BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Yesterday was one of those days; a midmorning dentist appointment that screwed up a major portion of the day. This was followed by some needed paper “housecleaning”. Also a call to a vendor’s human (yes there is such an animal) about something that supposedly shipped on 11/23 and the “tracking” ends with 2 days later at Jersey City transfer to USPS. My query was “solved “by:”We don’t consider it missing before 3 weeks!!”.

 It has become apparent that both UPS and Fed EX. In the past year have been using the postal service to deliver small packages. Since Cushing Rd is Scotch Plains on the south side and Plainfield on the north and there are no sidewalks most houses have “rural boxes” at the street; the carrier uses his truck on this route including the Terrill Rd section to deliver mail. Sometimes what is stuffed into the box is so tight it is hard to remove. Also it is obvious that do not fold or bend are unknown phrases. 

So much for non essential rants. More to the point is the state of Plainfield’s fiscal controls or lack of same. I have frequently addressed that subject and the seeming lip service paid to the problem by the majority of Council members. Certainly any query sent to either state or the County Prosecutor after a period of non action appears to be forgotten. There has been no desire to determine if there has been any illegal transaction.

This was again pinpointed by two posts today in Bernice’s “Plaintalker”. I am reprinting  Councilor Williams comment to the one about the indictment of Trenton’s Mayor.

“That should be a lesson but, unfortunately, it remains lost on those who would excuse the mayor for breaking the law and illegally spending taxpayer funds. The mayor should resign, as she has, through utter incompetence, run this city into the ground. The propensity toward venality on the part of some in her administration should be thoroughly investigated by the state--if arrests are to be made, so be it. The fraud and corruption that has been uncovered thus far will, I hope, result in some arrests. It doesn't matter what the amount of money--what matters is this tendency toward corruption. I have been on the council for less than 2 years, but I have seen plenty. I look forward to seeing the inside of the "vanilla box" next week, and I look forward to seeing the inventory list and all the expenditures made during the storm. I look forward to seeing a comprehensive and updated emergency plan, and I look forward to hearing a clarification of the million dollars plus that our municipal government is supposed to have received. I also look forward to receiving the (now 7) months of DVDs of the council agenda sessions and business meetings that have not been aired.”

Maria in her blog calls attention that in the recent mailed SID magazine there is an article about how SID is proceeding with the installation of surveillance  cameras down town. I was under the impression that in the past few years Council had approved of various appropriations for this project. That included using the Tepper space for monitoring (rejected) and then at Police Headquarters. Somehow in became tied in with the ShotSpotter program. Do we have an accounting of those funds? 

She (Williams) is correct; Plainfield’s voters and party leadership seem to accept a lack of financial responsibility as a way of life.