Categorized | Letters to the Editor

THE COMMUNITY VOICE: Letters to the Editor

The Importance of Studying History

Mr. Kohn,

LetterYour WWII columns in the Amboy Guardian are most interesting and informative.  I look forward to reading future installments.

It is distressing that there are those in this world then and now who are so committed to violence and conquest.

Richard Estock

Dear Mr. Estock:

Thank you for your kind words, and I hope you continue to find future columns as interesting and informative as those that have preceded them.

As the Anglo-Irish statesman Edmund Burke stated: “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Phil Kohn

My Side of the Story

The City Clerk, Elaine Jasko and members of the Perth Amboy Council have attempted to remove me from the Perth Amboy Zoning Board. The City Clerk as stated by the Municipal Attorney Arlene Quinones Perez was the Sponsor of a Resolution slated to remove Ms. Batista from the Zoning Board which is not permitted by the Charter of the City of Perth Amboy.

Ms. Batista was never directly mailed any official letter from the State of New Jersey informing her of any fines, actions or hearings pending against her. Ms. Batista is presently involved in a Federal Lawsuit against the Mayor and the City of Perth Amboy.

It appears that the City Clerk has committed fraud by inventing her own rules in retaliation against Ms. Batista. Ms. Batista was single out by the City Clerk in this matter which is clearly grounds for a civil lawsuit based on “Disparate Treatment” which is a violation of Federal Civil Rights Act. The City of Perth Amboy’s actions are unethical and fraudulent.  Ms. Batista will be filing Ethics Violations against the City Clerk, the Mayor and City Council Members for fraud and acting outside of the authority and preparing false documents and statements.

Ms. Batista will also be filing Ethics Violations against the City Attorney Arlene Quinones Perez with the New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics. The Resolution is fraudulent and will be appealed if not immediately withdrawn. All matters will be appealed.  Ms. Batista addressed all of these matters at the May 23, 2016 City Caucus Meeting and awaited further commits from the parties at the Council Meeting concerning the City Clerks fraud. The City Attorney, Ms. Arlene Quinones Perez, and the City Clerk, Elaine Jasko were notably absent at the May 25, 2016 Council Meeting and gave no further comments on their actions. It should also be noted that the City Council did not follow its usual protocol and read the Resolution out loud to remove me. It is still unethical because it appeared in writing on the Agenda.

The Mayor, Police Director and other City Officials are alleged of further fraud in a Federal Lawsuit. Ms. Batista hereby demands that the City Clerk, Elaine Jasko, the City Attorney Arlene Quinoas Perez, Esq. and the City Council member resign from their positions immediately.

All Resolutions must be posted and published in the newspaper under the Public Notices section by the City Clerk’s Office. The Resolution being recited in the newspaper by a news reporter does meet the legal requirements of public notice. The Clerks office’s in Perth Amboy has not also followed the required public notice requirements.  The cost of the ad must also be displayed in the ad.

Susan Batista

Resign to Run

I have read over the last week that Councilman Joel Pabon has decided to throw his hat in the Mayoral race as he officially declared he will run for the office of Mayor.

I am sure much thought went into his decision and I would always encourage any of our City’s paid, elected officials to seek higher office if they feel up to the task.

Nonetheless once the decision is made by a paid elected official to run for higher office I believe that official has an ethical obligation to resign from their current position.

No elected officeholder should divide their time in office between their official duties and their personal advancement.

Additionally, the elected officeholder can leverage his present position against the other candidate while retaining his councilman status as a fallback; he can attack the current Mayor and bring productivity to a halt.

(I believe we saw exactly this, front and center, this past August by our current council president.)

I have known Councilman Pabon for some time now; I had worked vigorously just two short years ago for him as he ran for re-election on Mayor Diaz’s record and ticket.

I have seen him at the forefront representing Mayor Diaz’s initiatives when he was Council president.  As our Councilman he represented Perth Amboy well.

The bottom line- the paid elected official can have his cake and eat it too while running for Mayor and retaining a councilman position.

I urge Councilman Pabon to make the hard choice, the risky move and resign. Be the leader and set the precedent for Perth Amboy.

Thomas Hudanish

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