Monday, April 14, 2008
2008 Dem Primary - Ledger - McWilliams v. Gibson
Published in the Star-Ledger, Sunday, April 13, 2008
Plainfield Democratic race pits new, old
McWilliams didn't run because of a snub
BY ALEXI FRIEDMAN
Star-Ledger Staff
Annie McWilliams' decision to oppose Plainfield's at-large Councilman Harold Gibson in the June Democratic primary wasn't retribution for a perceived snub, she insists.
She said it has nothing to do with Council President Gibson removing from discussion a proposal at last month's meeting for a memorial to her father, former Plainfield Mayor Albert McWilliams, who died last April.
While Annie McWilliams acknowledged that Gibson's action was a surprise -- a memorial committee had worked on the plan for a year -- she has faith the proposal will eventually pass. She requested the council approve the measure before her father's memorial service, which took place last week.
"That's not why I ran. It's much deeper than that," said the 23-year-old McWilliams. "I hear horror stories coming out of the public schools, the budget cuts, there's got to be something that can be done." McWilliams, a longtime Plainfield resident who works in New York City as a financial analyst for Citigroup, has taken her cue from another young candidate, this one running for president.
"I was inspired by Obama -- 'Yes we can,' -- I feel I can do this," she said, referring to the enthusiasm engendered in Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's campaign for the Democratic nomination.
While McWilliams and Gibson hail from political families -- Harold's brother, Kenneth Gibson, was mayor of Newark from 1970 to '86 -- their differences are stark.
Gibson is 73 and has a long résumé of public service, including 25 years as a Newark police officer. He is a former Plainfield city administrator who was chosen in August 2006 as councilman after Ray Blanco died. Gibson was elected that November to serve out the remainder of the term, which ends this year. In January, his colleagues voted him council president.
He was also recently named head of the Union County Sheriff's Office new Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Gang Reduction unit; prior to that, he was the county public safety director.
McWilliams, on the other hand, is a political novice with a comparatively thin résumé. She graduated from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania in 2006, and is in her second year at Citigroup.
She turns 24 in June, and if elected, would become the youngest council member in Plainfield in 20 years, and one of the youngest ever, said City Clerk Laddie Wyatt. Rayland Van Blake, now a Union County Freeholder, was 26 when he was first elected to the Plainfield City Council in 2002.
The winner of the June 3 Democratic primary will face off against Republican Deborah Dowe, who is running unopposed. But because Plainfield's registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 10 to 1, the primary, not the general election, is considered the real race.
For his part, Gibson has the backing of the City Democratic Committee, and believes Plainfield is "headed in the right direction." His efforts in the last two years on behalf of all constituents -- the at-large council member is elected by voters in all four wards -- have warranted another term, Gibson said.
In addition, the councilman mentioned his recent decision to make the opening prayer at council meetings less specific to Christianity as a measure that shows "respect to all citizens." Gibson, himself a Christian, added that those who aren't "can still be part of the prayer system without being shut off from it."
Though he doesn't begrudge Annie McWilliams for running against him, Gibson believes she is doing so because of his March 19 decision at a council meeting to pull the proposal for her father's memorial.
"I've taken a beating lately because of a close, personal issue. It's a mistaken position that Harold Gibson prevented an Al McWilliams memorial," he said.
Gibson yanked the item because the clerk's office had improperly included it in the agenda that night, he said. Laddie Wyatt, the clerk, confirmed that her office staff should not have attached it as a possible resolution.
"This wasn't a personal thing," Gibson said, who dispelled whispers that the mayor's office had twisted his arm to make the decision. "We as a council have to be careful what we allow to be done with any individual, regardless if it's a former mayor or not." A McWilliams memorial, he said, is not off the table.
Annie McWilliams said that single issue shouldn't distract voters from the reason she is running for council, which is to help lift Plainfield. Her commitment to the city is strong, McWilliams said, noting the local organization she co-founded, Youth Exposure, which mentors local middle school students.
Gibson's experience in government is stronger, she acknowledged, but that shouldn't be the only qualification. Returning to the Obama theme, McWilliams added, "people say he doesn't have experience. The problem is, we limit what experience is. It may not be directly related to politics, but it doesn't mean it's not valuable."
Alexi Friedman may be reached at (908) 302-1505 or afriedman@starledger.com.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Muhlenberg - Courier - WARN letters go out for June 15
Published in the Courier News, Saturday, April 12, 2008
Muhlenberg workers get 60-day letter
Staff told downsizing can start after June 15
By CLEM FIORENTINO
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — Employees of the acute-care facility at Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center have been put on notice that the closing could come anytime after June 15.
By Tuesday, they will have received a WARN (Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notificiation) letter from Solaris Health System giving them 60 days notice that the downsizing is imminent.
Under federal statute (passed by Congress in 1998), employers who are planning either a closing or a mass layoff must give employees 60 days notice prior to any employnent action. This does not mean the acute-care portion of the facility will close on that day, only that it is the "earliest potential date" for closure and that no downsizing can take place before that date.
The certificate of need for closure still has to be approved by the state and, before that, two public hearings — one in Plainfield and one in Trenton — must take place.
A WARN letter is a strictly worded document. All the employer has to do is fill in the date. "The language in the letter cannot be modified," said Steven Weiss, a Solaris spokesman.
Keenly aware of the how impersonal the letter might be considered, Shirley Higgins-Bowers, vice president of human resources for Solaris, said she is committed to deal with employees on a personal level. She met with employees last week before the letter was sent.
"We want to communicate in person, explain why the notice has to go out," she said. "They're upset. It has been very difficult to communicate. We have a deep sense of responsibility. We want to do what we can."
To that end, Solaris, Muhlenberg's parent company, has thus far made commitments to 350 of Muhlenberg's 1,100 employees. And a job fair, involving 33 external employers (health-care companies and other area hospitals) will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday at the medical center.
"We still have vacancies at our JFK campus," said Pat Cooke, director of human resources for Solaris. "We have maintained strong retention throughout the whole period."
In addition to the satellite emergency room, there will be several ancillary departments left or moved to the Plainfield campus. These include the nursing school, a home-care unit, a dialysis center, imaging services and medical records.
"There will still be a significant number of people on campus," said Tom Casey, vice president of marketing for Solaris.
StoryChat
Johnsmith wrote..."Could the problem be CHARITY CARE"
HMMM! Since that's been the topic of a ton of posts here over the last 6 months, I suspect you won't get anyone who's been awake to disagree with THAT conclusion. Of course, it's called indigent care now, not "charity care".
Surprised
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:33 pm
Could the problem be CHARITY CARE
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:07 pm
ICare wrote..." I left in 1963 and have no idea where Solaris came from. "
Here's my recollection, which may be less-than-accurate. JFK Medical and its affiliates (like Johnson Rehab, Neuroscience Institute et al) acquired Muhlenberg Hospital some years ago. At that time it became a hospital system, named Solaris. These systems, providing continuums of care or meeting other perceived needs, are all over...St. Barnabas, Atlantic Health, Robert Wood Johnson, Cathedral. I may be wrong but it feels like stand-alone hospitals are more the exception than the rule today. I think the premise is that the system design enables synergies and certain other strategic advantages. The simple fact with Muhlenberg is that it's time has passed. It can't attract patients from the outlying suburbs. It simply doesn't have the reputation it did many years ago; and being in Plainfield has, frankly, not been a positive.
Combine this with what is a serious crisis in healthcare economics. Something's got to give, and it will always be--be it in biology, business or healthcare--the weakest of the pack that goes. Muhlenberg has a storied past. But the key word is "past". It's time to go. It's been inevitable for years and, from my perch, the Solaris acquisition forestalled that inevitability. I believe Solaris is to be commended for its acquisition of an institution it tried to help bring to solvency, and for struggling to maintain it for all these years. That is not a denigration of the Muhlenberg staff. It is a combination of factors, from unreimbursed care to a declining host city, which brought the hospital to its fate.
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:58 pm
Did they treat the chicken people at this place ???? Laughing
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:29 pm
jerseyred, we have sparred several times. This time you are right on. Plainfield had everything. Mom used to put me on the #18 to the Lobby of the Queen City Hotel for a haircut. The hotel went and so did the bus. The WPA built storms for the entire city. They are most likely plugged. And then the coup, the schools. Do remember the famous 1963 fourth grade plan. Then came a classmate, Officer Gleason. Why would anybody expect the hospital to remain. I left in 1963 and have no idea where Solaris came from. A favor, pray tell where from and who?
I Care... My tennis partner and friend at Cedarbrook Park was an "African" American named Bill Wolf(?)
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:21 pm
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Muhlenberg - Courier - Green attacks Board president West
Published in the Courier News, Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Green calls for chairman's resignation
By CLEM FIORENTINO
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — Assemblyman Gerald Green has called for the resignation of Ronald West, the chairman of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center's board of directors, citing his "unwillingness to work with elected officials and members of the public in ongoing efforts to keep the hospital open."
Green, D-Plainfield, sent a letter requesting West's resignation to John P. McGee, president and CEO of Solaris Health System, the parent company of Muhlenberg. In the letter, Green cited West's "repeated noninvolvement" as one of the primary reasons for his removal.
Solaris announced in February its intention to downsize the 130-year-old medical center, retaining a satellite emergency room, an imaging center and a school of nursing on the Plainfield campus.
In the wake of the announcement, Green convened a task force of community leaders and representatives of surrounding hospitals that would be affected by the decision.
"Chairman West's indifferent attitude towards the health and well-being of Muhlenberg Regional and the people it serves and his continued refusal to be an active part of community discussions to save the hospital leave no other alternative than to ask for his immediate resignation," Green said. "We held rallies, we created a community task force, we did everything we could think of to show our sincere interest in saving the hospital. Yet, despite our continuing efforts, Mr. West never once met with us to allay public concerns or explain the hospital's position to the public."
Green said a member of the public who "has been invested in the preservation of the hospital" should be appointed.
"The public needs someone they can trust," Green said. "Someone they know will fight for their best interests."
To that end, Green has suggested replacing West with either Plainfield Mayor Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs or Colleen M. Mahr, the mayor of Fanwood. Both women are members of Green's task force.
In response, McGee on Monday issued the following statement:
"Throughout the closure process, I have been the designated spokesperson of the board of directors for both Solaris Health System and Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center. To that end, it is my responsibility to meet with elected officials and members of the public, as well as to serve on the community health care task force. I will speak with the Solaris board of directors about Assemblyman Green's suggestion that there should be board representation in discussions with the community. Having worked closely with Ronald West over the past 10 years, there is no reason for the Solaris board to consider the request for his resignation."
Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center is a 396-bed acute care facility that provides inpatient and outpatient services in all major medical specialties.
Plainfield's largest employer, the hospital retains a staff of more than 1,100 employees, 350 affiliated physicians and more than 600 auxiliary staffers and volunteers.
Citing operating deficits — an estimated $17 million in 2007 — Solaris attempted to find a buyer for the facility. After four months and no serious offers, Solaris announced the downsizing, starting with its acute-care facility. Solaris officials have said they would try to retain up to one-third of Muhlenberg's work force at other Solaris facilities (including JFK Medical Center in Edison).
In March, Muhlenberg officials filed a certificate of need for closure with the state Department of Health and Senior Services in Trenton.
Since the announcement, the Peoples Organization for Progress has organized four rallies to protest the decision. Three of those rallies took place at Muhlenberg, at the corner of Randolph Road and Park Avenue. A fourth rally took place Saturday on the steps of the Statehouse in Trenton.
"Residents of the greater Plainfield area need to know someone is fighting for them to keep Muhlenberg Regional open," Green said. "I am confident that with new leadership, we can find a way to keep the hospital open to patients."
StoryChat
At first I was filled with hope that Mr. Green was doing for the community what he should. Then I continued reading and then saw the typical Mr. Green tactic of transparently grabbing for power. Mr. Green wants one of his proteges to be installed as a board member to better serve the community? Ms. Robinson-Briggs?
Who are we kidding? Ms. Robinson-Briggs is barely serving the community in her official capacity as Mayor of Plainfield. We only see her at meetings at the Senior Center and at ceremonies where she is surrounded by her unnecessary body guards.
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:09 am
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Green calls for chairman's resignation
By CLEM FIORENTINO
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — Assemblyman Gerald Green has called for the resignation of Ronald West, the chairman of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center's board of directors, citing his "unwillingness to work with elected officials and members of the public in ongoing efforts to keep the hospital open."
Green, D-Plainfield, sent a letter requesting West's resignation to John P. McGee, president and CEO of Solaris Health System, the parent company of Muhlenberg. In the letter, Green cited West's "repeated noninvolvement" as one of the primary reasons for his removal.
Solaris announced in February its intention to downsize the 130-year-old medical center, retaining a satellite emergency room, an imaging center and a school of nursing on the Plainfield campus.
