What state are we in?

Whatever happened to Doug's annual pep talk to the people?

Each year, come late October or early November, Doug Palmer used to stand in city council chambers and give his state of the city address. To a packed house of invited guests, media, his cabinet and the full council, Mr. Palmer would tell the story of the city’s progress thus far that year and paint a rosy portrait of where it was going in the coming one.

Some years there were slick “annual report” style booklets published and handed out to attendees. Mostly filled with a collection of “photo op” style pictures and glowing prose extolling the ‘successes’ of the current administration.

The speeches were choreographed affairs. There were shout outs to various administration officials, an acknowledgement of some sort to each council member (unless one happened to be “on the outs” with Mr. Palmer at the particular time), and maybe even the singling out of a member of the public or two that were in attendance. There were also designated “applause points” where the language was crafted to create a pause to be filled with at least polite if not always enthusiastic applause.

At the conclusion of the hour long speech, the crowd would be invited to reconvene at a nearby establishment for free finger food and a cash bar.

That was the routine.

Last year, however, that changed. There was no big “state of the city address” at city hall. No big soiree afterwards.

Ostensibly, Mr. Palmer was too involved in last year’s presidential campaign to make time for facing his colleagues and constituents to report on the state of the city. (Right and we all remember who he originally backed in that horse race.). Oh, there was some sort of “report” given to council in January or February that covered the nuts and bolts of the city’s status. But where was the public presentation? The big whoop-tee-do?

There wasn’t one.

And so far, it doesn’t look like there is going to be a big shindig this year either.

Does anyone wonder why?

Could it be that the state of the city is so poor; so fraught with bad news that Mr. Palmer would rather not have to stand at the podium and looks us in the eye and tell us that he has failed miserably?

Does he not want to tell us, yet again, how good a job he has done, despite the fact that the state controls much of the city’s land and won’t fund us accordingly?

Maybe he doesn’t want to face questions about our still failing school system and the yet to be resolved stalemate over rehabbing or building a new high school.

Maybe he doesn’t want to talk anymore about the layoffs of the inspectors or the fact that his acting Business Administrator is refusing to pay people for the work they have done.

Or is it the tenuous predicament of the city library system and the board that continues to do his ill-bidding even after they retired their scapegoat, long-time President Adrienne Hayling?

And there are the silly legal entanglements Palmer continues to get the city into simply because he refuses to acknowledge he’s wrong. Residency cases, illegal pay raises, referendum on the water utility situation.

How could he possibly put a positive spin on any of this?

He can’t. And so there probably won’t be a formal “state of the city” address this year. And no celebratory cocktail party afterwards.

But, hey! There will be a Thanksgiving parade!

Oh, I can't wait to hear this

Doug Palmer, the man who has presided over Trenton's fiscal ruin these past 18 years, is going to offer suggestions on improving Jon Corzine's plan to help the state weather the current economic crisis.

That's right. According to a notice in today's Trentonian, Mr. Palmer has some ideas to add to the Governor's thoughts.

Like him or not, Governor Corzine came to politics after heading up one of the largest, most successful and still standing Wall Street investment firms--Goldman Sachs. Jon Corzine obviously knows something about finance...at least enough to amass a personal fortune of his own.

Mr. Palmer on the other hand, is a an empty, expensive suit who dresses the part but has nothing but charm and charisma (both running low at this point in his sinking career) to fall back on. Mr. Palmer "married" some money, and has no doubt invested some of his income from his years in city hall.

So while everyone else is taking their time reviewing and critiquing the plan of a Wall Street veteran, that Spring Street Pimp Palmer has already scheduled a press conference to add his two cents.

We'll be lucky if it's worth that much.

Before any of you start jumping up and down and singing the praises of whatever rhetorical remedies Palmer offers, remember this:

He is the one who wants to sell off the one solid, long-term asset of the city (the outlying water distribution infrastructure, much of which the city doesn't technically own) for a one shot, short term financial boost (we can't even say "gain").

And you think he has anything of substance to offer?

Qualified?

Trenton's administration took another hit from the state Merit System Board.

In April, a list of qualified candidates for the city's position of Economic Development Director did not include Anthony Carabelli, Jr. who had held the job provisionally since last fall. Carabelli has appealed the decision, but in the meantime has been reclassified as an "Economic Development Representative."

This comes on the heels of the state's declaration that City Communications Director Irving Bradley is not qualified for that position. Bradley, who was hired last year amidst controversy about his residency and criminal record, was brought in at near the top of the salary range for a position that is arguably not even needed.

Does anyone see a pattern here?

And what of Mr. Carabelli's boss, "Acting" Director of Housing and Economic Development, Sasa Olessi Montaño? We've previously stated our reservations about her suitability for the job.

Based upon these and many more choices, maybe the state should just do what we all know needs to be done.

Let's declare Doug Palmer not qualified to hold the position of Mayor.

Read all about it

TPL Board Should Be Tossed

The Times ran a story this morning about the need for Trenton Library Director Kimberly Bray to take a civil service exam and score in the top three in order to keep her provisional appointment.

Bray's tenuous status was revealed in the wake of stories regarding her potential legal problems back in Utah.

This is just the latest tempest to swirl around the hallowed doors of the Trenton Public Library.

Ms. Bray recently presented various scenarios for dealing with severe budget cuts in this fiscal year that included closing or severely curtailing hours at branches throughout the city.

The provisional director is the latest of six appointees to hold the post over the last eight years.

Hiring practices at the Library were called into question last year with the discovery of an convicted felon who worked in the children's section while wearing an electronic monitoring device. This issue came up again with the revelations of the pending civil suit against Ms. Bray and questions about why it wasn't uncovered in during the background check.

The management and oversight of Library operations have been questioned since Scott Hughes left after less than a year in the director's chair. At the time of his departure, Mr. Hughes communicated his concerns and suggestions to Trenton City Council in a letter.

Questions abound about the dwindling down of a multi-million dollar endowment to approximately $300,000 in less than a decade. Proper Library board meetings and minutes seem to be unheard of.

Much of this can be laid at the feet of Board President, Adrienne Hayling. Ms Hayling has been at the helm of the Trenton Free Public Library Board while it has run aground. (It must be noted for the record that Ms. Hayling is a close and longtime family friend of Doug Palmer. Some have described Ms. Hayling as his "second mother.")

In a blog entry last month, South Ward Councilman straight out says it is time for Ms. Hayling to go. We couldn't agree more.

In fact, it is our considered opinion that the entire current board needs to be scrapped if for no other reason than the six other members have let themselves be bullied by the Board President into doing things her way.

On a similar tack, Dan Dodson has offered up a thought provoking essay on what to do with the Trenton Library System on his blog, Re-inventing Trenton. Mr. Dodson suggest a complete and dramatic change to a different model of what a public library could be.

Old model or new, Trenton needs and deserves a functioning library system.

The current Board is incapable of managing and must be dissolved immediately. A new board should be appointed and a forensic audit undertaken to determine just where the monies have evaporated to.