Kudos to Council Member Brescher for moving forward on Wards

Well, saw this piece here about Brescher moving forward with an ordinance for Wards.

Good for him. It's about time we had a serious conversation about the structure of the representation we get or don't get in this one-party town.

It's not about giving our new Mayor Sam 'Mr. Shrink-flation' Joshi a chance. It has nothing to do with him. It has to do with how you can best be represented in a town with a population over 100k.

What's wrong with discussing the pros and cons of a Ward system? Just like our current at-Large system, Wards aren't necessarily good, bad or indifferent. It's just another structure available for us to consider. It has its advantages and its disadvantages just like the at-Large system we now operate under.

As with any form of government, Wards will only be as good as the people who get elected. So, changing the form itself doesn't necessarily change anything.

But here's the kicker - if you're content with the way you're represented now and the way things are done now in this town, then you don't want to see Wards. If you're not, and see this is an opportunity to diminish one-party control of your pocketbook and have a greater say in what happens in your town with your tax dollars, then you'll really want to see a switch to Wards.

It creates the opportunity to move representation closer to you and away from Dem-party rule.

It's that simple when you eliminate the rhetoric.

Let's hope that we get into a serious and open discussion of switching to Wards. It will be worth the time.

Anyhoo, with one-party rule and no checks and balances don't expect the all-Dem Council to want to see such a move - you'll have to take it to a petition if you want to get it done.

Edison's all-Dem party Council's consideration of Wards at the last Council Meeting!

Well, that was interesting! Looks like all are showing their true colors.

Duh!

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Response to my 1/20/22 OPRA Request for new hires in the Mayor's office from Nov. 4, 2021 to date

Just received to the response to my OPRA Request for all new hires in the Mayor's office from November 4, 2021 to date by position, title and compensation.

There were two listed:

Grom, Cassidy - Policy and Communications Coor - $80,000.00 - hired 01/01/2022

Alcantara, Ray-John - Administrative Officer - $110,000.00 - hired 01/01/2022

Anyhoo, still waiting on where Bob 'See No Conflict' Diehl fits in. Must be an addition in February.

Edison Board of Mythomania's New Committee Assignments for 2022 - apparently for WhatsApp folks only!?!

 Well, take it you have to be part of some BoE WhatsApp chats to be privileged enough to know what these assignments are for 2022. Seems this group of people has a tad bit too much knowledge and power.

Something how this stuff gets out before the public has a chance to see it.

Tacky, to say the least and not a good way to start things off in 2022.

Apparently, they haven't yet posted it up on the official BoE website for the public to see.

A lot of strange things going on here and pay attention to the changes in the committees and the committees left out from last year's committees.

Here's the 2022 assignments that showed up in FaceBook and the 2021 assignments that is still up on the BoE website.

Anyhoo, transparency for the few at the expense of the many.  

In with the New and the Old here in Edison's version of 'Shrink-flation'

 Well, Mayor Sam 'Shrink-flation' Joshi, aka Big-boy pants will surely need all the help he can get - guess that's why the Poster-child for Term Limits, Bob 'See No Conflict' Diehl is still hanging around the Council Chambers waiting to hear  what his new job will be. 

Uh..oh - somebody let me know if you see Charlie 'I Abstain' Tomaro start hanging around the Council Chambers.

Don't you just get a kick how things work in the Dem-party?

Anyhoo, can't wait to see who else behind the scenes will be part of the new administration bringing unity to a mess they created. Duh!

Just an observation on the lack of civility in this one-party town.

 You know, I've lived in this town for a long time and it's disconcerting to watch the lack of civility we have when dealing with each other.

Now, a lot of this has to do with having a one-party political rule over this town for years. You can always count on the internal power struggles within the only party in town to stir things up every election cycle and try and pit people against people.

Politics in its simplest form is just dealing with people. How our elected people deal with other elected people and the public and how the public deals with our elected people and with each other.

Some elected people are good at this and some are not so good. Unfortunately, you see a lot of voices raised in arguments when raising the level of the argument would, instead - be more effective.

You see people who don't quite grasp that how you speak to someone is more important than what you say.

You see a lot of elected officials being long on rhetoric and short on facts and making ridiculous promises just to get elected and people treating this as normal.

You see a lot of hypocrisy with our elected officials because its always about movement within the only party in town and it doesn't matter what you think.

If you pay attention, what people do is more important that what they say. Actions are the best indication of what someone wants. Listen to everything said and then watch what they do.

You always hear that 'We can agree to disagree' but that only works when there are at least two viable alternatives - absent that, somebody is just wrong.

People treat others with disrespect just because they don't agree or share the same political beliefs. What's wrong with respecting everyone's beliefs, whether you agree with it or not?

I'm just an old dude who believes respect is important and everyone's opinion is important, whether you agree with it or not. That's why the open and free exchange of ideas is so important. The best decisions will always come from differing opinions.

You won't always get that in a one-party town like ours. You'll only get to know what they want you to know and only when they want you to know it. It's called lack of transparency in this one-party oligarchy when there are no checks and balances to say otherwise.

