With the June Primary just two weeks away, Wednesday evening provides the last chance for voters to quiz all four Democratic candidates together before the election.
In a town where the outcome of the Democratic primary pretty much determines the November election, this is an important opportunity -- especially for those concerned about the 3-ring circus that is the Robinson-Briggs administration and its Council allies.
The forum for the whole community, sponsored by FOSH and Netherwood Neighbors, gets under way at 7:00 PM at the Emerson Community School. It will be moderated by League of Woman Voters member Dawne Clarke and conducted according to League procedures. Clarke is familiar to many Plainfielders from having moderated LWV forums here before.
Candidates are incumbent Councilor Adrian Mapp and challenger Rasheed Abdul-Haqq for the Ward 3 seat and PMUA Commissioner Tracey Brown and former long-time Board of Ed member Veronica 'Roni' Taylor for the Citywide at-large seat (incumbent Annie McWilliams is going to graduate school and decided not to run again).
Voters will want to hear the candidates for themselves, especially since it's been reported that PMUA Commissioner Brown attacked her running mate Adrian Mapp at the NAACP candidate forum this past Sunday.
Brown also reportedly refused to discuss her role as a PMUA Commissioner -- especially concerning the $1 million settlement with former executives Eric Watson and David Ervin brokered by fellow commissioners Malcolm Dunn and Cecil Sanders.
Because there is no contested primary on the Republican side of the ballot, candidates Bill Amirault (At-large) and Randy Bullock (Ward 3) will be acknowledged if they are present (Bullock is recovering from recent surgery and is not expected to attend).
City Council Candidates Forum
Sponsored by
Friends of Sleepy Hollow
and Netherwood Neighbors
Wednesday, May 23, 7:00 PM
Emerson Community School
East 3rd Street and Emerson Avenue
(Parking in the school lot on Emerson and on the street)
Sponsored by
Friends of Sleepy Hollow
and Netherwood Neighbors
Wednesday, May 23, 7:00 PM
Emerson Community School
East 3rd Street and Emerson Avenue
(Parking in the school lot on Emerson and on the street)
Posts
8 comments:
Where can I find information about the NAACP form? I didn't hear this before, but if it's true, the humble minister isn't so humble and sounds a lot like Sharon. I'd like to know more.
Hi Dan - the forum is sponsored solely by FOSH. I guess Netherwood Heights Neighbors Association (NHNA) has been mentioned because of my personal involvement in helping to organize the candidates forum. I am volunteering for FOSH in that capacity.
Last year NHNA, (and other neighborhood associations like HANW), were asked to co-sponsor the forum, but both candidates were from our neighborhood and both candidates are members of our Association. The NHNA board thought it would be better if just FOSH sponsored the event as they are uniquely set up to do this and they don't define themselves within a certain geographic areas as does Netherwood, Hillside, Crescent and Van Wyck Brooks. Though the acronym F.O.S.H. is identified with the "Sleepy Hollow" area of Plainfield, wherever that is at this point. . .
Just so your readers know - FOSH is currently in the process of reinventing itself as venue for all Neighborhood Associations to meet, discuss, and promote concerns (and events) that involve us all in the City. The candidate debates is an example of this as is the annual garage sale. Just this year the garage sale was open to all areas of the City and many homes in the 3rd Ward participated in what was once just a mostly 2nd Ward event. FOSH's proceeds from the operation of the sale go to an unencumbered scholarship to a Plainfield High School Student.
Currently FOSH is assisting the Van Wyck Brooks Historic District and the Netherwood Heights Historic District in advocating for the passage of legislation in the State House that would provide tax incentives for home-owners in historic districts to make improvements to their homes. Just yesterday our Assemblymen Jerry Green indicated his endorsement of the bill when it materializes. More on this bill as it develops.
In the meantime FOSH invites leaders of Neighborhood Associations to attend their monthly meeting at the Public Library on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7 pm.
Jim Spear
Dan,I hope you will post the following message. Thanks in advance.
This is indeed an important election for 3rd ward council seat and council at large seat, which Tracey Brown is running for. I hope all 3rd ward residents take note that a VOTE FOR TRACEY BROWN MAY BE A VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF JFK’S PROPOSAL OF 660 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. When asked at the NAACP forum on Sunday about JFK’s proposal for the Muhlenberg site, part of what she said was “the city needed affordable housing” she also said she didn’t do her due diligence in reference to JFK‘s proposal nor does she read blogs. I understand that she is a Reverend of a church but she is running for a secular political seat in city government and reading the blogs might shed some insight on what the community wants and needs. I also know JFK had a meeting with the Clergy of Plainfield so there was opportunity for her to hear their plan.
