Is Greensboro’s City Council censoring public speech?

Power in America…,

is control of the means of communication.

 

Theodore White

Political Journalist

Speakers will have to wait

 

Starting Jan. 19, folks who want to speak to City Council are going to have to wait their turn.

 

Mayor Bill Knight will move to “speakers from the floor” portion of the council meetings from the beginning of the agenda to nearly the end.

 

This regularly scheduled public comment period is required by state law. Public boards must allow for at least one half-hour every month to let the public say whatever they want to the board.

 

…Councilman Zack Matheny and Councilwoman Trudy Wade liked the idea, arguing that it would be best to get the city business out of the way first.

 

But Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small warned it might not be a very good public relations move.

 

“The message is going to be that we don’t want to hear from people,” she said. “Yes you put it on the agenda, but it is the very last thing.”

 

Amanda Lehmert

Greensboro News & Record, January 5, 2010