- Most everybody has gone to some kind of ward system. As cities have evolved...[they]have gone to wards because theyre more efficient and work better. There are fewer layers between people and government
City Council In-Depth Recap 6/17
This Wednesday evening, New Brunswick residents gathered in City Hall for the 5:00 p.m. City Council meeting. Council President Elizabeth Garlatti read a list of items that would be voted on by the five-person council which, along with a few other New Brunswick officials, sat at a large table behind the railing that separated them from the dozens of people who filled the benches. Then individual proposals were voted on, starting with the renewal of the liquor license for La Famosa bar. Assistant City Attorney T.K. Shamy clarified the conditions of this license renewal, such as clearly identified security guards and cameras for monitoring, at the request of EON organizer Charlie Kratovil.
The Council then moved to vote on a 2009 municipal budget of $72,383,280. Garlatti explained the guidelines for how the public could address the council, and then opened the floor to comment. Mr. Kratovil asked how budget changes would affect city employees, and the reason for these changes. The answer was that 8 full time jobs and 3 seasonal ones would be lost, to bring the budget within “acceptable limits,” which were not clearly defined. Council members voted unanimously to approve the budget, and debate between city officials was, as it was through the rest of the meeting, nonexistent.
Then Garlatti submitted a number of items to be voted on at once by her colleagues, such as ordinances for local businesses, permits for events in public places, and approval for construction projects. They were approved, and before resuming public comment, Garlatti said that Mayor Cahill and City Administrator Thomas A. Loughlin deserved to be commended for the difficult work they did in the city. Then Jim Walsh, a resident who was one of the Democrats for Change recently chosen to represent his neighbors in Ward 4, District 4 on the Democratic Committee, stood up and said that, while there were certainly some complex problems that the city was dealing with, there were also some easily-addressable issues that the Mayor and the rest of the city government could take action on.
For instance, he said, speed bumps, stop signs, or crosswalks could be used to make the intersection near Joyce Kilmer Park safer for the children who played there, and who had to cross the street after getting off the school busses. Cedrick Goodman, another New Brunswick resident who won a committee seat under the Democrats for Change banner, also spoke about dangerous intersections that needed to be made safer.
Local Democracy
EON organizers Xavier Hansen and Kate Feeney spoke next. Xavier said that the last election for Democratic committeepeople, where the newly-formed Democrats for Change won 25 seats, was a good example of healthy competition, something quite rare in the New Brunswick political climate, long controlled by the Middlesex County Democratic Organization. It was also an election that showed how the city’s people benefited from less centralized power and more local elections, which let them know more about their candidates and have more say in what issues were emphasized. So it was very undemocratic, he said, for the City Council to approve spending thousands of dollars of taxpayer money in court, fighting to avoid a referendum that would let New Brunswick voters decide on whether or not to have a ward-based system, under which City Council members would be elected from each neighborhood.
Ms. Feeney, who was also a Democrat for Change candidate earlier this month, said that the amount of money in the 2009 budget going towards paying city employees was unreasonable. City employees are not taking raises this year, but still have high salaries. The average city employee in New Brunswick makes over $50,000 a year, in addition to full healthcare benefits, whereas the average person in the city makes only $23,000 annually. To Garlatti and the other officials in the front of the room, she said, “We’re not enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness at the level that you are, and you know it!” She emphasized the many single women raising children in the city, and was met with applause from the other people attending the meeting. Garlatti responded with the standard, “Are there any other members of the public who wish to address the Council at this time?”
Traffic Safety
Yolanda Baker, a new Democrat for Change committeewoman who is herself raising a son and organizing her neighborhood around issues long neglected by the New Brunswick politicians, presented a petition for speed bumps around Joyce Kilmer Park, signed by many Ward 4 residents, including Jeannie Colbert, a woman whose grandson was recently injured by a speeding car. Both of his legs were broken. “You can submit the petition to the city clerk,” Garlatti told Ms. Baker, who asked how long it would take for the petition to be processed. Garlatti deferred to city administrator Loughlin, who indicated the traffic commission could address it at their next meeting and that speed humps would likely take an additional 30 to 60 days to be installed.
