Readers Write – Norman E. Ortega on Property Maintenance

By Norman E. Ortega

While translating the mission statement of the NPCCR, I came across a clause which is fine under normal circumstances.

However, in this anti-immigrant climate, this particular clause has negative connotations. Not because of what it is, but because of the underlying reasons many, mainly Republicans, want this ordinance extremely enforced.

“Pressuring law and code enforcement officials to enforce Borough ordinances fairly and consistently”

Again, under normal circumstances this is the norm, however, this clause has been used by anti-immigrants to attack minorities, specifically Hispanics. Whether the anti-immigrant is right or not at saying that Hispanics and other minorities practice overcrowding is not the issue. The issue is that the reason why Republicans wants this clause enforced is to harm minorities and Hispanics, not to address the issue.

No, I am not asking for an abdication of law here. What I am asking for understands. In our culture the family, however the number of members stays even if they marry and have kids. The idea is to keep the family together because our ancestors dedicated to cultivating the land and the more the merrier.

Taking this into consideration, it also known that many minorities and Hispanics are not used to housing codes. They do not know the laws and the implications.

Yes, there are those who take advantage of it and use it for their selfish benefit. But these are a fraction of Hispanics and minorities homeowners in this situation.

This being the case, why is the NPCCR peddling this for the Republicans? I leave the answer to that question to you. But since we are discussing the subject, let me propose:

As a community right organization, the NPCCR has an investment in fostering a positive relationship with all North Plainfield’s residents. Since this is the case, instead of peddling this form of attack used by Republicans, why not implement an education plan to those who have been identified in violations of housing codes and those who are willing to attend.

Yes, a massive educational campaign to get those homeowners who are unaware of housing codes to understand the legal and safety implications.

I do not know anything about Housing Codes, but if you need a Spanish speaker to teach it, I am willing to learn. I also have a friend; she is fluent in five Middle Eastern languages and another friend who is fluent in Chinese. This will help you, us, and those in overcrowding conditions.

Attacking has never been the solution. Education to fight ignorance and fear always is.

Note from KW:

I think Mr. Ortega’s suggestion that local property maintenance codes should be translated into Spanish and other languages, as part of an outreach campaign to better educate non-English speakers about the code requirements, is a FANTASTIC idea.

A few months ago, I translated the legaleze version of the code into plain English, discussed it at a Town Meeting, and posted it here, mostly because a lot of English-speaking residents don’t know the provisions of the code either.

I’ve sent a copy of that document to Mr. Ortega to translate, if he’s willing.

Thanks Mr. Ortega!

Dispatches from M. Emory Layne – Voting Bottom-Up

By M. Emory Layne

A recent post in response to a statement by a candidate for Borough Council was, in my opinion, very enlightening when we consider voting tendencies in North Plainfield.

Poster Norman E. Ortega discussed his motivations prior to the last election for a Council seat.

As I explained before, I had an interesting interchange with Ms. Uptegrove prior to the election. I liked her as a candidate and I liked her ideas for the most part. I could not bring myself to vote for her just because even though I knew she was and is capable, a vote for her is a vote for the Republican leadership, a leadership who keeps silence and refuses to denounce attacks on Hispanics and reach out to them.

Of course, the poster fails to mention that the candidate opposing Ms. Uptegrove (now Ms. Flynn) was Hispanic – Santiago Soto.

But, for the moment, let’s accept that this was a conscious effort at forming an opinion and making a choice on the poster’s part.

Apparently, some connection can be made in the minds of voters that opting for a candidate running under the aegis of the Republican Party in North Plainfield is a vote for a national ideology. Whether or not that perceived ideology is even valid to begin with isn’t as important as the eye-opening reasoning (or lack of it) involved here.

People, once again: when you vote in a North Plainfield election, you’re voting for what will be done IN North Plainfield.

One of the beauties of our system is that your vote is secret. This isn’t Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, where a vote for anyone but him was a request to have your family tortured. If it’s a concern of yours, you always have the option of telling everyone you know that you voted for ‘x’ when you really voted for ‘y’ – no one will ever know. Admittedly, such peer pressure likely applies only to a tiny percentage Democrat OR Republican voters, but if it is an issue, there’s your solution.

But I must ask whether you honestly feel you’re doing your friends and neighbors a service by skimming past the issues specific to North Plainfield, and justifying your vote based on some hazy, esoteric “ism” that has no bearing on our town.

Some people like Coke.

Others like Pepsi.

7-Up drinkers, stay out of this for the time being.

Using personal taste as a qualifier, the matter is clear-cut: you buy what you like.

But let’s imagine that one of these soft-drink giants was found to have distributed a harmful product; that one of the two had been, for ten or more years, ignoring your health and well-being, happily taking your money while ignoring the implied trust you placed in them.

