Having your cake and eating it too!

Update: June 2, 2010

Dan claims the following in his blog: "Completely missing from his discussion is that the program has always been grant-driven and there have been reimbursements for provision of client services by the 'sending' county -- including Union County for Plainfield clients."

The Fact: The Dudley House is had costs beyond what was grant funded. Employee fringe benefits, program administrative costs, building space, heating light etc. all cost money. These costs were being borne by taxpayers.  Below please see the actual budget request for $56,000. Add that to emploee fringe benefits (on average of 35% of salary) and you get a total of $127,630.  

Dudley House0002

 

Bottom line: I got it done. We need to focus on getting things done Plainfield. We need to work together and we need solutions - I want to talk about solutions, and what we do from here forward. That is what Plainfield needs. Not excuses. 

Join me as we walk away frm the politics of the past. These are dead anchors - not bridges to the future. We don't need to be anchored to the past. We deserve better then that.  

Join me as we build a better Plainfield.



************************************
The Original Post

Rarely do we find ourselves in a position of wining on both sides. Such was the case for the Dudly House. When I came on the Council I realized that the Dudley House, a drug rehab center was costing taxpayers alomst $100,000 per year.


Upon further inquiry, I learned that 80% of the patients are non-Plainfield residents.

So Plainfield taxpayers are paying for the drug rehab costs of non-Plainfield residents?  Yes, and it had been that way for the past 10 years I was told.

I decided to do something about it.

Why nothing was done about this, I just do not know, but I made it my business to do something about it. The end result of three years of working on this is that we have sucessfully outsourced the facility to a non-profit organization who will actually perform the duty better then we could.  The icing on this cake is that we actually collect revenue from this in the way of rent. 

So we turned something that cost the city almost $100,000 to a positive cash flow of $14,400. 

See the article below from late last year.

Dudley House0001

Rashid Burney for Council

A proud record of accomplishments

Endorsed by:

US Congressman Frank Pallone

Councilwoman Linda Carter, Councilman Bill Reid

Former Councilman Elliott Simmons

Community Activist Jim Spear

Community Activist Jeanette Criscone

Domestic Partners Benefits - What is right....is right

In 2006 I researched, initiated, sponsored and led a simple piece of legislation that allowed the domestic partners of City employees to receive the same as married couples did.

This Plainfield ordinance went into effect BEFORE the state-wide rule went into effect. The first version of the state's law simply allowed the governing bodies to to offer domestic partners the same benefits as married couples. The state's law was three years old when I picked it up in 2006.

Back in 2006, the benefits to domestic parners was not an automatic given, and each municipality had to pass it's own ordinance.

Which is what we did in 2006 when I led the issue.


The Courier News reported on this. See article below.

Domestic Partnership Benefits Article in Newspaper

One Glaring Difference

Updated June 2nd, 2010

I wish to respond briefly to Rebecca Williams June 1, 2010 blog. Ms. Wiliams is one of the challengers for the seat I hold on the City Council. Her blog post was responding to my own blog post of May 29, 2010, regarding her failure to broadcast Council meetings when she was Station Manager for the Plainfield public access TV station.



First, I do not believe my blog entry smeared Ms. Williams reputation as a community media activist. I am sorry she feels it did.

Second, as best I can tell Ms. Williams accuses me of telling three lies :

1. Ms. Williams says I lied when I said she failed to tape Council meetings. I did not say she failed to tape Council meetings, I said she failed to tape and broadcast them. She says "these [meetings] were broadcast on the station several times." I do not recall those occasions. However, "several times" is not what the people need in order to keep track of their government: every Council meeting should be broadcast. That is what I was able to accomplish.
2. Ms. Williams says I lied about her record because I know "how hard she worked to get the city council meetings taped." I did not say that Ms. Williams did not work hard to get Council meetings taped. I said that she failed to get them broadcast.
3. Ms. Wiliams says I lied because she was not "hired for $50,000 per year". Perhaps she was not hired for $50,000 in 2004, but her position was budgeted for $50,000 in 2005. Then for 2006 she requested her salary be increased to $64,657.

