Potpourri Nov.17th

My last posting was about the succession in the Mayor's office if it became vacant or absent from quick access to the community. I mentioned that I thought this was part of the charter that should be revised to be more specific.

For a period less than 48 hours the City Administrator or if unavailable "a department head" authorized by the mayor in writing and filed with the city clerk can be acting mayor. Mayor Mc Williams felt that this was not a problem even when he was overseas since he could be reached by cell phone, and refused to designated a specific individual.

For over 48 hours or during an council declared emergency a councilman selected by Council vote would be the acting mayor. I think that it should be more specific and designated the Council President or as second alternate the Chairperson of the Council Committee as a Whole in that order to assume the post.

The impetus for this discussion was a very recent posting in the Crescent Times , where the possibility of a recall vote was raised. That is for various reasons impractical. For those who would wish to change the political aura in Plainfield, the groundwork has to be laid for the primary elections in June. That is the key, n o other election in a one party political entity has any importance. A slate of candidates may have to be presented that differ from that proposed by the city Democratic Committee. More important a complete slate of candidates in opposition to those selected by the Regular Democrats for the local Committee posts must be elected. Only if the entrenched party members are replaced can the Chairman of the Committee be replaced. That is the key to any potential change in Plainfield. It will not be accomplished in one year but two Council elections would be a good start. Of course there always is the old axiom that power corrupts and that is a danger.
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Between now and when President Obama is inaugurated,Bush is still President. Fortunately Obama is not repeating Clinton's mistake by not having his team in place and ready to operate the second he is in charge.

What is disturbing is up to this moment ir seems from his annouced selections that we are going to have the second coming of the Clinton Administration. Perhaps the 63 questions are designed to eliminate any one else. So much for CHANGE, the old Washington inner circle still prevails.

If our new President is going to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and move the prisoners to this country for trial that would be about time the innocent of serious crimes were released. But I object to granting them the rights of American citizens. Those incarcerated there were prisoners of military action against a foe that not only did not subscribed to the Geneva Convention, but also treated our citizens who they captured or kidnapped in the most barbaric manner, and summary executing them, even taping the crime for broadcast display. They deserve being subject to if needed intensive interrogation methods stopping at extreme physical torture. Sadism should not be part of the package. Those that are guilty of war related crimes, should be tried fairly in a military court asap, but Habeas Corpus does not apply to them.

We can watch with interest the interaction between Hilary and Obama. She does have sufficient number of pants suits to be acceptable to the Islamic nation in diplomatic procedures , and has traveled enough to be well acquainted with the world's nations. But is she any more qualified to be our Secretary of State, than to have been the peoples choice to be the Presidential candidate? She is an opportunist who chose a safe venue to be elected to the Senate as part of her Presidential aspiration but now probably has no more interest in being the JUNIOR senator from New York than being governor of Alaska. Do we need her?