You would most certainly NOT (if you wanted to retain any appearance of sanity) blithely continue to patronize that company solely because you always had. You would never accept them saying “It’s all lies! Our competitor is out to get us!” as a rationale to continue spending your hard-earned dollars on their product and pouring that tainted product down your throat.

No, you’d see things for what they were.

In November, we’ll all be voting for national candidates. Knock yourselves out; vote Obama if you always vote Democrat, vote McCain if you’re a GOP loyalist.

But in North Plainfield, please, please, please avoid the antiquated mindset of national party ideology attached to local need. Look at what the people in office have done and are doing. Determine if those same people or their hand-picked successors are running. Then, contrast what you find with what their opponents say and have done.

And then make a decision based on the facts, your intelligence and your common sense instead of “brand loyalty.”

Poll Finds Americans Want Government to Listen to Them

From CommonDreams.org

American Public Says Government Leaders Should Pay Attention to Polls
Eight in Ten Say Public Should Have Greater Influence on Government

By Steven Kull

In sharp contrast to views recently expressed by Vice President Cheney, a new poll finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe government leaders should pay attention to public opinion polls and that the public should generally have more influence over government leaders than it does.

Eighty-one percent say when making “an important decision” government leaders “should pay attention to public opinion polls because this will help them get a sense of the public’s views.” Only 18 percent said “they should not pay attention to public opinion polls because this will distract them from deciding what they think is right.”

When ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz cited polling data showing majority opposition to the Iraq war, Cheney responded, “So?” Asked, “So-you don’t care what the American people think?” he responded, “No,” and explained, “I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls.”

Americans also roundly reject the position put forward by White House spokeswoman Dana Perino in an effort to explain Cheney’s comments. Asked whether the public should have “input,” she replied, “You had your input. The American people have input every four years, and that’s the way our system is set up.”

When Americans are asked whether they think that “elections are the only time when the views of the people should have influence, or that also between elections leaders should consider the views of the people as they make decisions,” an extraordinary 94 percent say that government leaders should pay attention to the views of the public between elections.

These findings are part of a larger international poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org, an international research project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland. The poll of 975 Americans was fielded from January 18 to 27 by Knowledge Networks. The margin of error was +/-3.2 percent.

The focus of the study is the principle expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that “The will of the people should be the basis of the authority of government.” Presented this statement, 87 percent of Americans say they agree with it.

However, Americans are not satisfied with the extent that the will of the people does govern. Asked, “How much is this country governed according to the will of the people?” and asked to answer on a scale with 0 meaning “not at all” and 10 meaning “completely,” the mean response is 4.0. Asked how much the country should be governed according to the will of the people, the mean response is 7.9.

Eighty-three percent of respondents say that the will of the people should have more influence that it does.

Closely related to the dissatisfaction with the degree of government responsiveness to the public is the widespread perception that decisions are not being made in the public’s interest. Asked, “Generally speaking, would you say that this country is run by a few big interests looking out for themselves, or that it is run for the benefit of all the people?” just 19 percent say it is run for the benefit of all the people, while 80 percent say it is run by a few big interests looking out for themselves.

The net effect seems to be a diminished trust in government. Asked, “How much of the time do you think you can trust the national government in Washington to do what is right?” 60 percent say “only some of the time” while 37 percent say most of the time and 3 percent just about always.

Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org and PIPA, comments, “While Americans do not say that leaders should always follow the will of the public, they do think that American leaders should be considerably more responsive to the people and should even pay attention to polls. Dismissing the public as irrelevant and incompetent only contributes to already low levels of trust in government.”

The findings of the larger WorldPublicOpinion.org study, which will include findings from approximately 20 countries from around the world, will be released in early May.

The US poll was an online survey drawn from a nationally representative sample of the Knowledge Networks online panel. This panel is probabilistically-based, selected from the population of US telephone households and subsequently provided with an Internet connection if needed.

Data from survey.

Readers Write – Greg Hatala on School Traffic Safety

On February 13, 2008, Greg Hatala sent a letter to Police Chief William Parenti, and forwarded a copy to this blog for posting.

Here’s Mr. Hatala’s follow-up letter, sent today:

Mayor Janice Allen

Council President Frank “Skip” Stabile

Chief William G. Parenti, North Plainfield Police Department

263 Somerset Street

North Plainfield, NJ 07060

March 28, 2008

Dear North Plainfield Officials:

On February 13 – a month and a half ago – I sent a letter to each of you expressing concerns I have with the traffic situation during the period parents pick up their children after school.

