| Author | Message | ||
     Dave Ross Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 4896 Registered: 5-2001  |
Irvington didn't become what it is overnight. It has a long history of crime, bad to corrupt government and neglect. I think something like 60 percent of homes aren't owner-occupied, so it's hard to get people to make an investment in cleaning things up. | ||
| lumpyhead Citizen Username: Lumpyhead Post Number: 346 Registered: 3-2002 |
Jburch- No sense riding the 31 bus until September. At that time a hired professional will taking it and doing some other investigations. This is costing the tax payers nothing as it is being paid for by a group of concerned citizens as someone suggested on this board. It will be interesting to see his findings which I will post here and ensure the News Record gets a copy. | ||
| zoe Citizen Username: Zoe Post Number: 266 Registered: 7-2002 |
I ask all of you liberals where would you feel safer today? In Iraq or in Irvington? Why? Better yet, which one will be better in two years? The key to preventing crime from getting out of control is simple. It only requires that you enforce the existing laws and it must begin at the lowest levels, ever moving up the ranks. It should begin to make sense that attitude is the culprit or healer. Once you allow an attitude to allow little things to happen, grafitti for example, leads to a sense that nobody cares. Same with allowing litter to get out of control. It starts with the little stuff. I am increasingly disturbed with the liberal mind set that encourages, even promotes individual freedoms, over conforming and adhering to standards. After a while, things get out of control as more and more seek to establish themselves as unique. "They have a right to be individuals." The more outrageous the better. Look at the statements in fashion, not those by designers. Driving through Irvington is akin to being in a third world country. I suggest that we stop feeling sorry for those that choose to be single mom's before they are twenty. We are not responsible for their mistakes, but we and up having to deal with the mess. Find a true Black leader, a Cory booker type to carry a truthful message. Encourage them to play a role in Irvington. Instead, we allow, even promote the likes of the Jesse and Al. God help us. | ||
| Nohero Citizen Username: Nohero Post Number: 1841 Registered: 5-2001  |
Re: Residency policies. I'm not sure why people have the opinion that they vary from town to town. There are statewide standards for residency, set by the State Government. If anyone has an opinion that M/SO residency policies are different from the policies in Glen Ridge or Millburn, could you provide an example of that? | ||
| newjerz Citizen Username: Newjerz Post Number: 31 Registered: 5-2003 |
I've heard rumors, and granted they are only rumors, that houses zoned as single family homes have more than one family living there and therefore more children attending the schools. Or students who are registered under their grandparents but don't actually live in the town. I guess its not that the residency standards are lax, but if this is true maybe our enforcement of them is? | ||
| Tommy Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 261 Registered: 1-2003  |
newjerz, thanks for your response to me. I appreciate your clarifications, and I agree with everything you said at 2:52pm. Tom Reingold | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 1606 Registered: 9-2001 |
Dave, having Irvington clean their streets, and getting residents to pick up the garbage in front of their property is not a very big investment in time or money for anyone to make. True, Irvington didn't become what it is overnight, and I doubt it can turn around overnight either. Corrupt government and neglect can be reversed if and when the residents make up their minds to bring it about. Hey, I only offered a suggestion. Cleaning up the streets is just a beginning. If you don’t think it will help, what would you recommend to help make things better? | ||
| jfburch Citizen Username: Jfburch Post Number: 672 Registered: 6-2001 |
newjerz, The zoning issue is tricky. The Maplewood TC did recently pass a rental registration ordinance that is designed, I think, in part to address this and may give us info over time about how much of an issue this is. But residents of illegal apartments are technically separate from illegal students since the State requires the town to educate all students who live here, even, I am told, if the residence were a tent in Memorial park. The grandparents thing is clearly possible, and it's worth noting that a dozen or two illegal students are removed from the schools each year. Do some get away with it, at least for a while? Probably--it's a problem all over the place. It just doesn't appear--contrary to rumor--that it's happening in large numbers. | ||
