
So, based on the diligent detective work by Councilwoman Knudsen, we learn that the current hiring scheme provides that Ridgewood-based applicants are to be preferred when all of the top candidates are equally qualified. This sounds reasonable. Accordingly, the burden of persuasion on whether or not to change the law should be on those who are in favor of a change.
Up until now the proponents of change have been saying that according to the current hiring scheme, the Village has not been permitted to hire better qualified candidates who live outside of Ridgewood if at least one local applicant is deemed at least minimally qualified. Now we learn that was not true. In fact, it does not take an enormous leap of faith to conclude that we were being LIED TO.
It turns out the Village has only lacked the ability to hire candidates of the SAME qualifications who live outside of Ridgewood. In other words, they have lacked the ability to discriminate against (politically undesireable?) Ridgewood residents who have the same qualifications as the best (properly politically aligned?) candidates who live outside of Ridgewood.
Why should we change the law to facilitate such a hiring practice?
One wonders if the proposed change to the law is contemplated as part of a larger plan to politicize our system of local government, which by virtue of the Faulkner Act is supposed to be completely non-partisan.
Ah yes…politics. This has been the common denominator from day one when it comes to the behavior of the Three Amigos. Why should we expect these old dogs to learn new tricks when they continue to get such great mileage out of the old ones?
In a broader sense, this issue is like many others in that we have a Council majority that meets separately from the entire Council and outside the public eye. They come to each Council meeting with their own agenda and publicly humiliate any non-majority Council member that questions or disagrees with their agenda.
Whether these 3 violate the Sunshine laws is a topic for another post. Or maybe a special prosecutor. Regardless, the sad truth is that Ridgewood is being run by 3 individuals that think they know better than the rest of us. They preach transparency while they exclude their constituents and Council mates from the governing process. They preach civility as they engage in petty name calling and public condescension. They insult our intelligence by acting this way and thinking that nobody notices such blatant hypocrisy.
Let’s hope that Ms. Knudsen and Mr. Sedon have the courage to stand up to these 3 every step of the way. At this point, every agenda item that this Council majority brings to the table is worthy of a second look.
Yet the overwhelming amount resident that came out to vote cast there ballot for the 3 amigos. The question will be will the same thing happen in 2016. I suspect that in the coming months before the election the 3 amigos will give away the ranch to garner favor with the residents and special interest groups to vote them back into office so the can complete their plans for Ridgewood,
Thanks Sue, great run through
8:16 am, no need to thank “Sue” for the “run through” because, despite what you may have assumed, “Sue” didn’t write or post it. She may have initially identified and publicized the issues involved, much to her credit, but it is up to residents and registered voters to respond by digesting this information, re-stating it to their own satisfaction, and expressing their own opinions, including what the ramifications seem to be. Civil society in action–grand, ain’t it?
Great post 10:47
This obsession on the part of the Three Amigos and their supporters with tagging specific people with specific posts perceived as being critical to the regime is getting old and only reinforces the continuing need for PJ to maintain the policy of permitting residents to post anonymously within the bounds of propriety. To hear their arbitrary detractors tell the tale, nothing Mr. Sedon or Ms. Knudsen might wish to raise as an issue could ever resonate with the electorate, much less prompt a member of the public to chime in with praise for them at theridgewoodblog.com. This is utter nonsense, of course, because we have two real gems in Knudsen and Sedon, each for their own unique set of fine characteristics and true qualifications. They are striving for and achieving real non-partisan transparency in local government, a sisyphian task if there ever was one. Or perhaps herculean? given the large amounts of manure being generated every week in our version of the Augean Stables.