DailyHarrison: Pinho Blasts Mayor's Move
DailyHarrison.com has on its front page an article entitled "Pinho Blasts Mayor's Move" with a great picture of Mayor McDonough, United States Senator Robert Menendez and State Senator Richard Codey at the Red Bulls Stadium. It got my attention and I am sure the attention of others.
It is not my intention to "blast" Mayor McDonough. I have a great deal of respect for Mayor McDonough and all politicians (and what they have to do on a daily basis) to blast any one of them. I believe that Mayor McDonough's intentions when he set out to "Redevelop" Harrison were genuine. Remember, I was there at the beginning of the Harrison Redevelopment Agency as one of initial Commissioners. Unfortunately, the Mayor's good intentions were sidetracked. Harrison residents will pay for the poor planning. There however is still hope that things can be turned around for the better.
The achilles heal in the McDonough's Administration is that those close to him are "Yesing" him every opportunity they can looking out for their own self interests. In other words, instead of expressing their opinions they are agreeing with the Mayor so long as it does not effect them. That has made for some poorly thought out decisions. The repeal of the Parking Lot Ordinance is such a decision. The Town's outside counsel is happy with the proposed decision as his firm will be billing the town thousands of dollars per month to defend the litigation that will be filed the day after the town passes the ordinance.
Mayor McDonough has always been cordial and respectful to me. I have always done the same. We may disagree but its not personal. I have been involved in several campaigns for and against Mayor McDonough and his team and I respect what he has accomplished both politically and personally. I have even a higher regard for the person who hand picked Mayor McDonough to be the nominee to succeed him in the Mayor's seat, the late Mayor Frank E. Rodgers. Rodgers obviously is a very tough act to follow. You do not get elected every two years for over forty years unless you have touched people's lives in a genuine way. My parents have a Frank E. Rodgers sign protected with clear plastic hanging in their basement. My father has stated on occasion that he is going to hang it on the porch someday so people can vote for Frank E. Rodgers again. Rodgers would fix this mess.
It struck me the other day that McDonough was repealing the Parking Ordinance devised by Mayor Frank E. Rodgers to generate some income for Harrison from daily commuters. What would Mayor Rodgers think of all that has transpired since he stepped down as the longest sitting Mayor in the United States. Would he happy that the Guyon Industrial Complex had been torned down and a soccer stadium was built without a property lease in place that would generate enough revenue to pay the interest on the bond that insured the stadium would be built? Would he be happy that one of the few green spaces in town, the John F. Kennedy Stadium along the Passaic River, was sold to a developer to build housing and they have failed to complete the project as promised? Would he be happy that long time business and property owners were evicted and had to fight to receive proper compensation from outside developers and now the "redevelopers" are stalling, changing plans, and asking for more assistance? Would he be happy that the salary ordinance for the town of Harrison has a parking meter attendant making more than most Harrison Police Officers? Would he be happy to see Mayor McDonough and council members walking out of town meetings when simple questions are asked?
Mayor McDonough and his team must ask themselves, What would Mayor Rodgers do? Mayor Rodgers would first call Governor-elect Chris Christie to congratulate him on his election victory and offer his best wishes. He would then call Governor Corzine and express his dismay at his loss and offer any assistance he could give to Governor Corzine in the future. He would then have his secretary call me and arrange a visit to his office on the Third Floor of town hall. As soon as I sat down in the sinking guest chair, he would ask about my parents. "How are they doing? Please let them know I was asking about them." He then would ask about "my lovely wife". Mayor Rodgers knew what was important: Family. Mayor Rodger's extended family was the people of the Town of Harrison. He touched countless lives in varying degrees. Rodgers would then ask me why I was upset with him. He would then listen. Listening is a lost art.
Why am I upset with Mayor McDonough? Simply put he has lost his way. Harrison is not about outside "Redevelopers". Harrison is about folks like my parents who are blue collar hardworking individuals who moved to Harrison for great police protection, a good education for their children, great garbage collection services, thorough and efficient Department of Public Works and great neighbors of various ethnic cultures. Look around and you will see that all of these services are suffering despite ever increasing property taxes. The residents cannot afford town employees to get pay raises. The residents cannot afford to have the police department understaffed. The residents cannot afford more money being handed to redevelopers in the form of concessions. Mayor McDonough must take decisive action to save Harrison. Mayor McDonough must be Harrison's leader. Tough decisions must be made in the face of the nation's worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and in the face of some questionable decisions and deals made by his administration.
