The Creator Will Smile on Me

I just got word, a short while ago, that information regarding a debt that I owe to a credit card company has been distributed on cars throughout the City of Plainfield. I was served with papers on Thursday by a local police officer who works through the Sheriff’s office. The papers pertain to a lawsuit that was filed on behalf of the credit card company that seeks to recover the $46,000 that I owe. The papers that were served on me give me 35 days to respond; failure to respond could result in a judgment against me for the debt owed. Those are the facts.

As most of you know, I have been unemployed for almost two years, and like many of you I have been feeling the pain of the very harsh economy that has seen an unemployment rate hovering close to 10%. I am not immune to financial hardships; I am like all of the other people whose financial lives have been turned upside down due to their unemployment status and other special situations. Unlike most of the unemployed, I am also the victim of a very hostile political climate; one that has brought me to my knees and has rendered me BROKE. Over the past two years I have exhausted all of my financial resources, yet through the grace of God I have been able to make ends meet.

With that said, the attempt by those in law enforcement and politics to embarrass me has not and will not succeed. I am not ashamed of my current financial reality, and will not allow my financial reality to prevent me from reaching my goal of transforming Plainfield’s political landscape. Those who will attempt to use my unearned financial hardship, which was borne of political hatred and venom, will be very disappointed. I remain undaunted, undeterred, unbroken, unbowed, and unbent.

The behavior of those who seek to gain from my financial crisis and misfortune will be called into question, weighed in the balance, and found wanting. Those responsible for the dissemination of court papers served on me just this past Thursday will be investigated and held accountable.

I know beyond any doubt that my wife Amelia and our daughters love me, the Creator loves me, and the scores of friends that I have do love me, and so do the people of Plainfield who elected me as one of their trusted servants. This is what keeps me strong, this is what keeps me going and fighting for Plainfield. This is why I am asking all who read this post to let the rest of Plainfield know that we must reject this cruel act and those who are behind it.

On Tuesday June 7^th, vote for Honest, Ethical Leadership for Plainfield, vote for all of the candidates in Column C.

I know, beyond any doubt, that the Creator will smile on me and I will repay every debt that I owe.

Regards,

Adrian

Vote Column C this Tuesday, June 7

This is it, the countdown to Tuesday, June 7th, a day that, with your HELP, will transform our local Democratic Party. This is the best opportunity since 2003 that the voters in Plainfield have to chart a new course for the Plainfield Democratic City Committee, known as the PDCC. The New Democrats, in Column C, are-well positioned to bring new leadership to our Democratic Party and to the City, but this can only become a reality with your support. That’s why it is so important for you to come out and support all of the candidates in Column C.

Our opponents in another column are taking you for granted and are making a lame attempt to have you believe that those of us who demand accountability are Republicans. But you know better. The New Democrats are the progressive arm of the Party, and we believe in Honest Ethical Leadership for Plainfield (HELP). With this election, HELP is here.

Therefore, I am asking you to reject the failed leadership of the past, reject the name calling, reject the lies, and embrace a new vision, new ideas, and new leadership. Please help the New Democrats usher in a new era with a changing of the guard and a passing of the baton.

Vote Column C and elect a new Democratic Party in the City with new leadership. I ask you to vote for Cory Storch in Ward 2, DeLois (Dee) Dameron for Ward 1&4 at-large, and for all of the New Democrats for City Committee.

Vote Column C on Tuesday, June 7th.

Regards,

Adrian

The Community, Government, Parents, and Schools (C.G.P.S.) Must Work Cooperatively, Collectively, and Collaboratively to Fight Crime Epidemic

When violence plagues a community, the average citizen looks to government as the panacea that would eliminate it from amongst its midst, but nothing can be further from the truth. If a community is to be truly safe, it must police itself; citizens have to get involved and must be the eyes and ears of law enforcement. Passive community involvement breeds apathy, whereas active community involvement leads to safer neighborhoods. We, the residents of Plainfield, must be more civic-minded and must demonstrate a willingness to be more involved, to the point where our vigilance keeps the criminals on their toes, constantly moving until they discover the path that leads away from our neighborhoods or away from a life of crime. We must not allow the new criminal enterprise to view our community as a safe haven for their sordid behavior, and we must become friendly with the cops and allow them to use our homes as staging areas for some of their intelligence gathering. A community that polices itself will, ultimately, be a safer community.

