This Trenton City Council is slowly coming in to their own, in fits and starts.

At last night’s meeting, At-Large Member Phyllis Holly-Ward introduced a resolution, passed by five of the six members attending, to have Council formally review the status of the many “Acting” Directors serving the Administration of Tony Mack. As a result of last night’s vote, a hearing is set for June 7 to review those “Acting” Appointments.I have two things to say about last night’s actions: “Well Done!” (with special thanks to Ms. Holly-Ward for introducing that resolution!) and “It’s About Time!”

This space has long been complaining about both the continuing tendency of this Administration to rely on “Acting” Directors serving in their positions loooooong past the limit of 90 days as provided by our city Ordinance, and the chronic inability of City Council to assert their proper role in the appointment process.

By law – Article II, Section 2-4, C . (6) – , “Acting” appointments “shall terminate no later than 90 days after the date of the appointment unless the Council shall, by resolution, authorize one or more extensions of such period.”

This Council has, to my recollection, never in its current term exercised its power to review and extend these appointments, allowing incompetent “Acting” appointments such as Harold Hall to continue warming his chair at Public Works without the advice and consent of Council. As of today, this Administration is 687 days into its term. I say again, It’s About Time this was done.

Some members of Council seem to think that this loooooong overdue action is a little hasty. At-Large Member Alex Bethea said last night, “I think we should have a discussion before we just act spontaneously because of emotion.” To this observer, it appears that whereas his colleagues on Council are finally learning how to ride this thing, Mr. Bethea still has his training wheels on. He might want to consider wearing a helmet at all times, too. I’m just sayin’!

There is still a lot of discussion about the ability of the Mayor to be able to just turn around and reappoint the same person to the acting position should Council refuse to extend the appointment. East Ward Member Verlina Reynolds-Jackson wants to think about the matter “strategically” before proceeding. At-Large Member Kathy McBride wants the Legal Department to weigh in on the Mayor’s powers. West Ward rep Zachary Chester stated of this question, “This is just a dance” between Council and the Mayor.

Uh, Council Members? May I make a suggestion here? If you believe that our City Ordinance on the matter of temporary appointments is a little vague, a little unclear, why don’t you change it? You are the City Council. You can do that.  That should clear up any ambiguity, and definitively state what the prerogatives of both the Mayor and Council should be.

I urge Council to include revision of the Ordinance as part of this discussion and its review.

For the last two years, Mayor Mack has taken advantage of the vagueness of the existing law, and used it to his benefit, not ours. As a result, we have been burdened with the likes of Anthony Roberts and Harold Hall far longer than we should have been.

Change the Law.

From today’s Trenton Times, in an article by Alex Zdan: “A [Trenton] police SUV occupied by two officers was patrolling the 600 block of [Stuyvesant] [A]venue late Monday night when it drove into an ambush by a rifle-toting gunman, who fired multiple shots and struck the vehicle five times, police said. Neither officer was injured, but one of the rounds stopped in the back of the passenger seat while another shot passed inches away from the driver’s head.”

The reaction to this horrible incident has been near universal condemnation. “I’m just thanking God none of the police officers were harmed. It would have been such a tragedy to lose a police officer in that manner,” said City Council President and At-Large Member Kathy McBride. NJ State President of the Policemen’s Benevolent Association wrote in a statement, “Every officer and citizen in this state should be outraged by the brazen nature of the criminals in our capital city.” And one tellmeanything commented on a Trentonian news story, “Shooting at Cops while they drive by to protect the neighborhood should have the phone ringing off the hook at the police station with names.”

Yep, near universal condemnation. Wait, not entirely universal? Who wouldn’t say that an ambush of police officers while patrolling on duty was a horrible crime? Who in the whole wide world could be so callous, so cruel, so totally out of touch?

“Mayor Tony Mack refused again yesterday to give his reaction to the attack on the police officers he commands. At the reopening of the Mill Hill Park yesterday afternoon, Mack said he didn’t want to comment on the shooting or recent spate of gun violence.”

Oh, really? I don’t understand!

“One of the things we want to do is make sure before we comment on police matters, the department director has done all he can do to resolve the crime before we make irresponsible comments,” Mayor Mack was quoted.

Huh. I still don’t get it. What kind of “irresponsible comments” could one conceivably make at this point? Was this ambush somehow NOT horrible? Is the mayor perhaps NOT grateful that neither of the police officers was unharmed? Is the Mayor angry perhaps at the bullet damage to the city vehicle?

I could accept the Mayor withholding judgment about, say, the guilt of a suspect right after arrest. That would be appropriate. I would agree if the mayor refused to speculate about possible specific connections to other crimes in the city. It would also be wrong to publicly disclose closely-guarded information held by the Police that would jeopardize investigations.

