Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Mudslingers Desist!

Blog comments can be enlightening, but in campaign season too many people get all derogatory and attack fellow Plainfielders personally. Please make your point without calling folks names. Ultimately, we are all in this together and dismissive, demeaning remarks do not advance the conversation.

--Bernice

34 comments:

  1. Yes it’s that time of year when we will stoop to new lows with the name calling such as David Rutherford calling a fellow board member “a dunk” on a blog. If I was David I would tread lightly before his closet door is fully open and his truths come to light. However that’s not what I want to say. What we should be looking at is the voting records of Rutherford, Campbell and the rest of the crew the Campbell’s control on the board. It’s good to see David has a voice now because for the last four years his only voice was when the Campbell’s told him how to vote. This is not slander or name calling it’s facts that you can check for yourself. I guess David is taking a book right out of the pages of Republican Donald Trump, which is no surprise since his mentors John and Wilma are staunch republicans. It’s laughable that now he’s trying to convince us that there’s some discord between him and the Campbell’s’. Truth is, he absolutely worships them.

    David’s desire to discredit follow board members that was supported by Mayor Mapp is his futile attempt to throw support to Tracey Brown who claims to be a democrat but chose to have a Republican as her campaign manager. The fact is Anna Belin-Pyles was ineffective as a superintend and was never able to garner the full support of her staff. The fact is she was giving the position despite the fact she wasn’t qualified only because the Campbells’ knew they could control her, that’s a fact and one can easily go back and see who voted her in. The board member David so affectingly refers to as “a drunk” has more integrity, intelligence, loyalty and knowledge of the board than any other member on that board including himself, regardless of Davis opinion of him, he would never stoop so low as to reply to David’s insults on a blog, but we all know I would. Not surprising to see that David is in support of having Anna Belin back and for the Campbell to keep control of the school board, which they managed to destroy over the last 16 years. Including the last four years with John on the board and them having the five controlling votes. Judging by the slate the Campbells’ put together, Tracey Brown, Ellen Carter-Haygood (Wilma Campbell’s sister) and Briggs, reaffirms that they’re not just satisfied with controlling the school board, they want to control the entire city. BA job for their Son John Jr, 10k a year payday for Haygood, and control of endless school board and city contract vendors for the Campbells. Rutherford is just a pawn and another way for them to disseminate false truths the republican way.

    The board meeting last night and certain members not wanting to rescinding Anna agreement she signed to leave the district has very little to do with finance, if we could afford to move an election we certainly can afford to get a new superintended that knows what they’re doing and not controlled by greed.

    Robin B.

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    1. lol

      Someone is mad.

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    2. It is inappropriate for a PMUA commissioner to be making such partisan statements on a public blog.

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    3. Is that right, you should see me LMAO! I know all the secrets and not afraid to share them, okay Anonymous.

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    4. I agree with most of what you say however it's not the first time I've heard about the being under the influence of alcohol at a meeting. If he can't wait until he gets home to drink, there may be a problem. Alcoholism has nothing to do with ones intelligence. Perhaps he should be encouraged to seek help rather than defending his right to be "drunk" at a meeting he was voted to represent our children. Otherwise his decisions may be suspect. Alcoholism is an illness for which can be treated. As he is an adult he can only be strongly encouraged to seek help.

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    5. I agree but you should speak in general as you have no idea what goes on behind closeed doors. Surrending your vote is far more harmful to the children they represent than anything I can imagine. David's post was not intended to help but clearly posted to cause harm as is yours. Our children deserve intelligent people that can exercise crital thinking and not just be a puppet for greedy self serving people.










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    6. David was wrong in his tactic because the board has a process to deal with members who are impaired but our kids deserve someone who can make decisions without smelling like a bar. Once again intelligence has nothing to do with an illness. But ones judgement can be skewed under the influence.

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    7. If an elected official is showing up to meetings intoxicated than the members of the board should handle it professionally and follow the protocol. Other than that this is just messy hear say and makes the entire board and city look bad.

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  2. Thank you for this statement, Bernice! I hope all will take this to heart. No need for ad hominem attacks on fellow citizens. At best, it's rather immature, counter-intuitive, and counter-productive!

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  3. Actually I enjoyed the Name Game very much. How did it go .... Shirley, Shirley Bobernely Be My Moe Furrier ... Shirley - A Little trick with Nick ....

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  4. David Rutherford should be careful - slander can be expensive in court to defend.

    Also - his rant about Aramark is so political that it is silly. If the board approved a vendor change then the person in the superintendent's office that manages vendors should work with them to make sure they are living up to their service level agreements. Aramark is a very large and well known food service organization - effectively managing them is the job of the superintendent. This is easy stuff and not something that should be used as grandstanding or claims of cronyism. David is a board member - he should meet with the person or department that manages the contract and ask that things me addressed and a report submitted to the BOE - enough with the conspiracy and sky is falling nonsense. Issues happen - address them effectively and do your job.

