Hundreds of people showed up at Suffern's Village Town Hall to discuss the 287G issue. A remarkable turnout of Latinos, merchants, and active citizens were there to present their point of view regarding SECTION 287G coming to Suffern. It was remarkable to see a community of active citizens exercising their right to be heard in a public forum.
The Mayor set the tone with a quick interpretation of 287G and why the Village was bringing it to Suffern. Due to the over capacity crowd, the Mayor offered everyone who wanted to speak, 2 minutes of mic time. Opinions were offered by high schoolers, clergy, small business owners, political leaders, immigration leaders, immigrants and others.
Since this was the type of meeting format that could not support a deep discussion into the impact of 287G (good or bad), it was key to letting the community get their views on the record. It was also important for everyone to finally put faces to the names, and to understand who was taking what position and why.
Community Power submitted a folder containing over a month and a half of compelling research and case study pertaining to 287G and the negative impact it will have on Suffern (Financially, Legally, Socially). We appreciate the Mayor understanding that continued dialog and building bridges is what Community Power represents around this issue of SECTION 287G. He has offered to meet with Community Power in private to discuss in more detail our findings and to receive direct feedback from the community.
Thank you for everyone who pulled together and organized the huge turnout of Community Power participants, and for those who supplied all of the food and refreshment at the after event at Tagaste Monastery. It was a very successful night, and most importantly, it is a great beginning.
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