Update: 2/19/19 Tony Fiore & 911 Safety: What Price Should We Put On Life?

It was brought to my attention over the past weekend, that the incident that I had mentioned concerning the stabbing at McMahon Park,  may not have been the social media incident that lead Tony Fiore to make his comments from the dais durning the February 29th, meeting of the Middletown Township Committee, which I made a video of and posted. In the video, Tony Fiore made an offhanded comment that the effect that because Middletown had saved "millions of dollars" since a 2016 shared service agreement went into affect that handed over Middletown's 911 dispatch to the Monmouth County Sheriff's office it was a "good deal" since  only 16 calls out of 101,000  resulted in delayed response time of any significance, which I took acceptation to.

More than likely it was a different account of a recent event that taken place at McMahon Park a day or so prior to the reporting of the stabbing by the Asbury Park Press, which had a delayed response from 911.  The social media post was apparently taken down sometime after initial posting but thanks to a forward thinking individual, there was a screenshot taken, which I have posted.  I apologize for any confusion and the delayed update. Regardless however, it does not justify Tony Fiore's insensitive comments or follow-up social media rants of his own, which I won't dignify here.

Two be fair to the 911 operator who was involved in this incident, I will give the benefit of doubt but I will not exonerate them of all blame, while the name of McMahon Park was misspelled in the social media post as "McMann". If the caller spelled out the name of the park to the 911 operator wrongly,  then I can understand the confusion but not necessarily the delay. Any police officer or dispatcher in Middletown should know where a McMahon/McMann park is without hesitation. The name of the park is pronounced, as far as I know and others are concerned as, McMann, there is only one.  If that was the case, then all the dispatcher needed to do was inform local authorities of the incident at "McMann" park and send the help that was requested.

2/19/19 Tony Fiore & 911 Safety: What Price Should We Put On Life?

How much does a life cost and what price would you put on it?

I'm asking this question because after viewing the video from Tuesday night's Middletown Township Committee meeting, I was left slightly stunned after hearing Deputy Mayor Tony Fiore's public comment regarding a recent stabbing that took place in North Middletown at McMahon Park.

During Committee Comments, Tony Fiore addressed social media criticism about an alleged delayed  response time by Middletown police after the stabbing in McMahon Park last week. The delay was blamed on the Monmouth County 911 dispatch operator not being able to identify the location of McMahon Park. Fiore then assured those listening that there really wasn't a delay and that police were on the scene in less than 4 minutes after the call came through.

Fiore then continued to state that he asked for some statistics and found that since Middletown turned over it's own 911 system to the County in 2016 via a shared- service agreement, the township had saved a "few million dollars". He said that since that time there has been 101,000 calls to 911 that the County dispatch had received, of those calls, 93,689 were actual emergencies and of those calls, ONLY 16 were delayed due to a wrong address or the need for additional information or clarification from the 911 dispatch operators. He then stated that those 16 delays represented  less than .07% of all calls and gloated, saying that he thought that it, turning our 911 call center over to the County,  has been a good deal.

I say Bullshit!

If 1 life was lost or 1 person suffered unnecessarily due to delayed response times from a 911 call center, which resulted in a  life long complications, than it isn't worth the money saved.

How can you look into someones eyes,  who lost a loved one or suffered needlessly, with a straight face and say it was worth it? You can't ... but I'd like to see our deputy-mayor attempt to explain it to someone who has experienced such a loss or tragedy.

I'm sure that if he or someone he cared about, was affected by a delay in response time after calling 911 for help, because the dispatcher on the other end of the phone was unfamiliar with an area or gave first responders the wrong information, he'd be the first to want answers and accountability from those involved. And I bet afterwards, he wouldn't think it was such a good deal.






Update 2/27/19:

It was brought to my attention last week, that the incident that I had mentioned above, the stabbing at McMahon Park,  may not have been the social media incident that lead Tony Fiore to make his comments that have been posted in the video. More than likely it was a different account of a recent event that taken place at McMahon Park a day or so prior to the reporting of the stabbing by the Asbury Park Press, which had a delayed response from 911.  The social media post was apparently
taken down sometime after initial posting but thanks to a forward thinking individual, there was a screenshot taken, which I have posted.  I apologize for any confusion.