    And David - a simple search of Sodexo will highlight numerous complaints from school districts about the quality of the food and service - so they are apparently not any more perfect than Aramark.

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  5. Preach Ms. Robin B. Preach

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  6. Smh at all the adults.... you guys are so busy killing each other softly the kids always get out on the back burner.. fact of the matter is, Aramak good sucks!!! The kids hate it.. did anyone bother to ask THEM.. you all are so busy wanting control you all forget about what's important!!the youth.. there has hardly been any usage of the auditorium for the past couple of years for the kids. No talent shows..no entertainment NOTHING!!! Our kids are getting murderered!!! Lefi in the streets to die.. why don't yaall in your infanant wisdom focus on putting some damn programs together for these kids.. get your lives!!!

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    1. OH PLEASE KAREN YOU'RE ONE TO TALK

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    2. And yet your still anonymous..I BACK UP every word I say!!!

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    3. And yet your still anonymous..I BACK UP every word I say!!!

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    4. And let me be crystal clear.. I dont care what David or anyone else says..with all the mud slinging goin on EVERYONE is forgetting the kids.stop killing the messenger and LISTEN to the messages... not only this insistent but every one... there is so much control going on in Plainfield no one is getting a Damn thing done!!!

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    5. And yet your still anonymous..I BACK UP every word I say!!!

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  7. Can one blame a mother?

    I must say David Rutherford has gone to a new level. And this is the BOE member that, well, really doesn't do anything. YES, he shows up for meetings, but that's about it. Let us remember that it was during his watch that the Campbell's hired 40 of their friends to be security guards. With overtime some make upwards of 100k. We don't need 40 security guards. Remember there is Plainfield Police on duty at the schools too.

    Instead of whining I suggest David should come up with constructive ideas on how to face some of the challenges that were created during his tenure. And just showing up for a meeting isn't enough.

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  8. Um, folks, David has comments on HIS blog. Perhaps you should take it there. Why muddy up this forum?

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  9. To Karen Hall and the others who are always taking about programs. Last Saturday Plainfield Now, a 501(c)3 non-profit hosted a viewing of Hidden Figures in the PHS Auditorium for the benefit of the students in the Plainfield School District, so as to encourage, inspire and educate our youth about the contributions of Black women to science and to the space program; and the auditorium was empty. It was done in partnership with the school district yet the district didn’t think it necessary to send home flyers with the students and to have the auditorium filled to its capacity. This is a sad commentary on the misplaced priorities of the district. Not only that, but Plainfield Now also arranged for Plainfield’s own Marion Johnson, a Hidden Figure in her own right who did the calculations for the ejection of the rocket boosters on 20 space missions, successfully each time, and her disappoint at a room without the presence of kids was very telling, when she remarked, “I was expecting a room filled with kids.”

    Therefore, for the district not to welcome Plainfield’s own Marion Johnson who made such an enormous contribution to science and to the space program was insulting and embarrassing, to say the least. It takes more than basketball and football for our kids to be successful, it also takes mental capacity and dexterity to excel; it takes the teachings of those who have exceled so they can inspire; it takes good role models like Marion Johnson. So to the Karen Halls who want programs, you just missed an excellent one. Programs are not just about sports, they are also about being academically smart and gifted, so as to encourage our young people to excel and to soar to the heights of their capacity to be the best.

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    1. You are spot on with your comments. However, keep in mind that this is the same district that your candidate/client, Mayor Mapp controls. Misplaced priorities indeed. In all seriousness though, thank you for that comment. Programs should have a clear mission which provides a benefit to young people

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    2. Thank you thank you for pointing that out. We all who have access to the youth should encourage them to participate in any of the many positive activities that are offered right here in the city. But I have heard adults complain because the mayor's picture is on the city flyers. Is that a reason to not help promote the activities to the youth? So it's not really about the lack of youth programs. It's about adults not willing to work in partnership.

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    3. Jason - explain to me how the Mayor controls the "district"? Don't you need a majority of the votes to control something?

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  10. Well sir.. what does that tell you... the youth aren't interested... don't be MAD because the kids don't like what YOU like... half the kids would have came there hungry.. or without clean cloths... or they had to babysit while their MOMS were at work!!!most of them aren't going to even cross boarders to get there.. (do you even know what that means) why some you all give them something that they are interested in...need my help!!I would be glad to show you all the way!!!how can three kids sit there a movie when their family members are getting murdered and shot at and threatened in the city of Plainfield where the streets are so Damn safe!!!please son talk to me about programs and the youth of this city!!Yes I am KAREN HALL..and I have more respect and LOVE from the kids from here to Newark..so the next time you want to come at me about programs..try just asking for my help!!it's all about the kids..and the reason why things DON'T work I because THE ADULTS can't work together!!! So ..I'm closing..I am not one of those people..need some advise..I'm there..anything for MY kids

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    1. If you know of children not being feed by their parents/guardians they should be reported to DYFUS.