In the wake of the announcement, Green convened a task force of community leaders and representatives of surrounding hospitals that would be affected by the decision.
"Chairman West's indifferent attitude towards the health and well-being of Muhlenberg Regional and the people it serves and his continued refusal to be an active part of community discussions to save the hospital leave no other alternative than to ask for his immediate resignation," Green said. "We held rallies, we created a community task force, we did everything we could think of to show our sincere interest in saving the hospital. Yet, despite our continuing efforts, Mr. West never once met with us to allay public concerns or explain the hospital's position to the public."
Green said a member of the public who "has been invested in the preservation of the hospital" should be appointed.
"The public needs someone they can trust," Green said. "Someone they know will fight for their best interests."
To that end, Green has suggested replacing West with either Plainfield Mayor Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs or Colleen M. Mahr, the mayor of Fanwood. Both women are members of Green's task force.
In response, McGee on Monday issued the following statement:
"Throughout the closure process, I have been the designated spokesperson of the board of directors for both Solaris Health System and Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center. To that end, it is my responsibility to meet with elected officials and members of the public, as well as to serve on the community health care task force. I will speak with the Solaris board of directors about Assemblyman Green's suggestion that there should be board representation in discussions with the community. Having worked closely with Ronald West over the past 10 years, there is no reason for the Solaris board to consider the request for his resignation."
Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center is a 396-bed acute care facility that provides inpatient and outpatient services in all major medical specialties.
Plainfield's largest employer, the hospital retains a staff of more than 1,100 employees, 350 affiliated physicians and more than 600 auxiliary staffers and volunteers.
Citing operating deficits — an estimated $17 million in 2007 — Solaris attempted to find a buyer for the facility. After four months and no serious offers, Solaris announced the downsizing, starting with its acute-care facility. Solaris officials have said they would try to retain up to one-third of Muhlenberg's work force at other Solaris facilities (including JFK Medical Center in Edison).
In March, Muhlenberg officials filed a certificate of need for closure with the state Department of Health and Senior Services in Trenton.
Since the announcement, the Peoples Organization for Progress has organized four rallies to protest the decision. Three of those rallies took place at Muhlenberg, at the corner of Randolph Road and Park Avenue. A fourth rally took place Saturday on the steps of the Statehouse in Trenton.
"Residents of the greater Plainfield area need to know someone is fighting for them to keep Muhlenberg Regional open," Green said. "I am confident that with new leadership, we can find a way to keep the hospital open to patients."
StoryChat
At first I was filled with hope that Mr. Green was doing for the community what he should. Then I continued reading and then saw the typical Mr. Green tactic of transparently grabbing for power. Mr. Green wants one of his proteges to be installed as a board member to better serve the community? Ms. Robinson-Briggs?
Who are we kidding? Ms. Robinson-Briggs is barely serving the community in her official capacity as Mayor of Plainfield. We only see her at meetings at the Senior Center and at ceremonies where she is surrounded by her unnecessary body guards.
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:09 am
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Muhlenberg - Courier - Solaris meets with 'community leaders'
Published in the Courier News, Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Solaris, leaders talk about hospital closing
By CLEM FIORENTINO
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — Solaris Health System on Tuesday opened to community leaders for a free-wheeling discussion of issues stemming from the announced closing of the acute-care facility at Muhlenberg Medical Center.
Solaris in February announced its intent to close the facility by the end of the summer, citing overwhelming financial losses, such as an estimated $17 million in 2007. A satellite emergency room would remain at the Muhlenberg campus, along with its school of nursing and imaging center. About 1,000 jobs would be eliminated although Solaris hopes to retain about one-third of them at other Solaris locationS.
Tom Casey, vice president of public relations and marketing for Solaris, said representatives were in the Muhlenberg board room to help the community "better understand the dire economic circumstances that are forcing the closure of Muhlenberg, as well as to discuss any questions or concerns you may have on behalf of your constituency."
Representatives from the Plainfield Health Center; Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs; Jim Uffer, president of the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce; numerous local clergy and social service agency administrators; and Lawrence Hamm, chairman of the People's Organization for Progress, attended the meeting.
Upon learning of the meeting, People's Organization for Progress organized a rally outside the medical center while the meeting was in progress.
About 70 protesters stood at the corner of Park Avenue and Randolph Street presenting their four-part agenda:
- They want Muhlenberg to stay open as a full-service hospital.
- They want an immediate halt to the transfer of services and departments to other hospitals.
- They want the status quo maintained until the process of the Certificate of Need for closure is completed.
- They want Muhlenberg to adhere to the process required by the Commission on Health and Senior Services, including a total community needs assessment before the hospital is closed.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sewer tax liens - Courier - Plainfield flushes out late players
Published in the Courier News, Friday, March 21, 2008
[Sewer liens]
Plainfield flushes out late payers
By BRANDON LAUSCH
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — Some names on the list read like a roll call of Plainfield notables or a catalog of movers and shakers.
But this directory of roughly 1,600 names — including the city's personnel director and health officer, as well as at least two school board members — isn't a roster of Queen City officials. It's a rundown of residents who, at least at some point, were behind on their sewer bills.
In a public notice that took up nearly four pages of Tuesday's Courier News, city Tax Collector Maria Glavan announced that a lien sale will be held inside City Hall at 10 a.m. April 15 on properties that are behind on taxes and other municipal charges for fiscal year 2007, which began July 1. The notice, which will be printed four times, will cost taxpayers a total of $19,519. Nearly all of them are back sewer fees.
Although Glavan and representatives of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority — the body created in 1995 to manage the city's solid-waste operation and sanitary sewer service — said the number of delinquents isn't unusual, the cross-section of residents included in the list may raise eyebrows.
Included in the columns of fine print is Boniface Udenta, the city's health officer, who owes $858.08 for a property on West Third Street that he said has remained vacant for two years. When notified Thursday of his appearance on the list, Udenta said he was shocked.
"I can't explain how they work," Udenta said. "To be honest, I'm at a loss. How am I getting billed when nobody lives in the house? That's my dilemma."
Udenta said his search for tenants has been fruitless because of crime in the neighborhood. The property he is trying to rent, Udenta said, has been broken into three times. Although he maintained that no one is using the building's sewer system, Udenta admitted receiving notices from the utilities authority.
Udenta said he contemplated contesting the charges but lost track of the bills after vacationing abroad and returning to a stressful job. He said he plans to visit the authority next week "and say, "How come I'm getting all these bills when nobody lives in house?"
Though some echoed Udenta's commitment to address their debts —- like city Personnel Director Karen Dabney, who owes $1,411.32, or school board member Christian Estevez, who remains $533.37 behind —- others said they already paid up or were listed incorrectly.
Plainfield Tax Assessor Tracy Bennett said she paid the outstanding $1,704.34 balance on her account this week while Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Sheldon Green said he was also in the clear. But Adrian Mapp, a former city councilman and Union County freeholder, said "there's no way that could be possible" when informed of the $1,399.81 he apparently owed for a property on West Seventh Street.
Shortly after hearing the news, Mapp drove to the authority's headquarters and said he straightened out the erroneous listing.
"I don't know how the . . . records came to reflect the names of my wife and I, but it's not a good thing to have your name in the paper for something that I know nothing about, for a property that we do not own," Mapp said.
According to Erin Donnelly, a representative for the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, the average household pays a quarterly bill of $127.25, which equates to $509 annually. The charges reflect last year's 20 percent rate increase that raised the average household charge from $106 every three months to the current $127.25 rate, she said. Bills are determined based on use.
Donnelly said the Utilities Authority expects to recover $1.5 million during next month's sale "for services rendered to these delinquent accounts."
Though Ingrid Reed, director of the New Jersey Project at Rutgers University's Eagleton Institute of Politics, said public officials getting behind on their sewer fees may typically remain a private matter, she said it clearly becomes public when notices are published.
"And I think the issue is both of appearances and expectations that people who are public officials, particularly those who are close to budget matters and municipal matters . . . you should be aware of the need to pay bills and what the routine is," she said.
Reed said it's not unreasonable for citizens to expect that public servants should understand the importance of fiscal responsibility and the need "to comply with this kind of payment, which really makes government more efficient and effective."
"There is a need for public servants to give the public reason to trust them," Reed continued. "And I think that this kind of dereliction could just once again make people feel, "Well, they think they can get away with it,' and that's unfortunate."
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
[Sewer liens]
Plainfield flushes out late payers
By BRANDON LAUSCH
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — Some names on the list read like a roll call of Plainfield notables or a catalog of movers and shakers.
But this directory of roughly 1,600 names — including the city's personnel director and health officer, as well as at least two school board members — isn't a roster of Queen City officials. It's a rundown of residents who, at least at some point, were behind on their sewer bills.
In a public notice that took up nearly four pages of Tuesday's Courier News, city Tax Collector Maria Glavan announced that a lien sale will be held inside City Hall at 10 a.m. April 15 on properties that are behind on taxes and other municipal charges for fiscal year 2007, which began July 1. The notice, which will be printed four times, will cost taxpayers a total of $19,519. Nearly all of them are back sewer fees.
Although Glavan and representatives of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority — the body created in 1995 to manage the city's solid-waste operation and sanitary sewer service — said the number of delinquents isn't unusual, the cross-section of residents included in the list may raise eyebrows.
Included in the columns of fine print is Boniface Udenta, the city's health officer, who owes $858.08 for a property on West Third Street that he said has remained vacant for two years. When notified Thursday of his appearance on the list, Udenta said he was shocked.
"I can't explain how they work," Udenta said. "To be honest, I'm at a loss. How am I getting billed when nobody lives in the house? That's my dilemma."
Udenta said his search for tenants has been fruitless because of crime in the neighborhood. The property he is trying to rent, Udenta said, has been broken into three times. Although he maintained that no one is using the building's sewer system, Udenta admitted receiving notices from the utilities authority.
Udenta said he contemplated contesting the charges but lost track of the bills after vacationing abroad and returning to a stressful job. He said he plans to visit the authority next week "and say, "How come I'm getting all these bills when nobody lives in house?"
Though some echoed Udenta's commitment to address their debts —- like city Personnel Director Karen Dabney, who owes $1,411.32, or school board member Christian Estevez, who remains $533.37 behind —- others said they already paid up or were listed incorrectly.
Plainfield Tax Assessor Tracy Bennett said she paid the outstanding $1,704.34 balance on her account this week while Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Sheldon Green said he was also in the clear. But Adrian Mapp, a former city councilman and Union County freeholder, said "there's no way that could be possible" when informed of the $1,399.81 he apparently owed for a property on West Seventh Street.
Shortly after hearing the news, Mapp drove to the authority's headquarters and said he straightened out the erroneous listing.
"I don't know how the . . . records came to reflect the names of my wife and I, but it's not a good thing to have your name in the paper for something that I know nothing about, for a property that we do not own," Mapp said.
According to Erin Donnelly, a representative for the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, the average household pays a quarterly bill of $127.25, which equates to $509 annually. The charges reflect last year's 20 percent rate increase that raised the average household charge from $106 every three months to the current $127.25 rate, she said. Bills are determined based on use.
Donnelly said the Utilities Authority expects to recover $1.5 million during next month's sale "for services rendered to these delinquent accounts."
Though Ingrid Reed, director of the New Jersey Project at Rutgers University's Eagleton Institute of Politics, said public officials getting behind on their sewer fees may typically remain a private matter, she said it clearly becomes public when notices are published.
"And I think the issue is both of appearances and expectations that people who are public officials, particularly those who are close to budget matters and municipal matters . . . you should be aware of the need to pay bills and what the routine is," she said.
Reed said it's not unreasonable for citizens to expect that public servants should understand the importance of fiscal responsibility and the need "to comply with this kind of payment, which really makes government more efficient and effective."
"There is a need for public servants to give the public reason to trust them," Reed continued. "And I think that this kind of dereliction could just once again make people feel, "Well, they think they can get away with it,' and that's unfortunate."
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Monday, March 17, 2008
Muhlenberg - Courier - Green preps for hospital closing
Published in the Courier News, Monday, March 17, 2008
Officials prep for Muhlenberg closing
By CLEM FIORENTINO
STAFF WRITER
The scars are still raw. And perhaps it's still too early to talk about healing.
But Assemblyman Jerry Green, D-Union, while he says he understands the anger and frustration spawned by the announcement that Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield will close its acute-care facility by the end of the summer, thinks it's time to accept reality.
"Right now, people are angry," Green said. "But anger and frustration doesn't help us to move forward. We have to get the word out. We are working on Plan B."
Plan A was Green's effort to work with Solaris Health System officials in an attempt to keep Muhlenberg open. When the facility could not be sold, Solaris announced the shutdown and filed a certificate of need for closure with the state Department of Health and Senior Services.
