Readers' Picks: Top ten stories for 2008 - Number 8

As we count down toward 2009, Plainfield Today will be posting the top ten stories, as measured by the number of views, that readers have found of interest in 2008.

Today, Number 8, from July 14, 2008.

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Council discusses troublesome South Avenue zoning changes

View Larger Map

Note: Click on a colored area to see some of the proposed changes.
Mapping required giving each segment a unique name (West, Center, East),
which is not part of the zoning proposal language.

Plainfield's City Council will take up proposed zoning changes this evening, designed to designate a 'transit-oriented development' (TOD) area bracketing the Netherwood train station between South Avenue and the railroad. On the west, the zone would start with the property line bounding the City Yard (which is NOT included) and extend eastward to include the KFC property just past the point where Pacific Street enters South Avenue.

The map above is an approximation based on the official documents. Clicking on any one of the colored segments brings up a memo box with SOME of the changes the proposal will make (with the current requirements in parentheses).

Why is it troublesome?

It is troublesome because it gives the game away before it is even played.

The heart and soul of development is the negotiation of the conditions between the parties: the City and the developer.

Proposals like the one that will be discussed tonight do the community a disservice by giving up all the points on which the City could negotiate and setting the stage for developers to make even more intrusive or unpalatable stipulations ... 'or we'll walk'.

I am not opposed to 'transit-oriented development' (TOD) in principle, and this proposal actually makes much more sense than previous ones backed by the Robinson-Briggs administration which didn't meet the minimum specification in terms of distance to a train station. Who says people can't learn from experience?

(The earlier South Avenue project on the Carfaro property was denied by the zoning board; the Capodagli proposal for the currrent PMUA property on the north side of the railroad has since collapsed -- it never met the requirements for distance from a train station.)

In fact, the conditions proposed in the zoning changes might actually be (at least mostly -- I am eternally suspicious of providing insufficient parking) ones that the City would be willing to arrive at AFTER A SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATION WITH A DEVELOPER.

One also has to ask 'why now'?

Market conditions are not particularly conducive to mixed-use residential/commercial projects at this time. The New York Times yesterday provided an overview of a number of high-profile New Jersey development projects, including the Esperanza at Asbury Park, that have stumbled (see more here). In Cranford, the upscale TOD Cranford Crossing is having difficulty get all its units sold.

Closer to home, Dornoch's project for a combination Senior Center and condos ('they'll be just as nice as Cranford Crossing,' Assemblyman Green once told the Seniors at a meeting I attended) has ground almost to a halt -- as even Mayor Robinson-Briggs admitted. There is no sales trailer on the vacant city-owned lot the Council agreed to let Dornoch use, and all the talk now is of the units being rentals instead of sales. Just what we need, more renters and fewer taxpayers. What a comedown that would be after all the promises made by the Assemblyman and Robinson-Briggs!

If, as rumored, Commerce Bank (and its new owner, Toronto Dominion Bancorp) were to move forward in developing the G.O. Keller property at South and Leland, the question would still remain about whether and when the market for CONDOS as opposed to rentals will recover. Especially after you digest the news about mortgage guarantors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac coming out today.

Is the Administration anxious to make the zoning change now because it feels the Council may have more spine after new members take their seats next January?

Development has a lot in common with poker -- including bluffing, calling and winning the pot.

A poker player would never show you his hand.

Adopting the proposed zoning changes for a Netherwood TOD would be the equivalent of a poker player laying all their cards face up on the table.

Would you want such a player gambling with YOUR chips?

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No. 08 - Jul 14: "Council discusses troublesome South Avenue zoning changes"
No. 09 - Oct. 08: "Mayor loses bodyguards: Right move, wrong reason?"
No. 10 - Nov. 17: "Plainfield official using vehicle without permission?"

-- Dan Damon

View today's CLIPS here. Not getting your own CLIPS email daily? Click here to subscribe.

Readers' Picks: Top ten stories for 2008 - Number 9

As we count down toward 2009, Plainfield Today will be posting the top ten stories, as measured by the number of views, that readers have found of interest in 2008.

Today, Number 9, from Ocotber 8, 2008.

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Mayor loses bodyguards: Right move, wrong reason?

Inexplicably, the Mayor's bodyguards
were drawn from her campaign supporters.

Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs has had her bodyguards reassigned to patrol duties in the wake of a recent wave of shootings that left one man dead and three wounded, according to a report by Alexi Friedman in today's Star-Ledger.

That the security detail would be better deployed on the streets cannot be argued.