All that, I get.

But none of this applies. In this case, we are talking about an incident where two Trenton police officers were ambushed while on patrol, cowardly shot at multiple times by a gunman armed apparently with a high-powered rifle.

How can you Not Comment???? You Are The Mayor! How can you NOT condemn the Crime?

How can you NOT express gratitude for the safety of the Officers?

How can you NOT comfort the frightened policemen’s Families?

How can you NOT reassure worried neighborhood residents that you will see this criminal brought to Justice, So Help You God?

How can you NOT say anything? It’s too easy, I suppose, if you are Tony Mack.

According to the Times, “Mack said he didn’t want to comment on the shooting or recent spate of gun violence.” [Emphasis mine - KM]

This perhaps gives us a clue. For the Mayor to talk about “the recent spate of gun violence” might mean acknowledging that All Is Not Well in Trenton, that last Fall’s Layoff of one-third of the Police Department has left the remaining officers – and every citizen – dangerously vulnerable; that his “Comprehensive Crime Plan” has so far failed to halt the surge; that we are not “heading in the right direction,” as he kept desperately repeating in this year’s State of The City Address.

But he can not bring him to say any of these things. So, three days after a very close shave with two of Trenton’s Finest, and after over half a year of intense violence and increased levels of fear and danger, our Mayor doesn’t want to say anything about it.

Once again, Tony Mack has proved he knows Not One Thing about Leadership. Halfway through his abysmal term, not only has he failed to grow into his job, he continues to fade into irrelevance, a gutless wonder.

Q: What the heck is going on in Trenton?

A: It’s getting pretty dangerous out there. A lot of artillery is going off in Trenton. Yesterday, two men – one only 17 years old – fired off between 17 and 20 shots at each other in broad daylight on Oakland Street in the West Ward. A couple of dozen shots were fired on another occasion last week in the South Ward. And in yet another, very disturbing, incident Monday night two Police Officers on patrol in the West Ward were ambushed and deliberately targeted by an unknown shooter who unloaded at least half a dozen apparent rifle rounds in the direction of their vehicle; five rounds hit the police car.

In all of the above incidents, despite at least over 50 total shots being fired no one was hurt. Not so lucky was this man shot in the chest Monday night; or these two men shot in unrelated incidents Sunday night; or this poor unlucky homeowner stabbed outside his house last Thursday night as he was taking his garbage out, attacked by a guy stealing his pocket change, for crying out loud!

Q: Why is this happening?

A: This kind of violence has unfortunately been the “new normal” in Trenton for months now. Trenton has long had a high crime rate, but the pace of crime and its outright brazenness has spiked since last fall, when the Police Department was eviscerated by the layoff of one-third of its strength. Although the last couple of months thankfully haven’t seen the number of murders that we saw in December, I think we can only consider that as the result of poor marksmanship more than anything else.

The last week has shown, in just those first three incidents mentioned above, that the city’s criminals have little hesitation to let loose massive amounts of bullets, in the middle of the day and in densely-populated neighborhoods. And targeting police in this last assassination attempt is clearly an attempt to intimidate the hollowed-out force and push them off the streets, or at the least force an already-thin department to patrol in greater numbers for safety, and in fewer areas.

The recent uptick in crime follows the pattern from some months ago, when warm weather in December surely contributed to the murder rate in that month, and a mild January contributed to Open Season then. I look at the calendar and dread what may happen this summer.

Q: How dangerous is Trenton?

A: Well, to cite one statistic – for what it’s worth – the murder rate in Chicago for the year of 1926,  during the height of Prohibition in a city legendary in American history for its violence and brutal gang killings, was 16.7 per 100,000 of population.

In 2011, Trenton suffered 24 homicides, a murder rate of 28.5 per 100,000.

Q: So, you are saying that modern-day Trenton is more violent than Al Capone’s Chicago?

A: By that one measurement, yes it is. And if Trenton’s shooters had better aim, its murder rate would no doubt be much higher.

Q: WTF?

A: I wish I knew, man. I wish I knew.

Mayor Tony F. Mack opened the second of his “Learning Center Libraries” yesterday, at what is properly named “The Briggs Branch of the Trenton Free Public Library.” He did this despite being advised last week by members of City Council including his usually solid ally Council President Kathy McBride; despite pointed criticism from the New Jersey Library Association and ample evidence that these centers are illegal under New Jersey State Law.

But, he did it anyway. Although he and his colleagues at the formal opening apparently avoided saying “Library” yesterday. Perhaps they think if they don’t use the word, then all will be well.

No one is fooled. Books are not currently being loaned out, but according to the Times, “the mayor’s office plans to establish a borrowing system once it takes inventory and sets up a library catalog. It will solicit new books from ‘other organizations, grants and purchases from the learning center budgets,’ the mayor’s office said in an e-mail.”

