[RP TownTalk] obama party

[Roland Walker]

> I DID ask my questions in order to determine how such a large party was going
> to impact my weekend and my coming and going out of my neighborhood.  I don't
> think those were unreasonable questions to ask.

Yes, whether a political gathering will affect your weekend is a very
reasonable thing to ask about -- so long as you direct that question
to Novella, neighbor-to-neighbor.

But you did not ask Novella, you asked the Mayor and Police Chief.  In
so doing, you asked the government to enter a zone they are forbidden
to enter, in all but the most extreme cases.

In point of fact, it is *not* reasonable to ask the government to
manage or make guarantees about private political gatherings, because
the government is just not in that business.  The First Amendment
makes it so, and thus is very much relevant to your questions.

Now, if someone parks illegally and blocks you in, that can be dealt
with by the government straightforwardly at the time.

Prior restraint on free expression is also forbidden.  You have to
wait for someone to break some rule before the government can act.
This rule is so strong, it is even held to on the matter of the
release of classified information.  It certainly holds for an Obama
party.

R

On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 2:00 PM,  <Euniverz at aol.com> wrote:
> Hey folks,
>
> Regarding the Obama event.  Please re read my posts.  I asked for two
> things:
>
> 1.  To know what steps were taken to provide proper traffic, noise and crowd
> control.  That was answered.  In that answer it was mentioned that between
> 400-600 are scheduled to attend this event.  That is about 10% of the
> population of this town. That caught my attention.  2.  I think my follow up
> question was a perfectly reasonable one, requesting assurances from the town
> that the logistics involving moving 400-600 around Taylor Rd and the nearest
> main cross street, Queensbury, would not unnecessarily block my entrance and
> exit into my neighborhood or create unsafe traffic tie-ups for Ms.
> Sargusingh's neighbors and emergency vehicles, and pedestrians.
>
> Town officials have informed me that Ms. Sargusingh has jumped through all
> the "legal hoops".  That certainly satisfies a portion of my concern,
> although I have no way of knowing if the "legal hoops" are adequate or not.
> I secondarily requested the assurance from town officials that there will be
> no traffic, noise or crowd control issues surrounding an event with an
> expected 400-600 people.  The mayor expressly stated in an off-list e-mail
> to me that he could not make that assurance.
>
> Incidentally, I received e-mail off-list, regarding my two very simple
> questions, that I have felt compelled to cc to my friends, associates, and
> the list administrator because the content and inferences made in these
> private e-mails made me very uncomfortable and frankly, carried a
> slightly ominous tone.   I DID NOT ask my questions to complain about
> anyone's Right to Free Association.  I DID ask my questions in order to
> determine how such a large party was going to impact my weekend and my
> coming and going out of my neighborhood.  I don't think those were
> unreasonable questions to ask.
>
>
>
> Adrianne Lefkowitz
>
>
>
>
> 1.  So all we have left to complain about is people exercising there
> right of association.  Oh yes, and their constitutional right to engage
> in 'the pursuit of happiness' (eat BBQ). {or is that from the
> Declaration of Independence?}
>
>
>
>
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