Nominees to fill the Second and Third Wards at-large vacancy are Michael Pyne, Inez Durham and Joylette Mills-Ransome.
The Democratic City Committee voted on the three as a slate tonight (Wednesday) and the City Council is expected to choose one at the Jan. 9 annual reorganization meeting, 7 p.m. in Municipal Court. If for any reason the governing body does not pick one, the choice reverts to Mayor Adrian O. Mapp in his capacity as chairman of the Democratic City Committee.
The appointee will serve until the next general election and if a winner then, will serve the balance of the term to Dec. 31, 2018. Challengers for the seat may run in the June primary or file as independents on June 6 to run in November.
Pyne is a longtime member and past president of the Plainfield chapter of Frontiers International, an African-American community service organization that presents the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Day breakfast and program. He has also served on the Citizens School Budget Advisory Committee and the city's Citizens Advisory Committee that recommends awardees for Community Development Block Grant funding.
Durham, a psychologist, was a 2016 Living Legacy Honoree of the Central Jersey Alumnae, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.She served on the school board and is treasurer of the Plainfield Public Library Board of Trustees.
Mills-Ransome is retired from the Newark Public Schools system and has served as a school board member. She is active with the Plainfield League of Women Voters, among other civic roles.
--Bernice
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
We had hoped that the mayor would of put a Latino on the council, so that the city would have balance of the residents Plainfield, 38.9% of people are of Hispanic or Latino origin
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing to stop a Latino/a from running for the balance of the term. The mayor is not putting someone on the council, it will be up to the voters in June and November, so potential candidates need to file, get a campaign going and run. This actually applies to the mayoral seat and 4th Ward this year, 1 and 2&3 in 2018, 2 and 1&4 in 2019, 3 & at-large in 2020 and so on.
DeleteBernice, that would require effort. Some just want things given to them. I just want people who prepare and take the job seriously.
DeleteYou're right Bernice, there's nothing stopping a Latino from running. Alma Blanco ran, and so did Norman Ortega. But that doesn't answer Priano's point. Maybe no Latino voiced an interest in the vacancy to the PDCC. Or maybe the choices are just indicative of patronage owed. One Plainfield, One Future, Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer.
DeleteThe Mayor will only put someone there he can control
ReplyDeleteone would have hoped "one Plainfield" but I guess we know what the "One" race is.......City only wants to hire/promote those who are African American regardless of qualifications. Past and present practices confirm that
ReplyDeleteVery interesting
ReplyDeleteIt is not about someone stepping up to the plate and running, but the Mayor showing that he can present a balanced and fair administration so that the city is united on every front in regards to the makeup of the city. It took America 43 presidents before we got Obama. Latinx must find a candidate that will represent their interest in our community.
ReplyDeleteTimothy - this is certainly a good point regarding nominating a latino to the open seat for the partial period. One thing to consider though is that the PDCC may have interviewed a number of candidates beyond the 3 that were selected to be presented to council. While your question is good, it isn't fair to toss it out there so generally without considering other things that occurred prior to the 3 being selected.
DeleteNO HISPANIC OR WHITE NOMINEES?
ReplyDeleteI don't know the demographics per ward, but I assume that the combination of the 2nd and 3rd are not 40% Latino. The first and fourth are likely greater than 40%.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: so, we are making the segregation and only the majority of the community is represented? I am sure that the machine is oiling itself up for the November election. Last time I checked we did not live in a dictatorship, but a government of the people by the people for the people. True leaders have integrity. Integrity is the very core of their influence. Living the values, they profess to believe is what gives them credibility and allows others to place their trust in them.
ReplyDeleteGive me a break. I'm not advocating segregation but wouldn't, logically, a Latino candidate have the best shot in places with Latinos? I'm just being logical.
DeleteThere are two council seats up this year.
The process is flawed just like it was under the previous chairmen. Mayor Mapp is not doing anything differently. They really need to read the bylaws
ReplyDeleteplease enlighten us on what those details would be that are not being followed.
DeleteThe more things change to more they stay the same.
ReplyDeleteI always find the comments that are along the lines of "he will only pick people that agree with him" - "the mayor picks his own people", "so and so wouldn't pick someone from the other side". What fool, who is in a position to push an agenda or plan forward, would pick anyone other than someone who has a similar opinion on issues and policies? I mean it makes no sense to do anything other than that. It would be like picking a spouse that has the opposite views on every single topic and thinking that is going to work out well.
ReplyDeleteNew year, same crazy comments on the blog.