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  11. Derel Stroud did you ever think that the parents have already taken their children to see this movie. A program do not consist of taking children to the movies. If you need me to explain to you what a program is I will explain it to you with no problem.

    Lisa

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  12. I think we should all stop trashing Trump, whining and crying and think locally. We have had problems in Plainfield long before Donald Trump (and no, I am not a Trump fan)...but we cannot blame him for the problems that are Plainfield. Let's focus on the issues, stop calling each other names, and work to make Plainfield a town that people want to live in again, want to send their kids to school in, and want to visit a "downtown" that does not require going to Cranford, Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Garwood....(anywhere but here).....

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    1. DAH - I understand what you are saying but am confused about the Trump portion. Nobody is blaming Trump - I searched the entire post and there were 4 references to Trump. The first was in Robin's post stating that David was copying Trumps style (she didn't blame Trump) - the other three references were in your post.

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  13. Call DYFS...wow.. you really don't know the struggle.. and furthermore "a program" dosent consist of one day at the movies..a program is a constant!!! When I say program I am refering to an after school program 5days a week where kids can come for services that the can not get at home or school and to provide them with knowledge. Not only educationally but of self also fun. My program consists of much more.. computer lab..hang intervention and prevention (Phoenix Curriculam)in which I am certified to teach..visit the juvenile prisions to make sure services are in place for the return of our youth..and mentor them before theyare released into society..(in which I am certified) I can go on!!! A program is not a movie day.. you will never be able to do what I do.. it takes knowledge and a heart!!NOT TO CALL DYFS cause a kid is hungry.. go bring that kid a good package!!! You see.. it takes SPECIAL PEOPLE to deal with our youth..it takes love and knowledge to run a program and help these kids.all of our kids are NOT "GOOD KIDS" BUT THEY CAN BE!!but you have to take the time out to change their mindsets..kids are all the same at the end of the day.they just need the guidance and love from US.. and giving the kids a movie day is wonderful..but where's the follow up??? Once again I'm here to help..not bash..but don't ever come for me about programs..your not ready!!

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    1. Karen - the program mentioned above was a movie (that can be educational) and had a speaker. You can't have it both ways - programs come in all shapes and sizes and while I agree with you that there is a need for some of those programs that you mentioned (and am not sure why a school with such a large budget can't manage some of those) - the program Mr. Stroud mentioned was certainly a very good program and I think you would be have to acknowledge that if you were honest. It was also put on by an outside group - which is also nice.

      While we won't come after you for programs - since we are all so "not ready" - are we allowed to come after you for your disjointed and angry posts? Maybe try outlining your response first and then drafting it in long form.

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  14. Karen, what you do for kids is commendable. But do you think you way is the ONLY way to reach kids? You are just a piece of the puzzle. You sound like you were turning your nose up at the movie event. Well I attended and saw the movie before. After listening to Mrs. Johnson, I watched the movie with a different sense of pride knowing we had our very on Hidden Figure right here in Plainfield. Anyone or organization willing to offer a little or a lot should not be condemned or ridiculed just because it's not your way. That's one of the problems we have here. Adults bashing others. Adults bashing other groups. Don't think kids don't see or hear this including your angry tone. How about being more positive and exposing kids to all kinds of different activities. It's not always about what they want to do. It's about adults encouraging them to try something different. Kids won't know unless you expose them.

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  15. Once again to my ANONYMOUS friends I am not bashing anything... but i really would appriciate you all saying "a movie" is a "program" it's a MOVIE!! but ok.. I deal with"facts"and what the kids don't want is just a movie... and you are right..I am just a piece of the big puzzle.. no arguments there.. HOWEVER the powers that be (some) refuse to work with the "at risk youth" and that's what makes me mad!!! Why can't WE all get together and build a program!!! I'll tell you why..cause PLAINFIELD IS SO DIVIDED THETES NO ROOM FOR PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS... and i ment what I said you all aren't ready!!!! And that's a fact.. when was the last or the first time you visited "the hood" Well I never saw ANY POLITICAL or new faces there!!lol when was the last time any of you ANOYMOUS folks say and had a heart breaking or year jerking convo with ANY of the kids...I don't have to PROOF READ anything I write down on a blog or say..what I do comes from my heart..not pre rehursed.or proof written...I'm for the youth 100 percent...I am an Interrupter... and if yaall work with the youth you all should know what that is.

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  16. Oh..and p.s.I NEVER ..EVER BASHED ANOTHER PROGRAM OR GROUP..let's be clear... I always promote colaberation!!!and I am NOT mad nor angry...there is a big difference between passionate and fed up compared to mad!!😊😉

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