Another part of the solution to the epidemic of crime that is plaguing Plainfield is an intergovernmental partnership; one that brings together the resources of the city, the county, the state of New Jersey, and the federal government. The high level of competence of the local Plainfield Police Department is no match for a criminal enterprise that has amassed an arsenal of weapons and a level of sophistication that are the envy of a four-star general on the frontlines of a battlefield. What Plainfield needs in order to effectively counter this level of violence is a surge in troops from other law enforcement agencies that will complement the local PD so as to overwhelm and overpower, with force and good crime fighting strategies, an army of social deviants that is wreaking havoc locally and sullying the city's reputation across the Tri-state area. Our law enforcement agencies need to identify and use some of the proven methods to break the code of silence that exists amongst gangs; extraordinary challenges require extraordinary solutions. The time for an elaborate intergovernmental law enforcement approach without regard for borders has arrived, and we must embrace it as a part of the solution to our crime epidemic.

However, any solution to our current crime epidemic must involve our very first line of defense; it’s the parents of our young people. Too often the vicious cycle of poverty, the tender age of parents who are slightly older than their kids, and the many broken homes with no fathers are major ingredients in an intoxicating mix that leads to wayward and out of control youths who use the gang life style as a symbol of power and, for far too many, as a symbol of love. We need parents to be more involved in the lives of their children and, yes, we need fathers to be the men they need to be. Fathers must be role models to their children and must also be those whom their children turn to for love and advice. A child should never feel that s/he can get more love from in the streets than in the home. I grew up without a father in my life, but I had a support system and an extended family that helped to guide me through my adolescence right into my young adult years. Our young people need a support system that will help to break the stranglehold of poverty that keeps them mired in a life of crime; they need extended families that are empowered to discipline, and loving and caring parents who can be parents and not be in need of parenting.

Having said all of the above, the schools have a significant role to play in the fight to save our young people. Most of the young people in our city are in our schools each and every day for most months of the year. Our schools must teach more than just the three “R's”; they must also contribute, in a very structured way, to the development of character and social consciousness that leads to radical social transformation. But this is not a job for only the teachers and administrators; it is the responsibility of all of us. We must go into the schools and be mentors, career counselors, entrepreneurial advisors, and coaches. And most important of all, our schools must build a solid academic foundation and provide the students with the tools they need to construct a life of which all Plainfielders can be proud.

I firmly believe that we can tackle our crime epidemic with a high degree of success if we follow the CGPS model that I outlined above. That is, the community, government, parents and schools must work cooperatively, collectively, and collaboratively to fight the crime epidemic and to apply a tourniquet to a gaping wound in order to stop the bleeding.

Regards,

Adrian

North Avenue Road Project Should Not Be Used Play "Politics"

This is campaign season in Plainfield, and the red herring (known as the North Avenue pipes) is beginning to dart across the trail so as to create a diversion from the real issues and financial challenges facing the City. These are issues such as:

• unauthorized expenditures;
• the squandering of $460,000 federal dollars on the partial sheet rocking of the Tepper's basement;
• the waste of city funds and grant dollars on the construction of a bathroom that is a little bigger than a 6’ x 12’ shed at a cost of over $220,000 in Bryant Park on East 6^th Street;
  
• the complete breakdown of controls in the purchasing division;
  
• the refusal of the mayor to allow the CFO to meet with the Finance and Administration Committee;
  
• the refusal by the Mayor to allow any department head to attend the Council’s ward meetings; the doling out of city funds to non-profit organizations in violations of Article VIII, 3,2 of the new State Constitution;
  
• the refusal to put the budget documents online;
  
• the failure to cooperate and to collaborate with the council on an early start to the budget process;
  
• the failure to negotiate with the collective bargaining units, and the list goes on and on.
  

Meanwhile costs continue to escalate. These are some of the many issues the council has been wrestling with, and we have been making good faith efforts to meet with the Administration to address them. However, we have been stymied by a wall of frustration erected by the Mayor (now "acting" as the city administrator).

