencement of the town council meeting, it was announced that Councilman and current Council President, Charles Kenny, had resigned from the town council.  Mr. Kenny resignation was necessary because of his recent election to the position of Middlesex County Freeholder.  To fill the vacancy left by Mr. Kenny’s departure, the council elected the council’s vice president, Kyle Anderson, to the council presidency.  The 3rd Ward Councilwoman, Michele Charmello, was chosen to be the council’s vice president.

After the council vote, Anderson was sworn in by the Woodbridge Township Municipal Clerk, Mr. John Mitch.  As part of the swearing in procedure, Mr. Mitch administered the Oath of Office to Mr. Anderson.  A major part of the oath, and perhaps the most important part for Americans, was Mr. Anderson swearing to uphold both the Constitution of the United State and the State of New Jersey.  Within an hour or so into the council meeting, after taking his oath, Anderson appeared to have forgotten his pledge to uphold the  U.S. Constitution and, in particular, the 1st Amendment thereto.

There were several instances during the council session were Anderson was quick to remind those in attendance he was now the ‘Council President’ and he was running the meeting in the manner he deemed appropriate.  As if to prove the point, Anderson interrupted different members of the public who were addressing their concerns on issues before the council.  At one point he told a woman who was offering some highly informed opinions on the status of the power plant that is scheduled to be constructed in the Keasbey, she was to stop talking and sit down.  He then stated that if she did not do so immediately, he would have her removed from the council chamber.  Anderson then took issue with a leading town figure who ran for the 1st Ward council seat.  In that exchange Anderson mocked a printer’s error that had occurred on that individual’s campaign lawn signs, that being, the misspelling of Polls.  Apparently, the printer spelled ‘polls’ as ‘poles’ on some of the signs.  For the new President of the Woodbridge Town Council to mock that unfortunate error in the totally childish manner in which he did so, was an embarrassment to both the high office he now holds and to his constituents.  But this was the first time Mr. Anderson has been an embarrassment to the McCormac Administration, the town council and the Woodbridge community.  His arrest by the Woodbridge police in August 2012 for failure to respond, in a timely manner, to a traffic violation in another municipality lead to a warrant for his arrest being issued by that municipality and enforced by his community’s police department.

All of the above pales in comparison to Anderson telling a member of the community that until that person apologized to the mayor for an untoward remark, which was made at a previous council meeting, that person is prohibited from speaking at town council meetings (current and future), except for commentary on the second reading of proposed township Ordinances.  Ironically, the mayor had left the council chamber shortly before Anderson made his proclamation, so even if the citizen had been willing to submit to Anderson’s apology mandate, or lose the right of free speech, the mayor would not have heard it! 

Apparently Mr. Anderson’s feels his new position as council president allows him to negate the civil and 1st Amendment Rights of his fellow citizens.  He was challenged on his actions and told he should study NJ laws that govern Open Public Meetings and the US Constitute he had just sworn to uphold.

The choice of the title for this piece, ‘The Power’, comes from a remembrance of a 1990’s song by a German rock group, Snap!  The hook to that song are the words: I’ve got the power!  Well, Mr. Anderson, enjoy your ‘power’ while it lasts.  Hopefully, you will not continue to misuse yours, and that your reign, as Council President, will not further embarrass those who put you in power.  Just try to remember, Mr. Anderson, it’s “Power to the People!”