Establish a borrowing system, which is a library function. This will require borrowers to have accounts with the system, and perhaps “library” cards. Buying books. Setting up a library catalog. Oh, and also “The mayor’s office plans to distribute 25 computers to the four branches within the next few months.”

Sounds like a library to me. Sorry, Mr. Mayor, that’s exactly what these facilities are. They are illegal.

And the numbers still don’t make sense. The day the Mayor opened the Skelton Branch, he announced that each branch would cost $30,000 per year; or $40,000; or $50,000. The following day that number had crept to $60,000. As of yesterday the quoted number is now up to $75,000.

And, no doubt, will keep rising. Because there is no way in hell that $75,000 per year can support this kind of expense, as quoted in the Times: “three part-time staffers to manage each facility,” “programs such as tutoring and ESL classes and setting up a website,” as well as all the software needed to set up and maintain a catalog, other software for computers, book purchases, building operations, security, heating, lighting, cooling, janitorial services and the like. No possible way.

But the Mayor will not be deterred. He is on a mission. He is quoted as saying yesterday, “I will advocate for young adults and children to have a brighter future, regardless of cost, regardless of who gets upset about it.”

Two of Tony Mack’s “Mayor’s Learning Center Libraries” are now open, and it’s All About the Children. So, what might children actually learn at these centers, and from Mr. Mack’s example?

• It’s OK to do things without permission, if you really want to.
• It’s OK to do things “regardless of cost.”
• In fact, you don’t even have to tell anyone what something is going to cost, anyway. It’s OK to make numbers up as you go along. Who cares if you double your estimates in one week? They’re made up anyway!
• When you hold up your right hand and swear to “faithfully execute the law,”  if you cross your fingers on your other hand, it doesn’t count.
• You don’t need to ask lawyers for legal advice. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. Just do what you like!
• Any budgets and grants that are supposed to be used for specific purposes? Those are just suggestions. Rules and regulations for budgets and grants, especially Federal grants, don’t count for much. Ignore them.
• You are not responsible or accountable to anyone for anything. Smile and wave, and you can get away with anything.
• Do it all for The Children. Or, at least, just say so. You’ll get away with anything.
• Promises? For chumps.

Yep, that sure is Some Kind of Learning going on at the Mayor’s joints.

It’s awfully tempting to read this morning’s Special Report in The Trentonian as another in a long, long series of articles critical of the managerial expertise – or, rather, the absence thereof – shown by the Administration of Tony F. Mack. It is that, actually. But the article must be read in a context that acknowledges that the  “State Aid” spoken of in the article is currently considered by many towns in the state as municipal funds confiscated by the State and being improperly administered by the state Administration of Governor Chris Christie.

In brief – and there is no reason to duplicate the  reporting of Anthony Campisi – the article picks up and expands what was reported as news in March: that Trenton’s poor fiscal and managerial performance over the last two years has not qualified the city for inclusion with a group of some other NJ municipalities for having part of their state Transitional Aid awards converted into permanent state aid under the NJ “Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Relief Aid” (CMPTRA” program. This program is how most towns and cities in the state receive much of their state aid.

By failing to qualify to have some of its state aid qualify for CMPTRA, New Jersey has told Trenton that it is not as fiscally and managerially responsible under the Mack Administration as have been the towns of Lawnside, Asbury Park, Chesilhurst, Harrison. And Camden. Trenton is not as responsible as Camden! That has to hurt.

The City won’t have another opportunity to be reviewed for inclusion in the CMPTRA program until next year, when presumably the Mack Administration’ performance will improve to the point where we can belong to the same club as Asbury Park, Harrison, and yes! Camden.

According to this morning’s Trentonian, one of the state’s main criticisms of the Mack Administration is that – Surprise! – “significant turnover in City of Trenton management” make it difficult to feel confident about the competence of our city government. State Department of Community Affairs (DCA) spokesperson Lisa Ryan is quoted as saying, “DCA has consistently stated that it wants to see sound management in place in Trenton.”

In response, Mayor Mack as usual denies any problems. The Trentonian reports “Mack, in an interview,denied he ever violated the city’s agreements with the state, arguing that ‘the city has been in compliance with the MOU’ and has been able to ‘work out’ any problems with DCA.” Uh huh. Right.You know better!

