Special City Council Meeting
7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26
City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave.
The City Council will hold a special meeting Monday with just two topics: Submission of a layoff plan to the state Civil Service Commission and granting use of city parking lots 8 and 8A to Edison Garcia for the 5th Annual Outdoor Fiesta Days celebrating Central American independence.
As readers know, a resolution to submit a layoff plan failed on Aug. 19, despite various votes to approve it or to restore funds to pay the two employees affected. See Plaintalker's post here
The September fiesta, which Edison Garcia originated.five years ago, ran into complications after Rodney Maree began holding a rival event to celebrate Central American Independence. Last year, both events were held on the same day, Garcia's in Lots 8 and 8A and Maree's in Lot 1, on opposite sides of Watchung Avenue. This year, Maree secured the desired weekend - Sept. 13, 14 and 15 - before Garcia applied. Garcia's application to hold his event on Sept. 6, 7 and 8 was turned down on Aug. 19 in a 3-2 vote. Four votes were needed for passage, but Council President Bridget Rivers and Cory Storch were absent. Adrian Mapp, William Reid and Vera Greaves voted "yes" and Tracey Brown and Rebecca Williams voted "no."
More later on this topic.
--Bernice
More later on this topic.
--Bernice
I guess that a council vote is NOT a council vote. The vote to allow Mr. Garcia to hold his 2nd three-day festival within 2 months failed. Apparently, the will of Mr. Garcia outweighs the will of the council. How is it that he has more power than the council? He can just have the council hold a special meeting to "re-vote" in his favor. This is unconscionable. I guess that for any vote that fails, all the business owner has to do is whine about it and then the council will hold another meeting so he he can get his way. Why, then, am I given a vote on the council? If the petition from 15 business owners whose livelihoods are negatively affected by Mr. Garcia's profit-making "cultural festival" is ignored, and a failed vote can be taken within a week to produce Mr. Garcia's desired outcome, what exactly is the point of being a duly-elected member of the governing body? Mr. Garcia is clearly a more effective councilor than I. For the city council to ignore the other 15 tax-paying business owners to grant Mr. Garcia's wishes smacks of favoritism and special interest. I find it appalling. It makes a mockery of the council, in my opinion. A filthy, garbage-strewn, urine-filled dump of a parking lot--that's what the other tax-paying businesses had to face in the wake of his last event. I guess my question of what kind of city we want to be has been answered.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
The Green machine at work. Favoritism comes with the cash. His will is to keep us destitute and decaying.
ReplyDeleteSo, which council member is changing their vote?
ReplyDeleteNot changing, But Rivers can add her vote.
DeleteSince 2009 Edison Garcia or Faraon Night Club has contributed a total of $8,000 to Jerry Green's primary campaigns, and for good measure another $1,200 to Robinson-Brigg's.
ReplyDeleteSource: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission
Garcia's club is a cash business. Just sayin'.
Delete$8000 to Jerry Green and $1200 to Sharon since 2009 doesn't seem like such a big deal. But I do think both Edison Garcia and Faraon Night Club must be required to clean up after their events and be penalized big time if they don't. Doesn't the city have some sort of ordinance which might be aggressively implemented? (It is to hope...)
DeleteThe Council's action to discount Garcia's first festival while charging full price to Maree for his attests to unequal treatment. Garcia is Green's most prolific Plainfield contributor, or close to it, and money talks. Talk about aggression if you must, but why not do it on Randolph Rd. between Central and Plainfield Ave. instead?
DeleteThis council is embarrassing. I don't know how Williams, Mapp, and Storch and take it. How do you collaborate with people who seemingly have self interests at heart, not the citizens of Plainfield?
