Reader says Planning Board Proceedings are a “Sham”

If you haven’t actually been at a meeting then you cannot comprehend the absolute sham these proceedings are. The citizens of Ridgewood raised $10,000 to hire an urban planner to represent them and refute the one-sided view put forward by Valley’s experts. I don’t think he even uttered more than 10 sentences. Valley’s lawyer was up objecting to every word out of his mouth. He literally demanded FedEx receipts for a stack of documents from the state, every page of which was stamped by the state. We have come of age with movies like Erin Brockovitch or A Civil Action, where right overcomes money, inside interests and political power. These make good movies, but it is not what is happening in Ridgewood. People aren’t going to the meetings anymore, because it has become clear that the voice of the residents is not wanted, or heard, or even allowed to be spoken. But I think the large number of lawn signs for Sedon and Knudson, indicate that people are not happy with what is happening in our town. Hopefully, elections still remain relatively free of the mix of money and influence that appears to guide many of the regulatory proceedings in this town. And if anyone thinks that their vote doesn’t count – let me remind you that if 12 more people had voted for Keith Killion in the last election, we would be looking at a very different scenario for our town across a multiple of issues. So vote either way May 13th, but do vote.