The Joke is on the Voters
This is a concerned response to the Amboy Guardian article in the Oct 2, 2019 issue (It Got Ugly 9/25/19 Council Meeting). When reading this article of what was going on at the City Council Meeting and many others that also read it told me the city has gotten out of control. Those concerned citizens are being left out. When a concerned citizen writes a letter to the Police Chief and the Mayor to the Amboy Guardian, that’s a WARNING SIGN. Over the years it has been nonstop of citizens complaining from A to Z and when it will STOP? Perth Amboy has to move forward and catch up – not go backwards. Here’s the best one: those city politicians tell us they need another four years to fix the problems. I hate to say this, but “The joke is on the voters!”
Orlando “Wildman” Perez
The Second Amendment
A letter presented an erroneous interpretation of the phrase “well-regulated militia”. This referred to the practice where members of the militia elected their officers for a one-year term. One example was Davy Crockett who was elected Colonel after he joined the militia for the Black Hawk War. There were no police forces in the early 19th century. Armed citizens protected themselves. Police forces were mostly created around the mid-19th century for the big cities (after the Panic of 1837). Rural areas today are armed and depend on the Sheriff’s department as needed, like in those old Western movies.
The rise of corporations with hundreds of workers meant they could not depend on the militia when a strike occurred since the militia would be composed of the striking workers, their friends and relatives (as in 1877 Pittsburgh). People have a natural right to protect themselves from predatory animals in rural areas and elsewhere. The Second Amendment recognized this right. Given their experiences they did not want to depend on government forces when they were the government. William Weir’s book “A Well Regulated Militia” has the historical facts.
Ronald A. Sobieraj
Perth Amboy’s City Hall
Civil War
In the October 2, 2019 edition of the “Guardian” a woman only identified as Elizabeth tells Council president Petrick “You don’t belong in our community….”. This statement puzzled me on many levels. Who is this Elizabeth that she has the authority to say who is part of “our community”? The next question is: how does she define “community”? If “community” is the City of Perth Amboy Council president Petrick’s family have been residence of the City of Perth Amboy, like myself, for 3 generations. Besides his current political contributions to the City, Mr. Petrick contributed to our community as a volunteer firefighter and Volunteer Fire Chief. Is Elizabeth defining “community” as a political-social-ethnic group? In that case Mr. Petrick, myself and many who still live and contribute to the City of Perth Amboy can never be members of Elizabeth’s community since we do not know what community she speaks of we certainly cannot be members. The community I belong to is best characterized by the phrase “Out of Many, One”. It symbolizes the American ideal that while we all have come from different places with different ideas and religions with a belief in the ideals set forth in the U.S. Constitution we become one people not a political-social-ethnic group which separates it’s members from the rest of society. By separating its members from the rest of society, they feel special and are often exploited for political purposes. I suspect that is the case at the Council meeting reported in the “Guardian.” They became Warriors in Perth Amboy’s City Hall Civil War.
The final thing I am puzzled about are the people who came up and asked for a tax increase to help the Seniors. While I am sure that Senior services provides for many of our city’s seniors, they are not the only seniors effected by the city’s budget. Many seniors struggle to pay their property tax. It has to be remembered that as we age on a fixed income our dollars do not go as far as they used to. I’m sure there are seniors who would suffer if taxes are raised, even by 3% or 5 %.
John Yuhas
“Presumption of Innocence”
Good evening,
My name is Maria Garcia. I am sure that most of you know me for my years of working against corruption in our government and making this city progress into a better future. I am writing this letter to you to express my views about the organized effort of the character assassination of Councilman Bill Petrick for political expediency.
I am a woman, an immigrant, and Hispanic, but above all I am an American citizen who believes that we all have the freedom of speech, association, and presumption of innocence given to us by the constitution of the USA. I’ve known Councilman Petrick since 2009. Councilman Petrick and Mr. Gonzalez and I ran together for city council in 2010. Since the first day that I met Councilman Petrick, he has always been respectful, caring for this community and its people, no matter what race, creed or religious beliefs. I’ve also served with Councilman Petrick in the Planning Board of the city of Perth Amboy; he has always been very conscious of how we must redevelop this city to avoid mistakes of overdevelopment which will put a strain on our infrastructure, schools, parking, police, fire department, sanitation department, open space, and quality of life. Councilman Petrick knows what his duty as an elected official is: he is representing the people of this city. He was not elected by the people to represent everything the Mayor wants; his duty is to represent the people and protect us from bad decisions that will impact us for years in negative ways.
I want to ask those who are prejudging Councilman Petrick to think of two things: First- Have you ever sat down with Councilman Petrick and have a conversation with him?; Second: Why would Councilman Petrick run with two Hispanics for the city council and was supported by many Hispanics including the Mayor if he was a racist?
I know that the people of Perth Amboy are smarter than some politicians think, and I know that we will not fall for lies, propaganda and character assassination of a good man for political reasons. Do not let the Mayor manipulate you with lies in order to have total control over the council to do whatever the lobbyists, campaign donors, and developers want to do with our city at our expense.
Lastly, I will leave you with this. . .
1 Peter 2:1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
Maria Garcia
