Grassroots Groundswell

Frank called a little while ago to say that Former Council President and current Tri-County Red Cross Executive Director Nathan Rudy was interested in speaking with me by telephone to discuss the Vermeule Community Center rental posts.

I told Frank I wouldn’t be calling Mr. Rudy, but that anything Mr. Rudy had to communicate could be forwarded to me in writing at Mr. Rudy’s convenience.

Herewith, some editorial policies:

1. I post information from sources I trust based on prior experiences wherein their information proved to be sound and fact-based, whether I learn that information verbally, by e-mail, or in writing.

Sometimes the information is based on rumors, but when it is, I state that fact, and the circumstances surrounding the source’s acquisition of the information. Occasionally, I protect the source’s anonymity, because of Borough leaders’ proven record of retaliation against critics, no matter how well-founded their criticisms.

Readers can judge the credibility of rumors for themselves, based on their personal knowledge of the public figures involved, gleaned either through their own interactions with those individuals, or through published accounts of those individuals’ public actions. Public figures named in any posts are always welcome to dispute the information presented, but only in writing or in public forums. 

2. I post all comments submitted, of whatever perspective, so long as they contain substantive comments about issues and facts.

3. I do not deal with current or former members of Borough government in private conversations anymore, either in person or by telephone, because I do not trust them. They have withheld and obscured key public information in the past, have lied outright and continue to play power games with public information on a daily basis.

Therefore, any information those individuals would like to convey - to clarify unclear situations, rebut citizen arguments on local issues, or attempt to justify any actions they’ve taken that relate in any way to public issues -  must be conveyed either in writing, which I will then post verbatim, or in a public forum with multiple citizen witnesses present. 

I am not interested in becoming a member of the backroom cabal and will not be a party to “off-the-record,” unwitnessed, undocumented conversations.

4. I am especially interested in posting factual, evidence-based, verifiable, measurable, document and data-backed information from sources willing to identify themselves and provide copies of their evidence for public posting, review and analysis.