February 19, 2025

before I even start, my name is Alif Muhammad. Pastor, Pastor Patrick, you said in the last meeting, I said you made a million dollars. And you got up and said, I ain't make no million dollars. And I know you know better that if you work for somewhere for 10 years and you make over a hundred thousand dollars that come to a million. You know better than that. That's a mean, and then guess what? I looked it up and I said damn, his first year he made 136,000. And then the third year he went up to 145,000. I said whoa. Now when you became councilman you took a hit. You know, you dropped down low, but then you went, you know, you were supposed to come to house and get a job, but then you went back to education, your old job. So I'm not jumping, you know better than that. I don't want to pick on you. You know I'm fond of you. You know I spent two years with you. And you know if I say something I'm going to prove it. You know me better than any of these other jokers around here because you knew me 20 years before that. They thought I was some big drug dealer. That's what they thought I was. They thought I was the second biggest drug dealer, big gangsta in the town. That's what they thought. And I'm telling you they thought that because when I told them they was they both looked at me crazy as hell. So what I'm saying is I'm, come on bro, you made a million dollars. You did good for yourself. You're doing a little better right now. Now where's that? Oh he's not here. The B.A. He says that I said, and it's so crazy because when I start talking he start writing the count, the clerk got to get this paper, this one, they watching to see what I say. And they always get it wrong. I didn't say a negro could not be governor. I said the negro Ros Baraka that wears suits with sneakers can't be governor because we know that we got Cory Booker that's a negro in the Senate. We know we got Hakeem that's the, uh, uh, Silliman. We had a vice president and the president. So I know better than that. But see what happened to y'all, y'all think negro, I'm older than y'all, is a bad word. In 1967 when I got my social security card, you had to sign up for it. It said white, negro, or other. And then when I got my, when I became a Muslim and changed my name to Aleef in 1970, it said white, negro, and other. Probably on some of you guys sitting up there, like Larry, it probably say negro on your birthday. So it's not a negative situation.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker. Lisa Mitchell. I know she's a parent. Where is she? Oh, right here. Parker. Yeah. Lisa Parker. Good day, criminal cult that's running our government. I'd first like to thank Quintana, Crump, and Roundtree for attending our community meeting in regards to tax abatement, revaluation, and to really hear from the people how they're suffering financially and fearful that they're going to be gentrified out of their communities with revaluation and no relief for the homeowners. We're asking the council right now, the work begins now. We don't have the luxury to wait for y'all to get some legislation together through the state because we know that Charlie Bell extended five-year tax abatement for our area when he was a municipal council. We have 1,000 homeowners, and I want to thank my partner district leader, Denise Davis, stand up, and some of my homeowners that came here tonight in solidarity to let y'all know that we mean business because we want y'all to do the work. Hassan Sabour, A to MacGyver, unlike you, me and my partner Denise were elected to represent the interests of Central 15 and 17. I didn't invite you to our meeting, and what you did, and the reason I didn't invite you because you always cause confusion, but I'm putting you on notice now. If I see your face in our meetings, I will have you escorted out by security, and I want to know since MacGyver is now working in Congress, what those aides are doing in her office because they're not servicing the community. Today was a victory for The city of Central was elected in November of 2014 for free and fair elections. The judge ruled the municipal seat will be held in November. The city wasted 200,000 on legal fees to attempt and use vote 16, our children, to go along with your program. How much legal fees is it costing the taxpayers now that you lost the case, and I saw four lawyers up in there, and if you already paid 200,000, how much are those other three lawyers going to cost us the taxpayer? So let me just go back to Keisha Daniels, who is the city clerk, should have a no vote of confidence from this body right here because she filed the case in December, got you to approve it in January 22nd, and didn't let the council know until January 27th there was a show cause to change our elections that was unheard of. So last year when she held back a subpoena about the pipe replacement investigation, didn't let the council know how are we having a vote of confidence with the city clerk who is at the behest of whatever the administration says. We're supposed to have separation between the legislative branch, the city clerk's office, and the executive branch. We already know that we're not getting that because y'all yes, yes, everybody. Instead of giving all of these developers 30-year tax abatement who don't contribute into our school system, which is failing, why don't you work on behalf of the hard-working people of this city that created these neighborhoods, maintained these neighborhoods, and now are looking for the elected to have some resolve. Now, you come up with all kind of hocus pocus when you want to pass all of these ordinances for your developers that donate to your campaign office. Well, we not having no more of that. We holding y'all accountable to write the legislation to benefit the hard-working people here. Lastly, that billboard that we talking about, why would the mayor advertise that we are pipe replacement, the model for it that's under federal investigation. He said there was no lead in the water. He lied for 18 months. Affordable housing, nobody could afford it, and there's no crime reduction. Who approved the payment and what budget line did that come from for the billboards?

