Here's an excerpt from the Queens Ledger questioning Community Board 7's misguided attempt to silence criticism of Land Use Chair, Chuck Apelian, for taking money from developers with business before his committee:

A special committee, appointed by the board chair, will be convened to make a recommendation to the full board. We're pretty sure we know what that recommendation will be.

Choe would by removed by a simple majority vote, but we're pretty sure the margin will be bigger than that. What board member is going to vote against the wishes of the board leadership if they truly do enjoy serving on the board and hope to have any sort of influence over business before the board in the future.

Vote against the leadership wishes, and the next vote might by on your removal.

Regardless of whose side you fall on as to the accusations being levied on both sides, it appears CB7 members now serve at the pleasure of a handful of people who have been on the board for decades, which is not how the process works.

Who on CB7 will ever speak up again?

The time to decide if Choe belongs on the board is when his term comes up for renewal in two years, not now because the board leadership can't take his criticisms.

Read the full editorial at Queens Ledger - Community Board 7 is on a slippery slope