Pinelands Commissioners and Staff Show Contempt For Public

Ban Discussion of Pipeline, Seize Microphone, and Walk Out of Public Hearing Room

Yesterday, the Pinelands Commission’s Policy and Implementation Committee held its kickoff 2014 public meeting, which just so happened to be the final meeting before Friday’s full Commission vote on the controversial South Jersey Gas pipeline.

The pipeline “Memorandum of Agreement” (MOA) was on the public meeting agenda. 

While the public hearing record on the project is closed, it is understandable that the public would still expect an opportunity to talk about the project. The members of the P&I Committee had the opportunity to do so, so again, regardless of legal formalities, the public ‘s expectations to speak on the pipeline are reasonable.

Sill not back up to speed from the flu, I was unable to attend the meeting.

But, what I just read that transpired there makes me sick – never in more than 25 years of government experience have I ever even imagined such arrogant, outrageous, and contemptible conduct.

In an unbelievable an indefensible move, the Philadelphia Inquirer report that the Commission did this:

The commission’s chairman, Mark Lohbauer, told the audience that the public record on the proposal was closed and that the commission would accept no further comment on it. When a member of the public persisted in talking about the pipeline, Wittenberg and the commissioners got up and walked out of the room, with a staff member grabbing the microphone off the speaker’s podium on the way out.

What a way to set up Friday’s voting session and end the public discussion –

Ms. Wittenberg and the Commissioners finally got a chance to tell the public exactly how they feel – and they expressed their contempt for that public.

Throughout this extraordinarily corrupt process, Wittenberg and the Commission have taken every procedural step possible to limit access to information and frustrate public comment.

Months ago, we released a recorded tape where they showed their contempt when they thought they were off the record, one member blurted out “I don’t care what the public thinks”.

Now that Director Wittenberg and the Commissioners are not legally obligated to allow the public to speak, they shut the public down completely and walk out.

Disgraceful and shameful behavior.

Friday will be a real circus.