An omniscient deputy mayor?
As the Teaneck Township Council prepares to decide whether to put a ballot question about Sunday blue laws before the voters this fall, one member of the Council is vocal in her opposition to holding a non-binding referendum. Deputy Mayor Lizette Parker is quoted in today's Record making her opinion known:"I feel that the majority of the residents in town like the fact that there's no congestion and traffic on Sundays," Parker said. "It's a quality of life issue."
Wait a second! Parker "feels" that the majority of residents favor the continuation of the blue laws and therefore opposes holding a vote? Isn't it the purpose of the vote to determine what the majority thinks? The fact that Parker, who must have a better handle on public sentiment than the current and former mayors, already knows which way the referendum will turn out is irrelevant.
Perhaps the Deputy Mayor is confused about the difference between voting on whether a referendum should be held and the actual way she might vote in that referendum, or maybe there is some other reason she seeks to squelch public consideration of this issue. Given the very cautious comments made to the Record by State Sen. Weinberg, an erstwhile supporter of a blue laws exemption for Teaneck, it appears that politics has gotten in the way of good sense. Wouldn't be the first time...
posted by Teaneck Blog @ 11:37 AM
7 Comments:
Well sure Ms. Weinberg is going to be cautious in her comments...she will wait until she sees which way the wind blows before she forms her own opinion. I give Lizette Parker credit for expressing her opinion -- she is entitled to it, even if I disagree with it.
"I give Lizette Parker credit for expressing her opinion -- she is entitled to it, even if I disagree with it."
Lizette Parker did NOT express her opinion, or at least she did not take ownership of the opinion she expressed. Rather, she said that her "feeling" is that most of the people in town support the blue laws so there is no need to vote. That is absurd. How would she know how the majority of voters in Teaneck feel? Furthermore, if she is so sure of her "feeling," why not put it up for a vote? The real story here seems to be that Ms. Parker wants to keep the blue laws even though she is not willing to say it outright. I am not impressed!
A repeal of the blue laws in Teaneck will give a much needed boost to our commercial centers.
This might be the first step in building the "transit villages" that many candidates advocated in the last election. I think its a great concept. Transit villages are both economically and environmentally friendly.
I'm happy the new council is thinking boldly... let's do the right thing make it happen!
I was not at tonight's council meeting, but I've been told the proposed referendum has been dropped upon legal advice from the Township Attorney.
Even though the Council was not able to put a non-binding referendum on the ballot, the blue laws need to be changed. There must be other ways to effect a change. Is it possible to have a petition signed by Teaneck registered voters to put a referendum on the ballot? If so, how many signatures are required and when is the deadline? I'd like to leard more about this and other ways to progress. Any/all ideas would be appreciated.
If I understood our Township Attorney (and recall his interpretation) correctly at Thursday's abortive meeting, the issue is that a referendum can't be placed on the ballot for an issue that is not under the Council's jurisdiction. As the Council can't vote to change the Blue Laws itself, it can't place the issue on the ballot.
Even the scenario invoked in the proposal, asking voters to support the Council passing a resolution asking the Legislature to gove Teaneck an exemption was precluded by a remarkably similar case involving the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Thus, the issue of a referendum is dead, whether via the Council or by petition.
However, nothing prevents the Council from passing the resolution described in the proposed referendum on its own, asking for public support at a Council meeting, but without direct voter involvement in the process, appealing for an exemption from the Blue Laws.
Alan Sohn
I still do not understand why Ms. Parker and Ms. Honis are opposed to this change.
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