So, Can They Count to Four?
Between now and January 1, the City Council primary winners must attempt to maximize their influence by garnering support from the others on the governing body.
The winners are Annie McWilliams, besting incumbent City Council President Harold Gibson, and Adrian Mapp, defeating incumbent Councilman Don Davis for the Third Ward seat.
Plaintalker received an anguished call Wednesday from Democratic City Committee Chairman Jerry Green, protesting the blog's observance that recent appointees have been "older party stalwarts." Plaintalker was referring to septuagenerian Gibson and retired appointee William Reid, who is running unopposed for the First Ward seat.
The conversation also included Green's observation that almost all the council members, including Don Davis, came in under the New Democrat banner.
As usual, Plaintalker missed the point, because once they win, all elected Democrats come under the umbrella of the Regular Democratic Organization and therefore are no longer "New Democrats."
It is up to the council members who came in under the "New Democrat" banner and are now officially "Regular Democrats" to decide where they fall on the political spectrum in 2008.
Whatever the banner, all residents want to know is how soon the potholes will be fixed, how soon crime will decrease, what real development will take place and how the quality of life in Plainfield will get better.
This writer would give a lot to have the equivalent of former Mayor Rick Taylor's powerful political periscope. Rick could indeed see around corners and foresee political machinations that escaped the rest of us.
Some scenarios offered so far include ploys next year to secure the Fourth Ward seat now occupied by Elliott Simmons and of course alternatives to any second-term thoughts of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.
Stayed tuned, y'all.
--Bernice Paglia
The winners are Annie McWilliams, besting incumbent City Council President Harold Gibson, and Adrian Mapp, defeating incumbent Councilman Don Davis for the Third Ward seat.
Plaintalker received an anguished call Wednesday from Democratic City Committee Chairman Jerry Green, protesting the blog's observance that recent appointees have been "older party stalwarts." Plaintalker was referring to septuagenerian Gibson and retired appointee William Reid, who is running unopposed for the First Ward seat.
The conversation also included Green's observation that almost all the council members, including Don Davis, came in under the New Democrat banner.
As usual, Plaintalker missed the point, because once they win, all elected Democrats come under the umbrella of the Regular Democratic Organization and therefore are no longer "New Democrats."
It is up to the council members who came in under the "New Democrat" banner and are now officially "Regular Democrats" to decide where they fall on the political spectrum in 2008.
Whatever the banner, all residents want to know is how soon the potholes will be fixed, how soon crime will decrease, what real development will take place and how the quality of life in Plainfield will get better.
This writer would give a lot to have the equivalent of former Mayor Rick Taylor's powerful political periscope. Rick could indeed see around corners and foresee political machinations that escaped the rest of us.
Some scenarios offered so far include ploys next year to secure the Fourth Ward seat now occupied by Elliott Simmons and of course alternatives to any second-term thoughts of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.
Stayed tuned, y'all.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 7:37 PM
4 Comments:
Bernice,
Once again you are right. Potholes, crime, development, and quality of life. If Jerry Green's candidates had focused on these things maybe they would not have lost so badly. Jerry Green hasn't figured out yet (after all these years) that slandering individuals and trying to demonize a grassroots community effort to involve more people in the decisions that affect their lives is NOT the way to win. All the money that was spent--$200,000 of HIS money, he stated at the neighborhood forum--was wasted on nastiness that the PEOPLE have rejected. All the petty, vindictive, wasteful, and nasty commentary aimed at individuals who just want positive change has been rejected. The bullying, yelling, the sweaty and hateful invective--can he just let it go? I think not. He owes the McWilliams family, the Mapp family, and the community an apology. Jerry usually says (by way of apology) that "it's not personal, it's just politics," but it is never heartfelt. It is simply empty blather. Those who didn't know Green until they saw his true self emerge during this campaign saw something ugly and destructive to further progress in Plainfield. It is the hope of many that those council members who were elected under the banner of new Democrats but who since have cowered under Jerry Green's strong hold will now "come out" so to speak and do the work that Al McWilliams thought they would do when he supported them. We shall see. Thank you for your fair and accurate reporting.
Although Don Davis was claiming to be a "New Democrat" at the library forum last week, Assemblyman Green's observation is incorrect.
Davis ran on the Democratic line under the RDO banner when McWilliams was municipal chairman.
Just goes to show you. Is Green trying to distance himself from Davis because he lost? Green's obsession with the New Democrats is quite unbecoming for a state representative.
Jerry Green should spend his energy helping Plainfield become a better place, and not in just weilding power - which thankfully he is losing.
And now, we need a new mayor.
We need a Mayor period
Not a hand puppet by the puppet master Jerry.
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