However, questions about the way Robinson-Briggs got them in the first place remain unanswered, questions which today's story only underscores.

Previously, Plainfield Today has asked for evidence that the determination of a threat sufficient to require the expenditures of public monies on a bodyguard detail was done by AN APPROPRIATE, INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY such as the State Police or the Union County Prosecutor.

How a threat assessment is gauged.

I always suspected no such independent assessment was ever requested or performed, and Police Director Martin Hellwig confirms this suspicion in today's story (see here) --

The initial threat that spurred the security detail was never substantiated, according to Hellwig. It was relayed in the blog "Plainfield Today," kept by Dan Damon, who said he heard rumors going around about threats to the mayor's life. After a police investigation, the threat was determined to be unsubstantiated. [Note: The investigation was actually conducted by the police and Prosecutor's office, the latter interviewing me at length. -- Dan]

Later, an alleged threat against the mayor was made in a conversation that took place in the Plainfield Library, and was overheard by an employee. There was no official police investigation into that incident, however.

-- UNSUBSTANTIATED? NO INVESTIGATION? -- hardly a reassurance of the independent judgment that should be used when spending such large sums of the taxpayers' money.

Suspicions arose immediately that the detail was a make-work for officers who campaigned for Robinson-Briggs (see the image at top, from Robinson-Briggs' 2005 campaign literature).

The question of how the officers were selected -- and why no female officer was ever assigned to the detail -- were raised but never addressed by Robinson-Briggs or Hellwig, who was then serving as the Director of Public Safety.

Unmentioned in all of this is any discussion of the total number of sworn officers currently in the Police Division.

The Robinson-Briggs administration, which squeaked into office by a 300-vote margin in the face of a write-in campaign for former mayor Al McWilliams by claiming it would significantly increase the size of the Police Division, has in fact done no such thing.

The FBI's Uniform Crime Reports for 2007, posted on the NJ State Police website (see here), show fewer sworn officers in 2007 than in the last year of the McWilliams administration.

And with two now assigned to the Union County Prosecutor's Homicide Squad, there are even fewer to patrol the streets.

One wonders what ever happened to the promise to expand the Police Division.

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• Plainfield Today --
• "Is the Mayor's security detail necessary?"
• "Is the Mayor's bodyguard properly authorized?"
  
• "Why no female security for Mayor Robinson-Briggs?"
• Uniform Crime Reports: "NJ State Police: UCR, 1999 - 2007"
  
• Threat Assessement --
• Google Books: "Protective Intelligence and Threat Assessment"
• U.S. Secret Service: "National Threat Assessment Center"
  
  

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No. 09 - Oct. 08: "Mayor loses bodyguards: Right move, wrong reason?"

-- Dan Damon

View today's CLIPS here. Not getting your own CLIPS email daily? Click here to subscribe.

Readers' Picks: Top ten stories for 2008 - Number 10

As we count down toward the New Year, Plainfield Today will be posting the top ten stories, as measured by the number of views, that readers have found of interest in 2008.

Today, Number 10, from November 17, 2008.

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Plainfield Official Using City Vehicle Without Permission?

Word in the street is that a top-ranking Plainfield official is tooling around town at all hours in a city vehicle for which they have no authorization.

I haven't seen it, but if it's true it could be big trouble for the taxpayers, if not the official in question.

Why?

Some city officials are given vehicles on a 24-hour basis because their duties put them 'on call' at a moment's notice -- the fire chief and police chief (when we had one) for example. The Mayor gets a round-the-clock vehicle. And, at times, other have too.

The thing about these vehicle assignments is that they are made annually by a City Council resolution for the calendar year, which is the lifespan of a Council's authority.

And the reason is that the City is taking on the liability if something happens while the person who is assigned the vehicle is driving it.

Those who are not assigned a vehicle may still use one in the performance of an official duty -- the Inspections Division, for instance; or a group such as I was part of once that made a trip to Vineland to investigate a Medical Enterprise Zone setup.

But it is only for the performance of a specific duty, and in the case of the Vineland trip, the vehicle had to be signed out and in.

The whispers I am hearing are that none of these rules are adhered to, and the vehicle is being used at all hours of the day and night.

It would be in the Council's interest to inquire and make sure whether this is a baseless rumor or has some substance to it, and to take appropriate action.

Before something happens that puts Plainfield taxpayers on the hook for big bucks.

And, while we're at it, what about fill-ups at the City gas pump?

A Green Brook DPW employee recently lost his job for taking $16 worth of gas for personal use.

Would the Robinson-Briggs administration be more lenient?