If it sounds like I am blasting the Mayor, forgive me. I am simply trying to get his attention before it is too late. If more of his friends told him the truth and lent him support Harrison would be a lot better in the years to come.
It is not my intention to "blast" Mayor McDonough. I have a great deal of respect for Mayor McDonough and all politicians (and what they have to do on a daily basis) to blast any one of them. I believe that Mayor McDonough's intentions when he set out to "Redevelop" Harrison were genuine. Remember, I was there at the beginning of the Harrison Redevelopment Agency as one of initial Commissioners. Unfortunately, the Mayor's good intentions were sidetracked. Harrison residents will pay for the poor planning. There however is still hope that things can be turned around for the better.
The achilles heal in the McDonough's Administration is that those close to him are "Yesing" him every opportunity they can looking out for their own self interests. In other words, instead of expressing their opinions they are agreeing with the Mayor so long as it does not effect them. That has made for some poorly thought out decisions. The repeal of the Parking Lot Ordinance is such a decision. The Town's outside counsel is happy with the proposed decision as his firm will be billing the town thousands of dollars per month to defend the litigation that will be filed the day after the town passes the ordinance.
Mayor McDonough has always been cordial and respectful to me. I have always done the same. We may disagree but its not personal. I have been involved in several campaigns for and against Mayor McDonough and his team and I respect what he has accomplished both politically and personally. I have even a higher regard for the person who hand picked Mayor McDonough to be the nominee to succeed him in the Mayor's seat, the late Mayor Frank E. Rodgers. Rodgers obviously is a very tough act to follow. You do not get elected every two years for over forty years unless you have touched people's lives in a genuine way. My parents have a Frank E. Rodgers sign protected with clear plastic hanging in their basement. My father has stated on occasion that he is going to hang it on the porch someday so people can vote for Frank E. Rodgers again. Rodgers would fix this mess.
It struck me the other day that McDonough was repealing the Parking Ordinance devised by Mayor Frank E. Rodgers to generate some income for Harrison from daily commuters. What would Mayor Rodgers think of all that has transpired since he stepped down as the longest sitting Mayor in the United States. Would he happy that the Guyon Industrial Complex had been torned down and a soccer stadium was built without a property lease in place that would generate enough revenue to pay the interest on the bond that insured the stadium would be built? Would he be happy that one of the few green spaces in town, the John F. Kennedy Stadium along the Passaic River, was sold to a developer to build housing and they have failed to complete the project as promised? Would he be happy that long time business and property owners were evicted and had to fight to receive proper compensation from outside developers and now the "redevelopers" are stalling, changing plans, and asking for more assistance? Would he be happy that the salary ordinance for the town of Harrison has a parking meter attendant making more than most Harrison Police Officers? Would he be happy to see Mayor McDonough and council members walking out of town meetings when simple questions are asked?
Mayor McDonough and his team must ask themselves, What would Mayor Rodgers do? Mayor Rodgers would first call Governor-elect Chris Christie to congratulate him on his election victory and offer his best wishes. He would then call Governor Corzine and express his dismay at his loss and offer any assistance he could give to Governor Corzine in the future. He would then have his secretary call me and arrange a visit to his office on the Third Floor of town hall. As soon as I sat down in the sinking guest chair, he would ask about my parents. "How are they doing? Please let them know I was asking about them." He then would ask about "my lovely wife". Mayor Rodgers knew what was important: Family. Mayor Rodger's extended family was the people of the Town of Harrison. He touched countless lives in varying degrees. Rodgers would then ask me why I was upset with him. He would then listen. Listening is a lost art.
Why am I upset with Mayor McDonough? Simply put he has lost his way. Harrison is not about outside "Redevelopers". Harrison is about folks like my parents who are blue collar hardworking individuals who moved to Harrison for great police protection, a good education for their children, great garbage collection services, thorough and efficient Department of Public Works and great neighbors of various ethnic cultures. Look around and you will see that all of these services are suffering despite ever increasing property taxes. The residents cannot afford town employees to get pay raises. The residents cannot afford to have the police department understaffed. The residents cannot afford more money being handed to redevelopers in the form of concessions. Mayor McDonough must take decisive action to save Harrison. Mayor McDonough must be Harrison's leader. Tough decisions must be made in the face of the nation's worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and in the face of some questionable decisions and deals made by his administration.
If it sounds like I am blasting the Mayor, forgive me. I am simply trying to get his attention before it is too late. If more of his friends told him the truth and lent him support Harrison would be a lot better in the years to come.
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