Mayor's Message:
True Freedom Must include Choice
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Dear Jazz,
The pro-choice movement has always moved in parallel with the American Feminist movement. A woman's right to choose abortion fits under one of the fundamental rights that women worldwide must fight for every day, a right that feminists have fought for again and again in the United States: every woman's right to control her body. The fight for this right comes in many different forms.
In 2017 the Trump administration attempted to allow employers the right to deny birth control insurance to their female employees, but he was thwarted. In 2018 they introduced legislation to exclude it from the Affordable Care Act, which provides access to 62 million women nationwide. Without the ACA's guarantee of insurance coverage for birth control, many women (especially women of color and young people) won't be able to afford birth control. In fact, before the Affordable Care Act, 57 percent of women ages 18 to 34 said they'd struggled to afford birth control. Forty percent of Black women of reproductive age said they couldn't afford more than $10 a month for birth control if they had to pay out of pocket.
Access to abortion in roughly half the country has changed swiftly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Providers, patients, lawyers, and state officials are scrambling to interpret a cascade of confusing and often conflicting antiabortion legislation, some of it written a century ago.
Thirteen states with "trigger bans," designed to take effect if Roe were struck down, will prohibit abortion within 30 days of the ruling. At least eight states banned the procedure the day the ruling was released. Several others with antiabortion laws blocked by the courts are expected to act, with lawmakers moving to activate dormant legislation. A handful of states also have pre-Roe abortion bans that could be reactivated, and others moved immediately to introduce new legislation. Judges have temporarily blocked some state bans.
Amid the chaos and uncertainty, providers in some states halted abortion on June 24.
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Source
Several states have near draconian laws which eliminate the right to choose abortion, even in cases of rape or incest. What it demonstrates in its most basic form is a systemic attempt to control women and marginalize their rights as full members of our society while relegating their place on the social ladder as no more than vessels of reproduction. In a more sinister form, it is a war on women and an attempt to limit their roles and contributions in other areas of our society.
While some women fight for the right to control their bodies in the face of people who physically abuse them, sexually or otherwise, nearly all women worldwide struggle for the right to control the perception of their bodies in response to the objectification and over-sexualization of it through media and pornography. Still, others fight for the freedom of their bodies in the face of widespread gendercide within their culture.
Regardless of specifics, though, women worldwide have collectively looked down on themselves at some point over the last one hundred or so years and realized that the body they call their own had not been theirs to control.
For many years, women were expected to have many children as soon as possible instead of going to school, having a career, or pursuing whatever else they might want to do with their lives. Women's right to remain single or wait to have children until later in life was denied to them for many centuries and still is denied to most women today in many parts of the world. A woman’s battles to educate herself, vote, and maintain sovereignty over her personal and professional life are all deeply connected.
The fundamental issue is not whether you are pro-life or pro-choice but whether you respect a person's right to choose. Just as we accept and respect diversity in religion, sexual orientation, culture, and other aspects of everyday life, the right to choose based on personal beliefs should not be forcibly taken away from anyone by the government or any other entity.
It will always be the policy of my administration to fight for freedom in all its forms and to protect and provide a place of welcome for those facing oppression. Plainfield has always been progressive, welcoming, and inclusive; empowering women and supporting their right to choose is essential for real democracy to work in our city, and I will always choose to stand for freedom and democracy.
Creating One Plainfield. One Future
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Mayor Adrian O. Mapp
City of Plainfield
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La Verdadera Libertad Debe Incluir La Elección | |
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Querido Plainfield,
El movimiento pro-elección siempre se ha movido en paralelo con el movimiento feminista estadounidense. El derecho de una mujer a elegir el aborto encaja en uno de los derechos fundamentales por los que las mujeres de todo el mundo deben luchar todos los días, un derecho por el que las feministas han luchado una y otra vez en los Estados Unidos: el derecho de cada mujer a controlar su cuerpo. La lucha por este derecho viene en muchas formas diferentes.
En 2017, la administración Trump intentó permitir a los empleadores el derecho a negar el seguro de control de la natalidad a sus empleadas, pero fue frustrado. En 2018 introdujeron una legislación para excluirlo de la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio, que brinda acceso a 62 millones de mujeres en todo el país. Sin la garantía de la ACA de cobertura de seguro para el control de la natalidad, muchas mujeres (especialmente las mujeres de color y los jóvenes) no podrán pagar el control de la natalidad. De hecho, antes de la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio, el 57 por ciento de las mujeres de 18 a 34 años dijeron que habían tenido dificultades para pagar el control de la natalidad. El cuarenta por ciento de las mujeres negras en edad reproductiva dijeron que no podían pagar más de $ 10 al mes para el control de la natalidad si tenían que pagar de su bolsillo.