So, yes, the article today repeats and expands upon the 2-month-old news that Trenton hasn’t qualified for the Transitional Aid to CMPTRA conversion. And therefore the headline that New Jersey is “punishing” the City has some validity.Yes, Tony Mack continues to screw up. And yes, as the Trentonian’s headline suggests, every day that he continues as Mayor costs the City and its taxpayers as well as the taxpayers of the entire State of New Jersey who support our Trenton and its schools with hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

But I do want to say a couple of things about the role of the State and this CMPTRA money. The Trentonian article paints the role of the State and of Governor Chris Christie in generally very complimentary colors. This article, and a lot of press about the State and the Governor treat the CMPTRA money and the manner in which they dole out funds to towns as consistent with the Governor’s tough, take-no-prisoners, hard-line management style that’s been a  big part of his image. In this way, CMPTRA money is seen as almost a reward to towns that toe the Governor’s line, as generous direct state financial aid.

CMPTRA, along with a similar “state” tax, the “Energy Tax Receipts” (ETR) mechanism, are actually intended as funds belonging to municipalities. They are collected and held by the State ostensibly on the sole behalf of cities and towns, to be distributed back to municipalities on a pass-through basis. That is, the State is not supposed to treat these funds as State money,, to be disbursed according to State priorities.

But – and this precedes the Christie Administration – the State of New Jersey has been doing just that. Last year, the NJ League of Municipalities estimated that nearly $900 Million in funds that should have been sent back to the towns was kept by the State to help balance its budget.  Over the ten prior years, the total was cited as close to $3.4 Billion. The League hosts a link to this presentation prepared by the Borough of Wharton explaining the issue; all the numbers apply to Wharton, but the overall problem is shared by most NJ towns.

Clearly, this practice of state diversion of municipal funds predates the Christie Administration, but the pace of those diversions has greatly increased: almost 1/4 of the ten-year total was from 2011 alone.

In Trenton’s case, I don’t think that there is really much money properly ours that has been kept by the State. We are such a basket case generally that we are surely a net recipient of more state funds than we’d be entitled to under normal circumstances.

So, why go into all of this? I suppose it’s that at some point, hearing so much about what a wonderful job that the Christie Administration is doing with state finances rankles more than a little bit, especially when it partially balances the State’s books with money that arguably does not belong to it.

And another reason is that, in Trenton’s case, the State really isn’t earning a reputation for being such a fiscal watchdog. As critical as it has been of the Mack Administration, I think there is much – too much – that the Mackers have been getting away with. In hiring and other personnel moves, contracting, and budgetary matters, I feel the State could be more involved proactively in some items to forestall and prevent some moves; rather than after the fact penalize the City in such a broad manner as cutting overall funding levels. I would prefer the State to work with a scalpel rather than a sledgehammer. I do understand, though, that DCA is a small department and probably not equipped to be so involved with city affairs on such a micro level.

It is unfortunate, however, that the State chose to construct a review process and write an MOU that did suggest that ongoing review of the city’s management would be more intimate than it has proved to be. I think the result has only been to embolden the Administration to basically get away with as much as it can, as long as it can.

Overall, I don’t mind stories in the press that call out the Mack Administration for its horrible record, and the daily cost to the citizens of this city and state. I do mind if those stories also serve to burnish the reputation of the State of New Jersey for fiscal and managerial rectitude it doesn’t deserve.

From the Trenton Times, May 2, 2012, by Matt Fair:

“[Trenton Mayor Tony F.]Mack maintains that what his administration is offering in the learning centers is different from what traditional libraries offer, and he said there has been no violation of law.

“‘The distinction between what it is now and what it was then is that we can’t use it as a library per se, but we can have a city building with books and a city building with the internet and we can run it any way we see fit,’ Mack told council.”

“‘A lot of the decisions were made and, for whatever reason, we weren’t really consulted on the legalities of this,’ acting city attorney Walter Denson said.”

“Mack told council last night that he planned to cut the ribbon on the second shuttered branch — the former Briggs branch — on Monday, but council members asked him to hold off until the matter could be reviewed by the city’s legal department and by new city business administrator Sam Hutchinson.

“‘I don’t want him to open another one on Monday,’ council president Kathy McBride said. ‘I want him to wait until we figure out how the first one is running.’”

“‘A lot of the decisions were made and, for whatever reason, we weren’t really consulted on the legalities of this,’ acting city attorney Walter Denson said.”

“Mack has maintained that he was creating learning centers more in tune with the city’s grim fiscal realities. It was drastic funding cuts in 2010 that first led to the branch locations being shuttered and control of the buildings being handed over to the city, he said.

“‘If it takes $65,000 or thereabouts to manage each of these branches on a part-time basis and it’s costing us $2 million to manage one library on a full-time basis, I believe we really need to think about the cost,’ he said.

“Council members, however, questioned the mayor’s budget figures for the facilities. Under questioning from North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson, Matthews said the utility bills for the Skelton branch in fiscal year 2010 totaled $15,000.”

“‘A lot of the decisions were made and, for whatever reason, we weren’t really consulted on the legalities of this,’ acting city attorney Walter Denson said.”

