Thread: FREEHOLD MUST PAY $278,000

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

PEOPLE has been around for a while. One good bit of news. The founding person of the group is now sitting on our town council. We also have supporters sitting on different boards and commitees.

Now, THIS is the way to get it done!!

Exciting new, Brian and smart. It's exactly what the latinos have done. They're trying to amass voting blocks in the most important areas to swing local, state and national elections. They're working on it with a vengeance. Dropping anchor babies for years with the goal of massive voters due to our 14th amendment.

People sounds like it has it's head set on straight

Will check it out.

.

Getting involed is very important. PEOPLE has always pushed to get our citizens active in meetings, boards, letter writing, voting etc. We also get involved with as many different things in our town as possible. Promoting the town as a good place, events, activities and all of the positive things have to be highlighted.

Reform and quality of life are complex issues, and every piece counts.

plaintiff’s lawyers who received 8 times more than the fund established for the clients they supposedly represent.

And they wonder why lawyers have a bad name!

Originally Posted by gofer

plaintiff’s lawyers who received 8 times more than the fund established for the clients they supposedly represent.

And they wonder why lawyers have a bad name!

The rest of the money, About 33,000 dollars, goes to reimberse what amounts to nothing more than bad tickets, due to bad ordinances that Freehold has long amended.

Well folks, it does not end with the settlement. Without cause or good reason, the activists who brought the suit against my good town are at it again. They are on the attack. Take note, Marc LeVine is the founder of PEOPLE, a local group who represents and supports quality of life initiatives for Freehold citizens.

http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2 ... e/009.html

Officials reject resident’s call to resign from office
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD — Resident Tom Baldwin, who is a regular speaker at Borough Council meetings, rose from his seat during the Dec. 4 meeting and once again asked Mayor Michael Wilson to step down from his position.

He also asked Councilman Marc Le Vine to resign from the governing body.

Baldwin initially stood up to take issue with the meeting procedure, which he said did not allow for interactive dialogue between officials and residents. He expressed his desire for a change in the way the meetings are handled.

He moved on from that point to state his belief that the behavior of the mayor and council members during the time a federal lawsuit concerning immigration issues was being discussed was “hateful and uncooperative.”

The lawsuit was recently settled by the borough and advocates for the Latino immigrants.

“You refused to talk to us,” Baldwin said. “We (immigrant advocates) asked to speak to (Borough Administrator) Joseph Bellina to set up a peaceful meeting. We agreed as gentlemen to set up this meeting and then received a call the morning of the meeting canceling it.”

Addressing Bellina, Baldwin said, “You said the meeting was canceled because there was nothing to discuss. That’s why we had to seek legal advice, because you would not talk to us. Instead you played hardball. As a result, the borough will now have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars because of the suit when it didn’t have to cost you one red cent. I ask you Mayor Wilson to do the honorable thing and step down. And I am asking you Mr. Le Vine to do the same thing.”

Baldwin did not receive a response from Wilson, but he did receive one from Le Vine. Baldwin had previously told Le Vine that he did not like the comments the councilman made at a meeting on Nov. 10 in regard to the settlement of the immigrants’ federal lawsuit.

“Mr. Baldwin,” Le Vine began, “your words are insulting and you don’t deserve a response for your call for me to step down. I have a right to express personal views that many others happen to share. As for my comments on Nov. 10, I was reviled by the vote I had to cast to allow a bunch of pro bono advocate lawyers to get rich by defeating the legal will of the American public in regard to illegal immigration.”

Le Vine said he was also disappointed that the federal courts would allow illegal immigrants to engage in a lawsuit against the borough.

“I spoke no disparaging words about the immigrants themselves other than that they broke the law to come here. I simply went on to say that I believed that the same market forces that have overwhelmed Freehold Borough with illegal immigration will be turned around to set us on a better track and bring the town the same prosperity that the surrounding western Monmouth County towns enjoy. This is the destiny that Freehold Borough deserves.”

and it gets worse.......

http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2 ... e/008.html

Inspection complaint forms to be circulated in borough
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD — Advocates for the Latino community have created a housing inspection complaint form that may be used by anyone who lives in a rental unit. The idea behind the form is to make certain that housing inspections are being conducted properly.

In August, the borough’s code enforcement department implemented a rental inspection plan that will eventually see every one-family and two-family rental property in town inspected.

Advocates for the Latino community want to make sure the inspections are conducted in a professional manner and do not violate anyone’s civil rights, according to Frank Argote-Freyre, chairman of the Monmouth County Chapter of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey.

Argote-Freyre said members of the alliance expected to begin distributing the housing complaint form on Dec. 18. The form will be printed in English and Spanish.

The form asks tenants to provide their name, address and the date of the housing inspection. It also asks the following: if the tenant signed a release form in English or Spanish allowing the inspection to take place; if a police officer entered the home with the inspector; if the inspector was courteous; and if the tenant had any complaints about the way the inspection was performed.

“We will distribute the forms to all rental units in Freehold Borough subject to housing inspection. We are concerned about the Wilson administration’s record of civil rights violations,” Argote-Freyre said, referring to Mayor Michael Wilson.

Argote-Freyre said the goal is to “get a sense of whether the inspections are being conducted properly.”

The goal of the rental inspection plan is to make sure all one-family and two-family rental properties in the borough are safe and livable, according to the Code Enforcement Official Hank Stryker III.

