APOLOGY

A busy Saturday morning including a library visit will prevent me from posting today. I shall have comments on the Council agenda tomorrow .

Politically: local zero, national the Nevada Caucuses, Supposed to be a romp for Romney.
HSY

PS: If something comes up I will do a late post.

WINTER SCENE

P.Phil has warned us that we will have 6 more weeks of Winter. That is of course a normal occurrence in this part of America. Most often February and early March are the periods of the greatest snow storms.

In case you have forgotten what snow looks like I have reproducewd a JAMA cover of a painting by Camille Pissarro (1830-11903) titled "Snowscape with Cows at Montoucault"

Monday night will not be as peaceful at the City Hall with the Council schedule of 3 meetings starting at 7PM. If they have their usual Executive Session prior to the open meetings the circus may not commence before 7:30 or even 8PM. The length of the evening will depend in part on the number if any controversial resolutions offered. We will see the agenda Friday night and post comments on Sunday.

LIBRARY BOOK SALE

The "Library" has requested posting this announcement on my blog. It is a pleasure to do so as a service for one of the few remaining Plainfied Gems.

The Plainfield Public Library will be holding its Annual Book Sale starting Friday March 9, 2012 at 12 noon. There will be a preview on Friday March 9^th from 9 AM to noon. Entry cost will be $5.00 for preview admission. Friends of the Library members will be admitted free of charge.

General public sale starts at 12 noon on Friday March 9, 2012 and will continue during regular Library hours through Saturday March 17^th at 5 PM.

The Library is accepting donations of gently used books in all fiction and non-fiction genres. We do not accept textbooks, encyclopedias and magazines for the book sale. All funds from the sale will go towards the support of departments in the Library including Children’s, Literacy, and Local History as well as programming and collection development.

Please support the Library at during these critical economic times.

Contact Mary Ellen Rogan at 908-757-1111 x132.

Visit our website at www.plainfieldlibrary.info

DYSFUNCTIOAL PUBLIC

This coming week the Council plans to vote to move the BOE elections to the November date of general elections. The idea is to increase citizen participation over the abominable 10-12% that elect that Board.

It is apparent that Planfield's school district from the BOE and Administration continues to be dysfunctional and failing our children. The basis for that remark comes from media reports and the outstanding investigative work of Maria Pellum ( click HERE)

Plainfield also has a dysfunctional City Governance; the Mayor acts as if she was not bound by the provisions of the City Charter or State regulations. The Council seems powerless to control her; and although some progress has been made in the past year there seems not to be a willingness to act forcibly against a member of the dominant political party.

In Plainfield if one is not a registered Democrat that person will in actuality have no valid choice in selecting the local government. On the other hand, although the BOE elections are non-partisan there has been except for the past two years a close relationship between the candidates for the Board and the local Party as evidenced by the number of former Board members selected to run for the Council or as Mayor.

The interpretation of New Jersey's closed primary laws is; "Only voters registered with a given party can vote in the primary. Parties may have the option to invite unaffiliated voters to participate. Typically, however, independent voters are left out of the process entirely unless they choose to sacrifice their freedom of association for the opportunity to have their say in who represents them. Closed primaries may also exacerbate the radicalization that often occurs at the primary stage, when candidates must cater to the "base," yet the "fringe" of the party are typically more motivated to turn out."

Both the Republicans and Democrats have chosen to keep their primary elections closed. This of course is the way a political boss (or a dictator) retains power.

Although for the past few years there have been two slates on the Democrat ballot; the Regular (City Committee nominees) Democrats and the New Democrats. There are questions about this year's election if there will be such a distinction.

There is another but most improbable alternative; the vats number of Independents registering as Democrats and posting their own slate for the primary. Improbable because those who consider themselves as Independent have divorced themselves from municipal affairs. If such a collation could be organized the deadline for filing for the Primary is May 15.

Unless there is a complete change in public attitude towards patronage and nepotism in the operation of the City Government, its School System, and its Authorities especially the PMUA; Plainfield is doomed to be a failed city. In other words; as long as the public is dysfunctional we can expect no improvement.

The school scores have been just released and Plainfield's except in a few rare exceptions are below average. The one bright spot is one class in Cook school that is above average in both Language and Math. you can navigate to the system. Check out scores here.

GROUNDHOG DAY

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and prognosticated that winter was not over. On the other hand lesser lights like Staten Island Chuck and minor leaguers Nabrun(?) Ned and some place or other "Al" did not and spring is here. Phil is being outvoted 3:1; but this is like the Republican primaries.

If you would like to read a great article on the groundhog's ability to forecast the weather enter the eNature address in your address line. I tried to make a link but could not. If you have the time it is worth reading; increases your font of inconsequential knowledge.

BOE ELECTIONS PLUS

Chalk up one for the Council; good move


CORPORATION NOTICE
CITY OF PLAINFIELD

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING

PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 2, SECTION 2:2-10(A) OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF THE CITY
OF PLAINFIELD, 1971, A SPECIAL MEETING IS HEREBY CALLED BY THE PLAINFIELD CITY
COUNCIL AT 7:00 P.M. ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012, PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED AGENDA
FIXING SESSION TO BE HELD IN THE CITY HALL LIBRARY, 515 WATCHUNG AVENUE, CITY OF
PLAINFIELD, FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING AND ACTING UPON THE FOLLOWING:

COUNCILMANIC RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE
PLAINFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION AS THE FIRST TUESDAY AFTER THE FIRST
MONDAY IN NOVEMBER.

FORMAL ACTION MAY BE TAKEN.

BY ORDER OF THE PLAINFIELD
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
ADRIAN O. MAPP, PRESIDENT

/S/S/ ABUBAKAR JALLOH, RMC
MUNICIPAL CLERK

PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY
FEBRUARY 1, 2012.

And from Jerry Green's Page an Assembly bill that is a move in the right direction. click (here)
If Passed will wonders neer cease.

FACTS NOT CONTROVERSY

"In politics, absurdity is not a handicap." -- Napoleon Bonaparte

Tomorrow is Ground Hog Day and Punxsutawney Phil will be counted upon to tell us if we will have 6 more weeks of this(?) Winter or if Spring will be just around the corner;

Phil’s prognostications have as much validity as rules of conduct by politicians from Newt down to the lowest elected office in a municipality.

None the less the world will continue to rotate for in 4 more days the first great earth shaking event of the year 2012 will take place. That is the Super Bowl and from the media we get the impression that anything that occurs the rest of the year will be an anti-climax.

That may not be true about the selection process for the Republican nominee for President. Although Romney won a significant victory in Florida by at the time I wrote this beating Gingrich by about 17 percent points the road to Convention is still not assured.

This Saturday there are caucuses in Main and Nebraska with caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota with a non binding one in Missouri taking placed. Then the world goes activity silent for about two weeks until February 28^th when Michigan and Arizona hold primaries. The first two weeks of March will be busy with Super Tuesday the first Tues day in March when 10 states hold their primaries. That date is the target that the also ran’s and Gingrich are shooting for and hope to be able to make a significant impact at the Convention.

This year the Republican Party has changed its ground rules on delegate selection an already in many states it is no longer winner take all but the delegates are divided proportionally according to results in the primary selection process.

That change may allow candidates who have received a lesser number of committed delegates to assume a role of power brokers. Certainly that seems to be Paul’s goal and Gingrich feels that he will be able to dictate the Republican Platform. Indeed he has asked Perry (who is he?) to help he write a proposed platform.

Since New Jersey will have no say in the selection of the nominee until primary day early June we can only sit and watch knowing that somewhere along the line the GOP will commit political suicide