With Sincere Gratitude to My Beloved City of Plainfield

Now that the dust has settled and the clouds have cleared and people have, hopefully, returned to their way of life in the wake of the Plainfield elections, I want to take this opportunity to once again congratulate the Mayor on her victory.

I want to also take this opportunity to thank the voters of Plainfield for the consideration given to me and, although I did not win the mayoralty, I won the hearts, minds, and trust of Plainfielders across the city, to whom I will always be grateful.

I must give a special thanks to my entire campaign team, who worked extremely hard every day of the campaign because they love Plainfield; they believed in me, and they believed in the cause. I want to thank my lovely wife, Amelia, and our two wonderful daughters, Ayisha and Shermona, for their sacrifices.

The battle I waged was a formidable one; the cause in which I believe is just, and my desire for change that will lead to the transformation of our city lives on. My determination to make a difference in the lives of everyone living in Plainfield has not been deterred, and my resolve remains strong.

My vision for the city that I love so very much will not be clouded or derailed by the slender margin given to another, but rather will be nurtured by the many souls who continue to call for positive change. What I began the campaign thinking of as "my" vision for the city has become our collective vision--the input I received from the residents as I walked through this city helped clarify our shared vision of hope as we move forward over the next several years. My friends, our vision lives on.

I will continue to be a voice for honest, ethical leadership, and I will hold myself and my colleagues accountable only to you, the residents of our wonderful city.

Thank you, my beloved city of Plainfield!

Adrian

Back to Work: My PMUA Proposal for Positive Change

Dear friends,

Now that the spring primary season is over, it is time to get back to work on the issues we have been discussing for several months now. Back in March of this year, I presented a very clear and detailed vision for Plainfield that included reining in the PMUA and providing tax relief to property owners.

As I walked this city and talked with Plainfield residents, the most compelling issue at hand was the issue of the PMUA's outrageous rate increases and insensitivity to the ratepayers as they took expensive trips to conferences completely unrelated to their mission, the last one to the tune of about $25,000.

At that time, I articulated a plan that would bring the PMUA under the city’s umbrella, thus having all PMUA charges included in the property tax bill of Plainfield property owners. In addition, my plan would protect the frontline employees, and rid homeowners of the unfair, revenue-generating "cart fees" that we all have found so onerous.

I continue to receive substantial email from you, the ratepayers, about the wasteful spending and lack of transparency at the PMUA, and I want to assure you that I will be taking action immediately. That means now.

The lack of accountability on the part of the PMUA leadership offended the sensibilities of virtually every resident I met. I spoke with many of you about my intention to draft a resolution to ensure that the Plainfield city council, which has some say in what the PMUA does, takes action.

The council has a fiduciary responsibility to the residents of Plainfield to make sure that each commissioner seeking appointment is thoroughly vetted and does not have any conflicts of interest in serving.

Further, most companies cut back on conference travel and other questionable expenses as belt-tightening measures during troubled economic times. The PMUA should do the same, so I will follow through on a proposal to cut all travel until the PMUA makes clear its policies on such.

I will be asking my council colleagues to stand with me on this issue and support passage of this resolution. I look forward to your comments.

Regards,

Adrian

Thank You for Your Support

Dear Friends,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support during my mayoral campaign. I will be individually thanking all those who worked day and night on behalf of me and the New Democrats for Plainfield, but I wanted to give a community "shout out" to all the residents who came out to vote. Although we did not prevail, your energy and enthusiasm touched me deeply. I congratulated the mayor on her successful renomination as the Democratic candidate. And congratulations also to Bridget Rivers, who successfully ran for the 4th Ward city council seat. I look forward to having Bridget on the council with the rest of our colleagues. Now it is time for all of us to get back to work on YOUR behalf!

Regards,

Adrian

On our Responsibility to Plainfield

There is a maxim in the journalistic profession that teaches “it’s better to sin by omission than by commission.” As a public servant, it is probably safe for me to say that it’s better to sin by commission than by omission. As residents and as stakeholders, we must all commit to making Plainfield a better place; we must commit to eternal vigilance, greater participation, and to be keepers of our brothers and sisters; they are our neighbors and friends.

As residents and community-minded individuals, we have an obligation not only to ourselves and our families but to our community as well. We have a fiduciary duty to protect our city for the benefit of the next generation, who will be the heirs to an inheritance that can only flourish and grow if protected by leaders who are willing to be strong in the face of mounting pressures from forces of the City’s harsh economic realities.

Our leaders must be willing to put themselves on the line for the greater good and must never allow their personal self-interest to be elevated above the interest of the people. They must not allow forces of the prevailing winds to divide and conquer so that they appear compromised and neutralized. We must all work together.

As guardians of our fate, our duty is to hold all elected officials accountable and to the very highest standard of ethics, professionalism, and job performance. We must see to it that partnerships exist amongst all stakeholders within our community--the faith community, the Board of Education, and the block and neighborhood associations--in order to create a better Plainfield.

We must stand as one unified community without a need for uniformity, and we must be willing to disagree without being disagreeable. And, although this requires us to be defenders if and when necessary, and ebullient with praise when deserving, it also places on us a duty to be constructively critical of our leaders when warranted.

The failures of the current administration over the past three and a half years cannot be ignored; such failures should energize voters to go to the polls in droves on Tuesday June 2nd to vote for the change that is needed to move the city forward.