Rebecca 0001


The proof that Ms. Williams offers that I lied about these issues is that I expressed appreciation for her efforts to get Council meetings broadcast.

Expressing appreciation for another's efforts is not proof of lying. It is a courtesy for one who perhaps tried but failed.

Ms. Williams blog post shows the style she uses in conducting disagreements. Casual use of words like "dishonesty," "deceitfulness," "unprincipled unethical leadership" and "outright lying" is divisive, alienating and hurts the welfare of our city. Plainfield deserves a Council-person who can use a civil tone in civil discourse to build coalitions and focus on results.

Plainfield also deserves a government which uses every means at its disposal to provide public access to its workings, like broadcasting Council meetings. I was able to get Council meetings broadcast. Ms. Williams was not.

I hope those living in the 2nd and 3rd Wards will consider voting for me on June 8th.

*************************************

ORIGINAL POST
I have stated many times this campaign that I am running on my track record. A track record of action, results, and accomplishments. These results and accomplishments are not promises. They are proof of my ability to focus and get things done for you, Plainfield. 

Of course Ms. Williams has not been on the Council, so how could she show a track record of results and accomplishments?  She cannot.  

Except for one situation.

We can look at one example in which she had an opportunity to make a difference. An opportunity to increase transparency and let the sun shine on Plainfield's government.  An opportunity to make the government more accessible to the taxpayers of Plainfield.

Did she deliver? You decide.

For Ms. Williams, her opportunity came when she became station director for the previous administration.  She was appointed as the station director at Plainfield's (then) Ch 74 for a salary of $50,000 for what was then a part-time position.  

I had been harping that we need to broadcast the Council meetings on our local access TV station.  Ms Williams was station director, Mr. Mapp was Council President, and the New Dems outranked the Regular Dems four to three. So there was no issue of who had control of the Council. 

Despite the clear council majority, Ms. Williams did not to tape and broadcast the Council meetings. It would have been very simple. Other syndicated shows were being broadcast. Other locally recorded shows were being broadcast. So why not Council meetings?

Might it have meant others could scrutinize what was going on at the Council? Might others see Council meetings and might have some questions? Might some even criticize the Council?  So what is wrong with that? Isn't that part of the democratic process?

So why not broadcast the Council meetings?  

The bottom line is that Ms. Williams was in charge of the station from 2004 to early 2006 and through out her tenure, no council meetings were broadcast on our local TV station.  

This deeply disappointed me. 

I am sure you will get a lot of reasons on why it did not happen. But I ask, are excuses really acceptable?

Thus the task was left undone when Ms Williams left the TV station in 2006.  I picked up the pieces and start to get the task done.

After two years of pushing, I got it done. 

Today, our council meetings are broadcast several times per week not only on Comcast but also FIOS. Many residents tell me now that they see us on TV and they enjoy watching us.

A transparent government. Wow!

This single event clearly contrasts myself and Ms. Williams on the same issue. The ability to get something done.....or not.

In summary, what you will not get from me is a lot of promises. You will not get grand visions that will never happen, and you will not get rhetoric that cannot be backed by facts.

But you will get straight talk, action and results.

On June 8th, I ask for your vote to allow me to continue the bring change and bring results for Plainfield. I am working for Plainfield. Not a political faction.

"A Community Activist"

Councilwoman Linda Carter has been a champion for the people in her wards on many issues including the engagement of our youth. Linda has been an active member of the city's block association leadership meetings, and has been the Council's representative to the schools and the annual National Night Out. 

Linda's hard work has not gone unnoticed and now she is running for a spot on the Union County Freeholder board.

Today I am proud to have the endorsement of my colleague on the Council for the past five years, Councilwoman Linda Carter and the next Freeholder from Plainfield.

Councilwoman Linda Carter:
"For the past five years I have worked with Councilman Rashid Burney on Plainfield's City Council. Councilman Burney has been a community activist and has advocated strongly on the council for lower taxes, transparency and community engagement.

He sponsored the Citizens Budget Committee. He championed with several of our colleques to get a traffic safety bureau started and he sponsored and wrote the ordinance that created the Shade Tree Commission in Plainfield.

Burney is not running on promises. He is running on accomplishments and results.

