Green Goes Gunning
Jerry Green's latest salvo against Board of Education member Christian Estevez reminds me of the reason why I stopped trying to deal with Green on July 9, 2008. He had called me at home to try to get me to put something on my blog, in rather a bullying way. I did not want to spend the day making phone calls to follow up on his allegations. I wanted to go shopping.
Twenty days later, Green began his own blog.
Here is his lofty promise as he began blogging: "From day one, I’ve tried to make my blog different. I’ve made a conscious decision not to get involved with negative blogging or negative blog comments. I am very proud that nothing has gone out on this blog that did not come from my mind."
Well, I leave it to readers to decide whether this has been the case. Because I had the temerity to interview John Campbell after the primary win of Adrian Mapp and Annie McWilliams, Green assigned untrue motives and actions to me on his blog, claiming I was a Republican who worked for the election of Sarah Palin. This pattern has continued with other targets. In the case of Estevez, Green accuses him of a cover-up on an alleged incident at the high school. Estevez has responded point-by-point on his blog and notes Green's ongoing allegations of mismanagement in the school district.
Tossing out smears against people has become a recurring theme on Green's blog. Because most of his charges are vague and lack factual substantiation, or as in the above case cross lines of confidentiality, they boil down to misguided mudslinging that adds nothing to the public discourse. Having an elected official who behaves this way leads to feelings of disenfranchisement and lack of legitimate representation in the halls of government. Conversely, Green seems blind to the shortcomings of the current administration and therefore cannot address objectively such things as the churn of finance directors since 2006 and the lack of movement on capital projects.
No wonder State Superior Court Judge William Wertheimer got a laugh when he joked about the number of people wanting to be mayor of Plainfield. With Green as turret gunner, anyone not kowtowing to his politics is in the crosshairs.
If history is any example, expect the next couple of weeks to bring even more slurs and slams. The days before elections in Plainfield are usually quite depressing for the amount of vitriol flowing from the political establishment. But maybe Green will recall his early blog promise and take the high road in the run-up to June 2.
--Bernice Paglia
Twenty days later, Green began his own blog.
Here is his lofty promise as he began blogging: "From day one, I’ve tried to make my blog different. I’ve made a conscious decision not to get involved with negative blogging or negative blog comments. I am very proud that nothing has gone out on this blog that did not come from my mind."
Well, I leave it to readers to decide whether this has been the case. Because I had the temerity to interview John Campbell after the primary win of Adrian Mapp and Annie McWilliams, Green assigned untrue motives and actions to me on his blog, claiming I was a Republican who worked for the election of Sarah Palin. This pattern has continued with other targets. In the case of Estevez, Green accuses him of a cover-up on an alleged incident at the high school. Estevez has responded point-by-point on his blog and notes Green's ongoing allegations of mismanagement in the school district.
Tossing out smears against people has become a recurring theme on Green's blog. Because most of his charges are vague and lack factual substantiation, or as in the above case cross lines of confidentiality, they boil down to misguided mudslinging that adds nothing to the public discourse. Having an elected official who behaves this way leads to feelings of disenfranchisement and lack of legitimate representation in the halls of government. Conversely, Green seems blind to the shortcomings of the current administration and therefore cannot address objectively such things as the churn of finance directors since 2006 and the lack of movement on capital projects.
No wonder State Superior Court Judge William Wertheimer got a laugh when he joked about the number of people wanting to be mayor of Plainfield. With Green as turret gunner, anyone not kowtowing to his politics is in the crosshairs.
If history is any example, expect the next couple of weeks to bring even more slurs and slams. The days before elections in Plainfield are usually quite depressing for the amount of vitriol flowing from the political establishment. But maybe Green will recall his early blog promise and take the high road in the run-up to June 2.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 2:16 AM
6 Comments:
Estevez and the rest of the board need to have the Ethics Commission do a serious investigation into how Green came by such confidential information. Green appears VERY knowledgeable about this incident, maybe more knowledgeable than he should. Regarding the election, I don't expect that Robinson-Briggs and Green will run a clean campaign. Plainfield voters remember well the absolutely filthy, disgusting, lie-filled campaign they ran 4 years ago to get her elected. Since then she has done nothing but sell a building for a dollar so that Jerry Green's developer friend could build a "condo" complex with space reserved for senior citizens and veterans.
Jerry Green is a disgrace as an elected official. They should not only represent the people with dignity and respect but represent themselves in the same way. Green does neither. The fact that he thinks so little of the people of Plainfield that he believes they will connect some of the silly dots that just don't connect is crazy. For the sake of Plainfield let's hope Green is crazy and not the people of Plainfield. June 2 will tell who needs to be committed.
Unfortunately too many people love gossip and prefer to spread the stories they have heard by way of mouth opposed to good old fashion research.
When you have more of those type of people voting, we are going to be stuck with whomever they "heard" was the best candidate.
A few years ago, when the press released that a US CIA operative was ousted, because of her husband's opinion the Republican machine choose not to deal with the real issue, and instead choose to demonize the whistle-blower.
The above three comments again, choose to ignore the real issue - a young girl and instead choose to demonize the person breaking the news - Jerry Green.
We see how disastrous such self-serving strategies are on a national level. Wonder if Plainfield will learn not to use these tactics, or will we be sentenced to keep reliving the past?
I hope we deal with the real issue: treatment of the student and not the whistle-blower.
TD Smith
To TD Smith - I understand your point, but I do not agree that the end justfies the means.
Since the Mayor's aide,Barbara James, writes his Blog I wonder whether Mr. Green even bothers to read it!
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