“Council members Zachary Chester and Phyllis Holly-Ward asked to have the city’s law department review the legality of the facilities. According to state statute, any public buildings opened to provide library services must be under the control of the local library board.”

“‘A lot of the decisions were made and, for whatever reason, we weren’t really consulted on the legalities of this,’ acting city attorney Walter Denson said.”

Any Questions?

“Under New Jersey law, only a certified librarian is authorized to oversee the direction of a library. A librarian’s position requires a master’s degree, and, when serving a city as large as Trenton, should have had extensive library management experience. In addition, trained library staff should be available to assist residents. Today’s library goes well beyond books — it is computer training, electronic resources and programming. This requires the expertise of trained staff.”

“Statement on the Library Services to the Residents of Trenton,” from the New Jersey Library Association, April 30, 2012

“We cannot be a library, so just look at this as a public building with books.”

Tony F. Mack, Mayor of the City of Trenton, April 30, 2012

Well, I can’t think of a more concise way to put things. We now have two simple statements that illustrate the two very different ways to look at what has happened on South Broad Street.

Mayor Mack unveiled the first of his counterfeit, zombie “Mayor’s Learning Center Libraries” yesterday, and he proved with the statement above that he has absolutely no ideas what Libraries do, what they are for. He opened up a building with books, turned the lights on, let people in. To him, that’s it! What more is there?

The excerpt quoted above is from a statement – written directly to the people of the city – from the NJ Library Association (NJLA), not “the State” as the Mayor mistakenly stated in his opening remarks. The NJLA is the trade and lobbying association representing the state’s Free Public Libraries, and their statement is really a forlorn cry to the people, trying to remind them what libraries can do.

It’s a cry likely to fall on deaf ears. We have “a public building with books” now, and three more are on their way. No matter that they won’t be staffed with enough trained experienced professionals to provide the level of services library patrons should be entitled to expect. The lights are on, The Zombie Lives! and this allows Mr. Mack to claim a promise fulfilled, however hollow and artificial this all is.

However, given the numbers that Mr. Mack quoted yesterday – the only numbers we have since neither the Mayor nor anyone in his administration have deigned to release to the public, to Council, to anyone – I don’t know how long the lights can in fact stay on.

In quick succession, the Mayor said running the branch will cost $30,000, or $40,000, or $50,000. It’s impossible to say whether he means those numbers to mean operations through the end of the current fiscal year, or for a full 52-week year. But since he compared his number several times to the annual budget numbers for the Trenton Free Public Library, let’s say that Mr. Mack intends his estimate to run that branch for a full year.

For a full year, the Mayor’s estimate of $50,000 means that his center will cost no more than $961.53 per week.

Does that seem real to you? $961.53 per week to operate a public facility, even one open only part-time, for a week?

All the professional staff – however many of them there may be; all the heat, light, water; internet service and online services and subscriptions ; security; computers, copiers, fax machines and maintenance; janitorial service (don’t forget Toilet Paper!!!); software; books, newspapers, magazines, CD’s, DVD’s; office supplies; insurance; payroll taxes; workers’ compensation; ALL OF THIS plus several items I am surely forgetting to mention; for under $1000 per week. Really!

Sorry, I can’t believe this. I can’t believe Mayor Mack.

This is the point in this kind of piece where I usually say something like “I hope I am proved wrong, I hope this turns out OK.” I can’t say that this time.

These things are wrong. They were planned and opened the wrong way. They are illegal, as the NJLA has agreed with what I have been saying.

Taken along with the news that the Mayor has, again without approval by Council and entirely out of public view, single-handedly taken the City out of its participation in the County Recycling program and committed Trenton to a massively costly new effort of its own starting in 2013, these events clearly prove Mayor has thrown all concerns for legality aside. He is unchecked by Council, by the new Business Administrator, by the City’s Law Department, by the State. He is out of control.

This will not end well.

Like most people I know, when something cool happens to me I like to tell people about it. An upcoming or recent vacation, a new car or work to the house, a child going to college; all the stuff of happy comments made to friends and family, in person and nowadays on Facebook.

The same is true in the workplace. When I get a new job, or some particular project is coming up, I’ll let folks know. I like to be associated with good work, and take some personal and professional pride in my small role in something cool.

That’s why it always strikes me as kind of odd, and perhaps more than a little puzzling and off-putting when a similar occasion – a new exciting professional opportunity in the case about which I will speak – stimulates not pride but a kind of shame, not a desire to tell people all about the great work I will do, but an impulse to cover up and dissemble: to settle scores, to lie.