Ms. Parker, thank you for your comments. Next speaker. Felicia Austin Singleton. Appearing. I'm back. Felicia Austin Singleton, you are pathetic. You are an insult to government, and I will be, including you, Razz, Mayor Razz J. Baraka, sending all of the documents I have to doge. I will be sending them to them. Trump is in the seat and I have to work with him. He's going to be here for the next four years. Just like I asked you to sit at your seat, I'm going to ask him to sit at his too, and I'm going to tell everything you did. Today, the judge, let me correct you a little bit, Lisa. The judge said a special election may be held in November. May be held. If you follow the procedure, the judge, y'all look like a bunch of idiots up there. Oh, they don't have representation. We can't get a court because they not going to pass. That was your turn. You know what the judge said? It was upon the council, upon you to appoint somebody within 30 days. It was upon you and the city clerk to put in for a special election for September 1st. Oops, wait a minute. Hold up. She left September 23rd, which means she was selfish. She did not care about the residents and neither should you at this point. We don't need a special election. She left September 23rd. Y'all can thank Altery Kenny for this one because he came on my post and I said, I would pass. Didn't I tell you in space I wasn't coming out until the weather break. I take blood thinners. I ain't coming out. You could thank Altery Kenny for this one. Y'all are pathetic. Y'all are users. You are criminals. You are liars. You don't have nothing to give to the residents. Fair robbery is not, fair exchange is no robbery. Let me say that again. Fair exchange is no robbery. We invested our votes in you. And what have you given us back in return? Nothing. You're nothing but crooks. That's robbery. At the end of the day, you put a billboard up here, a crime reduction, three people shot this morning at 10 o'clock on 17th Street. Are you serious? Are you serious? Tell the parent of that innocent nine-year-old child that crime is down. Tell the man's family that got shot at Shop Right that crime is down. Because I can guarantee you they'll tell you it's not. You're nothing but frauds. And if you take it personal, this is business. As Altery Kenny said, we can lie in government. Well, I'm talking and I'm telling the truth. At the end of the day, you sit here and you bring your little minions to antagonize people. And all we ask from you is the truth. And you sit up here and you lie and you lie. And this might not even go to the council. Wait a minute, Ramos. This might not even go to the council. Because you said you didn't even know that y'all voted on the lawyer. You said that. So at the end of the day, y'all sneak stuff in. This is this B.A. and the administration, you sneak stuff in on the council. And that's why we tell you not to say yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. If you don't know, abstain. They give you a choice. This is not time. You know what they said to my grandson who lives in Orange but goes to school in Newark? Bring your birth certificate and your social security card. We're going to register you to vote. I, Lisa Parker, my daughter and my son-in-law wrote that letter to the AG. I don't cross lines. I do housing. But with education, I took it personal. You're going to teach my grandbaby how to lie? You're going to teach my grandbaby how to be, how to try to manipulate the system? Not on my watch. That's why I'm going to doge on y'all. If you think for one minute, I think that Trump is wrong to try to get wasteful spending, I can guarantee you once I send him a letter on Newark, baby, ain't nobody down in Washington going to have to worry about ever getting fired again because they're going to spend three years, doge going to come right here to Newark and spend it on looking at everything you did. And yes, I can stand here proudly and say, I will tell everything I know from 2015 to present. So at the end of the day, when I asked you, did you want to be friends? Did you want to help the people or did you want to make me your enemy? And I see that you wanted to make me your enemy. I don't have to not like you. I don't like what you do. That's the difference. I don't, I mean, you don't even know how many grandkids I have or how many kids I have. So this ain't nothing personal. This is about government, something that somebody wasn't taught. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker. Linda McDonnell-Parter. Good evening, everyone. And of course, I ask us all to always consider the condition of all our children of the city. Hence, I asked how are all our children in the city of Newark, including those in foster care, homeless, housing insecure and abandoned. Today, I'll continue to reiterate my concerns noted for some time that I see that if engaged in by the city council or demonstrations of valuing and respecting all the cities, all the citizens and residents of the city of Newark. First, I continue to encourage Newark city council to move on the creation, development and implementation of checkbook Newark, particularly to demonstrate transparency regarding the city's budget allocations. Additionally, it is a show of particular respect to the 23% according to the most recent census of citizens and residents of Newark carrying a tax burden for the entire city. Second, I appreciate the