Two be fair to the 911 operator who was involved in this incident, I will give the benefit of doubt to them, the name of McMahon Park was misspelled in the social media post as "McMann". If the caller spelled out the name of the park to the 911 operator wrongly,  then I can understand the confusion but not necessarily the delay. Any police officer or dispatcher in Middletown should know where a McMahon/McMann park is without hesitation. The name of the park is pronounced, as far as I know and others are concerned as, McMann, there is only one.  If that was the case, then all the dispatcher needed to do was inform local authorities of the incident at "McMann" park and send the help that was requested.

 

Fiore Is At it Again; Belittling Residents Via Facebook

I recently heard a rumor that Middletown's currently act deputy-mayor, Tony Fiore had been muzzled by both the Middletown Republicans and his employer.

It was just last week, that acting mayor Kevin Settembrino let it be known that no one but himself  speak on behalf of the Township Committee other than himself. But yet, here's Tony speaking out about Township business once again and in the process belittling a resident in the process.

As for Fiore's employer, it has been rumored rather loudly, that they gave him an ultimatum, your job or your politics. Apparently they don't appreciate the way he conducts himself on social media or on the dais. His brash, argumentative and condescending comments to residents is seen as a poor reflection on his employer and they have had enough of it.

From what I've heard, his employer has taken the position that if he wishes to keep his job after his current appointment as deputy-mayor is over, in the future, he will no longer be allowed to serve as acting mayor or deputy-mayor. Further more, they wouldn't take kindly to him running for office again. So his days on the dais appears to be limited.

Evidently, it seems that Tony Fiore doesn't care because here are some screen shots taken just a little while ago of Fiore speaking on behalf of the Township Committee and derogatorily belittling a resident that he disagrees with. Fiore made these comments on a Facebook page for Middletown residents. I'm sure if the moderator of the page didn't turn off the ability to comment on the original post, the below exchange would have very quickly descended deeper into the mud.   

Letter: Middletown Elected Officials Censoring & Blocking Residents On Social Media

The expressed opinions or views of this letter does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MiddletownMike blog. 

Dear Editor,

I would like to call your attention to abuse of social media by Middletown Township Committee Members. When social media platforms are used for Township business, or under the banner of the Township Committee, then it is highly inappropriate to censor and block residents from commenting and engaging in dialogue.

I believe Township residents should be aware that Middletown Township elected officials are censoring first amendment rights and that this practice is not permitted. There have been numerous rulings on this issue at a federal and state level; residents should engage with the NJ State League of Municipalities as referenced below to review the bulletin published by them in the last month; and should report abuse of social media by elected officials at all levels to the contact provided.

https://www.njslom.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=141

Kind regards

Pauline Hynes
Middletown, NJ

NEW DATE! Free Info Session March 14: Have You Been Hacked?

Middletown Public Information:

Have you been hacked? Find out at 7:00 pm on Monday, March 14th at the Middletown Arts Center located at 36 Church Street. Middletown Township will present a free information session on what it means to be hacked in today's vast electronic world. It's not just about desktop computers anymore. (Please note the February 23rd session is cancelled)

Middletown professionals will discuss modern hacking methods including phone scams and social media invasions. The evening will include discussion of common scams that are happening locally. Learn how to identify and protect yourself from this major epidemic that has become a normal part of our culture.

The session is open to tweens, teenagers and adults. This special program will be presented by the Middletown Police and Information Technology departments.

Was PBA Local 124 Facebook Post In Violation Of Middletown's Social Media Policy?

After learning about the post and a subsequent comment left on the Middletown PBA Local 124 Facebook page concerning the PBA's frustration with the township administration, community activist Linda Baum sent me the following:

I read your post "Middletown PBA Local 124 Facebook Post: "...township committee shows little to no thanks at all...", and Assistant Township Administrator Jim VanNest’s follow-up email to township employees that was mentioned in the comments didn't sit well with me. So I OPRA’d the  township’s social media policy,  to see what it says.

I think that the comments made by the township employee may be viewed as political activity. I’m told by a lawyer that public employees have the same rights as everyone else to engage in political activity, and that, if they were retaliated against for political activity, that would be illegal.

The memo from VanNest refereed to by commenter John Wite, implies consequences/retaliation. That by itself seems very wrong, if not unlawful, even if the township doesn’t retaliate because it creates an environment of fear and intimidation for employees.

Now, if the township has a social media policy that disallows specific employee activity, where that specific activity is allowed by law, then it seems the township’s social media policy would be invalid, at least in part.  It seems to attempt to restrict pretty much all work-related discussion or criticism of the administration, but on close reading may not. Thus, it’s not clear that the employee who posted on Facebook violated the township’s policy.

