HONESTY IN POLITICS PLAINFIELD STYLE

Mahatma Gandhi said " There are seven sins in the world: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, and politics without principle"

Not too long ago I posted my opinion about the action of the Union County Regular Democrats in Roselle where members of the Council had connived with Roselle Park to eliminate the position of the CFO in favor of "shared services".

Although the action was meant to be a punishment for Adrian Mapp's opposition to the Plainfield machine and for the Roselle's mayor's opposition to the leadership of the county party, my ire was not due to the personalities involved. Despite comments by various anonymi, I was and still am upset by the underhandedness of the action. The lack of rationalization and the presentation of a de facto fait accompli.

This past week our local administration tried to pass a similar unethical and questionable resolution trying to divert millions of dollars to a favorite developer for a equally questionable project by calling a Special Council Meeting on short notice. Fortunately the Council members supported by a public uproar should enough concern that the Administration cancelled the Special Meeting again without notice.

The city's charter has specific requirements for the calling a special meeting. That apparently was circumvented by the posting of a "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" PUBLIC NOTICE in City Hall. This was a deliberate attempt to circumvent the charter for an at best unethical action.

The exception to the notification requirements of the "Public Meeting Act" are contained in 10:4-9

10:4-9. Notice of meetings; exceptions.

a. Except as provided by subsection b. of this section, or for any meeting limited only to consideration of items listed in section 7. b. (10:4-12) no public body shall hold a meeting unless adequate notice thereof has been provided to the public.

b. Upon the affirmative vote of three quarters of the members present a public body may hold a meeting notwithstanding the failure to provide adequate notice if:

(1) such meeting is required in order to deal with matters of such urgency and importance that a delay for the purpose of providing adequate notice would be likely to result in substantial harm to the public interest; and

(2) the meeting is limited to discussion of and acting with respect to such matters of urgency and importance; and

(3) notice of such meeting is provided as soon as possible following the calling of such meeting by posting written notice of the same in the public place described in section 3. d. above (10:4-8), and also by notifying the two newspapers described in section 3. d. by telephone, telegram, or by delivering a written notice of same to such newspapers; and

(4) either (a) the public body could not reasonably have foreseen the need for such meeting at a time when adequate notice could have been provided; or (b) although the public body could reasonably have foreseen the need for such meeting at a time when adequate notice could have been provided, it nevertheless failed to do so.

What part of the above was applicable to the scheduling a Special Meeting?

Will we hold the present administration accountable for its attempted violation of the public trust?

Jerry's Health Care Program

"In politics an absurdity is not a handicap"

"Everything I have been standing for regarding healthcare was backed up by our President when he said in his own words, that the positions I am taking are correct. Now who is lying, our President, or my opponents?" JG 7/17/09

Did I miss something while my Internet was down? Perhaps Jerry Green will refresh my memory regarding his Health care position. Is he for it or against it? What is his "standing"?

Has he promulgated a specific program? If so, I sincerely regret missing it since I am about to attempt to analyze the Congressional response to the President's request and I need all the help I can get to understand the 1000 page House document and the as to this date to be passed Senate version. In fact there seems to again to be enough political hangups that any bill will not make the August recession deadline.

POTPOURRI POLITICAL 7/18/09

"Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory" (John Kenneth Galbraith)

If my memory is correct, far more than a year ago President Obama's cheerleader in our community was Rashid Burney. At the same time both Govenor Corzine and Green (this name was apparently bleeped out when first posted) were active supporting the candidacy of Hillary Clinton for the Democrat Party's nomination.

Thursday Govenor Corzine spoke how he had recognized Obama's greatness when he first met him in the Senate four years ago. Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Green keeps reminding us how he delivered Plainfield to the Obama camp. Both seemed to have forgotten that it was not until the nomination seemed secured that they like good soldiers and party members put all their effort into campaigning for Obama.

I mention this because it should be the yardstick by which we can judge all the other statements these political leaders make.

The President's visit will not be the only one, there will be many more between now and the first Tuesday in November.. The Democrats are in real danger of losing New Jersey, a state that they have had almost complete control for perhaps almost two decades. If they lose the governorship in this off year election they will probably lose the Assembly which it up for its biannual election. Even in this district which is heavily Democrat in voter registration there is a possibility that Green and Stender may be defeated.

