There is a problem of a balky computer that perhaps did not say its prayers (see yesterday's blog) which has complicated the posting of a blog today. This will have to do.
Perhaps one o the most disturbing blogs that I have read in years was Monday's Dan Damon's Plainfield Today. His report that Wynn the former Superintendent of the Recreation Division was again working for the City is unbelievable.
Once again the Mayor has shown her disdain for the people and for honest government. The history of that division over the years and her protection of two people in that division is incomprehensible.
Years of suspected mismanagement of funds and suspicion of illegal solicitations have always been given a whitewash. So was her promise of an investigation of the infamous Scarlet letter which indications suggested that it had come from the Recreation's color computer; one of two in City Hall.
Her favoritism of the upstart Recreation Base Ball league over the established Queen City Baseball League was notorious and repaid by Recreation's employee in charge of that operation public support when she was under investigation be the Council.
We have only her word that things she was suppose to look into involving Recreation ever happened.
Has Councilor Williams received all the fiscal accountings she has requested? to the best of my knowledge she has never reported her findings at the Council meeting.
WhetherWynn officially has been granted access to City Hall facilities, or whether he has been there illegally must be made public.
Under any circumstances, the Council should forget any possible political embarrassment and request a full investigation by the prosecutor and/or State authorities of the Division's fiscal activities over the past few years.
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There's more than the Recreation Division over the "last few years" that needs investigation. As with the WBLS investigation, it'll likely deal with chump change when compared to what is being sneaked out the loading dock in the back.
ReplyDeleteIf WBLS was a question about $5000 or $20,000, it cost another $100,000 in legal fees, and came at the same time a $270,000 Federal stimulus grant was misappropriated and spent illegally. If Recreation is a fiscal mystery, it pales in comparison to the many mysteries surrounding PMUA, including commissioner theft, massive overstaffing, and contract fraud. But that isn't the last few years. The PMUA stuff spans two administrations, swamps Rec in terms of total dollars by a huge factor, and so it's doubtful any investigation will go there. Nor will an investigation touch on Plainfield's professional service vendors who have been making prohibited contributions despite local pay-to-play ordinances that would bar them from receiving future contracts.
Sops to transparency and accountability are mostly for show. Investigations for show cost money and accomplish nothing. They're too politically motivated to tackle institutional corruption that is deep and bi-partisan. They show a city whose leadership, if you can even call it that, doesn't understand what it is they vote for, or could care less what they vote for because they have no intention of following rules and regulations in any case. We truly reap what we sow.
the only ones who are surprised, if it's true, are the Democrats Doc..
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that the personnel situation has NOT reverted to the recent past, Doc. The rumors were flying thickly through the city, as well as through city hall. I revised a blog post to correct my take on it--my post, as I re-read it, could be easily misconstrued, so I have a post up to apologize to certain individuals who certainly had no part in any wrongdoing. In no way did I mean to infer that they were a part of the dysfunction at city hall. I have great respect for them. That dysfunction lies solely at the feet of the mayor, who has presided for nearly 8 years.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
My understanding is that the personnel situation has NOT reverted to the recent past, Doc. The rumors were flying thickly through the city, as well as through city hall. I revised a blog post to correct my take on it--my post, as I re-read it, could be easily misconstrued, so I have a post up to apologize to certain individuals who certainly had no part in any wrongdoing. In no way did I mean to infer that they were a part of the dysfunction at city hall. I have great respect for them. That dysfunction lies solely at the feet of the mayor, who has presided for nearly 8 years.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
You get the government you vote for.
ReplyDeletePlainfielders have voted for self serving politicians for 40 years - and people are surprised?
Hey, Alan: how can the Plainfield problem be bi-partisan? Frank Meeks is dead; Donna Vose has moved away. I support your remark only if you, as I do, wonder why Chris Christie hasn't stepped in. The previous UC Prosecutor was useless when it comes to Plainfield dysfunction. There are voting districts in the City without a single Republican registered. Overall, the margin is something like 13-1. How can the problem by bi-partisan>
ReplyDeletePlainfield is ALL talk. You all see what happens in this city and do nothing but talk.
ReplyDeleteAll of you need to shutup
Pat, I use the phrase 'bi-partisan' loosely, referring of course to the two primary factions within the local Democratic Party where friction is exacerbated by the take it or leave it methods of its chairman. That fellow himself may be running interference down in Trenton in order to prevent state oversight arms like the Department of Community Affairs from taking action. He is on record voicing his opinion that Plainfield should prevent the state from taking a good close look at PMUA, but it may only be a matter of time. At least that's my opinion because no allegations have been disproved and no one at the state level has yet to say they're satisfied and it's all OK.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, while the City Council and PMUA's Board of Commissioners sit around with heads bobbing and blank expressions, the Authority's counsel offers up legal fantasies for about $300 a pop that are more evidence of a cover-up and wrongdoing than anything grounded in fact. The hack opinion offered about commissioner compensation, basically that benefits are not compensation, is refuted by the very citations enlisted to make the point. The operative stance of both governing bodies is we are dumb and dumber.
Someone with close ties to the Mayor once told me, referring to the corruption in the city, that "It's deep, deep, deep". Perhaps what is obvious is just the tip of the iceberg and it takes time to piece together the jigsaw puzzle. If we are being strung out though, then the matter may be bi-partisan in the more normal sense; there isn't enough of a Republican interest group in town to warrant intervention, and if the Democrats choose to bleed the city dry, so be it.