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Attempt to stymie public speakers fails on tie vote Date published: 9/28/2007
By DAN TELVOCK Armed with a binder of legal documents, research and determination, Marty Work has three minutes a month to speak his case. He complains to the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors about alleged cronyism relating to "construction failures" involving a crumbling retaining wall by his home in the Lee's Hill subdivision. The wall has been the center of several legal battles between Work, the developer and the Lee's Hill homeowners association. Work speaks slowly, carefully uttering each word. He often continues past the three-minute limit. His speeches have struck a nerve. "He has been coming to the Board of Supervisors, telling us the same thing over and over and over and over," Supervisor Emmitt Marshall said in a telephone interview. Some supervisors use the "public presentation" period to get a soda or read their agenda. When Work runs over his time limit, someone on the dais asks him to "wrap it up." "May I continue?" Work often replies. Sometimes, he ignores the order. Once finished, he hands over his binder to the county clerk and reminds supervisors that he'll be back next month. But people who speak at board meetings about the same subject may be further limited. On Tuesday, supervisors' efforts to limit the number of times a resident can speak about the same subject failed on a tie vote. The original proposal was to limit a person to one common speech every six months, unless a majority of supervisors votes to suspend the rule. An effort to soften the rule to three months failed on a 3-3 vote. Marshall said this week the proposal to change the bylaws may reappear on an agenda soon. In Fredericksburg, residents have a five-minute time limit to address City Council; in Stafford, it's a three-minute limit for individuals and five for groups in public comments before the Board of Supervisors. Spotsylvania's proposal hit the American Civil Liberties Union's radar this week and raised the eyebrows of other people who speak at county board meetings. Work said the effort to stymie his monthly speeches bothers him. "What nerve have I managed to hit?" he asked. "I've never seen anything so stupid in my life."
Read more stories about Spotsylvania Date published: 9/28/2007
Are you saying the local renecks love the way things used to be before all the damn yankees showed up...hehe
If you look at who voted for and who voted against this motion, it shows you who needs to go and who should stay. Politics especially on this level should be more personal. The old timers or better yet "those against free speech" probably don't really know what it means to serve, but were elected because of lack of information or a bias towards someone not born and breed here. Seems to me the ones not from here (originally) are more for the county then the originals. Just remember to vote out the ignorance
Thank you Mr. Onorato and the other Republicans for defending freedom of speech. Letting people like thelama spew nonsense is dificult, but it is necessary in our free society.
Yes belive it or not board of Supervisors. You come around every 3 or 4 years or whatever it is in your County and kiss our A** for our vote, and once electeed you ignore us. I don't care about whether the Constitution addresses whether or not we have to be heard at council meetings or not..we elect them and we pay their slary. What do they not understand. Government has been bastardized since we became a country. It's all about greed to today...it used to be about service to your COUNTRY stupid!
When the solution to a problem, and especially a problem as minor as this, is deemed to be "limit the rights of the people" it's time for the people to limit the terms of the clowns making those decisions.
November is coming, remember this issue and vote accordingly.
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