Wednesday, October 21, 2015

LWV Forum Draws Crowd for BOE, Council Races

If the audience enthusiasm at Tuesday's candidates' forum is any indication, it will not look like an off-year election here on Nov. 3.

Four candidates each for the Board of Education and the City Council spoke at the forum held by the Plainfield League of Women Voters. The audience applauded repeatedly, despite a request to hold it until the end, and broke into applause and screams of delight when BOE candidate Richard Wyatt recited an inspirational poem.

Wyatt, John Campbell and Jackie Coley are all incumbents running as a slate. Coley is seeking a second three-year term and Campbell and Wyatt are recent appointees seeking full three-year terms. Emily Morgan is making her first run for a board seat. Voters must choose three to begin serving as of Jan. 1, 2016.

While some gave generic answers to questions from the audience, Campbell quipped that the answer to increasing parent involvement was "fry some nice chicken and fish." It was sort of a joke on himself, as he is well-known and sometimes criticized for his efficacious political fish fries.

"I have tried it, and it works," he said.

On what can be done for children struggling to get into college, Wyatt's answer was, "Put pressure on guidance counselors."

To get state officials to back full funding for Plainfield, Morgan said the district must organize and lobby legislators.

"They need to know we are going to hold to a standard in Plainfield," she said.

In her closing statement, Coley said serving on the board "is no longer new territory for me." She said the district has been taken off the Focus list and the graduation rate has increased.

"Families are coming back to Plainfield because they are hearing great things," she said.

Campbell also listed positive changes in closing, such as a new STEM school and a "home-grown" superintendent after several outsiders.

"I believe every child can be successful," Morgan said. "We can do better with the money we have."

Wyatt said he is the father of three and is not trying to get into politics. He said all can have a hand in making sure children succeed, and then launched into the recitation that brought down the house.

Organizers tried to clear the room for the next segment on the City Council, but the energized crowd took almost 10 minutes to stop congratulating the candidates and conversing about the forum.

The City Council candidates are incumbent Second Ward Councilman Cory Storch, a Democrat seeking a fourth term, and John Campbell, who ran for state Assembly as a Republican but is now an Independent challenging  Storch for a four-year term starting Jan. 1, 2016. (Campbell is the son of the BOE candidate John Campbell.) For the First & Fourth Ward at-large seat, former BOE candidate Norman E. Ortega is running as an Independent against Democrat Barry Goode, who is seeking elective office for the first time.

In his opening statement, Ortega said the role of the city is "to be a successful city for all residents."

Storch opened by saying Plainfield is "finally on the right track" for development, but said the missing ingredient is "a council that is cooperative with the mayor."

Goode pledged to fight hard for Plainfield and said he will seek sustainable solutions and an improved quality of life for all residents.

Campbell named impoverished seniors and "a business climate we can barely patronize' as among failures of the city and said the council "deserves a fighter who will fight for what's right."

The first question from the audience was "What are you going to do for the Latinos?" The city's Latino population shot up 67 percent between 2000 and 2010, counting in 2010 as 40.4 percent of its 49,808 residents.

Goode said he will treat each constituency the same.

"It's all one city," he said.

"A good question," Ortega said, "and that's why I'm here."

Storch said Latinos are not represented in city government, but are well-represented in the businesses downtown and in the population increase.He noted that the Economic Development director is Latino and the city has translators.

"This is your City Hall," he said, but added, "A lot of Latinos do not feel that way."

"I would argue that the Latino community is as much a part of our community as anyone else," Campbell said, complimenting their "sticktoitiveness and entrepreneurship."

On city budgets, Storch called for a council retreat where "measurable goals" would be set and then talking about what's right for the citizens instead of having a political struggle."

"I don't think we can settle for a tax increase," Campbell said, citing seniors who can't afford it.

Goode said it takes a great deal of experience to balance a budget.. Alluding to a "can't and won't" attitude, he said the issue is "How much goes where and why is it going there."

Ortega responded by listing several allegations against Mayor Adrian O. Mapp that were published on the Plainfieldlatino blog, regarding a North Avenue demolition, the Plainfield Bilingual Daycare Center and a liquor license. Alluding to recent Plainfield Advisory Committee on Hispanic Affairs events, he said,"Throwing little parties is not enough. He has to respect us."

