To the Editor:
The Hopewell Valley News’ article, “Mayor (McGlaughlin) calls for civility at Hopewell committee meetings,” which was echoed by Deputy Mayor Ruger (HVN, 1/24/19), was not the significant point of that story.
Hopewell Valley News’ story should have been entitled, “McGlaughlin-Ruger Demonstrates Mind-Boggling Hypocrisy.”
Where was their call for civility last year when members of the public asked the 2018 Kuchinski-Blake-McGlaughlin-Ruger majority at virtually every township committee meeting to be treated, not as an inconvenience, but with civility?
Where was their call for civility on Feb. 26, 2018, when Mayor Kuchinski yelled “bullsh*t” from the dais at the township committee meeting?
Where was their call for civility on March 12, 2018 when speakers were cut-off from finishing comments by an arbitrary three minute time limit, including such well-respected members of the community as Watershed Director Jim Waltman?
Where was their call for civility on June 25, 2018 when they voted to introduce an ordinance that contained false statements and on July 30, 2018, when they voted an ordinance into law without allowing the public the time to read the 131 pages of material that were made first available that morning?
Where was their call for civility from July through October of 2018, when, for four months, the public’s right to speak to its township committee was hampered by cancelled and inconveniently re-scheduled meetings?
Where was their call for civility on Nov. 26, 2018, when the Township Committee Majority’s hostility to the public resulted in Mayor Kuchinski abruptly cancelling a township committee meeting in-progress by a vote they supported?
Where have Ms. McGlaughlin and Mr. Ruger been for the past year as they conspired by their silence and support to allow disrespect of the public to reign at Hopewell Township Committee meetings?
Harvey Lester
Titusville
