Thank you Assemblyman Green for recognizing the power I have to influence the course of events in Plainfield. For the record, however, the Park Hotel was converted into a boarding home in 1970. I was a college sophomore in Buffalo, NY at the time.
As for group homes, I am guessing that you forgot the discussion we had a few years ago about the Park Hotel and group homes. I will refresh your memory. You came to me with a plan to close the Park Hotel. I told you that plans for the 170 residents would have to be included so they weren't just put out on the street. I explained that there are more humane solutions than warehousing people in large boarding homes. I mentioned supportive housing as a solution and that I work for a non profit organization that subscribes to the supportive housing model. You may recall that I am the co-founder of the New Jersey Supportive Housing Association and I invited you to speak at one of our meetings in Trenton. You did so.
Boarding homes and group homes are the traditional approach to housing for people in need. In fact, most special needs populations are capable of living independently if they are offered services and supports by human service professionals who visit them in their apartments. This is supportive housing - what I do for a living.
Supportive housing has the advantage of helping people with special needs integrate into the community. They are not in congregate housing which calls attention to them. They are living just as you or I do. Supportive housing as done by the non profit I work for does not take properties off the tax rolls. We do it as market rate rentals. Assemblyman Green - your claim about a bank being converted into a group home has nothing to do with the organization or work I am associated with. In fact I don't even know what property you are referring to. I hope this is not an example of throwing out misleading information and hoping some of it sticks.
It is sad that you are attacking me with false accusations. Recently you offered to give me the party endorsement in next Junes City Council primary election. Suddenly you have changed your mind? Would that have to do with my criticisms of your unethical campaign accusations of your political opponents?
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Election Campaign Thoughts
Bernice Paglia and Old Doc have done an excellent job of telling it like it is and I thank them for their service to the public. We are lucky to have bloggers that are energetic and persistent in following the often confusing chain of political events in Plainfield. I do not wish to be repetitive so my comments are more on the personal side.
This campaign brought a very difficult choice for me. I have a lot of respect for Rashid Burney and Rebecca Williams. And they are both close friends of mine. It is safe to say that there are few people in Plainfield who have done more for our city than these two. Certainly none of those who criticized one of them during the campaign has their record of civic accomplishments.
Both candidates inspired passionate supporters, also friends of mine and on both sides, to work on their behalf. It's a huge compliment when serious, committed people line up as your supporter. And both Rebecca and Rashid deserve this kind of support. Neither one deserved the personal attacks that surfaced during the campaign.
My definition of an ethical, issues oriented election campaign does not include personal attacks. Here is my hope for the future in Plainfield elections:
1. Stick to the issues.
2. The incumbents record is fair game. The challengers past civic activities and related employment are fair game. Get their histories right. Use facts, not the assumptions of others (which can be self-serving). Do your own homework on your opponent. Attack the record, not the person.
3. If a candidate "misbehaves", attack the behavior, not the character of the person.
4. When an overzealous supporter engages in personal attacks, his/her candidate disavows the unethical attack.
In this primary, the rhetoric and accusations escalated as we got closer to election day. There is one source of contentiousness that was so "over the top" that it needs to be highlighted as harmful to Plainfield and not just to the candidates. Jerry Greens mailer and blog exemplified the textbook use of scapegoating, guilt by association and distortion of facts. I know Rashid Burney very well and there is no way he had anything to do with the Assemblyman's attacks on Rebecca Williams.
Hard feelings will linger from this primary campaign. It is important that Rebecca, Rashid and all their dedicated supporters resolve differences and unite behind the cause that led us into politics in the first place: the betterment of Plainfield.
This campaign brought a very difficult choice for me. I have a lot of respect for Rashid Burney and Rebecca Williams. And they are both close friends of mine. It is safe to say that there are few people in Plainfield who have done more for our city than these two. Certainly none of those who criticized one of them during the campaign has their record of civic accomplishments.
Both candidates inspired passionate supporters, also friends of mine and on both sides, to work on their behalf. It's a huge compliment when serious, committed people line up as your supporter. And both Rebecca and Rashid deserve this kind of support. Neither one deserved the personal attacks that surfaced during the campaign.
My definition of an ethical, issues oriented election campaign does not include personal attacks. Here is my hope for the future in Plainfield elections:
1. Stick to the issues.
2. The incumbents record is fair game. The challengers past civic activities and related employment are fair game. Get their histories right. Use facts, not the assumptions of others (which can be self-serving). Do your own homework on your opponent. Attack the record, not the person.