Followup: Since I had not witnessed the person driving the car, I chose not to post a name. Turns out that the rumor I heard was true, and the name was later made public. Whose car was used? That's a secret I will take to my grave.

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No. 10 - Nov. 17: "Plainfield official using city vehicle without permission?"

-- Dan Damon

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The late Mayor Robinson-Briggs takes no calls

Plainfield Today got two interesting reflections on Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs' performance in the last few days that are worth sharing.

The first came in 'over the transom' and concerns Her Honor's promptness at public events.

This past Monday, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs was to administer the oath of office as Joe Franklin became a lieutenant in the Fire Division.

Promotions in Plainfield's uniformed services (police and fire) are celebrations by family, friends and co-workers of the honoree's achievements and draw considerable and festive crowds.

So, I am told, family, friends and co-workers began to gather about 9:15 AM for the 10:00 AM ceremony.

10:00 AM came, no Mayor Robinson-Briggs. 10:15 AM, no Mayor.

10:32 AM, the Library and rotunda are packed with well-wishers, and the Mayor's staff sets out pastry and juice. My reporter says, 'No mention of where Her Honor was or when she may be expected...'

Finally, at 10:53 AM, the ceremonies began.

This is pretty much the way things have gone during the Robinson-Briggs tenure.

In fact, things got so bad at one point that officials in Trenton sent a helicopter to fetch Mayor Robinson-Briggs to a morning meeting at which her timely attendance was desired (see posts here and here).

The second is by way of Courier News columnist Jay Jefferson Cooke, and concerns Her Honor's taking telephone calls.

In a piece that appeared in Saturday's paper (see here, and archived here), Cooke, writing about those whom Central New Jersey voters have elected had this to say --

Let's face it — Central Jersey voters elected... Sharon Robinson-Briggs — who you never can get on the telephone unless she calls you to say "we need you to cover this fabulous event that I am going to be present at" — as mayor of Plainfield...

Cooke's comment echoes what others have to say.

While interviewing an elected official in the 22nd District a few months ago, this person asked me, off-topic, whether Robinson-Briggs ever took or returned phone calls. Seems their experience was the same as Cooke's: Robinson-Briggs had never once taken a call from this official since taking office.

With Robinson-Briggs gearing up for her run for a second term, Plainfield voters may well wonder whether she will clean up her act and start showing up on time for events or taking people's phone calls.

We'll just have to see.

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-- Dan Damon

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Dance honoring Mayor Robinson-Briggs postponed

The 'Rhythm of Plainfield' dance scheduled for this evening at the YMCA has been postponed.

Mayor Robinson-Briggs was to be honored 'for her years of dedication to the youth of Plainfield' at the event, a fundraiser for the YMCA's 'Strong Kids' scholarship program. Tickets were set at $75 per person.

Assemblyman Jerry Green posted the announcement on his Jerry Green's Page on December 11 (see here).

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-- Dan Damon

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Trashing Sharon and Bernice? Pumping Jerry? Not here.

Plainfield Today gets its share of comments, ranging from thoughtful additions to a community conversation to waspish snipes at myself.

Lately, though, things have gotten out of hand.

Beginning with an anonymous blog trashing Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs hoping to promote itself to PT readers by putting links in comments posted here.

And then someone who seems to have a grudge against Bernice and wanting me to aid and abet.

Plus, finally, a Jerry Green supporter who writes long paeans to the Assemblyman while making personal attacks against me and others.

These really are attempts to turn Plainfield Today into an open sewer, like the NJ.com forums.

What to do?

Here's the deal: Everyone who signs up for my daily news email, CLIPS, gets a welcome note that outlines my simple policy on posts --

Simple rules: No bad language, no personal attacks, stick to the topic of the post.

So: Personal attacks, whether on Mayor Robinson-Briggs, Bernice or anyone else, are out of bounds. Message to posters: Fuggedaboutit.

Likewise trying to shoehorn a comment into a post to which it is not related as a way of pumping up someone like Assemblyman Green. Message to posters: Stick to the topic. If you can fit Jerry in, you have at least a chance. If you can't: Fuggedaboutit.

Those who think they must speak up for the poor, beleaguered Assemblyman should ask him to publish their comments on HIS blog -- which, you will note, has none to date.

The anonymous blog trashing Mayor Robinson-Briggs is another matter.

First of all, I have a problem with an anonymous blog. The dozen blogs that I link to in CLIPS all are published by persons whose names are well-known to all. Why not put your name to your words?