El acceso al aborto en aproximadamente la mitad del país ha cambiado rápidamente después de que la Corte Suprema revocó Roe v. Wade. Proveedores, pacientes, abogados y funcionarios estatales están luchando para interpretar una cascada de legislación antiaborto confusa y a menudo conflictiva, algunas de ellas escritas hace un siglo.
Trece estados con "prohibiciones de activación", diseñadas para entrar en vigencia si Roe fuera revocada, prohibirán el aborto dentro de los 30 días posteriores al fallo. Al menos ocho estados prohibieron el procedimiento el día en que se publicó el fallo. Se espera que varios otros con leyes antiaborto bloqueadas por los tribunales actúen, y los legisladores se muevan para activar la legislación inactiva. Un puñado de estados también tienen prohibiciones de aborto pre-Roe que podrían reactivarse, y otros se movieron de inmediato para introducir nueva legislación. Los jueces han bloqueado temporalmente algunas prohibiciones estatales. En medio del caos y la incertidumbre, los proveedores en algunos estados detuvieron el aborto el 24 de junio.
Varios estados tienen leyes casi draconianas que eliminan el derecho a elegir el aborto, incluso en casos de violación o incesto. Lo que demuestra en su forma más básica es un intento sistémico de controlar a las mujeres y marginar sus derechos como miembros plenos de nuestra sociedad, al tiempo que relega su lugar en la escala social como no más que recipientes de reproducción. En una forma más siniestra, es una guerra contra las mujeres y un intento de limitar sus roles y contribuciones en otras áreas de nuestra sociedad.
Mientras que algunas mujeres luchan por el derecho a controlar sus cuerpos frente a las personas que abusan físicamente de ellas, sexualmente o de otra manera, casi todas las mujeres en todo el mundo luchan por el derecho a controlar la percepción de sus cuerpos en respuesta a la cosificación y sobresexualización de la misma a través de los medios de comunicación y la pornografía. Sin embargo, otros luchan por la libertad de sus cuerpos frente al genericidio generalizado dentro de su cultura.
Sin embargo, independientemente de los detalles, las mujeres de todo el mundo se han menospreciado colectivamente a sí mismas en algún momento durante los últimos cien años y se han dado cuenta de que el cuerpo que llaman suyo no había sido suyo para controlarlo.
Durante muchos años, se esperaba que las mujeres tuvieran muchos hijos lo antes posible en lugar de ir a la escuela, tener una carrera o perseguir cualquier otra cosa que quisieran hacer con sus vidas. El derecho de las mujeres a permanecer solteras o esperar a tener hijos hasta más tarde en la vida se les negó durante muchos siglos y todavía se les niega a la mayoría de las mujeres hoy en día en muchas partes del mundo. Las batallas de una mujer para educarse, votar y mantener la soberanía sobre su vida personal y profesional están profundamente conectadas.
La cuestión fundamental no es si eres pro-vida o pro-elección, sino si respetas el derecho de una persona a elegir. Así como aceptamos y respetamos la diversidad en la religión, la orientación sexual, la cultura y otros aspectos de la vida cotidiana, el derecho a elegir basado en creencias personales no debe ser quitado por la fuerza a nadie por el gobierno o cualquier otra entidad.
Siempre será la política de mi administración luchar por la libertad en todas sus formas y proteger y proporcionar un lugar de bienvenida para aquellos que enfrentan la opresión. Plainfield siempre ha sido progresista, acogedor e inclusivo; empoderar a las mujeres y apoyar su derecho a elegir es esencial para que la democracia real funcione en nuestra ciudad, y siempre elegiré defender la libertad y la democracia.
Creando Un Plainfield. Un Futuro
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Alcalde Adrian O. Mapp
Ciudad de Plainfield
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CITY OF PLAINFIELD JOB FAIR | FRIDAY, JULY 15 | |
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Great News! The Queen City is Hiring! Join us and be part of the team working for the beautification of our City. The City will host a Job Fair on Friday, July 15th from 12-2 PM at Black Live Matter Plaza - 515 Watchung Ave.
Spanish:¡Buenas noticias! ¡La Ciudad Reina está contratando! Únete a nosotros y forma parte del equipo que trabaja por el embellecimiento de nuestra Ciudad. La Ciudad tendra una Feria de Empleo el viernes 15 de julio de 12 a 2 PM en Black Live Matter Plaza - 515 Watchung Ave.
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Mark Your Calendars| July Events | |
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REMINDER - WAIT LIST FOR STATE RENTAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OPENED ON MONDAY, JULY 11
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The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced that its Division of Housing and Community Resources (DHCR) will be accepting pre-applications online for the State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) Waiting List. Pre-applications will be accepted to enter a lottery for the statewide SRAP program in the Elderly, Family, Disabled, and Homeless categories.