3. If a candidate "misbehaves", attack the behavior, not the character of the person.
4. When an overzealous supporter engages in personal attacks, his/her candidate disavows the unethical attack.
In this primary, the rhetoric and accusations escalated as we got closer to election day. There is one source of contentiousness that was so "over the top" that it needs to be highlighted as harmful to Plainfield and not just to the candidates. Jerry Greens mailer and blog exemplified the textbook use of scapegoating, guilt by association and distortion of facts. I know Rashid Burney very well and there is no way he had anything to do with the Assemblyman's attacks on Rebecca Williams.
Hard feelings will linger from this primary campaign. It is important that Rebecca, Rashid and all their dedicated supporters resolve differences and unite behind the cause that led us into politics in the first place: the betterment of Plainfield.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Rebecca Williams for Plainfield City Council
I am voting for Rebecca Williams for Plainfield City Council in the June 8 primary election. Plainfield needs a strong, intelligent, independent voice to join the City Council at this critical point in time and Rebecca fits this description completely.
She is not reluctant to take a principled stand in the face of pressure from "the powers that be". This will be a very useful trait as we approach the new budget year. Plainfield is not out of the fiscal woods by a long shot, and the temptation to the Administration to outsource its way out of difficulties is questionable at best. It will take a strong Council to put the interests of Plainfield taxpayers first and make prudent budget decisions in the face of special interest groups. Rebecca is a person who will weigh the needs of Plainfield and not cave in to business as usual.
The City Council provides checks and balances to the Mayor and her administration. When the Mayor shows no willingness to cooperate with the Council as is sometimes the case, a strong City Council is needed to set Plainfield in the right direction. In the past few years we have seen wasteful spending, insensitive managers and ineffective services. Two examples are the Mayor's wasteful use of police bodyguards for herself and her inability to direct the Recreation Department to cooperate with the Queen City Baseball League. Rebecca would have made a difference in both situations. Only a strong City Council can stand up and help the administration make corrections that our residents need and demand. Vote for Rebecca Williams on June 8. Plainfield needs her.
She is not reluctant to take a principled stand in the face of pressure from "the powers that be". This will be a very useful trait as we approach the new budget year. Plainfield is not out of the fiscal woods by a long shot, and the temptation to the Administration to outsource its way out of difficulties is questionable at best. It will take a strong Council to put the interests of Plainfield taxpayers first and make prudent budget decisions in the face of special interest groups. Rebecca is a person who will weigh the needs of Plainfield and not cave in to business as usual.
The City Council provides checks and balances to the Mayor and her administration. When the Mayor shows no willingness to cooperate with the Council as is sometimes the case, a strong City Council is needed to set Plainfield in the right direction. In the past few years we have seen wasteful spending, insensitive managers and ineffective services. Two examples are the Mayor's wasteful use of police bodyguards for herself and her inability to direct the Recreation Department to cooperate with the Queen City Baseball League. Rebecca would have made a difference in both situations. Only a strong City Council can stand up and help the administration make corrections that our residents need and demand. Vote for Rebecca Williams on June 8. Plainfield needs her.
Monday, May 31, 2010
A Bit of Campaign Season Silliness
Assemblyman Green has cast aspersions again as he tends to do near the end of a local political campaign. This time Inez Durham is in his spotlight. Why would he insinuate that she has some responsibility for Plainfield's Board of Education woes and at the same time connect her to Rebecca Williams, challenger to Green's incumbent candidate for City Council? The answer is Steve Gallon. This is a campaign tactic that can be called guilt by association. I would like to set the record straight on Inez Durham.
Inez has a record of exemplary service to the Plainfield community. I know of her work directly through our joint service as Board of Education members. Inez has had a long and successful career as an educator and, I believe, she retired after serving as Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Piscataway. She was and is exactly the kind of person we need in Plainfield to strengthen our community. If we had ten more of Inez, Plainfield would be a lot better off.
It was her reputation and track record of community service that led Steve Gallon to offer her a job. She took it and served briefly, not because she needed the work, but because she saw an opportunity to once again help the Plainfield school system. If Assemblyman Green looked into the circumstances of her leaving this position, he would know how inaccurate and unjust his blog post is. But we are in what many call "silly season", when politicians twist facts and count on the voters accepting distorted viewpoints.
Cooler heads are part of the Assemblyman's campaign team and they need to set the record straight on Inez, unless of course if the Assemblyman himself does so first.
Inez has a record of exemplary service to the Plainfield community. I know of her work directly through our joint service as Board of Education members. Inez has had a long and successful career as an educator and, I believe, she retired after serving as Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Piscataway. She was and is exactly the kind of person we need in Plainfield to strengthen our community. If we had ten more of Inez, Plainfield would be a lot better off.
It was her reputation and track record of community service that led Steve Gallon to offer her a job. She took it and served briefly, not because she needed the work, but because she saw an opportunity to once again help the Plainfield school system. If Assemblyman Green looked into the circumstances of her leaving this position, he would know how inaccurate and unjust his blog post is. But we are in what many call "silly season", when politicians twist facts and count on the voters accepting distorted viewpoints.
