Let the Sun Shine In!

Blogolanders - where to begin?  I attended the TESC/GCA meeting yesterday afternoon.  First, you've heard the expression, "Politics makes for strange bedfellows."   I never thought Councilwoman McBride and I would ever be bedfellows - but politics, etc.  She also did a good job of chairing the meeting and kept all under control.  Before I continue, I support and admire TESC.  It serves a purpose does a dman good job fulfilling that purpose.  I believe that any nursing program at TESC would be A1. 

My objection to the current deal is that Trenton could have/should have negotiated better terms.  That's all.  The other problem is the promise that such a nursing school will do wonders for the neighborhood and for the city!  Most our municipal problems will be solved!  OK, Blogolanders. 
Remember back in the days of urban renewal?  When the neighborhood around Market and Warren was knocked down and state buildings put up?  Trenton traded taxpaying properties for state owned/tax free properties.  Wonderful things were going to happen.  A new day would dawn.  No such thing happened.  Remember the arena?  Same promises.  Remember the ballpark?  Same promises.  Remember the new courthouse.  Same promises.  And what did we get.  Nothing. 

The other thing I don't like is that a few years ago the Honorable Mayor formed some sort of economic development committee, board, club, who the hell knows.  No one seems to know when the group met; no one has seen minutes, AND and a member was George Pruitt, Ph.D, president of Thomas Edison State College. 

Last evening, J.R. Capasso, who is heading the city housing/economic development department, told me deals such as the TESC/GCA are conducted in secret.  And he give a number of reasons why, etc. 
While there my be some logic to this behavior, my reaction was, and is, bullshit.  You're negotiating the disposition of publically owned property (that means you and I own it) to another public institution, TESC which you and I support with our state tax dollars.  You're not planning Operation Overlord.  Maybe if these negotiations were made public sooner, there would be time to chew over the details.  And, yes, I know about the bond approval last November, etc., etc. 

Lastly, I would strongly advise Dr. Pruitt, who does not live in Trenton, to get off his high horse and stop speaking to the public as though we were a group of simple-minded children. 

As a taxpayer, I am very tired of these schemes being pulled out of a hat and being told how lucky I am that the scheme is taking place.  By the way, Blogolanders, last evening, Dr. Pruitt made at least three grammatical errors that I heard. 

This a crappy deal for Trenton and very few seem to give a damn.