Jeannie Colbert and several other of Ms. Baker’s neighbors had accompanied her to the meeting to speak to the assembled politicians. Mrs. Colbert said that the danger of cars to pedestrians had been going on in her neighborhood for far too long. She was struck by a car at age 14, and her mother had also organized protests against the city administration’s neglect of the issue. “We don’t have thirty days!” she said in response to Mr. Loughlin’s timeline. “When that car comes up, it’s going to be somebody else’s child, who might not be as lucky as mine.”
She emphasized the importance of having the process expedited, and Loughlin implied that it didn’t work like that. “That’s because it’s not your child!” Mrs. Colbert answered. Two years ago, a child was hit by a car in Councilwoman Garlatti’s neighborhood, and speed bumps were installed in less than thirty days. Councilman Jimmy Cook seemed to approve the idea of expedition, but the idea was not taken up or voted on by the Council. Police Captain Milligan said that he also understood the importance of a safe crosswalk by the park, and was going to set up a radar detail immediately. The people in the surrounding benches applauded this act.
Police Harassment
A man named Thomas Smith asked, regarding the budget, whether it set money aside to hire more police officers. Mr. Loughlin told him that two new officers would be hired, and Mr. Smith asked him about the residency requirement. The new policemen were New Brunswick residents when tested and hired, Loughlin replied, but after joining the force, they were free to move to other towns. Mr. Smith said that the reason he asked was because of how hostile and insensitive the police seemed towards people where he lived, noting that often harassed young men for no reason. There was one young man who had been walking through a park near Mr. Smith’s house one night when the police stopped him. It was not the first time this had happened on his way to and from his home. He was harassed and shoved against a wall and, when he went to the station to file a complaint, was given a ticket for being in the park at night.
Xavier Hansen spoke again, saying that he agreed with Mr. Smith that the police were out of touch with the New Brunswick populace. He recommended that, when hiring officers, residency checks be made more effective, because it was clear to him that it was “fairly easy in New Brunswick to register at an address and not live at it, and vote from it.”
Michelle Velasquez, a Rutgers student working with EON, stood up to say that the city council was being disrespectful towards the people who came to its meetings, especially Councilman Recine, who had been talking with Mr. Loughlin as Mrs. Colbert was addressing the Council. It was understandable if something urgent came up, she said, but the manner in which they disregarded the words of a woman whose grandson recently wound up in the Intensive Care Unit was incredibly unprofessional. Mr. Kratovil also said that the council was failing to treat the issue as the urgent matter that it was, especially since the New Brunswick schools are going to go on summer break in less than ten days.
Garlatti seemed exasperated that she had to listen to these criticisms, and the next person to speak was Charles Renda, who said, “You’d better get used to this, because the people in New Brunswick have had enough.” The delays of bureaucratic process that the council saw as reasonable when addressing people’s needs stood in stark contrast to the speed at which those inside the city administration worked out deals to accommodate themselves.
Jim Walsh returned to the floor, saying that, by changing their meeting time from 6:30 to 5:00, the City Council had made it impossible for most working people to attend. This was a point that Mr. Smith later backed up in agreement. In addition, Mr. Walsh said, the change in schedule had not been widely publicized, and it was only due to EON and Democrats for Change organizers getting the information out that many of the people present were aware of when they could bring their concerns to the government at all.
Councilman Egan, before the public comments were complete, said, “Move to adjourn,” picked up his papers, and walked out. Mrs. Colbert stood again and spoke about how rude and dismissive he was to do so. “We’re tired of being put on the back burner,” she said. “I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but we are tired.”
She also said that Mr. Egan, having left, should not come back, since he so obviously didn’t care about the needs of those who elected him, and that New Brunswick didn’t need him back as a Councilman at all. People clapped loudly in response to this. At 6:39, the meeting was adjourned, but people didn’t leave right away. The hallways still held the many residents who had shown up in spite of the inconvenient meeting time to voice their opinions of the new direction of New Brunswick politics.
Captain Milligan
New Brunswick Police Captain Milligan deserves credit for his courage at the city council meeting tonight.