Now, back to the red herring known as the North Avenue pipes: sadly, one very important point being missed in the discussion about the North Avenue pipes is the tremendous benefits the residents on North Avenue as well as other residents in the surrounding neighborhoods have derived from that great project. The flooding that once plagued that neighborhood has all but disappeared as a result of that well thought-out and designed project. I am happy to have been one of the councilors who supported the McWilliams administration on that project. All elected officials who supported it have a great deal to be proud of, and I am sure that Mr. Muhammad who lives on North Avenue can attest to the benefits that he as a homeowner has derived.

If only the current Administration would get busy working with FEMA to redraw the flood maps, the residents of the First Ward would be able to get the financial relief they seek. They deserve to realize a drastic reduction in the flood insurance premiums they currently pay. As a matter of fact, many of the residents in the First Ward could make a very strong case for the elimination of flood insurance all together, all as a result of the North Avenue road reconstruction and flood remediation project, a project that was conceived in the minds of individuals who wanted nothing but the best for the residents of the First Ward. It is shameful that some would allow the trees to blind them, causing them to lose sight of the beauty that is the forest.

The North Avenue road reconstruction and flood remediation project should be seen for what it is: a success story that needs to be replicated, not one to be criticized for the purpose of scoring cheap political points.

Regards,

Adrian

My Proposal for the Calendar Year: An Idea Whose Time Has Come!

Two years ago, when I returned to the Plainfield City Council, I recommended to the Mayor and to my council colleagues that the City of Plainfield should revert from a fiscal year to a calendar year. At the time, I was told that the absence of a CFO would make it somewhat challenging for the administration to do the work that would be necessary to prepare the application to the Division of Local Government Services in the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

However, I never gave up on the goal of having the city revert to a calendar year. Out of the 51 municipalities that were previously on a fiscal year, roughly 26 have already reverted. When the 2011 goals of the Finance and Administration Committee were announced earlier this year, we knew that reversion had to be a priority. As the Chairman of the Finance and Administration Committee I laid out the steps that would be necessary in the process of reversion as well as the advantages to doing so.

As has been reported by the current CFO, the city faces a budget gap of $3.4 million. The gap has been expanded as a result of the Council’s decision to restore funds to two of the city’s operating divisions, and will expand even further when the city receives a bill from Union County for the county’s 5% share of all PILOT revenues paid to the city since 2005. Prior to 2005, all PILOT revenues went to the city, with none going to the county or to the local school district. However, due to a change in the law dating back to 2005, all counties must now receive 5% of PILOT revenues. Therefore, what was thought to be a $3.4 million budget gap could easily balloon to over $4 million, depending on the bill that has been or will be sent to the city from the county.

Hence, in light of the rising expenses, declining revenues, and a budget gap that continues to grow, the idea of reverting to a calendar year, which I first proposed in 2009, is one whose time has come. I am happy to report that the city now has a CFO who is savvy enough to be able to put all of the required pieces together to assists the council in making this idea a reality. The primary benefits of reverting from a fiscal year to a calendar year are as follows:

1. A fiscal year that runs with the calendar year from January to December would be aligned with the election cycle and would allow newly elected official to participate in the budget process from the outset. Newly elected official would no longer be able to say that they had nothing to do with the budget.
2. The confusion stemming from the use of two tax rates, one for the fiscal year and one for the calendar year, will disappear and property owners will be better able to understand their tax bill.
3. The city will be able to pull in all state aid into the transitional year budget between July 1 and December 31, thus regenerating surplus and regaining a more solid financial footing.
4. On January 1, the City would become eligible for a new round of state aid as a calendar year municipality.
5. The potential loss of jobs and services that could result from the challenge of complying with the governor’s mandated 2% CAP (when faced with a potential budget gap that could reach over $4 million) would be minimized.
   

Although what I have outlined above are key benefits of reverting from a fiscal year to a calendar year, I must caution that this is not a panacea; these financial benefits must be viewed as one-time hits. They do not eliminate the need for the city to be fiscally prudent and for the collective bargaining units to come to the table in good faith to work with the Mayor and Council to find long term solutions to the financial challenges the city faces. All parties must now work together to ease the property tax burden while, at the same time, preserving as many jobs as possible and maintaining quality municipal services.

Regards,

Adrian

Together, We Made a Difference in the Lives of Many: Thank You, Plainfield!

