I was flabbergasted by the letter of Mark Iorio, Hopewell Township GOP municipal chairman, which appeared in the March 10 issue of the Hopewell Valley News, and which comments upon the February 29 Hopewell Township Committee Meeting.
Iorio begins by admitting, “It is clearly the case that Vanessa Sandom and John Murphy had a valid point as to the way in which the (new municipal judge) interview process unfolded. It could have and should have been more inclusive. Ms. Sandom and Mr. Murphy were not involved in the interview process for each candidate and should have been.”
So, this is the true Republican line. What Mayor Burd did wasn’t sanctioned. It was an error. A booboo. Made with the best of intentions, but still a mistake.
Then, as soon as Iorio announces the inadequacy of Mayor Burd’s approach to this judicial appointment, he goes on the attack.
He first downplays the Mayor’s Forest-Gump-like, bumbling mishandling of the affair, and labels him “Gentleman Jim Burd,” a kind of verbal pat on the head designed to contrast him against the venomous harpy across the aisle – Democrat Vanessa Sandom.
Then, he recasts Mayor Burd’s abject refusal to be inclusive during this judicial review as a well-intentioned, but not-quite-so-successful political stumble, while Ms. Sandom’s criticism of Mayor Burd’s judicial policies is painted as “unnecessary bickering and insults.”
Iorio adds, “In this case, Mr. Burd made it clear that it was not his intent to exclude anyone.” No, despite numerous strident warnings by Ms. Sandom and Mr. Murphy beforehand, Mayor Burd excluded the minority party from all substantive involvement concerning this judge replacement by . . . by, what exactly? By accident? Is that it? It was just an accident?
Mr. Iorio is drawing the party line here: We’re standing behind our Mayor. And we’d rather paint him as a bumbling, but at least not mean-spirited bobble-head than some autocrat intentionally excluding his fellow Township Committee Members from key decisions. After all, autocrats aren't faring particularly well these days – at least not in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
The trouble is, this "Gee, I didn't really mean to exclude anyone" routine simply doesn’t add up.
One only has to examine the taped sessions of previous Township Committee Meetings to see Ms. Sandom warning Mayor Burd that his policy was exclusionary and dictatorial before he went ahead and codified it, and before he selected the one candidate that he and the rest of the Republicans propped up before the minority Democrats on the Committee and said, “See. Here’s the guy. Vote for him (and him only). Or don’t. But, as the minority, it doesn’t really matter what you think. We’re going to ‘vote’ in this new judge regardless.”
It is disingenuous to paint Mayor Burd as an incompetent leader versus the bully that he’s become because the facts speak otherwise. He was warned again and again and chose to pursue this course. He didn’t stumble upon it. To imply that he did insults not only Mr. Burd, but the intelligence of the concerned citizens of this valley.
And to blame the minority for speaking out against this perceived injustice is like complaining of someone’s accent or choice of words when they rush into a room yelling, “Fire.” Who cares if he doesn’t have an upper crust, old school accent, if he isn’t lifting his pinky finger in exactly the right way as he picks up his tea cup? Instead of simply running away, or putting their heads in the sand, Sandom and Murphy came back into the room just to warn Mayor Burd, Mr. Marculek and Ms. Johnson. They yelled, “Fire,” and are continuing to yell Fire, and all that they’re getting back in return is, “Hush, stop that yelling. It’s rude.”
When I hear Mr. Iorio describe the opposition’s dissent as “bickering and insults,” I am reminded of King George speaking of his “traitorous” subjects over there, in the new world. Those damned bickering and insulting Colonists in Boston, dumping all that taxable tea in the harbor. Really, have they no manners? But when you can’t beat them on substance, the old debating maxim tells us, try and beat them – or beat them up – on style. Perhaps that will distract the masses from seeing the truth.
To top it all off, King Mayor Burd didn’t even have the courtesy to debate with, or respond to the members of the community who came out the evening of February 28 to voice their dissatisfaction about the judge selection process. No, wait. He did respond. He said, “Thank you,” and then moved on to close the discussion. Were these citizens satisfied with Mayor Burd’s response? Click here to see for yourself.
My advice to you is, Mr. Iorio, the next time someone rushes in yelling “Fire,” whether he's a Committee Member or ordinary citizen voicing his opinion, don’t tell him to shut up, sit down, and be quiet. Don’t tell him he’s rude, or ill-mannered, or prone to “bickering and insults.” Stop and actually listen to him. You never know. He might actually be trying to help this town, and you in the process.
Liberty Bell
Nicely written . . . Once we get the
majoritytransparency back in two years, then we can appoint a new judge and right this injustice!Posted by: Let Freedom Ring! | 03/19/2011 at 07:03 AM