I am proud to be serving on Plainfield City Council with Burney and today, I am equally proud to endorse Rashid Burney for a second term on the Council."

Halloween Safety

Four years ago, Halloween became scary around here- and it wasn’t just the costumes and Jack-o-lanterns that were causing all the fright: groups of teenagers, bent on vandalism and senseless mayhem, walked the Hillside, Netherwood and Sleepy Hollow areas damaging people’s properties and making kids and even some adults afraid.

The result of this was that many people decided to keep thier doors shut and the lights off - the message was clear - no trick-or-treating at this house!


Those kinds of responses to Halloween are just terrible: not only do they ruin a night when community usually has a chance to really come together, but it takes away special, fun memories from the children who are growing up here in Plainfield. That isn’t right.

In response to what was going on, I formed a committee along with other concerned citizens, to see what could be done to address the problem. After many meetings where we discussed what we thought would need to be done, we agreed upon a plan.

We held a public meeting to allow the public to provide input.  After that we reached out to the police department and public safety director Martin Hellwig, who were very receptive to our ideas.

Three years ago, our plans resulted in a new approach to Halloween: weeks before the big night, block association leaders from all over the city met down at Police headquarters to review and discuss plans for Halloween night. Public PSAs were broadcast to inform the community. Even the school system helped out by sending a note home with the kids.  See the 2007 PSA here. 

There is now increased awareness among community members of our goals for a safer Halloween and a much stronger show of police presence on the streets so that parents can feel safer as they walk with their kids from house to house, and people at home can be more confident in decorating their homes and answering their doors.

Halloween really is different now than it was even a few years back, and I hope that it continues to be for years to come. As I see it, every kid deserves the memories of Halloween, and people deserve to feel safe in their homes…every night of the year.

These type of improvements are the heart of what I want for Plainfield: the kind that put what is right ahead of everything else and make it happen for the good of our city.

"An Agent of Change"

For many years now our own congressman,  Frank Pallone, has been championing progressive causes including the environment, social equality, women's rights and other and social issues.

He strongly supported President Obama's health plan, but he strongly opposed the war in Iraq. The way I see it, Pallone has the right stuff and..... frankly speaking, we need 400 Pallones in Congress.

Today, I am pleased to announce the endorsement of US Congressman Frank Pallone.

Here is what Pallone had to say in endorsing me:

"For the past four years Rashid Burney has been an agent of change in Plainfield. He has brought transparency to City Hall, engaged the community through his Citizens Committees and has fought to contain rising property taxes.

Burney is a team player but will act in the best interest of Plainfield.

In 2007 he showed foresight when he endorsed Obama early, and Burney went on to become a delegate for Obama.

Today I am proud to endorse Burney for another four-year term as Councilman in Plainfield."

Truth from Trash: the PMUA

Overview

Many of the residents I speak with are angry about the PMUA. Why wouldn’t they be? A 20% increase in fees at the same time that expensive junkets for board members are unearthed; billing controversies too numerous to mention; it’s enough to leave some scrambling to find alternatives.

It’s helpful when we’re in a mess like this to look at where this came from, where we are now, and what to do to move forward. When I hear the anger from residents that has turned into things like the “Dump the PMUA” campaign, I think of the old Robert Frost quote “Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”

Background

The PMUA was formed in 1995. Before that, every household was free to hire whomever they chose to haul away their trash. There are problems, though, with relying on each resident’s personal sense of responsibility to arrange and pay for trash removal. Trash sometimes piled up on certain properties and in public areas, becoming a health hazard and making Plainfield look and smell disgusting.

In short, residents wanted the services of the PMUA, but they did not want the seemingly unexplained rate hikes, complicated billing structures and perceived waste driving up costs.

The PMUA must reform - and reform quickly. We must demand it! That’s what I have done and continue to do…

What Actions I Have Taken

A resident earlier this week reminded me that even though the Council is not in charge of the PMUA budget, there are political means, albeit extraordinary, which can make change happen, which is exactly what I did a year ago!  As Council President, I summoned the PMUA leadership and demanded changes in the wake of justified outrage over expensive trips for PMUA officials. These discussions resulted in a ban on ALL travel over $250.00 and a six-point agreement. You can see my blog entry here about this from July of 2009. That is a start, but it is by no means an end.

