Board OKs Dems’ Rally — Barely

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Oct. 20, 2010)

PERTH AMBOY — The Board of Education last week voted 3-0 to approve the

request by the Perth Amboy Democratic Organization (PADO) to use the small

parking-lot in front of the McGinnis School, State Street, and next to PADO

Headquarters for a political rally on Saturday, Oct. 30.

Superintendent of Schools John Rodecker explained that the parking-lot,

which he said “has room for about four cars,” was requested by PADO to be used

“after-hours, to serve hotdogs, sodas and snacks.”

The request also covered its use for parking after school-hours prior to

the Nov. 2 General Election.

The Resolution granting those requests was moved by Israel Varela and

seconded by Eric Rodgers, persuant to a determination that the Doctrine of

Necessity be invoked, after six of the nine Board members — Mark Carvajal, Obdulia

“Obi” Gonzalez, Board Vice President Kenneth Puccio, Kurt Rebovich Jr.,

Armando Tamargo and Milady Tejeda — previously abstained from voting on the

same measure.

Members were advised by Board Attorney Victor Medina that the Board’s

policy on facility-use is “user-neutral,” and that they cannot “make

distinctions about whom you let-in, so-long as it’s within the Board’s policy for use

and not an endorsement of anything.”

The Resolution that the Doctrine of Necessity be invoked was moved by

Varela, seconded by Rodgers and adopted by a 5-0 vote, with four abstentions.

Toward the end of the Board meeting, almost as an afterthought, Medina

brought-up the vote again and informally-polled those members who abstained as

to whether “a real or perceived conflict-of-interest was your reason for

abstaining.”

All five abstainers agreed with that reason.

“At the next Board meeting, a formal Resolution must be adopted that a

Doctrine of Necessity was invoked, and a copy must be sent to the (state) Ethics

Committee,” Medina said.