I question how she would know about the state of the art medical facility JFK is promoting but not the 660 units? With respect that is due, Reverend or not, that just does not sit right with me. Furthermore, JFK and/or the CAG committee which the Mayor chairs, has hosted at least 9 meeting in the city and If I was running for such a key position I would have made it my business to find out all that is to be known about a multi-million dollar proposal on the largest tract of available space in the city. Alone Tracey’s unwillingness to do her due diligence and lack of involvement with the community on this matter would disqualify her from getting my vote.
I am left with the impression that when asked questions on the JFK proposal this Wednesday at the LWV Forum her response may be a little different from the one she gave at the NAACP forum. Let’s hope it’s not a case of different audience different response? The stability of our 3rd ward community is far too important to leave in the hands of someone that by her own admission, do not know much about JFK’s proposal, yet feels the city is in need of affordable housing (aka, PROJECTS, just in a nicer neighborhood, maybe ours). 3rd and 2nd ward voters better wake up and get out to vote on June 5th and DO NOT vote blindly by voting the line.
SAY NO TO TRACEY BROWN and SEND those who do not have our best interest in mind A STRONG MESSAGE – YOUR TIME IS UP AND NO 660 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
Robin
Very good, I actually rewrote it some. This what I actually submitted.
This is indeed an important election for 3rd ward council seat and council at large seat, which Tracey Brown is running for. I hope all 3rd ward residents take note that a VOTE FOR TRACEY BROWN MAY BE A VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF JFK’S PROPOSAL OF 660 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. When asked at the NAACP forum on Sunday about JFK’s proposal for the Muhlenberg site, part of what she said was “the city needed affordable housing” she also said she didn’t do her due diligence in reference to JFK‘s proposal nor does she read blogs. I understand that she is a Reverend of a church but she is running for a secular political seat in city government and reading the blogs might shed some insight on what the community wants and needs. I also know JFK had a meeting with the Clergy of Plainfield so there was opportunity for her to hear their plan.
I question how she would know about the state of the art medical facility JFK is promoting but not the 660 units? With respect that is due, Reverend or not, that just does not sit right with me. Furthermore, JFK and/or the CAG committee which the Mayor chairs, has hosted at least 9 meeting in the city and If I was running for such a key position I would have made it my business to find out all that is to be known about a multi-million dollar proposal on the largest tract of available space in the city. Alone Tracey’s unwillingness to do her due diligence and lack of involvement with the community on this matter would disqualify her from getting my vote.
I am left with the impression that when asked questions on the JFK proposal this Wednesday at the LWV Forum her response may be a little different from the one she gave at the NAACP forum. Let’s hope it’s not a case of different audience different response? The stability of our 3rd ward community is far too important to leave in the hands of someone that by her own omission, do not know much about JFK’s proposal, yet feels the city is in need of affordable housing (aka, PROJECTS, just in a nicer neighborhood, maybe ours). 3rd and 2nd ward voters better wake up and get out to vote on June 5th and DO NOT vote blindly by voting the line.
SAY NO TO TRACEY BROWN and SEND those who do not have our best interest in mind A STRONG MESSAGE – YOUR TIME IS UP AND NO 660 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
Most of Tracey’s response to questions at the NAACP forum can be found on YOU TUBE, that's where I found her response to questions about JFK/Muhlenberg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD0SdfmhDhM&feature=channel&list=UL
Conflict of interest
Thank you so much for the Youtube videos Rebecca.
One thing is clear as I read these blogs and sit in on candidate forums and even city council meetings. Our main problem in the city of Plainfield is not roads or PMUA rates, it's not inner city crime or even the Solaris proposal. Our main problem is that our city is divided and a house divided against itself will not stand. We use political reteric and frameworks which we call forums and city council meetings to put people's personal agendas on center stage and we condone this behavior by being an audience to it and not being appalled. We show up at each election and vote for candidates that have had numerous opportunities to contribute to change, but they fail us miserably and we continue to let them. We even become angry and belligerent on blog pages and index cards when anybody that could possibly help us chooses to run for an elected office. While beautiful vibrant young people are gunned down in the streets of our city like rabid animals, while our senior citizens are going hungry, while our children are being slid through the cracks of our educational system; some even graduate from high school while reading and writing on a third or fourth grade level, because "No child can be left behind." These things affect us all. Change is possible in the city of Plainfield, but it's not going to start until we see ourselves as one city. It's going to take all of us from the Local government down to every last resident to become a more viable and productive city. We need to display collaborative integrity. Each and every one of us has a part to play and all us have something that we can contribute. Until we can come together and be on one accord; one city with one plan, it really doesn't matter who we elect, we are going to continue to self-destruct and if we don't get it together soon; God help us all because nobody else will be able to.
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