Queen City Baseball League: Doing "Good" By and For Our Children

Whenever an administration at any level of government does anything within its power that runs counter to the interest of the people, the legislative branch of government has a responsibility to act; that means creating legislation to correct the harm that was done or that can be done to its citizens in violation of the public good.

I am again urging my colleagues to join me in passing legislation that would grant use of the City's baseball field (s) to the Queen City Baseball League (QCBL) for the modest annual fee of $1.00. The administration has clearly, by its behavior and by its communication to the QCBL, demonstrated a hard-line position intended to prevent the QCBL from being a force in the city for the good of our children. We have been talking for months but now, we, the governing body of Plainfield, must act.

Moreover, we must, at every turn, continue to do what is right. Legislation intent on creating pathways that lead our children to clean recreational pursuits which may, one day, lead to life-changing opportunities must be given priority. Furthermore, protective legislation should be written to tie the hands of self-serving, obstructionist individuals who are hellbent on placing barriers into the path of those, such as the members of QCBL, whose only agenda is the empowerment of Plainfield's youth.

We must always be “for the cause that needs assistance, against the wrongs that need resistance, for the future in the distance, and that the good that we can do.” (George Linnaeus Banks)

Let's do “good” by and for our children; let's help as many as possible get to home plate.

Regards,

Adrian

The "Con" in Connolly : Compromising a Tenant's Health and Safety

Last week, I was contacted by a longtime tenant at the Pingry Arms apartment building, one of Plainfield’s Connolly-owned properties, about the horrible living conditions of his apartment and the resultant stress. He writes: “my home and my nerves are being ruined and I can't even sleep. There is no emergency response from Connolly Properties. My home smells bad and my floors are wet and buckled.”

After receiving this complaint, I immediately contacted City Administrator Bibi Taylor by email with a copy to the Mayor. My goal was to get the city's Inspections and Health departments involved, since the situation, in my mind, was about the health and safety of this tenant. The city responded immediately and is continuing its efforts to have the situation addressed.

However, I continued to receive emails from this tenant over the weekend about the worsening conditions in his apartment and in the building. So, I decided to visit the Pingry Arms in person, at the tenant's invitation, to survey the damage for myself; I was shocked at what I saw.

Paint was peeling from walls and ceilings, ceilings were buckling under the weight of saturation, the floor tiles were buckling from the “mini-ponds” of water that pooled beneath, the walls and carpets were saturated with water and stained as if they were exposed to the elements, and I saw a roof that is in urgent need of repair. The conditions that exist in this building cry out for immediate and urgent attention.

As long as people are forced to live in such deplorable conditions, they are being conned by an apparently unscrupulous landlord; as long as unscrupulous landlords continue to put pressure on tenants to move from floor to floor in an effort to avoid or postpone needed repairs, the tenants are being conned; if the city does not put the full force of its inspections division and our court system to work to compel Connolly Properties to comply with the city's building maintenance codes, in the interest of public health and safety, the tenants are being conned; if the courts refuse to impose the maximum penalties upon Connolly Properties, which should include incarceration until all repairs are done professionally and satisfactorily, the tenants would be forever conned.

Anytime a tenant is forced to live in the deplorable conditions that I witnessed at the Pingry Arms apartment building, with ceilings falling, floors buckling, and water gushing under one’s feet, the health and safety of that individual has been compromised.

As the city moves forward on this issue, I also encourage all tenants in the affected apartments to use the law to their advantage in filing suit against Connolly Properties to remedy this deplorable situation.

I have included a photo of the ceiling damage in the interior of the tenant’s home; you, too, will be outraged by this appalling image.

Regards,

Adrian

She Was Only 16 - When We Fell In Love!

The mid seventies was a good time; it was the advent of the new computer; the "Thrilla" in Manila; Saturday Night Live premiered; Barbara Jordan became the first Black person to keynote a political convention; it was also when I fell in love. It was still the time when a time-honored tradition of writing to a girl's dad was the expectation of her mom if you were to stand a chance of ever seriously dating her. I had graduated high school and was excited about the prospect of becoming a male nurse, only to have my hopes dashed by the mailman, who delivered the notice for the nurses' exam the day after the exam occurred. So much for my goal of becoming a male nurse.

But love was in the air! Amelia entered my world--she was only sixteen when we fell in love, and I was a mere eighteen. Within weeks of having my hopes dashed by the late mail, I got my first job working for a government corporation and soon started to see more of my flame, the beautiful young dame who had captured my heart and every bit of the attention I had to give.

The frequency of our meetings accelerated in mid-1975 and hit a crescendo by December of that year. By then, I had fully complied with the time honored tradition; I had sought, in writing, and received the permission of the sire of my life-long partner--permission that set in motion the joys of courtship, the paternal blessing of our blooming relationship, the raw emotions of love, the thrills, and the trust of two young hearts yearning to be one; all harbingers of marital bliss.

Today, 30 years after our vows of marital fidelity, I can truly say that I am very happy with my life, and I am better than blessed with a beautiful wife, and together we are blessed with two wonderful daughters who are more precious to us than gold; they make our lives complete.

Every morning when I wake, I thank the almighty Creator for my Mimi--my friend, my wife, the love of my life. Thank God for 30 years - 30 wonderful years. Today!

MLK Potluck Celebration and Canned Food Drive

Photo from the NYCCAH Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Anti-Hunger Serve-a-Thon.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “we cannot be content to see men hungry, to see men victimized with starvation and ill health when we have the means to help them.” King went on to say that “poverty is one of the most urgent items on the agenda of modern life.”

