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Friday, May 30, 2014

Jerry's 'M-F' video; Council defames itself; Rivers disrespects flag


Assemblyman Jerry Green puts up his dukes during the 'Motherf**cker' scuffle
on 2013 Election Day (from video by David Rutherford).
 
As we head into the weekend before Plainfield's Democratic primary, some sensational developments: Jerry bullies Rebecca over his 'motherf**cker' video; City Council defames itself; and Council President Rivers disrespects the flag.

JERRY BULLIES REBECCA

As you can read on Rebecca's Council blog (see here) and in today's Courier (see here), Assemblyman Jerry Green is trying to bully Councilor Williams regarding Green's intemperate 'motherf**cker' comments caught on camera last November and posted by Plainfield blogger David Rutherford at the time. (David has reposted the original clips today, see here.)

The comments occurred during a scuffle between former Plainfield firefighter Ricky Williams and Assemblyman Green outside a polling station last November 5 (as shown by the time stamps on Rutherford's clips).

Williams is alleging the video does not accurately represent the exchange that took place between them, and suggests it may have been 'dubbed' or edited in some other way.

See for yourself. I am posting David's two very brief clips below (total time is 49 seconds). The language in dispute is in the second clip --






COUNCIL DEFAMES ITSELF

As expected, a resolution 'disapproving' of Mayor Mapp's video was passed 4-1 at last night's special meeting. (For: Greaves, Reid, Rivers, Taylor; Against: Williams; Absent: Brown, Storch.)

The resolution passed after fourteen residents spoke on the measure -- most against it.

Those suggesting a wiser course of action for the Council pointed to President Obama's own use of the media to lambast recalcitrant Congressional Republicans and the NJ Legislature's Democratic majority website, where plenty of videos can be found calling out their legislative opponents.

Council President Bridget Rivers failed to uphold her usual high standard requiring comments be pertinent to the business at hand -- for instance she allowed former mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs' rant on a 'boatload of Hispanic voters' and Mr. Muhammad's saying he's 'tired of hearing about what Jerry Green is doing'.

The Council's action has made it an object of derision and the dignity of the body has been defamed -- of its own volition.

RIVERS DISRESPECTS FLAG

What was unusual at last night's Council meeting was the manner in which Council President Bridget Rivers had the room set up.

Instead of those coming before the Council being seated at the end of the table opposite those presiding over the meeting, speakers were instructed to sit in the end chair of the table, next to Councilor Taylor.

Then I noticed that the flags -- the U.S. flag and the city's flag -- had been placed against the wall behind Councilor Taylor and framing her. The New Jersey flag was nowhere to be seen.

This was a blatant disrespect of flag protocol. The U.S. flag is not a decoration to be used to frame a shot for a sitting member who happens to be in a campaign.

The proper protocol is for the flags of the U.S. and the state to be displayed behind the rostrum, dais or speaker's table of the presiding officer(s) of the meeting. The flags should have been properly displayed behind Council President Rivers and Chairman Reid.

I was reminded of the Moscow show trials of the 1930s, staged by Stalin to eliminate dissent among the Soviet leadership. But of course, that was a tragedy. This was a farce.

  -- Dan Damon [follow]


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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

You guys spend a lot of time whining. Can we have an adult conversation?

Anonymous said...

I think that an ethics complaint should be filed against Mr. Green over this "request" for an affidavit from Ricky Williams. A false affidavit is against the law. Mr. Green was not very smart to bring this issue back up - he is obviously thin skinned, apparently very slow, possibly senile and quite likely a liar. I think the ethics committee should review just to make sure.

He also doesn't seem to confident about backing up his mouth - looked to me like he was afraid. Lucky for him someone stepped in between them or it would have been an entirely different video.

Anonymous said...

Not only did David R repost the clip, he reiterates on his blog today that Jerry did indeed say what everyone knows, and the video evidence shows, he said. No mystery, no contest. Green is flat out lying.

Anonymous said...

Ricky Williams signed a statement, Please!!!! SRB's boy and now that JG has taken his boot off her neck and let her up and back on his team, of course she can get her boy to lie, why? can you say put me back on housing committee or better yet, what about a nice, sweet no show Union County job.

active citizen said...

No whining here, but I put our several signs for the New Dems near the corner of Park Ave. and Crescent Ave. just to find that when I came home last night someone covered both sides of the signs with Watson-Coleman signs. The were obviously put there to hide the New Dem signs. What immature games. I moved signs so all could be seen. Who was it in the past who like to play sign games and was high up in city government? I wonder. Any ideas?

Bob Bolmer

Anonymous said...

As a young person in the city of Plainfield, I cannot believe that these are my representatives. I know we all have our moments, but people in positions of leadership and representation should KNOW and DO better.

Rebecca Williams said...

"A boatload of Hispanic voters"--she directly accused the President of the Latin American Coalition of voter fraud during the last election. Flor Gonzalez should sue her for defamation.

Rebecca