League of Women Voters Questions

For the mayoral candidates:

1). What strategy will you advocate for economic development in the next four years?

Plainfield has valid needs and underserved markets that can create the jobs and economic vitality that fuels the broader goal of community development. Services and social interaction bring universal benefits, while residential expansion strains all resources. Incentives should go to supermarkets, hotels, banquet halls, game rooms and jazz clubs instead of more homes.

Plainfield is a medically underserved community with a substantial population of insured residents willing to invest in wellness, natural cures and programs that integrate alternative and mainstream medicine. Restoring rapid access to acute care and expanding access to chronic care and lifestyle medicine will create more jobs than the 1100 that have been lost.

2). What is your stand on tax breaks for developers?

Taxpayers deserve to know the extent of tax breaks that are currently in place, including an inventory of tax free properties that are in use or vacant and eligible for development. Programs that allow seniors to work in lieu of a modest portion of their property tax debt need to be investigated for compliance with New Jersey laws.

3). How do you intend to enforce property code ordinances, such as those banning satellite dishes visible from the street?

Residents need common standards and a commitment to equal treatment of property, citywide. Compliance with state and federal regulations requires a review of local ordinances. For instance, FCC regulations negotiated by satellite providers, give single users of residential and commercial real estate wide latitude in the placement of satellite dishes on private property. If the Plainfield ordinance was legal when passed, it may not be legal now. 

For the assembly candidates: 

1). How would you bring back acute medical care to Plainfield?

Court action to return the Muhlenberg donations, scholarships and endowments along with income from Muhlenberg’s extensive rental properties will greatly subsidize charity care and make the hospital more attractive to buyers.

Plainfield’s size and complex population are ideal to nurture demonstration projects in the fusion of medical technology, traditional, native cures and ethno-pharmacology that will impact the next decade of medicine.

Plainfield is a uniquely diverse, medically underserved community in the heart of the pharmaceutical state. We can actively seek partnerships with the Integrative Medicine community as they seek to establish fundable protocols for preventive care and wellness programs. 

Passively, we can wait till over 100 new cardiac drugs require clinical trials on diverse populations and evaluate the options this opportunity will present.

2). What sorts of shared services could lower the local property tax burden? Be specific to the towns in the 22nd District?

Shared services need to begin within Plainfield. A system needs to enable City government, the school system and PMUA to share specialized staff starting with Public Information and Communications. News and events need to be scheduled and promoted in a cooperative effort.

3). What will you do to rein in state and local taxes that are driving people out of New Jersey?

County school systems are a good start. Currently New Jersey pays a segregation tax to enable residents to live and go to school with people that are alike, more so than any other state in the nation. We must face this issue and chose efficiency over separateness, or not.

Please send your photo, bio and responses to the aforementioned questions by October 10, 2009.