Charles Cobb for Council @Large

 

Goodbye County Party LINE

 Don't you just feel like throwing a parade when the world finally catches up with you on an issue when it seemed no one was listening? I remember people in my own community giving us the side eye when we protested "the LINE". For years we have watched the integrity challenged politicians in our City manipulate and control the LINE.

Word on the curb is that the "Federal court scraps New Jersey’s cotroversial ‘county line’ ballot design". https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/29/politics/new-jersey-ballot-county-line/index.html

Now it looks like Democrats who had formerly profited and taken advantage of the LINE may watch the change that is coming. NJ Democrats like Valerie Huttle and Andy Kim have taken the bull by the horns.

My grandchildren and I were prepared for the 2020 Elections and were looking forward to the counting of Electoral Votes. We were not prepared for the attack on the Country's Capitol Building. We were having a lesson in Civics when the Capitol was breached in real time. The World's schoolchildren were being taught virtually because of Covid 19. 

When the Senate and Congress were allowed back in the Capitol Building, we watched Andy Kim participate in the clean up, in his good blue suit.

He was in a different building during the attack, but he was present the morning after the January 6th insurrection helping to clean up the mess. My grandchildren and I agreed that his actions spoke to his character and that he had a good upbring. 

That blue suit is now hanging in the Smithsonian. 

We would like to thank Congressman Andy Kim and others for their unrelenting work in neutralizing NJ's County LINE. 

In 2022 the agenda of the County Bosses became more blatant when 4th Warders were called upon, to vote for a Candidate chosen for us by the party bosses and elected officials in our Community.  We did not like the fact that she was being given to us and we had no idea who she was. It was not easy to beat the LINE, but we did and we elected the Candidate Chosen by the Voters in the 4th Ward. The County Bosses had gotten together with local Englewood Politicians and selected someone that almost none of us knew. We had no idea who she was.  We should never have to deal with such political heavy handedness.

Below are a few examples of how the 4th Ward Gazette protested the "LINE" over the years.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Yesterday's Photo Opp, Today's Environmental Hazard

https://4thwardunited.blogspot.com/2012/06/yesterdays-photo-opp-todays.html

Sunday, November 11, 2012
What is the Line?
https://4thwardunited.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-is-line.html

Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Envisioning MacKay Park, Again
https://4thwardunited.blogspot.com/2015/03/envisioning-mackay-park-again.html

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Reading is Fundamentally Important
https://4thwardunited.blogspot.com/2016/06/reading-is-fundamentally-important.html

Michael Wildes, Amy Jones Bulluck,

Trevor Jadoo

They do not have the line,

but they are still Democrats.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

I am Real. You Are Not!

https://4thwardunited.blogspot.com/2018/05/i-am-real-you-are-not.html

Thursday, November 1, 2018
Another Democratic Choice
https://4thwardunited.blogspot.com/2018/11/another-democratic-choice.html

Tuesday, April 12, 2022
Is the Englewood Democratic Committee Dying?
Where is the LINE?

https://4thwardunited.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-englewood-democratic-committee.html

WHAT IS HATE SPEECH?

At Tuesday's City Council Meeting controversial statements were made by the 2nd Ward Councilperson that made some of us ask the question, "what is hate speech?". When dealing with a person's First Amendment Rights, the sword cuts both ways. In the video of the meeting below, fast forward to 1:55:28 and listen to a condemnation of a Community person's right to speak passionately about what he/she feels. 

The Councilperson even chastised other members of the Council for failing to shut the Resident up. The Councilperson seemed to think that the governing body, of which she is a member, has the right and the duty to deny voting American Citizens their First Amendment rights. It is a strange scary world in which the 2nd Amendment carries more weight than the First Amendment. This becomes even more horrifying once one realizes that more than half the country fear losing their guns more than anything. What are these same people willing to sacrifice for the freedom of speech guaranteed in the United States Constitution?

The Residents of Englewood need a written definition of what this Country, State, County, City Council deems hate speech. If we have to listen to a Council Person raging about how a Community Member exercises his/her First Amendment rights, we need to know just what the governing body thinks is hate speech. We need this cleared up sooner, rather than later.

Below the video of the Englewood City Council Meeting held 3/19/2024 are the views of the ACLU that document the United States Constitution at work.

IS IT MALICIOUS INTENT?

The ACLU website states:

“Censoring so-called hate speech also runs counter to the long-term interests of the most frequent victims of hate: racial, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities. We should not give the government the power to decide which opinions are hateful, for history has taught us that government is more apt to use this power to prosecute minorities than to protect them. As one federal judge has put it, tolerating hateful speech is “the best protection we have against any Nazi-type regime in this country.”

“The American Civil Liberties Union has been involved in virtually all of the landmark First Amendment cases to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, and remains absolutely committed to the preservation of each and every individual’s freedom of expression.”

