This is Kathy Chasey's rebuttal to the August 7, 2009 Editorial in the Atlantic City Press entitled Free Speech in Mullica/Bad Law Resurfaces.
Press has it wrong on Mullica Township ordinance
(Posted in the Press of Atlantic City "Voice of the People", Saturday, August 15, 2009)
I am not sure if the writer of the Aug. 7 editorial, "Free speech in Mullica/Bad law resurfaces," regarding amendments to Mullica Township's ordinance on parades and public assemblies actually read it, but there is definitely a communication gap here.
This is not a new law to us or any other town. It clarifies the requirements for special-events permits and the use of public facilities while specifically exempting "any public event or assembly gathering for the purpose of political discourse, debate or other similar expressive activity."
We receive numerous requests for outside organizations to utilize our recreation fields. Currently we require an applicant to submit an application, pay a fee and provide for liability insurance. This allows us to coordinate the applicant's request with our own recreation association or previous applications.
Yes, permits can be denied. But should the taxpayers who paid for these fields be on the hook for an outside organization that refuses to complete the application or is not properly covered in the case of a lawsuit?
This has nothing to do with spontaneous gatherings for political discourse on any public property, including the trash-transfer station.
And residents driving into the transfer station to drop off their trash do not need to exit their vehicles because we have individuals in safety vests who remove it for them. This is in great contrast to a group of individuals standing at the exit gate for five and a half hours meeting passers-by.
Why is asking them to wear safety vests such an infringement on their rights? Wearing a safety vest provided by the town is a small compromise to ensure everyone's safety.
KATHY CHASEY
Committeeperson
Mullica Township
16 comments:
What Ms. Chasey leaves out is that the ordinance restricts where people can stand outside the dump to campaign, to just one location. What she fails to mention is that the $100 permit fee and private insurance requirement also applies to locals, the same people whose taxes pay for the park and roads and insurance in the first place, plus a fee to use the fields. Residents often do get out of their vehicles to drop off their recyclables so Chasey's statement that they stay in their cars is not entirely true. Wearing safety vests by the day workers has always been optional clothing and has never been enforced. The requirement to wear taxpayer-bought safety vests while standing outside the dump, behind the fence and well-off the road is absurd. They only provide some political cover to Chasey's aborted attempt to limit free speech.
You know that Chasey didn't write that letter herself. My guess is that is was the town's solicitor.
When this ordinance was first introduced,Chasey said she saw no difference between a birthday party and political campaigning and so by that logic both would need a 30 day advance application,permit and insurance.
Only after the Dems rejected this idea and the Press and the ACLU spoke out against this ordinance,did Chasey and Forman reluctantly and against their "better judgement" agree to put the amendmendment in about political discourse.
At more than one meeting, the solicitor said that this ordinance can be interpeted in many ways and clearer language could be added.
Anyone who watches the meetings where this ordinance is discussed will see that the letter sent to the Press by Cathy Chasey is just another attempt to spin the truth and does not represent the actual facts of the ordinace as it is written.
Cathy Chasey will again prove herself to be a liar if she refuses to put the language of her letter into the ordinance.
Bunch of lies. Sounds like it was written by a lawyer.
ALL THIS IS TO MAKE YOU FORGET THAT BRUCE CROWE HAS WORKED FOR WASZEN FOR YEARS NOW.
We should all carry a copy of this letter in our pockets if we have to have a protest on any of the public properties.
The letter to the Press was a bad clean-up job for the effort that Chasey made to stop the Dems from campaigning.
The reporter and the editor didn't get anything wrong.
re 9:01 pm
Can you tell us what jobs Crowe performs for Waszen? This really has to be brought out in the open since this guy is running for a Committee seat.
Cathy, Time to go!
We can't selectively enforce a law that targets just "outside organizations" from using our park for "special events". That would be illegal since state money was used to purchase the property in the first place. Everyone would have to be treated equally. But that's exactly what Chasey says the ordinance is intended to do in her letter. So if the underlying motivation of the ordinance is to control only outsiders, it is clearly unconstitutional under the equal protection of the law clause.
You can't shine shit, and this is exactly what this rebuttal is, shit.
Larry would have had a field day with this ordinance.
I would hardly call two people standing outside the transfer station "a group of individuals". How about four or five? The only times that I ever see a big cluster of people standing at the dump in such large numbers is when Kathy Chasey and the rest of her usual bunch are there, mobbing the residents as they try to exit.
Re 9:13 am
Cathy Chasey did make that letter sound that this ordinance was meant just for outsiders. That's what she wants the public to think.
All the discussions at the meeting were about Mullica citizens and what would be required by them to use the parks.
The way this ordinance is written, it could apply to two people or 100 or 1000 or more.
They wouldn't discuss hypothetical situations and said they would use common sense in interpreting this law.
Let's say you were in the park with two of your kids playing ball. The ball goes into the woods and your child runs to get it. An old dead tree falls on your child. You fill out an accident report and then you are told that you were in the park illegally. You did not have a 30 day advance application, a permit to be there or your own special insurance.
You might even get a ticket for being there and the town insurance company is protected from your claims.
I don't remember the exact words from watching the meeting,but it was said very dismissively that nobody will bother people in the park or even know they are there unless someone gets hurt.
I am not aware that Bruce Crowe works for Steve Waszen. If he does, I would like to know.
re3:13pm
I miss Larry very much,too. He's not here to voice his opinions but you and everybody here can talk about these subjects with your friends and neighbors. Tell them what's going on and get them interested in the welfare of this town.
Talking about the coming election is the most important thing you can do to bring a much needed change to this town. Let them all know how important their vote is for the future of Mullica.
Let Chasey and Crowe know that you've had enough and will not condone their actions any longer.
No matter how hard you try you can't polish a turd!
Post a Comment