This morning I am feeling that puzzlement. Yesterday, I posted a note in response to a comment attacking me and my motives in opposing Mayor Tony Mack’s ill-considered and illegal plan to open the long-closed neighborhood branches of the Trenton Free Public Library (TFPL) as something that he calls “The Mayor’s Learning Center Libraries.” An attack not only on me, but an oddly personal and obsessive diatribe on the person of the TFPL Director Kimberly Matthews.

After I posted that note, I did a little more on-line digging, and found pretty persuasive evidence that the comment in question, signed “ISU” and written from an email account named “Shirley204,” was in fact written by Brian White.

Mr. White was named in this Matt Fair article last week for the Trenton Times as being a member of the Mayor’s “Committee” responsible for the plans leading to today’s reopening of the first of the four neighborhood branches, and at least one of the individuals who are being hired to work in these libraries. At least, according to Mr. White: “I’m just an adviser, just a consultant until they figure out how much I’m going to be getting. So I’m just volunteering my time right now. I’ve been guaranteed a job though. I want you to know that,” he told the Times.

A couple of years ago, during the campaign over the successful referendum to stop then-Mayor Doug Palmer’s proposal to sell off the suburban assets of the Trenton Water Works to American Water, a nationwide commercial water utility, I identified several anonymous or pseudonymous comments posted to my blog supporting the sale as having been sent from American Water offices or paid consultants around the country. I did that by tracing the IP addresses of the commenters.

After I publicly made note of their identities, I stopped getting those comments. I suppose those people weren’t exactly proud of what they were doing either. And they forgot that even “anonymous” comments lead a quite visible and easily followed trail back to the point of origin.

I did the same thing yesterday. I won’t reveal personal details of what I found yesterday (since they involve other uninvolved people), but I will say that the IP address of the note from “ISU” or “Shirley204″ or whomever was located in Clementon, New Jersey, a private residence inhabited by people named… White.

Coincidence? Perhaps. If “ISU” or Brian White care to contact me, I will be glad to provide all the details I have and ask either of them to set me straight – if I have made the wrong conclusion.

But, put aside this particular comment made to my blog, whoever was responsible for it. I would like to stay on Mr. White and his publicly available statements about his upcoming position at the Mayor’s new libraries. Perhaps I have missed them, but I have not heard any comments talking about how exciting this new job will be, about all the great work he hopes to do for the community, about the pride in re-opening the neighborhood branches that have been dark for nearly two years.

No, we hear mostly rants about the Library Director. According to this account recorded in the official March Minutes of the TFPL Trustees, the following comments are attributed to Mr. White by the Trustees: “He has spoken with Telly Brown, our maintenance supervisor, asking for assistance and information about the branch facilities and referring to Director Matthews as a ‘bitch’.  In a text sent to Katheryn Spalding, Principal Librarian, Mr. White called Director Matthews an ‘evil person’ and wrote that ‘City hall wants her out by all means. And they will.’

Mr. White also posted this comment on the Facebook Wall of one of our sitting Councilwomen: “THX SIS IM WORKING ON THE MAYORS LEARNING CENTER LIBRARY FELT THAT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO CONNECT WITH U  WE LIBRARIANS ARE SO SICK OF KIM MATTHEWS SIS, WE WILL TELL U ABOUT ANOTHER TIME . HAVE A NICE DAY”

This obsession with Ms. Matthews, and the bad grammar, sure does sound similar to “ISU,” doesn’t it?

What I don’t get is why, if this new Library project of the Mayor is so great, why is Mr. White so negative about it, and why is he concealing his identity to make anonymous comments on a local blog? Why isn’t he happy about this opportunity, and proud of his role in this? Why has he been working in the dark on this all this time?

Is it perhaps possible that he is actually ashamed of his participation on this project? I can’t see into his soul to know for sure, but from what I can see, that is one possible explanation.

Come to think of it, that hypothetical feeling of shame might explain the actions of Mayor Mack, and his “Aide” Anthony Roberts, and the members of “The Mayor’s Learning Center Committee.”  These guys have worked for quite some time in secret: lying about their meetings and their plans; deliberately excluding the Trustees of the TFPL (the only lawful authority in a town that can operate public libraries according to the State of New Jersey) from any knowledge of or participation in planning or management; and hiding their plans from City Council and failing to seek legal authorization to spend money and hire people.

Everyone in this City was deliberately kept in the dark about the Mayor’s plans to reopen the neighborhood libraries until the last minute, right before the Grand Opening. Their plan was to open these libraries as done deals, and dare anyone else to oppose them.

As if they were actually ashamed of what they were doing, instead of proud.

You know, in selecting someone like Brian White to take a leading role in these counterfeit Libraries, Tony Mack has apparently picked someone Just. Like. Him.

I don’t usually respond to charges made in anonymous posts. After all, if you don’t have the guts to use your real name, why should I give any credibility to anything you say? It’s just meaningless noise unless you have the integrity to back up your words with your name and your reputation. Why should I bother?

