“Censorship by design” at Cumberland hearing over driver’s licenses for illegals

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

The Cumberland County Democrats’ refused to overturn their resolution to push for driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants on Tuesday night when the machine-dominated board convened, Save Jerseyans, and to add insult to injury, the Dems did their best to turn one of American democracy’s bedrock institutions – the monthly public county meeting – into something more reminiscent of what you’d see in third world dictatorship.

Fiocchi (front center, with jacket and black-rimmed glasses) watches the proceedings with a small army of concerned citizens.
Fiocchi (front center, with jacket and black-rimmed glasses) watches the proceedings with a small army of concerned citizens.

“I arrived 30 minutes prior to the meeting with every intention to share my thoughts with the Freeholders, and was locked outside of the meeting room with more than 50 people who had attended the meeting for the express purpose of speaking out publicly against this resolution and supporting our efforts to repeal it,” explained GOP Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi, himself a county resident and former freeholder, who along with running mate and current freeholder Jim Sauro sponsored a petition opposing the resolution. “It’s very frustrating that neither they nor I ever got a chance to make our voices heard on this important issue.”

According to Save Jersey sources, despite arriving early, Fiocchi and dozens of like-minded opponents of the resolution were taken off-guard by the conveniently-tiny chamber’s seats occupied by Democrat-affiliated union muscle upon arriving at the meeting room.

A sitting Assemblyman representing Cumberland… barred from a Cumberland County public meeting???

SHUT OUT OF DEMOCRACY: 50+ opponents of the resolution were denied the opportunity to be heard
SHUT OUT OF DEMOCRACY: 50+ opponents of the resolution were denied the opportunity to be heard

Millville GOP President Bill Davis later took to social media to explain how the Democrats pulled off their latest outrage and to raise the alarm, too, decrying the prior evening’s events as “censorship by design.”

“The Cumberland County Freeholder Boards attempt to censor public comment has finally happened,” Davis explained in a public Facebook post. “For the second consecutive month hundreds of County residents stood in line to attend the monthly Freeholder meeting only to be denied access. Last night nearly two hundred concerned County residents attempted to have their voices heard but due to a lack of space they instead were met with closed doors.”

“The new Administrative Building in downtown Bridgeton only accommodates 35 to 40 members of the public in a County with 157,000 residents. That’s shameful,” he continued. “The former meeting location in the County Courthouse would have been able to accommodate most if not all of the attendees. This is how they silent the public.”

Sauro, the board’s sole dissenter on the resolution, on Wednesday shared his frustrations over the Democrat majority’s decidedly undemocratic behavior.

“It was important to me that people who took the time out of their lives to drive to Bridgeton on a weeknight had a chance to speak prior to me making an official motion, and they weren’t allowed to do so.  Those citizens deserved better,” said Sauro, citing 500+ signature on the resolution and counting. “If the Democrats think that they can silence us by keeping people outside of the meeting, they are sadly mistaken.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if twice the number of people show up at the next meeting.  The response we’ve gotten on the streets and on social media has been overwhelming.  That’s why Sam and I are committed to keeping this issue on the front burner and making sure that the people of Cumberland County are allowed to have their voices heard at a public meeting and force the Freeholders to confront the true public opinion of this county.”

But this whole thing stinks even worse than the Republican insurgents are saying, folks. Sauro and Fiocchi have been lonely voices for the people in this battle. Meanwhile, despite the fact that Democrat State Senator Jeff Van Drew and Democrat Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak had been eerily silent before last night’s incident, the AC Press story coming out of Tuesday’s meeting is monopolized by their quotesAndrzejczak, who is running for reelection this year, abstained from a DREAM Act vote back in December 2013.

Did the Freeholder Board act weeks ago, and then avoid the topic Tuesday, to give Andrzejczak an opportunity to capitalize on his own party’s insanely unpopular resolution?

Draw your own conclusions. Enough said. Moving forward, concerned citizens’ next opportunity to fight back will be October 20th at the administration building (164 West Broad Broad Street) in Bridgeton when the freeholder reconvene. You’ve been warned, Save Jerseyans: get there early! Very early…

In the interim, please spread the word by sharing this post and, if you’re so inclined, clicking here to add your name to the online petition.

Cumberland's Freeholder board meeting after excluding the dissenters (via Facebook/William Davis)
Cumberland’s Freeholder board meeting after excluding the dissenters (via Facebook/William Davis)

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Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8405 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.

5 Comments

  1. Better yet…move the hell out of New Jersey. Let the union things, state worker drones and illegal invaders take it over once and for all. Thank God there is a river that separates PA from NJ…we can always blow up the bridges.

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