On that topic, in the intervening time, I have seen exactly one instance where a police officer “lit up,” to use a phrase, a driver performing an illegal maneuver. However, no citation was issued; the officer approached the vehicle, spoke for a few seconds, and the car moved on.

There has been no change whatsoever in the situation; drivers continue to double and triple park, park illegally, block roadways and operate in ways entirely at odds with the safety of the children exiting school.

But the primary topic of this letter is the lack of any response whatsoever to my earlier letter. I chose to have this one posted on the NPCCR blog rather than mailing three copies for the simple reason that I save another $1.23 by doing so.

Chief Parenti, I can understand your not responding. It would be hard to make a case that the chief of police should have to answer every letter that crosses his desk in addition to the massive amount of paperwork already required related to running the force.

Also, as has been recently noted, you also are called on to put in even more time by Borough Hall officials, performing maintenance duties unrelated to running the force. I would ask you one question, though: has the Director of Public Works, James Rodino, been asked to stay late, roll up his sleeves, and, for example, fix the heat? It would seem that such work would fall under his area, not the police department.

But regarding Mayor Allen and Council President Stabile, have the residents of the Borough slipped so far down your priority list that we can’t even get a letter, phone call or email in response to a concerned communication? My mailing address, email address and phone number were clearly provided on the letter I sent six weeks ago. What was it, no time?

That’s funny. Because Mayor Allen suddenly found the time, for example, to set up a meeting with Appraisal Systems, Inc., and coordinate the distribution of a letter announcing this meeting through the DPW. And ‘Skip’ Stabile has had the time to maintain regular communication with Nathan Rudy (another resident, but I guess he’s more important than me) and also come up with a resolution about a bridge that admittedly won’t accomplish a single thing.

If you’re wondering why people are forming the opinions they are about Borough Hall and our elected officials, you can use me and my experience here as an example. If the mayor and council president just can’t find the time to get back to a concerned resident anymore … but have loads of time for the people and things they think are important … what other conclusion should I draw other than I don’t matter? That is, until you want my vote – then you communicate with me a lot.

Don’t bother writing back now; your silence to this point has told me volumes. I would like someone to look into the safety situation during school dismissal, though … if that’s not too much trouble.

Sincerely,

Greg Hatala

Movement toward an Environmental Resource Inventory

Just heard a few days ago that, within the last few days, Borough staff has reached out to the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC), on behalf of North Plainfield’s Environmental Commission, to apply for ANJEC matching grant funding to…drumroll please…conduct an Environmental Resource Inventory in the Borough!

As posted previously, an ERI is an essential prerequisite for the Borough to apply for and receive open space preservation grants from Somerset County and the state, and would provide the Borough with a lot of leverage to protect Villa Maria’s wooded critical slopes above Stony Brook from destruction.

Back in August 2007, Environmental Commission Chair Harry Allen acknowledged that the ERI process begun in the 1970s and feebly revived in the mid-1980s had not moved any further since then. (Word is, ANJEC hasn’t heard a peep from the NP Environmental Commission since 2004.) And pushing the Borough to conduct an ERI made it onto the priority list adopted by NPCCR members at the October 2007 Town Meeting, as covered here.

The deadline for submitting the grant application to ANJEC is this coming Monday, March 31. Although the Environmental Commission can file the application before they get a formal Council endorsement, they do have to submit a draft Borough Council resolution supporting the grant application by Monday, and then the Borough Council has to adopt that resolution and fax it in to ANJEC to complete the application package within the next few weeks. ANJEC even has draft resolutions available for the local commission to adapt.

So if you see any members of the Environmental Commission around town this weekend, let them know you support the application, check in and see if the application is ready to be filed and going to be filed on time.

If you see any Borough Council members, let them know you want the support resolution on the April 14 Council agenda.

And encourage the Environmental Commission to renew their lapsed membership with ANJEC, because it makes them eligible for lots of benefits like training and resource materials.

The EC members are: Dr. Harry Allen (Chair); Michael J. Bellew; Mabel “Skip” Hansen; Jean Liss and Mathy Stanislaus.

Hooray for movement from the Environmental Commission!!!

Norman E. Ortega Responds to Barbara Habeeb

Ms. Habeeb-

That is a wonderful story and no one should have any doubt that it took place, as no one should have any doubt of your benevolence and appreciation for other cultures and people.

I am glad you are responding, which has not been the case for the Republicans leadership and some of its members. Which is a disappointment; because these are the kinds of tales we want to hear. These kinds of stories inspire comfort to those who are afraid of the GOP. They promote understanding between us and humanize you.

However, I must question, since this is how you feel personally, why haven’t you denounce Republican attacks on Hispanics? Have you discussed with your leadership this issue? Why don’t they come forward with a clear position as you have? Why don’t they reach out to Hispanics as you are trying to do?