The questions loom. What happens next? How will the people of Plainfield and its neighboring towns receive medical treatment? Will there be enough beds at surrounding hospitals? What effect will the loss of 1,000 jobs have on the city itself? What will happen to the Muhlenberg campus and the more than 300 affiliated physicians?
"Right now, there is no solid program in place," Green said. "But we are working on it."
By "we," Green means the task force he is putting together in the wake of the announcement. The task force includes representatives from five surrounding hospitals -- those who will be called on to absorb the patient population now being served by Muhlenberg.
"Those hospitals are ready to accept patients," Green said. "Somebody is making sure that they have a place to go."
Those places include Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, Overlook Hospital in Summit, JFK Medical Center in Edison and Robert Wood Johnson and Saint Peter's University hospitals in New Brunswick.
Green realizes that all of these hospitals are feeling the pinch, too, as they anticipate substantial cutbacks in charity-care assistance in Gov. Jon S. Corzine's budget.
"The state and the federal government are going to have to realize that these hospitals are working in the red," Green said. "The dollars are not going to be there."
Thus far, Green's task force has addressed four basic issues.
First, Green said, the five hospitals have agreed to look to Muhlenberg employees before hiring others from the outside. This might involve training provided by the state or Union County.
Second, he wants to make sure there are enough vacant beds to accommodate patients at the five surrounding hospitals.
Third is the transportation of patients. This will fall to organizations such as the rescue squads, the Red Cross, volunteers and the hospitals themselves. This must be organized and run professionally, Green said, involving some form of coordination to ensure that every patient gets the best care possible. That includes some system for making sure that all charity-care patients aren't taken to the same facility.
Fourth on Green's agenda is the hope that the state and federal government will recognize an industry in crisis and assist Muhlenberg in making proper use of its campus.
While Solaris has announced that only the emergency room and the nursing school will remain at the Muhlenberg site, Green hopes to preserve as many services as possible, which might include X-ray and laboratory facilities.
"We need to be in a position to entertain entities that benefit the campus," Green said. "We can have entities at the campus that make a profit."
Green hopes to reassure the public with community meetings in the near future.
"We want to make sure that no one gets hurt, no one loses a job and that medical care is guaranteed," Green said.
Those sentiments were echoed by Rudine Smith, CEO of Neighborhood Health Services, which operates the Plainfield Health Center on Myrtle Avenue and two satellite facilities in the city.
"We are working with the task force to make sure we continue to have health care," Smith said.
Last year, 25,970 patients were treated during more than 91,000 visits to the center, one of 19 federally qualified facilities in the state.
Smith says there's no way to predict the future and she will deal with problems as they present themselves.
"We do anticipate an influx of patients," she said. "We are the safety net in the community."
Further down the road, Green said, it's up to the federal government to help people who can't afford insurance.
"Washington needs to help people with health care."
For the moment, however, there are many obstacles and reasons for concern.
"It's going to be horrible," said Jennie Purnell, business manager for the Plainfield Rescue Squad. "We will be affected tremendously. We only have one ambulance on the road, and we have 7,000 calls a year. With increased time and distance (to surrounding hospitals), each call will take at least an hour."
Purnell, who has been asked to serve on Green's task force, said that rescue-squad members will have to make decisions as to where to take people. If the crew knows the patient will likely have to be admitted to an acute-care facility, they will have to bypass whatever emergency facilities are left at Muhlenberg.
"Patients will be waiting," Purnell said. "We don't qualify for charity care. It's going to be a mess."
Neighboring towns offer mutual aid, but they expect to be stressed as well.
"It's the whole health-care system," said Purnell, who also works in the Muhlenberg emergency room. "The money needs to be there. The government has to come up with a plan. It's going to be a difficult transition. It's going to put more people in danger."
Another group looking to the future is the Tri-County Red Cross, which provides 10,000 trips per year -- largely for scheduled medical treatments.
"More people in the community are going to need services," CEO Nathan Rudy said. "We will have to ramp up our programs."
Rudy said that right now everyone -- agencies, churches, etc. -- is thinking about the options. He promises that people will be taken care of.
"We will take people to their appointment, wherever it is," Rudy said. "We view this as a necessary service. That's what we do. We're the Red Cross."
For the work force, there appears to be no consolation.
Patty Greaux of Howell has been a nurse at Muhlenberg for two years.
"Most people are looking for work now," she said. "The reality is there is no guarantee."
Solaris officials have said they will try to transfer one-third of the work force to the system's other locations, but Greaux thinks any transfer would be minimal at best -- especially for nurses.
Greaux said a recent job fair revealed that there are fewer than 60 positions for nurses available at JFK Medical Center in Edison, another Solaris location. Muhlenberg, at the moment, employs more than 300 nurses.
Greaux said that the idea that there is a nursing shortage is a misconception.
"Generally, in the United States, there is great call for nurses," she said. "But in our area, at least five major hospitals have closed in the past 18 months. The market is saturated."
She acknowledges that there might more opportunities for nurses other than bedside nursing in a hospital setting. But she worries about people in ancillary positions who might not have a requisite skill set. She said she knows of four or five couples who work at Muhlenberg who will lose both incomes -- their entire livelihood.
"Plus, there are people who can hardly get to Muhlenberg," she said. "Now, they have to go to JFK."
Greaux, who works in the cardiac-care unit at Muhlenberg, said she saw a case last week where a woman was found unconscious in her home, rushed to the hospital and had to have two stents inserted in her arteries.
"If Muhlenberg wasn't there, she would have died," Greaux said. "It's a shame for the community."
Uncertainty is also the keyword for the doctors on staff at Muhlenberg.
"What can we do?' said Dr. Harold Arlen, a South Plainfield ear, nose and throat specialist who has been on the staff at Muhlenberg for 42 years. "We don't have any power. We can't afford to buy it."
He, too, has accepted reality. But, still there is sadness.
"Muhlenberg has always rendered excellent care," Arlen said. "The nursing service on the floor, in the operating room and in every department is very excellent. I'll be sorry to lose that. It's a big loss for most of the surgeons."
Surgeons, meanwhile, will have to go elsewhere. In addition to JFK Medical Center, where many are still affiliated under the Solaris umbrella, they can perform surgeries at ambulatory care centers, which have prospered throughout Central Jersey.
Those locations closest to Muhlenberg include Mediplex in Edison (near JFK), SurgiCare in Watchung and the Middlesex Surgery Center in Edison.
StoryChat
Am I the only one who sees the insanity of allowing a governor who is going to be responsible for people dying to continue to hold our fates and the fate of the people of our State in his incapable hands? Every New Jersey resident should be contacting the Governor's Office and Demanding his immediate resignation.
Maybe Someonne can answer this question; How many deaths is it going to take unitl someone in power realizes that Muhlenberg closing is a disaster. Oh wait, sorry it is about the bottom line, not the obituarie pages.
Governor Corzine and entire NJ Government wake up and do the right thing. NOW !!!! PLEASE !!!
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:36 am
SkyBlue, to your point, We can be sure that the Solaris/ JFK board has that already lined up. Mad
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:14 am
Dr Arlen didnt say everything. The surgeons and most all of the doctors hate to go to JFK. They say everything is a problem, everything takes longer and everyone argues. It never was or will be the caring/ friendly place that Muhlenberg is.
In addition to absorbing 700 lesser skilled workers into the Plainfield area work force, Assemblyman Green and the mayor should be planning on funding a full time PAID EMS for the city, and likely surroundiung towns such as North and South Plainfield. The volunteer system will simply not be able to cope and will fail. And who will provide the TWO Paramedic units that Muhlenberg now must provide the area? JFK? The Plainfield area wont be their problem anymore!
And as mentioned, there will be the deaths.
Muhlenberg closing will be so sad on so many levels.
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:09 am
I'll bet Assemblyman Green knows a developer who could convert the place into condominiums.
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:52 am
I am so sad to see this hospital close. I got my first job as a nurse aide there in 1964. I have met life long friends there. I was inspired to go to nursing school because of this hospital. I had the opportunity to work there after nursing school and was blessed to be able to be at my surragate mothers bedside as she passed away there. I still can recall the old East 1 side of the building and can close my eyes and still remember the thrill of learning about patient care from the great staff that was there. I remember a close family friend that was in ICU, given last rites and the comfort of the chapel on the first floor. I now live in Fl but the legacy of this great hospital lives on.
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:36 am
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Officials prep for Muhlenberg closing
By CLEM FIORENTINO
STAFF WRITER
The scars are still raw. And perhaps it's still too early to talk about healing.
But Assemblyman Jerry Green, D-Union, while he says he understands the anger and frustration spawned by the announcement that Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield will close its acute-care facility by the end of the summer, thinks it's time to accept reality.
"Right now, people are angry," Green said. "But anger and frustration doesn't help us to move forward. We have to get the word out. We are working on Plan B."
Plan A was Green's effort to work with Solaris Health System officials in an attempt to keep Muhlenberg open. When the facility could not be sold, Solaris announced the shutdown and filed a certificate of need for closure with the state Department of Health and Senior Services.
The questions loom. What happens next? How will the people of Plainfield and its neighboring towns receive medical treatment? Will there be enough beds at surrounding hospitals? What effect will the loss of 1,000 jobs have on the city itself? What will happen to the Muhlenberg campus and the more than 300 affiliated physicians?
"Right now, there is no solid program in place," Green said. "But we are working on it."
By "we," Green means the task force he is putting together in the wake of the announcement. The task force includes representatives from five surrounding hospitals -- those who will be called on to absorb the patient population now being served by Muhlenberg.
"Those hospitals are ready to accept patients," Green said. "Somebody is making sure that they have a place to go."
Those places include Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, Overlook Hospital in Summit, JFK Medical Center in Edison and Robert Wood Johnson and Saint Peter's University hospitals in New Brunswick.
Green realizes that all of these hospitals are feeling the pinch, too, as they anticipate substantial cutbacks in charity-care assistance in Gov. Jon S. Corzine's budget.
"The state and the federal government are going to have to realize that these hospitals are working in the red," Green said. "The dollars are not going to be there."
Thus far, Green's task force has addressed four basic issues.
First, Green said, the five hospitals have agreed to look to Muhlenberg employees before hiring others from the outside. This might involve training provided by the state or Union County.
Second, he wants to make sure there are enough vacant beds to accommodate patients at the five surrounding hospitals.
Third is the transportation of patients. This will fall to organizations such as the rescue squads, the Red Cross, volunteers and the hospitals themselves. This must be organized and run professionally, Green said, involving some form of coordination to ensure that every patient gets the best care possible. That includes some system for making sure that all charity-care patients aren't taken to the same facility.
Fourth on Green's agenda is the hope that the state and federal government will recognize an industry in crisis and assist Muhlenberg in making proper use of its campus.
While Solaris has announced that only the emergency room and the nursing school will remain at the Muhlenberg site, Green hopes to preserve as many services as possible, which might include X-ray and laboratory facilities.
"We need to be in a position to entertain entities that benefit the campus," Green said. "We can have entities at the campus that make a profit."
Green hopes to reassure the public with community meetings in the near future.
"We want to make sure that no one gets hurt, no one loses a job and that medical care is guaranteed," Green said.
Those sentiments were echoed by Rudine Smith, CEO of Neighborhood Health Services, which operates the Plainfield Health Center on Myrtle Avenue and two satellite facilities in the city.
"We are working with the task force to make sure we continue to have health care," Smith said.
Last year, 25,970 patients were treated during more than 91,000 visits to the center, one of 19 federally qualified facilities in the state.
Smith says there's no way to predict the future and she will deal with problems as they present themselves.
"We do anticipate an influx of patients," she said. "We are the safety net in the community."
Further down the road, Green said, it's up to the federal government to help people who can't afford insurance.
"Washington needs to help people with health care."
For the moment, however, there are many obstacles and reasons for concern.
"It's going to be horrible," said Jennie Purnell, business manager for the Plainfield Rescue Squad. "We will be affected tremendously. We only have one ambulance on the road, and we have 7,000 calls a year. With increased time and distance (to surrounding hospitals), each call will take at least an hour."
Purnell, who has been asked to serve on Green's task force, said that rescue-squad members will have to make decisions as to where to take people. If the crew knows the patient will likely have to be admitted to an acute-care facility, they will have to bypass whatever emergency facilities are left at Muhlenberg.
"Patients will be waiting," Purnell said. "We don't qualify for charity care. It's going to be a mess."
Neighboring towns offer mutual aid, but they expect to be stressed as well.
"It's the whole health-care system," said Purnell, who also works in the Muhlenberg emergency room. "The money needs to be there. The government has to come up with a plan. It's going to be a difficult transition. It's going to put more people in danger."
Another group looking to the future is the Tri-County Red Cross, which provides 10,000 trips per year -- largely for scheduled medical treatments.
"More people in the community are going to need services," CEO Nathan Rudy said. "We will have to ramp up our programs."
