How To Deal With Bad-Faith Arguments In The Community

In the last couple of weeks, we have spent a lot of time discussing bad-faith actors in the Southern Orange County community.

First, there is the “troubled individual” in Chester, whom Straus News’s The Chronicle continues to give a platform to, allowing him to pollute the local discourse.

If Straus News is going to dedicate its front page to asking for your donations, the least they can do is practice some editorial integrity and fact-check the frequent letters to the editor they receive from this individual and others like him.

(They should also probably stop doing shit like this or this or this.)

Then, we talked about a few members of the Round Lake Home Owner Association in Monroe, who told the public that the rejection of the 8 Keith Lane Short Term Rental Application was because of their hard work and efforts, and not in fact because the Monroe Town Supervisor, Tony Cardone, lived practically next door to the proposed rental.

Next, we had two bad-faith actors appear in Woodbury following news of The Monroe Gazette’s investigation into local real estate developer Wayne Corts, and his proposed community-altering condo project on the Falkirk Golf Course; and Woodbury Police Chief Kevin Watson, concerning allegations of lucrative private security contracts with vendors in the Village of Kiryas Joel, which residents claim have created a double standard in terms of how laws are enforced in the community. (Here’s proof of that double standard.)

Finally, we had a few members of South Blooming Grove’s Haredi community make bad-faith arguments concerning village employee and president of the local hate group Isaac Ekstein’s application for 1 Roanoke Drive. First, they said there was plenty of parking at the schul, and then they said not approving the permit for MORE parking would impact their ability to celebrate Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur in October if not approved. Then, We also heard a very popular but inaccurate misinterpretation of the First Amendment, often echoed by the Satmar community.

If you want things to change in your community, not just here in Southern Orange County but all across America, it’s important to be able to spot bad-faith actors.

Because they don’t just exist here in Southern Orange County; they exist everywhere.

So below, I hope you’ll find this funny and helpful video on how to spot bad-faith arguments in the wild.

Please share it with your friends and family, and remember: Real change starts with you.