The Ruins of Trenton

Palmer machine supporter Juan Martinez once again stuck his foot in his mouth with comments made to the Times of Trenton Sunday, in an article about the failure of Mercer County Waterfront Park to bring economic development to contiguous areas of South Trenton.

"Until the next election, nothing's going to happen in the South Ward," Mr. Martinez said to the Times. "We can't get a project going on down here. The city comes up with some beautiful plans, and we don't know what happens."

Mr. Martinez seems to be suggesting that the prospects of South Trenton's economic redevelopment might improve with some kind of change in the city government in the 2010 election, likely a change that would involve the end of current South Ward Councilman Jim Coston's exit from his seat on council.

The fact of the matter is that any blame for the lack of economic development in the city falls squarely on Mayor Palmer and his economic development team, who consistently fail to pursue appropriate projects and instead pursue pie-in-the-sky schemes that nearly never work out.

Mr. Coston likely sees that trend for what it is.

That's probably why he challenged the recent Champale site development after the city and project developer bludgeoned city residents with botched eminent domain efforts and other actions, all of which failed to bring development to the South Ward, and instead only brought feelings of bad will and controversy.

Mr. Martinez's comments are simply out of touch with reality, and it bears consideration that this man used to be a big Palmer detractor, who actually made a habit out of calling the mayor out and clashing with the city's longtime executive.

That all changed when Mr. Martinez was given some sort of do-nothing community liaison job with Trenton's public school district, with a $60,000 salary, sometime in the last year or so.

Ever since then Mr. Martinez has been singing the praises of Mayor Palmer. He takes the Palmer line on anything, from economic development to lending support to efforts in keeping Police Director Joseph Santiago on the job, despite the director's breaking of the city's residency ordinance in living outside of Trenton.

Of course the Palmer line includes hating on Mr. Coston, who has helped bring a lot more accountability to Trenton's city government in being part of the recent mini-renaissance that has been going on in City Council chambers. There city representatives have begun to awaken to the constant trickery and evil being perpetrated by Mayor Palmer and company.

That accomplishment seems to have earned the young councilman the hatred of Mayor Palmer and others in the administration, in a group that now includes Mr. Martinez.

So when people read Mr. Martinez's lame attempts at linking Mr. Coston to a lack of economic development in the city, please remember, this man sold his soul for a mere $60,000.

His comments probably shouldn't carry much weight with anyone, and and especially not with those living in Trenton.