Rudy said that right now everyone -- agencies, churches, etc. -- is thinking about the options. He promises that people will be taken care of.
"We will take people to their appointment, wherever it is," Rudy said. "We view this as a necessary service. That's what we do. We're the Red Cross."
For the work force, there appears to be no consolation.
Patty Greaux of Howell has been a nurse at Muhlenberg for two years.
"Most people are looking for work now," she said. "The reality is there is no guarantee."
Solaris officials have said they will try to transfer one-third of the work force to the system's other locations, but Greaux thinks any transfer would be minimal at best -- especially for nurses.
Greaux said a recent job fair revealed that there are fewer than 60 positions for nurses available at JFK Medical Center in Edison, another Solaris location. Muhlenberg, at the moment, employs more than 300 nurses.
Greaux said that the idea that there is a nursing shortage is a misconception.
"Generally, in the United States, there is great call for nurses," she said. "But in our area, at least five major hospitals have closed in the past 18 months. The market is saturated."
She acknowledges that there might more opportunities for nurses other than bedside nursing in a hospital setting. But she worries about people in ancillary positions who might not have a requisite skill set. She said she knows of four or five couples who work at Muhlenberg who will lose both incomes -- their entire livelihood.
"Plus, there are people who can hardly get to Muhlenberg," she said. "Now, they have to go to JFK."
Greaux, who works in the cardiac-care unit at Muhlenberg, said she saw a case last week where a woman was found unconscious in her home, rushed to the hospital and had to have two stents inserted in her arteries.
"If Muhlenberg wasn't there, she would have died," Greaux said. "It's a shame for the community."
Uncertainty is also the keyword for the doctors on staff at Muhlenberg.
"What can we do?' said Dr. Harold Arlen, a South Plainfield ear, nose and throat specialist who has been on the staff at Muhlenberg for 42 years. "We don't have any power. We can't afford to buy it."
He, too, has accepted reality. But, still there is sadness.
"Muhlenberg has always rendered excellent care," Arlen said. "The nursing service on the floor, in the operating room and in every department is very excellent. I'll be sorry to lose that. It's a big loss for most of the surgeons."
Surgeons, meanwhile, will have to go elsewhere. In addition to JFK Medical Center, where many are still affiliated under the Solaris umbrella, they can perform surgeries at ambulatory care centers, which have prospered throughout Central Jersey.
Those locations closest to Muhlenberg include Mediplex in Edison (near JFK), SurgiCare in Watchung and the Middlesex Surgery Center in Edison.
StoryChat
Am I the only one who sees the insanity of allowing a governor who is going to be responsible for people dying to continue to hold our fates and the fate of the people of our State in his incapable hands? Every New Jersey resident should be contacting the Governor's Office and Demanding his immediate resignation.
Maybe Someonne can answer this question; How many deaths is it going to take unitl someone in power realizes that Muhlenberg closing is a disaster. Oh wait, sorry it is about the bottom line, not the obituarie pages.
Governor Corzine and entire NJ Government wake up and do the right thing. NOW !!!! PLEASE !!!
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:36 am
SkyBlue, to your point, We can be sure that the Solaris/ JFK board has that already lined up. Mad
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:14 am
Dr Arlen didnt say everything. The surgeons and most all of the doctors hate to go to JFK. They say everything is a problem, everything takes longer and everyone argues. It never was or will be the caring/ friendly place that Muhlenberg is.
In addition to absorbing 700 lesser skilled workers into the Plainfield area work force, Assemblyman Green and the mayor should be planning on funding a full time PAID EMS for the city, and likely surroundiung towns such as North and South Plainfield. The volunteer system will simply not be able to cope and will fail. And who will provide the TWO Paramedic units that Muhlenberg now must provide the area? JFK? The Plainfield area wont be their problem anymore!
And as mentioned, there will be the deaths.
Muhlenberg closing will be so sad on so many levels.
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:09 am
I'll bet Assemblyman Green knows a developer who could convert the place into condominiums.
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:52 am
I am so sad to see this hospital close. I got my first job as a nurse aide there in 1964. I have met life long friends there. I was inspired to go to nursing school because of this hospital. I had the opportunity to work there after nursing school and was blessed to be able to be at my surragate mothers bedside as she passed away there. I still can recall the old East 1 side of the building and can close my eyes and still remember the thrill of learning about patient care from the great staff that was there. I remember a close family friend that was in ICU, given last rites and the comfort of the chapel on the first floor. I now live in Fl but the legacy of this great hospital lives on.
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:36 am
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Friday, March 07, 2008
Contracts - Trenton Times - Padding contracts without approval
Published in the Trenton Times, Thursday, March 06, 2008
State A.G. probes Hamilton contracts
Gilmore administration's practices questioned
BY DARRYL R. ISHERWOOD
HAMILTON -- Investigators from the state Attorney General's Office are examining the way the previous township administration handled construction contracts amid allegations that projects were expanded without proper approvals, township officials revealed this week.
The revelation came after township Public Works Inspector Mitch Kirkuff told the council at a meeting Tuesday that "at least tens of thousands of dollars and possibly hundreds of thousands" had been added to local paving and road projects in past years for additional work without documentation or council approval.
If true, the practice would violate public contract laws, Business Administrator Bill Guhl said.
The inspector told council members the township's files are riddled with inspection reports that show the additional construction, along with comments from various inspectors who refused to sign off on the added work.
In response to the allegations, Guhl reminded Kirkuff and the council members of the ongoing state Attorney General's investigation under way since January, saying the add-ons to construction projects were being looked at.
"Mitch and I have spoken about this already and I can tell you that this consideration is part of the investigation," said Guhl.
The state Attorney General's Office has not confirmed the investigation.
Reached yesterday, Lloyd Jacobs, who formerly headed the planning, engineering and inspections department, acknowledged that change orders were used but said there was nothing wrong with the way the contracts were handled.
He said the change orders were often used to accommodate requests from the public.
"The last administration, I know, made some significant improvements in contract administration," he said. "Those improvements resulted in significant efficiencies, cost savings and more work being done for the public for a given amount of money."
Change orders were put together at the end of a project and were given to the council once the project was complete, Jacobs said.
"From my vantage point I believe what we did was very much in the public interest and I do know we had some major efficiencies that we put in place," he said.
Jacobs also defended the administration, saying that in 1999, the year before Mayor Glen D. Gilmore took office, there were more than $1 million in change orders on public projects.
Jacobs said change orders dropped significantly under the Gilmore administration.
Overall, he said, his department had saved money on contracts during the eight years of the Gilmore administration.
Kirkuff said he had no intention of being a whistleblower, but said he didn't feel he had a choice once council began asking questions.
"I really just wanted to bring to council's attention that sidewalk repairs had been done and paid for by the township and that it wasn't part of the township's responsibilities to take care of that, it's the homeowners' responsibility," he said. "But they asked questions and I'm not going to lie to them."
Although the state Attorney General's Office has not confirmed the investigation sources have told The Times that investigators have been in the municipal building since January. FBI agents have also been in the building, sources have confirmed.
Information on what investigators have been probing for has been scarce, but several employees have been interviewed, officials have said, and the questions have focused, in part, on the financial practices of Gilmore's administration.
This is the first indication that the engineering department is also part of the scope, but Council President Dennis Pone said while he has not been informed specifically about the investigation, he is not surprised.
"I'm not surprised at any of it," Pone said. "I'm not surprised that anyone would be included in any investigation considering what we now know about how the past administration conducted business."
Pone said the council had requested investigations by county, state and federal officials at various times over the past year.
"Apparently it is finally being done by somebody," he said. "We asked for it and we welcome it."
Contact Darryl Isherwood at Disherwood@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5708.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
State A.G. probes Hamilton contracts
Gilmore administration's practices questioned
BY DARRYL R. ISHERWOOD
HAMILTON -- Investigators from the state Attorney General's Office are examining the way the previous township administration handled construction contracts amid allegations that projects were expanded without proper approvals, township officials revealed this week.
The revelation came after township Public Works Inspector Mitch Kirkuff told the council at a meeting Tuesday that "at least tens of thousands of dollars and possibly hundreds of thousands" had been added to local paving and road projects in past years for additional work without documentation or council approval.
If true, the practice would violate public contract laws, Business Administrator Bill Guhl said.
The inspector told council members the township's files are riddled with inspection reports that show the additional construction, along with comments from various inspectors who refused to sign off on the added work.
In response to the allegations, Guhl reminded Kirkuff and the council members of the ongoing state Attorney General's investigation under way since January, saying the add-ons to construction projects were being looked at.
"Mitch and I have spoken about this already and I can tell you that this consideration is part of the investigation," said Guhl.
The state Attorney General's Office has not confirmed the investigation.
Reached yesterday, Lloyd Jacobs, who formerly headed the planning, engineering and inspections department, acknowledged that change orders were used but said there was nothing wrong with the way the contracts were handled.
He said the change orders were often used to accommodate requests from the public.
"The last administration, I know, made some significant improvements in contract administration," he said. "Those improvements resulted in significant efficiencies, cost savings and more work being done for the public for a given amount of money."
Change orders were put together at the end of a project and were given to the council once the project was complete, Jacobs said.
"From my vantage point I believe what we did was very much in the public interest and I do know we had some major efficiencies that we put in place," he said.
Jacobs also defended the administration, saying that in 1999, the year before Mayor Glen D. Gilmore took office, there were more than $1 million in change orders on public projects.
Jacobs said change orders dropped significantly under the Gilmore administration.
Overall, he said, his department had saved money on contracts during the eight years of the Gilmore administration.
Kirkuff said he had no intention of being a whistleblower, but said he didn't feel he had a choice once council began asking questions.
"I really just wanted to bring to council's attention that sidewalk repairs had been done and paid for by the township and that it wasn't part of the township's responsibilities to take care of that, it's the homeowners' responsibility," he said. "But they asked questions and I'm not going to lie to them."
Although the state Attorney General's Office has not confirmed the investigation sources have told The Times that investigators have been in the municipal building since January. FBI agents have also been in the building, sources have confirmed.
Information on what investigators have been probing for has been scarce, but several employees have been interviewed, officials have said, and the questions have focused, in part, on the financial practices of Gilmore's administration.
This is the first indication that the engineering department is also part of the scope, but Council President Dennis Pone said while he has not been informed specifically about the investigation, he is not surprised.
"I'm not surprised at any of it," Pone said. "I'm not surprised that anyone would be included in any investigation considering what we now know about how the past administration conducted business."
Pone said the council had requested investigations by county, state and federal officials at various times over the past year.
"Apparently it is finally being done by somebody," he said. "We asked for it and we welcome it."
Contact Darryl Isherwood at Disherwood@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5708.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Policing - Ledger - James had cop install Riley's AC on city time
Published in the Star-Ledger, Friday, March 07, 2008
Cop offers chilling tale at ex-mayor's trial
James' bodyguard recounts installing air conditioner at woman's apartment
BY JEFF WHELAN AND MARYANN SPOTO
Star-Ledger Staff
A police bodyguard for former Newark mayor Sharpe James testified yesterday that he was ordered to install an air conditioner in the Jersey City apartment of Tamika Riley while he was on duty.
Adelino Benavente, a Newark police officer for 21 years, was the fourth witness prosecutors put on the stand this week in the corruption trial of James and Riley, his co-defendant.
Prosecutors are trying to prove James rigged city land deals for Riley between 2000 and 2006 because she was his girlfriend and are calling witnesses in an attempt to establish that romantic link. Benavente was one of a handful of officers who worked on James' executive protection detail during that period and is one of several of the former mayor's bodyguards expected to testify.
Under questioning from Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Perry Primavera, the veteran police officer often appeared uncomfortable, speaking in clipped sentences and repeatedly saying his recollections about specific dates and details were hazy.
Primavera showed Benavente documents regarding an air conditioner purchased from a P.C. Richards store in July 2002. James' Visa card was billed $409.47 for the purchase, according to statements prosecutors showed the jury.
"I don't recall paying for it, but I recall seeing my signature on one of the receipts," Benavente said, confirming that James authorized him to make the purchase. He said he and two other aides were ordered -- he couldn't recall by whom -- to pick up the air conditioner, deliver it to Riley's Jersey City home, and install it.
Benavente described Riley as a "personal friend of the mayor. An acquaintance." He also said Riley would call his cell phone -- at one point twice a day -- to reach the mayor, but that he did not view such calls as a high enough priority to interrupt the mayor in meetings.
Pressed for details, he said, "I have no recollection of the dates or times." He also said he recalled James once refusing to take Riley's call, saying, "Miss Riley is dating someone. I don't want to talk to her right now."
Benavente is due back on the stand today in federal court in Newark.
Riley's defense attorney has acknowledged she and James had an intimate relationship, but said it was brief and began after Riley had already begun purchasing city land. Prosecutors say the relationship began at least as early as 2000 and that Riley's access to city land dried up during rough patches in the couple's romance.
