I just finished reading a post on Dan Damon’s blog, and this time, I really have to be forward, frank, and painfully honest in my deductions on his criteria. Before I do, I just want to ask Dan one question: What on earth were you thinking when you wrote this blog? And, were you thinking objectively or subjectively? (My money’s on the latter)
The information provided in the letter is truthful, the letter is right there on his page. His intention however, was to shame Mayor Briggs and her Administration; an effort that COMPLETELY backfired due to one little word: T-R-U-T-H.
As Mayor Briggs announced, as Assemblyman Green announced, and as Solaris announced, there was an agreement that Solaris would supply the Plainfield Rescue Squad with an ambulance. The letter Dan Damon posted from John McGee, President and CEO of Solaris, testifies in support of Assemblyman Jerry Green’s and Mayor Sharon’s accusations that Solaris has not been seeking honest efforts and intentions in ascertaining additional ambulance services for the City of Plainfield!
Solaris even goes a step further in their letter stating that in order to honor the amendments the City has offered to Solaris, all parties involved in the lawsuit would have to drop the lawsuit. Well call me crazy but that is just like someone walking up to my mother, punching her in the face, and telling my family that in order for them to apologize to my mom, she has to first promise not to complain! (Gosh that letter Solaris wrote and Dan posted almost conjured expletives!)
Let me clear the air for Plainfield, neighboring communities, and the blogging community: the ONLY agreement in the negotiations that neither Solaris, the State, the City of Plainfield, and POP agree on is POP’s wanting a consultant from their organization to be put in charge of monitoring this ordeal for the yearly salary of $100,000. That premise is inconsistent and counterproductive to the preservation of our health and financial resources. The State is offering that service to us for the price of F-R-E-E! And for Adrian Mapp to complain and dog the City of Plainfield saying that the City needs to honor that request of POP, that just goes to show you how uninformed and disconnected he is to our Plainfield community.
With that, I would personally like to thank Mr. Dan Damon for personally, throwing Adrian Mapp, his supporters/support group, his think-tank, his cohorts, the whole nine-yards, the entire crew of New Democrats who support him, under the 18-Wheel Mac-Truck.
Again, thank you.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Plainfield's Public Safety Meeting Last Night; a brief Post Scriptum
Rashid Burney hits a HOME RUN! What he has done as Council President has brought a lot of respect to the Council. His professionalism makes them shine too. The sad thing is that he is doing it by himself, even though Councilman Reid, Councilwoman Carter, and Councilman Simmons have been very supportive. After last night, I am hoping that these three would be a little stronger in challenging the other 3 council members who refuse to move forward in a positive manner on behalf of the City.
The best thing that could have ever happened to Plainfield was when they began to televise the council meetings. I can’t wait for the City to air last night’s public safety program! You will have an opportunity to see with your own eyes the difference in the direction this City is moving RATHER THAN the emails and slanted information that is put out by the blogging community in Plainfield.
It’s too bad that the majority of the bloggers cannot give credit where credit is due. One blogger spent more time talking about the individual that lost his life recently. My sympathy goes out to the family because no one should take another person’s life, especially at that young of an age. The sad part about this issue is that whenever someone tries to offer a hand of help, Flor Gonzalez is the first one to complain about a people ‘picking’ on the Hispanic community. You cannot have it both ways.
If we are going to clean up the corners and downtown area, meaning the gang activities, the drinking, belligerence, and loitering to name a few, then we have to be able to enforce the law. Rather than being critical of the police department, it would be nice to see Ms. Gonzalez work WITH the department in chasing out that element furthering the beautification and safety of Plainfield.
'Ps.' Just a couple of months ago when people were talking about moving the day-workers from off of the corners, there were people who complained about that being ‘picking’ on Hispanics. We have YET to hear about her complain about the day-workers issue or the loiterers. It is time for her to speak up, stop using the community and police department as scapegoats, and speak out against these activities.
The best thing that could have ever happened to Plainfield was when they began to televise the council meetings. I can’t wait for the City to air last night’s public safety program! You will have an opportunity to see with your own eyes the difference in the direction this City is moving RATHER THAN the emails and slanted information that is put out by the blogging community in Plainfield.
It’s too bad that the majority of the bloggers cannot give credit where credit is due. One blogger spent more time talking about the individual that lost his life recently. My sympathy goes out to the family because no one should take another person’s life, especially at that young of an age. The sad part about this issue is that whenever someone tries to offer a hand of help, Flor Gonzalez is the first one to complain about a people ‘picking’ on the Hispanic community. You cannot have it both ways.
If we are going to clean up the corners and downtown area, meaning the gang activities, the drinking, belligerence, and loitering to name a few, then we have to be able to enforce the law. Rather than being critical of the police department, it would be nice to see Ms. Gonzalez work WITH the department in chasing out that element furthering the beautification and safety of Plainfield.
