the staff of The Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ, NJ’s “Sunshine Law” (Open Public Meetings Act) strictly prohibits public officials from censoring the speech of residents making remarks during designated public comment sections of open public meetings.
Specifically, a speaker’s comments can’t be censored just because officials don’t agree with the speaker, or like what is being said. Also, officials can’t prohibit comments based on subject matter so long as the comments relate to any issue “that a member of the public feels may be of concern to the residents of the municipality or school district.”
On Wednesday evening, Mayor Paul Vagianos refused to allow a resident to speak Councilwoman Siobhan Winograd’s name. That’s right folks, he flatly refused to allow a South Irving Street resident to use Councilwoman Winograd’s name during the public comment portion of the meeting. No threat was being made by the resident; none whatsoever. Wow!
The “Sunshine Law” violation was confirmed by Village Attorney Matthew Rogers later on in the meeting when another South Irving Street resident questioned the Mayor’s right to censor a resident. Unbelievable!
The real scary part of the entire incident is that Mr. Vagianos is a graduate of Seton Hall Law School. We guess that’s why he now runs a restaurant instead of practicing law? Hmm.
He is fast becoming the biggest jackass in Ridgewood.
Fast? He already was!!
He’s becoming the biggest vag . . .
Once a scumbag, always a scumbag.
How many laws are you going to break Paulie boy?
Looks like Pee Wee Herman.
Parking ticket blitz last night.
PBA picnic will be well funded this year !
Did his three puppets support him on this?
It figures that they can dish it out, but they can’t take it. And this was hardly a threat, but a recounting of something that happened.
Tyrants do not appreciate being criticized.
Our idiotic mayor has just exposed Ridgewood’s taxpayers to a huge lawsuit. This happens frequently in Hudson County, and people have won big money when they are censored or thrown out of meetings there because of what they say. Thanks a lot Paul.
3 attorneys on the dais; none with a functioning brain.
It’s a stretch to call Paulie an attorney. He doesn’t have a law license and only practiced for a few years 3 decades ago. You are giving him way too much credit.
I bet his business cards say “Short order cook, JD”
Don’t confuse Seton Hall Law with Yale Law school.
3 attorneys, but I have heard that Evan Weitz doesn’t have time to do his homework. He comes to meetings unprepared like Mohammed Mahmood on the school board. Evan Weitz is sitting there to do someone else’s bid. He’s a puppet and is needed there by some developers ONLY for 4-5 crucial votes in next four years.
Siobhan and Pam have time and community involvement, but they are Paul’s puppets as he helped to fund their campaigns.
When we had three amigos, they all had their agenda and were supporting each other. Now we have Paul and his puppets, supporting Paul’s agenda for CBD. It’s all about CBD now.
Paul isn’t an attorney. He does NOT have a law license. He graduated from law school and practiced for a few years (decades ago)and had been making gyros ever since. Please do not insult actual lawyers.
During the League of Women Voters candidates debate night when Mr. Weitz was running for council the first time, he said he didn’t have time to attend meetings. This time he neglected to mention that even though it was apparently still true.
Have to point out the Ms. Kwak frequently tried to stop people from saying the names of BOE members when she was the president of the BOE. Her phrase was ” you need to address the whole board” which didn’t make any sense as the speaker WAS facing the board and speaking to ALL of them directly. The speaker only had to mention something HJK or SD said at a previous meeting or how they voted to be interrupted and told not to say specific board member names but address the whole board. So, now I guess we can say “She or He who will not be named, wink wink” in order not to get shut down.
It’s a strange world we live in, isn’t it? Not the USA our constitution was set up to protect.
snore
He or She or They
The names of employees and other resident are allowed to be named? So, getting elected has a new power? The power to stop people from saying your name in public. Bizarre!
Just goes to show you, anybody can be elected to a board
You’d have to be extremely gullible to expect anything good from that Madam Tussaud wax looking face.
So when is this Board going to held accountable? Seems to me they can do what they want with no accountability what so ever.
Council member Reynolds comments last mouth regarding how Heather was fired, hasn’t been addressed since. Watch this will never be brought up again. And when Ramon takes over the village managers position, (he said he isn’t, but everyone knows he is) then Paul will have all his ducks in a-row for his and the other not so normal members to get what they all want.
A big applause to Boyd for putting them to place. His comment was brutally straightforward and I very much appreciated it. Thank you big man. Much respect to you.
What did he say..?
Paraphrase it if you can….
Laurie Weber said what needed to be said out load and I applaud her (loudly). Ms. Mailhandler’s demotion was retribution from the Council for the One Village One Vote issued. Laurie was not addressing Ms. Winograd, nor mentioning her in her capacity as a Councilperson therefore, Paul is completely incorrect about Sunshine Law application. Laurie can, and should, sue the Village.
I don’t agree with Weber that Mailander was so awesome. But the way the FOUR council members handled this was grossly illegal.
She was awesome in a thankless position. Worked long hrs and only heard from the elites in town when they had a complaint.
Your new Democrat Party folks.
1) Far Left with all the dictatorial proclivities of the worst tyrants of history.
2) Bias towards censorship rather than policies that fix obvious problems and help citizens (beyond narrow core constituencies a la “Animal Farm”)
3) Think you work for them (taxes) rather than them working for you.
THERE WILL BE NO CONSEQUENCES….
Because we are
RICH and STUPID
Ditto. She responded almost immediately.
Can someone tell me what Boyd said ?
OK enough enough, so who is going to be the new village manager. And who’s going to be the new police chief? I’m sure the writings on the wall in Village Hall.
Curious minds would like to know
on you tube, 20230222 V.R. Council meeting, scroll to the 3:55:35 mark, 11:26PM comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcl13DLxO0
Boyd is AWESOME
He also says public comments isn’t Q&A, until he or Siobhan Winograd want to refute.
Paul has been circumventing and dismissing the law since before his illegal walls.
Which reminds me, can anyone tell us how much money Paul has directly and indirectly collected through the Feed the Frontline?
If feed the front line accounts are audited, I believe many of these guys will be vacationing (you know where).
Would love to see who got what in over 4 mill. Of tax payers money going to Healthbarn foundation ( feed the frontlines)
Comments on what.
?
Laurie Weber’s comments are unlawfully censored the the Mayor at 32:20 minutes into the video. She mentions Siobhan in her capacity as OneVIllage OneVote leadership, not Council member.
Boyd responds to the Mayor at 3:55:41 into the video . Boyd basically says, as long as I am not threatening you, the law allows me to disagree with you and I can do it by name.
Watch a little further and our Village Attorney agrees 100% with Body. What they did to Laurie was illegal censorship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcl13DLxO0
Thank you Laurie and Boyd.
I don’t live in this town, just work here but if you all hate this guy V so much why/how was he voted in?
They are a very loud minority, and only speak with those in their bubble.
Which is why they are constantly in shock, or claim the vote was rigged, when they get curbstomped in every election.
We’re…
RICH and STUPID
CENSURED, everybody–not censored. A person who censures is a censor. (And a censer is an incense burner.)
Somehow I suspect that we have not seen the last of this word, so we may as well get it straight.
And, yet, censorship is correct. So censure, censured and censorship? I love the English language.
The best part of Boyd’s comment was telling them “you all love to hear yourself speak. if you speak less the meeting length can be kept under control.” + the sunshine law that he slammed on their face and even the town attorney had to reluctantly agree. Those who haven’t seen they should. It was epic. The look in the vax man’s face was precious. But he has no shame anyway.
Censorship…no way…no how…
Welcome to the 3 amigos 2.0