NYC Charter Revision Commission Public Hearing Today 8/2/10

The Hankster will be at the NYC Charter Revision public hearing tonight at 6pm in Staten Island (details below). VIDEO at 11...  (hopefully!)

Here are my pre-hearing notes:
The Commission has been conducting public hearings during the summer soliciting input from the public as to what referenda will be put on the ballot for voters to approve or disapprove. It's a little less like the Roman Forum than the Roman Colosseum but nevertheless still there is the plebecite, as bureaucratised as we may be

The word plebiscite comes from the Latin plebiscita, which originally meant a decree of the Concilium Plebis, the popular assembly of the Roman Republic. Referendums and referenda are both commonly used as plurals of referendum. However, the use of referenda is deprecated by theOxford English Dictionary, which advises that:

“

Referendums is logically preferable as a plural form meaning ballots on one issue (as a Latin gerund, referendum has no plural). The Latin plural gerundive referenda, meaning things to be referred, necessarily connotes a plurality of issues.

”

In the United States a plebiscite is typically known as an initiative when originating in a petition of ordinary citizens, and as a referendum only if it consists of a proposal referred to voters by the legislature. A plebiscite can be considered a kind of election and is often referred to as such in the U.S. (an election literally means a choice). In other countries the term election is often reserved for events in which elected representatives are chosen.

So much for the Latin/Greek lesson. And now onto the American chorus:





























The New York City Charter Revision Commission will hold public hearings in all five boroughs to discuss and receive public input on the Preliminary Staff Report and Recommendations to the Chair of the Charter Commission, as well as other aspects of the Commission’s work. The hearing will be streamed live via webcast through this website.

Monday, August 2

• Place: PS 58 - Space Shuttle Columbia School Auditorium, 77 Marsh Ave, STATEN ISLAND
  
• Time: 6 p.m.
  
• Directions: From the Staten Island Ferry, take the S61 or S91 bus to the Staten Island Mall stop.  Other buses that stop at the Staten Island Mall near the school are the S55, S56, S79, X17, or X31.  The closest Staten Island Rail stop is the Oakwood Heights station.