The Ruins of Trenton

South Ward Councilman Jim Coston continues to rely on Open Public Records Act requests to acquire information he needs to perform his duties as a member of City Council, with numerous requests for information about Trenon policy receiving little or no response for the Douglas H. Palmer administration.

With recent revelations on an anonymous Trenton police Web site showing the dispersal of Trenton City vehicles all over the city, Councilman Coston has revived his interest in creating city policy that would prevent such an egregious misuse of the financially-strapped city's property.

Following what Councilman Coston calls further stonewalling on information about the city's vehicle usage policy by Business Administrator Jane Feigenbaum, he has drafted another letter that shows his disgust with the Communist Chinese-like blanket of screcy used by the Palmer administration.

"My patience is wearing thin at either the stonewalling or the inability to compile and dispense requested information in a timely manner," said Mr. Coston in a statement on his Web site. "When we have an Open Public Records Act that mandates that citizens receive a response to their requests for public information within seven business days, it is simply unacceptable for the Administration to continue to respond to similar requests from one of their elected representatives at such a glacial pace."

The Trenton Makes site, numerous Trenton residents and Trenton Rising officials have pointed out previously that the Trenton City Council is armed with the ability to demand timely reports and interpetive information from department heads serving at the pleasure of the mayor.

The governing body is also armed with the ability to vote to remove a department head or director as they see fit.

Wouldn't stifling the communication process and stunting the creation of appropriate legislation and therfore damaging the quality of life of Trenton residents be grounds for reprimand and possibly removal?

Until members of City Council prove they have the ability to represent and protect the residents who elected them from a malfunctioning city administration, they do not deserve another vote in any future election.