Residents of the Joyce Kilmer Park area signed a petition that was presented to the council for speed humps to be installed to slow traffic at the park area. Many of them were present at the meeting and spoke up asking, and all but begging, the council to take expedited action to protect the many children who will be using the park when school ends next week. Our "Good old-gal", council-president Garlatti repeatedly told each of them that they had to "follow the process." Not even Yolanda's eloquent presentation, the plaintiff cries of the grandmother of a child injured there recently, or the expressive fears of Danielle Moore, a school crossing guard who quit her position after being frightened and terrified by the close calls and near accidents of the children she was guiding across the street, and for her own safety, could move Garlatti off her stern, arrogant insistence that they must "follow the process". She told them to go first to a traffic and parking commission meeting next month and allow things to follow the normal, bureaucratic course, however long it might take and however many other children might be injured. She said the council couldn't show favoritism by expediting any one neighborhood danger over others. The process must be followed.
To his credit, about two thirds through the evenng, Councilman Cook spoke up and said he would favor council action to to speed up the process. Still, neither Garlatti, Recine nor Egan supported the prompt measures. In fact, Egan spoke in favor of "following the process", although he did concede that a special meeting of the traffic commission might be possible.
After a dozen or more newly-elected committee-persons, city residents, and eon members argued for nearly an hour for the council to expedite protection this summer for children in the area of Joyce Kilmer Park, New Brunswick Police Captain Milligan stood up and said loudly and clearly that from the very first resident request at the meeting, he had decided to immediately send extra police protection and patrols to the area. I think that probably took a lot of courage. It looked as if he had more sense and a better grasp of the danger than the council. Perhaps he did not speak earlier because he didn't want to embarrass the council by publicly contradicting its obvious insolence, insensitivity, and negligence of its primary duty to protect city residents. But finally he had heard enough and had to speak up, to provide all of us some measure of relief. He may have done so at the risk of possible, future, administrative recriminations against him.
There was even some comic relief, albeit laced with the sadness of witnessing one oblivious to the rights of many against his wn inconvenience. Near the end, Egan picked up his papers, stood up, yelled "Move to adjourn", and walked out before the public comments were complete. Several subsequent residents' comments suggested that he shouldn't return ... ever ... to the council or to the Assembly. As before, he did not hear and instead reappeared a few minutes later. But, in the end it was Cook who moved for adjournment when the meeting ended (for those of you unfamiliar with council meetings, Egan seems to be the designated "adjournment guy", so it was odd to see him defer to Cook).
Thank you Captain Milligan. And congratulations to all our newly-elected committee-persons and the many residents and eon members who stood up, face to face, to the council and wouldn't let up without success. At first, we spoke clearly and politely. When they refused to hear, we shouted. When we shouted, they refused to act. When they refused to act, we demanded action until two of them heard and promised action.
A number of other eon members, Dems4Change, committee persons, and local residents brought many other issues to the council's attention. E.g., inconvenient summer council hours (Charlie K & others), salaries and perks of city employees -vs- poverty levels and deprivations of many residents (Kate & others), dangerous conditions at the intersection of Chester Circle & Hoffman Blvd. (Nona and others), speeding traffic on Livingston Avenue (Jim Walsh & others), the need for city-wide recreation for children (Jim & others), and much, much more.
It was a great meeting - one that I've looked forward to for more than a decade. Yolanda recorded it. If she can get it online, it'll be a must see. Regardless, come to the meetings. No cover charge and great entertainment. And increasingly often, results.
Fundraiser Great Success!
Big thanks to CR for these pics. We all had a great time, over 100 attendees, great food, dancing and I got to see the beginning of a more democratic New Brunswick.
What more could you want?
-Sean
Democracy Has Its Day in Court
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
A desperate attempt to keep opposition candidates off the ballot has landed the New Brunswick Democratic Organization, as well as the City Clerk of New Brunswick in New Jersey Superior Court.
Judge John P. Hurley is expected to rule tomorrow whether the names of 20 candidates running against the machine incumbents on the "Democrats for Change" slate will appear on the ballot.
The Democrats for Change (DC) are a diverse group of New Brunswick residents running for seats on the New Brunswick Democratic Committee, offices that have remained under the control of the local political machine, uncontested for decades until now.
