JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – The Township of Jackson has shut down comments by residents on its official Facebook page. That move comes just days after Monmouth County political insider Steve Dnistrian was hired by Mayor Michael Reina as a public relations consultant.
The town’s Facebook pages were littered with comments criticizing the township government, from topics such as delayed fall and spring cleanups and recycling pickup problems to political issues such as Mayor Michael Reina’s handling of current events within the township.
The township did not respond when asked why the public comments were shut down. Comments on previous township public Facebook posts were also removed from the township Facebook page.
Instead of a comment field, users are greeted with the message, “Township of Jackson limited who can comment on this post.”
Jackson Township residents who wish to discuss community topics can join a wide range of privately operated Facebook groups to connect with residents, including the oldest and most popular community page, Jackson, NJ. Those pages are free of government censorship.
Phil Stilton, editor of Shore News Network today, said the move by the township just highlights the overall trend in government to try to silence dissent.
“Jackson’s decision to lock the people out of a public forum is parting of a disturbing trend nationwide by the establishment political factions to control the public message,” Stilton said. “You have Business Administration Terrance Wall shouting “misinformation” from the rafters and a mayor who has abandoned the people of Jackson in recent months for his own personal gain and the criticism was too much for them. Luckily the people of Jackson are smarter than that and know they have such a wide range of private community groups in town where they can vent their frustrations over the shortcomings of the local government and leaders.”
“The township is in the process of reinventing itself ahead of an election,” Stilton said. “You see the hiring of a PR firm, a total reversal in policy by the mayor’s office, and administrator Wall trying to cover up the tracks of an administration that has done nothing but send the town into a downward spiral these past few years. It’s no wonder they now subscribe to the far left’s doctrine of cancel culture and censorship.”