Storch said people don't get development by just saying, "I want a Starbucks" or "I want a jazz club." He said there are many steps that must be understood, one being a tax abatement, or payment in lieu of taxes.

Ortega asked, "How many of you have seen or read the master plan?"
Someone in the audience yelled, "Have you?" Ortega said the city should publicize it.

"If you don't share,then you have resistance," he said."You've got to be careful - you can't give the house away."

In closing statements, Campbell deplored a Facebook post by a council member where he was shown at Republican functions and now labeled an Independent in sheep's clothing. He named several politicians who  had switched party labels

Goode said he has always been consistent. "I have not changed. In fact, I'm stronger than I have ever been."

Storch repeated his pitch for cooperation with the mayor, saying otherwise there will be no momentum.

Ortega traced his life in Plainfield and said his candidacy was a good thing, "not just for me but for all Latinos."

See more candidate information on the Plainfield LWV website and remember to vote on Nov. 3!

19 comments:

  1. Well it's so nice to see Ortega has no issue stating he's representing only 40% of the city.

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  2. I agree with, Rob. Ortega showed little direction and knowledge of the issues. He did state some of the falsehoods he has on his blog. The Plainfield Bilingual Daycare Center has not been closed, but is run by a private company and the city is no longer footing the bill. It is no longer the only bilingual day care in the city, but Ortega wants us to believe otherwise. Others had good points, but I do have to agree with Storch that we need the people living here who businesses feel with buy from them. I don't think a Star Bucks or other more upscale business will come to Plainfield unless we have a more affluent population who can afford their expensive products. We need more businesses where we can purchase well made products. Plainfield is lacking in that now. Take a walk down Front street some time. Overall, it was an informative evening.

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  3. At the League of Women Voters debate Tuesday night I heard John Campbell, Jr., mock development which has taken place in Plainfield, specifically the new Family Dollar Store on South Avenue. Last week at the town hall meeting at Cook School, I heard his mother, school board president Wilma Campbell also deplore the Family Store. Today I went to the Family Dollar to find out what was so bad about it. There is nothing wrong with it. It's a clean, well lighted, well organized dry goods store, selling home goods and clothes. They also sell groceries, but not produce. I talked to other customers, who all said they loved the store. The cashier was a young resident of Plainfield. Why do the Campbells keep disrespecting a new law abiding merchant in a property which will be paying property taxes? No, its not Whole Foods or Brooks Brothers. But Family Dollar is the Woolworth's of today. I'm glad to have them in our town. Charles Weltner

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    1. I guess they also have a problem with the Dollar General store opening on South Ave in Plainfield as well as Middlesex Borough. There are also dollar stores in Dunellen, South Plainfield, adn Edison to name a few....

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  4. I have to agree with Charles. To denigrate Family Dollar is to do a disservice to a new business which is paying taxes. Perhaps Mr. Campbell doesn't know that Family Dollar is NOT a dollar store, but a national chain, with branches in North Plainfield, Dunellen, Edison, Roselle Park, Elizabeth, Union, and Linden. As I have noted elsewhere, Family Dollar is not a high-end boutique, but it serves those who shop there. The seniors whom I have spoken to (and that folks purport to care for so much) certainly seem happy to have such a store in that area of town. Realtors, putative candidates for elective office, and others interested in promoting the city should not derogate chain stores that open in our city.

    Rebecca

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  5. There seems to be a disconnect with certain individuals when it comes to development projects. It would seem, based on comments/posts, that people think developers are all chosen by the city, planning department and or planning board. The fact is that while some developers come to the city because they are approached and sold by the administration, others come to the city because they have an interest in opening a business etc. You don't always get 100% of what you want in a developer or a business - this is the same all over the country. You try to get those that you want and you work with those that find you and are interested in opening a business, building or restoring a property and employing local residents.

    It seems that the Campbell's know as much about development as they do education.

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  6. Only just a few years ago the new Family Dollar store on South Avenue in the Netherwood TOD would not have been allowed without variances. The properties in that area were all zoned commercial/industrial. Developers and Retail establishments like Family Dollar or Brooks Brother or Starbucks would have had to go through a long expensive process to get approved.

    Not anymore. If you recall Councilman Cory Storch advocated for a Vision Study to review and make recommendations to the Planning Board to change the zoning around the two train stations and along the rail line in the west end. These blighted areas were mostly zoned industrial from a time past when the line included freight.

