One of Chairman Jerry Green's favorite phrases is, right or wrong?
I heard him say that when he thought it was a good idea to put the seniors in the basement of the Tepper's building when the lease on their old center ran out . He said the same thing when he tried to convince the seniors to agree that the center should be in the Armory. The seniors' answer was, "Wrong!"
Now he and his City Council faction want to do away with Mayor Adrian O. Mapp's "new hires," a misnomer because some are new people in existing titles. The net effect is to cripple Mapp's plans for the future of Plainfield. Green's new paradigm since apparently casting off the spell put on him by Charlotte DeFilippo to support Mapp in 2013 is that he and his followers are right and Mapp and his supporters are wrong.
He tried it with Liberty Village and thank heavens the council realized they had to do the right thing by the residents.
The issue now is the 2014 budget. Is cutting out Mapp's team for leadership in economic development, public safety and communications right or wrong? Right, if you want to save $9 on a tax increase for the average homeowner. Wrong, if you want to get Plainfield ready to compete for investment that will offset declining revenues.
The worst part of the current situation is that outsiders, including those with money to invest, don't really have time to figure out who is right or wrong. All they see is a city where the politics make it too difficult to do business, so they take their money elsewhere.
To use Councilman William Reid's term, developers and investors don't want to get involved in a lot of "who shot john,"
There is a special meeting tonight on budget amendments, 8 p.m. in City Hall Library and another one next Tuesday for a public hearing and possible adoption of the 2014 budget. The outcome may signal three and a half more years of political dissension or demonstrate the ability of the executive and legislative branches to collaborate for the city's future.
--Bernice
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Last October I met with Adam Beder over at the Park Diner. Mr. Beder is JFK Health System's V.P. for Governmental Affairs, and we talked about their plan for apartments at Muhlenberg, and my hopes for a specialty hospital. He voiced JFK's frustration with our politics in much the same way as you've noted here.
ReplyDeleteWe practice the fine art of divide and conquer, never forget, and always seek payback. It results in a community that loses a hospital but wins the race to the bottom. Ironically, the celebration of short-term tactical victories yields a long-term strategic loss.
My question is who paid for lunch, Adam Beder, you or was it dutch treat?
DeleteWell said Alan. At the last council meeting, the Council President asked if people in the audience thought the council would hurt Plainfield. Well, in my opinion Plainfield has already been hurt by petty politics and personal gain. Most believe that the council does not put Plainfield first. And they continue to prove it.
ReplyDeleteJeanette
Well said Jeanette and Alan. The naysayers on Council need to realize that the City of Plainfield has the opportunity to move forward. Please be a part of the solution and not the problem. The voters will know how each Council person voted on the budget and will act accordingly. Remember Gerry Green can place you on the ballot but the voters will decide if you are elected.
Delete
ReplyDeleteBernice--Jerry Green's attempt to destroy the mandate of the Plainfield community shows that he cares nothing about the folks who live here. The councilors who jeopardized the Liberty Village residents with their stalling and foolishness on behalf of Jerry Green and his cronies have also shown the community that they put Jerry Green's interests above their own constituents. This is disgraceful. The willful ignorance and contempt that they have shown for the city is appalling. I guess when Jerry Green gives unqualified people county patronage jobs, the payback is loyalty, and the public be damned. He has resuscitated his greatest failure, Sharon Robinson-Briggs, to enlist her help in getting the vote out. Along with Peter, Sharon has also jeopardized the non-profit status of the Plainfield Area NAACP with their partisan campaign foolishness. Peter and Sharon’s deliberate use of the Plainfield NAACP to promote their (and Jerry's) candidates shows the lengths to which they will go. At the same time, Peter writes "... By all means, comment on me personally, critique my organization of the forum, comment on MY personal agenda but do not confuse Peter with the NAACP." How dishonest. How disingenuous. How unethical. That Jerry Green could attempt to give any of these folks credibility where there is none demonstrates that he will say and do anything to destroy this city. It shows that Briggs and Robinson-Briggs will destroy the name of a good organization in service of Jerry's agenda. The state NAACP has already been made aware of what they have done--I look forward to the outcome of the investigation. Remember that Sharon was trying to run for president of the State NAACP--she lost by a landslide. Perhaps the statewide groups knew what they would be in for. It shows that they do not know the meaning of honesty and ethics. The shame here is that the people suffer.
Rebecca
Well I guess those Republicans are not so bad after all.
ReplyDeleteHI GB. Republicans are just as two faced and dishonest and some o f the Dems seem to be. Look at the Governor. We need to vote these jokers out and get some honest government in Plainfield. It seems that people on the City Council and Mr. Green didn't hear what the people said at the City Council organizational meeting at the high school. Well, let's speak loud and clear and take out the trash and put our house in order.
ReplyDeleteI believe GB was referring to the evil republicans who are esteemed Local Democrats have kept from ruining the forward progress of the City of Plainfield, Bob.. you know the ones the Dem's circle the wagon for after every primary .. when the New Dems and RDO's start screaming VOTE THE PARTY LINE, KEEP ALL THE DEMOCRATS ON THE LINE IN OFFICE.. if you think Governor Christie is the least bit concerned about a one party town that excels in defeating itself you are sadly mistaken...
DeleteWe the people of Plainfield is so sick and tired of all the nonsense going on between both parties. You were hired to get the job done! Not fighting amongst one another. As we see not one thing has been accomplished. Its a wonder why nobody want to invest in Plainfield. Just do the job you were hired for. Smh
ReplyDeleteHi Bernice,
ReplyDeleteJerry Green’s mantra for Plainfield has always been “Under My Thumb.” For over 20 years, he has been controlling the election process put people in office who will to do his bidding and spend the tens of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money to help his buddies. Unfortunately for the rest of us, Plainfield is as ‘screwed up” as always. Jerry wants it that way because it is easier to manipulate the budget when it is. Sadly, until the people of Plainfield vote Jerry’s kids out of office, he will keep Plainfield under his thumb.
Tom Kaercher