I will make an exception in one case, because it is just too easy a target. Here is a comment to one of my last posts, made today from an “ISU”:

We all know that this is a ploy between you and Kim Matthews. Enough political theater. What’s important is that the branches reopen for the communities.Since you’re are designated to be her man-servant get the facts correct. The learning centers are bringing back employees that were unjustly laidoff by this creature.This woman doesn’t care anything about the libraries. Her concern and her only concern is her heftly paycheck that she collects evey other Thursday.If she was so concerned about the branches why did she give the keys back to the city, during the layoff.

Every former employee that was laid off stipulated that if she has anything to do with the reopening they’ll not be involved.
No one wants to work with this woman.The foundation that received the grant will not turn over a dime to her, to run the locations. She receives an annual salary of 100k for doing what? NOTHING. Why do you need a Director for 1 location, with 25 employees and a Branch Mgr for the same location. This is unheard of. What the mayor should do firstly is get rid of that sorry Board of Trustees. Then cut her salary, get rid of the Branch Mgr who resides in Chesterfield, NJ.

It’s not Where in the World is Waldo, it’s where in the world is a competent LIBRARY DIRECTOR.

Let me parse this out.

“We all know that this is a ploy between you and Kim Matthews. Enough political theater.” For the record, this is hardly any ploy between me and Ms. Matthews. I haven’t seen the woman in two years or had any communication in that time. Other than a courtesy note to her on Friday to inform her of my petition, and a voicemail back from her acknowledging that effort, I haven’t spoken with her. Hard to construct a “ploy” out of that, LOL! But I do agree there should be an end to “political theater,” but I am afraid I am not one of the actors in this farce that has been written, produced and directed by Tony F. Mack, starring him and with Anthony Roberts as his co-star.

“What’s important is that the branches reopen for the communities.” I agree, but NOT if this is done illegally, as these “zombie libraries,” are being reopened. But Thank You for conceding the point that these Branches are indeed being Reopened. Despite the pitiful effort to re-brand these as “The Mayor’s Learning Center Libraries,” they are in fact Libraries and being re-opened in violation of the Law.

“Since you’re are [sic] designated to be her man-servant get the facts correct. The learning centers are bringing back employees that [sic] were unjustly laidoff [sic] by this creature.” Man-servant? What? Oh, I get what you are trying to imply here. So clever. So droll. Ha. Ha. You seem to know a lot about who will be working at these libraries. Apart from one individual named in the Minutes of the March meeting of the Trustees of the Library, an individual whose quoted comments about the Library Director seem to indicate quite a personal grudge, no information has been disclosed about the employees of these so-called Libraries. Which is part of my complaint.

And “unjustly laid off?” Seems to me they were laid off when the neighborhood library branches were closed in the Fall of 2010 after budgetary cutbacks forced the closures. After, you may recall, the Mayor ignored his promise to provide the $850,000 in funding the branches would have needed to stay open.

What were the Trustees and Director to have done without the funding? Keep the Libraries open and pay employees with money they were not authorized to spend? No, that kind of behavior is reserved for Mayor Mack!

“This woman doesn’t care anything about the libraries. Her concern and her only concern is her heftly [sic] paycheck that she collects evey [sic] other Thursday.If she was so concerned about the branches why did she give the keys back to the city, during the layoff.” I can’t presume to figure out her cares and concerns. And I don’t see any evidence to the contrary that she hasn’t served as a competent Director during difficult times. To my mind, she has never been as strong a supporter of the neighborhood branches as I would have liked, and I have stated so several times in the past. As to why she gave the keys back? The branches were closing and the City is the landlord. Duh!

“Every former employee that was laid off stipulated that if she has anything to do with the reopening they’ll not be involved. No one wants to work with this woman.” Oh, yeah? Show me. Otherwise, shut up.!

“The foundation that received the grant will not turn over a dime to her, to run the locations.” What foundation? What grant? News to me, as I am sure to most Trentonians. Is this another piece of information the Mayor and associates are keeping secret?

“She receives an annual salary of 100k for doing what? NOTHING. Why do you need a Director for 1 location, with 25 employees and a Branch Mgr for the same location. This is unheard of. What the mayor should do firstly is get rid of that sorry Board of Trustees. Then cut her salary, get rid of the Branch Mgr who resides in Chesterfield, NJ.

It’s not Where in the World is Waldo, it’s where in the world is a competent LIBRARY DIRECTOR.”

Well, I was never that concerned with Where in the World Waldo Was, but if that is your standard for Pressing Questions, Whatever!