Many are they who would have you believe that cooperation has in its recipe the ingredients of uniformity, blind faith and allegiance to a political boss, a feeble desire to disagree, a weakened state of being, and no back bone.

I believe that a spirit of cooperation can be achieved without trading our morals and our values. Unity can exist without uniformity and for us to cooperate doesn’t mean that we must capitulate.

I have every confidence that we will work together for a better Plainfield, and that though a forward thrust might have been temporarily slowed by the failures of the current administration, our vision for our city will not be derailed and we will remain focused and on track.

I will always be “for the cause that needs assistance; against the wrongs that need resistance; for the future in the distance, and the good that I [we] can do.”

I urge you to come out next Tuesday and vote for me, Adrian Mapp, Rick Smiley, and the entire New Democratic team in column F, vote for change; vote for Plainfield’s future.

Regards,

Adrian O. Mapp
3rd Ward Councilman
President, New Democrats for Plainfield

On Public Safety and Residents' Concerns

On Tuesday, May 26th, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs felt the need to call a press conference in a feeble attempt to refute the crime data reported in the Uniform Crime statistics by the Plainfield Police Department, data that clearly demonstrates an increase in crime of 12.4%. As I walk the streets of our city speaking with homeowners, many have expressed grave concerns about their personal safety as a result of the reported burglaries, home invasions, assaults, car break-ins, and car thefts as well as other crimes that affect their quality of life.

Yet, whenever the issue of crime comes up, the Mayor prides herself in disseminating misleading information that she ought to know is factually incorrect and statistically impossible. For example, she likes to claim that murders are down by 300%. The mayor should know that if she has 15 marbles and she loses all fifteen, she has lost 100 % and would not have any more marbles to lose. In other words, she would have lost all of her marbles.

Another piece of misleading information the mayor has disseminated is her claim that she hired more police officers since taking office on January 01, 2006. Not true!

Here are the FACTS, provided by her own cabinet members, City Administrator Marc Dashield and Police Director Martin Hellwig: when the mayor took office in 2006, there were 151 police officers in the Plainfield Police Department; 95 lived outside of Plainfield, and 56 lived in Plainfield. Today, in 2009, there are only 146 police officers on the force, a decrease of 5 officers since the mayor took office.

In 2004, the city council, of which I was a member, made cuts in the budgets of several departments in an effort to control costs and rising taxes so as to ease the burden on Plainfield’s taxpayers. At the time, the Plainfield Police Department had a duplicate medical prescription plan that was costing Plainfield tax payers $350,000 a year—this plan was not being used by its members. The previous administration and the council had tried, unsuccessfully, to convince the PBA to give up the duplicate prescription plan in an effort to save the jobs of some of its members. The refusal of the PBA leadership at the time to compromise and save the jobs of its own members resulted in the administration having to layoff 8 officers, bringing the number down to 151.

I have had numerous conversations with residents over the last six months regarding their quality of life concerns, and one thing that was made very clear to me is that people don’t feel safe. I intend to address this concern as Plainfield’s next mayor. Plainfield needs a new beginning; we cannot allow ourselves to be stuck in the past—we must move forward. I intend to live up to my promise, with support from the council, to bring the number of police officers up to 160. I will pay for these additional officers with the savings from retirements and attrition and the dollars made available in America’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into office by President Obama.

My hand will be open and I will reach out to the leadership of the Police Department and to its union to initiate dialogue and to create a partnership based on mutual respect. As we approach the end of this campaign season, I ask the voters of Plainfield to reject desperate last-minute attempts by the mayor and her supporters to skirt the truth. She has had a whole mayoral term to make good on her promises, and she has come up empty. She has shown that she lacks the capacity to do the math:

12.4 % crime increase
+ 20 % PMUA increase
- 5 police officers
+ 1 closed hospital while the mayor was on the board and said nothing
= a failed administration.

As President of the New Democrats for Plainfield, I am committed to continuing the New Democrats' legacy of ethical, honest leadership for Plainfield’s future. I ask you to give me the opportunity to carry out my vision for the city so that I can deliver the change that is needed. I will govern with an open mind, an open heart, and with care and compassion.

On June 2nd, remember to vote for me, Adrian Mapp, and the entire New Democrat team in column F. Vote for change—vote for Plainfield’s Future.

Regards, Adrian

Mapp for Mayor: Leadership for Plainfield's Future

Today, I am premiering my campaign video. I want to thank everyone whose time, talent, and dedication made it possible. I encourage you to share it with all of our friends and supporters.

The New Democrats for Plainfield continue a LEGACY of ETHICAL, HONEST LEADERSHIP in Plainfield. With your help, we can bring POSITIVE CHANGE to the Queen City on June 2.

VOTE COLUMN F.

Regards, Adrian

Plainfield Senior Citizens: Friends and Family

We are blessed with a wonderful, active senior population here in Plainfield. I am committed to making sure that we provide for their lifestyle and security. These elders have much to teach us. While attending some recent public Plainfield-area events, I chatted with several friends who are on the ballot with Rick Smiley and me, running for the Plainfield Democratic City Committee with the New Democrats for Plainfield.

Pictured with Rick and me, you may recognize the following New Democrat City Committee Candidates: Dorothy Henry (Ward 2-District 7), Donald Van Blake (Ward 2-District 5), Leroy Canady (Ward 3-District 5) and Barbara Wallace (Ward 3-District 5).