I normally don't comment on Plainfield Assemblyman Jerry Green's votes in the Legislature, but there is a bill to be taken up tomorrow on which I believe the Assemblyman should vote a resounding 'NO'.
For those who followed the epic grassroots struggle in New Brunswick last year to change its form of Council elections from entirely at-large to one where there was Ward representation in addition to at-large seats, the bill now being considered in the Assembly looks like a mean-spirited attempt by those in power to shut down the democratic process.
Grassroots activists were able to get a question on the ballot only after months of maneuvering and court challenges. Then, at the last minute, the powers-that-be mounted a phony 'grassroots' counter-campaign designed to confuse the public.
The net result was the proposal to go to Ward representation went down to a narrow defeat.
The activists have been planning to bring the question up again in two years, but the bill before the Assembly tomorrow would make it impossible to bring another public question on the matter before a decade has lapsed.
Plainfielders who think this is someone else's problem should reflect for a moment.
Given the much higher voter turnout numbers in Plainfield in Ward 2 and Ward 3, a totally at-large Council such as New Brunswick has would stand a good chance of leaving Ward 4 and Ward 1 with little or no voice in city government.
All they want in New Brunswick is a chance to have what Plainfield already has: some representation by Wards to guarantee no one gets left out.
This alone should suggest that Assemblyman Green would stand on the side of disenfranchised voters.
But will he?
I certainly hope so.
- PolitickerNJ: "Bill would block new referendum votes for a decade"
- Courier: "Bill would lengthen time between votes on changes in government"
-- Dan Damon [follow]
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6 comments:
Dan,
I agree that he shlould vote "NO" on this. Let the peoples voice be heard!
I along with many others have lobbied for this same type of representation on the county level as well(the only form of government covering Plainfield that isn't this way) for years.
There is enough control of the State Legislature by the same party as Union & Middlesex Counties to knock it down time after time. What's good for the goose is good for the Gander! What say you?
@ 7:46 -- You're right! But it will probably be a cold day in Union County before the Freeloaders would make the change. How many signatures would it take to put a question on the ballot?
Better would be to get rid of at-large seats entirely, and break Plainfield up into 7 wards of equal population, each with their own representative. I don't know how this would play out on the City Council, but right now it seems as if we have 2 cities, with little in common between them.
It's is extremely difficult to get a question on the ballot to begin with so besides the cockamanie theory offered by Sen. Suctari, why would our elected officials seek to tie its citizens hands for 10 years? I left a comment on the Assemblyman's blog and I urge all to do that same, even though the Assemblyman doesn't afford his readers the opportunity to voice their opinions on his blog. Do it anyway.
To those wanting to post comments to Assemblyman Green's page, Bo Vastine has GUARANTEED to post comments to Jerry Green's Page in a special section on his blog.
Do the following --
1) compose your comment in your email program
2) cut and paste the comment into Jerry Green's page here --
http://jerrygreenspage.blogspot.com/
and 3) cut and paste it into Bo Vastine's 'Jerry comments' section here --
http://bovastine.wordpress.com/comments-to-jerry/
Change the way the wards are drawn up in Plainfield ???? It is hard enough to get the staff to figure out which day the pickups should be.
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