Secondly, this blog suggest that it is satirical. Not by my lights -- to write that Mayor Robinson-Briggs 'was a feral child'...'raised by drunken motorcycle weasels' seems crassly, personally abusive and hardly satirical.

Besides, 2009 is going to be a year of important political issues -- including Her Honor's expected run for a second term. I will have plenty to say about that as we go along, but it will be about her effectiveness (or lack of it) as the city's chief executive. And not about personally trashing her.

There is a difference between bloggers such as Plainfield Today, Plaintalker, Doc's Potpourri and Maria's Blog and open sewers like the NJ.com forums.

I, for one, intend to keep it that way.

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-- Dan Damon

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Something odd about Neil Cohen's child porn case?

Ex-Assemblyman Neil Cohen.

Am I the only Plainfielder to think there's something odd about the handling of ex-Assemblyman Neil Cohen's child porn case?

The matter came to public attention when an image printout was shown by a staffer to Sen. Ray Lesniak and Asm. Joe Cryan, Union County pols and Dem party heavyweights last July. (Turns out there was an earlier instance to which they were privy.)

Cohen resigned within four days of the revelation.

There was no arrest, no 'perp walk'.

He simply disappeared from view, and was later learned to have signed himself into a private psychiatric hospital.

Unanswered to date is why he was treated differently from mere mortals, who would have been hustled onto the evening news post-haste.

But never mind all that.

The wheels of the Ingraham justice machine grind slowly and an indictment has at last been rendered, as noted today by New Jersey's major media (see links at end of post).

Lesniak and Cryan ducked any comment.

Cohen, who has had time to move from his hometown of Roselle to Paramus, could not be reached for comment.

Charlotte DeFilippo, powerful chair of the Union County Dem organization, is not mentioned at all in any of today's reportage.

And that's the part that strikes me as exceptionally curious.

You will recall that there were a spate of reports a few weeks ago that an indictment of DeFilippo was imminent.

The buzz was accompanied by rumors that Cohen was singing like a canary to the authorities.

And he might have a lot to sing about. Cohen and DeFilippo were -- what is the old phrase? thick as...?

Let's just say they worked closely together.

It may yet turn out that the rumors of a DeFilippo indictment are true.

After all, the Attorney General's office has had more than a year to examine the records they subpoenaed from her last year.

Or will it turn out that this is just New Jersey, and we will never hear another word about any of this?

Except of course for Cohen, who has been driven from the midst of the politically powerful like the scapegoat that he is, the bell around his neck tinkling, warning one and all to stay away.

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"Former Assemblyman charged with having child porn" -- Ledger | Courier | PolitickerNJ |

-- Dan Damon

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As Robinson-Briggs proposes hefty raises for her team, others take cuts

Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs

Montclair Administrator Joe Hartnett

Let's face it, Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs just doesn't understand the real world the rest of us have to live in.

While the nation slides into the worst recession since the 1930s, with mounting job losses, foreclosures, and life savings being wiped out, what does our Mayor do?

She proposes in the FY2009 budget that her department heads get a 9+% increase and that the next-lower rung get 5.4% increases (see here).

How's that for being out of touch?

But some folks do understand the situation their communities are facing, and pitch in to help.

We learn today that Montclair's township manager (roughly equivalent to our City Administrator) announced he will take no raise next year -- none, zero, nada -- though entitled to one (see here).

And over in the Chathams School District, top administrators are settling for a 2% increase for next year, though their contract calls for 6% (see here).

Seems folks elsewhere are eager to see their communities weather the economic downturn and willing to make some personal sacrifice to help the taxpayers.

Meanwhile, Monday evening's budget presentation by CA Marc Dashield passed by without a mention of salary holdbacks for the city's top dogs.

Maybe there IS A REASON why people often think of Montclair and the Chathams as CLASSY communities.

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Ledger:

• "Montclair manager turns down pay raise"
• "In spirit of giving, Chathams educators trim raises"

Plainfield Today: "Drive-by Budgeting?"

-- Dan Damon

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County Dems dumping Stender, Green?

Assemlywoman Linda Stender

State Senator Ray Lesniak

Assemblywoman Linda Stender won no friends in Plainfield by failing to speak out or attend rallies during the Muhlenberg Hospital closure process.

Now she may have lost her friends in the Union County Dem organization, too.

Particularly, Sen. Ray Lesniak.

PolitickerNJ reports that yesterday Lesniak was effusive in his praise of Congressman-elect Leonard Lance, who defeated Stender in the 7th Congressional District race in November (see here).

Does this mean he may not give her the nod in the 2009 Assembly races?