Rose Marie Posella, James' longtime personal secretary, testified earlier this week that it was her impression Riley became the former mayor's girlfriend as far back as 1999. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged that recollection was different than what she said during her grand jury testimony and in interviews with the FBI. She said she remembered more the more she thought back to that time.
Posella completed her third day on the stand yesterday. Under cross-examination by Gerald Krovatin, Riley's attorney, she acknowledged that in addition to her support of the mayor, Riley was a supporter of City Council members and attended their political events.
Defense attorneys contend the council, not the mayor, has ultimate control over the land deals, which are intended to spur redevelopment.
Prosecutors say James illegally steered nine properties to Riley, a publicist and businesswoman. She purchased the properties for $46,000 and quickly sold them for more than $600,000, usually without any rehabilitation, authorities said.
Prosecutors also called City Clerk Robert Marasco to the stand yesterday to explore those purchases.
Riley's applications for the land deals were lacking required information when they were approved by the council between 2001 and 2004, Marasco said. He also said he perused several packages of resolutions passed by the council approving the sale of the properties to Riley.
Under questioning from Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Kwon, Marasco said three of the packages did not contain project proposals, preliminary site plans, estimated total development costs or amount of financing. The fourth contained something similar to a proposal, but still did not have all the elements required of the applicants, he said.
Marasco also said council members don't meet with developers until after a resolution is placed on their agenda by the administration.
During cross-examination of Marasco, the defense presented 11 municipal ordinances and resolutions that authorized land sales to various developers, all for $2,000 per unit, the same price Riley paid for her properties.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Cop offers chilling tale at ex-mayor's trial
James' bodyguard recounts installing air conditioner at woman's apartment
BY JEFF WHELAN AND MARYANN SPOTO
Star-Ledger Staff
A police bodyguard for former Newark mayor Sharpe James testified yesterday that he was ordered to install an air conditioner in the Jersey City apartment of Tamika Riley while he was on duty.
Adelino Benavente, a Newark police officer for 21 years, was the fourth witness prosecutors put on the stand this week in the corruption trial of James and Riley, his co-defendant.
Prosecutors are trying to prove James rigged city land deals for Riley between 2000 and 2006 because she was his girlfriend and are calling witnesses in an attempt to establish that romantic link. Benavente was one of a handful of officers who worked on James' executive protection detail during that period and is one of several of the former mayor's bodyguards expected to testify.
Under questioning from Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Perry Primavera, the veteran police officer often appeared uncomfortable, speaking in clipped sentences and repeatedly saying his recollections about specific dates and details were hazy.
Primavera showed Benavente documents regarding an air conditioner purchased from a P.C. Richards store in July 2002. James' Visa card was billed $409.47 for the purchase, according to statements prosecutors showed the jury.
"I don't recall paying for it, but I recall seeing my signature on one of the receipts," Benavente said, confirming that James authorized him to make the purchase. He said he and two other aides were ordered -- he couldn't recall by whom -- to pick up the air conditioner, deliver it to Riley's Jersey City home, and install it.
Benavente described Riley as a "personal friend of the mayor. An acquaintance." He also said Riley would call his cell phone -- at one point twice a day -- to reach the mayor, but that he did not view such calls as a high enough priority to interrupt the mayor in meetings.
Pressed for details, he said, "I have no recollection of the dates or times." He also said he recalled James once refusing to take Riley's call, saying, "Miss Riley is dating someone. I don't want to talk to her right now."
Benavente is due back on the stand today in federal court in Newark.
Riley's defense attorney has acknowledged she and James had an intimate relationship, but said it was brief and began after Riley had already begun purchasing city land. Prosecutors say the relationship began at least as early as 2000 and that Riley's access to city land dried up during rough patches in the couple's romance.
Rose Marie Posella, James' longtime personal secretary, testified earlier this week that it was her impression Riley became the former mayor's girlfriend as far back as 1999. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged that recollection was different than what she said during her grand jury testimony and in interviews with the FBI. She said she remembered more the more she thought back to that time.
Posella completed her third day on the stand yesterday. Under cross-examination by Gerald Krovatin, Riley's attorney, she acknowledged that in addition to her support of the mayor, Riley was a supporter of City Council members and attended their political events.
Defense attorneys contend the council, not the mayor, has ultimate control over the land deals, which are intended to spur redevelopment.
Prosecutors say James illegally steered nine properties to Riley, a publicist and businesswoman. She purchased the properties for $46,000 and quickly sold them for more than $600,000, usually without any rehabilitation, authorities said.
Prosecutors also called City Clerk Robert Marasco to the stand yesterday to explore those purchases.
Riley's applications for the land deals were lacking required information when they were approved by the council between 2001 and 2004, Marasco said. He also said he perused several packages of resolutions passed by the council approving the sale of the properties to Riley.
Under questioning from Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Kwon, Marasco said three of the packages did not contain project proposals, preliminary site plans, estimated total development costs or amount of financing. The fourth contained something similar to a proposal, but still did not have all the elements required of the applicants, he said.
Marasco also said council members don't meet with developers until after a resolution is placed on their agenda by the administration.
During cross-examination of Marasco, the defense presented 11 municipal ordinances and resolutions that authorized land sales to various developers, all for $2,000 per unit, the same price Riley paid for her properties.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Santiago elimination - Courier - Council abolishes position
Published in the Courier, Thursday, March 06, 2008
[Removal of Chief Santiago - Ordinance - 1st Reading; Officers detailed]
Latin-American group backs Plainfield chief
By BRANDON LAUSCH
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — As City Council members moved forward Wednesday night with plans to abolish the position of police chief and create the title of civilian police director, the head of the city's Latin American Coalition and others continued to denounce the proposal as a personal vendetta.
Shortly before the City Council session — where council members passed the companion ordinances on first reading — Flor Gonzalez, president of the Latin American Coalition, called for a brief rally in support of Chief Edward Santiago, who faces retirement or demotion to captain next month under the pending laws. The ordinances still require another reading and a public hearing, which will be held March 19, before they are formally adopted.
Gonzalez, who has defended Santiago throughout his embattled tenure as chief, gathered with a dozen members of Plainfield's Hispanic community to wave signs in English and Spanish that signaled their support.
One poster was covered with photographs of Lazaro Tista, a Guatemalan immigrant whom authorities have said was beaten to death last year by three Plainfield men because he was Hispanic. Gonzalez credited the chief and city police for quickly capturing the suspects.
"He's a great asset for the city of Plainfield because he works for our needs," added Pedro Santana, co-owner of Caribe Cab Taxi Corp.
Gonzalez, as she has in public meetings, repeatedly questioned the council's motivation for abolishing the position and claimed the move has no justification. But city officials have countered that hiring a civilian director will add a level of performance accountability to the Police Division.
Under the city's proposed ordinances, a candidate for police director with at least five years of experience in public administration or law enforcement would be appointed by the mayor with City Council consent.
The director, who would serve at the mayor's pleasure, would report to city leaders and the public safety director. The proposed ordinance creating the title also allows the public safety director to hold both positions. Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig has not indicated if he would accept the additional responsibility if asked.
Also included in the ordinance is a provision giving the sitting mayor power to hear and determine any charges filed against a member of the city's police or fire divisions.
Hellwig's pending police reorganization plan, which includes abolishing the chief's position, would expand the responsibilities of the city's five captains and create a sixth bureau for information technology. The administrative duties held by Santiago would be transferred to the police director while his police-related functions would be absorbed by bureau commanders, which could include Santiago if he accepts a demotion.
The proposed ordinance creating the director's position also allows for a significant expansion of the 151-member force. Under the pending law, the Police Division could expand to include up to eight captains, 24 lieutenants, 50 sergeants and 250 patrolman. Though Hellwig and city Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson said the provision will give police leaders future hiring flexibility, some council members have questioned if the numbers are necessary to include.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
[Removal of Chief Santiago - Ordinance - 1st Reading; Officers detailed]
Latin-American group backs Plainfield chief
By BRANDON LAUSCH
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — As City Council members moved forward Wednesday night with plans to abolish the position of police chief and create the title of civilian police director, the head of the city's Latin American Coalition and others continued to denounce the proposal as a personal vendetta.
Shortly before the City Council session — where council members passed the companion ordinances on first reading — Flor Gonzalez, president of the Latin American Coalition, called for a brief rally in support of Chief Edward Santiago, who faces retirement or demotion to captain next month under the pending laws. The ordinances still require another reading and a public hearing, which will be held March 19, before they are formally adopted.
Gonzalez, who has defended Santiago throughout his embattled tenure as chief, gathered with a dozen members of Plainfield's Hispanic community to wave signs in English and Spanish that signaled their support.
One poster was covered with photographs of Lazaro Tista, a Guatemalan immigrant whom authorities have said was beaten to death last year by three Plainfield men because he was Hispanic. Gonzalez credited the chief and city police for quickly capturing the suspects.
"He's a great asset for the city of Plainfield because he works for our needs," added Pedro Santana, co-owner of Caribe Cab Taxi Corp.
Gonzalez, as she has in public meetings, repeatedly questioned the council's motivation for abolishing the position and claimed the move has no justification. But city officials have countered that hiring a civilian director will add a level of performance accountability to the Police Division.
Under the city's proposed ordinances, a candidate for police director with at least five years of experience in public administration or law enforcement would be appointed by the mayor with City Council consent.
The director, who would serve at the mayor's pleasure, would report to city leaders and the public safety director. The proposed ordinance creating the title also allows the public safety director to hold both positions. Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig has not indicated if he would accept the additional responsibility if asked.
Also included in the ordinance is a provision giving the sitting mayor power to hear and determine any charges filed against a member of the city's police or fire divisions.
Hellwig's pending police reorganization plan, which includes abolishing the chief's position, would expand the responsibilities of the city's five captains and create a sixth bureau for information technology. The administrative duties held by Santiago would be transferred to the police director while his police-related functions would be absorbed by bureau commanders, which could include Santiago if he accepts a demotion.
The proposed ordinance creating the director's position also allows for a significant expansion of the 151-member force. Under the pending law, the Police Division could expand to include up to eight captains, 24 lieutenants, 50 sergeants and 250 patrolman. Though Hellwig and city Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson said the provision will give police leaders future hiring flexibility, some council members have questioned if the numbers are necessary to include.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Santiago elimination - Ledger - Council abolishes position
Published in the Star-Ledger, Friday, March 07, 2008
[Removal of Chief Santiago]
Council votes to abolish police chief's position
PLAINFIELD: As expected, the city council approved two controversial public safety ordi nances at Wednesday night's meeting.
The first abolishes the police chief's position and creates a civilian police director, while the second reorganizes the police department and allows the public safety director to simultaneously hold the position of police direc tor.
The measures must now be approved on second reading at the next council meeting, which is March 17. Should that happen, both would take effect April 11, city officials said.
On the vote to eliminate the police chief's position -- Edward Santiago currently holds that title -- the seven-member council voted 5-0 with two abstentions. Council members Rashid Burney, Linda Carter, Don Davis, William Reid and Elliott Simmons approved; while Council President Harold Gibson and Councilman Cory Storch abstained.
On the vote to reorganize the police department, the council passed it 5-2, with Burney, Davis, Gibson, Reid and Simmons approving. Carter and Storch op posed the measure.
Santiago has said he will appeal any attempt to remove him, contending it is politically moti vated on the part of Mayor Sha ron Robinson-Briggs' administration. The mayor says the ordi nances are meant to create a more efficient and accountable police department.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
[Removal of Chief Santiago]
Council votes to abolish police chief's position
PLAINFIELD: As expected, the city council approved two controversial public safety ordi nances at Wednesday night's meeting.
The first abolishes the police chief's position and creates a civilian police director, while the second reorganizes the police department and allows the public safety director to simultaneously hold the position of police direc tor.
The measures must now be approved on second reading at the next council meeting, which is March 17. Should that happen, both would take effect April 11, city officials said.
On the vote to eliminate the police chief's position -- Edward Santiago currently holds that title -- the seven-member council voted 5-0 with two abstentions. Council members Rashid Burney, Linda Carter, Don Davis, William Reid and Elliott Simmons approved; while Council President Harold Gibson and Councilman Cory Storch abstained.
On the vote to reorganize the police department, the council passed it 5-2, with Burney, Davis, Gibson, Reid and Simmons approving. Carter and Storch op posed the measure.
Santiago has said he will appeal any attempt to remove him, contending it is politically moti vated on the part of Mayor Sha ron Robinson-Briggs' administration. The mayor says the ordi nances are meant to create a more efficient and accountable police department.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Santiago elimination - Courier - Editorial: Wrong choice in PR effort
Published in the Courier News, Friday, March 07, 2008
[Editorial - Removal of Chief Santiago]
Plainfield makes wrong choice in PR effort
In their quest to win public support for a plan to oust Police Chief Edward Santiago and replace him with a civilian director, Plainfield city officials this week brought in a man described as "a leading authority on police matters."
