I created this blog in order to give residents the opportunity to share their views on Greenburgh activities and policies so as to help me in my job. Most of the blog postings have been helpful and I value them, even when they have been critical of me and the Board. They have given me information and suggestions that I have put to good use.
However, there is a small group that uses my blog for the purpose of abusing and insulting people. I am not usually bothered by attacks on me -- that comes with the job -- but I am very bothered by attacks on Board members, volunteers, employees and residents, and many of these comments have been vile and slanderous. A few bloggers (very few) show no compunction or sense of restraint at abusing and slandering Board members, employees, volunteers and residents.
This is my blog. I have decided that I do not want it to continue being used as a place where people are abused, insulted, and slandered. I have therefore decided that from now on
1. I will pay closer attention to it, and I will immediately delete any comment that abuses, insults, demeans or slanders anyone. In that way the blog will fulfill its purpose of being a place for ideas and suggestions, and criticism if made in a civil manner.
2. I will no longer permit anyone to use my blog to abuse the Town Board, Town employees, residents or anyone else. We now require registration. Those who are persistent abusers will find their comments deleted as soon as they appear.
I want to continue to have my blog, but people who make comments on it will have to behave in a respectful manner. One can criticize without abusing and slandering others. Issues should be debated freely. You may criticize, express differences of opinions.
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11 comments:
Paul if this is your "BLOG" than you need to Post comments on "YOUR" time NOT at the towns expense.
paul
stop the sheehanigans by
1. answering all the questions posed on the ardsley chat board
2. releasing an unredacted version of the kolesar memo
Paul, it's about time you did something about the foul comments by you-know-who.
why is the town board not following its own rules on the fund balance?
didnt mr feiner say he was ignoring the law on who could be a member of the parking district because he disagreed with the law?
and greenburgher, if you are hinting at mr samis, you can run but you cant hide from the truth about the architectural fiasco that is the library.
It is interesting to note that the library has won a design award and is being featured in an architectural trade magazine.
While it may not be to everyone's taste, it does appeal to some. It has suffered from very poor execution of the original design, and a failure to address maintenance issues.
It's done - time to move on and focus on repairing the poorly done work and doing the regular maintenance whatever one may think about the design.
Dear Mr. Feiner,
I am speaking only for myself: what I write and everything I write is done under my name. I am not speaking for or justifying what may exist from those who do not use their own names.
Let me see if I have this right.
It would be acceptable to be critical just in case the comments are helpful.
Because every once in a blue moon, a good idea or suggestion may come your way.
But unless you judge that the criticism is of value, then there exists at all times a state of war between bloggers and those who are your close advisors -- and more often than not, those who find their names appearing on the blog.
So what is tolerable then is criticism of events or actions that were done by no one in the Town government, town employees or volunteers while those who are only residents but sustaining these events or actions are also held immune. In short, any responsible party is no longer responsible solely because it may engender criticism of them.
The buck stops where?
Perhaps it would be helpful were you to demonstrate from blogs of the past, what would be acceptable and what would not. Because if you reread what you have written, it bumps into itself going and coming, backward, forward, over under, sideways, down.
"Issues should be debated freely. You may criticize, express differences of opinions.
posted by Paul Feiner at 11:37 PM on Nov 29, 2009"
If there were items that passed your muster as interesting "criticisms", don't you agree that these matters occurred following some human meddling?
How can you criticize without naming the culprit(s) and why they have earned this distinction?
In a perfect world, none of this would come up and since this blog is not a nexus for those writing about movies they liked but, in fact, about local politics, it is more than likely that the Town Board, the Department heads, the volunteers on committees and vocal residents are most likely the parties at risk.
Maybe sticks and stones can break bones, but names apparently send your supporters scurrying for your protection.
Your blog, Paul, yes. On the other hand, I claim some of the credit for making it a popular meeting place. If I can no longer write about you, Francis Sheehan, Diana Juettner, Kevin Morgan, Sonja Brown, Judith Beville, Tim Lewis, Thomas Madden, Edye McCarthy, Frank Musantry, Lorraine Cantinore, Herb Rosenberg, Alan Hochberg, the Police Department, the DPW, the TDYCC, the Xposure Program, the Ethics Board...etc.
then you can have your blog to yourself and your friends and family.
If the blog works for you, the other side of the coin is that it has to work for those that write about what's happening.
I can live without this blog although alternatively, like your attitude from your pulpit, the dais at the Town Board meeting, being: if you don't like it initiate an Article 78. If you and your friends are unhappy about comments (often the result of activities which affect others), let them sue under slander and libel laws. Of course, they need to prove their allegations but they'll find that truth or justice is a pretty tough, not necessarily pretty, dame to scare.
So, I read your warning. And the next time I have a topic to write about, be aware that it will contain the names of the perps and why I find their actions unacceptable. Live with it or delete it. We'll both do what we have to do.
thanks to ecc and others, unclaimed tax refunds will be returned to their rightful owners.
now that the unclaimed funds revenue will not be counted in this budget cycle, how will the town now balance the budget?
you can check the database at
edgemontcommunitycouncil.org and see if the town owes you a tax refund.
its the second item on their list
happy holidays
Odd that the number of posts has dropped sharply.
Either the anonymous bloggers have all gotten jobs or allowing the Supervisor to know their identity has calmed the waters.
Apparently the only person who doesn't know their names is "Greenburgher" who refers Paul to someone, you-know-who.
Who is you-know-who? Is it fair that only the Supervisor knows?
perhaps everyone is busy looking at the tax refund database
it would probably easier if the town posted it on its website
better yet, as mike kolesar suggested, take the arts council money and use it to staff a team to find the owners
attention edgemont - this is what they do in ardsley - just another benefit of living in a village run by people who live in your community.
Paul,
Forcing people to sign in might be the best thing you could have done for this blog. Thank you.
Paul, if something written on this/your blog is the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth criticizing any of the people/depts. you mention, would that be considered abuse?
If you are asked a question in the most civil of terms, on the blog or at a town board meeting, would you not consider that abuse, leading to frustration and possibly unrully behavior?
Now that we have thankfully eliminated the "anonymous" bloggers, it will be easier for you to monitor and censor unacceptable postings, unacceptable to you of course.
So, now that you will have more time, will you be kind enough to respond to valid questions that Greenburgh citizens are entitled to hear a reponse.
Thank you,
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