Whaddaya think?

Below is the text of the purported Executive Order 10-11 creating Mayor Mack's Commission on International Business Affairs. You can find a pdf of the original here. You read it and then get back to us with answers to these questions:

• Does it make sense?
• Is this something the city of Trenton should be doing right here, right now?
• Is this even "legal"? 

Let us know what you think.

City of Trenton

EXECUTIVE ORDER 10-11

Executive Order by Honorable Mayor Tony F. Mack

Mayor's Commission on International Business Affairs

September 20, 2011

An Executive Order establishing the Mayor's Commission on International Business Affairs to encourage the development and implementation of policies, programs and practices specifically intended to improve conditions affecting the cultural, social, political, educational, health and general well-being of African and Caribbean immigrants, refugees and asylees residing in the City of Trenton, Mercer County. The commission shall make recommendations with regard to the Mayor and /or his designees, all relating to the improvement of conditions in the City of Trenton, Mercer County for International Business communities.

WHEREAS, Several international and humanitarian and international faith based organizations intervened in Africa, Europe and Asia refugee's crisis by arranging to resettle many refugees from these countries Liberia, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Sudan, Somalia, Italy, Russia, Ukrainian, Poland, and other Eastern and to communities within the United States; and

WHEREAS, Beginning in the 1990's and continuing until today, several African countries have undergone severe civil war and political unrest, leading to genocide of many ethnic and religious minorities, as well as the exile of former government leaders and their families, creating hundreds of thousands of refugees and political asylees; and

WHEREAS, At the same time, political unrest throughout the Caribbean, especially in Haiti, created an additional refugee crisis within the Western Hemisphere; and

WHEREAS, Similar umbrella Organizations will be created to represent the Italian, Polish, Russian, Asian, Central and South American Communities etc.

NOW, THEREFORE, by the power vested in me in accordance with Article 5, Plan D 3-­9 of the city of Trenton Charter, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION

The City of Trenton, Mercer County Mayor Commission on International Business Affairs ("the Commission") is hereby established in the Mayor's Office, which office shall pay, from appropriations made to it, all the expenses of such commission

Section 2. FUNCTION OF COMMISSION

·         Host monthly interactive Commission Meetings to promote and inform the African, Caribbean, Italian, Polish, Russian, Asian, Central and South American Immigrants of activities occurring within the Trenton Immigrant Community.

·         Collaborate with African, Caribbean, Italian, Polish, Russian, Asian, Central and South America affiliated organizations in providing support to events such as; health fairs, college fairs, cultural programs, political events, galas, and roundtable discussions on current issues.

·         Make representation at conferences locally, state-wide, and nation-wide and internationally to promote education, job security, and cultural enrichment and immigration issues.

·         Promote business and trade agreements on behalf of the African, Caribbean, Italian, Polish, Russian, Asian, Central and South American Communities.

·         Organize Trade Missions, International Trade and Business Shows and Forums and promote Exports

·         Engage in neighborhood improvements and revitalization programs

·         Assist Immigrants with accessing city services through the office of the Mayor.

Section 3. COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION

Each Independent Commission shall be composed of nine (9) members, who shall serve without compensation. The mayor shall appoint members of the commission as follows:

(a)    The President of City Council or his or her designee;

(b)   The Executive Director /Chairperson of each cultural division

(c)    Two (2) other members of the community appointed by the Mayor

(d)   Five (5) other culturally diverse professional, business owners and faith based community members from the City of Trenton appointed by the commission.

Section 4. COMMISSION OFFICERS

Commission Chair and all other officers of the Commission will be elected in accordance with the process outlined in the bylaws.

The commission will develop and implement bylaws and create a mission statement that supports and reflects the needs of the African and Caribbean immigrant community in the City of Trenton.

Section 5. This order shall be effective immediately.

And, if you check the original document, you will see it is signed on October 19, 2011...one month after the date the order was issued.  Really?

We know one thing, if we were one of the "advisers" to this endeavor listed on the city website, we would be screaming to have our name removed from any and all documents pertaining to this mess.

Do as I say, not as I do

On Thursday, June 9, the city business administrator announced a new policy regarding who could take home city vehicles and why.

From: Colin Cherry [mailto:ccherry@trentonnj.org]


Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 4:47 PM

To: Seigle, John; McKithen, Marc; Rubino, Joseph; Burzachiello, Ralph; 'jjuniack@trentonpolice.net'; 'qbashir@aol.com'; Thompson, Cleveland; Rousseau, David; Denson, Walter; Jones, Nathaniel; Roberts, Anthony

Cc: 'jgnandt@trentonpolice.net'; 'eberry@trentonnj.org'

Subject: Take Home Vehicle Policy

Importance: High

Good afternoon,

Per the direction of the Business Administrator, the following is to be in effect this coming Monday, June 13, 2011 until further notice.

No passenger vehicle (including those assigned to Department Directors) is to be operated outside of business hours. This means that no vehicle should be “taken home”.

The only exceptions to this policy are those employees who work non-standard schedules and require a vehicle to be “on call”. In such cases, the vehicle must be specialized and necessary for the conduct of City business (for example, a water utility van with equipment inside).

All other vehicles are to be parked in their respective lots – that is a Department lot if applicable, the City Hall lot otherwise – at the close of the business day. After the close of business on Monday any vehicle for which the employee has not received special dispensation from the Business Administrator which is found to not be parked as directed will be considered to be in misuse. The Office of the Business Administrator will be forced to assume that the employee has the intention of depriving the City of Trenton of the proper use of that vehicle and all appropriate action will be taken to ensure that it is returned.

Thank you and please ensure that you communicate this directive clearly to your employees.

__________________

Colin Cherry

City of Trenton

Management Assistant

319 East State Street

Trenton, NJ 08608

(609) 989-3532

ccherry@trentonnj.org

All well and good.  After all, it merely conforms (somewhat) to the intent of ordinance 10-007 passed in January of 2010 and limiting the "take home" use of city passenger vehicles.

One little problem, on Monday evening, June 13, 2011 guess who had a city vehicle parked across the street from his Trenton apartment.  Why, none other than Mr. Eric Berry, Business Administrator for the city of Trenton.

I guess his job puts him above and beyond the reach of his own new policy.

Nice one, Mr. Berry.  Way to go.  You obviously care more about what you can get out of the taxpayers' pockets than what you can do to clean up the cess pool that is city hall.