His name is Joseph Santiago, no relation to the chief, but rather well known in the state for all the wrong reasons.
Joseph Santiago, the current police director in Trenton, is the former -- and short-lived -- superintendent of state police, one of many ill-conceived appointments by former Gov. Jim McGreevey.
The choice of Santiago, who had been Newark's police director, had all the earmarks of cronyism from the beginning, thanks to McGreevey's ties to former Newark Mayor Sharpe James. Santiago had a checkered personal and professional history in Newark, including a conviction for beating up a corrections officer and tax delinquency.
That background alone made him the wrong choice to head up an agency that itself was struggling so mightily with its own image after racial profiling scandals. But Santiago went on to commit a series of embarrassing blunders during his brief reign as superintendent. Santiago at one point took to wearing a badge and uniform he had supposedly earned from taking a state trooper class that only existed on paper. Santiago also reportedly ordered confiscation of all files potentially critical of himself and his executive staff. And state police investigators also discovered alleged mob links to Santiago.
Joseph Santiago eventually resigned under fire, but found a soft landing in Trenton, although his stint there has not been without its own controversy. A lawsuit citing the city's residency requirement -- which was waived in Santiago's case -- wants Santiago to either move to Trenton or lose his job.
Why does any of this matter now, to Plainfield? City officials already have a credibility problem on this issue. There remains good reason to assume they are motivated primarily by the desire to rid themselves of Chief Santiago. But they can't publicly admit that in gaining state approval for their restructuring plan, so instead, they've crafted the proposal to emphasize the benefits of a civilian director.
Joseph Santiago was invited to speak at a City Council meeting on Monday to reinforce the message, but city leaders could scarcely have found anyone with less credibility. Joseph Santiago may be a fine law enforcement official. But given all of his baggage, is he the one officials should want helping out in what amounts to a public relations campaign?
Officials need to do better than that. If they can't, it only raises more questions about the wisdom of the restructuring plan.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
[Editorial - Removal of Chief Santiago]
Plainfield makes wrong choice in PR effort
In their quest to win public support for a plan to oust Police Chief Edward Santiago and replace him with a civilian director, Plainfield city officials this week brought in a man described as "a leading authority on police matters."
His name is Joseph Santiago, no relation to the chief, but rather well known in the state for all the wrong reasons.
Joseph Santiago, the current police director in Trenton, is the former -- and short-lived -- superintendent of state police, one of many ill-conceived appointments by former Gov. Jim McGreevey.
The choice of Santiago, who had been Newark's police director, had all the earmarks of cronyism from the beginning, thanks to McGreevey's ties to former Newark Mayor Sharpe James. Santiago had a checkered personal and professional history in Newark, including a conviction for beating up a corrections officer and tax delinquency.
That background alone made him the wrong choice to head up an agency that itself was struggling so mightily with its own image after racial profiling scandals. But Santiago went on to commit a series of embarrassing blunders during his brief reign as superintendent. Santiago at one point took to wearing a badge and uniform he had supposedly earned from taking a state trooper class that only existed on paper. Santiago also reportedly ordered confiscation of all files potentially critical of himself and his executive staff. And state police investigators also discovered alleged mob links to Santiago.
Joseph Santiago eventually resigned under fire, but found a soft landing in Trenton, although his stint there has not been without its own controversy. A lawsuit citing the city's residency requirement -- which was waived in Santiago's case -- wants Santiago to either move to Trenton or lose his job.
Why does any of this matter now, to Plainfield? City officials already have a credibility problem on this issue. There remains good reason to assume they are motivated primarily by the desire to rid themselves of Chief Santiago. But they can't publicly admit that in gaining state approval for their restructuring plan, so instead, they've crafted the proposal to emphasize the benefits of a civilian director.
Joseph Santiago was invited to speak at a City Council meeting on Monday to reinforce the message, but city leaders could scarcely have found anyone with less credibility. Joseph Santiago may be a fine law enforcement official. But given all of his baggage, is he the one officials should want helping out in what amounts to a public relations campaign?
Officials need to do better than that. If they can't, it only raises more questions about the wisdom of the restructuring plan.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Muhlenberg - Courier - Mayor: Status dire but hopeful
Published in the Courier News, Thursday, March 06, 2008
[SPEAKING OUT]
Mayor reports Muhlenberg status dire but hopeful
I want to address Plainfield about a very important issue, Muhlenberg Medical Center.
First, I am compelled to address the leadership of the Courier News on behalf of the people of Plainfield.
Courier writers, please note that the Plainfield readership has the absolute right to be informed by your paper when their mayor is in attendance, is an active participant and when an address is made on behalf of the residents, employees, business owners and all interested parties, specifically involving our quality of life.
As an instrument of the news that is also an official newspaper for the City of Plainfield, it is your obligation to be inclusive and respectful of the Office of the Mayor, City Administration and City Council. This level of respect should also be extended to Assemblyman Green and Assemblywoman Stender, if they are in attendance at an event in Plainfield, as they serve the 22nd Legislative District which includes Plainfield.
In reading your article in the Sunday, March 2, 2008 newspaper about Muhlenberg, your writer missed an opportunity to inform the people of the comments of their steady supporter, their mayor. For those who know me, they know that my comments are not about "seeing my name in a newspaper." I am always very proud to support my community and my people, and the community frequently lets me know how pleased they are to see me "everywhere." Rather, the important point that I am making at this time is the desire for the people of Plainfield to regularly be informed when I am advocating on their behalf, to protect their rights.
Last week, when I learned of the scheduled Muhlenberg rally, the event was placed on my calendar, as I felt that it was important to provide a factual account of the city's position as it relates to the status of Muhlenberg. Subsequent to making that decision, my office received calls inquiring about the city's position and whether the Plainfield mayor would be at the rally. Many people came out who wanted to know the city's position. As mayor, I provided the information, but it was omitted from the article. I extend my thanks for the comments and the photos that you did print. Those are views that are also very important. Again, as mayor, just as mayors of other communities, as the representative of the people of Plainfield, my comments should have been included.
On another note, I am respectfully renewing my request to you to please be proactive and remember to print "positive" stories about events and achievements which occur in Plainfield. I feel very comfortable in informing you that my request is a mirror request of many people who love Plainfield. It's our home, our place of employment, where we have youngsters who attend school and folks who own businesses. This request is made on behalf of the Democrats, Republicans, Independents, all genders, personal preferences, nationalities, all religions, residents, employees, business owners, educators, veterans, parents, grandparents and guardians, young people, senior citizens, those representing all economic levels and all walks of life.
We all want to read in your newspaper about the good things that occur in Plainfield. We are a thriving, diverse, friendly community with lots to offer. Our media department is pleased to provide you with information for at least three positive weekly stories.
We know that the Courier enjoys coming into Plainfield and reporting on our Queen City. We appreciate your hard work. Please merely accept this as a friendly reminder that if we work together, we can be successful on a huge common goal -- keeping Plainfield properly informed about important issues.
Here's an update regarding a very important issue for the City of Plainfield -- Muhlenberg Medical Center and its status.
On Saturday, March 1, 2008, after attending a funeral in Metuchen, I hurried back to Plainfield to attend the Muhlenberg rally. I express my humble thanks to the hundreds of caring people who I had an opportunity to march and chant with and speak with as we braved the cold, because our collective voices needed to be heard about the dire need for the full services of Muhlenberg to remain in full force.
Many to thank for hospital rally
Thank you to Steve Hatcher, Dr. Cofield, Joan, Larry, Dottie and Joe and the members of POP (Peoples Organization for Progress) for hosting the rally. Thanks to Assemblyman Green, Assemblywoman Stender, Council President Gibson and members of the council for attending. Thanks also to the Plainfield Area NAACP (Pete, Johnny, Larry, Barbara and others), Bishop and Mrs. Benbow and all clergy, Marie and members of the Pemberton Area Block Association and other block associations represented, our youth and many senior citizens, Latino leadership, members of the Frontiers International, various city employees, including our media department, police division, fire department, OEM, city clerk's office, public works and others, various local organization representatives, chamber of commerce members, SID members, educators, business owners, Union County representatives, Plainfielders, friends of Plainfield and representatives of other communities.
Thank you to the Courier News, the Star Ledger, all media and News 12 for being in attendance. Last but not least, thank you to the physicians, nurses, staff members and volunteers of Muhlenberg Medical Center. Thank you to everyone who came out to show their dedication, unification and simply for coming together to fight collectively for what we feel is rightfully ours and the need to voice our opinions and concerns about Muhlenberg remaining as a full-service hospital. Our health cannot come with a price tag. If we do not have a system of good, available managed health care, we have nothing.
Muhlenberg is Plainfield's largest hub and Plainfield's largest employer, employing roughly 1,100 people, many of whom reside in the City of Plainfield. Closing and/or downsizing this facility will hurt many people. Not just the residents of Plainfield, but also people in surrounding communities, such as Scotch Plains, Fanwood, North Plainfield, South Plainfield, Dunellen, Piscataway and even the folks who have been coming from Perth Amboy.
Also, besides having a devastating impact on our ability to offer specific types of medical care to prospective patients, downsizing could result in families being hurt, as some employees will probably be laid off. Those being laid off could possibly end up with no health-care insurance and also an inability to pay their rent or mortgages. If people no longer have health insurance or jobs, they will have to be treated in an emergency room, without a means of payment.
Further, if people are unemployed and can't pay their rents or mortgages, they would have an inability to pay property taxes, which would have a negative effect on the communities where they reside. This total scenario is frightening, as it can have a negative impact in so many ways.
Last year, hospital representatives informed me and Assemblyman Green that Muhlenberg was in a financial situation. In October, the hospital had a $17-million charity care bill, and the State of New Jersey at that time had reimbursed them in the amount of $7 million that resulted in a $10- million deficit for the hospital. Assemblyman Green, Assemblywoman Stender, myself and many hospital representatives traveled to Trenton to meet with New Jersey State representatives. We expressed our strong support to have the hospital remain open, on behalf of the people of Plainfield and the many other communities that it serves.
The state agreed to advance roughly $4.5 million of charity care funds. That helped for a short period of time, but the funds allocated still left a deficit. Unfortunately, there are many people who are currently uninsured in this country, and specifically in this area, who have no choice but to use emergency rooms as a private care facility, then apply for charity care to request the state to pay for the medical services rendered. This is what happened with Muhlenberg Medical Center.
Recently, Gov. Corzine met with the mayors of Union County. The main purpose was to discuss the state budget and the possibility of raising toll rates. The mayors had an opportunity to discuss their issues. I chose to discuss two issues as they pertain to Plainfield -- money for our school district (whether taxpayers would ultimately have to absorb some of the school funding per the new school formula) and the status of Muhlenberg.
Looking for funds to keep Muhlenberg open
I asked if we "could keep the hospital?" I told him that I needed to be able to report to the people of Plainfield. He told me that last year we closed five hospitals and this year we would close four hospitals. Regarding Muhlenberg, Gov. Corzine said that although he could not make any guarantees, he wanted us to know that he was doing whatever he could to help keep the doors of Muhlenberg open.
I know that the State of New Jersey is financially in debt, and that some drastic cuts have to be made, and that our governor has to make some really tough decisions, but somehow, the funds must be found to keep the doors of Muhlenberg open.
Going forward, Assemblyman Green and I will meet this week with several hospitals, and we have formed a task force to provide review. The City of Plainfield has had meetings with various groups that provide medical assistance, to see if they can merge with the hospital, offer their services from the hospital location and provide some of their funding sources to the hospital. There is another idea which will be discussed with some other stakeholders which involves shared services.
My understanding is that it will take the hospital roughly six months to complete its downsizing. Plainfield and surrounding communities, that gives us several months to complete our review of this situation, financial and otherwise, and to keep working together on this very important issue. Muhlenberg is privately owned, and if there are any serious entities wishing to purchase it and maintain it as a full-scale hospital, please contact hospital officials immediately.
How can residents and past patients help? Please write a positive letter of support for Muhlenberg, and mail it to my office: Office of the Mayor, Mayor Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs, Plainfield City Hall, 515 Watchung Ave., Plainfield, NJ 07060. Kindly forward your letters to my office by March 15. I hope to receive thousands of letters, as I will share them with our legislators.
Hopefully, with your help, funding sources will be made available. Thank you in advance for your commitment and desire to work together to help save Muhlenberg and to ultimately save lives. I love you and support you.
Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs is mayor of Plainfield.