Another part of my discussions with the PMUA was how to cut overall expenses (other than the much needed travel restrictions). There are a few ideas already in the works or at least on the table which could save us plenty of money:

*Pick-up starting from 2:00am Without morning commuters and school children to deal with, trash pickup could be much more efficient if started at 2:00am in the morning. This would mean a significant savings to Plainfield. However, this is an option that Plainfield needs to agree upon. We have to weigh the efficiency vs. some noise of the trucks in the middle of the nights.

*Two pickups weekly in the summer time, a single pick-up in the fall, winter and spring. Especially if residents are following recycling guidelines, most can function fine on a once-weekly pick-up, which is the way many towns run trash pick-up year-round.

*A single truck driver using an automatic pick-up arm

This has been proven successful in several communities and I have urged the PMUA to explore this option for Plainfield

*Consolidation of operations under one roof
I have asked the PMUA to analyze its own organizational plan and look for cost-saving consolidations the way any company might have to in hard financial times. One way to do it is to consolidate it's operations in a single real location where all administrative and executive funcations are under a single roof.

*Expanding Shared Services agreements The PMUA was chartered to become a regional service- not just to operate within Plainfield. At a time when every municipality in the State is facing budget belt-tightening and considering shared services in many areas, this is a golden opportunity for the PMUA to expand its services beyond Plainfield. Profits generated from these agreements and additional payers could help defray costs in Plainfield and spread the PMUA operating costs among more than just Plainfield’s residents.

The PMUA needs to take action to reform In addition to trying the reforms outlined above, it must become more transparent and much more price competitive. Actions such as these would keep the PMUA a viable service provider in Plainfield, but without these kinds of reforms, it is clear that the city should investigate alternatives.

In Summary...
While we value the service that it does provide, we can not be tied to an enterprise that does not make itself efficient and competitive to our detriment as a city. Still, we shouldn’t throw out something that we might clean up and re-use. Let’s demand a clean up at the PMUA and if we still find that it just isn’t worth it, it’ll be out on the curb.

Thank you for reading!

Economic Development - My Vision for the Future of Plainfield
Have you read the book from the 80's titled Megatrends? If you have not, you should. It is still a good read. Well, we are just starting to feel the breezes of a major mega-trend about to start blowing Plainfield around. This mega-trend is the end of cheap oil. The implications are simply astounding! This mega-trend will blow us around. We can simply flap in the wind or we can take advantage of it. The choice is ours.

First of All, We Need a Plan
Tired, government-oriented, or profession-centric programs are not the answer. A fresh thinking and a methodical approach, on proven strategies is the answer here.


The first step in this is to lay the groundwork - get the residents involved in the future of our community. As Council President, I spearheaded the train corridor visioning process and the NJIT Visioning study lays the groundwork for the revitalization of the train corridor.


Next we need a City-wide economic revitalization plan. To that effect, I have led the formation of a Citizens Economic Growth Committee. This Committee will get help from Rutgers and other regional think tanks. They will develop an over-arching, city-wide economic revitalization plan - the plan will take a year, but when we are done, we will have the blue prints of our work: a detailed tactical plan.


Plainfield Village - A Community of Urban Dwellers

  

Before - a picture from the NJIT presentation

After - a possibility - from NJIT presentation

A downtown like Plainfield is begging to be brought to life 24-hours per day. It is begging for a community of residents who live downtown, eat downtown and shop downtown. It is begging to serve ALL of Plainfield's residents and it is begging to once again become the place to go in central Jersey. We can get there and I know how.


First you need a base. In this case the base is a downtown community of condo/apartment dwellers. Not just 2 or 3 buildings - we need a critical mass of people living downtown. This critical mass is necessary to transform downtown into serving a much broader clientele.


We should offer free wi-fi downtown. Elizabeth did this a few years ago for only $30K. Also, we can attract a movie theatre showing latest releases. A movie theater is one of the pillars of a vibrant downtown.