ReplyDeleteThese happenings compel me to harken back to Ole Doc's objections to prayer at public meetings and the use of public space by religious institutions. Doc invariably cites the prospect of "offending' those of dissimilar faiths, or those of no faith. One of the prospective egregious offenses was the desire of those wily Presbyterians to transit the perimeter of their property on Crescent Avenue and use their booth, or designated area in the public domain, to proselyte. Horrific! Consider their intent. They might poison the minds of our youth with vile thoughts regarding loving their neighbors, or charitable works. Scary stuff. Then there are those gentlemen with bow ties who sometime occupy our street at Leland and South. Nicely dressed and groomed who distribute their papers advocating self respect, self improvement for black people, and all the benefices that are derived from the teachings of Father Abraham and the Prophet Mohammed. Doc, what do you recommend? Should they be hauled away in the police van when they again illegally occupy the public streets? Then there are the Catholic folk who sometimes trespass into the public domain by parading around their church in the street without a permit praying for peace in the world, good leadership from our elected officials, and Divine intervention for those who are ill and in need. I know all of these outlandish acts may be offensive to some. I also know that the omission of these events would be offensive to some. Your concern never seem to extend to them. All that said, our officials have not had any problem providing public space for ethnic celebrations which are ostensibly and conspicuously inspired by profit in celebration of foreign independence, under the banners of foreign countries which were so magnificent that the celebrants fled from them, and which contravene the interests established rent and tax paying merchants, and cost the city a small fortune to sanitize the area subsequent to the event.
ReplyDeleteGreat Doc...censor prayer, eliminate pledges of gratitude tot he country which provides these licenses and let the party begin.
Bill Kruse
If you are addressing Olddoc, you are in the wrong pew, so to speak.
DeleteBill, I am confused by your rant which you could have sent to my blog and you know I would have posted it and answered there.
DeleteI believe that you misread what I wrote.I noted that by the 1st Amendment of the Constitution and as has been interpreted in the courts religious organizations have open access to public areas such as streets and parking lots for their events as long as they are subject to the same criteria that are imposed on non religious applicants.
In the case of the 2 churches and the request of the 2 Councilors they were placed on the Consent agenda which as you know means no comments by either public or Councilors and automatic approval.On the other hand the other requests required individual voting and were subject to public and Councilors comments.
I pointed out that there was a potential violation of the law and requested that these three resolutions be withdrawn from the Consent agenda and voted upon as regular items; which they were and as I anticipated pass and unanimously.
If you were at the meeting there was heated prolong discussion about some of the other requests.
If you infer that my comments about the granting the First Presbyterian Church its street closure was because of its evangelistic content you are wrong. I specifically noted that it was because this is a Dunellen Church not a Plainfield institution and I also did object to the excessive granting of street closures.
Your refer to my position on the public prayer issue. It is consistent with that of the courts which permit prayer as long as it is not sectarian in nature.
If I find the prayer to be ridiculous, it is because that over the more than two decades that I have attended Council meetings; I have failed to see where it has had any beneficial impact on the actions of the Council members as a whole.
I find the bulk of your comments offensive.I have never objected to any religious celebration.never objected to any religious celebration. Do you have a record of any derogatory or bigoted remarks I have ever uttered against "those wily Presbyterians" or "the Catholic folk" (your words. I have never made any remarks about " those gentlemen with bow ties" or the denomination they represent even though their leadership advocates destruction of this nation and promotes ethnic and religious hatred.Nor do I have any greater objection to their street stop solicitations; then I do to any other organization similarly seeking funds.
They all have the same protection of our Constitution, which I respect.
And giving the wrong homily, too.
DeleteHow do these "Festivals" benefit The City of Plainfield as a whole? Don't tell me Adrian Mapp is selling out to the highest bidder already. Now you know why the residence don't vote or attend Council Meetings. They have given up and realize they are powerless against the greedy politicians who only have Their best interest at heart. You get rid of one Political Hack only to get another. So where are Bernice and Old Doc now in their complaints about the Latin Community not having any political clout or representation in Plainfield? Too bad it's being used in such a self serving way. To our Spanish speaking neighbors....Welcome to Plainfield. It would be nice if we could all come together as one and get rid of these greedy self serving SOB's...starting with Jerry Cash $$$ Green!!!
ReplyDeleteOnce those Republicans are out ... wait, I seem to see a theme here. Actually maybe a Republican or two would help the situation ? Never ! We need Booker & Buono to straighten out this state that is for sure !!
ReplyDeleteFunny how Garcia has been doing this for years and suddenly the council pushes him aside for Maree. Maybe Williams can explain that. I have seen the lot the day after and it was cleaned up. Maybe Williams should check it out.
ReplyDeleteTime for Jerry to get rid of her.
Rebecca beat both incumbent Rashid Burney and Don Davis in 2010 with her own campaign. I have a feeling she will decide for herself whether she wants another four years of public service.
Delete