StoryChat
Why is it being forced to close when it's part of the Solaris Healthcare System? Yeah yeah, the state is cutting back, hospitals statewide are taking a huge hit. Is somebody mishandling money? Are they using the profits from the hospital to go on all expense paid "business meetings"? Why isn't JFK (Muhlenberg's counterpart) Closing? How much was the CEO and VP making? I mean really - let's be fair, this hospital does not need to be closed. People ought to just cut back their spending and focus on patient satisfaction.
If Muhlenberg were run by the right people, regardless of how much the state has cut funds, our fellow residents would not be losing our beloved Muhlenberg. I can't believe that it has come to this and I'm furious!! My 2 sisters are out of jobs, and I bet you that they're still spending and abusing hospital funds. I think all NJ hospitals should be under federal scrutiny and review. Where is the money Muhlenberg? What happened to it!!! I don't buy this story for a minute that medicare, medicaid and state funding is the real reason it's closing. I think it's the Board of Directors fault. Twisted Evil Evil or Very Mad Twisted Evil
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:43 pm
Kudos to the Mayor and her team for making an effort to address an almost untenable situation. The fact of the matter is that Muhlenbergs demise is a combination of the effects of changing local demographics and cuts by the feds to charity care programs.
The mayor is but one person and not a magician... however this situation makes her an easy scapegoat for people who always want to high light the problems and never acknowledge the efforts that are made.
Everyone has criticisms , but I don't see anyone stepping up to the plate with any real solutions. I don;t know how Mayor Briggs has managed to operate with all her actions being scrutinized under a public microscope... something no other Mayor has had to deal with.
The information age has its benefits and its drawbacks, and some people just abuse it.
If the Courier News wants to be acknowledged as an unbiased voice for local news then they should report the good as well as the bad. Good for you for standing up for your self and for plainfield - Mayor Briggs!
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 12:11 pm
I read this letter twice and all I can say is Where is the report?
I am so glad the newspaper published this letter as evidence to all of our "leadership" in Plainfield.
We are paying exhorbitant taxes and this is all she has to say? Reprimending the newspapers for a job that is suppossed to be done by an incompetent, and very expensive, PR and Community Relations Department?
Where is her concern for the community when she keeps two body guards (never mind that are the same ones that campaigned for her) at her side 24/7?
Where is her long term plan to keep avoiding loses? Where is her plan to support businesses and taxpayers? Is begging the State for more money all she can do?
She says she is concerned with the school, well, she was a member of the Board until she was pulled by the Democratic Party to be "the mayor". I want one, only one, good thing that she did for the schools.
3 years into her administration and not even a working city website. Is that "leadership" and "concern" for her taxpayers and constituents?
Yes, CN. Why don't you report more on her so people can see for themselves what kind of fiasco we have for Mayor.
It's not the closure of Muhlenberg that will run people out of Plainfield, it's her and the council's lack of leadership that will.
I challenge more people to speak up their minds here.
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:44 am
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
[SPEAKING OUT]
Mayor reports Muhlenberg status dire but hopeful
I want to address Plainfield about a very important issue, Muhlenberg Medical Center.
First, I am compelled to address the leadership of the Courier News on behalf of the people of Plainfield.
Courier writers, please note that the Plainfield readership has the absolute right to be informed by your paper when their mayor is in attendance, is an active participant and when an address is made on behalf of the residents, employees, business owners and all interested parties, specifically involving our quality of life.
As an instrument of the news that is also an official newspaper for the City of Plainfield, it is your obligation to be inclusive and respectful of the Office of the Mayor, City Administration and City Council. This level of respect should also be extended to Assemblyman Green and Assemblywoman Stender, if they are in attendance at an event in Plainfield, as they serve the 22nd Legislative District which includes Plainfield.
In reading your article in the Sunday, March 2, 2008 newspaper about Muhlenberg, your writer missed an opportunity to inform the people of the comments of their steady supporter, their mayor. For those who know me, they know that my comments are not about "seeing my name in a newspaper." I am always very proud to support my community and my people, and the community frequently lets me know how pleased they are to see me "everywhere." Rather, the important point that I am making at this time is the desire for the people of Plainfield to regularly be informed when I am advocating on their behalf, to protect their rights.
Last week, when I learned of the scheduled Muhlenberg rally, the event was placed on my calendar, as I felt that it was important to provide a factual account of the city's position as it relates to the status of Muhlenberg. Subsequent to making that decision, my office received calls inquiring about the city's position and whether the Plainfield mayor would be at the rally. Many people came out who wanted to know the city's position. As mayor, I provided the information, but it was omitted from the article. I extend my thanks for the comments and the photos that you did print. Those are views that are also very important. Again, as mayor, just as mayors of other communities, as the representative of the people of Plainfield, my comments should have been included.
On another note, I am respectfully renewing my request to you to please be proactive and remember to print "positive" stories about events and achievements which occur in Plainfield. I feel very comfortable in informing you that my request is a mirror request of many people who love Plainfield. It's our home, our place of employment, where we have youngsters who attend school and folks who own businesses. This request is made on behalf of the Democrats, Republicans, Independents, all genders, personal preferences, nationalities, all religions, residents, employees, business owners, educators, veterans, parents, grandparents and guardians, young people, senior citizens, those representing all economic levels and all walks of life.
We all want to read in your newspaper about the good things that occur in Plainfield. We are a thriving, diverse, friendly community with lots to offer. Our media department is pleased to provide you with information for at least three positive weekly stories.
We know that the Courier enjoys coming into Plainfield and reporting on our Queen City. We appreciate your hard work. Please merely accept this as a friendly reminder that if we work together, we can be successful on a huge common goal -- keeping Plainfield properly informed about important issues.
Here's an update regarding a very important issue for the City of Plainfield -- Muhlenberg Medical Center and its status.
On Saturday, March 1, 2008, after attending a funeral in Metuchen, I hurried back to Plainfield to attend the Muhlenberg rally. I express my humble thanks to the hundreds of caring people who I had an opportunity to march and chant with and speak with as we braved the cold, because our collective voices needed to be heard about the dire need for the full services of Muhlenberg to remain in full force.
Many to thank for hospital rally
Thank you to Steve Hatcher, Dr. Cofield, Joan, Larry, Dottie and Joe and the members of POP (Peoples Organization for Progress) for hosting the rally. Thanks to Assemblyman Green, Assemblywoman Stender, Council President Gibson and members of the council for attending. Thanks also to the Plainfield Area NAACP (Pete, Johnny, Larry, Barbara and others), Bishop and Mrs. Benbow and all clergy, Marie and members of the Pemberton Area Block Association and other block associations represented, our youth and many senior citizens, Latino leadership, members of the Frontiers International, various city employees, including our media department, police division, fire department, OEM, city clerk's office, public works and others, various local organization representatives, chamber of commerce members, SID members, educators, business owners, Union County representatives, Plainfielders, friends of Plainfield and representatives of other communities.
Thank you to the Courier News, the Star Ledger, all media and News 12 for being in attendance. Last but not least, thank you to the physicians, nurses, staff members and volunteers of Muhlenberg Medical Center. Thank you to everyone who came out to show their dedication, unification and simply for coming together to fight collectively for what we feel is rightfully ours and the need to voice our opinions and concerns about Muhlenberg remaining as a full-service hospital. Our health cannot come with a price tag. If we do not have a system of good, available managed health care, we have nothing.
Muhlenberg is Plainfield's largest hub and Plainfield's largest employer, employing roughly 1,100 people, many of whom reside in the City of Plainfield. Closing and/or downsizing this facility will hurt many people. Not just the residents of Plainfield, but also people in surrounding communities, such as Scotch Plains, Fanwood, North Plainfield, South Plainfield, Dunellen, Piscataway and even the folks who have been coming from Perth Amboy.
Also, besides having a devastating impact on our ability to offer specific types of medical care to prospective patients, downsizing could result in families being hurt, as some employees will probably be laid off. Those being laid off could possibly end up with no health-care insurance and also an inability to pay their rent or mortgages. If people no longer have health insurance or jobs, they will have to be treated in an emergency room, without a means of payment.
Further, if people are unemployed and can't pay their rents or mortgages, they would have an inability to pay property taxes, which would have a negative effect on the communities where they reside. This total scenario is frightening, as it can have a negative impact in so many ways.
Last year, hospital representatives informed me and Assemblyman Green that Muhlenberg was in a financial situation. In October, the hospital had a $17-million charity care bill, and the State of New Jersey at that time had reimbursed them in the amount of $7 million that resulted in a $10- million deficit for the hospital. Assemblyman Green, Assemblywoman Stender, myself and many hospital representatives traveled to Trenton to meet with New Jersey State representatives. We expressed our strong support to have the hospital remain open, on behalf of the people of Plainfield and the many other communities that it serves.
The state agreed to advance roughly $4.5 million of charity care funds. That helped for a short period of time, but the funds allocated still left a deficit. Unfortunately, there are many people who are currently uninsured in this country, and specifically in this area, who have no choice but to use emergency rooms as a private care facility, then apply for charity care to request the state to pay for the medical services rendered. This is what happened with Muhlenberg Medical Center.
Recently, Gov. Corzine met with the mayors of Union County. The main purpose was to discuss the state budget and the possibility of raising toll rates. The mayors had an opportunity to discuss their issues. I chose to discuss two issues as they pertain to Plainfield -- money for our school district (whether taxpayers would ultimately have to absorb some of the school funding per the new school formula) and the status of Muhlenberg.
Looking for funds to keep Muhlenberg open
I asked if we "could keep the hospital?" I told him that I needed to be able to report to the people of Plainfield. He told me that last year we closed five hospitals and this year we would close four hospitals. Regarding Muhlenberg, Gov. Corzine said that although he could not make any guarantees, he wanted us to know that he was doing whatever he could to help keep the doors of Muhlenberg open.
I know that the State of New Jersey is financially in debt, and that some drastic cuts have to be made, and that our governor has to make some really tough decisions, but somehow, the funds must be found to keep the doors of Muhlenberg open.
Going forward, Assemblyman Green and I will meet this week with several hospitals, and we have formed a task force to provide review. The City of Plainfield has had meetings with various groups that provide medical assistance, to see if they can merge with the hospital, offer their services from the hospital location and provide some of their funding sources to the hospital. There is another idea which will be discussed with some other stakeholders which involves shared services.
My understanding is that it will take the hospital roughly six months to complete its downsizing. Plainfield and surrounding communities, that gives us several months to complete our review of this situation, financial and otherwise, and to keep working together on this very important issue. Muhlenberg is privately owned, and if there are any serious entities wishing to purchase it and maintain it as a full-scale hospital, please contact hospital officials immediately.
How can residents and past patients help? Please write a positive letter of support for Muhlenberg, and mail it to my office: Office of the Mayor, Mayor Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs, Plainfield City Hall, 515 Watchung Ave., Plainfield, NJ 07060. Kindly forward your letters to my office by March 15. I hope to receive thousands of letters, as I will share them with our legislators.
Hopefully, with your help, funding sources will be made available. Thank you in advance for your commitment and desire to work together to help save Muhlenberg and to ultimately save lives. I love you and support you.
Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs is mayor of Plainfield.
StoryChat
Why is it being forced to close when it's part of the Solaris Healthcare System? Yeah yeah, the state is cutting back, hospitals statewide are taking a huge hit. Is somebody mishandling money? Are they using the profits from the hospital to go on all expense paid "business meetings"? Why isn't JFK (Muhlenberg's counterpart) Closing? How much was the CEO and VP making? I mean really - let's be fair, this hospital does not need to be closed. People ought to just cut back their spending and focus on patient satisfaction.
If Muhlenberg were run by the right people, regardless of how much the state has cut funds, our fellow residents would not be losing our beloved Muhlenberg. I can't believe that it has come to this and I'm furious!! My 2 sisters are out of jobs, and I bet you that they're still spending and abusing hospital funds. I think all NJ hospitals should be under federal scrutiny and review. Where is the money Muhlenberg? What happened to it!!! I don't buy this story for a minute that medicare, medicaid and state funding is the real reason it's closing. I think it's the Board of Directors fault. Twisted Evil Evil or Very Mad Twisted Evil
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:43 pm
Kudos to the Mayor and her team for making an effort to address an almost untenable situation. The fact of the matter is that Muhlenbergs demise is a combination of the effects of changing local demographics and cuts by the feds to charity care programs.
The mayor is but one person and not a magician... however this situation makes her an easy scapegoat for people who always want to high light the problems and never acknowledge the efforts that are made.
Everyone has criticisms , but I don't see anyone stepping up to the plate with any real solutions. I don;t know how Mayor Briggs has managed to operate with all her actions being scrutinized under a public microscope... something no other Mayor has had to deal with.
The information age has its benefits and its drawbacks, and some people just abuse it.
If the Courier News wants to be acknowledged as an unbiased voice for local news then they should report the good as well as the bad. Good for you for standing up for your self and for plainfield - Mayor Briggs!
