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No One Looks Good on This

My advice to the members of Trenton’s City Council: Shut Up Already!

Nothing you are saying, or not saying, is helping. In fact, every time you open your mouths and try to clarify, or support, or defend, you only succeed in being yet more offensive, and digging yourselves in deeper. You are also showing that you have horrible political instincts, and have learned nothing in your five years on the job. Just Stop!

I’m talking, of course, about the unfortunate mess in City Council Chambers. In case you missed the video, here is a clip:

This should have been a one-day local story. “Trenton Tempers Boil in steamy August Heat” could have been the theme. The shocking loss of decorum in Chambers should have been apologized for by all parties that night, or the morning following. The whole thing would have embarrassing, but it would have blown over. We’ve seen behavior nearly as bad before, and it always blows over. But, no. The members of this Council have an almost unerring instinct to make themselves look as bad as they can, as long as they can. We are on track now to keep this story alive until the end of next week, ensuring that what could have been forgotten in a day will have a life of at least two weeks, and probably longer. And, although it’s now a story that’s running statewide, at least we can be thankful it hasn’t gone national or global. Yet. That kind of attention is usually paid to Trenton on matters only relating to toilet paper or Tony Mack. But I repeat myself.

Of course, I realize I am doing my part in prolonging this story myself. But mine is only a small role. The main players in this unhappy incident are far more to blame. Here’s how.

South Ward George Muschal provoked the outbreak of hostilities during Thursday’s session, by making an open accusation that West Ward Member and Council President Zachary Chester’s aide “made phones [sic] calls to have these prominent individuals who are highly respected in the community to come in and manufacture stories pertaining to me in order to put me in a bad light.” This was the statement that apparently lit the fuse that set the meeting on an explosive course.

You’d think Mr. Chester and the rest of Council would have been better prepared to respond to this kind of accusation short of rushing the South Ward Councilman. Mr. Muschal has a long history of making incendiary comments and charges in Council meetings, after all, the effect of which is to dilute his more credible accusations and make it difficult to distinguish them from ones which are, well, less so.

It’s no one’s fault but Mr. Muschal’s, for example, that Googling the phrase “George Muschal dog masturbation” returns some actual results. I’m not kidding.

I’ll leave that one right there. But that is a perfect illustration of how Mr. Chester should have been prepared with a response to Muschal’s charge of personal attack. But he didn’t.

Mr. Chester responded to the charge by angrily responding, first with words then with rising from his chair to confront Mr. Muschal. This resolved, in the words of the Trenton Times’ reporter Cristina Rojas, when “Council members then had to hold the two back from getting into a physical fight.”

For being the one to turn this battle of words into a physical confrontation, Mr. Chester has to bear sole blame. His action last Thursday night, on its own, represents a shocking break of decorum, and perhaps an irreparable loss of his leadership stature. His behavior since then takes the “perhaps” out of my feeling.

After Thursday’s Council meeting, Mr. Chester posted on his personal Facebook page a note which began, “I had a momentary lapse in judgement after being accused of violating the public trust. I overreacted and plan to formally apologize before my colleagues and the general public at our next City Council meeting [on September 3]. There is one thing I want to make clear though. I will vigorously defend myself against unfounded accusations.” Far from an apology, he only promised to apologize. A full two weeks after the incident. Also, as of yesterday, he has reportedly made no attempt to reach out individually to his colleagues to speak with them to explain his actions.

That’s not behavior that I find remotely acceptable. I cannot think of any comparable setting, personal or professional, in which an intention to address one’s own actions so long after the fact would be thought proper. Had this been an office or workfloor environment between colleagues, management would have had all parties down to HR for action immediately afterwards. Had this been a playground of school cafeteria fight (which this most closely resembles), everyone would have been off to the principal. But to wait another week for the next act in this melodrama, which may not even be the final one? What’s up with that?

The main point is, regardless of its truth Mr. Chester allowed a verbal accusation to provoke him to a physical response. That is shocking and unacceptable in an elected official. Sharp elbows are part of the game. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, and all that. Mr. Chester’s actions, and his response since Thursday, fall short on every level. Personal, professional and political. It will be hard to forget this.

Another member of Council is doing her part to keep this story alive, to no obvious benefit, but with the absolutely unwarranted and un-called-for added ingredient of adding gender politics and sexual violence to the mix. First in a “News Advisory” released on Tuesday evening, then in a press conference yesterday in Council Chambers, At Large Member Phyllis Holly-Ward alleged that she sustained physical and emotional injuries during Thursday’s fracas, and felt the urge to publicly inform the world of those injuries. Ms. Holly-Ward alleged physical pain and bruising in her legs as a result of the physical altercation, resulting from her chair (between Councilmembers Muschal and Chester) being pushed into the Council dais when Chester rushed Muschal. She then took the whole matter further.

In Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman’s Trentonian article today, Holly-Ward went on to say,

“As a woman, even though I was hurt in the incident, truthfully, it was not easy to come here and stand up in this male-dominated industry of politics and tell the truth about a man who has done wrong,” Holly-Ward said during her press conference.

She said the incident has allowed her to understand the fear that comes from “a woman who has been raped by a man and is afraid to speak out, but I had to,” Holly-Ward said. “This is not about taking up or covering up our friends in politics; it’s about standing up for what’s right.”

Really?

That’s crossing a line, Councilwoman. There is no justification for comparing your situation to that of a raped woman. You were a bystander during those proceedings, not the object of aggression and sexual battery. I can understand you were scared, and outraged, and offended, even violated to some extent. But there are some terms and charges that are not used lightly and loosely by a person in public office. Rape is definitely one of them. Rape is a crime that emotionally and intimately impacts all women, even if only indirectly. At the same time, it indicts and accuses all men, also if only indirectly. We see too, too many instances in our society of its violence and hate. It is a powerful, highly charged word. You dishonor all victims of this horrible crime when you use the word indiscriminately. You accuse all men of being potential virtual rapists, and you distort the meaning of what happened in Council last week. For shame!

Was Mr. Muschal at fault to bring up his provocative charge in Council without proof? Yes. Was Mr. Chester at fault for responding angrily? Yes. Was Mr. Chester at fault for turning the argument into a physical confrontation? Yes, again. And also for his inadequate and clumsy response to date. But it is Councilwoman Holly-Ward who has turned this sad and farcical situation into something very different and mean with her casual and inappropriate use of one of the most incendiary words in the English language. That is nothing short of disgraceful for a public official, in my personal opinion.

No one on Trenton’s City Council, even those who unwittingly played boxing referees last Thursday, comes out of this incident looking good. It is a sad, sad display of immaturity and shocking lack of self-control.

Council members Muschal, Chester and Holly-Ward owe their Council colleagues and the citizens of Trenton immediate, public and visible apologies.

And then, they need to shut up and get back to work.

3 comments to No One Looks Good on This

  • Joe Joeson

    Trenton is a circus. City Council (and the mayor and his mouthpiece) should look at themselves in the mirror every morning and laugh. Laugh because they continue to make Trenton the laughingstock of the East Coast.

  • Julie Rosado

    Anytime a person loses their self control it is a problem. This councilman has a history of being unprofessional and involved in questionable situation. (Democratic Party funds) He should step down, learn from his actions and maybe work towards gaining the respect of the voters again. #juststepdownalready!

  • Ed W

    Kevin,

    With all the serious problems Trenton has, this didn’t need to happen.

    that said C. Chester should step down as its leader and city counsel should seriously consider rotating counsel leadership on a yearly basis among the 4 wards.

    the fact that he killed it when he was in charge just shows the character flaw that seems to run in his family.

    again Trenton has serious problems, this should not be one of them.