Town Moves To Ban Free Speech in Private Homes, Group Meetings

[TalkingDog]

Run time: 03:20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6TMd5e_o   Posted on YouTube: July 19, 2011 By YouTube Member: MacSlavo Views on YouTube: 8468   Posted on DU: July 22, 2011 By DU Member: TalkingDog Views on DU: 1047

 
Excuse me, but HOLY FUCK...

[krispos42]

1. WTF?

Sounds like it's time for a new city council, stat. I can haz rhekle ilekshun?

[LaurenG]

2. I can't watch from work. What town is this? Thanks. nt

[Maccagirl]

4. Gould, Arkansas

Population about 850-with the stupidest city council ever.

[Maccagirl]

3. In one word

Unconstitutional. The councilwoman didn't even make any sense- There is no way the law will go into effect.

[TalkingDog]

7. Yeah, even the Fox "News" people get that (who'da thunk?)

but that it was even considered. I really think Civics should be reintroduced and MANDATORY.

[struggle4progress]

5. Arkansas Town Draws a Line on Clubs (NYT)

By ROBBIE BROWN
Published: July 19, 2011

... The City Council adopted an ordinance last week making it illegal to form any kind of group without its permission ....

... members of the Council have struggled with a local political group that seeks to influence how the town is governed. The mayor, Earnest Nash Jr., also happens to be a member of the political group, the Gould Citizens Advisory Council.

... The town faces nearly $300,000 in unpaid taxes, and there have been frequent clashes among the mayor, the advisory group and the City Council over how to repay it ...

... Last week, the Council overrode the mayor’s veto of two other controversial measures. One required that the citizens advisory council cease to exist. The other made it illegal for the mayor to meet with “any organization in any location” either “inside or outside Gould city limits” without the Council’s permission ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/us/20arkansas.html?_r=1

[struggle4progress]

6. Gould City Council to vote to repeal ordinances banning certain groups (The Republic | Columbus IN)

... City council members in Gould, about 80 miles southeast of Little Rock, banned any new groups earlier this month from forming without their approval. Their target was an advocacy group called the Gould Citizens Advisory Council, which was outlawed separately by name.

In a case of small-town politics turning particularly nasty, some members of the city council accuse Mayor Earnest Nash Jr. of improperly meeting with the advisory council, which was formed several years ago to discuss concerns about the city's finances and management. They say the advisory group doesn't advertise its meetings or take input from everyone in the town. And they accuse it of shutting out whites and Latinos in the majority-black town.

After hearing from the Arkansas Municipal League and others, council members will repeal the law at its Aug. 9 meeting. But opponents of the advisory council aren't backing down ...

Both sides might be at fault. While city council members passed a law that unfairly limited free speech, Nash and other city officials are also bound under Arkansas open government laws not to hold closed meetings, said Mark Hayes, general counsel for the Arkansas Municipal League ...

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/654028d4079c4b04802a41d58c8e91bc/AR--Gould-Ordinances/