Right-wing extremists love to complain about censorship and the suppression of their First Amendment rights. Ironically, these are the very same people who attempt to bully and intimidate others into silence. Lower Saucon Township Council candidates Jason Banonis, Thomas Carocci and Jennifer Zavacky were in a Northampton County Courtroom on Friday in an attempt to muzzle their Democratic opponents about the $75,000 that Bethlehem's Landfill has dumped into the race in an attempt to assure a Republican victory on Tuesday. They failed.
What's surprising, at least to me, is that they even tried. You see, Banonis and Carocci are supposed to be lawyers. Any first-year law student can tell you that judicial prior restraints on political speech are next to impossible. Judge Samuel P. Murray, is a one-sentence Order, denied the bone-headed attempt by Banonis, Carocci and Zavacky, to gag their Democratic opponents on Election Eve.
Money is the root of all evil, but it sure helps in elections. Bethlehem Landfill wants to expand its operations so it can continue shoving New York's and New Jersey's garbage down our throats.
The garbage must flow.
In 2015, the Landfill dumped $150,000 as an "independent expenditure" in a partially successful attempt to elect pro-landfill candidates. It's at it again. They want to elect the Republican team, which have all but eliminated any professional oversight at the landfill.
The garbage must flow.
Democrats George Gress, Victoria Opthof-Cordaro, and Tom Roney have pledged proper oversight to protect the public.
The landfill's $75,000 independent expenditure is to help the Republicans,
Under Pennsylvania's campaign finance laws, corporate contributions are ordinarily illegal. But the usual ban on corporate contributions falls by the wayside when they are "independent expenditures."
The Supreme Court's ruling in Citizen's United prevents any restriction on independent political spending. After all, corporations are people, too.
The garbage must flow.
As you might expect, the Democratic team did their best to alert the public that, once again, the Landfill was trying to buy an election. They criticized Republicans for "gladly accepting" the $75,000 from the Landfill.
Technically, it's impossible to "gladly accept" an independent expenditure. That is money spent on behalf of a candidate, whether he likes it or not. This is a wild guess on my part, but I'm pretty sure the Republicans liked it. Banonis told WLVR, "Clearly they [the Landfill] like what we are doing in Lower Saucon Township." And Banonis likes the money.
The garbage must flow.
One thing Banonis dislikes, in any form at all, is criticism. Banonis and Carocci may very well be less knowledgeable than first-year law students, but have nevertheless turned Lower Saucon Township meetings into mini-courtrooms, where they "cross-examine" citizens who dare exercise their right to speak. They've cut speaking time to three minutes as well.
Democratic candidate Victoria Opthof-Cordaro happens to be a lawyer herself. On Thursday night, she received an email advising her of a court hearing to muzzle her and her Democratic colleagues the very next day. Unlike Banonis and Carocci, she was well aware that prior judicial restraints on free political speech are virtually impossible.
Get this. Not only did Banonis et al (Team Bonehead) attempt to muzzle Democrats, they at first attempted to do so without even bothering to notify the other side in violation of this little thing called Due Process. They first attempted to obtain an Order on Thursday without giving notice or providing Democrats the right to be heard. As I understand third-hand ( I was not in motions court), Judge Jennifer Sletvold insisted that notice be provided so that both sides could be heard
Opthop-Cordaro told me that she and her team are running to bring a "friendly and welcoming environment " to Lower Saucon Tp Council.
7 comments:
O'Hare you literary bastard! You may see yourself as House Atreides but you are most surely House Harkonnen.
Pretty trashy, no offense to the landfill . . .
Right from the playbook of Devin Nunes and Trump. They want to overturn NYT vs. Sullivan, too.
Also should be noted that part of the Banonis/Carocci M. O. is to treat Kristen Stauffer like total shit at every opportunity in public meetings, it is pretty pathetic.
Actually it looks like Banonis/Carocci have a lot of parallels with the Trump administration. Can't stand any criticism of themselves whatsoever; make a lot of claims that on the surface appear to benefit their base but are either really bullshit once you actually investigate the details or are just superficial pandering; treat a member of the opposite party (Stauffer) like they are somehow an illegitimate holder of office who shouldn't be paid attention to.
Lower Saucon Dems keep electing Princess Deleon,I mean Queen Priscilla. The griftiest of the grifters. She has One (1) agenda...hers and hers only.
She sucked the disability teet, collects her Council money, work as her husband's bookkeeper, who's a local contractor (no special privilege there)...I can go on, on, about this township, but Lower Saucon gets what they deserve.
I'm a Democrat, but voted for the deplorables; Banonis/Carocci. Simply because, someone has to put that back stabbing wench in her place.
GO LANDFILL!
GO 3 MINUTE RULE!
GO AWAY Priscilla Delirium and pay back all the money you took from disability.
-Daryl
You're legit crazy
Will this article be updated given the PA Supreme Courts ruling?
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