Stender seems to think all is well, though, as she announced her run for the Assembly seat and said --

...I have great support from the state chair, my county chair, and I’ve got very good working relationships with my delegation members

Asked about his praise of Lance and whether he supports Stender's candidacy, Lesniak told PolitickerNJ --

“I have a long personal friendship and admiration of Senator Lance and it had nothing to do with Assemblywoman Stender. ... If she wants to run for re-election she has my support.”

Still, insiders have reported that the buzz was she would be dumped if she did not win the Congressional race.

(For an analysis by PolitickerNJ of that race and Stender's loss, see here.)

For Plainfielders, the more interesting question may be whether Assemblyman Jerry Green, who turns 70 in April, will be saying sayonara.

There are whispers the Democratic organization would like to see someone younger, less querulous, and more in touch with the Plainfield electorate -- especially younger voters -- in the seat, and Union County Freeholder (and former City Councilor) Rayland Van Blake's name keeps popping up.

In addition, Green has greatly angered those in Plainfield and the surrounding communities who feel he was ineffective in the effort to keep Muhlenberg Hospital open.

What with offices from Governor and the Legislature all the way down to Mayor and Democratic city committee seats up for grabs in 2009, it is shaping up to be an interesting year.

How interesting we will have to see.

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PolitickerNJ:

• "Lesniak: Lance was best candidate, wanted him to beat Stender"
• "Stender plans to run for re-election to Assembly"
• "Stender: Lance's moderate stance made him tougher to beat"

-- Dan Damon

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Council's prickly problem: Finding majority to pass budget

Plainfield's City Council, with its last meeting of 2008 held last night and the state aid figure for FY2009 not expected before December 31, is now faced with a tricky problem: Finding the votes to pass the budget.

New Jersey state law requires that budgets be adopted by a majority of the members of the full governing body (a so-called 'super' majority). Which means, in the case of Plainfield which has seven councilors, FIVE affirmative votes.

That would have been fine up until last evening, but now a situation has emerged which complicates the budget adoption process. I have learned that Councilor William Reid will be basically unavailable for Council meetings in the foreseeable future.

This means that come January 1, the Council will be looking to new members Annie McWilliams and Adrian Mapp to vote on the budget.

And that's where it gets tricky.

McWilliams and Mapp, while they have attended some of the public budget hearings conducted by the Council, have been privy to neither the full documentation supplied to Council members by the Administration of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs nor executive session discussions and presentations by the Administration.

Elected officials are typically loath to cast ballots in such circumstances, since by doing so they would open themselves to being tarred by the same brush as those who have crafted the budget. That is even more so the problem as it seems likely the Council is going to have to strike a budget with a significant tax increase.

An increase that may anger taxpayers, to whom Mayor Robinson-Briggs and Councilor Simmons must answer next year.

So, how should the Council handle the matter?

If both McWilliams and Mapp decline to vote, which is their legitimate prerogative -- either by abstaining or by voting 'present' -- the Council will not be able to pass a budget any time soon after the January 1 reorganization.

How should it approach the new Councilors about the matter? And what should it offer them by way of participation in crafting the final budget the Council will strike?

Should they start now? Or after January 1?

Does the Corporation Counsel have any opinion or advice?

Questions, questions, questions.

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-- Dan Damon

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Plainfield cops seek owner of stolen diamond ring

Police want to return this diamond ring. (Click image to enlarge.)

Someone is missing the stunning diamond ring pictured above, and Plainfield police would like to find out who.

The ring is part of a cache of loot recovered when an arrest was made. The perp is serving time.

Meanwhile, the police are still trying to find the owner or owners of the valuables they recovered so they can be returned.

Read the full story in today's Courier here.

Anyone with information should contact Detective Frank Wilson of the Plainfield Police at (908) 753-3066.

P.S.: If you have info, please tell the police you saw it here. Thanks, Dan.

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• Courier: "Cops look to ID owner of stolen ring, other property"

-- Dan Damon

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Plainfielders, we can't let this bank fail!

'The Boss' says we can't let this bank fail.

Many Plainfielders are aware that hunger is a problem in our community and have pitched in to help, either through food pantries or soup kitchens sponsored by their house of worship or by contributing to organizations such as StarFish and the Salvation Army.

This year, more people than ever are turning to Plainfield's feeding programs as the economy tanks and joblessness rises. And hunger is reaching people who never had to reach out for help before -- just last night at a fundraising dinner party for the Plainfield Symphony, I learned of three more people out of work, all living on one block and all professionals for whom the experience is new and devastating.