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 12:11 pm
I read this letter twice and all I can say is Where is the report?
I am so glad the newspaper published this letter as evidence to all of our "leadership" in Plainfield.
We are paying exhorbitant taxes and this is all she has to say? Reprimending the newspapers for a job that is suppossed to be done by an incompetent, and very expensive, PR and Community Relations Department?
Where is her concern for the community when she keeps two body guards (never mind that are the same ones that campaigned for her) at her side 24/7?
Where is her long term plan to keep avoiding loses? Where is her plan to support businesses and taxpayers? Is begging the State for more money all she can do?
She says she is concerned with the school, well, she was a member of the Board until she was pulled by the Democratic Party to be "the mayor". I want one, only one, good thing that she did for the schools.
3 years into her administration and not even a working city website. Is that "leadership" and "concern" for her taxpayers and constituents?
Yes, CN. Why don't you report more on her so people can see for themselves what kind of fiasco we have for Mayor.
It's not the closure of Muhlenberg that will run people out of Plainfield, it's her and the council's lack of leadership that will.
I challenge more people to speak up their minds here.
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:44 am
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Muhlenberg - Courier - Green forms task force
Published in the Courier News, Friday, March 7, 2008
[MRMC]
Task force formed to study alternatives to Muhlenberg
By BRANDON LAUSCH
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — A day after City Council members unanimously adopted a resolution demanding the continued full-service operation of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, Assemblyman Jerry Green said Thursday he convened a task force to address the impending closure.
Meanwhile, residents and community groups continued to organize additional protests aimed at pressing officials to find a way to keep Plainfield's largest private employer in business.
"It is vital to have all of the health-care providers in the area at the table, working together, to develop alternatives and options for our most vulnerable residents impacted by the closing of Muhlenberg," Green said in a statement. "We have set an aggressive agenda that will produce specific recommendations by May 2008."
Green said the first task-force meeting included, among others, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, executives from Muhlenberg and its parent company, Solaris Health Systems, as well as representatives from surrounding hospitals that will likely see an influx of patients following the closure.
The Democratic Assemblyman said the task force will identify priorities that area hospitals and health centers need to address, such as adequate transportation options for local patients who will need to travel elsewhere for service.
Muhlenberg's financial crisis, officials have said, is the result of declining patient volumes, competition from free-standing outpatient surgery centers and millions of dollars in losses from underfunded charity care the facility must provide to uninsured patients.
The medical center is expected to shut its acute-care facility by the end of the summer, leaving only a satellite emergency room and school of nursing operational. The closure could equate to the loss of 1,000 jobs, according to officials, who said they will work to retain employees at other medical centers.
Included in the city's resolution supporting Muhlenberg are paragraphs lauding the hospital as a "beacon of health" for the region for more than 130 years that has "rightfully earned a reputation as a consistent provider of emergency, acute and long term health care."
Medical-center employees and members of the public told officials as much during passionate testimonials Wednesday, when a parade of residents implored City Council members to save the hospital or rallied each other to keep up the fight. Many residents also told stories of how Muhlenberg personnel saved their lives or those of loved ones — some more than once.
Plainfield's chapter of the People's Organization For Progress, which has coordinated a curbside rally in front of the hospital, will hold another organizational meeting in the ongoing campaign against the closure at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the duCret School of Art, 1030 Central Ave.
The group has scheduled a second protest for noon March 15 at the corner of Randolph Road and Park Avenue.
For more information on the rally, call Steven Hatcher, chairman of the Plainfield branch of People's Organization For Progress, at (908) 731-1518, or state Chairman Lawrence Hamm at (973) 801-0001.
Brandon Lausch can be reached at (908) 707-3175 or blausch@c-n.com.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
[MRMC]
Task force formed to study alternatives to Muhlenberg
By BRANDON LAUSCH
STAFF WRITER
PLAINFIELD — A day after City Council members unanimously adopted a resolution demanding the continued full-service operation of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, Assemblyman Jerry Green said Thursday he convened a task force to address the impending closure.
Meanwhile, residents and community groups continued to organize additional protests aimed at pressing officials to find a way to keep Plainfield's largest private employer in business.
"It is vital to have all of the health-care providers in the area at the table, working together, to develop alternatives and options for our most vulnerable residents impacted by the closing of Muhlenberg," Green said in a statement. "We have set an aggressive agenda that will produce specific recommendations by May 2008."
Green said the first task-force meeting included, among others, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, executives from Muhlenberg and its parent company, Solaris Health Systems, as well as representatives from surrounding hospitals that will likely see an influx of patients following the closure.
The Democratic Assemblyman said the task force will identify priorities that area hospitals and health centers need to address, such as adequate transportation options for local patients who will need to travel elsewhere for service.
Muhlenberg's financial crisis, officials have said, is the result of declining patient volumes, competition from free-standing outpatient surgery centers and millions of dollars in losses from underfunded charity care the facility must provide to uninsured patients.
The medical center is expected to shut its acute-care facility by the end of the summer, leaving only a satellite emergency room and school of nursing operational. The closure could equate to the loss of 1,000 jobs, according to officials, who said they will work to retain employees at other medical centers.
Included in the city's resolution supporting Muhlenberg are paragraphs lauding the hospital as a "beacon of health" for the region for more than 130 years that has "rightfully earned a reputation as a consistent provider of emergency, acute and long term health care."
Medical-center employees and members of the public told officials as much during passionate testimonials Wednesday, when a parade of residents implored City Council members to save the hospital or rallied each other to keep up the fight. Many residents also told stories of how Muhlenberg personnel saved their lives or those of loved ones — some more than once.
Plainfield's chapter of the People's Organization For Progress, which has coordinated a curbside rally in front of the hospital, will hold another organizational meeting in the ongoing campaign against the closure at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the duCret School of Art, 1030 Central Ave.
The group has scheduled a second protest for noon March 15 at the corner of Randolph Road and Park Avenue.
For more information on the rally, call Steven Hatcher, chairman of the Plainfield branch of People's Organization For Progress, at (908) 731-1518, or state Chairman Lawrence Hamm at (973) 801-0001.
Brandon Lausch can be reached at (908) 707-3175 or blausch@c-n.com.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Redevelopment - Ledger - Landmark Developers loses designation in Orange
Published in the Star-Ledger, Thursday, March 6, 2008
[Landmark Developers]
Orange ends deal for new housing
Project put on hold for lack of progress
BY KEVIN C. DILWORTH
Star-Ledger Staff
The Orange City Council has voted to terminate an agreement with a housing developer to construct market-rate housing, including a high-rise apartment building, in the city's Valley section.
The 2006 redevelopment initiative would have covered 10 lots, including the Bravo supermarket on Scotland Road, but is now on indefinite hold, Marty Mayes, the city's director of development, said yesterday.
Frank Cretella, manager of Landmark Developers, also known as LMD Orange Urban Renewal Co., said in a letter to city officials that he tried to make the dream come true, but found no investors and he himself determined the venture to be way too costly.
"We're going to look for another developer, but we're not going to look for one right away because we want to concentrate on other redevelopment areas, primarily the (former) Hospital Center at Orange site, and two former hat factory sites," Mayes said.
Those three housing initiatives are expected to finally take shape this year, officials have said.
In a Feb. 13 letter to Mayes, Cretella wrote that building market-rate housing on the Bravo store site, part of Orange's Central Valley Redevelopment Area, is not financially viable.
"My anticipated acquisition costs, along with the relocation fee to Bravo, bring my cost, per dwelling unit, too high," wrote Cretella, whose Landmark Developers firm is based in Jersey City. "In addition, the project, as designed now, in accordance with the redevelopment plan, calls for a seven-story structure.
"The cost of constructing a seven-story-versus-a five-story structure is about $50 per square foot higher," Cretella said. "We had analyzed redesigning the project to five stories, as well as decreasing the average unit from 1,150 square feet to 950 square feet, but I still feel our cost basis remains too high.
"I also have not had any success in attracting other investors or developers in today's market," Cretella said.
Should the city of Orange find a replacement developer to undertake the market-rate housing venture, all architectural plans, tests and appraisals will be provided to them and to the city, Cretella promised.
That is not the only Orange redevelopment project that has been sidelined.
The multimillion-dollar clustered-brownstone residential community in the East Main Street redevelopment area, a 2 1/2-square-block area near the East Orange border, has been sidelined since September 2005.
The two property owners -- Nicholas Del Spina Jr., of Dell Spina LLC, operator of Truck Body East, and Allied Health Care Systems, a 6,400-square-foot medical equipment rental and supply business at 64 Main St., filed a lawsuit as part of an eminent domain fight with the city.
The owner of each property complained they operated viable businesses and should not be forced to give up their livelihoods for the proposed 283-unit residential brownstone community.
That case remains in litigation, officials said.
The three Orange developers whose housing developments are about to finally see the light of day -- partially because of 20-year-long payment in lieu of tax deals the city council approved -- are:
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
[Landmark Developers]
Orange ends deal for new housing
Project put on hold for lack of progress
BY KEVIN C. DILWORTH
Star-Ledger Staff
The Orange City Council has voted to terminate an agreement with a housing developer to construct market-rate housing, including a high-rise apartment building, in the city's Valley section.
The 2006 redevelopment initiative would have covered 10 lots, including the Bravo supermarket on Scotland Road, but is now on indefinite hold, Marty Mayes, the city's director of development, said yesterday.
Frank Cretella, manager of Landmark Developers, also known as LMD Orange Urban Renewal Co., said in a letter to city officials that he tried to make the dream come true, but found no investors and he himself determined the venture to be way too costly.
"We're going to look for another developer, but we're not going to look for one right away because we want to concentrate on other redevelopment areas, primarily the (former) Hospital Center at Orange site, and two former hat factory sites," Mayes said.
Those three housing initiatives are expected to finally take shape this year, officials have said.
In a Feb. 13 letter to Mayes, Cretella wrote that building market-rate housing on the Bravo store site, part of Orange's Central Valley Redevelopment Area, is not financially viable.
"My anticipated acquisition costs, along with the relocation fee to Bravo, bring my cost, per dwelling unit, too high," wrote Cretella, whose Landmark Developers firm is based in Jersey City. "In addition, the project, as designed now, in accordance with the redevelopment plan, calls for a seven-story structure.
"The cost of constructing a seven-story-versus-a five-story structure is about $50 per square foot higher," Cretella said. "We had analyzed redesigning the project to five stories, as well as decreasing the average unit from 1,150 square feet to 950 square feet, but I still feel our cost basis remains too high.
"I also have not had any success in attracting other investors or developers in today's market," Cretella said.
Should the city of Orange find a replacement developer to undertake the market-rate housing venture, all architectural plans, tests and appraisals will be provided to them and to the city, Cretella promised.
That is not the only Orange redevelopment project that has been sidelined.
The multimillion-dollar clustered-brownstone residential community in the East Main Street redevelopment area, a 2 1/2-square-block area near the East Orange border, has been sidelined since September 2005.
The two property owners -- Nicholas Del Spina Jr., of Dell Spina LLC, operator of Truck Body East, and Allied Health Care Systems, a 6,400-square-foot medical equipment rental and supply business at 64 Main St., filed a lawsuit as part of an eminent domain fight with the city.
The owner of each property complained they operated viable businesses and should not be forced to give up their livelihoods for the proposed 283-unit residential brownstone community.
That case remains in litigation, officials said.
The three Orange developers whose housing developments are about to finally see the light of day -- partially because of 20-year-long payment in lieu of tax deals the city council approved -- are:
Metrovest -- the $100 million Avenue at OrangeKevin C. Dilworth may be reached at kdilworth@starledger.com or (973) 392-4143.
Following a projected year-long asbestos removal effort that is expected to get under way soon, every building on the 8.8-acre, long-closed hospital site will be demolished.
That will pave the way for the construction of a midrise building complex called the Avenue at Orange, which will consist of 375 luxury one- and two-bedroom condominiums, 18,995 square feet of retail space, and a 12,000-square-foot community center with a pool and gymnasium.
F. Berg Hat Factory -- the $10 million Valley Renaissance Center
Berg Development Urban Renewal Associates -- a consortium consisting of the nonprofit Housing and Neighborhood Development Services agency in Orange, the Alpert Group of Fort Lee, and Ironstate Holdings LLC, a division of the Applied Development Co. of Hoboken -- is behind the plan to convert the building into a residential and commercial locale.
The new structure off Nassau and Jefferson streets will feature 29 condominiums on the upper floors and artist's studios and artist-related retail spaces on the ground level.
No Name Hat Factory -- a $1.4 million artist's loft residence
Harvard Development Associates LLC, a co-developer with the Housing and Neighborhood Development Services Inc. agency in Orange, plan to convert the three-story, century-old building at Mitchell and Jefferson streets into 16 lofts where artists will both live and work.
Online story here. Archived here.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
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