Yesterday was a pretty good day for showing how this election process can bring out the best in people, as well as some of the worst.
Last evening, Baye Kemit of The Garvey School/Egun Omode Shule sponsored the first West Ward Candidates’ Night of this campaign, and it was a good one. All four candidates were in attendance, and there was a good sized audience. Given that there was some competition in town last night – a jam-packed fun-filled night (by all accounts) at City Council, an At-Large Council Candidates’ Night at Katmandu, and a Trenton Thunder home game – I felt humbled at the presence several dozens of interested West Warders who came out last night.
It’s a truism to say, but I really felt it last night – it is a privilege to sit on a stage like that alongside some fine, talented candidates and offer one’s own talent, experience, qualifications and insight. I think voters in the Ward have a good set of choices in front of them. I know who I would prefer them to choose, but I will be gracious!
As I had expected, several of the hot button issues facing the City’s governance – the budget, taxes, the Water Deal – came up. But the great majority of questions from Mr. Kemit and the audience stayed close to home. How can we provide economic stability to people in the Ward? How can people feel safe? How can we give good educations to our children? How can we give our older children something to occupy their time, to give them skills, to help keep them out of trouble? How can we preserve our good neighborhoods, and how can we bring back those in trouble?
A lot if not most of these questions are, to be frank, too big for a City Council to do much about. These are the same problems facing folks all over, that resist solutions in large towns and small, in good economic times and bad, under strong leadership and under weak. What we all agreed upon, though, was that on Council we will be strong Advocates for those we represent, working hard whenever we can, wherever we can, and to make as much noise as possible.
I thank Mr. Kemit for the evening, and for his format of asking questions without having given the candidates any time to prep beforehand. It was a real Pop Quiz, and I for one was kept on my toes all night. Good job! I also thank my fellow candidates, and look forward to the next Candidates’ Night, Monday April 19, 7:00 PM at Covenant Presbyterian Church, corner of Parkway and Parkside. The Thunder are playing an away game, so you have no excuse.
This same day, I saw a few instances on my block, and later heard of more occasions around the City, of the kind of political mischief that unfortunately pops up here every four years. Overnight on Monday into Tuesday, several campaign signs for a mayoral candidate were removed from private property. On each occasion, people woud have had to trespass several feet up steep hills to take the signs. They were nowhere to be found on the block, afterward.
I can understand that workers for one campaign will be enthusiastic about their own candidate. But to let that enthusiasm turn into something mean like this, that becomes censorship of people’s free speech. And when it includes trespass of private property, that becomes something threatening.This is not good.
I sent an email yesterday to all city candidates – or at least as many as there were listed on an email sent by Inspections Director Len Pucciatti a few weeks ago on the subject of the City’s Sign Ordinance – to express my displeasure at this development, and to hope it would stop immediately. A few candidates wrote me back to express their support, for which I thank them. It doesn’t say much about a candidate’s potential leadership style in office if they condone this kind of behavior from their own workers and volunteers. It’s time to stop this foolishness.
The Fiscal Year 2010 Budget
Last night the City Council – facing a state-imposed deadline of April 16 to adopt a budget – voted instead not to finalize the FY 2010 budget themselves. deferring that task to the NJ Department of Community Affairs. The DCA will finalize the budget, and calculate what the actual property tax increase needed to balance this year’s budget, will be. The 80-cent increase estimated by Mayor Palmer back in February will likely be something in the 66-cent range, if the State’s calculations match the City’s.
With last night’s punting of the budget, I figure the work of this Council is done, and that for all intents and purposes they are lame ducks. And we are not likely to see the “fiscal recovery plan” he promised back on March 19. Too bad, for us all.
Well, back to work!