Seprember 22, 2005 Dover Meetings Televised

Ocean County Politics, Barnaget Light

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Dover Council Meetings Finally On Cable Channel 19 Because Of Schiff Donation After Council Stonewalls

Many Plans Rejected By GOP Council That Roped The Public Out Of Everything, But Dover Council Meetings Are Finally Televised And Carried Later On Comcast Cable At The Expense Of OCP Editor Richard Schiff; Mayor Brush Gives Green Light

Following is a statement by OCP Editor Richard Schiff:

In 2002 I began videoing Dover Township Council Meetings and in 2003, Mayor John F. Russo Jr. and I opened the first communications with Comcast TV on their obligation to provide channel 22 for the use of the Municipal Government as part of their Franchise Agreement.

Three Programs Made It In 2003; But Coverage
Stopped In 2004 Under Pay-To-Play GOP Council

Under Mayor Russo, three programs made it to Channel 19, the lease access channel that Comcast provided in lieu of Channel 22, the dedicated municipal channel.

One program was the dedication of a tract of open space know as Freedom Park, in honor of a Dover resident who perished on 9-11.

Another was “Honoring the Mayors”, when Mayor Russo invited all the living former Mayors under the Township Committee form of government, and the survivors of deceased ex-mayors.

Reock Lecture Was Televised: Schiff Received Proclamation

The third and last show was the lecture given by Professor Earnest Reock of Rutgers University on the nature of the new form of government approved by Dover Township voters.

I was very proud when the Township Committee voted me a Proclamation for "Pioneering the Videoing of Dover’s Government."

Council Never Followed Through On Township
Committee Proclamation: Videos Are At Schiff Expense

All this I did at my own expense entirely.

When the new Council came in, I offered a cost effective contract to video the meeting, with the township covering the nominal costs of a camera operator, the tapes, and the transfers to the format for Comcast, until we got the equipment that would make live broadcasting possible on our own township Channel 22.

After McGuckin Passed The Buck, It Became Clear That Only
He And The GOP Council Could Approve Video Coverage

I presented this proposal to Council President McGuckin and was told it was up to the Mayor. Later it became clear that only the Council could approve such a contract.

I sat and watched millions handed to Mr. McGuckin's lawyer friends and bosses, but no interest on their part to televise Council Meetings, something the public clearly wanted. Paul Brush wanted that also.

Video History Garbled But Available

I have a complete history of this township on video going back to 2002. It should be in the Library for students to watch. My tapes represent the only visual record of the old form of government; through the current form to date.

Brush Gave The Green Light To
Comcast Without Council Approval

Recently Mayor Brush answered the call of the people and rekindled that relationship with Comcast and their representative Robert Clifton.

I am proud that the very first Dover Council Meeting was televised Wednesday night Sept. 21, 2005 at 6pm and that it will be shown twice more this week and again next week.

Perfect Audio Quality Dependent On McGuckin's OK
To Locate Microphones So You Can Hear Them

Unfortunately the sound quality suffers from our inability to plug into the Town’s audio system. We could have perfect sound if the Council allows us to plug our camera in, which will produce total clarity in their speeches, a simple decision that Mr. McGuckin appears unprepared to make.

Now we are only free to use our own free standing microphones, one of which Mr. McGuckin moved away from the dais and replaced without asking my permission.

GOP Council, Particularly Fiure And McGuckin,
Has Made A Career Out Of Trashing First Amendment

This was a clear and blatant attempt to violate my First Amendment rights as a journalist and the First Amendment rights of every Dover Township resident with a television set.

Why Would McGuckin, Council Want Their Words Garbled?

Why would pay-to-play lawyer McGuckin and his associates on the council want their words garbled?

I hope the citizens who asked for this will petition the council to allow us to hook up to their sound system so they and the Mayor and Clerk can be heard as well as the people who come to address them.

Donated At Schiff's Expense

All of this I am donating at my own expense, for the good of the community. Anyone who wants to pitch in is welcome to help. And spread the word to friends and family to watch the meetings at home and watch for news of future scheduling here.

This article prepared for publication September 24, 2005.