Reid Confronts McWilliams Over Perceived Slight
Someone today reminded me of a blog topic I meant to write about but forgot with all the incursions of workers into my apartment this week to check on a big leak.
Very late in Monday’s City Council meeting (May 3), Councilman William Reid began a diatribe against City Council President Annie McWilliams over a perceived slight at the April 12 regular City Council meeting. Reid claimed McWilliams excluded him while passing out a last-minute resolution on a proposed $16,000 increase in spending for a “visioning study” on future city development.
“I figure that you bypassed me because you know that I ask questions,” Reid said, adding he was “astounded at the very large disrespect” of the perceived omission.
“You’re learning fast, tricks to get stuff past us,” Reid said, insisting that McWilliams “never, ever do it again.”
Councilwoman Linda Carter recalled that the council went into a two-minute recess to discuss the item, which was received from the administration just that night, as McWilliams also attested. The measure passed after the recess. Reid made no mention April 12 of a slight.
But Reid again told McWilliams Monday, “Please don’t do that any more. If you are going to do that, call me and I will keep my butt home.”
None of the explanations offered mollified Reid. When McWilliams said his protestations made her appear to be unethical, Reid said, “It was unethical.”
As McWilliams asked to defend her action, Reid said, “You can’t defend it to me.”
As the discussion wore on, Reid insisted information was kept from him.
Councilman Cory Storch suggested that a face-to-face private talk would have been more in order than a public confrontation, but Reid was unappeased.
Reid is the First Ward representative. He came on first as an appointee in 2007 succeeding Rayland Van Blake, who left the council to become a Union County freeholder. He ran for the unexpired term in 2008 and has now filed to run for a full four-year term in the November general election. His Republican opponent in November will be Sean Alfred. Reid is also the campaign treasurer for Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.
--Bernice Paglia
Very late in Monday’s City Council meeting (May 3), Councilman William Reid began a diatribe against City Council President Annie McWilliams over a perceived slight at the April 12 regular City Council meeting. Reid claimed McWilliams excluded him while passing out a last-minute resolution on a proposed $16,000 increase in spending for a “visioning study” on future city development.
“I figure that you bypassed me because you know that I ask questions,” Reid said, adding he was “astounded at the very large disrespect” of the perceived omission.
“You’re learning fast, tricks to get stuff past us,” Reid said, insisting that McWilliams “never, ever do it again.”
Councilwoman Linda Carter recalled that the council went into a two-minute recess to discuss the item, which was received from the administration just that night, as McWilliams also attested. The measure passed after the recess. Reid made no mention April 12 of a slight.
But Reid again told McWilliams Monday, “Please don’t do that any more. If you are going to do that, call me and I will keep my butt home.”
None of the explanations offered mollified Reid. When McWilliams said his protestations made her appear to be unethical, Reid said, “It was unethical.”
As McWilliams asked to defend her action, Reid said, “You can’t defend it to me.”
As the discussion wore on, Reid insisted information was kept from him.
Councilman Cory Storch suggested that a face-to-face private talk would have been more in order than a public confrontation, but Reid was unappeased.
Reid is the First Ward representative. He came on first as an appointee in 2007 succeeding Rayland Van Blake, who left the council to become a Union County freeholder. He ran for the unexpired term in 2008 and has now filed to run for a full four-year term in the November general election. His Republican opponent in November will be Sean Alfred. Reid is also the campaign treasurer for Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 2:58 AM
12 Comments:
Now..if you kids can't play nice...I know it would seem " inappropriate " for Annie to do it, but she should have simply said, after attempt number 3.... "BITE ME" . And moved on.
C'mon Reid. What a freaking baby!
It happened on April 12. You could have said something then. You wait almost a month -- and bring it up on "company time"?
A MAN -- a REAL MAN -- would have called McWilliams and discussed it with her person to person and resolved it.
This was just political posturing.
Jesus. This is the kind of person at the reins? Making decisions? Spending OUR money?
Maybe you should stay home, Reid. I don't need immature babies on the council, voting and making decisions.
Reid is an honest and honorable man who always asks thoughtful questions and raises important issues. He has only missed Council meetings when he was too ill to attend. He is nobody's shill and deserves respect from all of us.
I am sick to death of this type of manipulation. Unfortunately I hear it often from teenagers - don't disrespect me - etc. They haven't done anything in their lives to warrant all the respect they think they are due.
This behavior is even worse when it comes from elected (or appointed) officials. In fact, this is Jerry Green's favored method of operation. He's always complaining about how he was disrespected. Pure manipulation. I am so tired of it.
Annie, you didn't do anything wrong. You don't need to apologize. Don't take the bait.
May I say, it did seem out of character for Mr. Reid to confront the council president in this manner and it did end a very long meeting on a sour note.
I think Councilor Reid needs to get a life and not feel so inadequate. He often is, but I don't think Ms. McWilliams is the kind of person to purposely disrespect him, so maybe he needs to look a the mayor's office. He needs to try less to make noise and get attention, as no one cares, and get on with the city's business. I won't vote for him when his seat is up for election again.
As we would have said in the 60's He/She is only being picked on because He/She is a blackperson !! Somehow it always seemed to work then to get his/her way.
Just another ploy but Reid and all to deflect attention from the real issues. What a joke! Why not try to cut some taxes and restore some funding to the library? We need a council who will allocate or demand that the administration allocate to the right places. The Mayor's food budget should be decreased before library hours - PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I thought that JG put Councilor Reid attack Council President McWilliams, I would not defend him. He had a legitimate complaint, unfortunately waters that could have been smoothed over several weeks were not and his anger came to a head at the wrong time. This should not be an issue for the future.
Over many years Reid has asked the most probing questions of any Council person. Although he represents the Old Democrats he is most of the time his own man.
He has my respect and should have yours.
If the Council would go back to the old semi monthly meetings the situation that sparked the incident would never have happened.
I believe that Councilman Reid was asked to bring this up by JG and SRB. He is not a uneducated or vindictive man, but a good soldier.
One thing that I find amusing is this word of disrespect that Plainfielders keep using. It appears that if someone has no other argument, then it boils down to "you disrespected me".
First, respect is earned, not given, so the context in which this word is used is utterly false. The real sentence should be "I didn't get my way, I have no reasonable arguement to give to you, so I am going to whine that you disrespected me".
I expected more from Mr. Reid, and wonder why he waited for a month to confront Annie as opposed to a phone call to Annie. Quite frankly, if anyone was "disrespected" it was the Council President.
Maybe Mr Reid should have his mother call her mother and they can play nicely again. Grow up! A real man would have addressed this in proper form, face to face. At his age, he should know better.
Mr. Reid is a man of outstanding character and continues to be a sound and objective voice in an arena (City Council) which has demonstrated a lack of civility amongst themselves...I respect Mr. Reid's dedication to the party and his committment to all the citizens of Plainfield...He has seen and done it all and needs to be respected!!!
Post a Comment
<< Home