So, what's the point of all this?

It's simple. I always make it a point to say Hello to everyone I know when I see them, whether we're friends or not, whether we have different political views or support the same people or issues or not. It's called being polite.

Now, toward that end, I did something I don't usually do anymore in this town. I went to two Dem-party political thingies. One, a swearing in for the newly elected, and the other a Council meeting. The first because I made a promise to one of the elected and the second because I wanted to witness a vote in person.

Recognizing that I'm not the most popular person in those rooms - but I can count on one finger the number of elected officials and those from the public that I know who would even offer a Hello. 

Now, trust me on this, I'm not complaining or even care -  just want to show you the type of civility that exists in this town.

Anyhoo, try and be polite to each other and don't get caught up in the internal power struggles of the party that made Edison Safe for Hypocrisy which encourages neighbors to go against neighbors - in the end, all you'll be exchanging is one Dem for another Dem.

Next up here in the 'DemBadLands' of Downtown Edison - New Council Leadership

 Well, in a town where the Dem-party has long made Edison Safe for Hypocrisy with their politically corrupt rule, it's important to remember that there are No Political Friends, there are No Political Enemies - just political opportunities.

So, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone when Mayor Sam 'Shrink-flation' Joshi, aka 'Big-boy pants', 'the Weathervane Millennial' plays his hand tomorrow night for the Council President spot.

And who are the two on the short-list?

You know them well - Joe 'the Florist' Coyle and Joyce 'She's on the Council?' Ship-Freeman.

Favorite going into the final round is Joe 'the Florist' Coyle. Seems his video below blasting Joshi and Patil didn't matter after Joe turned around and played Kissy-face and endorsed him.

Makes my point above about political opportunities. Both want something from each other in their trip up the politically corrupt Dem-party Ladder.

What can you say about Joyce Ship-Freeman other than how did she ever get elevated to Council President in her first year on the Council. Her performance was so bad, I had to stop watching the Council Meetings.

She's only considered since Patil and Brescher were out and you're left with the choice of a newbie.

You Really Showed them Joe and glad we have another 4 years of the 'Committee of the Hole' to keep searching for themselves:

Anyhoo, does it really matter who becomes the next Council President when the only fight you'll see is Council people fighting for position and Not for you - but it should be a hoot to watch the voting play out.

Edison Board of Mythomania picks New Leadership

 Well, looks like the dysfunction will remain for another year with the picks for new leadership. Seems they picked the newly elected Doug 'No Clue' Schneider as the new President. 

Shivi Madhukar will be the Vice-President. Both by  9-0 Vote.

It's unfortunate that we're going to waste some more time in getting things fixed over there. 

All they did over there was to trade one Big Problem with another Big Problem.

Anyhoo, should make for an interesting year as they stumble their way to nowhere.

Just a Heads-up - Reorganization Meetings here in 'Downtown' Edison

 The Edison Board of Mythomania, aka Board of EdDems, Board of Dysfunction will be having their Reorganization Meeting Monday January 3rd at 7:00PM over at JPS.

The Edison Council over there at 100 Oligarchy Blvd. will be having their Reorganization Meeting at 6:00PM in the Council Chambers on Wednesday January 5th.

You might want to pay attention to what's happening in both places.

On the Council side, you might get a laugh on how new Mayor Sam 'Shrink-flation' Joshi plays his hand for Council President to keep out any checks and balances (like there ever were any) and tries to set-up that Raise in the Mayor's Salary. Always a joy watching the all-Dem-party Council play on each others interests in the decision-making process and Not your interests.

But Hey, everyone deserves a Pay Raise just because they won an election, don't they?:

'Shrink-flation' - Same Dem-party Nonsense, just with Less Contents.

Under the circumstances, there's only one real choice to put a check on Big-boy pants but they'll avoid that at all costs.

On the School side, you'll get a bigger laugh at the newbies making a ridiculous play to replace one Big problem with another Big problem. That will just stifle and set back any progress in moving the School District forward after years of the the inept leadership of Jerry Shi-shed.

Yup..this guy:

A newbie for Board President - that's laughable.

Sorry, but no newbies should be arrogant enough to think they can lead a School Board the size of Edison in their first year on the board and I don't care how many Shi votes they have - a board which is wrought with dysfunction and disarray and without any knowledge, history and experience to rely on. 

They will just make fools of themselves and they won't be able to stop it.

We can't afford to waste anymore time Not moving forward after the disaster Shi's leadership put us in. We just don't have the time to watch them learn on the job and no sitting Board Member should elevate any newbie to a leading role with their vote. It will just help Shi - and you really don't want to do that.

There's only one real choice for Board President after removing Shi from leadership and getting on with repairing the damage his leadership has done - and it's Shivi.

Anyhoo, pay attention because the town is changing and it's not for the better and we really don't need on the job training on both sides of town too.

It's Official - we have a New Mayor in the 'DemBadLands' of Downtown Edison

 Wonder what 'Big-boy pants' first order of business will be?

Anyhoo, watch what happens now with the Party that made Edison Safe for Hypocrisy.