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Friday, March 5, 2010

County Dems dumping Van Blake from Freeholder slot?



Freeholder Rayland Van Blake's term is up this year.


Rumors have surfaced in recent days that Plainfield's Freeholder, Rayland Van Blake, may be dumped when the Union County Democrats draw up their slate for the June primary election.

With the primary filing date of April 12 fast approaching, suggestions are the issue is being brought to a head by Linden's insistence on having a seat on the nine-member Freeholder board.

Van Blake began his political career in a stunning upset victory over 16-year incumbent First Ward councilor Liz Urquhart in 2002, running on the New Democrats slate.

The handsome, affable Plainfield native has an abiding interest in acting and the theater, but his spottiness in regard to the heavy public appearance schedules all Freeholders must attend to is said to have caused resentment among his fellow board members, who feel they are left to pick up the slack.

Quipped one observer, 'Van Blake is a nice guy, but Ralph Ellison could have written a novel about him'.





Van Blake and the late Mayor Al McWilliams
discussing Plainfield issues in 2002.
(old Emerson School in the background)




-- Dan Damon
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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Van Blake was equally unavailable for his official duties as an elected Plainfield city councilperson. Does he think that the political trust his constituents put in him to represent them is a meaningless joke?

Anonymous said...

Rayland who? Never seen or heard from him. Good riddance!

Anonymous said...

Wheres Jerry?
He has been very quiet these days

Anonymous said...

Rayland was completely useless on the Council. He is never to be seen anywhere. He does not do anything for Plainifled. It is about time everyone dumped Rayland.

Anonymous said...

Rayland was missing from most Council meetings - even when physically there, he was still missing mentally.

The County must have been blind to that fact when they picked him.

Maybe they will pick someone who shows up and has brains. But maybe I am asking for too much.

Anonymous said...

Dan,

why should I care if someone whom I have never seen is dumped?