Thursday, March 25, 2010

Absolutely Disgusted!

You know I’m getting pretty sick and tired of POLICITIANS throwing around the word POLITICS as in “Playing Politics” as if it is a dirty word. If it’s a dirty word then that makes YOU dirty because it’s what you practice and are involved in day in and day out.

It’s not politics that is dirty -- it’s the sneaky, conniving, lying duplicitous nature of the politician that makes it so!

I was completely out done when I walked into the 2nd Ward City Council meeting and was assailed with two absolutely OBSURD proclamations! The first was from Annie McWilliams who said that because the BOE elections were approaching, the council would not entertain any questions regarding education, after all “it was beyond” their responsibility. Yet last week they not only entertained education they introduced and allowed commentary from BOE members and the CSA.

Hmm -- So what’s that about? Sounds like politicking to me…

The real question is -- why would you hold City Council Forums during the BOE election period and then NOT expect people to discuss what is happening?

Why would Annie think it was SLIGHTLY OK to SENSOR/CENSURE what is on the hearts of the people in her community?

Shortly following Mr. Mapp says it is the job of the State and Federal Government to provide education for communities, and just to make sure we all understood him -- he repeated it. WHAT???

Hey Mapp -- It takes a Village to raise a child and like it or not YOUR House is in this Village and YOU along with everyone else will have to PAY to EDUCATE this city’s children.

Think of it this way -- you will either pay to educate them, pay to jail them or pay to bury them. AS for ME and MY HOUSE -- we ARE A PART of THIS COMMUNITY and We gladly give of our time, talent and talons to EDUCATE our future.

I personally, don’t go to City Council Meetings because they are too rigid for my taste. BUT whenever I hear about an OPEN forum format I attend. But guess what I'm coming to talk about? You BETCHA -- EDUCATION…that is to say the DIRE STRAITS of PLAINFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS! And--- it doesn’t matter if it’s during an election season or not!

How could the council even remotely believe they could have a VIABLE and/or VALUABLE conversation about ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT without first understanding how education will play a role in the success of same?

ANNIE -- YOU Can NOT create and/or establish an economic infrastructure WITHOUT ensuring you have the ability to sustain same.

Who is going to work in the stores? Buy from the Stores? Hello -- Own and Operate the Stores? Certainly not the children of Plainfield because their EDUCATION does not afford them the ability to SUSTAIN the economic base.

I got up to talk but time was running out and I had to go to another forum -- So I had to write this up because it was just too darn unbelievable that she and Mapp would take such an asinine stance on such a highly publicized, critical issue in our city. And -- there were a LOT of folks there that felt the same way given the bouts of applause that erupted every time someone mentioned their concerns about education and the current state in our city‘s schools.

Looks like the council made the WRONG call on that one!

It was a sad commentary to witness these two in full blown ignorance of how important the educational issue is to the community, but I must say the community people who spoke up were on point, and despite the edicts of Ms. McWilliams, continued to voice their concerns about the educational system in Plainfield.

Power to the PEOPLE of PLAINFIELD!

10 comments:

Maria Pellum, Plainfield Resident said...

Wow! I am glad I decided to skip the event. Thanks for your report of the meeting, it is really sad how it is OK for the BOE to be used as a spring to become a city politician but not OK to discuss about how ill it performs. Figures!

And you are right, economic development will not happen without an improved school system,unless their idea of improvement is to let schools crumble, like the North Avenue building.

Last, how upsetting to learn that last week it was OK to allow the BOE and the CSA take the mic, but this week things changed. What changed? According to Dr. Gallon he and Ms. McWilliams agreed to collaborate, is this the kind of collaboration we are to expect from city and schools?

RASRAHMATAZ said...

Maria -- I wished you had come so that you could have witnessed the audacity of Ms. McWilliams (her visible agitation with the community speakers) and the insanity of Mr. Mapp's comments. He knows for sure that I have attended his "town hall" meetings when there was no election in scope and shared my concerns with the disconnect between City Council and the Schools. I've blog about it and I've emailed them collectively. NO RESPONSE from any of them! They have said nothing on the matter. And silence is a STANDING!

Anonymous said...

with 8 of our 10% of our proposed tax increase funding the school district I do not see how McWilliams can deny that it is an IMPORTANT issue that must be addressed at ALL city forums. The city council should be better prepared. If they are not able to discuss the "school issue" maybe they should ask a repr. from the district to field questions.

Anonymous said...

Actually I attended both meetings and the council DID NOT allow any candidates to take the mic at either meeting. I do believe the city should stop acting as if we are seperate entities and work together as a whole, and instead of the candidates fussing about the problems how about posting solutions for us residents to read and perhaps you'll get my vote. Common since is if you get elected you still have to work woth the remainder of board members who you constantly disrespect. Come on where are we going with this behavior, and again get the facts straight and I agree Town Hall Meetings are not the place for candidates platforms, but it is a place for the citizens to stress their concerns.Also answer why the superintendant would hold a meeting on the same day and time that the council had previously had one scheduled for especially when he said at last weeks town hall meeting that he would attend them all. You answer that. As a person who attends council meetings you should all come and speak at those and not only at election.

Alan Goldstein said...

