Joe Jordan's Attempt to Intimidate RockTrash for Opposing Golf Subsidies
On Jan. 20th, Joe Jordan filed a FOIA request for all email between me (Art Stigile) and Rockville City email addresses.
At the Feb. 7th Citizen's Forum, I charged that his request was an obvious attempt to intimidate and silence my opposition to using taxpayer money to bailout RedGate Golf Course.
I was shocked when he actually admitted this in his statement to the Gazette. (see quote to left)
I asked the City to give Mr. Jordan all of my email -- it's his legal right -- and I twice requested that they publish all of my email on the City website.
But just because it's legal doesn't make it right. Mr. Jordan chairs the RedGate Advisory Committee, and he served as Mayor Marcuccio's campaign manager. He knows better.
I hoped that by speaking out at Citizen's Forum, the embarrassment of public exposure would encourage Mr. Jordan to mend his ways. Instead, he responded on Feb. 12th by expanding his FOIA request (read from the bottom).
But that wasn't the end of his attacks. In a Feb. 15th email, Mr. Jordan made the shocking and absurd accusaton that City Staff were tracking the email of RedGate Advisory Committee members!
This kind of politics is unacceptable in a City that prides itself on Citizen participation in Town Hall style government. It's especially wrong when the perpetrator represents the City, and when the issue concerns a proposal that his Committee advocates.
I concluded my talk at the Feb. 7th Citizen's Forum by calling on the Mayor to discharge Mr. Jordan from his position as Chair of the Advisory Committee. By engaging in these kind of political tactics, he has forfeited any right to represent the City.
I hate having to respond to these kinds of attacks. It's totally devoid of substance, it's dirty, and it cheapens all of us.
But as I told my boys, if you fail to stand up to a bully, he will just keep walking on you every chance he gets.
Art Stigile
"Rocktrash"
www.rocktrash.org