work of the city of Newark's office of emergency management. However, I still call for the creation, development and implementation of a national natural and social disaster campaign, whether or not by the Newark office of emergency management to educate and prepare the citizens and residents of Newark in the event of a catastrophe, crisis, calamity, disaster or emergency to reduce the panic and avoid any unnecessary injuries or loss of life. Local grassroot organizations and grassroot news media could serve to be essential in getting the word out to the public, providing information to the public about preventative measures they can take to prepare if they must await for the arrival of the office of emergency management personnel. Let me be clear, this will not intrude on the mission and purpose of the office of emergency management. The office of emergency management's responsibility is to assist those affected by emergencies after the emergency. Office of emergency management responds to catastrophes, crisis, calamities, disasters and emergency afterwards. Its role is not about engaging in preventative measures to reduce the impact of potential emergencies. Nonetheless, a public emergency preparedness campaign can only enhance their effectiveness after emergency has occurred when its personnel is engaged in assisting those after the calamity. My plea is only to ensure that the citizens and residents of the City of Newark are aware of what they should be prepared to avoid surprises and panic. My recommendation again is that the public emergency preparedness campaign address the following. Water and food, long-term food and water storage, what if the water is shut off, what if the food store is closed down, what if the town is martial law. Communications, every community should have a satellite phone in the event the electrical grid is attacked or becomes inoperable. A satellite phone will provide grid independent communications. Defense, we see Hurricane Katrina, you know that some women had to trade sex for water. We don't want that to happen again. Meds, medical and hygiene supplies, odor enzymes to clean the body or for disposing human race, blood and urine. Shelter, sleeping bags, tents and blankets. Liquid assets, what if the banks closed due to an economic crisis similar to the Great Depression or the 2008 bank failures or recent bank failures that happened in California. Solar power generators, books and entertainment for adults and children. If the computers go down and they have no way to keep occupied, you need to have some books and games. And then the other is a transportation plan which during Hurricane Katrina they had no transportation plan for the poor people who had no cars, they had no credit cards in order to go stay somewhere else. And so we need to think about that. Again, I also remind you that the Mormon church, no matter how you feel about their religion, requires that to be a good Mormon, every individual, family and community should be prepared for at least a year to weather any catastrophes, crisis, disasters or emergencies. I just want this community to be prepared and I think that an emergency, a campaign will do it. If anyone's interested in more information about emergency preparedness, I can provide you with a free link that includes a four hour overview. That's just an overview for preparedness. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker. Yeah, yeah. Gotta stay on track for this one. So I know Manera El-Bumani, I know at the last council meeting a couple of y'all had some feedback to say about you know, the drugs being sold out of the rec centers. Now I just want to say to you, do you remember this administration, that person over there in the corner, sitting in the last seat under his leadership at the rec center, they knew the person who was running the rec center that was trafficking guns and drugs out of the rec center. Now we all know that's a fact, right? So I don't know every time we come up here, you want to come behind us and talk about us. Like I said, if it don't apply, let it fly. Nobody called you a drug dealer, but you roughed your feathers like you was. So we all know, Newarkers know, who was running the rec center and who is now sitting behind bars that was hired by this administration, that they knew that they was gang members and drug dealers. It's a known fact. So y'all can say what y'all want to say about Trump. The Trump administration is putting in work to expose you all, the democratic parties, corruption and failures, just like we come up here to do. He's putting Americans first, just like we ask you all to do, put Newarkers first. Just ask yourself a question, Newarkers. Are these elected officials working to improve your conditions? Just sit back and ask yourself the question. We the people of Newark are in a state of emergency, like I'm going to continue to say. We have low income housing crisis. We have a high foreclosure rate. We have a poor economy. We have inflation. We have poor municipal services. We have slumlords that's out of control. We have an eviction tsunami that you ain't, who need to take you up there? Just ask yourself, who need to come and assist you to go up to somewhere where you're supposed to live at to take you to landlord tenant court to see the eviction tsunami that's going on? Who needs to take you there? Lack of sustainable resources and job opportunities. Poverty