The Drum Major Institute just posted an interview with Trenton mayor Doug Palmer, their latest from the MayorTV series -- an effort to draw attention to urban issues during the presidential election. Palmer specifically touts the "Live Where You Work" program which provides low-interest mortgages as incentive for people to buy homes in urban areas (for now, Trenton and Jersey City) where they work. I won't make the obvious quip about his police director Joseph Santiago not living where he works.
A judge ruled this week that Trenton's police chief Joseph Santiago is in violation of the city's residency requirement since he does not live in Trenton. Trenton mayor Doug Palmer has for years used that residency rule to go after political opponents, but he recently claimed it was no longer valid and the police chief should be allowed to stay.
Greg Forester - who was the lead litigant against the city - calls Palmer out on his inconsistency on his blog The Ruins of Trenton:
It should not be forgotten that in defense of this single city department director, Mayor Palmer committed what should be an unforgivable sin by reversing decades of residency-related policy.
The result of that policy cannot be forgotten: the wanton destruction of the livelihood of dozens of city employees.
His argument that the residency ordinance that he had so faithfully utilized to fire employees and go after opponents was invalid paints Mayor Palmer as nothing more than a two-faced, lying politician who doesn?t deserve to be the mayor of the smallest hamlet in New Jersey, let alone one of its most important cities.
A group of citizens filed suit in Mercer County Superior Court today after becoming outraged over the arrogant bending and breaking of the law at the hands of Mayor Douglas H. Palmer in the case of the non-residency of Police Director Joseph Santiago.
Citing public statements made by Mayor Palmer, administration officials, and Director Santiago himself, the suit seeks an immediate vacating of the directorship, based upon state law that calls for the removal from office of government officials who fail to meet residency laws dictated for municipal positions.
Sorry it's a little later than usual; it's a pretty big round-up today.
Gov. Corzine will hold the State of the State address today at noon. NJN will broadcast it live on TV, as well as radio and online. If you miss it, they will rebroadcast at 10PM. He is expected to stress property tax relief as the top issue for state government.
Yesterday, in time for the Gov's speech, the Assembly approved an appointed state comptroller (A2) and passed a bill to set up a nine-member commission to study the state's tax structure (A6). The Senate approved a bill which strives for more transparency in school board budgets and threatens reduction in state aid when travel expenses are too high (S4).
Other bills advancing yesterday: the full legislature has voted to improve the quality of foods offered in schools; the Senate voted to rename the Lincoln Highway Bridge in Jersey City after two police officers who died there in 2005; and the Senate voted to create a joint legislative committee to oversee affordable housing measures. Dick Codey also introduced a measure to update the state constitution's language regarding the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. The Assembly voted to require 90 days notice when companies close a plant or lay off workers.
Trenton police chief Joseph Santiago can continue to collect his $96,000/year pension (from having been a Newark police officer) while collecting his $125,000 salary for his current position, according to yesterday's ruling by the Police and Firemen's Retirement System's Board of Trustees. The state PBA disagrees, saying he functions as a police officer, specifically performing functions of deputy chiefs he laid off, and should be treated as an officer not as a civilian; they plan an appeal.
Atlantic, Cape May, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties would be eligible as pilot programs for county consolidation of school districts under a bill currently in the Senate (S49). Gloucester county officials promptly expressed interest, while some school boards and unions immediately criticized the plan.
Former Brick Township mayor Joseph Scarpelli pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Newark on Monday to taking more than $5000 in bribes between 1998 and 2003 from potential developers. The maximum prison sentence could be up to 20 years, but more likely would be about 24-30 months.
The Port Authority has dropped plans to allow billboards at the entrance to the George Washington Bridge after criticism over both the commercialization at the bridge and the paltry amount of money being charged for it. If you're going to sell out, you should at least make it worth the while. (There's a Joe Scarpelli joke in here, but I'll let you make it.)
Racism is rearing its ugly head in South Harrison Township: the first black mayor, Charles Tyson, has been receiving threatening phone calls laced with racial epithets on his home and cell phones. "It isn't going to affect anything," said Tyson. "I am going to move forward and be there for the people of South Harrison. Life goes on, we have a job to do." Thank you, Mayor Tyson.
Mass Transit use in Our Fair State is increasing. According to a report by the Tri- State Transportation Campaign, nearly 1 in 10 commuters uses public transportation, and ridership is growing at twice the rate as driving. A great trend!
Atlantic City's famed Steel Pier will remain open one more year. It was scheduled to be demolished this year to make way for luxury developments but the necessary approvals have not been obtained, giving the landmark an additional summer in operation.
Open Thread: What do you want to talk about today, Blue Jersey?
Pay no attention to the shootings and robberies and sexual assaults! Our police are still in control of the city. The gangs are now in disarrary.
That's what Trenton's police director Joseph Santiago would be saying if he wanted to deceive the public about the city's crime problem. He might also stop providing the press with crime reports.
In a one-month period since Police Director Joseph Santiago disbanded the public information unit and instituted a new policy, the city of Trenton had 50 robberies, 29 aggravated assaults, eight sexual assaults and one homicide, according to records obtained under the state's Open Public Records Act (OPRA).
Because of the city's policy shift, just seven of the crimes, including the homicide, were reported in The Times of Trenton.
Santiago instituted the new policy of hiding information from the public because, in his words "Public information wasn't working for me." He's upset that the media isn't clapping loud enough for him.
Santiago said his department was not benefiting from having public information officers deliver a daily dose of incidents to the media. He said he wants to see larger-scale stories, like the city's crime drops and other crime suppression stories, in the city's newspapers.
In Santiago's world, local papers would be filled with stories of all the little girls that haven't been shot in the face. To make matters worse, this clown has the support of mayor Palmer:
And Palmer showed full support for his police director yesterday. "Director Santiago is abiding by (Executive Order) 69, has been and will continue to do (so), and that is just the way it is," the mayor said. "I'm satisfied Director Santiago is operating within his purview."
With leadership like that, it's no wonder the city is such a mess. Santiago should resign (again) and Palmer should apologize to the city for defending the indefensible. Then he should step down and turn the keys over to someone responsible.
