Monday's City Council was sedate until Danny Dunn came to the microphone.
There was polite applause when animal activist Lilas Borsa Donahue thanked the governing for tightening up an anti-tethering ordinance and more when Siddeeq El-Amin spoke about New York City suspending alternate side of the street parking to accommodate observers of many diverse religious holidays.
Council business went quickly, with unanimous agreement on everything.
Danny Dunn no sooner came to the microphone in the second public comment segment than he began attacking Councilwoman Rebecca Williams, who was the acting council president in the absence of Cory Storch. Williams stands for the Pledge of Allegiance but does not recite it, for which Dunn condemned her at length. Dunn's remarks clearly violated the guidelines for public comment that forbid "personally offensive, derogatory or abusive remarks" and as acting president she could have shut him down or had him removed. Instead, she smiled through his attack and he pivoted to another topic.
"I represent the least of these," he boomed, talking about children in the Fourth Ward at risk from speeding cars.
"Get those kids out of harm's way," he thundered, talking about temporary speed humps that had been removed.
Dunn claimed officials were only concerned about "the haves," and alleged discrimination against the "40 percent," presumably the have-nots. Alluding to a "Gestapo perspective," he said, "We don't want no part of Fergusons here."
As Dunn ranted on about other topics, someone shouted from the back, "Sit down!"
Fourth Ward Councilwoman Bridget Rivers later explained that the $6,500 devices had been vandalized by neighborhood residents themselves and had to be removed for the safety of drivers. She said she will be meeting with leaders of the Joanne Hollis Complex (named for her late sister, an activist and resident of the former West End Gardens complex ), to encourage them to speak up when people damage the speed humps.
Public Safety Director Carl Riley said there are no other speed humps available in the city. First & Fourth Ward at-large Councilman Barry Goode asked when the speed humps could be replaced, but Public Works Director Eric Watson said the budget had just been passed. He is looking for funds, he said.
Rivers said the city does not have $6,500 to replace the speed humps and she will be meeting with residents to discuss it. In the future, she said, she would like the city to get permanent speed humps.
El-Amin rose again to defend Williams' right to decline to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. He reminded.everyone that there is no state religion, and everyone may believe as they see fit without being bullied about how they express their beliefs.He said some place their hand over their heart, but they are not obligated to do so. There are religions that do not pledge, he noted.
"When we hear people denigrate others for their beliefs, we should stand against that," he said.
The next City Council meeting is an agenda-fixing session on Tuesday, June 14, a week after the June 7 primary and on Tuesday to allow city Republicans to reorganize on June 13 by choosing officers to serve for two years. On April 4, Republicans could file for 68 committee seats, a male and female in each of the city's 34 voting districts. However, only eight Republicans filed for seats in four of the 34 districts.
The next regular meeting is at 8 p.m. Monday, June 20, in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
--Bernice
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Good lord when will this ridiculousness end. Poor Danny Dunn and his confused and obnoxious mind. Prior to opening his mouth he should: 1) Do some research to understand it is the "47%" that he claims to speak for, 2) the vast majority (likely 98%) of the city are part of that 47% (and FYI, I didn't vote for this guy to be my spokesperson), 3) if the safety of the kids is his primary concern he should have opened (and closed) with the speed bump issue and not brought up some tired story about Ms. Williams and 4) he should do some research about the speed bumps before he opens his pie hole and find out the real reason they were removed. To make it easier for him, he should really just not speak.
ReplyDeleteThe hypocrisy – for an individual to exercise one’s first amendment rights in such an abusive and offensive matter and then judge someone else’s first amendment rights.
ReplyDeleteThe Constitution is clear about the separation of church and state. It wasn’t until the 1950’s when a bunch of white men changed the Pledge of Allegiance to include “under God”. That phrase was added after “one nation”. It was not included in the original Pledge. One’s faith to God or Deity should not be judged or questioned if one opposes this addition – it’s just wrong to do that.
I feel faith one’s faith is personal, and I respect all others faiths. And I tire of those that wear their faith on their sleeve and then display it when it fits their personal agenda. I sure wish I had met my hero Jesus before I met a Christian!
As far as Councilwomen’s Williams faith – it is very well known that she believes in the Christian faith. And that should be no ones business but hers.
And the Councilwomen should be commended for how she handled that speaker last night. He’s a tyrant and a bully. He was out of line and should have been shut down and sat down! Instead she handled it as a true leader would – she waited until he was finished, and then she addressed his concerns that were relevant to the city.
All the members on the Governing Body should disavowal themselves of such behavior from their political sponsors.
That speaker, and another speaker who is a candidate in the third ward council race, expressed their concerns that their political lawns signs were being removed. As a member of Rebecca’s William’s campaign team I would like to address that:
- Our team has NOT removed any of the opposition’s signs. And to suggest that we have is just not true.
- All of our sign placements are on lawns of voters who have given us their permission
What we have experienced as we visit voters around the City is that many residents are complaining that they did not grant permission for signs to be placed on their lawns, or in the public right of way or on the abandon houses in their neighborhood. These residents have told us that they have removed signs. And we have witnessed lawn signs that were once on the right of way now leaning up on the side of folk’s homes because they removed them and they want them picked up.
If I were a Councilperson, I would follow the lead of our neighbors to the east and create an ordinance that would restrict the placement of these signs. Though I am not sure how one’s first amendment rights would play into that.
Yes, because when I'm thinking of who's the best judge of my Constitutional rights as a citizen with regards to the Pledge of Allegiance, I'm most certainly going to go with someone who basically says, "Hey, I've no clue where I live or if that's not good enough for you, I'm cool with committing voter fraud." Stunning Dunn...simply stunning...
ReplyDeleteThat was his nephew, not him.
DeleteSame difference!
DeleteI stand corrected on the first name and my erroneous statement.. and I'm duly chastened. Moral authority on constitutional rights... ehhhhhh.. he can own that clown factory. Donald Trump is looking for a running mate, maybe he should throw his hat into the ring since he's running with the holier than though crowd.
DeleteI am constantly amazed at Dunn's lack of shame. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Dunn's are DONE this is how they react
ReplyDelete