is the first form of violence and you all are fueling it because the day you take somebody off their job because of their political affiliation because they don't go along to get along, you trail behind advocates, you trail behind election candidates. Everybody who don't go along to get along, you want to take their job, take their housing, take anything. This is what you do. Seniors who want to rise up against you, you want to threaten to take their housing. This is a fact and you want to come behind every time we get up here and talk about the actual tangible facts that's going on in our community. You don't ban Donna because we've been on this front line for years and we are sick and tired. We have had enough of telling you and oh you're, oh I'm a homegrown, oh we care about you. Oh you do? You do. If you want to know about crime, that's media. That's your source of giving you the stats. New Jersey Institute of Social Justice did a report, Tales of Two Americas. No action, no action plan. Tell me and all of us keep coming up here telling you about the lack of jobs on these construction sites. The training to nowhere, the housing to nowhere, the path to housing. Are you serious? Where's the housing? When you sit on national TV and talk about, oh we don't have affordable housing that meets the needs of Newarkers. And then the area medium income. Is there so much to unwrap here but we are sick and tired and we want you out. Thank you. Drain the swamp and know. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker. Josie Gonzalez. Josie Gonzalez, not appearing. Elia Mordano. Appearing. So I am the grandson of Dolores and Josito Morgano, business owners from this land, in this territory. I am, this books up here I have is called Black Ages Against Empire. It's an Illuminati book because I've been recruited by the Illuminati since I took the ASVAB in the 11th grade. So I'm also, I worked in a sex working field. What that means is I was either a pimp or a trick. And I learned from Alnisa Morgano because the brothels or the first pimps were females. And before I do libations, because a lot of our people don't know what libations is, we usually pour it out for the homies. But when I pour it out, I'm calling in. In December I gave ancestor representation to those that recently got to deal with grief. I'm a grief doer. I'm also a birth doer. So in that, right, I am alive. I'm the authorized user, Elijah Abdul-Sama Morgano. That's U.C. Code 1-308. My status is corrected. I'm national. This is my medicine bag. I'm also a medicine man. My grandfather is Nigeria. My grandmother is Lenape. And I came here today to post notice because in surety jurisprudence and equity in a state affairs, you have to post notice. There's always a due process. Right? So as we post the notice, Marcus Garvey, Whitney Houston, Kenneth Gibson, Malcolm X. And what you do, right, when you pour this out, it's called libations. And when you drink it, after we talk to the water, our body is 83% water. When you drink it, that's called high bations and high bations set of vibration. Raubahn. Chi-oy. Yit-ting. Yung-man. So-it-see-ow. And as we bring in Malcolm, right, so what I just spoke was Nwapian, Free Doctor York. Nwapian is the closest thing to our indigenousness that wasn't erased. So anything about my people sounds like voodoo. And shout out to whoever said I did voodoo on YouTube back in December. Nah, because they probably a house Negro. So my technology won't play what Malcolm X needed to say because y'all don't warrant the respect. Y'all don't warrant the respect of civil servants. And my other notice that I came to serve, I need y'all to sit with this question. What is the difference in similarities between a pimp, a pastor, a politician, a professor, and a pirate? Pushing P, right? Y'all pushing peace, right? The peace collective. I've been observing pieces of our companies or our nation being divvied out to the Ashkenazis project paperclip. Because like I'm Rastafari A, Saleh Selesi, Ethiopian Jew, J-U-U. I know who I am. So Malcolm X talked about the house Negro saying this is we house, master. When we get sick, we sick, master. We can't run away because we good here, master. That happened in the book of, that happened in the great book, right? The Bible. The slaves couldn't get to the promised land for a whole generation because they needed to eat. But I made a bush talk. I made birds fly out to sea. So my notice I'm serving, I don't ask for 40 acres in the mule. I took 1.2 acres back from Exodus County. It's occupied. And I'm giving notice. I'm giving notice because there's a due process. And it's 1.2, a commercial property that we open it up to our community because the houseless community matters. The youth matters and people with mental health matters. And if you can't get that, get out the way.