EON wants to encourage supporters of wards and concerned residents to come out to tonight's City Council meeting.

NEW BRUNSWICK CITY COUNCIL

December 3, 2008
6:30pm, City Hall
78 Bayard Street

Marvin Brauth, the attorney who helped keep the ward question off of the 2008 ballot, is scheduled to be paid at least $18,000 for his services through the month of September at tonight's City Council meeting.  The figure may turn out to be significantly higher if it updated to reflect October and November as the Council promised it would when it tabled the resolution at their last meeting.

The figure also does not include the $24,000+ that City Attorney William Hamilton has made fighting the case.  Hamilton's legal fees are not put to a public vote, but rather taken from an account set up by the Council specifically for him.

Remember, this is our tax money that the City Council is spending on high-priced lawyers to fight against the city's own voters.

EON Sues City of New Brunswick
Fight for Right to Vote on Wards Continues

Empower Our Neighborhoods, a grassroots organization in New Brunswick, filed suit today in New Jersey Superior Court against City Clerk Daniel Torrissi, as well as the City Council.  The action attempts to overturn Torrissi's decision to deny a vote on a referendum thousands in the City expressed support for since EON began organizing two years ago.

Operating under the legal advice of City Attorney William Hamilton, Torrissi had denied the group's petition a place on this year's ballot in July, only to have the decision overturned by a Superior Court Judge six weeks later. 

"We are fighting for people's right to vote on a basic question.  The judiciary needs to step in and correct the unscrupulous actions of our local officials and protect the rights of voters." said Charles Kratovil, co-campaign manager for the ward campaign.

The EON ballot question, if passed, would change the way City Council members are elected, providing one candidate to be elected from each ward.  The other three Council members would be elected at-large.  Nearby Franklin and Piscataway Townships both have used wards to elect Town Council members for decades.  Nearly every large and medium-sized city in New Jersey runs Council elections based on wards.

The campaign was cut short on September 23, the day before ballots were printed in Middlesex County, when a judge ruled the petition had not been reinstated early enough to be scheduled for the 2008 general election.  No municipal questions appeared on the 2008 ballot and the Council candidates ran unopposed.  The group submitted another petition shortly after the ruling, with hundreds of fresh signatures from registered voters.  Torrissi denied the new petition October 22.

Torrissi's reasoning for rejecting the new petition was ordinance O-060807, a blatant attempt to de-rail EON's petition by placing a different measure on the ballot when only one of the measures could appear on any given ballot for a period of four years.  The ordinance passed the City Council unanimously July 2, just two days after the EON petition was formally submitted, despite fierce opposition from residents and EON members in attendance who alleged the Council's actions were illegal.  These residents were proved right when O-060807 was negated by a September 2 ruling of Judge Heidi Willis Currier, making it null and void.

"It is certainly puzzling why the City Clerk would refuse to accept our petition because of an ordinance that was already thrown out in court." said Adriel Bernal, an EON organizer.

The Clerk's argument, according to his October 22 letter, implies that the invalidated ordinance prevents "the validation of any charter change petition."  In addition to the City Council's fierce opposition to the ward question appearing on the 2008 ballot, Mayor James Cahill voiced his opposition through letters to the editor in the Rutgers student paper and Home News Tribune.

Some in EON are hoping the City backs down.  "I hope the city realizes the people just want a fair vote on wards in 2009 and decides not to fight us on it." said Bernal.

The Home News Tribune reported recently that City Attorney Hamilton and other hired counsel have made at least $42,000 in taxpayer money thus far in the City's crusade against the ward campaign.  If the City chooses to pursue a second court battle with EON, it will no doubt cost significant sums of additional taxpayer money.  City Attorney Hamilton is earning $180 an hour for his work on the case, in addition to the salaries of his staff. 

Funds for Hamilton are drawn from a special legal fund set up for these matters and are not subject to a vote of the Council before the public.  However, the City Council is set to approve today the payment of over $18,000 to Marvin Brauth, an attorney hired to fight the EON case.  Mr. Brauth is paid at the rate of $240/hour.  EON anticipates their members to turn out to the meeting.

The City Council meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm at City Hall, 78 Bayard Street.

Voter turnout in this historic election was the highest our nation has seen in almost fifty years.  New Brunswick was no exception, overcoming a history of low turnout to cast almost 12,000 votes on November 4th.

It's tough to tell precisely how much we helped increase turnout, but along with the RU Voting Coalition, we undoubtedly helped thousands of New Brunswick voters excericise their civic duty.