Besides drawing on donations of cash and canned goods from local members, a number of Plainfield's feeding programs are able to multiply their resources by drawing on the Community FoodBank of NJ (CFBNJ) in Hillside. But as requests for food assistance have risen, food donations are on the decline, leaving food bank shelves almost empty and hungry families waiting for something to eat.

At the Community FoodBank of NJ, requests for food have gone up 30 percent, but donations are down by 25 percent. Warehouse shelves that are typically stocked with food are bare and supplies have gotten so low that, for the first time in its 25 year history, the food bank is developing a rationing mechanism. Take a moment to watch the video below, shot on site at the Hillside facility, where you can see the empty shelves and bins and hear of the need through the voices of staff and volunteers.

As the state's key distributor of food to local banks – serving more than 500,000 people a year and providing assistance to nearly 1,700 non-profits in the state, including many in Plainfield – the stability of replenishment of the CFBNJ is essential to ensuring that individuals in need have access to food. We can't let this bank fail.

If everyone could just do a little, it would help those in need a lot. Here's what you can do to help:

• Make a monetary contribution: Visit www.njfoodbank.org.
  
  
• Donate food: Drop off a bag of food at your local food pantry -- for a list of local pantries, see www.sefan.org/.
  
  
• Organize a food drive: CFBNJ can help explain the logistics of starting a food drive. Just call 908-355-FOOD.
  
  
• Help "Check Out Hunger": Look for the "Check Out Hunger" coupons at your local supermarket and donate. No donation is too small!

This holiday season, in which food always plays such an important role, you can do more than feed your family and friends.

You can feed your soul. Make a donation -- in your name, or as a gift in the name of someone else, or in thanks or remembrance for someone who has been important in your life.

Why not do it today?

You can also print out this coupon and mail it with your check to: Community FoodBank of NJ, 31 Evans Terminal Road, Hillside, NJ 07205.

(Click on coupon image to enlarge and print.)

PLAINFIELD TODAY is one of more than a hundred New Jersey blogs who are joining together today to 'Blog Out Hunger'. For a list of all participating blogs, see JerseyBites.com/.

NOTE: One thing that people commonly confuse is the role of the food bank. The CFBNJ is similar to a wholesale distributor, as they provide food to more than 1,600 charities throughout the state, which then give food directly to the hungry (the food bank does not give food directly to individuals). The food bank also cannot accept small amounts of food, such as a cart of groceries. They encourage those donations go directly to a local food pantry or soup kitchen. Rather, the food bank accepts large quantity food donations, such as a truck full of groceries, as well as monetary donations which they stretch to purchase food at wholesale prices, such as 300 lb. bags of rice, for example.

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-- Dan Damon

View today's CLIPS here. Not getting your own CLIPS email daily? Click here to subscribe.

New Holiday Drink: The 'Dirty Pol'

Plainfielders who know anything about Chicago know that it is a hard-drinking town.

Just think of Studs Terkel and Mike Royko.

So, it is hardly any wonder amid the state's Blagojevich scandal that a Chi-town mixologist has come up with a new, and appropriately named, drink: the 'Dirty Governor' cocktail (get the recipe here).

I don't think Illinoisans have any kind of a lock on transactional politics. Some may even think we have local experience of same.

At any rate, I propose New Jerseyans take the new drink to their hearts, or maybe just to their lips, and rebaptize it the 'Dirty Pol'.

That could fit any office or officeholder you may think deserves it, from the Statehouse down to the local political club.

Here's mud in your eye!

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-- Dan Damon

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Holiday House Tour Saturday

Tour begins at historic Church of the Holy Cross.

Plainfielders who can never get enough of house tours will have an opportunity Saturday for a special holiday treat -- a tour of North Plainfield's Washington Park Historic District's Victorian beauties.

All dressed up for the holidays will be nine of the District's outstanding Victorian homes and an architectural rarity, the Church of the Holy Cross, an exceptional example of the mid-19th century Carpenter Gothic style.

Whether you love old houses, warm and inviting Christmas decorations, or an opportunity to see how others have handled the challenges of adapting modern living to antique homes, this is the tour for you.

Owners will be on hand to answer questions and explain both the background of the homes and what they have done to adapt them to 21st-century lifestyles.

Proceeds of the event will be divided between the Plainfield area's Tri-County Chapter of the American Red Cross and beautification projects within the Washington Park Historic District.

Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. To reserve, call Frank D'Amore at (908) 757-6353.