Elderly applicants must serve as head of household and be 62 years of age or older. For those applying in the Family category, the head of household must be 18 years of age or an emancipated minor, with or without children. To qualify in the Disabled category, the head of household or spouse must be permanently disabled. Homeless applicants must lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
"At DCA, we have made and continue to make unprecedented investments to reduce the long-term financial impacts of this pandemic and are committed to increasing affordability, especially when it comes to one of the biggest expenses facing families - housing," said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. "We will be selecting 4,000 applicants for the wait list through a lottery process out of the pool of all the applications received. As vouchers are awarded, they will provide the stability that families need. That is why this State Rental Assistance Program opening is so important."
All pre-applications submitted online during the open enrollment period from Monday, July 11, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. until Friday, July 22, 2022, at 5:00 p.m., will be entered into a database and a lottery system will be used to select applicants for the waiting lists. Pre- applications for SRAP assistance will be accepted from very low-income households. Applicants must be eighteen (18) years of age or older to apply or be an emancipated minor. Pre-applications successfully submitted during the open enrollment period have the same chance of being selected during the lottery. Those selected in the lottery for the wait list will then be eligible to receive SRAP vouchers as they become available.
APPLICANTS MUST HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS TO APPLY. Web browsers like Google Chrome, Fire Fox or Internet Explorer 10 or higher are recommended. If an applicant is disabled and needs assistance with submitting their pre-application during the open enrollment period, they can contact DCA at 609-292-4080and select Option 9 from the menu to request a reasonable accommodation. For more information concerning the SRAP opening, people can visit: http://www.nj.gov/dca/.
vernment management and finance, and disaster recovery and mitigation.
For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/
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Love Plainfield Initiative | |
¿ How Do You Show Love For Plainfield? | |
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A MESSAGE FROM UNION COUNTY:
Special Needs Night at Wheeler Spray Park
Begins in July
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Series of weekly sessions will be held each Wednesday through July and August.
The Union County Board of Commissioners is pleased to invite children age 12 and under, accompanied by an adult, to attend the “Special Needs Night at Wheeler Spray Park” series. The series takes place every Wednesday evening during July and August from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The next session will take place on Wednesday, July 13.
The Special Needs Night at Wheeler Park series is organized through the Office for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs in the Union County Department of Human Services.
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A MESSAGE FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY:
Statement from Governor Murphy on President Biden’s Executive Order Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care Services
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“President Biden’s action today builds upon the work we continue to do in New Jersey to ensure and secure every woman’s access to abortion and reproductive health care services. The President is correct that Congress must act to codify the rights protected for fifty years by Roe in federal law, but absent that action it is up to the states to protect women through our laws and the federal government, as it can through this order, to ensure access and privacy. New Jersey has enshrined the right to seek an abortion in state law, and I just signed new laws to protect any woman who comes to our state seeking abortion care, and also her doctor, from punitive actions by her home state. I am proud to have President Biden standing shoulder-to-shoulder with us in this fight.”
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A MESSAGE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE:
Executive Order on Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services
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By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. Nearly 50 years ago, Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), articulated the United States Constitution’s protection of women’s fundamental right to make reproductive healthcare decisions. These deeply private decisions should not be subject to government interference. Yet today, fundamental rights — to privacy, autonomy, freedom, and equality — have been denied to millions of women across the country.
Eliminating the right recognized in Roe has already had and will continue to have devastating implications for women’s health and public health more broadly. Access to reproductive healthcare services is now threatened for millions of Americans, and especially for those who live in States that are banning or severely restricting abortion care. Women’s health clinics are being forced to close — including clinics that offer other preventive healthcare services such as contraception — leaving many communities without access to critical reproductive healthcare services. Women seeking abortion care — especially those in low-income, rural, and other underserved communities — now have to travel to jurisdictions where services remain legal notwithstanding the cost or risks.
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HELP US TAKE CARE OF OUR CITY!
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT- IT APP
Available in IOS and Android Mobile Phones
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Exercise your civic duty-- be the eyes and ears of our City! Your reports can greatly increase the quality of life in our Plainfield community. Let's work together to keep our city safe- If you see it, say it with ReportIt. | |
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Use the app, or text
reportit to 63975
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Mayor Adrian O. Mapp and the City of Plainfield are committed to making it as easy as possible to report concerns in our city. To that end, we've partnered with REPORT IT, which is now live in Plainfield and ready to be used as an important supplemental reporting tool.
Report it makes community reporting easier than ever! Residents and visitors can download the app by scanning the barcode above or by going to your phone's app store. Your reports will be submitted to the appropriate City department to be resolved.
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|THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD NJ|
515 WATCHUNG AVENUE | 908-753-3310| MONDAY-FRIDAY | 9 A.M.- 5 P.M.|
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Creating One Plainfield. One Future | | | | |
