By Lev D. Zilbermints
NEWARK – As reported in a previous edition, Munirah Bomani is not the only activist alleging that the Newark Municipal Council is violating the First Amendment rights of Newark residents. Lisa Parker, a long-time resident of Newark, shared her views with “Local Talk.”
According to Ms. Parker, the new Municipal Council President, LaMonica McIver, has no experience with the job. Rather, alleges Ms. Parker, Council President McIver abuses her power by ordering police to remove residents who criticize council members or their actions.
In an email sent to “Local Talk”, Ms. Parker wrote, “Since July 2022, when LaMonica McIver became Council President, I have been removed 3 times. In the 25 years that I have been consistently coming to council meetings to advocate for community concerns… I have never been removed. (Ever) since George Branch was on the Municipal Council.”
Former Councilman George Branch lost his seat to current U.S. Senator Cory Booker in 1997. Booker outspent Branch in the 1997 Municipal Council and mayoral elections.
Ms. Parker stated that the Municipal Council is trying to intimidate residents who speak at Municipal Council meetings.
“This administration has now militarized the council chambers with police officers in riot gear as a way to intimidate residents that speak out. McIver has no experience in this role [Council President], but because of bastardizing of the Municipal Clerk’s office and the continued lawless actions of the administration to not follow processes/protocols to the Faulkner Act, activists are subjected to arbitrary reasons to remove speakers.”
“Local Talk” contacted Council President LaMonica McIver via email on September 27 to get her side of the story. When asked for her response to Ms. Parker’s claim that she did not have enough experience to be Council President, McIver emailed back, “No comment.”
Ms. Parker wrote in a second email, “There is a delicate balance between overreach in government to abuse, suppress public forums and honoring public policies. The contradiction is when our elected representatives do not hold themselves accountable for their responsibility to govern by a standard of practice. Yet the same elected representatives are imposing and enforcing arbitrary methods to suppress, violate and abuse their office. I have and will continue to protect and advocate for civil liberties and rights.”
Asked about “bastardizing of Municipal Clerk’s Office”, Ms. Parker explained that Ken Louis, the previous City Clerk, was more ethical. Now, “with Ken Louis retired, his office was the last bastion for ethics in our government. His office followed directives from the mayor and compromised separation of Executive and Legislative branches. That is why we are in a space in this town of incompetence. There are poor services and growth for only the inner circles of this administration.”
Ms. Parker gave six different examples of what she termed “abuse of power by the administration and the Council President.”
Six Examples of Abuse of Power as cited by Ms. Parker
According to Ms. Parker, the Municipal Council denied a Special Election in November 2021 for former Council President Mildred Crump’s seat. Instead, “it was given to her son Larry as though we have a monarchy, not a democracy.” However, according to Rule XXIV of Municipal Council Rules, “All nominations to any office or position submitted to the Municipal Council shall be in writing and include the nominee’s full name, home address and occupation.” If five or more members of the Municipal Council vote to confirm, the nominee shall be confirmed in his or her position. Also, “prior to the confirmation of a nominee, the Mayor shall cause the Police Department to conduct an investigation and background check of said nominee to verify he has no criminal record. If this investigation discloses evidence of a criminal record, the nomination shall not be considered by the Municipal Council.”
In her second example, Ms. Parker alleges that during campaign season in April 2022, LaMonica McIver family members yelled out in Council chambers “B-tch, sit down!”. This was in reference to a resident speaking in a public forum. There were no apologies from McIver about this incident.
“McIver used the reason for removing residents as “No disruption or calling from speakers.” This is a contradiction, since her family were the ones calling out,” Ms. Parker wrote in her email.
Council President McIver replied to “Local Talk”, “I cannot speak to the specifics as I don’t recall such incident and at that time of April 2022, I was not the President of the City Council.”
As her third example, Ms. Parker said that she was removed from Council chambers for saying that she could not hear a speaker. According to Ms. Parker, the speaker was an attorney in Central Ward. Council President McIver allowed him to continue speaking, although no one could hear him with a mask on.
The fourth example was “eight years there has been no response from elected (officials) on the dais to address community concerns.”
Fifth, “residents speak out about the non-responsiveness by the elected officials in regards to resolutions on the Council agenda. These include land deals for pennies, oversight in budget, etc. all are issues that are never addressed.”
Sixth, according to Ms. Parker, “the administration edits public forums comments, interruptions of audio during Council meetings. The Council President is using her title like a gun and badge to counter remarks made in Council settings, singling out speakers when she does not like what is being said. Residents and activists are exhausted from the level of abuse and corruption demonstrated by this administration with no recourse to raise awareness through media, no oversight by state for compliance. … Nothing from organizations like the ACLU, NAACP, Urban League to name a few.”
Response from other residents and activists
Donna Jackson, a frequent speaker at Municipal Council meetings, criticized the Council for dual office-holding. Jackson called the practice “illegal.”
“This is the worst, corrupt… the worst administration” in Newark history, said Jackson.
Debra Salters, a Newark resident and activist, told “Local Talk” that Council President LaMonica McIver was supposed to get an unanimous decision before removing anyone from the meeting. Salters said, “Mildred Crump started removing people from Council meetings. City Council says stuff but does not want public to respond. They are dictators.”
Shakima Thomas, a West Ward resident, told “Local Talk” via email that in her opinion, Council President LaMonica McIver was being hypocritical and lacked discipline when running a Council meeting.
According to Thomas, “I would also like to add that Council President McIver seems to want order in the Council Chambers and enforces such. However, at times she interrupts residents during their speaking moments. I think there is a bit of hypocrisy and a double standard when she holds residents accountable for yelling out and interrupting others; however, she does not exercise any discipline or self-accountability when she interrupts people while the clock is running.
“To interrupt a person’s train of thought while they are speaking is a form of censorship. I don’t think she’s that much of a mind reader to know someone is not going to be speaking to the ordinance. It’s people’s time to say what they want. If what they say is not about the ordinance, then that person is responsible for what they are saying during their time at the podium. It’s their right to choose their own words.”
When asked if she was interrupting speakers while they spoke, Council President McIver responded, “This is not true. Feel free to view previous Council meetings.”
Asked “when residents interrupt and yell during Council meetings, you hold them accountable. But all things being equal, residents say you interrupt them. Thus, the allegation that residents say is that there is one standard for speakers, another for Municipal Council. “
McIver gave the same answer, “This is not true. Feel free to view previous Council meetings.”