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Washington Park HD Holiday House Tour

Saturday, December 13
2:00 - 7:00 PM

Tickets available at tour starting location:
Church of the Holy Cross
Mercer and Washington Avenues
(One block west of Grove Street)
North Plainfield

-- Dan Damon

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Gangs? Check this out.

Graffiti indicating MS-13, originally a Salvadoran gang.

Plainfield parents and youth can learn of street gangs and how to avoid their enticements tonight at the YWCA.

Guests speakers and the Street Warriors of Newark will be featured. Special awards honoring some of Plainfield's youth, as well as entertainment and light refreshments. Free child care provided.

MS-13 graffiti, Arlington Avenue.

Note: Both photos were taken Tuesday, December 9, 2008, on Madison and Arlington Avenues.

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Gang Awareness Symposium
Tonight, 7 - 10 PM
YWCA
East Front and Church Streets

-- Dan Damon

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Plainfield mayor's 'kill-the-messenger' attitude on budget review

Thank you for volunteering. (From Framed Fathers.)

Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs is not scoring any points with citizen-volunteers when she sends City Administrator Marc Dashield out to trash the efforts of the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, or CBAC, (to which, by the way, she appointed members) who reviewed the proposed FY2009 budget.

Completely ignoring the City's late start on the process, and numerous glitches, confusion and embarrassments along the way -- including, but not limited to, the disappointing performance of Robinson-Briggs' hand-picked Director of Finance and Administration Douglas Peck, whom she summarily fired in the middle of the budget process -- Dashield attempts to defend the Administration's budget proposal by disparaging the CBAC recommendations.

Councilor Burney has done everyone a favor by posting Dashield's presentation online (see here).

Bernice Paglia at the Plaintalker (here) and Dr. Yood at Doc's Potpourri (here) have followed the budget process closely, and you can find my posts on the FY2009 budget gathered here.

The problem here is that if there are shortcomings in the CBAC review, they flow directly from the charge given to the group and oversight (or lack of it) lent by the Administration.

From everything I have heard, the group was pretty much left to its own devices.

This was a poor policy decision on the Administration's part, and Robinson-Briggs should take the rap for failing to give the group a mentor or go-to person to answer questions as work proceeded and steer them away from pitfalls.

(For example, while it is admirable to want to start the budget process early with informal preparation by departments and hearings by the Council as CBAC proposes, the actual budget document proposed by the Administration cannot be presented to the Council formally until the auditors close the books for the fiscal year. With a year ending June 30, that means an optimistic date would come near Labor Day. CBAC can hardly be blamed for not understanding this if no one pointed it out to them.)

I got a call from a reader yesterday who is quite perturbed at the 'Other' category in the budget documents. This merits a post of its own, but suffice it to say that categorizing large dollar amounts -- such as the $3M the CBAC noted -- as 'other' without any further differentiation leads people to suspect abuse, if not worse. More transparency would be a better policy, and it is understandable the CBAC would zero in on the 'other' category as the Council should also.

But who is to blame for that?

It is Robinson-Briggs and her Administration, after all, who prepared this budget.

Adopting a 'kill-the-messenger' attitude is symptomatic of Robinson-Briggs' approach to citizens if they do not see eye-to-eye with her in every regard.

How could anyone think that after you have asked busy people to take a big chunk of their valuable time out to work on reviewing the budget, as volunteers, with inadequate preparation, blaming them is a good idea?

This year, the CBAC got to review the budget.

Next year, they and the rest of the residents get to review Robinson-Briggs.

A point you would think she would keep in mind.

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-- Dan Damon

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Plainfield private eye assures discretion

This Plainfield P.I. works discreetly (click on image to enlarge).

Plainfielders needing the services of a P.I. (private investigator), can be assured of the utmost discretion by the local practitioner whose business vehicle is pictured above, as seen on West Front Street.

Need the phone number? It's on the side of the van.

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-- Dan Damon

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Dornoch's Senior Center: A Tale of Two Cities?

The Rahway project, seen here, looks quite similar to the Plainfield project.

Expectant Plainfield seniors and taxpayers may well wonder why Glen Fishman's Dornoch projects in Plainfield and Rahway seem to be faring so differently.

A report in last Thursday's Rahway Rising blog (see here) noted that not only had work stopped on Dornoch's Savoy at Rahway project, neither the developer nor his attorney were returning the city's phone calls though the project's website is still up and offering units beginning at $315,000 (see here).

Dornoch is now represented by Al Faiella, who many will remember as Newark's go-to development guru under Sharpe James. Mayor Cory Booker is evidently looking to get back $30M in assets Faiella transferred to an entity under his control before he moved on (see here).

