All heck did not break loose, however I have just had the opportunity to read Assemblyman Green's blog posted sometime late yesterday regarding my comments on a bill he is alleged to have sponsored. Assembly Bill 444, For The Record;
I am happy to learn that this was a cooperative effort by many in the assembly and not one focused at Mr. Abdul-Hagg. There are many reasons why I feel this legislation is misguided. not the least is that a concerned and active community citizen will become a victim of this legislation.I do not know and have no desire to learn what indiscretion Mr. Hagg committed as a youth. I have know him as a model citizen for almost 2 decades. There can be no question that he had paid his debt to society many times over. If only 50% of Plainfielders had his commitment we could have an utopian society. I consider him to be one of the more valuable BOE members.
The Assembly's intent with this bill appears to be short sighted. If a criminal record disfranchises an individual from holding a BOE post, the same criteria should be applied to all elective offices. If the legislation was initiated by concern over students that too is misguided. Concern should be focused on those that have contact with the children; the professional educators at all levels.
Assemblyman, I apologize to you if I unfairly questioned your motivation. I would hope that you who have advocated 2nd chances accomplished through rehabilitation in a tolerant society, would not support retroactively negative legislation. Perhaps, you can persuade your fellow legislators to revamp this bill to accomplish their ends without being punitive.
Your are walking a fine line on slippery slope. We must as a society, founded on laws and not on the whims of a monarch, follow the laws passed by our leaders. If an individual is in violation of those laws they should be held accountable to those laws, until they are changed.
ReplyDeleteI believe in the 'evolving society' that periodically updates outdated laws, but not in the idea that laws can be discarded out of hand for one case or another.
As an aside I assume that a school board member should have come in contact with the regulations during the election process, or certainly before being sworn in to office, and choosing to ignore them is an even greater offense.
If the state legislature had an issue with crooks and their offices..most of them would not be in the statehouse. The Assembly and Senate in NJ believe we the people commit crimes. They, the holier than though legislators, make mistakes and errors in judgment. Jerry Green is no different than Sharpe James.
ReplyDeleteI believe it's law in the US that legislation cannot be "ex post facto"--that is, to apply retroactively. Isn't that somewhere in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights? If I'm right, that means this wouldn't apply to Abdul-Haqq at all unless whatever crime he committed and was convicted of was incorporated in the law prior to his conviction or his running for office.
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