If you follow my rants on here and at city council meetings, you know my thoughts on limiting public input by the chair of the meeting and prior restraint.
Well, what do we have here? A chair of a city council meeting trying to talk down public commenters, except this time, they are suing;
As I have mentioned in the past, as long as you are addressing the body about policy and government they cannot shut you down.
Here are some highlights from the suit (PDF DOC);
Mayor Owens frequently uses her authority as Presiding Officer of Eastpointe’s City Council to suppress dissent and criticism by interrupting and shouting down members of the public who criticize her or raise subjects she finds personally embarrassing.
At one point in the meeting, the city attorney even intervenes and tells Owens that public commenters are free to say what they want to.
I have argued for a long time that the city council and it’s chair (Mayor TenHaken) have been violating citizens 1st Amendment rights when it comes to public input and trying to shut them down (while huffing and puffing, sucking on candy and calling commenters losers).
I will be watching this case closely . . .
Republicans are good at prior restraint. They most likely learn it from their first sexual experiences.
Rather than curb or restrict public comment, the council should seem interested but keep playing Solitaire on their computers. Their purpose is to wake up and vote yes for TIF’s and developer wishes. Keep it simple. Leave office eventually with public office accreditation and some side monetary consideration. Then, disappear into history.
Wow that was quite the video. She is a bully and using her position to intimated the citizens.
Act 116 1954
Gives MI governor the power to remove the mayor immediately and should.