Unless you’re a VIP in Camden County, voters have a hard time being heard, even through the ballot box. Or you can try to schedule five appointments to be sure they all hear your concerns. The allotted 3 minutes at public meetings is probably Constitutionally unsupportable.
Amazingly, in this election year, at least TWO less-than-brilliant Commissioners are proposing making it harder for commissioners to hear each other. Tuesday night’s agenda item 7 establishes the new requirement that a commissioner must have a co-sponsor to add an item to the agenda:
There’s never been a rule like this since the 1928 Camden County Historic Courthouse was built. Are commissioners overburdened by the responsibilities of the Georgia and US Constitutions? They don’t maintain “office hours.” (Perhaps each could commit to meet with constituents a few Saturday mornings each month in the new multi-million dollar Resiliency Center.) Each of our commissioners represents about the same number of Camden County citizens, so why does any commissioner need the approval of another to put an item on the agenda? The Agenda isn't just for voting. (They hand our awards like crazy on meeting Agendas, and they allow spaceport and airport consultants on the Agenda.)
The implication is:
Their good-old-boy wheeling and dealing has to remain in the back room out of the public eye; and/or,
Their time is too valuable to allow for legal, open government; and/or,
They don't like surprises.
Jim Goodman, who also works as a Camden County School Bus Driver, reached out to camden1st@mail.com to assure us he is against this power play and the Chairman's arrest authority.
This is simply another bad idea that should not move forward to a vote.
Most importantly, in today’s climate of mistrust of elected officials, some County elected officials decided in bad faith that it is a good idea to control citizens’ Constitutional right to free speech. While they are “modifying” rules, did the Chair engage the County Attorney (retainer: $99,000.00 per year) to check into this recent Ohio Federal Court decision:
Apparently, the good-old-boy network is alive and well, too.
It is a short leap from violating an elected official’s right to free speech to the Chair violating ANY citizen’s right to free speech because the Chair doesn’t like what is being said. It was a bad idea in 2017 when the Commissioners gave the chair the right to order the Sheriff to arrest someone for something they don’t want to hear. It's even worse today for officials to forcibly limit what they hear from constituents. It may be disruptive to their precious decorum, but it is legal speech - like it or not.
They excuse themselves for their own failures like:
($12 million wasted on a spaceport license for a spaceport they can't buy and that no existing rocket could use);
Collecting millions more revenue each year than they need for the budget (resulting in budget inflation);
Since 2017, Camden County Commissioners have given the Meeting Chair the right to order the Sheriff to arrest a citizen whom the Chair decides is “out of order” during a meeting.
Exactly how is Ben Casey expertly qualified to legally decide when “vocal” speech becomes disruptive? And is it even possible for the Chair to meet his First Amendment responsibilities when the Chair limits a speaker to 3 minutes as they try to address all NINE items on this Tuesday's Agenda? When deciding to limit free speech, did our Commissioners plan how they would finance defending against charges they are violating citizens' First Amendment Rights? (We bet they're counting on charging taxpayers by taking it from their Budget slush fund.) And won't the JDA love those sessions with potential business owners and investors who do a simple web search on Camden County?
Editor Note: Edit 1/21/24 at 14:45 to remove satire characterization of Ben Casey riding Vladimir Putin's horse while carrying a basket of blueberries. The new image is an image of Vladimir Putin riding his horse.
The simple question is, "WHY ARE THEY AFRAID OF CITIZENS?"
There are plenty of enemies of America out there. We shouldn't allow our County Commission to adopt totalitarian ways. In recent years, citizens have lost confidence in the Board of County Commissioners to the extent that they believe there is little purpose in speaking up against the BOCC plans. The spaceport referendum (72% Against! the spaceport) proves that theory wrong. But fighting that non-sensical idea cost us thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars. No matter what they claim their bad rules are for, threatening to arrest outspoken opponents is all about Intimidation. Intimidation.
Intimidation.
Intimidation. The simple question is, "WHY ARE THEY AFRAID OF CITIZENS?"
The Tuesday Commission Meeting at 6:00PM could be a doozy. Be there.
Tuesday, January 22, 2024
6:00 PM
Camden County Administrative Building on the Historic Courthouse Square
200 E Fourth St, Woodbine, GA 31569
2nd Floor Commission Chambers
Google says the drive takes:
13 Minutes from Waverly
19 Minutes from Laurel Island
22 Minutes from Sanctuary Cove
24 Minutes from Osprey Cove
26 Minutes from Browntown
31 Minutes from Mush Bluff
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