“The emergence of these self-styled fascist groups raised the issue of whether the First Amendment protected hate speech. The ACLU concluded that, in the words of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, defending ‘freedom for the thought we hate’ is not only necessary but vital to upholding the principles of the First Amendment. The ACLU has held to that position ever since, most notably in a 1978 case involving the right of neo-Nazis to march through the town of Skokie, Illinois.”

https://www.aclu.org/documents/freedom-expression-aclu-position-paper

Supreme Court  position:

“In a Supreme Court case on the issue, Matal v. Tam (2017), the justices unanimously reaffirmed that there is effectively no "hate speech" exception to the free speech rights protected by the First Amendment and that the U.S. government may not discriminate against speech on the basis of the speaker's viewpoint.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech_in_the_United_States#:~:text=In%20a%20Supreme%20Court%20case,basis%20of%20the%20speaker's%20viewpoint.

As elected officials the city council and Mayor have taken an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States.   Council’s attempt to silence American citizens under the unofficial term of “hate speech” is in fact a violation of that oath .  The Fact remains-we are in the USA and the first amendment guarantees the right to free speech, even if it is personally viewed as  “hate speech”.  To sit on the dais and blatantly try to prohibit citizens from expressing their views is Anti-American. And let’s not talk about how trying to entrap the Council President into these shenanigans is insane, especially since there was no attempt to lure the previous council president into violating people’s rights to free speech.  Just  because you don’t like or agree with something someone said doesn’t mean they don’t have the right to say it.

To provide some context, African Americans and Black people have been subjected to racist rhetoric for hundreds of years even up until today, even from a former and potential future President.  The ACLU has even defended the right to free speech for the KKK.  Whether you agree or disagree it is one of the founding principles of this country.  These are the rules of the land.  My father told me years ago,  if you don’t like the rules in my house then leave.  I left and moved into my own apartment.   just saying.  

With that being said, I understand how hurtful words can be, but as alleged leaders the council’s primary responsibilities  are to uphold the laws of this land and govern this city.  Personal attacks on people’s right to free speech from the dais only serves to leave the city and taxpayers susceptible to yet another lawsuit.  While all are entitled to  personal opinions, elected officials must learn to separate their responsibilities from their personal views.  

Council members often proclaim to love the diversity that Englewood offers until that diversity disagrees with their personal views.  Diversity is a beautiful thing but it comes with challenges.  Those challenges include different needs, different desires AND differing points of view.  

If council members do not have the emotional intelligence to be able to empathize with others and make equitable decisions taking into consideration the needs and wants of others outside of their personal opinions and circles,  then perhaps being on the city council in a city like Englewood is not for them.

With that being said, the 1st amendment also affords council members the right to free speech as well; however as elected officials they are in fact held to a higher standard.  They  must give consideration to the thought that just because you can say something doesn’t mean you should.  Council members, who sit in positions of leadership, must think about the impact of their comments on the community as a whole.  Will their words advance the community or further divide it?  Will their words cause members of the community additional pain in an already tense environment or will their words bring some sort of consolation or reinforcement that in America everyone and their opinions matter?  

At the March 19 meeting, Councilwoman Wisotsky decided to use her platform, not for the purpose of conducting city business, but instead for the purpose of advocating to deny citizens their first amendment right.  While I agree that profanity is not okay, her attempt to silence citizens under the guise of hate speech was in fact her personal stance and not appropriate on the dais.  Whether she proclaims it as her personal opinion or not, once the meeting is called to order she represents the City of Englewood. 

I would advise, respectfully, that Councilwoman Wisotsky tread carefully. Knowingly making statements that would incite anger, fear, anxiety, and even violence, while attempting to blatantly violate a citizens first amendment right to free speech is clearly a display of malicious intent.  Under current First Amendment jurisprudence, hate speech can only be criminalized when it directly incites imminent criminal activity or consists of specific threats of violence targeted against a person or group.  Councilwoman Wisotsky is dangerously close to inciting imminent criminal activity.

Every statement doesn’t need a response.  Sometimes silence is the best response in the interest of public safety(physically, mentally, and emotionally).   Seems like good judgement and common sense is clearly not so common anymore.  Perhaps it is time for Mr. Bailey to issue a formal opinion as the city attorney so that council can draft an ordinance that will guide council and Mayor on what they should or should not be saying from the dais.  

Regardless of where you stand on issues as elected officials you are duty bound to give consideration to ALL those you represent. As American citizens, living and serving as elected officials in America, the council needs to be clear on where their allegiance lies and that my friends, should be and must be to upholding the Constitution of the United States.  Your personal views are yours but your duty and service is to the American people.  ALL of the American people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual identity, or economic status. 

I empathize with the innocent Israeli people who were attacked and kidnapped on Oct 7 just as I empathize with the innocent Palestinian people who have been killed and displaced. I recognize that hurt people, hurt people, but leadership must stop perpetuating this “us" vs. them” climate.  We are all victims of some form of discrimination.   The elephants are fighting and the grass is getting trampled, but the fact is there is nothing we can do about it at a local level.  

The issue is beyond our scope.  Perhaps it is best to keep international issues out of local government.  

Perhaps it is also best to keep personal agendas and grievances out of local government.  