Without further ado, an unofficial election analysis compiled by EON...

TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR PRESIDENT: 11,913
84% for Barack Obama - 10,012 votes for change!

TOTAL CITY COUNCIL WRITE-IN VOTES FOR EON MEMBERS: 92
This is impressive considering we did not campaign at all.  Every vote came from frustrated supporters of wards who were protesting the absence of EON's ward question from this year's ballot.  In addition to EON's accidental candidates, "None," "Ward-System," and "Ward-Reform" also received write-in votes for City Council.

WARD-BY-WARD TURNOUT: 2004 vs. 2008
Every ward improved turnout by over 20% since the last presidential election.

(Note: All numbers do not include absentee and/or early votes.)

WARD 1: 1,953 up to 2,676 (+37%)
WARD 2: 2,435 up to 2,996 (+23%)
WARD 4: 1,703 up to 2,074 (+22%)
WARD 5: 1,185 up to 1,430 (+21%)
WARD 6: 2,209 up to 2,737 (+24%)

DISTRICT-BY-DISTRICT TURNOUT: 2004 vs. 2008
Four districts had lower turnout.  Twenty-four had higher turnout.  Seventeen districts improved turnout by double-digits, two by triple-digits.

The increase in turnout in some districts this year was simply phenomenal.  Districts are sorted by polling place.

New Lord Stirling School (2,374 votes)
1-1 311 up to 380 (+22%)
1-2 305 up to 392 (+29%)
1-3 212 up to 541 (+155%) (Note: Rockoff Hall didn't exist in 2004)
2-1 464 up to 770 (+66%)
2-2 263 up to 291 (+11%)

Lincoln Elementary School (1,963 votes)
6-1 291 up to 382 (+31%)
6-2 256 up to 275 (+7%)
6-3 459 up to 727 (+58%)
6-6 442 up to 579 (+31%)

St. Mary's Church (1,328 votes)
2-4 298 down to 293 (-2%)
2-5 349 down to 325 (-7%)
2-7 584 up to 710 (+22%) (Note: Fulton Sq. condos didn't exist in 2004)

Board of Education (885 votes)
2-3 202 up to 323 (+60%)
2-6 275 up to 284 (+3%)
4-3 287 down to 278 (-3%)

Woodrow Wilson School (882 votes)
1-4 291 up to 404 (+39%)
1-5 450 up to 478 (+6%)

Senior Citizen Resource Center (764 votes)
6-4 285 up to 288 (+1%)
6-5 476 up to 486 (+2%)

Schwartz-Robeson Community Center (659 votes)
4-2 621 up to 659 (+6%)

First Reformed Church (552 votes)
5-1 389 up to 552 (+42%) (Note: One Spring St. didn't exist in 2004)

Hungarian Heritage Center (550 votes)
5-2 172 up to 306 (+78%)
5-4 341 down to 244 (-28%)

Labor Education Center (481 votes)
1-6 384 up to 481 (+25%)

New Brunswick High School (395 votes)
4-4 364 up to 395 (+9%)

Roosevelt School (373 votes)
4-1 125 up to 373 (+198%) (Note: Heldrich condos didn't exist in 2004)

Dept. of Public Works Garage (369 votes)
4-5 306 up to 369 (+21%)

Providence Square (328 votes)
5-3 283 up to 328 (+16%)

Largest increase: +198%, 4-1 (downtown, Livingston Ave.)
Second largest: +155%, 1-3 (downtown, George St.)
Largest decrease: -28%, 5-4 (Brookside/Birchwoods)
Second largest: -7%, 2-5 (Remsen/Commercial)

And, finally...
OVERALL TURNOUT: 9,485 up to 11,913 (+26%)

Way to go, New Brunswick!

Barack Obama's victory has proven to Americans all over that there is power in casting a ballot.  This is a lesson that will prove valuable in empowering New Brunswick to have actual elections that matter.

Yesterday, three  of New Brunswick's five council members were re-elected to four-year terms without so much as a single opponent on the ballot.  This was the first and only local election on the ballot since 2006.  The next local election will be for EON's ward question next November.

The re-election of our city leaders has very little to do with the work they've done in the City being endorsed or even acknowledged by voters, it is because the voters had no choice, short of a write-in.  EON was at the polls, and we know you probably didn't go there to cast your vote for Garlatti, Cook, or Recine.  You may have chosen to write someone else in on the local level, but ultimately you want an election where you have a chance to make a real difference.

Fortunately, EON's campaign for the ward question is that chance.