| Dave Ross Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 4898 Registered: 5-2001 |
Clean streets would be a great start. Followed swiftly by a state take-over of the government, similar to what was done in Camden. | ||
| zoe Citizen Username: Zoe Post Number: 268 Registered: 7-2002 |
Hooray for Dave! Only government can solve the problems faced as a direct consequence of the break down of the family unit. People don't need to take care of their neighborhood, the state will do it. Yes, Camden is beautiful now. Since the state took over the schools have improved dramatically and crime rates are way down. I still want to know how many of you would rather spend the next year living in Irvington, Iraq, or Camden? Which has a higher crime rate? Murder? Rape? Graffitti? Litter? Hey, why not let the state take over Iraq? That way, at least then the democrats would then be in charge. | ||
| ml1 Citizen Username: Ml1 Post Number: 1137 Registered: 5-2002  |
yeah! who needs government? let's disband all the police and fire departments and close down the courts. We'll just send "family units" out to patrol the streets and keep the peace. | ||
| zoe Citizen Username: Zoe Post Number: 270 Registered: 7-2002 |
Another great idea, I love the extreme levels of thinking that liberals possess. Thanks Ml1. Why not encourgs people to take personal responsibility? Government could then be reduced to focus upon the things that governments do best. Oh yeah, silly Zoe, that is way too conservative of an approach, and it reeks of common sense. Besides, its always easier when there is someone else to blame for your problems. How on earth can we survive without lawyers? | ||
| ml1 Citizen Username: Ml1 Post Number: 1138 Registered: 5-2002 |
? | ||
| montagnard Citizen Username: Montagnard Post Number: 13 Registered: 6-2003 |
Of course people should take responsibility for their own actions (where did this red herring come from, anyway?). The problem with Irvington is that it's easier for people to solve their problems individually (by moving) than to solve them collectively (by organizing to oppose the people who benefit from the decay). In a free and democratic society they have a perfect right to do so. If we (as Maplewood residents) want them to stay where they are, we have to offer them an incentive to do so. If there are other neighboring towns whose residents feel the same way, then we need to collaborate through an appropriate organization. The county and state governments provide an effective means. We can express this in high and noble terms if it helps us spread the burden to a broader group of taxpayers, but it boils down to enlightened self-interest in the end. | ||
| Tommy Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 266 Registered: 1-2003 |
Good points, montagnard! It reminds me that it is not always clear when to solve a problem collectively and when to solve it individually. That's why it doesn't pay to be an ideologue. Could one of these ideologies solve, for example, Israel's problems? Certainly not. Tom Reingold | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 1610 Registered: 9-2001 |
Clean streets? A state take-over? Hey, I’m beginning to think from these posts we better start thinking about gates and a toll road... | ||
| Dave Ross Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 4901 Registered: 5-2001 |
The point of state take-over of finances relates to phasing in better governance. This April Irvington's mayor pleaded guilty to taking kickbacks from contractors. Same with the former business administrator David Fuller. If not for government & FBI intervention, this would still be going on. I fail to see how "personal responsibility" of residents has anything to do with their actions. http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/WABC_042303_irvingtonmayor.html | ||
| sportsnut Citizen Username: Sportsnut Post Number: 471 Registered: 10-2001 |
Tommy - I think the higher crime rate in Maplewood (as compared to Millburn) is its proximity to Irvington/Newark. Springfield Ave. provides an easy route into and out of MW. My thought when I purchased my home was that as Newark improved over time so would the surrounding towns. I still believe it although it appears that Irvington has not realized even a hint of revitalization while parts of Newark have. | ||
| sportsnut Citizen Username: Sportsnut Post Number: 472 Registered: 10-2001 |
you can look here for stats on most NJ towns: http://www.crimeanalysis.net/UCR/XML/Agencies.asp?which=NJ | ||
| bklyntonj Citizen Username: Bklyntonj Post Number: 51 Registered: 7-2003 |
Wow. Interesting stats on that website. Maplewood has less crime than South Orange and Montclair. Based on the topic of this thread alone, I thought it would've been higher. Irvington's car theft was the highest in their comparative class. Oh yeah, that's right, Jersey Drive... |