The council’s  job is to govern the City of Englewood and from what I can see there has been very little governance happening over the last several years.  It really is okay to agree to disagree.  

Let’s get back to the business of running the city. In case you forgot, here are a few of the many local issues, in no particular order; 

• Bernard Placide Jr. (what action has been taken by the Council?)
• community center, 
• parks in disrepair, 
• Recreation Dept, 
• Lawsuits, 
• flooding/Infrastructure,
• MOA with the School District
• Use of Tryon Pool Agreement 
• Exterior Lighting around dark City buildings (the garage)
• HR policies/actions.
• The Overlay Zone Debacle
• Traffic
• Bergen PAC and SID
• Open Gym
• Civics In Our Schools

Signed: Amy Jones Bulluck, Constitutionally entitled and empowered!!!

Introduction, design: Lucy D. Walker

Introducing Englewood's Assistants

 When is the Assistant Deputy City Manager going to be introduced to We, the People?

We pay his salary. It is an insult that this man has not been formally introduced to us.  This speaks to what the Council and the City Manager thinks of us. According to his Linkedin profile he has been Deputy City Manager in Englewood for 5 months.

John Birkner

While serving as Westwood Mayor, he ran for NJ Assembly.

In his own words...

"Hello, I’m Westwood Mayor John Birkner Jr. and I’m running for State Assembly in District 39.Often when I tell that to people, they say how discouraged they are by the state of politics today. It’s a sentiment I share. That’s exactly why I first ran for mayor back in 2007. At that time, our town’s politics had become as unproductive as anything we see today in Washington or Trenton.

My message then, as now: bring people together and work toward making our town better for everyone – not just Democrats, not just Republicans: everyone.

From day one, I looked for ways to improve our community, by identifying and prioritizing long neglected infrastructure needs and stimulating small business growth. I received millions of dollars in grant funding to modernize our rail crossings and improve pedestrian and vehicular safety, and reclaiming a municipal landfill to create 110 acres of active and passive recreation parkland. I worked to Protect our drinking water supply by remediating lead contamination, replacing leaky sewer lines, and reducing flood risks. Because senior citizens deserve a voice in how their town is run, I created Westwood’s first Senior Citizen Advisory Board.

When Pascack Valley Hospital closed its doors. I committed to the job of building support to reopen that hospital.Not many people believed it could get done. I recognized how critical that hospital was to the entire region – not just for the medical care it provided, but also the jobs and local businesses it supported. Cutting the ribbon on the new Hackensack University Medical Center at Pascack Valley was one of the proudest days in my public service.. We got there by earning overwhelming public support throughout the region, and working across the aisle to build a true bi-partisan coalition of state and local officials coming together to do something bigger and more important than any party label.

That’s exactly how my running mate Gerry Falotico and I are going to fight for our district in the Legislature. We’re dealing with neglected roads and bridges, a broken transit system, underfunded local schools, and toxic chemicals threatening our drinking water.

We need to recover from the legacy of Chris Christie’s refusal to confront the serious issues of gun violence, women’s healthcare, and climate change, aided by politicians like Bob Auth and Holly Schepisi who put party loyalty and ideology ahead of serving our communities. Families in North Jersey pay some of the highest taxes anywhere. But for all the money we send to Trenton, we aren’t getting nearly enough back into our district to meet our needs.

Well, if you want change in Trenton, you have to change the people you send to Trenton.Gerry and I are running on our records of bringing results to the communities we serve. I know that we can win this election by earning the support of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.

Together we can help all the towns of the 39th district by: standing behind our teachers and first responders, caring for our seniors and veterans, supporting our small businesses, protecting our environment, and treating all people with dignity and respect – no matter their gender, their skin color, who they love, or how they pray.

In short, we can make our district the sort of place where all our kids will be proud to grow up."   John Birkner Jr.'s campaign rhetoric.

                         ************************************************

When is the Assistant Superintendent of Schools going to be introduced to the public? The one thing that I really liked about Dr. Carlisle's leadership is that he introduced all new hires and gave them the opportunity to speak to the Board and the Public. I was sitting directly behind her at a School Board Meeting. I did not know she was the Assistant Superintendent. She should have been introduced to the public. Based on my research, she deserves to have been introduced. What is up with this disrespect of We, the People?

Dr. Laura Scamardella

School No. 5 Principal Dr. Laura Scamardella was surprised by the honor and was excited to share the news with her staff.

“I am completely in awe of the recognition and remain humbled by the tireless work my entire staff continues to do each and every day for our students,” she said.

Englewood Public School District Agenda, On page 5 of 5

September 17, 2023  8:57 AM

APPROVAL – ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT

 WHEREAS, the Board of Education, accepts the recommendation of the Superintendent, to approve the employment contract of Dr. Laura Scamardella, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT; and RESOLVED, the Board of Education accepts the attached contracts as approved by the Bergen County Executive Superintendent with a start date to be determined through June 30, 2024.

Dr. Scamardella's Mission and Mantra

https://www.eseanetwork.org/ds/schools/linden-school-number-5