The Rahway project has dragged on, and Rahway Rising has cataloged the concerns beginning last February with the wait for steel (here), which finally started going up in August (here), and then 'economic difficulties' leading to stoppage of work in October (here).

The Plainfield experience might make one think it's a 'tale of two cities'.

Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs broke ground for the project in July, 2007, promising that the building would be ready for occupancy by September, 2008. For months, hardly any work was performed.

When it finally did get under way, it hardly seemed to go ahead full pace, sometimes with only two or three pickups or vans parked on the construction site.

While work has been slow over the past many months, there has been a noticeable pickup since October.

The Monarch's exterior work is under way.

The roofline was finished and clad. Presently the exterior is covered with scaffolding over which is hung a black scrim as tarpaper is applied to the building's outside, presumably as the step before insulation and then the exterior finish.

The sales trailer has been set in place.

And the long-awaited sales trailer was installed last Wednesday across the street from the construction, on the corner of East Front and Westervelt. Work was being done on steps up to the trailer as of the end of the week.

And a realtor's 'For Sale' sign went up in front of the construction site.

Surprisingly, though, it is not a sign of the Century 21/Atlantic Realtors crew that would be expected from the original billboard put up by UCIA Executive Director Charlotte DeFilippo and still on the premises.

The original billboard touted Century 21/Atlantic Realtors as the sales agent.





Now, it's Coldwell Banker.

No, it's now a Coldwell Banker office in tony (and hardly Democratic) Mendham.

How did that happen?

This project has more twists and turns than Dorothy's Yellow Brick Road (I know, metaphor clash!).

Could the changes be because of the long-rumored-to-be-forthcoming indictment of DeFilippo?

Patience. Things will become clearer, I hope.

Meanwhile, I now am chasing down the rumor that Fishman/Dornoch has an escape clause in the developer's agreement for 'The Monarch' which allows for the Senior Center not to be finished out until ALL the condo units have sold.

How long that would take in this market is anyone's guess, but it could be quite a while.

Or will they be offered as rentals?

In which case, what happens to finishing off the Senior Center?

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-- Dan Damon

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Plainfield: Union County Property Taxes Compared

Union County, New Jersey. (Click on image to enlarge.)

Plainfield's 2008 property taxes compared with other Union County towns, including year-over-year and five-year changes.

Union County: 2008 Property Taxes
TOWN	AVERAGE TAXES 2008	2008 vs. 2007 INCREASE		2008 vs. 2003 5-YEAR INCREASE
Summit	$14,057	$502	3.9%	$3,712	31%
Westfield	$12,234	$747	5.4%	$2,943	27%
New Providence	$10,601	$487	4.4%	$2,587	29%
Scotch Plains	$10,364	$470	4.2%	$2,414	27%
Berkeley Heights	$9,447	$358	3.3%	$2,194	27%
Fanwood	$9,156	$479	5.2%	$2,080	27%
Springfield	$8,763	$428	4.9%	$1,968	27%
Mountainside	$8,561	$559	6.1%	$2,120	28%
Cranford	$8,452	$410	4.8%	$2,190	32%
Roselle	$8,384	$702	9.2%	$2,355	36%
Clark	$8,177	$295	2.9%	$1,586	20%
Hillside	$8,036	$520	6.6%	$2,409	39%
Roselle Park	$7,745	$404	5.3%	$2,161	38%
Garwood	$7,500	$536	6.2%	$1,646	25%
Union Twp	$6,885	$254	3.7%	$1,703	31%
PLAINFIELD	$6,758	$364	5.5%	$1,772	34%
Linden	$6,636	$443	6.9%	$1,988	40%
Rahway	$6,420	$260	3.7%	$1,465	27%
Elizabeth	$6,411	$368	5.5%	$1,794	32%
Kenilworth	$6,205	$241	3.5%	$1,680	33%
Winfield	$3,001	$276	10.1%	$912	44%
NOTES Plainfield's average ranks 6th from the bottom in Union County property taxes. Average Union County 2008 tax bill: $8,540. 2003-2008 rise in County average was $2,138 or 31%. Taxes include GARBAGE in: Elizabeth, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden, New Providence, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit and Union. Taxes include SEWER assessments in: Berkeley Heights, Cranford, Garwood, Kenilworth, Mountainside, New Providence, Rahway, Roselle, Springfield and Westfield. New Providence and Scotch Plains also include a local assessment for Open Space Preservation.

Data: Union County Board of Taxation.

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-- Dan Damon

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