Dear Friends,

You would recall that my wife Amelia and I hosted the New Democrats annual holiday party and canned food drive for the purpose of helping to address the problem of hunger in our city. This annual event is held in celebration of the life and legacy of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I am happy to report that we were able to collect over a ton of canned goods and other nonperishable food items. All items collected were recently turned over to the Starfish Food Pantry, right here in Plainfield.

As the issue of hunger is an ongoing one in our city as well as the nation at large, some of you expressed an interest in knowing how to contact the food banks and soup kitchens in the city so that you could donate year-round. Below is a list of several, for your information.

Amelia and I and the New Democrats would like to thank all of you who donated to such a worthy cause. Together, Plainfield, we made a difference in many people’s lives.

Thank You!

Regards,

Adrian

Click below for the link below for the food pantries located throughout the county:

New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition - Food Pantries - Union County

PLAINFIELD PANTRIES/SOUP KITCHENS

ADDITION: Thanks to Siddeeq El-Amin:

MUSLIM COMMUNITY SOUP KITCHEN

Site: 325 Grant Avenue, Plainfield.
Hours: Every Saturday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Contact Person: Faheemah S. El-Amin
Phone: 908-561-6797 or 908-447-3033 cell
Email: msfahchdcr@aol.com
Food Needs: non-perishable, non-pork products
Volunteers Welcomed.

GRACE'S KITCHEN

Site: 600 Cleveland Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Phone: 908-756-1520
Email: mjbuck@att.net
Hours: open last five days of every month (except Sundays): 11:30am-1pm
Contact: Mary Jo Buck
This site provides a soup kitchen.
Food Needs: any kind of food
Volunteer Needs: driver with car to pick up supplies, occasional help in food preparation and serving
Volunteer Requirements: age 15 and over
Special Needs: toiletries, laundry soaps, used clothing

HOMEFIRST INTERFAITH HOUSING AND FAMILY SERVICES

Site: 905 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Mail: P.O. Box 569, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Phone: 908-753-4001 x13 (Ellen McGovern, Executive Director)
Phone: 908-753-4001C x16 (Brenda Myrick)
Phone: 908-753-4001 x12 (Amy Van Pelt)
Phone: 908-753-4001 x20 (Susan Oldroyd-Laffler)
Email: Brenda@homefirstinc.org
Website: www.homefirstinc.org
Hours: Office - Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm
Contact: Brenda L. Myrick
This site provides a shelter at a network of congregations in Union County, transitional housing, rental assistance, child care, a camp, education, budget management, and advocacy.
Volunteer Needs: committee members - Call Amy Van Pelt for details.
Volunteer Requirements: Call Amy Van Pelt for details.
Special Needs: funding and other needs; Call Susan Oldroyd-Laffler for details.

PLAINFIELD AREA YMCA

Site: 518 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Phone: 908-756-6060
Email: TMcCoy@PlainfieldY.org
Website: www.PlainfieldY.org
Hours: Office – 9am-4pm
Shelter - 24/7
Contact: Teresa McCoy
This site provides an emergency shelter.
Food Needs: breakfast and dinner foods
Volunteer Needs: need for churches and other groups to prepare meals and serve to residents
Volunteer Requirements: Contact site.
Special Needs: Contact Teresa.

SALVATION ARMY

Site: 615 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Phone: 908-756-2595
Email: Donald_Nichols@njsalvationarmy.org
Hours: some holiday closings – Contact site.
Office – 9am-4pm
Food Pantry: Tues & Thurs: 9:30-11:30am & 1-2:30pm
Soup Kitchen: Mon-Fri: 12-12:45pm
Contact: Captain Henry Thibault, Donald Nichols
This site provides a food pantry, a soup kitchen, church services in English and Spanish, and referral to alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs.
Food Needs: non-perishables and perishables
Volunteer Needs: office assistance, servers, clean-up, packers
Volunteer Requirements: age 18 and older
Special Needs: storage space, monetary donations, restaurant supply equipment, microwave, paper goods

STARFISH FOOD PANTRY, INC. OF PLAINFIELD AT COVENANT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Site: 631 East Front St., Plainfield, NJ 07060
Mail: P.O. Box 2822, Plainfield, NJ 07062
Phone: 908-755-8888
Contact: Lynda Stanbach or Edna Shanok
Food Needs: non-perishables
Volunteer Needs: food packers, drivers
Volunteer Requirements: license for drivers
Special Needs: cash donations for perishables and transportation for food

Collaboration with Results Will Be the Fruit of Our Collective Labor: A Way to Move Forward

A couple months ago, the Plainfield City Council adopted an ordinance creating a Board of Recreation Commissioners for the purpose of expanding recreational opportunities for our youth and senior citizens. On the tenth day after its final adoption, the ordinance creating the Commission was vetoed by the Mayor. This past Monday, an attempt to override her veto failed by a vote of 4 to 3; five votes were required.