What We Can Look Forward To

Done right, economic development will mean many benefits for Plainfield residents. These include:

* 20+ new restaurants in the downtown areas
* New cafes
* New boutique shops*
* Weekend concerts in the parks and downtown
* Thursday would again, be shopping night

Niche Markets Plainfield Can take Advantage Of

Beyond downtown, which will primarily be filled with residents, and retail and service businesses, there is room for considerable growth of our non-retail sector. Beyond nail salons, and taverns Plainfield can once again become a center of bustling light-industrial activity.

* Plainfield can become a center for Green Energy companies including Solar and next generation energy warehousing and distribution

* Warehousing and light assembly
* Arts and garments
* Organic food preparation
* Call centers


The Results of All of this Economic Activity?
Jobs and lower taxes! We can create up to 3,000 new jobs in Plainfield and up to $8M in new taxes from the improvements and developments that will come our way. Our tax base would become significantly broadened, thus giving some relief to taxes weary residents.


How do I know all of this?
As a business student, I have spent many hours trying to think of what would make a community attractive to business. I have had the fortune to be able to travel the world. Finally I have life experiences of living in Zambia, Pakistan, Chicago and Peoria IL. Further, when I was in charge of over $700m of revenue for AT&T, I made many decisions that brought jobs to and away from local communities. I know what business look for and I know how to leverage our strengths.


This is one of the many differences between myself and my opponent Ms Williams. I have a solid business, enterprise and management experience. Today, I now run my own business.  Over the years, I have learned how to manage people, how to build a budget, how to manage a business and how to make things happen in an organization. These experiences I directly apply to every day matters on the Council.

On June 8th, vote for the Democratic Party - The "A" team!

Legislative Accomplishments

One of the most important aspects of work on the city council is the ability to be part of legislative change. The ability to mold our city for the better in the present and future is truly something powerful and rewarding.
I wanted to tell you about some of the legislative accomplishments made during my time on the council that I am most proud of. These are the kinds of contributions that I hope have the immediate effect of making life better for our residents now, and the long-term effects of improving life in Plainfield for years to come.

Domestic Partnership Legislation

Because of Plainfield’s Domestic Partnership Legislation, a city ordinance that I helped to advance through our city council which was signed by Mayor Robinson-Briggs in 2006, partners of Plainfield City employees in domestic partnerships receive the same benefits as married couples. This kind of legislated equal rights protection speaks volumes about the value that our city places on equality for all residents and is something we should be very proud of.
Shade Tree Commission

Another thing I am proud of is the legislation which established the Shade Tree Commission. The Shade Tree Commission plans planting, maintenance and investment in our Shade Trees. Our trees, like all other city assets, must be managed, maintained and then replenished. For the past fifty years, our shade tree inventory has been depleted due to insufficient care and frankly, neglect. With the Shade Tree Commission Ordinance which I wrote and sponsored, we now have a group of citizens dedicated to the welfare of these vital assets. Since its formation in 2006, we have received over 100 trees for planting in Plainfield.

Sex-Offender-Free Zones

In 2006, we took the bold step of establishing through city ordinance “Sex-Offender-Free Zones,” in any area within 300 feet of a school, playground or bus stop where children may congregate. The hope is to make Plainfield a safer city where families can feel more at ease while their children play.

These legislative accomplishments are the kind of proven record that I want to keep building on in the years ahead.

Many thanks, once again, for reading!

Happy Mother’s Day!

I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Mother’s day.
In thinking about mothers in our community, I thought about one of my earliest concerns in our city: the safety of our children.

Specifically, when I would watch cars zooming down Watchung Avenue or listen to people making jokes about speeding in Plainfield, I used to think that I just wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror if a mother whose child had been hurt or, God forbid, killed by a speeding motorist ever came before the council. What would we be able to tell her we had done to try to prevent such a thing?

I decided to do something about it because I felt that something must be done! If not me, then who?

Starting in 2005 I appealed to everyone I could - in the previous and the current administration. In 2008 after concerted negotiations, my efforts had paid off, and Plainfield had established a traffic bureau. A traffic unit to focus police attention on dangerous driving in the city was created.