The plan, which was put into effect on Aug. 1, conducts inspections between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. According to Stryker, the inspection will focus on safety issues and include checking for smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, unsafe writing and overloaded outlets/extension cords. The inspection will also address the safety of porches and stairs, and make sure exits are not blocked. Windows must be able to be opened. Unsanitary conditions and painting will also be addressed. The inspection will also make certain that all landlords have a proper certificate of occupancy for their tenants.

Argote-Freyre said he is not pre-judging the housing inspections at this point. Calling Wilson’s record in regard to civil rights “abysmal,” he said he wants to make certain that the rights of renters in the borough are respected.

“We do recognize the need to safeguard housing and health issues. We are not denying that, but we want to make sure that the process is respectful of the civil rights of the residents of Freehold Borough,” he said.

He said the alliance has heard from people who claimed that previous housing inspections were not conducted the way they should have been, citing rude inspectors among other complaints.

According to Argote-Freyre, anyone wishing to file a complaint may bring the completed form to the Hispanic Affairs Resource Center, 12 Throckmorton Street, or to the New Beginnings Agape Christian Center, 133 Throckmorton Street.

A copy of the housing inspection complaint form will be sent to Dennis Bliss, the monitor who was appointed by the court as part of the settlement of a federal lawsuit between Latino day laborers and the borough. Attorneys will be available for consultation for anyone with a housing inspection complaint who wants to seek legal counsel, Argote-Freyre said.

“We are concerned about the past history in the borough and we feel that at his core, Mayor Wilson would still like to displace the Latino population and we intend to make sure that does not happen,” Argote-Freyre said.

When asked to respond to Argote-Freyre’s comments, Wilson said, “this has nothing to do with civil rights. It is all about quality of life. It’s all about the health and safety of the residents of Freehold Borough. We are committed to alleviating overcrowding and stacking in our town.”

Originally Posted by PEOPLEBRIAN

and it gets worse.......




Inspection complaint forms to be circulated in borough
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD — Advocates for the Latino community have created a housing inspection complaint form that may be used by anyone who lives in a rental unit. The idea behind the form is to make certain that housing inspections are being conducted properly.

In August, the borough’s code enforcement department implemented a rental inspection plan that will eventually see every one-family and two-family rental property in town inspected.

Advocates for the Latino community want to make sure the inspections are conducted in a professional manner and do not violate anyone’s civil rights, according to Frank Argote-Freyre, chairman of the Monmouth County Chapter of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey.

Argote-Freyre said members of the alliance expected to begin distributing the housing complaint form on Dec. 18. The form will be printed in English and Spanish.

The form asks tenants to provide their name, address and the date of the housing inspection. It also asks the following: if the tenant signed a release form in English or Spanish allowing the inspection to take place; if a police officer entered the home with the inspector; if the inspector was courteous; and if the tenant had any complaints about the way the inspection was performed.

“We will distribute the forms to all rental units in Freehold Borough subject to housing inspection. We are concerned about the Wilson administration’s record of civil rights violations,” Argote-Freyre said, referring to Mayor Michael Wilson.

Argote-Freyre said the goal is to “get a sense of whether the inspections are being conducted properly.”

The goal of the rental inspection plan is to make sure all one-family and two-family rental properties in the borough are safe and livable, according to the Code Enforcement Official Hank Stryker III.

The plan, which was put into effect on Aug. 1, conducts inspections between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. According to Stryker, the inspection will focus on safety issues and include checking for smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, unsafe writing and overloaded outlets/extension cords. The inspection will also address the safety of porches and stairs, and make sure exits are not blocked. Windows must be able to be opened. Unsanitary conditions and painting will also be addressed. The inspection will also make certain that all landlords have a proper certificate of occupancy for their tenants.

Argote-Freyre said he is not pre-judging the housing inspections at this point. Calling Wilson’s record in regard to civil rights “abysmal,” he said he wants to make certain that the rights of renters in the borough are respected.

“We do recognize the need to safeguard housing and health issues. We are not denying that, but we want to make sure that the process is respectful of the civil rights of the residents of Freehold Borough,” he said.

He said the alliance has heard from people who claimed that previous housing inspections were not conducted the way they should have been, citing rude inspectors among other complaints.

According to Argote-Freyre, anyone wishing to file a complaint may bring the completed form to the Hispanic Affairs Resource Center, 12 Throckmorton Street, or to the New Beginnings Agape Christian Center, 133 Throckmorton Street.

A copy of the housing inspection complaint form will be sent to Dennis Bliss, the monitor who was appointed by the court as part of the settlement of a federal lawsuit between Latino day laborers and the borough. Attorneys will be available for consultation for anyone with a housing inspection complaint who wants to seek legal counsel, Argote-Freyre said.

“We are concerned about the past history in the borough and we feel that at his core, Mayor Wilson would still like to displace the Latino population and we intend to make sure that does not happen,” Argote-Freyre said.

When asked to respond to Argote-Freyre’s comments, Wilson said, “this has nothing to do with civil rights. It is all about quality of life. It’s all about the health and safety of the residents of Freehold Borough. We are committed to alleviating overcrowding and stacking in our town.”

This is an interesting article. Frank Freyer has been appointed to a rental advisory board which is supposes to make recomendations on rental ordinances. As you can see by the above, he has chosen a hostile approach which stabbed the Mayor and our town in the back before the release of the RAB recommendations.

Frank also sits on the town human relations committee thanks to our generous Mayor, who he is attacking. That is gratitude.

There is currently a movement in our town to have Frank removed from all boards he is appointed to.