    Cory had the foresight to do this when we were in a deep recession. He knew that when the recession was over we needed to be ready in order to compete for developers in our city. Guess what folks, WE’RE READY!

    If we are ever to receive any measurable tax relief the only way is through smart development.

    Graduate students at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) conducted the SMART GROWTH study. The students brought the residents of Plainfield together to hear their vision of what development in their city would look like. Charrettes were held in Emerson and Washington Schools. The study was open to all residents. Participant’s included ordinary citizens, land-use board members and politicians. The Planning Board under the leadership of the Planning Division implemented the results of the study into the master plan. The plan received 100% approval by the City Council.

    Through Cory’s leadership, he was able to get Councilman Burney, Mayor Briggs and Assemblyman Green to buy into the study. The study had little cost to the taxpayers. And now we have a plan.

    Wishing for development to happen, or just saying you want a Brooks Brothers so you have a place to buy your suits is not a plan.

    To now hear Mrs. Campbell and young John Campbell complain about a national chain, non fast-food, invest in a blighted area is disheartening. Here we have a developer (who by the way had a competing spot in Scotch Plains) purchase the blighted parcel, bring it up to standards as defined in our master plan, and then attract a National Chain is good for Plainfield. This is how it works, a developer buys the parcels, attracts chains, then builds to suit their needs. It finally happened in this area.

    I also went to the new Family Dollar, it’s not another 99 cent store as the Campbell’s refer to it. It’s the modern day five and ten, it’s today’s Woolworth as Mr. Weltner mentioned. I spoke to three employees, ALL live here in Plainfield – one right across the street in the new non-mix use Netherwood Pointe complex. Which is another new development around the TOD that is bringing in much needed tax rateables and customers for our retailers along South Ave. WOW, WHO KNEW!

    Thanks Cory, you have my vote.

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  7. Ortega appeared to be angry and only interested in representing Latinos. I guess he didn’t get the memo that the majority of Latinos in Plainfield are not register voters or even legal immigrants. Besides that, he didn’t really know anything about the city and it’s inner workings. The young John Campbell was a disappointment. He didn’t have any real plans or ideas to decrease the tax burden, nor did he have a clear understanding of the development process. The real disappointment was the way he went on the attack accusing Councilor Williams of making facial expression he didn’t like. I didn’t realize that your facial expression and eye movement would give reason to be verbally attacked? It was clear that he nor Ortega had any interest in working with the current administration on moving Plainfield in a economically sound and productive direction. Plainfield deserves better.

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    1. Obviously, someone without a clear vision or plan is either not ready for the responsibility OR is being told what to think. Give us thoughts and ideas so we can make an informed decision.

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    2. Ortega always comes off and/or appears to be angry. Like so many other so-called advocates of minority groups, he makes it his job to stir the pot to gain support of those who think like him.

      As for Campbell, no substance in any of his stream-of-conscience presentations during his chance appearances at public forums around town. I feel embarrassed for him every time he speaks.

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  8. There is a real fear of lower income people being pushed out of Plainfield. I'm not sure if anyone has addressed this. Gentrification was mentioned at the 1st Ward town hall meeting, and I think it is a legitimate concern.

    I am excited about the development happening in Plainfield, but I also think candidates and city officials should speak to lower income residents to quell this fear of change. What will these changes mean for everyone in the city? Not just middle/upper income residents.

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  9. I have one thing to add, Bernice, and that I about how young John Campbell called me out (twice) from the stand in an attempt to denigrate me. As he was speaking, his utter lack of understanding of how development works caused me (and several others) to shake our heads a bit. I was stunned that he would be running for office without doing any preparation as to what economic development is and how it is done. I guess shaking one's head is not allowed in Christie/Campbell world. The other comment he made about volunteering on my campaigns was just untrue. John NEVER worked on either of my political campaigns--not in 2010 or last year, 2014--an outright lie that he tried to pass off. The folks sitting around me (some of whom did volunteer) started to snicker--they certainly didn't see John around. Why make up something like that? The part that truly made me shake my head was when he invoked Republican Teddy Roosevelt as one of his forbears. It is funny that he wants to conjure up Roosevelt but got angry that folks highlighted the fact that he is a Republican supporter of Governor Christie. I am a lifelong Democrat, and I am proud of it, whether folks like it or not. John should be equally open about being a lifelong Republican, instead of trying to hide behind the "Independent" label, since he is still a registered Republican. I have always enjoyed a cordial relationship with him, so I was surprised to see that he could get so easily frazzled by a mere headshake at an important forum where folks are looking to see if he's got the right stuff to represent them. It was clear to many of us that he is really not ready for prime time--he mentioned that he was tired of all the "bickering" on the council, but if a mere look or headshake from a potential colleague can send him into such a tailspin at a candidate forum, I wonder. In the end, though, it's not solely his support for Christie and his policies that voters will be looking at when they go to the polls. Voters will also be looking at what ideas John would bring to the council, especially in terms of economic development--none were mentioned, so that would suggest that he has none. The choice here is clear.