In my opinion the Hispanic community has always separated themselves from the rest of the city. Whatever they do has always been in the interest of themselves. They have never shown any interest of being inclusive of the general mainstream population. Usually they only appear at council meetings when there’s something on the agenda that affects mostly them. This is also evident in the businesses they open that mostly cater to their own community. If they want to be included in the political decision making process then they should take the necessary steps. I don’t believe they should be given a seat ‘just because’. They need to put forth the effort just like everyone else. As far as jobs in Plainfield going to only blacks, give me a break. The city and any other quasi government agency in Plainfield employs a fair share of non-blacks. Out of the supposedly 38.9% Latinos, how many are here legally and registered to vote?
ReplyDeleteWOW, that last post of another anonymous person, who can not state their name, must be living somewhere else. Have you shopped downtown, gone to the laundromat, the bodaga's, landscaper, service people all over the city are Latinx. open your eyes and embrace our fellow neighbors.
ReplyDeleteIf you are referring to Anon 3:23, I don't think you read that clearly - or maybe your reply just isn't clear to me - seems as if you are responding to something that wasn't said.
DeleteTo my point, on such a crucial topic for our city at the meeting on gun violence last night , out of the nearly 250 people, I could count on 2 hands how many Hispanics was in attendance last night.
DeleteAnonymous January 5, 2017 at 3:23 PM
I would just like to add a clarifying comment here. The process is that anyone who is an eligible voter in the 2nd or 3rd ward can come forward to state his or her interest. Nominations can also be made from the floor. Only the people named expressed interest in the seat for 6 months, and then running in the primary to be the candidate for the balance of the the term.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
Thank you Rebecca for the clarification. Might I also add you need to be a friend of the Mayor, be in the inner circle or be a puppet on a string.
DeleteThank you Rebecca, Will submit nominations Monday night at the Council Meeting.
ReplyDeleteFurther clarification for Timothy Priano: When I wrote that nominations could be made from the floor, that meant from the floor of the Democratic City Committee meeting (which was held at Democratic headquarters), not at a council meeting. This is New Jersey state law. Only members of the Democratic City Committee can put forward nominations to fill the Democratic seat, again, per New Jersey law, N.J.S.A. Title 19. Elected members of the Democratic committee bring forward the names, and the City Council chooses from among those names, per the state law.
DeleteBest,
Rebecca
Dear Timothy,
DeleteSubmitting someone’s name at the meeting on Monday would be a dollar short and day late. I believe you needed to attend the DCC meeting that was held on Wednesday and submitted your names then. Monday a candidate will be chosen from the only names that were submitted. Thanks again for making my point.
I am Anonymous January 5, 2017 at 3:23 PM
Mr. Timothy don't waste your time the Mappettes already know who they will be selecting to fill that seat.
ReplyDeleteThe process is flawed just like it was with the previous chairmen.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, Thank you for that information, I am not a member of the DCC, so I understand that only party members have a voice. Where does the Old Democrat and the New Democrat fit in or is Plainfield just a one party town? Or is just a new verision of the past party?
ReplyDeleteBeing new to Plainfield I have never experienced this before, Where do the Independents or Republicans fit in so that we have a ying and yang viewpoint.
Guess Plainfielders needs to reach out to others to run so that we have balanced government, and not all marching to the same drum over and over again.
Tim Priano: Union County is largely a Democratic county, and Plainfield has a very large Democratic base. Here is the voter info for Plainfield, courtesy of Bernice, from a few months ago on this very blog: "Before the June primary, there were 13,071 Democrats, 836 Republicans and 8,268 unaffiliated voters, along with three Libertarians, five Green Party members and six more in three groups whose abbreviations I did not understand. The total number of registered voters for the primary was 22,202." You can get a better sense of our city by reading her blog going some years back.
DeleteTim,
DeleteStop asking the right questions.
Councilor Williams is being kind, it’s not her reasonability as a city council member or as a member of PDC to educate Timothy. Even if he was asking the right questions, he still needs to find the proper channel to get answers. It’s not the responsibility of the Mayor, Bernices Blog or Rebecca Williams to provide him with the answers he seeks. Why don’t call Assemblymen Green for answers to his question, after all, he’s the country chair.
DeleteDear Timothy, Being new to the city you go to the same person that gave you the information you just mention. You sound like you want to create some negativity for the PDP.
DeleteActually one of the reasons for my blog is to inform people of ways to become engaged in civic life. I am glad to provide information or point to sources so people can understand Plainfield better. I always hope it will engender positive participation.
DeleteIt seems like Timothy needs to take civics 101.
ReplyDeletecivics 101 does teach that one does not need to "drinking the Kool aid" that has been served in Plainfield for a while, just a different cup as I see it for the new year.
ReplyDelete