Forget You!

Although lacking the majesté of Louis XIV’s “L’etat, c’est moi” or even the confident pithiness of Frank Hague’s “I Am The Law,” Mayor Mack’s proclamation “I represent the Executive Branch of Government” in his latest Rant of a Press Release is a feeble attempt to make people think he is still relevant, still authoritative, still in charge.  Whether he ever was any of those things is open to debate.

I won’t spend many words talking about Mr. Mack’s set of “demands.” For him to choose that word, and take a confrontational stance toward City Council is astonishing. His “demand” for Council to confirm two judicial candidates Council has already rejected, or else “I will take all legal action necessary to have these vacancies filled” rings kind of hollow when one considers that the Judiciary has already gone on record to say that absent Council’s advice and consent, the mayor has no authority to fill the court vacancies on his own. To that “demand” of the Mayor, the Judiciary has already said to Mack, in essence, “Forget You” –  in the Cee Lo sense (Don’t worry, it’s the Clean version. But you get the drift).

Mack’s argument that it is Council’s failure to approve the judge candidates that is responsible for an inability to collect fines and continue prosecutions is nothing more than an attempt to shift responsibility for the current condition of Trenton’s Municipal Court away from his “Court Director” Nathaniel Jones. It’s become clear in the last week that Mr. Jones is serving in a job that is not authorized by any city or state law, for which he never received Council approval, and for which he has not submitted to a background check that would have previously disclosed criminal legal troubles in Maryland. The Muni Court’s revenues are way, way down under Jones’ management. It may seem politically convenient for Mack to blame Council for the mess, and to “demand” Council confirm his nominees, but this won’t wash.

In this context, the Mayor’s other “demand” for Council to approve two public-safety ordinances that seem reasonable and desirable in their own right – and very likely to pass on their own merits – just would allow Mack to strut and shout that Council caved to his “demand” on matters that would have passed anyway. In the absence of Council giving in to his “demand” on the judges he could still claim victory.

So, enough about these “demands.” The Mayor’s language and his stance reveals nothing more than a petulance and childishness that is unbecoming and embarrassing.  The language may get some more attention, but really, this kind of outburst – poorly written at that – does not deserve any more attention. It will only encourage him.

I do want to direct some attention to the matter that the Mayor addresses in the second half of his release, his “plan” to save the jobs of 36 police officers, among the 108 scheduled for layoff in two short weeks. [UPDATE:  A City Hall source wrote to tell me that the grant “is actually for 18 cops at entry level. The additional funding would supplement the salaries.” So, there is now the question of whether the Mayor even has his facts straight!]

The Mayor presents this proposal as something dramatic, bold and unprecedented, saying “To date, there is no other plan presented anywhere in the United States” like it. Unfortunately, this is just another of Mack’s ideas that haven’t proceeded anywhere beyond the sitting-around-a-table, brainstorming random ideas point. This “plan,” like so many others of Tony Mack’s, is nothing more than vapor.

Since City Council meets tonight, let me present my comments about this “plan” in the form of questions that Councilmembers may want to pose to Mr. Mack.

• Mr. Mayor, you propose a plan calling for support both from the State and the Federal Government. Have you discussed this plan with any relevant authority yet? What kind of reaction have you gotten?
• Mr. Mayor, your plan requires two conditions. The first is that the Feds waive the requirement  that the City fund these 36 officers after the conclusion of the Federal grant. Have they agreed? Who will then pay, the Federal Government or the State? Have they agreed? Do you think Washington has been in a very generous mood toward Cities, or spending in general, lately?
• Mr. Mayor, your “plan” requires the State to provide the $750,000 in matching funds to your Federal grant. Have they agreed? Do you have support in the Governor’s Office? In the Legislature?
• Mr. Mayor, your plan also requires cooperation with the city’s police unions, and calls for a salary freeze retroactive to the beginning of the year. Do you have agreement with the Unions? Have you discussed this with them? You state the retroactive salary freeze would require wage deductions of raises paid over the last eight months since January 1 of this year, to be repaid by the officers. Have they agreed to this?
• Mr. Mayor, a few weeks ago, you announced a bold “Live Where You Work” plan requiring approval of state legislation assisting Trenton. How is that working out? Are the Legislature and Governor on Board?
• Mr. Mayor, have you discussed any of the components of this plan with anyone outside your office before you announced it?

All told, this “plan” reeks of a desperate eleventh-hour attempt by Tony Mack to shift some blame for the impending 108-cop loss on to the State and the US Government: “Hey, I tried to save dozens of jobs with a bold, never-before-attempted plan, but the State and Feds wouldn’t let me!” would be the message. I kind of doubt this will fly, since it will be apparent to all – the State, the Federal Government, the Police officers and their unions, and not least the people of the City of Trenton – that once again, this Emperor still has no clothes.

The drama of this press release, presaging what is likely to be two weeks or more of further operatic-style overacting as we hurtle toward September’s layoff deadline, further proves that Tony Mack is not prepared nor capable of meeting the challenges this City faces.

Mr. Mayor, after this rant of a Press Release, I’m like, Forget You!