    Rebecca

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    1. This is rich. Jr. isn't even elected, but if so, will already be just as inconsiderate, classless, and rude to his fellow council colleague. Who couched him - Taylor/Rivers/Toliver/Greaves?

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    2. I’m sure he was coached by his parents. The apple don’t fall far. I’m not surprised at his behavior and his new alliance with the JGreen team. A vote for either Campbell would be more of the same, no improvements. On the other hand, Cory Storch has proven to be a good council member. He’s always prepared, informed and votes his conscious, whether it goes against the grain or not.

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  10. I attended the LWV forum, thanks for making it happen, LWV. That having been said, I am a 33 year resident and I give the Campbells' props for being involved in Plainfield and sticking their necks out and running for office (not easy!) and always being visible. That having been said, I hope that no one thinks that John Campbell the younger running for council signals anything new, unfortunately. John Campbell the elder has already served on City Council, to what avail? Mrs. Campbell has run the School Board for a number of years, and when there was a vacancy due to a resignation, she had the clout to get her husband appointed to the seat (speaking of nepotism, where could that happen, other than Plainfield?) Nonetheless, during her term, charter schools have proliferated and the successful charter schools have expanded during that time period, not a vote of confidence from parents who live here. John Campbell the younger had a script the other night that said "stop bickering", but could not get through a 60 second answer to a question without picking a fight with Rebecca Williams, who was only in the audience and not even talking! True, his family members told him to stay on message, but will they be at every City Council meeting if he gets elected?? Probably won't matter because the disparaging comments he made from the podium about both Rebecca and Cory lead me to believe that he will join the Green team if elected, so he will likely be told how to vote before he gets there for every meeting. I have been friends with Cory Storch for more than 25 years (and I am his current Treasurer, in the interest of full disclosure). Cory is maddenly independent. He sponsored (with Rebecca) the local pay to play ordinance, which is more restrictive than the State Election Law, and disadvantages local Democrats from raising money from vendors. He votes against the party leaders that he generally supports when he feels that he needs to do so. In my opinion, anyone who thinks that they are getting a real independent should vote for Cory, not John Campbell the younger, who is an R in I clothing, ready to take orders from JG, IMO. All of this is my opinion only, but consider carefully, Plainfield voters!! Mary Burgwinkle

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    1. Only because you brought up the Pay-To-Play ordinance. It prohibits vendors from making ANY contributions from the time of first communication of an interest in a contract, through the end of the term of the contract. It hasn't prevented Mayor Mapp from taking vendor money from City auditor Suplee Clooney, PMUA auditor Lerch, Vinci & Higgins, law firms that do work for the City including Wisniewski & Associates, Palumbo & Renaud, Ruderman & Glickman, and Clarkin & Vignuolo. The P2P ordinance didn't prevent City engineer Remington & Vernick and risk assessment firm Reliance Insurance from funneling $9500 through an East Orange joint candidates committee into our mayoral campaign either. The P2P ordinance is only more restrictive if it is actually enforced, but once a municipality adopts its own version the NJ Election Law Commission washes its hands and leaves enforcement in your's. Having a Corporation Counsel who is willing to publicly misrepresent P2P restrictions so as to please his employer doesn't help matters either.

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  11. Sammy the SmokehoundOctober 23, 2015 at 10:38 AM

    So much for transparency and ethics!

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  12. Make sure to read the candidate forum here: http://plainfieldleague.blogspot.com/2015/10/candidate-forum-fall-2015-election.html

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