I did not write about the Legal Shield issue previously because I felt that Dr. Yood covered the main points on his blog Tuesday (link here). But I was also dismayed that the topic ended up taking nearly one-fourth of the very long meeting when the upshot was that all the governing body did was to recommend that the administration look into it.
It reminded me of other occasions where the council's business got sidelined in favor of disputes over use of ball fields or pleas for city funding that the governing body could not legally give. Lots of heat, not much light and a test of the patience of those who came out to see the legislators legislating..
The concerns voiced for employees enrolled in the Legal Shield payroll deduction plan appeared to be commingled with the personal interest of individuals who might lose money if the plan is not allowed. (By way of background, when the issue came up at the Jan. 13 council meeting, Corporation Counsel David Minchello explained that the payroll deduction was implemented last year without his approval and that an indemnification resolution was needed from the council in order to allow the payroll deduction. It was the new administration's decision not to continue the plan. I must admit, I had to look this up in my notes as the Jan. 13 was another maelstrom of issues, too many to cover on the blog.)
All this aside, the sometimes heated remarks on the subject did provide a glimpse into upcoming political contests. The First Ward and Second & Third Ward at-large seats are up this year, along with the unexpired Third Ward seat vacated by Mayor Adrian O. Mapp. Candidates must file on March 31 for the June primary (or on June 3 to run as independents).
Rebecca Williams is the incumbent in the Second & Third Ward at-large seat and Gloria Taylor is the appointee serving in the Third Ward seat. It was interesting to this observer to see Taylor not just disagree with Williams regarding Legal Shield, but seeming to characterize her as not interested in the employees enrolled in Legal Shield.
In advocating for Legal Shield, entrepreneur Jeffery Dunn had last month called the payroll deduction a necessity for employees who had no checking accounts. Williams pointed out Dunn's personal ties to the company as shown in online links and said if employees without banking should receive financial counseling, as the deduction was taken off the top before they paid rent, mortgages or credit card payments. She said employees could sign up with Legal Shield directly if they wished.
At this point, with no one on hand to speak for Legal Shield, Council President Bridget Rivers called for a five-minute recess, after which Dunn showed up.
Taylor launched her characterization of Williams by criticizing her use of the term "indigent."
"My real concern is servicing the employees," she said. "I am not going to make them invisible."
When Williams said perhaps the city could look into other companies, Taylor said, "Again we are doing this elitist looking down on folk."
After preaching concern for "the least of these," Taylor condemned "people who think other people are not as important."
Councilman Cory Storch, who directs a social service agency, objected to Taylor's remarks about "the least of us" and people not caring. Storch said the city had to act like a business by being "as efficient as it is possible to be," and had to be careful about companies that come in and want to use the city for their gain.
The next City Council meeting is an agenda fixing session at 7:30 p.m. March 3 in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
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