That is not to say that the job is done, but with over 1,000 summonses issued to motorists, the word is getting out that Plainfield’s streets and communities are not raceways.

But that was not all that I did.

In an effort to reduce traffic accidents and make crossing the street safer and easier for pedestrians, I fought for and got new “Speed Humps” installed on Kensington Avenue. These are the first such traffic calming devices in Plainfield and I welcome community input on the effectiveness or greater need for these. These are a new strategy and we will see over time if the data shows that they are working where they are and if other streets might benefit from the same strategy.

It is my deep hope that these types of quality of life improvements help mothers in our city feel a little more at ease on this Mother’s Day.

All the best!

Community Activist

For as long as I can remember, I have been doing work for the community. My work on the City Council is an extension of this community work. Some may see Council work as a power play, others see it as a way to make money. I am there to serve my community. In addition to my work on the Council, however, there are a few other positions I have held and causes that I have supported with my time that I am very proud of and proud to share with you.                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                       Compensation
Organization                                                                  Role                                                    Received

Plainfield Historic Commission for 3 years                      Board member                                              $0.00

Plainfield Zoning board                                                  Board Member                                              $0.00

Preservation New jersey                                                Board Member                                             $0.00


Worked on the following campaigns:

                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                           Compensation
Candidate                                                                   Role                                                      Received

Storch 03                                                                        Finance and everything else                         $0.00

Carter 03                                                                        Finance and everything else                          $0.00

Blanco 04 Primary                                                          Fundraising                                                   $0.00

Blanco 04 Post-primary - campaign                                HQ                                                              $0.00

McWilliams 05                                                               Candidate and door-to-door                        $0.00

Kerry                                                                             Door-to-Door                                             $0.00

Obama                                                                          Delegate and Union County                          $0.00

Corzine                                                                         Plainfield 2nd Ward                                      $0.00



Community Activism is doing these types of things not because you want to make money, but because you want them done and have the drive to do them. For that reason, I feel I am a strong, committed community activist. It is this level of commitment and determination that I bring to the Council, which I hope you will help me continue to deliver by re-electing me this June.

Many Thanks!

A Clear Choice for Transparency

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I believe deeply in the unique value of transparency, which is why I have made transparency in government a top priority during my time on the council. The way I see it, true transparency is the bedrock of a government for and by the people. Without transparency, there is little trust, and who knows how little honesty!


That is also why I was most disappointed in those who took no action to open government and increase transparency when they had the chance. Talking about something is cheap; anyone can do it. Getting something substantial done takes a lot more work. My track record of accomplishments in the areas of transparency in government, I believe, are some of the most important, tanglible things that I have done as councilman.

Broadcast of Council Meetings

In 1996, I was on a job assignment in East Peoria, Illionois, a small town of around 18,000 people. One of the things that impressed me most was that even back then they were broadcasting their local City Council meetings on the local cable station. So why wasn’t Plainfield doing the same thing? Such a simple thing as making these meetings available on TV is so powerful; it is hard to imagine why we would not do it as a matter of course.

Fast forward to 2009: When I became Council President, I made one of my promises that we would have full taping of and broadcast of the meetings. I am glad to report that I kept my promise and we now have ALL of the Council meeting on our local access stations. Finally, 13 years after first seeing it in East Peoria, a simple dream of transparency is realized.

Availability of Council Documents at the Public Library

In 2005 when I came on the Council, I wondered why council documents were not more readily available to the public. Certainly, these documents should not be secret and it shouldn’t take an OPRA request just to read much of the information that your elected officials see when they are making choices for you.

As Council president, I made the Council's packets available to anyone via the public library. Today, you can go to the reference section and view these documents. That way, you have the right and the opportunity to keep your elected officials on their toes…I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Web-based Transparency

In 2005 when I joined the City Council, I was shocked and dismayed about how little information the public had about what we (the council) were acting upon. I did not point a finger. I did not blame others. I took matters into my own hands. I purchased a simple scanner and started to put things up on the web through my own site. Today you can see the city's budgets, the council packets, all of our ordinances and of course, our city’s charter on my website, at no cost to you, courtesy of your Councilman-at-Large for the 2nd and 3rd Wards.