We know that power corrupts. The longer an elected individual is in office the more omnipotent he believes he is. At the Federal Level after FDR's election for a third term, this country adopted the 22nd Amendment to the constitution limiting the Presidency to two terms. Perhaps there should be some similar limiting the number of years a legislator can serve at the national and state level.

As Napoleon Bonaparte remarked;"In politics an absurdity is not a handicap". That has been a truism in Green's campaign for re-election. He has gone repetitively to the point of absurdity of blaming the Bush administration for all the ills that befell Plainfield.

If we wished we could go back to that great Democrat President , Jimmy Carter who so mismanaged the Iran crisis that we have had an antagonistic dangerous government in power ever since . A government that is thumbing its nose at the world in its intent to become a nuclear power.

We should blame and rightly so, the first Bush's failure to complete the goal's of the Gulf war and eliminate the Sadam dictatorship. If he had done so we would not be in Iraq today.

It would not be out of line to charge today's health care crisis to the Clinton Administration's high handed attempt to force Hillary's version of reform upon the public. That failure made it a no-no for 16 years. Let us also not forget that it was during the watch of that man who "never had sex with that woman" that the lowering of standards for issuing mortgages became the law. Both Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac were instructed to grant substandard mortgages to people who had no idea for what they were committing themselves. The variable rate loans with artificial low initial interest rates suckered so many innocent victims who could never stand an increase interest rate.

I will agree with Green, the Bush administration stunk. However it was not responsible for 9/11 and much of the planning and the ease which the terrorist came into the states and received training also belongs to Clinton's years.

The Republican failure was in letting Cheney and Rumstedt's egotism mismanage a war so that it could not be won. That is not the first time it has happened, Under Johnson the Vietnam war escalated to a point where we could not commit enough resources to win and withdrew in a defeat.

It is easy to cast blame on others to hide one's own short comings and failures.

Note: Before I am accused of being a reactionary Republican in sheep's clothing, a.k.a a new Democrat, I wish to make my political position clear: I not pro Christie. I have many reservations about him, but I am anti Corzine and have been so from the day he used his Goldman Sach's wealth to buy his Senate seat.

I inherently distrust any politician who uses personal wealth and political and business contacts to in effect buy the office. That person's motives are personal egotism and not the public's welfare. The only exception is New York's mayor who I am convinced that his motive is his true concern and affection for his city.

At the county and local level I will speak out against any politician who is not positively transparent in his role. If I suspect shenanigans I will say so. And you are welcomed to answer me as long as you are in good taste and not personally vindictive. It would be nice if you were identifiable for a personal response,but that is too much to ask.

OUT OF LIMBO POTPOURRI

Happy 100th Anniversary NAACP. May the next 100 years be easier in the pursuit of tolerance and racial justice. May you also remember that there are those of different ethnic and religious backgrounds that need the same respect for which you justly struggle.


While I was out in limbo land, our State assemblyman asked. "Can You Trust the Christie/Vastine/Marks Trio to Run the State?"

The simple answer would be " no less than we have trusted Govenor Corzine/ Commissioner Howard/ and Speaker pro tempore Green". Of course Vastine and Marks would only be one of many Assemblymen and being newcomers would have no influential committee appointments unlike our present representative.

The unanswered question is if that trio had been part of the Trenton political hierarchy would Muhlenberg have been closed? We might also ask would the school funding rules been so drastically altered? Would the State's finances been so deeply in the red?

The answer to the third question is probably as bad, to the second is ":perhaps" and to the first it is No one knows but there may have been an honest public hearing and action dependent on real research not a predetermined ordained result.

Anyhow the truth of the matter is that the Corzine leadership and his fellow travelers are in such serious trouble the President Obama has already made one trip to NJ to bolster. the party. I would phophesize that he will be back here several more times. The party can not afford to lose this state even in a Congressional election off year.

The truth is that the state party is politically bankrupt and it will only take some typical Republican idiocy to turn the tide. That means that candidates for the Assembly will also be defeated if they hang on to Corzine's coattails. Of course as to paraphrase a song; "It is a long way from here to November"

Before wandering to a non election subject, how many would like to read Green's own answers to the question she is reported to have posed to Christie? Perhaps it will appear in his blog.