So just what is the school issue you want to discuss, and how does it fit specifically into the Council townhall forums? Or perhaps it was the BOE candidates who were looking to hijack a general meeting for their own electioneeting purposes?

I don't know. I wasn't there. Fill us in. Speak up at next week's townhall and let us decide because right now it looks like a lot of rhetoric.

Maybe run for school board on a platform of BOE townhalls. Besides, you say you don't attend City Council meetings, so maybe that is in effect saying the Council is not really the place to bring your concerns.

That said, I agree the townhalls should be for a more informal citizen-council interaction, and not a platform for officials to pontificate, and we have several that grab the mic at every opportunity.

RASRAHMATAZ said...

Anon-- candidates absolutely did speak at the 1st one. My point was simply the conversation about EDUCATION should have been permitted (period). It is an important and intergral part of any city and any discussion about economic development that does not include an educational component is futile. I agree that in the end will MUST all work together but me running for the BOE does not negate my position as a citizen in this community. I am running because I AM A CITIZEN of Plainfield and I care!

RASRAHMATAZ said...

Alan -- my concern is as I stated (nothing hidden)(nothing over the top)simple and clear...How could the council even remotely believe they could have a VIABLE and/or VALUABLE conversation about ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT without first understanding how education will play a role in the success of same?
YOU Can NOT create and/or establish an economic infrastructure WITHOUT ensuring you have the ability to sustain same.

Who is going to work in the stores? Buy from the Stores? Hello -- Own and Operate the Stores? Certainly not the children of Plainfield because their EDUCATION does not afford them the ability to SUSTAIN the economic base.

That's really it Alan.

If you'll note I said I don't like the rigidity of the Council meetings but OPEN FORUMs allow the for conversations that are NOT TYPICALLY put on the Council Agenda. Education and City Council activities ARE NOT mutually exclusive. Just look at the tax hikes and levy increases the council will have to manage through for the sake of the school. Wouldn't it make sense that the council remain involved to ensure the schools are running optimally? Whether that means establishing "meaningful" emphasis on meaningful relationships. Creating Workfare programs with High Schoolers etc... THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK SITUATION.

Alan Goldstein said...

Fair enough Renata, although as far as Economic Development goes, I think Plainfield could use more skilled businesses and light industry, and fewer stores, or at least stores unique enough to attract out-of-towners to come here and shop. That's how I'd weigh it out.

And sure, education is at the root of what we're able to accomplish as both individuals and community, but there's a time and place, and balance, needed to move forward.

There are many areas where the schools and the City, as separate entities, can overlap and share. I'd like to see the TV station run through a schools-based media and business program and not out of City Hall. Information-technology could be a shared-service, as could perhaps grounds maintenance. Maybe we need to coordinate in order to locate a school or something.

Education, however, and the intrigues of the school board and administration should not consume the Council's townhall. The Gallon presentation at the previous week's townhall lasted a few minutes and was fairly non-descript. It is hyperbolic to think this is a matter of permitting one voice to be heard and squelching all others. There was talk about a lot of different things. School board candidates should be having it out in four debates, one in each ward, rather than railing about there not being a willingness on the part of the Council to turn its townhall into an education argument.

This is not to refute the importance of quality schools to the community. But to be honest with my gut feeling (call it a hunch), real economic revitalization, if any happens, will precede a major improvement in the schools. You won't have one without the other, but I think it won't work the other way around.

There's plenty of room for discussions and it would probably be remiss of the City Council not to have a townhall down the road where school-city related matters were aired exclusively. But this batch of forums is not the place. To characterize that decision as 'sneaky', 'conniving', 'lying', and 'duplicitous', doesn't seem to rise to the task at hand.

RASRAHMATAZ said...

Actually Alan -- I didn't refer to the meeting as such but in fact the way the word "politicking" was being weilded and quite frankly has been weilded these past few weeks. It was not a specific characterization of any individual last night but rather it was to point out that in and of itself -- politicking is NOT the bad word but rather the politician who is lying ecetera, ecetera. That was really my point.

I don't know how much you've read of writing, but I really do say what I mean and if I felt any of the individuals were these things I would have said it plainly.

I have had nothing but a respectful viewpoint of both McWilliams and Mapp and my ONLY issue was the way the topic of education was handled last night. Nothing more -- nothing less.

All I'm saying is let's talk about it AS WELL AS everything else that keeps Plainfield from reaching its full potential.

Respectfully I was not asking for there to be a debate about the schools, but if the condition of the educational system is on the hearts and mind of the public that was invited to speak last night then it would make it a valid subject to broach is my point.


P.S. When I said "stores" that was simply an e.g. and not necessarily what I think downtown PlFD needs to improve our economic solvency. But certainly if we don't teach our children how to be critical thinkers and innovators -- what is the likelihood we will have anything dynamic, extraordinary or a draw for out-of-towners.

I think we are speaking the same language -- just at different altitudes and that I am sure has a lot to do with our individual perspectives and personal experience. Take this exchange for example...it would have never happened if I didn't say what I felt needed to be said and you didnt respond in kind.

Alan -- I trust we are more alike then not.

Anonymous said...

No BOE members spoke at the Town Hall meeting. Dr. Gallon spoke and as Alan stated he provided a general update of the district which was very brief. I think the council was right to allow the superintendent and assemblyman for that matter to speak. They are not running for office.

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