I am proud of the work that I have done to increase transparency in our city’s government.

But there is still more to be done. As part of my next term, I intend to make Plainfield a noted example of transparency and open government, through greater Internet resources for the public, increased access to city documents online, and greater ease of contacting your elected officials, seeing their voting records and reviewing their stances on important issues.

I honestly do believe, as the facts are all laid bare for the public to see, that the choice is clear, the accomplishments are real, and the results are tangible. I can continue this path of results, but I need your support on June 8th.

Setting the Record Straight

In this blog entry I feel compelled to address things other than the many pressing issues facing our city, so that I can set the record straight regarding the negative attacks of one of my opponents, Ms. Rebecca Williams. She has started off her campaign, in her very first blog posting, going negative.

You see, I have always acted independently and acted for the community good. It is a balance that I strive for in every decision facing me, and facing our city. It is this balancing that has given me the ability to work with anyone who will work with me toward a clear, positive aim, and gives me the strength of character to look beyond old political lines, alliances, fights and victories to accomplish for the good of Plainfield.

So, Ms. Williams has turned this kind of thoughtful, across-the-lines collaboration into me going wherever the wind might blow. This is clearly a strategy when you are against an opponent who has a track record of accomplishments. The strategy? Don't talk about the issues: try to disparage or belittle the person.

Ms. Williams’ attacks are to be expected from such a partisan candidate, but what surprises me is the flip-flopping on her part. Many of you will not know, but Ms. Williams personally and actively sought the endorsement of Regular Democratic Organization (RDO) Chairman Jerry Green for months and months.

Ms Williams and Mr. Adrian Mapp actively urged the Chairman to endorse her and give her the RDO line. The carrot for Mr. Green? Long term cooperation from Ms Williams and Mr Mapp.

But many of you will recall, Mr. Green had already pledged to give me the line a year ago, so they were asking him to break a promise he made in public. For a candidate who claims to represent the ideal of ethical leadership, this doesn’t make much sense.

Immediately after the formal announcement that Mr. Green had in fact kept his promise and picked me to run on the RDO line, Ms Williams attacked me for working with him. If this endorsement is such a liability, I can only ask her why she herself sought it so vociferously?

Makes you wonder doesn't it?

While Ms. Williams proudly proclaims that she is “unbought,” I can only wonder what her first blog posting would have looked like if she had gotten the line? The truth is that she is “unbought” because no one was buying it.

Now, I respected her attempts to gain his endorsement, because the ability to work with all sides and the recognition that no office holder works alone is crucial to the success of the city. What I do not respect is attacking someone for obtaining, through years of service and hard work, what you yourself could not.

I do not respect attacking someone because they choose to give their endorsement to someone else rather than you.

Finally, to be clear, I will not sit idle and let my opponents and their surrogates spread incorrect and false accusations against me. I will speak out and I will set the record straight. We should not attack people for what we ourselves do- this is the definition of hypocrisy.

I ask that the voters of Plainfield be wary of such hypocrisy in the weeks ahead.

My Accomplishements - A Track Record of Getting Things Done!

Straight Talk * Results * Accomplishments

PUBLIC SAFETY

• Organized Halloween Safety Night partnership with residents and police – ‘08
• Police Traffic Enforcement Unit – ’08
• Speed bumps placed on Kensington Avenue - ’08
• Resident only permit parking for Hillside/Randolph residents – ’06

TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT

• Council meetings on Comcast & FIOS; Made council documents available at the library – ’09
• Established web site enabling citizens to view council documents as well as city documents such as City Codes and Ordinances (www.RashidBurney.com) 2007

TAXES

• Constantly fought for a more efficient City Hall. Today the work is done with fewer employees then in 2005
• Removed a drug rehabilitation center for non-Plainfield patients off our tax base to a non-profit organization – ’09
• Negotiated a 6-point settlement with PMUA – Ongoing
• Created the Citizen’s Budget Advisory Committee – ’08
• Created the IT, and Economic Advisory Committees (Citizens Budget Advisory Committee remained) – ’09

LEGISLATION

• Established the Shade Tree Commission and retained its funding – ’06
• Sex-offender-free zones – ’06
• Retained funding for Cultural and Heritage Commission – ’06
• Ensured domestic partners received same benefits as married couples – ’06

DID YOU KNOW that since I have been on the council…

• We have more police officers on the streets today than in 2005
• We have fewer city employees today than in 2005 and City Hall is running on fewer dollars (minus inflation and contractual salary increases)
• I voted against the 2010 budget partly because it eliminated six Plainfield Police officers and did away with $150,000 of the Plainfield Library’s budget

It's About Plainfield. Not Politics!