Hence, those of us who supported the ordinance must now respect the outcome of Monday’s meeting and look for other ways to expand the City’s recreation programs. The beauty of our democracy is that the outcome of the vote is always respected, and people on both sides of the vote always find a way to move forward, in spite of their differences. Now is the time for us to do just that - move forward.

Given that the Commission was vetoed by the Mayor, and given the outcome of Monday’s meeting, it is important for us on the governing body to respond appropriately by providing the required level of funding necessary to ensure retention of the current full-time staff. The question is, how do we do that and remain in compliance with the applicable New Jersey state statute? The proposal that was advanced by the Mayor and her and Administration, in the form of resolutions R105, R106 and R107 was illegal under NJSA 40A:4-46 quoted below:

40A:4-46. Emergency appropriations
A local unit may make emergency appropriations, after the adoption of a budget, for a purpose which is not foreseen at the time of the adoption thereof, or for which adequate provision was not made therein. Such an appropriation shall be made to meet a pressing need for public expenditure to protect or promote the public health, safety, morals or welfare or to provide temporary housing or public assistance prior to the next succeeding fiscal year.

In light of the statute quoted above, I could not, in good conscience, knowingly support a funding request disguised as an emergency that was a clear violation of the law. It is for this reason that I could not and did not support any of the three resolutions referenced above.

However, I am willing to support a transfer resolution that would restore full funding to the Division of Recreation. Therefore, in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration, I will be suggesting to the Administration that it prepare a transfer resolution for adoption by the council in May, and I will encourage my colleagues to support such a transfer request. Everything will be done in compliance with the law, to provide for wholesome recreational opportunities for all in the City who need them. This is a pledge and a commitment.

As to the Purchasing Department, a different idea should be considered; that idea is called a Purchasing Shared Services Agreement. Although I know that purchasing is the responsibility of the CFO in all municipalities where a QPA has not been appointed by the governing body, I am still sensitive to the fact that the CFO is part time and may need more time to get his arms around the many challenging financial issues facing the City.

Therefore, I am proposing a shared service agreement between the City and the Board of Education that would buy the CFO some time, and allow for the Qualified Purchasing Agent from the BOE to be shared with the City. Shared services performed at a high level of efficiency and effectiveness, and with measurable benefits that flow to the bottom line must be pursued as part of the solution to the financial crisis we face in Plainfield. The 2% cap, the $4 million budget gap, and the need for property tax stabilization and relief are the sign posts by which we must be guided. It is to this end that I am proposing a Purchasing Shared Services Agreement for the mutual benefit of the City and the BOE.

I will be asking Council President McWilliams to place this on the agenda for discussion at our April meeting. Just like the CFO for a municipality is almost always the Treasurer of School Monies and is responsible for signing checks and reconciling the bank accounts for the BOE, for a stipend, there can be a similar arrangement with the QPA at the BOE to provide purchasing services to the City for an agreed upon amount that would result in major savings.

There should be no doubt, in anyone’s mind, about our commitment to doing what we believe to be in the City’s best interest, without fear or favor, and without malice. I, for one, will always strive to be guided by the dictates of my conscience; I will compromise when the situation warrants, and I will reverse course when a new direction is required.

Hence, I will support the restoration of funding, by way of a budget transfer in May, to the salary and wage line in the Recreation Division, and I will advocate for a Purchasing Shared Services Agreement with the BOE.

It is my hope, that in these very challenging times, reason will triumph over emotion, verbal hostility will give way to civil discourse, and that collaboration with results will be the fruit of our collective labor. We must all stop and take a deep breath, exhale the impurities affecting our thoughts, and breathe the fresh air of cooperation that is essential to our success.

Regards,

Adrian