Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs has heard from the tenants of Connolly Properties about their many -- and justified -- complaints.
And here is what she proposes --
- Tenants should learn how to file complaints;
- If tenants would organize, she would offer City Hall Library for monthly meetings;
- Robinson-Briggs 'expects' to attend the July 17 hearing at which Connolly Properties is expected to appear in municipal court.
Good, but not good enough.
When I studied for the ministry, I was deeply impressed by the teachings about 'cheap grace' by the German Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhöffer, brutally executed by the Nazis after he was implicated in the failed 1944 assassination attempt against Hitler.
Bonhöffer got the term from a sermon by the legendary Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., pastor of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church, where Bonhöffer taught Sunday School while a student at New York's Union Theological Seminary.
As Bonhöffer put it, "cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross", in other words, getting off the hook scot free.
Mayor Robinson-Briggs needs to do more. This is no time for cheap grace, for the mayor or for Plainfield.
Mayor Robinson-Briggs and the Council need to address the root problem: failure to have ongoing, planned and purposeful inspections of multi-family rental properties as proposed by the ordinance she and the Council rescinded in 2006.
Inspections with teeth. Inspections that would go a long way to resolving issues with Connolly Properties and other neglectful landlords. Inspections that would help ensure the safety and well-being of Plainfield's 'other half' -- the tenants who make up half the city's residents, but are seldom thought of by elected officials.
Anything less would be settling for cheap grace.
Or, as President Obama would say, empathy is fine, but empathy demands more than this.
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5 comments:
I find this solution all too common in Plainfield. It is called a slap on the wrist, and in my opinion, caused by lack of understanding how to run a business and lack of leadership.
This council, more than ever, needs to become strong and start running this city. Maybe in November, all the people in the Connolly properties will remember the lack of action on the part of the administration, and vote for a change. Remember, we still have a choice in November.
Dan,
Your words are right on the mark! They reflect what citizens have been saying for decades. The Revitalization Report (1997) and the Strategic Plan (1998)strongly concluded that utill the city enforces quality of life laws,e.g., propery maintenance code, Plainfield will never realize its potential. The exploitation of people & property for profit must end! I can say, from years of enagagement, the system,from the top down, is broken and corrupt.
I was at last night’s meeting, and was shocked to see only Adrian Mapp and Rashid Burney representing the council. It’s obvious that Adrian and his team are going to stay very much involved with the way the city is being run. My hat’s off to Adrian for putting the city first. The majority of the rental units are in the first ward, and I DID NOT see councilwoman Linda Carter present. I don’t think she’s paying attention to the support base that JG is building in the first ward. This year alone, he picked up over 300 new supports in that ward. And also, we have a large amount of rental units in the second ward. So its obvious from the reaction of the crowd to JG, this is a new base of support that he’s built since the Obama campaign. It’s clear that Mapp isn’t sleeping on this fact, but Linda Carter happens to be. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the New Democrats start working together with the Assemblyman because Adrian recognizes the support base JG’s built in the 1st and 4th wards, while Mapp and his team came out of the 3rd ward with 50% of the vote, and have currently, a good support base in the 2nd ward. But based upon last night’s meeting and the tenant’s reaction to the Assemblyman, it is only a matter of time before JG cuts into that 2nd ward support base.
Take it to the bank: If I was Linda, I would wake up and smell the coffee!!
Ps
If Adrian and the New Dems were talking to the Assemblyman the way they are now, Adrian would probably be mayor NOW!
I agree as I stay in one of Connelly Properties, the Mayor and the rest of the City Council are just doing lip service. They keep saying their hands are tied, blah, blah, blah, then around election time they are ringing your phone off the hook for your vote. Plainfield is going to the dogs, I cannot wait until I get out of this town, never to look back.
You studied for the ministry, Dan? That must be why you're so knowledgeable--many people I meet who studied for, but never became part of, the ministry, are inquisitive, intellectually-minded folks!
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