Today, I officially announce my candidacy for re-election to City Council. I am running to continue the work that I started in my first term, work that I can best sum up as working for Plainfield, not political factions.

I am working for a better Plainfield: a Plainfield that will regain its preeminent spot among central Jersey towns. I am working for a town that respects, honors and celebrates the diversity we have. This is one of our core strength, and our people are what make Plainfield special.

I am working for a revitalized downtown that serves ALL of Plainfield. When family comes in from out of town, we should be able to take them downtown for a Saturday evening dinner. I am working for a Plainfield with a lower crime rate and a higher quality of life, and I am working for a Plainfield that is once again a thriving regional commercial center.

My experience in running a $700M enterprise for AT&T, education, commitment to Plainfield, experience in working around America and indeed around the world have all prepared me to help steer Plainfield in the right direction.

We can do it - and I know how! But to get there we must work together, for Plainfield. Not the usual political factions. An agreed to path must be followed, trust restored, and hope rekindled.

In my first term, I have worked toward gaining back the trust of the people from a local government that was disconnected from its people. When we look around Plainfield today, we see people of every political persuasion fighting to make Plainfield a better place, but many are separated by party lines and or jaded by a sense of division that threatens to undermine the progress that we are making, and need to continue to make.

I have always worked in the interest of strengthening Plainfield, and not in the interest of strengthening these political divisions that are holding us back. Along the way, I pushed and supported development where it made sense. I questioned everything, and when satisfied, supported it.

But let me be clear.  Not everything passed has scrutiny. When a developer wanted to put in 100 income-restricted apartments downtown, my early and loud opinion was a determined "NO". The proposal never even made the public meeting!

That kind of independence hasn’t always been popular, but it has allowed me to cross those invisible lines and form collaborations for the good of Plainfield with great minds from all sides. It is this kind of collaboration, the kind that puts Plainfield ahead of Politics that we need to work for; in fact, it is essential and our potential as a city will not be realized until we can do this as a matter of course.

This blog will be a place where I can share my vision, my accomplishments and my reasoning with the city. It is my personal forum to set the record straight and cut through the spin to talk to you directly.

In fact, making my decisions and reasoning available to you, the voter, is essential so that you can make an informed decision about the future of Plainfield. That is why I have made transparency the cornerstone of my time as a councilman.

My website, rashidburney.com, has served as place where every citizen can go to understand the inner workings of our city, from our tax code and city organizational charts to PMUA information and city council meeting documents.

I have made city council meetings available on PCTV so that decisions we make at those meetings can be seen by anyone in town. I have tried, through my blog, rashidburney.blogspot.com, to make my vision of Plainfield one that is accessible and well-explained.

I have also looked to the community and beyond in shaping the vision of the future Plainfield, through the recent visioning project that is still underway. This visioning project is important for our city, because we have to define our own destiny, or someone else will.

But more important perhaps than any of these is my commitment to real community outreach. At the core of this is going to block association meetings and talking to community members to hear what they have to say, and it includes work such as the three citizen advisory committees that I worked with the council to form.

These three committees, budget, economic and IT will fostered better, meaningful contact between residents and the council and administration and helped to tap into the human resources available in our city, while also making government in general more accessible.

Over the course of this election, I will share with readers my take on some of the issues facing our city, such as public safety, tax control, the PMUA, and historic preservation. As I devote time to each of these subjects and more, I hope that those of you interested in this race will take the time to read what I have to say and to make an informed choice.

You will always know where I stand and that I have made the decisions that I make because of a commitment to be about Plainfield, not Politics.