From November 2010:
The longtime director of the Bilingual Day Care center is retiring and could be an asset in reshaping the operation. The agency predates the move toward free preschool education and in fact the center includes both Abbott (DOE supported) and non-Abbott components. Maybe 30 years ago, Latino families needed a specialized program, but with Latino children now making up more than half the incoming student population, surely the district at large is taking up the needs of their families in the preschool program.
See the full blog post here and note that one possible reason for inaction on the social services issue was a high turnover in leadership of the department, which had social services tacked on to financial operations in a shuffle under former Mayor Mark A. Fury.
The issues regarding the Bilingual Day Care Center and other social service agencies were raised in 2009, as reported in this blog post on the budget process. They came up again in 2010 as reported here.
Obviously the issue is now going to be part and parcel of the 2015 City Council race, even though the transition was launched at a special meeting on June 24.
It would help if the issue was being discussed factually. To say the program is closing is not correct. It will continue in the same location for two more years. If and when it moves to Leland Avenue, parents will not be forced to enroll children there. Free preschool is provided at locations across the city through the school district's Early Childhood program.
If a candidate resorts to fear-mongering and falsehoods while campaigning, how can voters trust that such a person will represent them in good faith if elected? Will they hear the truth about other issues or be fed misinformation for four years? Demagogues say they represent an entire population. Responsible elected officials know that constituents are not a faceless block, but are individuals with points of view and specific concerns that need to be heard.
Let the voter beware.
--Bernice
The issues regarding the Bilingual Day Care Center and other social service agencies were raised in 2009, as reported in this blog post on the budget process. They came up again in 2010 as reported here.
Obviously the issue is now going to be part and parcel of the 2015 City Council race, even though the transition was launched at a special meeting on June 24.
It would help if the issue was being discussed factually. To say the program is closing is not correct. It will continue in the same location for two more years. If and when it moves to Leland Avenue, parents will not be forced to enroll children there. Free preschool is provided at locations across the city through the school district's Early Childhood program.
If a candidate resorts to fear-mongering and falsehoods while campaigning, how can voters trust that such a person will represent them in good faith if elected? Will they hear the truth about other issues or be fed misinformation for four years? Demagogues say they represent an entire population. Responsible elected officials know that constituents are not a faceless block, but are individuals with points of view and specific concerns that need to be heard.
Let the voter beware.
--Bernice
Yes, Bernice. Exploitation of the children and families is deplorable. Change is hard, especially for the hard working dedicated staff who have made this program the icon that it is. More than 35 years of love and commitment. But times have changed and the services will actually be enhanced. They will move into a new state of the art facility that meets all of the new regulations in 2 years and will immediately have access to more services. It's a new day.
ReplyDeleteNorman Ortega has nothing positive to offer so he resorts to exploiting children and families and taking advantage of staff who are grieving the end of an era.
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out what some do, fear mongering, to get votes and lie to the voters. With our current Democratic City Committee I don't see us including anyone on the party line who would do that, but others who we will not put on the party line for any elected office in Plainfield may run on their own and resort to the Jerry Green type of politics we have seen over the years in Plainfield. Let's hope this doesn't happen and we can move the city forward.
ReplyDeleteThe era of bleeding the city for salaries and benefits the taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for is over. The era of a better program and more choices is at hand.
ReplyDelete