Friday, March 14, 2014

On Your Mark, Political Prognosticators!

The filing date for the June primary is still more than two weeks away, but meanwhile there is nothing so delicious to Plainfielders as indulging in political speculation.

Will the Regular Dems see a challenge from some irregular Dems? Will SRB run for council? Will Jerry sing G-L-O-R-I-A or some other tune?

Part of the mystery will be cleared up Friday when the Democratic City Committee meets to endorse a slate. All will be known by 4 p.m. on March 31, the deadline for petitions to be handed in to the city clerk.

What we know so far:

Third Ward Councilwoman Gloria Taylor announced her candidacy at the Cedarbrook Block Association meeting on March 6. Appointed after former Third Ward Councilman won the mayoralty, Taylor is running for the unexpired balance of Mapp's term.

Incumbent Councilwoman Rebecca Williams also announced her candidacy for re-election to the Second & Third Ward at-large seat at the same meeting, and introduced the group's vice-president, Charles McRae, as her Third Ward running mate. She has promised an "excellent candidate" on her team to run in the First Ward, but has not yet disclosed a name.

Diane Toliver, wife of former PMUA Commissioner Alex Toliver, announced her candidacy for the First Ward seat on Feb. 10, before a council vote that replaced her husband on the PMUA board with Charles Tyndale.

On Tuesday, incumbent First Ward Councilman William Reid announced at a PMUA meeting that he was not seeking re-election. Reid was there to present Toliver with a resolution thanking him for his service on the PMUA, but then made a rambling speech about numerous other topics. He reminded all present that the Democratic City Committee was meeting on Friday, which may have been redundant, as PMUA Commissioners Harold Mitchell, Malcolm Dunn, Carol Ann Brokaw and Cecil Sanders are all on the committee and probably had been notified by then.

Democrats now outnumber Republicans more than 14 to 1, so all eyes are on the June primary where a Democratic win is historically tantamount to success in the November general election. Independents can file on June 3 to be on the November ballot and can hope for support from the city's more than 8,000 unaffiliated registered voters and any party members they can attract.

Yikes! It's already Friday now! The RDO meeting is 7 p.m. at the YWCA tonight.

10 comments:

  1. What's the question? Tolliver and Taylor and somebody named "T" who will run for William's seat will be Jerry's choice. I mean the Democrat line candidates.

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  3. Hi Bernice,
    I am a member of the committee, but have to work. If I was there I would not vote for Taylor. She has been a disaster. Let's see if Jerry will work for the people or the interest of the "party". Decisions are not always made for the good of Plainfield and I wish they were. We shall see.

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  4. CAN'T FIND ANY GOOD DRAMA ON TELEVISION TONIGHT?

    Consider venturing out to the Democratic City (County) committee meeting tonight you will have a weekend full of it in just one hour.

    This is an opportunity for residents to witness how the politicians in your city select candidates to run on the regular (the big prize) democratic line.

    Only elected members may participate in the discussion or the voting. But the show is open to all.

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  5. I got a call last week, apparently, to find out if I would vote for Diane Toliver. I asked if she was related to Alex Toliver, the person stated she was his wife. With that being said, I told her that I would not vote for anyone who had "family ties" with the PMUA. Go call some other sucker!!! Toliver would be in the background coaching her.

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  6. Anonymous 12:46 PM again. Oh, and by the way, I opted out of the PMUA as soon as they released the choke a few years ago. Grand Sanitation has been wonderful!

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  7. If family is a reason not to vote for a particular canidate. We would have to rewrite american history. Adams, eisenhower,in laws nixon, kennedy, honey fritz, court of st. james, prescott bush, the walkers, george 1 and 2 bush, clintons, cuomos, judge the canidate on their campaign message or do you think a woman who's running cannot have her own mind and message? Diane is the canidate not Alex toliver.

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  8. Mr. X - Unfortunately none of the aforementioned are running for a seat in Plainfield otherwise this City may be in better shape, even with the likes of Bush and Nixon which is a disturbing thought in-of-itself!

    When you start off with nothing you end up with nothing -- one of the most disappointing school systems in the state, high crime, foreclosed homes left and right, 3x the water and sewer rate of most if not all neighboring municipalities.

    Your previous comments on these blogs lead me to believe that you're much more insightful than your commentary on this particular topic and I think you would agree that solution is not more of the same or the same name and that it's time for more change.

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  9. Well said, Oscar. We're finally getting rid of Reid and I sure as heck will not vote for someone who will probably pick up where he left off. And, Mr. X, yes family has influence and Toliver WILL BE COACHING!!

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  10. Mr. X, I guess you're the sucker they'll be calling!!

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