The Ruins of Trenton

Trenton’s green initiatives have more to do with spending green pieces of paper than actually protecting the environment.

While once-a-year trash marches throughout the city make for excellent photo opportunities and feel good stories for the local media, journalistic endeavors of the deeper kind reveal quite a different set of public policies than those trumpeted by Mayor Douglas H. Palmer and other city officials in press releases and on the city’s Web site.

Not only does the city not even take the simple step of instituting recycling at city facilities, but city officials refuse to restrict the rampant misuse of gas-guzzling city vehicles in allowing employees to motor around the state on non-city business.

Take the following instance, which raises two different and serious questions about the type of public policy being undertaken by those in the Palmer administration.

Councilman Jim Coston recently renewed a call for an explanation from administration officials as to why Mr. Bradley had taken his city vehicle 50 miles north to Rahway to visit his family, and in response, he received a copy of a city vehicle policy.

This vehicle policy allowed Mr. Bradley to take his city vehicle up to his former home in Rahway, according to administration officials.

That policy should be changed immediately, out of consideration for both Trenton’s fragile financial situation and the obvious environmental impacts of such unnecessary city-funded motor vehicle use.

This city cannot afford to provide employees with city vehicles and $3.50-a-gallon gasoline for trips to far away places throughout New Jersey.

Also, what exactly is Mr. Bradley’s family doing in Rahway?

Blinda Bradley and the others should have moved to Trenton the moment he accepted the position late last summer, and Mr. Bradley should face termination for failing to abide by the city’s residency law, like 30-plus other employees terminated for similar violations.

What kind of public policies are these, Mayor Palmer?