On April 17, after the deadline to do so, our opponents filed false objections to nearly half of our candidates, almost all of whom are affiliated with Rutgers University. The City Clerk, who has a reputation for protecting the local incumbents from electoral challenges, instantly agreed with the party chair, and ordered the candidates names removed from the June 2 ballot.
Our legal team has earned us our day in court and, with your help, we can keep our candidates on the ballot and give voters a real choice this June.
If you care about New Brunswick, or if you care about Rutgers, or even if you just care about democracy and the rights of ordinary people and want to see a fair fight this June 2, WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Help us pack Judge Hurley's Courtroom tomorrow at 2pm to show that New Brunswick cares about democracy. It will make a difference.
MIDDLESEX COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Entrance on Paterson St., across from Clydz
Downtown New Brunswick
Court Room 305, Judge Hurley
Thursday 4/30, 2pm
For directions, call 908-295-8909
For more information or to contribute to the campaign: www.democrats4change.com
SUNDAY STAR-LEDGER ARTICLE
Democrats for Change Running for Committee Seats
NJ Politicker posted coverage of our campaign. This Saturday is a city wide canvass. We are meeting at 90 Bayard St. at 2pm see you then!
New Brunswick reform Dems file 50 county committee candidates
By MATT FRIEDMAN, PolitickerNJ.com Reporter
A group of reform Democrats in New Brunswick is challenging the establishment party.
The group, which runs under the slogan “Democrats for Change,” has filed 50 candidates to run to represent New Brunswick in the Middlesex County Democratic Committee.
Saying that city council members are unresponsive to the various neighborhoods’ constituency (all five council members are elected at-large), the candidates want the city to have ward-based elections.
"There is no communication with the Councilpeople,” said candidate Thomas Peoples. “They never come to the neighborhoods. The only way we can have change is if real people step up to represent that actually live in all neighborhoods.”
New Brunswick’s Democratic machine is a remnant of the more powerful organization that was led by former state Sen. John Lynch,. Among the incumbent council members is Joseph V. Egan, who, along with Mayor Jim Cahill, are the de facto leaders of the local party.
Unprecedented Campaign Begins in New Brunswick
EON Press Release:
New Brunswick Residents Unite For Change in Local Democratic Party
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ— Launching a bold grassroots electoral campaign of a magnitude not seen in decades, a diverse coalition of 50 New Brunswick residents hailing from all corners of the city filed petitions yesterday afternoon (Monday 4/6) to run for seats on the Middlesex County Democratic Committee in the upcoming June 2 election.
The candidates, running under the common slogan “Democrats for Change," represent the full range of city neighborhoods in all five New Brunswick wards and include such notable residents as Thomas Peoples, leader of the Fourth Ward Crime Watch and Angela Salazar, 2002 New Brunswick High School valedictorian.
“Democrats for Change” candidates want each neighborhood to have representatives that will put the real-life concerns of their neighbors first on the city’s agenda.
Noting that current city leaders have grown aloof to the needs of residents and are unknown to most of the city, Thomas Peoples, candidate for committeeman for Ward 4, District 5 said: "There is no communication with the Councilpeople. They never come to the neighborhoods. The only way we can have change is if real people step up to represent that actually LIVE in all neighborhoods.”
Adam Gold, a Rutgers graduate and candidate for committeeman in Ward 6, District 6 added: “I just want people to be able to answer a simple question: Who is representing you?”
“Democrats for Change” plan to address citywide issues that impact all residents such as the lack of representation for many constituencies in the city (by supporting ward-based elections) and the need to improve the city’s schools and to make them more accountable (with an elected school board). Additionally, candidates plan to tackle specific issues impacting their neighborhoods such as improving street cleaning, alleviating parking and transportation problems, offering greater access to affordable and safe housing, expanding and improving city parks, and providing activities and programs for local youth.
“I'm running because I am sick and tired of this city building new condominiums, apartments, and hotels when our schools are falling apart,” said Marge Kerber, member of the Second Ward Crime Watch and candidate for Ward 2, District 4. “I can't imagine how much more money New Brunswick would have if, instead of providing tax abatements to those that have no ties to this city, they used the tax' money from these projects to improve our schools.”