Cooler heads are part of the Assemblyman's campaign team and they need to set the record straight on Inez, unless of course if the Assemblyman himself does so first.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Earth Day in Plainfield
Earth Day was Thursday and Adrian Mapp, Darlene McWilliams, City Administrator Bibi Taylor, Plainfield Planning Director Bill Nierstadt, yours truly and members of the news media converged on the Green Brook on the western border of Plainfield. We were there to celebrate a $229,000 NJ Dept of Transportation grant to begin construction of a multi-use trail along the brook. The Green Brook Trail project originated during the second term of late Mayor Al McWilliams and it was fitting that Darlene was present at the soon to be trailhead on Jefferson Ave.
Al McWilliams had the vision to pick up on the original 1920's concept created by the Olmsted Brothers, sons of Frederic Law Olmsted, planner of NYC's Central Park. It has taken 7 years of planning, grant writing and designing to get us poised for action. April Stefel and Bill Nierstadt deserve much thanks for their efforts over the years. Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs has kept the vision alive and it was a shame that she was not available to join us.
It must be mentioned that Adrian Mapp, Bill Nierstadt and I rode our bikes down Myrtle Ave which runs parallel to the brook and trail route. Check out the Courier News photograph above to learn which law-abiding cyclist had his helmet on.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Visioning Charette a Success
70 people came out to the community visioning meeting today at Washington School. The presenters from NJIT described opportunities for development along the Raritan Valley rail line. The opportunities for investment in Plainfield's underutilized properties will increase as we move closer to dual powered locomotives and the completion of the new rail tunnel under the Hudson River.
Participants included residents, business owners and local officials including Planning and Zoning Board members, Council members, the Mayor and our Assemblyman. An informative presentation by the NJIT graduate students set the stage for the "charette". Participants circulated around 6 tables where they offered input on what development should look like. There were tables for each proposed development opportunity:
1) Grant Ave around the old train station
2) Clinton Ave around the old train station
3) Downtown station north - North Ave, Gavett Place, East 2nd St
4) Downtown station south - the area bordered by Watchung Ave, Park Ave, East 4th St and East 6 St
5) Netherwood Station
6) South Ave between Terrill Road and Leland Ave
I thought the participant input was excellent and will help Plainfield achieve several objectives. First and foremost, citizens need to be a part of the planning for important Plainfield decisions. When development deals are strictly behind closed doors, resident quality of life concerns take a back seat to outside interests. Involving all stakeholders in Plainfield's future is the only way forward.
Citizen involvement increases buy-in for critical land use and financial decisions. Translating our vision into reality means confronting the real world. What are investors willing to risk on downtown projects? What prices are home buyers, renters and new businesses willing to pay to become part of Plainfield. Taxpayers and voters may be asked to support tax abatements and will only do so if they feel there is something in it for them. They will need to feel confident in the decision making process, to be part of it.
Next blog will address the question everyone has asked me about the vision study: will it actually lead to real action or just sit on a shelf?
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Plainfield Visioning Study
Community Visioning Meeting Saturday, March 27 from 9 am to 3 pm at Washington School. Repeat - March 27 is the date, not this Saturday as I originally stated.
Why are we doing this?: to open up the discussion and planning for Plainfields development to residents and business owners.
Who will be there? Local officials, Rutgers and NJIT professors and students, the community.
What's in it for me?: you can have a say in creating the blueprint for the future of Plainfield. This is not a presentation. It is an interactive meeting in which your input will be solicited.
What is the focus for the meeting?: development of the areas around our downtown train station, Netherwood station and Plainfield West along the rail corridor. The new Hudson River train tunnel will increase access to Manhatten for Plainfield residents and businesses. A one seat ride into NYC will be one outcome of the tunnel.
How can I participate?: show up for the meeting!!
It is important to lend your voice to this discussion. The future of Plainfield is at stake.
Why are we doing this?: to open up the discussion and planning for Plainfields development to residents and business owners.
Who will be there? Local officials, Rutgers and NJIT professors and students, the community.
What's in it for me?: you can have a say in creating the blueprint for the future of Plainfield. This is not a presentation. It is an interactive meeting in which your input will be solicited.
What is the focus for the meeting?: development of the areas around our downtown train station, Netherwood station and Plainfield West along the rail corridor. The new Hudson River train tunnel will increase access to Manhatten for Plainfield residents and businesses. A one seat ride into NYC will be one outcome of the tunnel.
How can I participate?: show up for the meeting!!
It is important to lend your voice to this discussion. The future of Plainfield is at stake.
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