It's Cryin' Time Again

So, Mayor Palmer pitched a fit in front of City Council Tuesday evening, daring them to vote to terminate Police Director Joe Santiago for non-residency and vowing to "keep him" anyway.

The Mayor seems to think that the fact that the Santiago family was threatened, received "pornography" in the mail and may have had someone trespass on their property is reason enough to allow this questionable, if not illegal, "waiver."

Besides the amnesia over his own words of several years ago, the Mayor seems to be overlooking a couple of very simple facts.

Mr. Santiago is a career law enforcement professional. If he doesn't know and accept the risks that come with the job, he should retire. And, frankly, the Police Director has been quoted as saying that his family comes above all and everyone else.

Fine. Admirable.

So, if the Director's family is "first, second and third" on his list of priorities, that makes Trenton number four on his list at best! Can he really be the best choice to lead our Police Department then?

Additionally, Mr. Santiago and Mayor Palmer were fully cognizant of the residency requirements of the job when the appointment was made and accepted.

Mr. Santiago made frequent comments about seeking a suitable home here, resided at the Trenton Marriott for awhile (and do we know who actually paid for that choice?) and then allegedly had residences at the Grand Court Villas (aka Cigar Factory) and later with his then assistant, Abe Hemsey. Suddenly, it became important and acceptable for Mr. Santiago to reside elsewhere other than Trenton?

The contradictions and deceits abound.

Santiago was going to move here, but the market changed and he could "no longer afford" to buy a house in town? Well, maybe not if it was only going to be a "second home" to hold off the critics. Certainly he could have afforded Trenton by disinvest himself of his Morris County property.

And while we're crying "poor" let us not forget that this is a man being paid over $100,000 per year by the City (not counting a $25,000 stipend, free cars, gas, etc.) and collecting a full pension from 30 years as a cop.

If he can't afford to live in Trenton, maybe he should have applied for some of the subsidized housing opportunities the Palmer administration has been so fond of creating!

As for the Mayor, it is painfully obvious that he does not accept or uphold the very laws of the City he was elected to serve. Otherwise he wouldn't so readily make these arbitrary (and possibly illegal) decisions to circumvent City Ordinances when and for whom it pleases him.

The residency issue is not just about Joe Santiago.

It is not about whether the Police Unions are happy with the administration and it's appointed leadership of the department.

The residency issue is about a Mayor who has gotten so mad with power and position that he has forgotten all about the reasons for civil service rules; integrity; accountability and fair play. It's about circumventing those rules and regulations for political expediency (as in the case about the newly appointed Communications Director, Irv Bradley who not only has a police record, but is also a non-city resident). It's about violating the very Civil Service rules intended to remove the politics from Government jobs and provide equal opportunities to all qualified candidates, not just friends and friends of friends.

Mayor Palmer is worried about how Trenton will be perceived if Joe Santiago is forced out (remember, he was forced out of the State Police before he came to Trenton). Just how does Mayor Palmer, the self-important President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and admitted campaign co-chair for a high-profile Presidential Candidate, think our city is perceived now?

Trenton is a broke and broken, dysfunctional and dyspeptic example of a once great city. We continue to suffer under the despotic rule of a Mayor who lacks the integrity and enlightenment to admit when he is wrong.

Instead of making this personal, the Mayor should admit that mistakes have been made and policies have been broken and/or ignored. Only then can he hope to engage his detractors in a meaningful and positive way.

Until he admits that he is wrong in this matter, Mayor Palmer will never be perceived as more than another "first" that dragged his city into last place.

Now that is something to cry about.

Freedom's Just Another Word For Nothing Left To Lose

But freedom of speech seems to be another matter. At least on the NJ.com/Trenton forum.

Yes, this is the site that has been vilified by Trenton Police Director Santiago as a place where malcontents go to whine and cry about how unfair life is.

Yes, this is the site that has lead to a more than a couple of stories in the Times of Trenton and elsewhere.

Now, posting on the forum has not been high on the list of things to do. Reading it regularly is another thing.

Agree, disagree or just plain get turned off by a post, it was an generally interesting and often informative niche on the web.

The fact that NJ.com and it's partners the Star Ledger and Times of Trenton seem to be willing to exercise their expressed right to control the content of the forum against any semblance of free speech is upsetting. If these media outlets are willing to stifle discourse, how will they react (or have they reacted in the past) to efforts of others to control what they print?