It appears truthful criticism of the administration is allowed.

Per an attorney consulted on this matter. Paraphrased:

"If the Township retaliates against an employee because that employee commented on matters of public concern, that is a violation of the First Amendment and could give rise to a civil rights case at the very least. The Township is inviting litigation when they start firing or demoting people, because the victims will say it was because of their protected speech activities."



You can read Middletown's Social Media policy ... HERE

Do you know about the Global Frackdown?

 by guest blogger Linda Baum

This Saturday, 9/22, is an international day of action to raise awareness about the dangers of fracking, a highly pollutive process used to extract natural gas.  Consumer advocacy organization Food & Water Watch is calling it the Global Frackdown.

The idea is for individuals, organizations, and community groups around the globe to sponsor some event or take some action to raise awareness. 

It could be something as simple as sending out a tweet or sharing news of the global event on facebook.  For message ideas, check out http://www.globalfrackdown.org/social-media/ and use the hash tag #globalfrackdown and the link http://bit.ly/SFshr4 to spread the word. 

Among some other ideas, for example, you could host a “Gasland” screening, arrange for a speaker, distribute flyers at your school, or even hold a kite-flying event to promote clean energy.  The range of ways people can participate is limited only by the extent of their imagination.  For more info on how to plug in to an event near you, visit:  http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/search.sjs?distributed_event_KEY=682

 

Besides this post, my contribution to the Global Frackdown is to share with you this link to the 18-minute film “The Sky is Pink” by Josh Fox, creator of Gasland:  http://vimeo.com/44367635

As always, thank you for your activism.

Crime Scene Middletown: MiddletownMike Banned From Receiving Township Press Releases

Last week, just after the 4th of July holiday weekend, I was expecting to recieve the latest press release from Middletown Police Detective Lieutenant Steve Dollinger, reporting the recent activities of the Middletown Police. I had noticed that updates for the holiday weekend activities had already been posted on the websites Redbankgreen.com,Middletown Patch and Atlantic Highlands Herald and I was wondering why, after 8 months of receiving the MTPD press releases, I didn't receive the July 5th press release.

I sent an inquiring email to Detective Dollinger that afternoon wondering if I had been somehow overlooked when he had sent the current press release to those on his distribution list. Usually when I have sent an inquiry to the detective I received a prompt response, this time however was different. I never received a response from Detective Dollinger, instead the following day, Wednesday, I received the following email from Middletown Public Information Officer Cindy Herrschaft with no other explanation:

Dear Mr. Morris,

The township has revised the policy regarding the distribution of press releases. Please feel free to check the township website for information updates.

When I received this response coming from Ms. Herrschaft, I was puzzled. I have been receiving press releases for 8 months without any issue and wanted to know why I was now being excluded. I immediately responded by requesting that a copy of both the old policy regarding press releases and the new policy be sent to me so that I could review it. I also stated that no such policy was posted on the Township website for such review. Needless to say, I am still waiting for her response.

After waiting for an answer for almost 24 hours I decided to send an email to Township Administrator Tony Mercantante Thursday afternoon:

Mr. Mercantante,

For the past 8 months I have been receiving MTPD press releases from Detective Dollinger for posting on my Middletown Mike blog. These press releases have been very well received by the readers of the blog and are often the most read feature of the day when posted.

So you can imagine my dismay when I did not receive a press release from this past weekend and subsequent releases issued this week from Detective Dollinger, but found updates on other blogs or websites.

When I sent an inquiry to Detective Dollinger, I did not receive the usual quick response from him that I am accustomed to when I have a question, instead I received an email (below) from Cindy Herrschaft saying that the policy regarding the distribution of press releases had been revised and basically stating that I would not be receiving press releases for the Township anymore for posting.

I responded to Ms. Herrschaft, asking her if she could forward me a copy of the previous press release policy and that of the revised policy, so that I can understand why it seems that I am being singled out from receive township press releases from the MTPD or administration. So far I haven't heard from her and that disturbs me.

If at all possible I would appreciate if you could look into this matter for me and provide me with the simple documents that I requested without having to file an OPRA request.

It would be great if this was just a misunderstanding and my name was taken off Detective Dollinger's contact list by mistake and therefore you could authorize Detective Dollinger to once again include me in his updates.