The reason voters have so few choices is that few people outside of the wealthy and well-connected have the capital to mount a citywide campaign.  We firmly believe that switching to wards will enable potential candidates from all walks of life to earn a seat on the council by winning the respect of their neighbors.

This, among other reasons, is why Empower Our Neighborhoods chose to spearhead the campaign for ward-based Council elections.  We had originally hoped to share the 2008 ballot with Obama's historic victory.  However, the anti-change and anti-democratic City Council did what they always do whenever anyone proposes a change in the form of this City's government: they did everything within their power to keep it from going to a vote.

They succeeded in delaying the inevitable in 2008 with some last-minute shenanigans in court.  But, they will have no such luck in delaying our second petition for the ward question this year.

This is the next step in taking back our neighborhoods. 

Barack Obama said last night:

"I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand."

Empower Our Neighborhoods is committed to the hard work of fixing problems in our City, both in the bureaucracy and in our neighborhoods, one at a time.  We have the most effective chance of bringing change if we first help to make our local elections more democratic.  Wards can do that!

Now that we have a progressive president and progressive state and federal representation, it is time to seek a more democratic municipal government: one that truly represents everyone in this City, not just the wealthy or well-connected.

In some ways it is better that we will be able to focus New Brunswick's electoral energy entirely behind wards in 2009.  Not just for that reason, but also because we can keep the momentum going.  The wave of change must continue in New Brunswick.  Complacency of voters is how we got into this whole mess.  Mobilization of voters is how we will get out of it.

There was a time not long ago when few believed Barack Obama could be our President and perhaps fewer believed that wards will come to New Brunswick.  But, through an effective and inclusive campaign, Empower Our Neighborhoods can, like the Obama campaign, unite the necessary forces to fix the broken system that governs us.

If you thought this election was amazing, just wait until November 3, 2009.  If you want to get in on the ground floor, click here and join the ward campaign.

YES WE CAN!

Rutgers students who registered at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Franklin township must go to the address below to vote:

Elizabeth Avenue Fire Company
2 Wiley Drive
Somerset, NJ 08873

For a comprehensive list of polling locations see the post below this. Get out there and get your voices heard!

Don't forget to vote today!

Remember to get out to your polling location Tuesday between 6 am to 8 pm!

You can easily find your polling place by entering your address (the one where you registered to vote at) into the following website: https://voter.njsvrs.com/PublicAccess/jsp/PollPlace/PollPlaceSearch.jsp

For students who registered with their dormitory address, go to http://ruvoting.rutgers.edu/#location to find the polling location for your building.

If you need any help getting to the polls:

Call Mat at 732-266-9169 and EON will drive you to your polling place!

If you have any problems voting:

Contact EON at 732-470-9125 and we will help defend your right to vote!

A few tips for first-time (and veteran) voters:

1) Bring proper identification to the polls (a photo ID or non-photo ID with your address)
2) You are ALWAYS entitled to fill out a provisional ballot even if your name cannot be found in the official book of voters OR if you forgot your identification OR even if you went to the wrong polling place!
3) You are entitled to have someone you know assist you in the voting booth if you wish.
4) If you are in line to vote before 8pm, you must be allowed to vote.
5) Whatever you do, no matter how frustrating it gets or how long the line may be, DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT VOTING!

My name is Sean Monahan, I am a member of Empower Our Neighborhoods, and I am writing to tell you about what has been going on with our campaign for ward representation on the New Brunswick City Council and how you can help.

First things first, we have a major meeting today (October 1st)  at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The City Council is planning on having a public hearing about the ward petition. We need you there.

Here's why:

As you may know, we have been engaged in a lot of legal wrangling over the past few weeks. Fighting to allow New Brunswick voters the opportunity to choose a ward based system of representation for our city council. Under this approach, every ward will get its own representative, as they have in most major American cities.

We knew it wouldn't be easy. Many of us have dealt with the city before: fighting for an elected school-board, running progressive candidates for city council and winning rent control.

The New Brunswick machine is good at one thing, protecting their interests. It is what they do everyday.

To keep wards off the ballot the city government pulled out all the stops:

• They attempted to prevent a vote on wards by creating a Charter Study Commission, that would have recommended no change to the existing system. A tactic they successfully employed 10 years ago.

• They tried to buy off our organizers with city jobs.

• They hired a polling firm (Quest Survey) to call voters and tell them lies about what would happen if wards come to New Brunswick.

• They brought Mayor Cahill out to argue against the ward campaign in the Daily Targum and Home News, an unprecedented move, and a clear sign of the distress the machine was under when faced with the power of the people at the ballot box.