I'm not only disheartened by this apparent lack of appreciation for freedom of speech. And, if has been suggested, it is merely to keep the lid on anything controversial as Trenton prepares for a visit by the US Conference of Mayors (you know, that lobbying group from Washington DC that has erroneously anointed Doug Palmer their leader), then it's really wrong.

No one is saying that everything printed on "the forum" was right, truthful or pertinent. But we're adults here and if you don't like what you are reading...don't go to the website! If the Star Ledger, Times and NJ.com are yielding to pressure from the Palmer administration or anyone else to censor the forum in this manner, they should be deeply embarrassed.

In the meantime, free speech has moved to Trenton Speaks. Check it out and catch up with those that have been unceremoniously booted from the forum.

Now Why Can't We Be Like That?

One of the nice things about sitting on one's front stoop is the casual interactions you have with folks: friends, neighbors or just those passing by. Conversation, ideas and news are exchanged in a casual way.

For example, this tidbit that came my way about someone's recent experience at Freehold's outrageously successful "Cruise Night" event:

Recently we went to Freehold to get some great pizza at Federicci's.

We went on the last Thursday of the month, billed as cruise night.

The normal ride into town is about 2 minutes from Route 33; straight down Main Street to South Street, the center of town. This time it took 25 minutes.

Driving past Throckmorton Street both sides were closed off. There must have been at least 1,000, maybe 1,300 motorcycles lined up in a row with hundreds of men, women, and children checking them out! As we looked toward the old bus station, we noticed the rock band and the additional 500+ bikes extending all the way back to Broad Street. That really impressed us...until we got to the center of town. There both sides of the street, were lined with antique cars.

Wow, can you imagine downtown Trenton lined up with cars?

{NOTE: The Trenton Downtown Association's monthly 'Trenton 2Nite' event features a classic car night once a year with maybe two dozen vehicles on display}

In the center of town, at the head of South Street, there was a 50's band performing in front of the Hall of Records (Freehold is the County Seat of Monmouth County). Vendors were selling everything from hot dogs to bottled water. With only one of each type of vendor, everyone was busy selling.
Approaching the parking lot it too, was jammed with cars, a Doo Wop group, vendors, and people, lots and lots of people. Oh yes, in Freehold vacant lots created when the city has razed a building are turned into FREE parking lots. Lots that are well swept and maintained. So there is ample FREE parking to help PROMOTE business... Can you imagine a free parking lot?

We parked and walked across the street, at a crosswalk, to the pizza place. With 15 tables outside, 35 inside, there was a 35-minute wait. We waited and watched in total amazement. There were at least 20 police officers patrolling the area. NO ONE crossed the street except at a crosswalk. The one person who did cross in the middle of the block got a ticket for jaywalking. Can you imagine an officer in Trenton giving out a jaywalking ticket, or even a ticket for parking the wrong way on a street, or running red lights, or illegal parking, or speeding, or littering?

There were, by my partner's accounting, over 400 cars, twenty-seven restaurants and eatery's along main street and the surrounding side streets, three bands, and between 15 and 20 thousand people spending --what?-- $20 to $30 dollars each!
What would $500,000 injection of cash once a month do for Trenton???

Can you imagine???

Yes we can, but that is all we are allowed to do...imagine. Meanwhile we wait for over 20 years while hoping someone in city government will "get it."

In the meantime, we have to go somewhere else where the town leaders do get it. A place where citizens working in tandem with city government can pull such an event off. Incredible!

Maybe Freehold's Mayor should head up the US Conference of Mayors.

Now we know why he doesn't wear hats.

Seems that our beloved Mayor, "Dapper Doug," just can't get enough of himself.

While perusing You Tube for anything related to good old Trenton, we found this interesting clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adjDU2TxnsU

Now we're not sure what the purpose or intent was. We think it was meant as a "joke."

But it's not funny.

As an aside, we sure hope that whoever produced this got copyright clearances for the TV and movie clips incorporated into the piece. There could be some interesting fallout for misappropriating someone else's creative work.

Coming as it does on the heels of the Esquire fashion layout story, one has to think there was really only one purpose to this video: to feed Doug's hyper-developed ego. Too bad his achievements while in office can't match his inflated sense of self-worth. (In fact, his sole achievement may be that he has stayed in office so long).

As the Mayor's head continues to swell it becomes obvious we won't see him modeling hats anytime soon.