I appreciate your help in this matter

Again nearly 24 hours pasted without a response, I figured that they were trying to come up with a plausible explanation as why I wasn't to receive press releases any longer because it was becoming evident to me that no such policy documents exsisted.

So as not to be ignored,on Friday I sent yet an other email to the Township, this time to Assistant Administrator James Van Nest:

Mr. Van Nest,


As Assistant Township Administrator I am hoping that you could provide me with an answer to my inquiry below.

It has been two days since I respond to Ms. Herrschaft email notifying me that I have been taken off the contact list and will no longer be receiving Township press releases and almost 1 full day since sending an email inquiry to Mr. Mercantante about it, with no response in return.

I understand that it is the summer and people my have taken off a few days (hence no response from Mr. Mercantante) but I would like to know the true reason why I have been singled out by no longer being a recipient of direct notification of press releases.

In her email Ms. Herrschaft stated that the policy for distributing press releases has been changed. I would like to see in writing what the old policy was and how it differs from the new policy seeing how no such policy is listed on the Township website and that press releases are not always posted there in a timely manner.

Ultimately I would like to be restored to the notification list if possible. If you could be so kind to follow-up on this matter and respond back I would be greatly appreciative.

Thank you for your help in this matter.

They say that the third time is the charm and I suppose in this instance that old adage rang true because a short time afterwards Tony Mercantante finally responded to my emails with the following explanation:

Mr. Morris,

The policy for distributing Press Releases consists of essentially lists that have evolved over time. In order to keep distribution to a manageable magnitude it has been decided that automatic distribution of press releases will be limited to the following:

stablished new organizations and media outlets, whether they be print, online or on air organizations.

Community organizations and homeowners associations that have requested to receive information.

Other governmental agencies and officials.

We are currently reviewing the lists to make sure that all who are on it fall into the categories mentioned above. Blog sites are not included. If you ever become aware of a blog receiving such information automatically, please report it and we will look into it right away. You or anyone else has always the right to request specific information and/or pull it from the web site when it is posted, which is usually within a day.

Tony Mercantante
Township Administrator

That to me was an interesting reply. I responded by stating that I was in disagreement with his response and that it made it clear that there was no written policy in place that specifically dealt with this issue. I pointed out that my blog serves the community as a source of local news and opinion to those that read it and that I believe the township was being arbitrary in it's decision to exclude my blog from directly receiving press releases. At which point Mr. Mercantante replied that all blog would be excluded, not just mine.

I asked him how does the Township differentiate between what is a News site and what isn't and what is constitutes a community group? By definition Blogs and other Social Media outlets are virtually the same and almost impossible to differentiate. Websites such as Middletown Patch, Redbankgreen.com and MiddletownMike are just as much social media outlets as they are news outlets. Any website that allows reader comments to be published in response o columns posted are considered social media.

Thus it doesn't make much sense not to include Blogs or Social Media in the Township's policy, it only makes sense that public information should be disseminated in all possible manners and not excluded for arbitrary assumptions as to what constitutes a news outlet.

Out of further curiosity, I asked Tony Mercantante if Art Gallagher's blog MoreMonmouthMusings, was considered a legitimate news outlet, seeing how often I have seen Middletown press releases on his site well before being posted on the Township's website.

His responded by stating "...we specifically discussed Mr. Gallagher's site and concluded it was a blog and will not be getting automatic distribution of press releases."

At this point in our email exchanges I ended my inquiry but stated that I will be on the look out for evidence to the contrary.

Regardless of Mercantane's explanation and assurances that no other blogs will be included in automatic press release notifications, I can help but think that this petty behavior on the Township's part is in retaliation to negative posts I have published concerning members of the Township Committee. It would not be the first time that the Township Administration tried their hand at childish retaliation against a website.

I was reminded by Carol Schwebel that when Allan Dean, the publisher of the Atlantic Highland Herald, was attempting to help her fight the new Middletown website requirement that users must first register name, address and other personal information before hand to get information, the Administration stopped sending him information as well.

It's just all par for the course I suppose. Why make the system more transparent when you live for it to be opaque? Saying that the reason for such a decision has to do with manageability of lists doesn't cut it, a distribution list is not that hard to manage.

So while the crime of me being officially banned from directly receiving press releases from the Township has been committed, it wont prevent me from lifting press releases from other websites, be it directly off of Middletown web page or others. I wont allow them to intimidate me it such a way. I'll just start posting all the press releases I notice, not just those from the MTDP.

I'll show 'em :-)