CENSUS AND OTHER POTPOURRI

The 2010 Census figures are beginning to be released. The indications are that the State will lose one Congressional seat. That will mean that the districts will have to be redrawn. Which district will be eliminated?

My guess is that it will be the 6th-our district-since it is the most gerrymandered one in the State. The alternative would be the 12th the largest in the State in area with a major revision of the 6th. Under any circumstances we will not recognize the present 6th district two years from now.

We await the release of the municipality census to see if Plainfield did report over 50,000. That is important for funding.

Sadly, Assemblyman Green's bill A444, about school board membership pasted the Senate and now awaits the Governor's signature. I hope he has enough sense to veto it as it is and was meant to be punitive. There is still an odor that it may have been written to target one individual. If it is applies concurrently, Plainfield's Board will lose one of its more valuable members while those who have no concept of possible conflict of interests as well as those whose personal agenda run to increased political involvement or a narrow focus on certain aspects of education. SHAME SHAME, SHAME.

There were two significant remarks made Monday night that listeners may overlook the significance; The first was by the Mayor who said that she had the support of certain Councilor members when she decided on the firing, but tonight they had obviously changed their minds.

That is disturbing if some Councilors would accommodate an irresponsible action at the expense of the one remaining Cabinet member who was a positive influence in the city. We have been saddled with too many hacks in the past. It is also disturbing because it suggest that Jerry Green is actively calling the shots for those Councillors.

The other remark was by Council President McWilliams when after one of the harangues blasting the Council for turning David Wynn's job into a part time one reminded him that all the Council can do is allocate available funds within parameters established by the State and that it was the Administration that had the responsibility for determining layoffs or reclassifying jobs. She went on to say that if two unions would have voluntarily agreed for some adjustments in their contracts that some if not all of the layoffs would have been eliminated. And we wonder why our local administration has cut staffing to the bone even to the point where various divisions can not operate effectively or in the public's safety.