• And they hired high priced lawyers ($410/hr*) to use technicalities in the courts to keep wards off the ballot this November.

The result of all machine's dirty tricks and tactics is that they have bought themselves some time. Last Tuesday, Superior Court Judge, the Honorable Heidi Currier, reversed the position from her September 2nd decision and ruled in favor of the city. In fact, under her current logic, a vote on wards would not have been possible due the timing of her initial ruling. Why she initially ruled the our ballot was legitimate and ordered that it should be submitted into the official record by the city clerk remains a mystery.

This was disappointing.  For a couple of weeks, we thought that New Brunswick voters would get the chance to make a decision about what form of government we wanted this November 4th.  However, the response of EON organizers has been truly inspiring. While our lawyers and legal team review our options, in light of this new decision, the rest of us are working hard to keep the pressure on city hall.

EON will keep fighting until the residents of New Brunswick have a ward system. If the campaign takes another year, so be it. Our organization has never been stronger. We are light years ahead of where we were a year ago. We have a cutting edge website,  30 solid volunteer canvassers and thousands of supporters from all walks of life in our fair city.

That's where you come in:

• We need to hear more about your experiences with the city and issues that concern you.

• We need to learn more about how the city is working against you, instead of for you.  

• Please fill out this form on our website and let us know what's going on in your neighborhood or how you would like to get involved. http://www.empowernb.com/get-involved
  

• EON is an organization of volunteers: We need help with making copies, doing data entry and setting up community meetings.

• Please make a donation, of either your hard-earned time or money, so that we can keep organizing and pushing for democratic reform in New Brunswick. Click here.

• Most importantly, Please attended the next City Council meeting, Wednesday October 1st at 6:30 PM at City Hall. 

  • We will be there to speak out in support of wards and to send a clear message that what the people of New Brunswick need from the City Council is representation, not repression. Come by a little early (6:00 PM), as we will be announcing major developments in this campaign and outlining our plan for the fight ahead.

The city won just one battle, but I am convinced that this is not the end of the road for democracy and better government in New Brunswick.  We are firmly committed to seeing this through to the end.

Wards are coming to New Brunswick, if not this year then next year.

We truly appreciate and rely upon your continued support.

In Peace and Solidarity,

Sean Monahan

*That means thousands of our tax dollars were spent to take away our right to choose a better form of government. This was the combined hourly rated quoted by City Attorney Bill Hamilton at the last City Council Meeting for both himself and Marvin Brauth of the powerful law firm Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer.

On Tuesday September 23^rd, the city machine won one battle. After weeks of nitpicking, foot-dragging and cynical manipulation, they got from Judge Currier the reprieve they desperately sought: The ward question that over 1100 city residents petitioned for will not be on the ballot this coming November. For the time being, Cahill and his accomplices can continue to stand in the way of Wards in New Brunswick.

• Because we are building the strongest citywide progressive movement New Brunswick has seen in 20 years.
• Because we can continue to build this movement. We can empower thousands of our friends and neighbors to realize the promise of democracy.

Amy Braunstein

 "How collect [the people's] voice?  This is the real difficulty.  If invited by private authority, [to] county or district meetings, these divisions are so large that few will attend; and their voice will be imperfectly, or falsely, pronounced.  Here, then, would be one of the advantages of the ward divisions I have proposed.  The mayor of every ward, on a question... would call his ward together, take the simple yea or nay of its members, convey these to ... the proper general authority; and the voice of the whole people would be thus fairly, fully, and peaceably expressed, discussed, and decided by the common reason of the society."

--Thomas Jefferson, 1816

Now, the City Council is refusing to abide by Judge Currier's court order, even hiring a push-polling firm to undermine the effort. Why would they do that? We can only assume that they are clinging to the status quo to protect their own interests and avoid the accountability of the voters. Which is not really a surprise in a city whose mayor was busted a few years ago for violating his own rent laws and overcharging his student tenants all over town, the same mayor who was a character witness at the trial of a disgraced police officer who was convicted of running drugs and a brothel in the city. 
 
Let's have a vote and let the people decide in November. Judge Currier ruled in favor of the EON petition, believing that New Brunswick voters are able to decide for themselves the way in which they are governed. That is what democracy is about. The people want wards, and we will not be discouraged. It is time for those who fear democracy to get out of government, or be removed from it by the citizens.

Amy Braunstein is a member of EON and a Livingston College Class of 2008 alumnus. She is currently a New Brunswick resident living in Ward 5.