'Ps.' Just a couple of months ago when people were talking about moving the day-workers from off of the corners, there were people who complained about that being ‘picking’ on Hispanics. We have YET to hear about her complain about the day-workers issue or the loiterers. It is time for her to speak up, stop using the community and police department as scapegoats, and speak out against these activities.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Racism in America: No Flatlining Anytime Soon It Seems
It took me about a day to put into words my feelings regarding the cartoon drawn in the New York Post in yesterday’s edition. There was one word that circulated in my mind as I took the cartoon in, that word was D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G.
The racial dynamics of the United States has been changing since the Civil Rights Movement, moving towards the spectrum of tolerance and respect. It still renders me numb to even have to question why the standards of tolerance and respect still need to be talked about, discussed, and brought to the table in today’s contemporary society. Racial divide, I believed, was having its gaps closed, relations mended, and waters bridged.
Yet, when I look in yesterday’s New York Post, and see a cartoon illustrating the premeditated MURDER of our United States President, depicted as a monkey, riddled with bullet holes, by uniformed police officers, my soul wants to vomit and wallow in what comes up. Rage wants to be wallowed in, broken-heartedness, shame, fear, and contempt all want their attention as well. And who can blame them? I thought, as an African American male in this the United States of America, at a time where I experienced the inauguration of the first African American President, I was under the impression that these sorts of antics would not be tolerated anymore, that these sorts of expressions would be dissuaded by responsible citizens that cherish life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But when I look at the Editor of the cartoon section of the New York Post, the cartoonist, and each and EVERY person responsible for managing that section who are paid to ensure that racism, hatred, and other damaging messages are not illustrated, I see they dropped the ball and ALLOWED such a message to come out.
How can an entity, American-borne, profess and proclaim a message of hatred, a message of intolerance, a message of murder with extreme prejudice, toward OUR President, OUR Commander-in-Chief? This same MAN was voted into the seat of the President of the United States by the largest margin of victory ever, voted in by EVERY color here represented in these United States. And if these cartoonists, and these editors, and those in charge of these cartoonists and editors, allow such a message to go forward as a representation of themselves as well as their entity, we the people; in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, protect the general welfare of ourselves and our posterity, owe it to ourselves to speak up, speak out, stand up, and ACT. Act in a way to sustain the chords of our delicate social community that have been under construction since our European brothers formed this country.
The racial dynamics of the United States has been changing since the Civil Rights Movement, moving towards the spectrum of tolerance and respect. It still renders me numb to even have to question why the standards of tolerance and respect still need to be talked about, discussed, and brought to the table in today’s contemporary society. Racial divide, I believed, was having its gaps closed, relations mended, and waters bridged.
Yet, when I look in yesterday’s New York Post, and see a cartoon illustrating the premeditated MURDER of our United States President, depicted as a monkey, riddled with bullet holes, by uniformed police officers, my soul wants to vomit and wallow in what comes up. Rage wants to be wallowed in, broken-heartedness, shame, fear, and contempt all want their attention as well. And who can blame them? I thought, as an African American male in this the United States of America, at a time where I experienced the inauguration of the first African American President, I was under the impression that these sorts of antics would not be tolerated anymore, that these sorts of expressions would be dissuaded by responsible citizens that cherish life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But when I look at the Editor of the cartoon section of the New York Post, the cartoonist, and each and EVERY person responsible for managing that section who are paid to ensure that racism, hatred, and other damaging messages are not illustrated, I see they dropped the ball and ALLOWED such a message to come out.
How can an entity, American-borne, profess and proclaim a message of hatred, a message of intolerance, a message of murder with extreme prejudice, toward OUR President, OUR Commander-in-Chief? This same MAN was voted into the seat of the President of the United States by the largest margin of victory ever, voted in by EVERY color here represented in these United States. And if these cartoonists, and these editors, and those in charge of these cartoonists and editors, allow such a message to go forward as a representation of themselves as well as their entity, we the people; in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, protect the general welfare of ourselves and our posterity, owe it to ourselves to speak up, speak out, stand up, and ACT. Act in a way to sustain the chords of our delicate social community that have been under construction since our European brothers formed this country.
I love and respect the United States and I love every walk of life that inhabits this, OUR United States. This is why cartoons such as the one posted in yesterday’s New York Post are unacceptable, wrong, and have no business in the forums of expression in our US of A.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Letting the Chips Fall... (Where I Throw Them..)