Added Brent Klokis, Rutgers graduate and candidate for committeeman for Ward 6, District 5: "We are about more than just downtown."
The grassroots campaign for seats on the Democratic Party County Committee was initiated by Empower Our Neighborhoods (EON), the New Brunswick community organization that spent most of the past year organizing to return the city to a ward-based election system. The campaign, still being fought in the courts in the face of stubborn opposition from City Hall, brought EON organizers in touch with thousands of residents.
William Simmons, candidate for committeeman for Ward 2, District 2 said, “This diverse group of men and women embody the spirit of the Obama Movement and the ‘Yes We Can’ attitude that brought change on the national level. Now, we want to bring that same change to the local government here.”
In November, EON organizers and volunteers helped bring thousands of voters to the polls where President Obama won New Brunswick in a landslide. The "Democrats for Change" campaign is a natural next step for the community group and marks a unique opportunity because every seat on the committee is up for re-election June 2.
"We are in touch with the residents of our neighborhoods,” added Angela Salazar, candidate for committeewoman for Ward 4, District 4, "and they are not happy with the way the city is being run. We are ready to take back our city by any means necessary. Our nation was able to institute change in our federal government, now it is time to do the same in New Brunswick."
Cedrick Goodman, a lifelong resident and candidate for committeeman in Ward 4, District 1 summed up the campaign: “The time has come for new leadership.”
There are 28 election districts in New Brunswick. Each will elect a man and a woman from the district to the Democratic Party County Committee in the June 2 primary election.
LIST OF “DEMOCRATS FOR CHANGE” CANDIDATES
FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY COUNTY COMMITTEE:
Ward 1, District 1: Nona Dempsey & Sam Romero
Ward 1, District 2: Ginile Weeks & Eddie Rodriguez
Ward 1, District 3: Danielle Stransky & Anthony Fuscaldo
Ward 1, District 4: Keisha Jordan & James Woodley
Ward 1, District 5: Olga Martinez-Sanchez & Cristhian Flores
Ward 1, District 6: Greg Davis
Ward 2, District 1: Lily Naha & James Mona
Ward 2, District 2: Kate Feeney & William Simmons
Ward 2, District 3: Caitlin Ferrer & Thomas McKeon
Ward 2, District 4: Marge Kerber & Michael Nazzaro
Ward 2, District 5: Barbara Cepeda & Jaimie Skinner
Ward 2, District 6: Carmen Azcona & Shaun Belton
Ward 2, District 7: Trudia Jones & Corpus Guante
Ward 4, District 1: Sharon Mitchell & Cedrick Goodman
Ward 4, District 2: Angela Porrespita-Jones & Charles Jones
Ward 4, District 3: Yolonda Baker & Jose Solano
Ward 4, District 4: Angela Salazar & Jim Walsh
Ward 4, District 5: Lyndel Myles & Thomas Peoples
Ward 5, District 1: Ruth Mercado & Ian Campbell
Ward 5, District 2: Amy Braunstein & Sean Monahan
Ward 6, District 1: Meredith Neely & Carmen Rao
Ward 6, District 2: Yelena Shvarts & David Harding
Ward 6, District 3: Stacy Milliman & Patrick Lee
Ward 6, District 4: Leor Tal & Michael Shanahan
Ward 6, District 5: Carolyn Selheim & Brent Klokis
Ward 6, District 6: Adam Gold
Reactions to Last Nights's City Council Meeting
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EON kicked off its new plan to bring concerns from residents throughout the city to the Council, then get their responses on video to help bridge the gap between the Council and the community.
Tremendous attendance included many EON members who were furious over the latest shenanigans the Council, attorney, and Clerk in our efforts to get the ward question to a vote.
Video from the meeting coming soon!
EON Meeting Tuesday 2/17
EON will be having its second public meeting of 2009 at the New Brunswick Free Public Library (Guest House) Tuesday February 17th at 7pm. All are welcome.
If you need directions or have questions, call Charlie at 908.295.8909.
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