Has anybody deciphered the weird public meeting notice that Bernice called to our attention. It does seem typical of the BOE. That would leave either PUMA or a city board

On the subject of legal notices; has anyone seen in either the CN or Ledger a publication announcing the subsequently cancelled special meeting to fund Landmark? I have not and I wonder was such a notice sent to the papers for publication, as stated in the posted notice in the clerk's office. If so since those pages are put to bed before the printing date was the city able to cancel it and get a monetary refund? To learn what took place might be of interest come November.

DELAYED POTPOURRI

I have now found out what it is like to be stranded on the proverbial desert island in the Cyber Sea. As of Wednesday, FIOS became ONEOS. Both the internet access and the television functions ceased functioning. Fortunately, the telephone line still worked but I have been alerted that may be so only for 6 hours use on the battery backup.

After twice negotiating with the computer, I was able to talk with a very pleasant young man in Utah, who informed me that there was trouble with one of the “boxes” that was recently installed. A technician would have to come out and replace it. But this would not occur until Thursday afternoon.

I felt like I was in solitary confinement separated from the basics of everyday life. Although I have the telephone, a car and the radio, as well as my eyes for reading, the real life of today’s world has been taken away from me. This might give me a chance to finish my exercise about FEHB. That will appear shortly, at least sooner than Congress will pass Health Care reform.
In the meantime, the newspapers have been filled with Congressional plans to present a health care reform program before the August recess.

Last week the House approved a plan which is over 1000 pages. As I've previously said; I cannot expect to be able to understand or even read all that much paper. I hope that I can find in the newspapers. The weekly news magazines, some good condensations that analysis the plans without writer prejudice.

Some of the known provisions of the House bill which will have to be alga mated with the Senate’s version before adoption and presentation for President Obama’s signature include a income surtax of 8% on incomes over $280,000 individual and $430,000 couple. There will be penalty taxation on individuals that do not have insurance. . There is also to be a surtax of 6 to 8% of payrolls of companies with an annual payroll of over $400,000. And additional penalties if insurance are not offered.

The first of the Senate proposals was submitted by the Senate. Adult’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. It also requires individuals to have insurance in force or pay a tax penalty. Employers with more than 25 employees, who do not offer health insurance will be taxed $750 annually, are each employee. There will be subsidies for families who are whose income is below $88,000. There is also provision for another bureaucracy a Medical Advisory Council

There may be more proposals coming out of other Senate Committees and of course there will be amendments that may even include some Senator’s pet projects (pork) before the plan is voted on. Even with a Democrat majority in the Senate there probably will ultimately result in a version that will have to be meshed into the House’s version. Don’t hold your breath!

Some numbers given may be erroneous since not all sources have the same quotes.

Ps: It was the roofer.

HEALTH CARE #9

When one studies the FEHB program(s) it goes without saying that the biggest employer in the country is the Federal Government; its agencies and quasi official agencies. As such it has the biggest clout in contracting with the many commercial providers of health insurances to offer rates for various programs that are much lower than those available to the general public either as a group or individual.

For a outline of the Federal Government and its agencies go to “http://bensguide.gpo.gov/files/gov_chart.pdf”

(This is not a link, you will have to paste it in the address box) You will be astounded by the magnitude of the chart. Not included of course are the Independent agencies of the United States federal government are those agencies that exist outside of the federal executive departments. Most are listed at the bottom of the chart.

Established through separate statutes passed by the Congress, each respective statutory grant of authority defines the goals the agency must work towards, as well as what substantive areas, if any, over which it may have the power of rulemaking. Those agency rules (or regulations), while in force, have the power of federal law.

Among this group are the CIA and the United States Postal Services. All employees are beneficiaries of the ability to have lower cost commercial insurance and the capability of tailoring their plan to fit personal needs.

These plans also provide for Medicare supplemental insurance, again at a favorable premium.

The other agency I must mention are the “Centers for Medicare and Medicaid” There are multiple regional offices located in different regions of the country. As provided by the enabling acts creating and amending these programs, they represent the bureaucratic arm of the federal involvement in Health Care They not only oversee the function and compliance of the carriers, as well as set basic fee levels,but also set the parameters of the services rendered.. They represent a large cost factor in the government delivery of care.

NOTICE

From approximately 3PM Wednesday until 10:45PM Thursday I have been without Internet and TV. There were two problems. It is a long story but not all FIOS fault although they had to solve a problem not of their making.

If you left a message I shall get back on Friday.