'Taint so, Counselor

*

At Wednesday evening's Council meeting, Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson -- left alone at the Administration's table to speak on its behalf in the absence of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs -- answered questions posed by property owner Larry Thul concerning the proposed East 3rd / Richmond Streets redevelopment proposal.

Mr. Thul asked three important questions: Why has there been no impact statement as required? Why isn't the developer approaching property owners privately rather than have the City declare the area blighted? How can someone barred from participating in public contracts be involved in this deal?

Mr. Williamson asserted that the barred contractor has assured the City (is that in writing?) that he is NOT INVOLVED. Strikes PT as odd, since past research indicated he was a principal and that the business address was his home. What was the no-no that got the guy barred in the first place? Failing to pay prevailing wage rates. Nice, huh?

Mr. Williamson also asserted that declaring a redevelopment area was necessary ". . .because there has been no development in the area for years and years. . ."

Everyone is still waiting to see the impact statement.

Today's Ledger editorialized about this week's NJ Supreme Court ruling on eminent domain --

"In too many instances eminent domain is used to take property that is not blighted from [owners] for development of pricey high rises or other private development. Often the beneficiaries are developers who have been generous political donors. . ."

Generous political donors like the Capodagli interests?

In any event, the notion that there has been no development in the area 'for years and years' is flatly false.

The fact that the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority (PMUA), shoehorned into the 'area in need of redevelopment', has invested over $2 million in improvements, planning, and property acquisition over the past few years -- in preparation for building its new centralized operations facility -- is being totally ignored by the City.

They've even been in a bit of a tussle with the City over it, with the City claiming improvements were made without City permission. The PMUA contends it does not NEED City permission as long as it follows the codes.

Mr. Williamson's remarks put PT in mind of the famous comment by Josef Goebbels, Hitler's Propaganda Minister --

"If you tell a lie big enough, and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

Nice try, Counselor, but 'taint so.

-- Dan Damon

View today's CLIPPINGS here. Not getting your own CLIPPINGS email daily? Click here to get started.