Quotes about Public Hearings

Denmark

In the administration of justice all proceedings shall be public and oral to the widest possible extent.

Trey Gowdy

Public Congressional Investigation hearings are freak shows.

Cass Sunstein

Public officials often learn a great deal from the concerns and objections of citizens. (I certainly did) …. those who have the privilege of serving the American public should listen closely to those whom they are privileged to serve.

John J. Degnan

We want to give people an opportunity to be heard on issues that may be taken under advisement and voted upon by the board during the meeting, by hearing the public first rather than after the actions have been taken.

Prior to this policy change, the Port Authority made and started to implement decisions and THEN held public hearings. The Port Authority is a bi-state organization that is the largest building authority in the country. It has built and operated all the bridges and tunnels connecting New York City Boroughs and the City with New Jersey and Long Island. They also have built and operated many of the major highways and recreation centers in New York City and Long Island. Additionally, it erects large buildings and other facilities like the World Trade Center. It’s funding comes directly from tolls, rents and other income from its facilities and the bonds that it floats, and so does not need any funding from either state. It actually makes a huge profit. It was started by Robert Moses, who wanted Independence of operation from the States of New Jersey and New York and the New York City Government. Moses was known for his authoritarian, non-consultative style, and subsequent Chairman tried to maintain that. Moses and the Port Authority had stayed clear of political influence and corruption. However, gradually the appointees were more and more beholden to the Governors of the two states and in 2014 a major scandal erupted where the New Jersey Governor’s staff was using the Port Authority to punish communities what did not support the Republican Governor Christie. This triggered calls for reform of which this new policy was one of the first.

Sibel Edmonds

And I have been campaigning for the past three months trying to get the Senate Judiciary Committee that has the oversight authority and responsibility to start its own public hearings.

Jonathan Turley

While public participation in the promulgation of new regulations is allowed, and often required, the process is generally perfunctory and dismissive.

Benjamin Disraeli

You can’t be too firm. What the public meetings want is nonsense, not politics: something quite shadowy, speculative, and not practical.

1st Earl of Beaconsfield. British public opinion was solidly supporting war against Turkey because of their atrocities in Bulgaria. However Disraeli’s objective was limiting Tsarist Russia and wanted Turkey as an ally. The government resisted public opinion and the opposition and pulled off a stunning foreign policy triumph over the Russians.

Samuel Seabury

He has demonstrated his incompetence to hold the said office of Sheriff, by reason of his ignorance of the duties of his office and the laws of this State pertaining to the same, and by reason of the appointment to and retention in office under him of incompetent and unworthy persons; that he has sworn falsely under oath at public hearings before the Joint Legislative Committee; that he has failed to account for or to explain the receipt and possession of large sums of money in excess of his salary as a public officer or income received from any admitted occupation or from investments, upon all of which grounds and by reason of any and all the charges hereinabove enumerated, it is respect fully submitted that said Thomas M. Farley should cease to be an incumbent of the office of Sheriff of New York County.

This was one of the many cases of blatant corruption Seabury found in New York that were politically connected with Tammany Hall. Farley was not only the Sheriff of New York, but was also the head of the Tammany Hall political machine. Governor Roosevelt removed him from his position as Sheriff, but did not have the legal authority to purge him from Tammany Hall where Farley stayed as leader, but organized a round of testimonial dinners where he was the “guest of honor” that was paid for and attended by most New York businessmen and politicians. It was however, the beginning of the end of Tammany Hall as the voters finally ousted the Tammany Hall mayor and overall reform followed.

Phil Murphy

I think New Jersey's process is actually a very good one - the good government. The governor presents the budget, you've got one-on-one meetings, you've got leadership meetings, you've got hearings, more importantly, that are transparent and open.

Jed S. Rakoff

Everything needs to be public. The legitimacy of the courts comes from the fact that they reason openly, on the record, based on facts.

Richard Ben-Veniste

We've had public hearings. We've had interim reports, which our statute has encouraged us to provide to the public. We have brought the public along with us, trying to make as much available as possible over time.

William J. Fallon

People like to be consulted.

Public Hearings Quotes