Ms. Habeeb, as I explained before, I had an interesting interchange with Ms. Uptegroove prior to the election. I liked her as a candidate and I liked her ideas for the most part. I could not bring myself to vote for her just because even though I knew she was and is capable, a vote for her is a vote for the Republican leadership, a leadership who keeps silence and refuses to denounce attacks on Hispanics and reach out to them.

At the time, I kept quiet as if trying to forget for a moment the party Ms. Uptegrove represents.

Thanks for the story.

Soil and Groundwater Contamination

In perusing the Borough Council correspondence files since last summer, I’ve run across many letters from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection regarding contaminated sites in North Plainfield. I suppose it’s not surprising, given the Borough’s emphasis on auto-related businesses on Somerset Street and along Route 22 over the past half-century or so – another reason to work on transitioning the local economy to cleaner, more sustainable businesses.

Here’s a partial list of sites under current EPA monitoring:

The fenced off Getty Service Station at Green Brook Road and Grove apparently leaked benzene and MTBE (methyl-tert-butyl-ether) into the groundwater back in 1991 (Incident Report No. 91-01-17-1141) . Benzene detected in nearby groundwater seems to have peaked in 2003 at 82.4 parts per billion (2.1 ppb as of March 2007), and MTBE peaked in 2000 at 1040 ppb (0.83 ppb as of March 2007).

The closed Shell Service Station next to Raceway on Route 22 had a leak in 1988 (Incident No. 88-10-31-1443) and is still being monitored for toxic contamination.

Heating oil tanks at Holy Cross Preschool were being monitored, but a letter dated September 25, 2007 said no further remediation action would be necessary.

The North Plainfield Road Department Garage on Walnut is under EPA monitoring for some kind of contamination, with a “remedial action progress report” due October 31, 2008.

Swedish Imports Inc., the Volvo dealership on Somerset Street, was recently approved for eight quarters of groundwater, soil and air quality monitoring for volatile organics, base neutral compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, and lead. [See EPA acronym list here.]

Swedish Imports – Contamination Letter

I plan to follow-up with EPA and try to get a comprehensive overview of all the North Plainfield sites currently being monitored for contamination. 

Councilman Douglas Singleterry Running for Freeholder

Courier-News article here.

Save Muhlenberg Hospital – Letters

At last night’s Democratic Club meeting, Mayor Janice Allen reported briefly on her meetings with Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs and South Plainfield Mayor Charles F. Butrico, Jr. regarding the proposed closure of Muhlenberg Hospital.

The three mayors are well aware that closing Muhlenberg will increase driving times for local ambulance companies to get sick or injured people to Overlook, JFK or Somerset hospitals, and they continue to urge people to send letters in support of saving Muhlenberg to state representatives.

Mayor Allen handed out draft letters people can simply sign and mail to the addresses provided. Posted here:

Save Muhlenberg Letters

Save Muhlenberg – More Addresses

REMINDER: There will be a Save Muhlenberg Rally in Trenton at noon on Saturday, April 5. Buses to Trenton will be running from Plainfield – departing at 10 a.m. from the Muhlenberg Hospital parking lot at Park Avenue & Randolph Road for a motorcade down the New Jersey Turnpike. Carpooling encouraged. For more information, contact Plainfield Peoples Organization for Progress chair Steven Hatcher at 908-731-1518.

And then there were two…

Almost as an afterthought, Mayor Allen mentioned last night that the Borough is sponsoring an orientation evening with Appraisal Systems Inc, about the court-ordered property revaluation process now underway throughout the Borough.

I believe she said notices would be going out to residents by mail shortly, but I may have heard incorrectly.

Little birdies tell me that the fliers are being hand-delivered to homes all around the Borough by DPW guys stuffing them in doors. For readers who may be curious about whether leaflet distribution is within the DPW job descriptions, a complete package of Borough job descriptions is posted here. 

Mayor Allen’s Revaluation meeting will be Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m. at Vermeule Community Center, and might have the added benefit of having local elected officials present and able to answer such questions as: ”Why is our local revaluation eight years overdue, so overdue, in fact, that a court apparently had to order the Borough to conduct it?”

NPCCR’s Revaluation meeting will be Monday, April 7, at 7 p.m., at Vermeule Community Center. To date, the April 7 meeting only offers residents the opportunity to ask questions of Glen Sherman of Appraisal Systems Inc., who will not have any way to answer political questions, only technical questions about the appraisal process.

April 7 Property Revaluation Flier

April 7 Flier in Spanish

Two meetings is a good start toward meeting the needs of interested residents with a variety of work and home schedules, so hopefully everyone who wants to find out more will be able to attend on either April 3 or April 7.