A COMMENTARY ON THE COUNCIL MEETING

Is it true? “A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.”(H. L. Mencken)

Both the weather pundits and I were way off base about Oz on Monday. I can excuse the weather prophets who with umpteen “models” to choose from opted for the “European model” which in the past has been the most accurate one. Of course most media experts did give themselves hedge room by noting that a change in the track would alter the results.

I am chagrined about my boo boo. I had remarked that the timing of the meeting suggested that the intent was to make it inconvenient for the public to attend. 

Regrettably we the people do not have the advantage to participate from home or work via conference phone as did two members of the Council. Without their “presence” there would not have been a quorum.

I would not be surprised that if the fortuitous snow storm emergency and the Mayor’s phone and text messages calling for the public staying at home had not been a contributor to poor public attendance; if the next “Special Meeting” was at midnight.

I believe that I had also remarked that if the meeting took place that there was a “deal”. I have recalled that on  1/13/14 after another “Special meeting “ with a long similar agenda I wrote  “The absence of the Administration’s nominee for Director of Public Affairs and Safety and of course the “Deputy Police Director” suggests that the smoke filled room is in operation.”

At that time I believe that it was Siddeeq El-Amin that went under the bus.

Also at that time someone perhaps even the Mayor himself remarked that political expediency was important. In other words the results justify the means.*

Both Dan Dammon in his Plainfield Today blog, and Bernice in Plaintalker II have reported today, 1/27/15, on the meeting. Dan’s bog “Special Council Meeting: A lesson in compromise?” gives a pragmatic approval, to quote: “Plainfield's special Council meeting went ahead as planned Monday evening, with little snow falling and no fireworks. It was a model of what government can be about -- compromises in which all sides get something, but none gets everything they want.”

It is interesting that The new PMUA commissioners, financial analyst Michelle Graham-Lyons and retired Plainfield Fire Battalion Chief  Henry V. Robinson, who will take office just in time for the authority's annual reorganization on Feb. 10, are not those Mapp originally proposed for the position. Robinson was for the first time.

There are some serious considerations for this hoodwinked community; is the promised “forensic audit” a sham that will quietly be dropped as part of the deal? Yes administration has gone through the motion of asking for the funding. Will it be on the February agenda? Will it be in the budget? Or will the powers that be continue to block it? 

 

*The aphorism is “ The end justifies the means”