Therefore, as we get ready to celebrate his birthday and the importance of his legacy and life, let us use this weekend as well as an opportunity to remember the least among us, those who do not know from whence the next meal cometh. Please join the New Democrats, your friends, and neighbors as we come together, this Saturday, January 16th, in the spirit of brother/sisterhood, and with a heightened awareness of our social responsibility.

We can do this in an atmosphere that is festive, where the air is warmed by your laughter, and your appetite is filled to your heart's content with the potluck dishes that will brought by all to be shared with all.

However, more importantly, this is a great opportunity for you to bring some canned goods and other non-perishables to be donated to one of our local food banks. The shelves of many food banks are bare, so let us do our part to put some food back onto those shelves and back onto the plates of those who hunger. Our goal is to raise two tons of food--together, we can make it happen.

Come on out this Saturday and have some fun with your friends and neighbors while doing your part to address the problem of hunger. Remember, we cannot be content to see men, women, and children go hungry in the land of plenty.

Amelia and I look forward to being your hosts this Saturday, January 16, 2010 at our home:

535 West 8th Street

Plainfield, NJ

7:00 pm to midnight.

All are invited, so let the party begin and let the cans come rolling in.

Regards,

Adrian

ADDITIONAL NOTE: For those who would like to make a donation to the Haiti relief efforts that are being organized in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, here are two quick ways to donate money for medical supplies, water, food, and other immediate relief.

1) Text the word "Haiti" to 90999 on your cell phone and $10.00 will go to the U.S. Haitian relief fund set up be the State Department.

2) Text "Yele" to 501501 and $5.00 will be charged to your phone bill and given to relief projects through Wyclef Jean's foundation, Yele Haiti.

Welcome, Councilwoman Bridget Rivers!

January 1, 2010 marked a new beginning for the city of Plainfield as former Board of Education president Bridget Rivers joined the city council. I worked very well with former Councilwoman Joanne Hollis, Bridget's sister, when she served as 4th Ward council representative during the administration of Al McWilliams. Bridget brings to the council a genuine desire for positive change, the energy and work ethic that are needed at this time, and a passion for the city and the 4th Ward, which she represents. I do believe that as the 4th Ward goes, so will the city; no ward can be left behind.

Hence, we must do all that we can to revitalize the 4th Ward and to make it once again a driving force of the city's economic engine. We must find a solution to the many Brownfields that proliferate in the 4th Ward; we must clean them up and make them ready for development. I have long thought that the Brownfields in the 4th Ward were perfectly suited for conversion into shopping outlets. I am confident that Route 28 in the 4th Ward can be made into an outlet shopping destination for neighboring communities.

I stand ready to work with Councilor Rivers and the administration of Mayor Robinson-Briggs to address the needs of the 4th Ward. I extend to Bridget a heartfelt welcome and a wish for much success as she embarks on her new journey with us!

Regards,

Adrian

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

To my Constituents, Colleagues, Friends, Neighbors and Readers: Both Amelia and I would like to wish you and yours a very safe, healthy and happy holiday season. May you enjoy the good company of relatives, friends and neighbors, the beauty and joy of the season, and the plentiful blessings of the almighty Creator who loves you and watches over you. Happy Holidays!

Adrian and Amelia

Streamlining the Cost of Plainfield City Government

Steps to Cut the Budget

The good fortunes that so many Americans have enjoyed during the period of consumer exuberance have taken a tumble from the height of Wall Street's economic precipice to the abyss of recession, putting severe stresses on municipalities requiring them to think creatively and to act frugally. In this post I will share some additional ideas for streamlining the cost of government and cutting the budget:

1. Combine the City Administrator's position with the position of CFO

2. Transfer WIC to the County

3. Transfer the functions of Plainfield Action Services to the County

4. Transfer the 9-1-1 Dispatch function to the County

5. Transfer the Bi-Lingual Daycare Center to the Plainfield Public School system or to a local non-profit organization, i.e., one of the faith base CDCs

6. End health benefits to all part time employees using the State's health benefits model resolution

7. Combine the Purchasing Agent's position with that of the Director of Administration and Finance. When the Director was interviewed for her current position it was revealed either by way of her résumé or discussion that she is a Qualified Purchasing Agent (QPA). Placing the purchasing function in the hands of a QPA and centralizing all purchasing would go a long way in reducing costs

8. Since cabinet members are not allowed to speak to the council, issue Rice Notices to all of them in an effort to solicit their candid input on the City's overall operations

9. Use bail forfeiture funds to offset the Police department's other operating expenses so as to reduce its budget.

10. Reduce Police overtime budget by $100,000 and allow civilian employees to perform non public safety functions now being performed by some senior officers in the PPD at additional cost to tax payers

11. Eliminate the Director of Public Safety position and allow the Police Director and the Fire Chief to run their respective departments

12. Eliminate the Director of Public Works position and increase the responsibilities of the Superintendent of DPW

13. Shrink the table of organization for the Police department to reduce its top heaviness and to minimize the opportunity for political promotions

14. Implement time and attendance systems across all departments to reduce the likelihood of overtime pilferage

Making these hard decisions would enable the city to rise from the valley of despair to the surface where the shallow waters flow, allowing the City to regain its equilibrium thus preventing property owners from drowning in the abyss of rising property taxes.

Regards,

Adrian