Let me say that again: I'm not Jerry Green!
I'm not the person whose lack of leadership caused the loss of Muhlenberg Hospital and over 1,000 jobs.
I'm not the person who's a robot for the county machine.
I'm not the person who, time after time, puts his own welfare ahead of the people he represents in Plainfield.
You have to understand--I'm new to campaigning for state office, and I'm no polished public speaker...at least, not yet.
Here's a little about me:
I was born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I've lived in Plainfield since 1980.
I worked for the City of Plainfield for 23 years, the last 9 as the Director of Community Relations and Social Services.
I was elected to 3 terms on the Plainfield Board of Education, serving as President of the Board twice, and as vice-president 3 times.
I served as President of the Plainfield Municipal Employees Union, and as President of the Plainfield Municipal Managers Union.
I have a B.A. in Political Science from Montclair State University and a Master's Degree in Public Affairs and Politics from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.
3 REASONS WHY I AM RUNNING
Getting back to why I decided to run:
Reason 1. The closing of Muhlenberg Hospital was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Muhlenberg was the best hospital in the region, and had served the surrounding communities for over 130 years. What was once a 5-minute trip to the emergency room for a heart attack or stroke can now take 25 to 45 minutes. I don't need to tell you how critical minutes are to the life of a person having a heart attack or a stroke.
Pregnant women who are patients of the Plainfield Health Center at the far Western section of Plainfield must now go all the way across Union County through heavy traffic to Trinitas Hospital on the other side of the county, in Elizabeth, to deliver their babies.
Since the rescue squad has to travel farther, response time has gotten longer. One resident in Plainfield who was pinned in her car due to a serious accident had to wait over an hour for an ambulance.
When Jerry Green had his moment of truth, he failed to save Muhlenberg!
I have a clear, 3-point plan on Muhlenberg:
1. Reinstate Muhlenberg's hospital license immediately.
2. Use President Obama's Stimulus Plan money to reopen Muhlenberg as a full-service, acute
care hospital.
3. Expand Muhlenberg's Nuring School to help meet the nursing needs for our aging
population.
Reason 2. Effective Leadership.
I've got a problem with Jerry Green's lack of leeadership. Jerry Green did not support Obama in the New Jersey Presidential Primary last February.
Jerry Green has been and remains a rubber stamp for the state Democratic Party. When they need a reliable vote, they ink him up and he's ready to go.
Now that the state and the county are in the grip of the most severe recession since our grandparents' time, we need more than a rubber stamp to ensure that Plainfield will receive the support it needs from the federal and state governments to get through these tough times.
One good example of Jerry's failure to lead is...
The Corzine administration is proposing $3.6 billion dollars for road improvements in 2010. Yet, not one red cent of that money is being spent on improving Route 28, which runs through the 22nd District, from Scotch Plains through Plainfield, and into Middlesex Borough. As anyone who drives through that area knows, Route 28 is in need of serious maintenance and rebuilding.
Reason 3. Openness and transparency in the local Democratic organization.
I want to touch on an issue that pertains to the Democratic voters in the City of Plainfield--the lack of openness and transparency of the Democratic Party.
Too often, under the leadership of Jerry Green, party affairs have been conducted behind closed doors and mostly without the participation or knowledge of Democratic City Committee members.
For example, the most recent meeting did not give members the required 5-day advance notice in writing. At the meeting, Jerry Green announced his nomination for mayor, even though the bylaws require a nominating committee.
No participation means no buy-in from local residents.
Obama taught us how to engage the community.
I will do that.
Jerry Green does not bring us together--he divides us.
Democratic Party affairs need to be brought into the light of day, and that's why our grassroots Democrats have put forward a slate of 54 candidates for the Democratic City Committee.
Their victory will be crucial in helping us end the rule of "boss" politics in Plainfield and Union County.
Finally, we need YOU to make June 2 a referendum on Boss Green. Make your vote count.
Vote Column F
New Democrats
Leadership for Plainfield's Future
Rick Smiley for Assembly
Adrian Mapp for Mayor
Your City Committee Candidates
Thank you.
