Mayor's Message:

The Virtue of Unpopular Decisions in Leadership

Sincerely,

Mayor Adrian O. Mapp

City of Plainfield

Mensaje Del Alcalde:

La Virtud de las Decisiones Impopulares en el Liderazgo

Querido(a) Jazz,

En el liderazgo, la capacidad de tomar decisiones impopulares es una característica definitoria del verdadero arte de estadista. Si bien el concepto puede parecer paradójico, en realidad es un elemento esencial de un liderazgo eficaz. La capacidad de discernir el momento adecuado para adoptar una postura, por impopular que sea, separa a los políticos de los verdaderos líderes, y esta capacidad a menudo ha dado forma a la trayectoria de organizaciones, naciones y sociedades.

Como líder, he llegado a reconocer que la popularidad es una métrica fugaz y poco confiable para la toma de decisiones. El atractivo de la aprobación unánime puede conducir a decisiones populistas y miopes que aparentemente pueden apaciguar a la mayoría momentáneamente pero que son perjudiciales a largo plazo. Como líder elegido, debo priorizar el bien común y la sostenibilidad de la calidad de vida a largo plazo de los residentes de nuestra ciudad por encima de la aclamación momentánea. La historia nos ha mostrado innumerables ejemplos de líderes que se mantuvieron firmes en sus convicciones a pesar de la oposición pública y, al hacerlo, dirigieron a sus organizaciones y países hacia el éxito.

Las decisiones impopulares a menudo surgen del compromiso de buscar soluciones a largo plazo que a otros les puede resultar difícil imaginar o que pueden no estar dispuestos a esperar, dada la incomodidad inmediata. Mi trabajo es tener claridad de propósito y la capacidad de ver el panorama más amplio. El malestar o la insatisfacción a corto plazo pueden ser un pequeño precio por la salud, la seguridad y la calidad de vida. Los verdaderos líderes resisten el atractivo de las victorias rápidas, corren el riesgo de perder popularidad y toman decisiones alineadas con una visión más amplia.

Las decisiones impopulares pueden ser una prueba de fuego para la brújula ética de un líder. Mientras que aquellos que buscan reconocimiento se doblegarán e ignorarán la verdad para adaptarla a su agenda, yo, como líder, debo priorizar la visión y tener en cuenta los límites éticos.

La noción de que tomar decisiones impopulares es una señal de buen liderazgo tiene sus raíces en una comprensión más profunda de las complejidades del liderazgo mismo. No es una acusación sino un testimonio del coraje, la visión y el compromiso de un líder con el bien común. Sería fácil para mí ceder ante lo que parece una “oposición ruidosa” ante los recientes cierres de edificios. Aun así, sería inconcebible por mi parte mirar para otro lado, como algunos quieren que haga, y permitir que niños, padres y abuelos sigan viviendo en condiciones de miseria que ningún ser humano debería soportar.

Estos momentos separan a un líder de un “alborotador”. En este caso, elijo ser un líder para mi ciudad mientras continuamos creciendo y mejorando juntos, elevando a todos con nosotros para lograr un Plainfield más grande.



#LovePlainfield #AmoPlainfield

Creando Un Plainfield. Un Futuro.

Alcalde Adrian O. Mapp

Ciudad de Plainfield

The Union County Board of County Commissioners are proud to announce the first Union County WORKS Business Summit on September 12, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., at Kean University’s Liberty Hall Academic Building, located at 1003 Morris Avenue in Union. As part of Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados’ 2023 Chairman’s theme of “Building a Stronger Union County,” Union County has launched the “Empowering Our

Businesses” initiative, aiming to strengthen relationships between our Union County American Job Center and local businesses, providing even greater opportunities for employers and employees alike.

TRENTON - To help protect veterans from exploitation, Governor Phil Murphy today signed legislation (S-3292/A-3286) to establish standard requirements that must be followed if an individual is seeking compensation for providing assistance or advice to veterans and their families regarding veterans’ benefits. The requirements apply to situations in which an individual assists with the preparation or representation of any claim for benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA). 

The legislation establishes the circumstances under which compensation may be sought in these situations; requires terms of service and compensation to be in writing; prohibits individuals from guaranteeing any specific result when offering their services; and requires individuals to disclose any affiliations they may have with the VA, DMAVA, or other federally chartered service organizations prior to entering into an agreement with the veteran or their family. Under the bill, any violation of these terms will be considered an unlawful act under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, which may result in monetary or other penalties.

“Our veterans put their lives on the line in service to our country and have more than earned the benefits for which they and their loved ones are eligible,” said Governor Murphy. “We must protect veterans and their families from unscrupulous individuals who would take advantage of them by overcharging for assistance with those benefits. This legislation will help ensure these bad actors either follow all applicable federal standards or face the consequences.”

The President and First Lady will mark the start of the school year by visiting students at Eliot-Hine Middle School in Washington, D.C. When President Biden took office, less than half of K-12 students were going to school in person. Today, thanks to the President’s swift actions and historic investments, every school in America is open safely for in-person instruction.

Since Day One, President Biden has worked to help every school open safely for in-person instruction, accelerate academic achievement, and build communities where all students feel they belong. The actions the President has taken to support schools and the students they serve include:

Securing the Largest Investment in Public Education in History to Help Students Get Back to School and Recover Academically: COVID-19 created unprecedented challenges for kids, from school closures to lost instructional time and social isolation from their peers. To support the immediate response and the long-term recovery work our students need, the President secured $130 billion through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to help schools safely reopen, stay open, and address the academic and mental health needs of students.

American Rescue Plan funding has put more teachers in our classrooms and more counselors, social workers, and other staff in our schools; is providing high-quality tutoring; supporting record expansion of summer and after-school programming; supporting HVAC improvements within school buildings to address air quality and environmental and safety needs in aging school buildings; and providing a wide range of student supports. Compared with the pre-pandemic period, as of the end of last year's school year, the number of public school social workers is up 39% and the number of public school nurses is up 30%.

Nearly half of school districts using these funds to expand summer learning programs have shown clear gains in math. While we have further to go, we are seeing increased evidence of improvement, including several states returning to pre-pandemic levels of achievement on their state math and literacy assessments.

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.

Questions or Concerns? Reach us at:

Call: 908.753.3015

Email: communications@plainfieldnj.gov 

|THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD NJ|

515 WATCHUNG AVENUE | 908-753-3310| MONDAY-FRIDAY | 9 A.M.- 5 P.M.|

Volume 10 - Issue 36