As Chair of Housing and Local Government, I will be having a committee meeting wherein S-1 will be on the agenda. I have been working with Governor’s Office, housing groups throughout the State, as well as Senator Lesniak to construct an effective bill. My approach has been to have everyone sit at the table, which will allow me to gain cohesive support.
Not everyone will be happy of course, but we must do something to ease the pain of this crippling issue of affordable housing within New Jersey. I hope to have a conscious bill drafted within the next 48 hours that deals directly with the issue at hand. I am aiming for it to be fair and hit the target of taking the first big steps of shaping an effective bill.
In the last four years, I have been able to stop, what I consider, how Plainfield has been taken advantage of those previous eight years under the past administration who closed their eyes to Plainfield being a dumping ground for low-income housing. The one person who has benefited from this practice, sitting on the sidelines allowing this to go on, was Councilman Cory Storch. He and his family have made a fortune off real estate transactions that profit from bringing in this type of housing into the City of Plainfield.
A prime example, under Storch’s leadership on the Council, the Teppers site was converted into a low-income housing facility within one of our prime locations of our downtown area. Under Cory’s leadership on the Council, we also had a bank converted into a halfway house. Plainfield has had numerous houses brought and converted into housing for social issues.
I do not have a problem with initiating housing for individuals with social disabilities, but I do have a problem with the fact that Cory converts these buildings for personal gain, thus disarming the quality of Plainfield. Once these houses are purchased by non-profit agencies, they are taken off the tax rolls.
Another example of Cory’s leadership ruining the image of Plainfield is the Park Hotel having been converted into a low income/homeless shelter. Again, Councilman Storch sat by in silence along with the past administration while this happened.
I am just happy to see the people in the 2nd ward are beginning to realize that Cory is only a member of the Council to benefit himself personally, and not his constituents. I take my hat off to those in 2-11 who recognized that under Cory’s leadership, South Avenue, with the bump-outs (Cory’s idea), forced more traffic onto Seventh Street. People in the district remembered this when voting in the June primary this year where Rebecca Williams received 26 votes, when a year and a half ago, Obama received 248 votes.
This same voting practice was evident in 3-10, where Obama received close to 200 votes, and Rebecca received only 10.
Therefore, the next couple of days, I will use Plainfield as the example of why the State of New Jersey should support the idea that every municipality should have their fair share of affordable housing.
One ordinance that the City could pass is that any sitting councilperson, be it themselves or family members, should abstain from any real estate transactions here in the City of Plainfield.
Within the past administration, just about every member had a real estate license. During those years, I received countless complaints dealing with favoritism and partiality, referencing unfair tax assessments for those who did not have political ties to the past administration.
Unfortunately, during the phone calls from this past election, the consensus was that their 2nd ward representatives have been absent at the wheel, and have not been accurately representing their constituents.
Cory needs to understand that his constituents are not happy, and would like to see his resume as council member. They want answers as to why and how he has been going to the bank big time while his constituents are not happy.
Ps
I was happy to receive a phone call from Steve Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality, inviting me to their annual gala, the Legends Dinner, and thanking me for my support over the years. He also recognized the fact that when I shared the truth in reference to the mail I sent out, that some people in Plainfield tried to put a spin on it that I was ‘gay bashing.’
He said he would gladly send a letter stating that I have been a friend of the Garden State Equality organization, deflating the argument of those individuals trying to spin my stances with gutter politics.
I was happy to hear him say that I have a record of support for his organization, where those who have tried to spin my stance have done NOTHING to champion their cause.
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