Actually, here you do make a few good points. Namely that as a Board, the current Trustees are a sorry lot. Institutionally (not as individuals, since most current members were not serving years ago when most of the mis-management over finances took place), the Trustees have failed to perform their fiduciary and public duties to faithfully execute the laws of the state of New Jersey and promote the interests of the citizens of the City of Trenton.

In fact, one of the current members of the Board of Trustees has gone so far as to open his own Libraries, ignoring the Free Public Library of which he is a sworn leader. He is opening his own Libraries on the very sites of the Free Public Library, planning to use books and materials that are the property of his own Board of Trustees. He is hiring unknown people to run these libraries, and calling for Volunteers to show up and start working, without any apparent training nor criminal background checks. And he is doing all this without the knowledge or approval of City Council, the State, or anyone. He is just doing it on his own say so.

If ever there were a Trustee of the Trenton Free Public Library that deserved to be immediately kicked off the Board for abusing  the trust of his colleagues and of the citizens of the City of Trenton, it’s this guy.

I refer, of course, to the “Honorable” Tony. F. Mack.

So, ISU, if you have a beef with me, I have some advice. First, get YOUR facts (and your grammar, and your spelling!) straight. Provide some evidence or justification for your claims; it will make your arguments stronger. And, above all, in the absence of things like facts, proof and evidence, all you have to base your statements on is your name and reputation. Without a name, you have no reputation, no honor.

The Zombie Libraries at the Briggs and Skelton Branches are due to open on Monday afternoon. I intend to speak at Tuesday’s Council Meeting in opposition, not to the idea of re-opening the Branch Libraries, but the totally illegal way this has been done by the Mack Administration.

I hereby announce “The Committee to Stop the Trenton Zombie Libraries,” which will exist to gather public support to oppose this. Please add your voice to this effort!

Today I consulted Legal Counsel and asked their opinion as to whether action could be filed now for an injunction against the openings. I was advised that until all the usual avenues for action – City Council, the Business Administrator, the City Law Department – have been tried and failed.

So, I’ve written the following petition, which can also be downloaded here. I will be outside the Main Library tomorrow at 9AM to collect signatures. I hope to offer to Council solid proof of public support at Tuesday’s session.

Come on down tomorrow to sign the petition! If you can’t make it, print out your own copy, sign it, circulate it, and send it to your City Council member.

April 27, 2012

WHEREAS, in the Fall of 2010, the four neighborhood Branches of the Trenton Free Public Library closed their doors and ceased operations as the result of budgetary problems in the City of Trenton that caused a reduction in financial support to the Library from the City: and

WHEREAS, the four Branches – Briggs, Cadwalader, East Trenton, and Skelton – were valued as invaluable irreplaceable assets in the cultural, educational and recreational life of all Trentonians, children and adults; and

WHEREAS, it has been since the Fall of 2010 the desire of the People of the City of Trenton to re-open these closed Branches under the use and control of the Trenton Free Public Library, as described and regulated under Chapter 40:54 of the Statutes of the State of New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, the City of Trenton has announced that the Skelton and Briggs Library will re-open on April 30 as branches of entities called “The Mayor’s Learning Center Libraries;” and

WHEREAS, the City’s plans have been designed with no participation nor approvals from: the management and Trustees of the Free Public Library, Trenton City Council, the State Librarian, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, nor have any presentations or plans been made available to the People of the City of Trenton to establish the City’s reasons for bypassing and ignoring the authorized structures and laws governing Free Public Libraries in the State of New Jersey, nor have any expenditures on behalf of these Libraries been authorized by City Council as required by law; and

WHEREAS, it is not known by the Public or City Council who will be staffing the Branches during their hours of operation, their qualifications, background, experience, or salaries; and

WHEREAS, the City of Trenton has publicly called for Volunteers to work in these Branches, without describing the duties of Volunteers, or whether such Volunteers will be subject to Background Checks and/or Drug Testing before being placed in proximity with the Children of the City of Trenton; and

WHEREAS, the existing collection of materials in these branches – books, furniture, computer equipment, etc. – that have remained in the buildings since their closure remain the property of the Trenton Free Public Library, and no authorization has been sought or granted by the Trustees for their use;

THEREFORE, the Undersigned Citizens of the City of Trenton and friends of the Trenton Free Public Library declare the “Mayor’s Learning Center Libraries” to be illicit, illegitimate and bogus “Zombie Libraries.” We call on an immediate halt to all plans and actions on behalf of these “Learning Center Libraries” unless and until all procedures and processes have been followed as required by the laws of the City of Trenton and the State of New Jersey.

FURTHER, the Undersigned declare their support for the re-opening of the Branches under the Use and Control of the Trenton Free Public Library as early as can be feasibly possible.

SIGNED, April 27, 2012

Name               _____________________

Address          _____________________

City, State      _____________________