Dan received his invite.
Just to show that Plainfield's Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs harbors no ill-feelings toward her most loyal opposition, I must reveal that I have been invited to Her Honor's celebratory ball, slated for March 27, as you can see from the invite above.
A reader complained that this was hardly the time for the Mayor to throw a posh party, what with the economy being in the crapper and Her Honor just having laid off employees and demoted several police captains.
To be fair, I argued, Mayor Robinson-Briggs has a right to be as lavish as she likes as long as she doesn't spend any City money on her do.
Will her campaign account (to which the checks are to be made payable) raise any money after all the partying expenses are racked up?
If she has a good ad book and keeps the party expenses (hall rental, food, booze, decorations and tchotchkes) under control, she could end up banking $20,000 or so.
That is, if enough folks attend. Which may be problematic, at least among City employees -- and not just because of the $150/person ticket -- if you get my drift.
The ball is sponsored by the Mayor's campaign committee;
her secretary's phone number is given for more information.
Meanwhile, there is that certain inattentiveness to detail we have come to associate with anything Robinson-Briggs undertakes --
- The invitation (see detail above) comes without the ELEC 'paid for by' language --
All candidates and committees subject to the Act are required to label all political communications with a political identification statement (“paid for by” language).
- And the contact number given is that of Mayor Robinson-Briggs' secretary, presumably her cellphone number. However, taking calls and handling reservations and tickets for a private (non-City) event, sponsored by the mayor's campaign committee, DURING WORK HOURS would be ethically dubious if not outright illegal. Now, why would the Mayor put her secretary in such a bind?
If you do, you'll have to find out where to send your check.
Unless you want to put Ms. Delgado in a pickle by giving her a call.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
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16 comments:
How could the mayor put Vanessa in a spot like this? Doesn't she realize that Vanessa can be FIRED for this!
I will be contacting Chris Christie myself and sending him the link to this story, Dan. The minute the phone is picked up, Vanessa will be in toruble--I can imagine people calling and pretending to be dignitaries or interested citizens, and then taping the call to prove that she is doing the mayor's political work on the city's dime.
It is also quite insulting to the laid-off employees that the mayor is celebrating. Next thing we'll see is Laurence Rice illegally videotaping this event. How irresponsible is this mayor? I thought I had seen everything in her first term.
This mayor should forgo a ball. First, it is too expensive and second, she doesn't deserve it. She won because so man democrats didn't vote when they should have voted against her. She has little to celebrate and I can't think of anyone who would care to attend.
Once again, out mayor is not in touch with reality and in her own little world.
She's not even holding the reception in Plainfield. Shame, shame, shame.
150.00 for a ball in the pines i think not okay make it 1.50 at chuckie cheez maybe
Dan
Anything goes on city time from moving your karate school to getting a massage and fund raising balls the only thing that is not tolerated is working on the city dime....
Dan --
Section 11:10-2(a) of the City Code states:
"No employees shall engage in any political activities during work hours or within City buildings or on City property."
Section 11:10-4 of the Code further states that violation shall be deemed "sufficient cause for suspension or dismissal..."
However, taking calls and handling reservations and tickets for a private (non-City) event, sponsored by the mayor's campaign committee, DURING WORK HOURS would be ethically dubious if not outright illegal. Now, why would the Mayor put her secretary in such a bind?
-------- Because "ASSISTANT" Mayor Sharon is a bumbling fool...again, she goes out of her way to prove it. Since she is not Vanessa..she doesn't give a rat's as# about Vanessa...if she didn't care about Hellwig and his angry 6 1/2" why would she care about this...were it to be considering ethically dubious of course..because we know Jerry and Assistant Mayor Sharon would never want that perception.
-- AND: On a side note, I would hope most of the city council would simply stay away from her event to show they care about appearances. How about it City Council ??? Any chance at showing you are disgusted by Assistant Sharon and NOT going to her event??
Somebody voted for her. I guess they will cough up the $150 bucks. Were some of them, perhaps, city workers?
I'm interested in how Mr. Graham got my email address. I do not know him.
If she can pull the wool over everyone's eyes, I guess she can pull out the red carpet too.
Really, these politicians are legends in their own warped minds. The State and its taxpayers are in a dire financial situation and this lady want to have a Ball? It's just appalling.
To City Employees:
I don't know how you could even consider attending this function. This is for the person that laid off your fellow worker. This is the same person that wanted you to give up some of your income.
If you want to donate your hard earneed money, consider asking your Union to accept the donations and divide it up among those employees that lost their job becuase of this incompetant poor excuse for a Mayor.
Maybe Sharon will loose her glass slipper at the ball and Jim McGreevey will come off the hill to find her, take her to his castle on the hill...then we will be free of her!
( I mean...then we live happier ever after )
It's that she has the arrogance to call herself the queen of the Queen City that annoys me, almost as much as all the other already stated complaints.
I got my invite and will not be attending. Cant afford it. If Helwig can allegedly order a tryst with the male "escort" during company time, Im sure Vanessa can take a few calls without it being an issue. It is, after all, Plainfield.
Now $25 for a prom in the High School or a church gym would be okay. Corzine had his at the Princeton High School gym
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