A BLOG AT LAST

Sad state of affairs; after a lousy Fourth and then a weekend out of this world I must return to blogging. Not that I do not enjoy expressing my viewpoint, but the August Dog Day’s Doldrums have spread to encompass July.

Fortunately tonight is the Council Agenda Fixing session. Although I was not able to review the source material; the Resolutions portion of the packet seems to be non-controversial. Out of 19, there are 6 that are for renewal of liquor licenses that is 25%.

There are also 8 petitions for street or park closures which most likely will not cause any negative discussion and will be on the business agenda as resolutions. However two are for August 9^th and will require closure of streets in the downtown area.

The big item is a discussion about parking lot #9 and another city owned lot. These properties were the subject of a hearing last October when a consortium of a private developer, the Housing Authority, and the Plainfield Community Development Corporation wanted to place 96 substandard low income apartments in 3 buildings on that property.

At the same time a private developer has proposed what appears to be an attractive and innovative project. For the property.

The stumbling block is that the city owns the properties and would have to transfer (sell?) them to whoever is going to develop them.

It is this observer’s opinion that the last thing Plainfield needs is more low income apartments in the downtown area or anywhere else in the city with the exception of replacing antiquated units. Certainly with the Housing Authority’s track record in regards to Liberty Village I would question their managership of rental units.

On the other hand the private developer’s plan could be a progressive one in revitalizing the downtown area. 

It would be logical for the Director of Community Development to study whatever projects are on the horizon and recommend the one that would b e best for Plainfield. I am afraid that this Council is too politically directed to make an unbiased decision.

JULY 4TH MEMO

Have a safe and sane

4th

 The next blog will be on Monday. Although the Council agenda was received Thursday evening there will be no comments since the Library is closed for the weekend. All will be on an equal footing for the meeting.JU

SCOTUS SPEAKS #2

Other important SCOTUS decisions this year include one that confirmed privacy rights for cell phone users from police search which is a violation of the 4^th Amendment.   

Police will need a court order to take records off one’s phone. Of course there may be ways to circumvent the law, at least they will be explored.

Although the courts have long allowed warrantless searches in connection with arrests, saying they are justified by the need to protect police officers and to prevent the destruction of evidence; all they can do is make sure the phone does not contain a weapon.

Another decision affects Unions. The ruling involved home health care workers in Illinois who now cannot be required to pay fees that help cover a union's costs of collective bargaining.

This can be extended to all unions who collect fees from n on members.

Earlier this year as reported SCOTUS upheld the right of prayer before a town’s “council meeting”. On the other hand The Supreme Court gave supporters of church-state separation a rare and surprising victory Monday, leaving intact a lower-court decision that barred a public school district in Wisconsin from holding its graduation ceremonies in an evangelical Christian church.

Another ruling upheld part of the federal gun control law that makes it a crime for a buyer to lie about his plan to purchase a weapon on behalf of someone else.

 There was a decision not by SCOTUS, but by the California courts that will have national significance. This one found California’s teacher tenure laws to be unconstitutional in that state.

For the unions, the ruling poses a serious threat to tenure, which was first adopted by New Jersey in 1909 to protect teachers from firings on the basis of race, pregnancy, politics or other arbitrary factors.

Once again the worthwhile intent of these laws has been violated by union power. Yet the protection is needed as in venues where there are elected boards personal agendas of board members often put good teachers at risk.

These laws should not be abandoned but modified so that personalities or seniority does not result in the firing of a competent teacher while retaining a less effective one. Also the process of terminating one who has lost effectiveness must be made easier.  

Have a safe happy 4th of July weekend.

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ADDENDUM HOSPITAL TASK FORCE.

An Addendum to the  Hospital Task Force; although I wrote “an Administration/Council sponsored” such a task force by its nature has to be formed under the aegis of the administration but needs 100% backing of the Council.

Since it must be non-political and a citizens’ committee the Council can have no functioning role other than by liaison. It must show its support in its legislative role.

It is also essential that there be no blackballing any potential member due to race, religion, ethnic or political affiliation. Likewise membership does not have to include all of the above groups, since size may be critical for efficiency.

The prime criteria has to be one who has no self-agenda but the desire to give time and effort to restore essential services in Plainfield.

There may be citizen groups that are still actively involved in trying to repair a despicable injustice imposed on Plainfield's residents. If so official support from all elements of government would be helpful and might accomplish the  concept of the "Task Force".