I like the idea of the report card found on Dan Damon’s blog. It’s clear that there is, and let me be generous, roughly 500 people in the city that follow his scarcely-empty truths. With the New Democrats at one time numbering around 2,000 members, that of which Mr. Damon is a member of, I would think there would be more representation from his loyal party. This reads to me that they have lost some footing. Lost some footing, or have been on the political dance floor with two right feet (political pun intended). (Note, the 500 number is an all-inclusive number gathered from his surveys)
Since they have a hard time sharing with the public what they have done for and with the community, then maybe I need to bring to the public’s attention FACTUAL information as seen on one of the local blogger’s page. The past administration went into office as Democrats, and then converted to a Republican administration. This same administration hired Mr. Dan Damon for $65,000/yr. Mr. Damon, a concerned Plainfield citizen who is now of political maturity to acknowledge waywardness, would like to know what did you did to service our City for this yearly salary? My understanding was that his salary came from the economic development department. What then was developed economically during his tenure?
Moving right along, let us discuss a rather comedic Plainfield Councilman, Adrian O. Mapp. Councilman Mapp served two terms as a councilperson, and one term as a freeholder. I would like to hear or even READ what he accomplished in those TEN PLUS years serving Plainfield, other than the low-income facility downtown. Also, I would like to know just how he finagled his way into the CFO position in the Borough of Roselle in which he earns over $100,000/yr (his starting salary). Roselle, which has a population a little over 20,000, where the CFO in Hillsborough, with a population of roughly 40,000, starts off at $80,000. So I can see how with the extra almost $30,000 Councilman Mapp is receiving, while doing less work, how he would try to be a hero in recommending the council not accept health benefits, and want to take away cars from cabinet members. Again, the public and I, are waiting to hear, before the campaign gets started, just what Councilman Mapp has done for OUR community in his TEN YEARS of serving the community. During the campaign race this spring, I know Mr. Mapp and his New Democrats will spend even more time putting out false information, rather than talk about truthfulness that matters, like their record.
The New Democrats have spent enough time being cynical, negative, critical, petty, off-base, disconnect... Yes, the list can go on. It’s time now they talk about their record and what they have done for the City of Plainfield. I hear the funding for roads may go through Union County. If that happens, how will Councilman Adrian Mapp be able to get money for Plainfield, when the County of Union voted him out by over 25,000 votes?! Who’s going to listen to him on the county level? Plainfield, please wake up and read the legible writings on the wall. There is NOTHING Adrian Mapp can and will do for the City of Plainfield but make matters worse.
A Parting FYI: The campaign that Adrian Mapp and the New Dems are running against, Carol Brokaw and Eric Watson, has the fingerprints of New Democrats all over them…
Since they have a hard time sharing with the public what they have done for and with the community, then maybe I need to bring to the public’s attention FACTUAL information as seen on one of the local blogger’s page. The past administration went into office as Democrats, and then converted to a Republican administration. This same administration hired Mr. Dan Damon for $65,000/yr. Mr. Damon, a concerned Plainfield citizen who is now of political maturity to acknowledge waywardness, would like to know what did you did to service our City for this yearly salary? My understanding was that his salary came from the economic development department. What then was developed economically during his tenure?
Moving right along, let us discuss a rather comedic Plainfield Councilman, Adrian O. Mapp. Councilman Mapp served two terms as a councilperson, and one term as a freeholder. I would like to hear or even READ what he accomplished in those TEN PLUS years serving Plainfield, other than the low-income facility downtown. Also, I would like to know just how he finagled his way into the CFO position in the Borough of Roselle in which he earns over $100,000/yr (his starting salary). Roselle, which has a population a little over 20,000, where the CFO in Hillsborough, with a population of roughly 40,000, starts off at $80,000. So I can see how with the extra almost $30,000 Councilman Mapp is receiving, while doing less work, how he would try to be a hero in recommending the council not accept health benefits, and want to take away cars from cabinet members. Again, the public and I, are waiting to hear, before the campaign gets started, just what Councilman Mapp has done for OUR community in his TEN YEARS of serving the community. During the campaign race this spring, I know Mr. Mapp and his New Democrats will spend even more time putting out false information, rather than talk about truthfulness that matters, like their record.
The New Democrats have spent enough time being cynical, negative, critical, petty, off-base, disconnect... Yes, the list can go on. It’s time now they talk about their record and what they have done for the City of Plainfield. I hear the funding for roads may go through Union County. If that happens, how will Councilman Adrian Mapp be able to get money for Plainfield, when the County of Union voted him out by over 25,000 votes?! Who’s going to listen to him on the county level? Plainfield, please wake up and read the legible writings on the wall. There is NOTHING Adrian Mapp can and will do for the City of Plainfield but make matters worse.
A Parting FYI: The campaign that Adrian Mapp and the New Dems are running against, Carol Brokaw and Eric Watson, has the fingerprints of New Democrats all over them…
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