MontClairVoyant: A Defense That’s Indefensible

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,

You ended last week’s column by praising Montclair chief financial officer Padmaja Rao for trying to keep things ethical among local officials and then suing when needed. Three others to praise?

Sincerely,

The Thrice Is Right

I considered praising The Supremes for that trio’s great Motown songs back in the day, but their name now reminds me of The Supreme Court and its six justices who lean so far right they need to strap weights on their left arms to keep from toppling over.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,

We’re guessing one of the three you’ll praise is Superior Court Judge Stephen Petrillo, who’s been presiding over Ms. Rao’s case against the township of Montclair. Petrillo gets kudos because…

Sincerely,

Nailing It in Newark

…he hasn’t tolerated what he called the defense’s “absurd” approach, including the effort to keep some proceedings and documents secret. It’s almost like those attorneys installed a blinking neon sign in the courtroom declaring their clients “Guilty, Guilty, Guilty.”

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,

Those clients of course essentially being some current and former Montclair officials — elected or appointed. The second of the three people you’re praising today?

Sincerely,

List-o-Mania

Nancy Erika Smith, the Montclair-based attorney who’s been ably representing Ms. Rao. Her law firm is near the Municipal Building, but the two properties feel like they’re in different universes. I suspect a Claremont Avenue wormhole is connecting two separate points in space-time.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,

Eliciting a sci-fi sigh. The third of the three you’re praising today?

Sincerely,

In a Trio with Brio

Councilor-at-Large Peter Yacobellis. I don’t agree with him on everything, but he has publicly supported Ms. Rao and publicly criticized how the defense against her welcome lawsuit is being conducted. Plus he works so hard as councilor that if the aforementioned wormhole needed repair, he’d try to deal with that.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,

To quote Walter Scott, “oh what a tangled web” some Montclair officials wove that caused Ms. Rao to sue. The since-fired township manager was accused of creating a hostile workplace for women, councilors were told they could have state health insurance despite not being eligible, there were irregularities related to the fire department and the investigation of that department, the mayor and some other councilors were accused of trying to retaliate against Ms. Rao, etc. Does all that partially explain why the township of Montclair’s defense has been so pathetic?

Sincerely,

Indefensible, Not Sensible

I counted an excessive total of 90 words in your comment/question. Now THAT’S pathetic.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,

The next Township Council meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday, June 13. I imagine the court case will help make for a long public comment period with MUCH justifiable criticism of some Montclair officials. An upcoming “Night to Remember”?

Sincerely,

If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Dysfunction

Hmm…”A Night to Remember” is the name of a book and a movie about the sinking of the Titanic. I will watch for June icebergs on Toney’s Brook.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,

Anything else to add?

Sincerely,

Mary Tyler More

Congratulations to Montclair’s Alixon Collazos-Gill for winning the June 6 primary for a State Assembly seat. She’ll represent the 27th District, which is on baseball’s Injured List less than another number 27: Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,

And is there something you’d like to say about the unhealthy air our town and other places have unfortunately experienced from those Canadian wildfires?

Sincerely,

Long Range of Climate Change

The court case’s Newark locale being slightly further from Canada than Montclair might help explain why Judge Petrillo’s approach is a breath of fresh air.

Dave Astor, author, is the MontClairVoyant. His opinions about politics and local events are strictly his own and do not represent or reflect the views of Baristanet.