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker. Miriam Bay. I do not see Ms. Bay. I'm not appearing. Thank you. George Tillman Jr. Mr. Tillman's appearing. Good evening, George Tillman Jr. Good evening. First, I want to thank Ms. Parker, Ms. Halston, Ms. Jackson, Ms. Buwami for filing a complaint against the objection against that special election. And those women, they prevailed. They prevailed for the city. And I feel good for that. That's a victory for the people. You know, it really is because when you first brought it up, you went into executive session and you talked about it. You know, the administration went and they spent taxpayer money. They didn't notify the council. They didn't get a resolution for a special election. They just did everything without the people, without the council and everything. It just blew up in their face today. And so that's why I couldn't speak. I sat here today at the pre-counsel meeting. That was on my mind because it happened at 11 a.m. So while I'm sitting in here, I'm texting with Ms. Parker and getting an update. And so, you know, we had three minutes to speak. I couldn't even speak because what was happening in that courtroom today was very important because what happened set a message to the mayor and everything they're trying to do in this city without authorization, going through the people, going through process. And that's what we've been talking about. And they did it in our faces and it blew up in their faces. See, that's the beginning of a process. 2025 is the beginning of a process of things to come. So his first defeat this year, thank you ladies, Ms. Parker, Ms. Austin, Ms. Jackson, Ms. Bwani. Thank you. There was a bus ride that was given last week that was sponsored by Ms. MacGyver and Ms. Amina Bay up at New Community Building 140, Building 180, and Building 265. They took them, gave them $25. They gave them some shampoo and some conditioner. They gave them some food from Big Rocks, from Big Rocks. But the thing about it is that they didn't address none of the issues going up there. See, I've been meeting with them. See, that's how I know everything that's going on. So they're coming down here. It's just too cold. I told them, just relax. But it's been three deaths up there in Building 140 this year because of that mold. This year, and we only in February, but they're taking them on bus rides. They ain't addressing nothing. Just give them shampoo and all of this kind of stuff. And they asked them to come back, and they ain't even come back. We sat up there last night, me and Ms. Jackson, talking to them. You know, there's some serious issues up there with our seniors. That election, that's one thing. They need to be dealt with up there. There's a lot going on in Building 140, 180, and 265. A lot. Them pool cords still not working. Security still a problem. So, you know, I'm glad that that election is in November. So now, the mayor and everybody, they can pay attention to those seniors. And it's not just in 140 and 180 and 265. It's in JC White over there. It's over there. And Stephen Crane, there's a lot of issues that's going on in our senior buildings, and particularly in the Central Ward. So I'm going to say that, you know, they at large are the ones because we've had conversation. We had conversation about you, Councilman Crump and Councilwoman Roundtree. They talked about that you've been there. They talked about Councilwoman MacGyver. I mean, Councilwoman MacGyver, when she came there and made promises to them, and there's nothing being done. So they're going to come down here. I told them I was going to speak tonight on their behalf. Ms. Derrick, you know, she's the tenant president up there in 140. I'm with them every week. And when you get some time, I want you to go up there and have a

conversation with them. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker. Nadira Brown. Appearing. Victory today. Victory today. Nadira Brown, North New Jersey. What's the victory in that courtroom today? People got together. They didn't need a lawyer to oppose something that was going on right in front of us. 2024 exposed is 2025, everyone. Accountability is not the only thing that's going on. We have an election that's going on, petitions going on right now for your assembly. You know, these individuals need to talk to your assembly because they make laws as well. If they communicate together, they party together. They do activities together. But for some reason, I've been coming here for two years now and you never talked about none of my concerns with them. But I guess I just got to run forward so I could talk about it for myself and for everybody else. So even though they got petty this year, raised the petitions from 100 to 250, it could still be done. But the community need to come together. We need to stop acting like it's okay to not have our concerns not heard. Do y'all hear me? Can y'all share this? All we need to do is talk to each other. I've been coming here for two years and the last time I was here last month, I got a ticket out front because it was event parking. That's something else they did to us. Just changed the way the meters ran. You didn't think about the people, the Prudential Center, which is the back of the building which is facing us. They didn't even respect us enough to have the building forward. But you changed the parking for event parking? You don't know who going to the chicken shack? You don't know who at the council meeting? We don't have a parking lot here. Do we have a parking lot for any building in the city? That's why I go to the library out in the suburbs because they actually have a parking lot. I don't have to worry about getting a ticket that I can't afford to pay. Bad enough, my day started off with this bad tire. Oh my bad. I couldn't even get through the block because somebody decided to do construction on Bergen Street two days in a row and don't inform the people. It's just communication. Do you know how many turns and turns and turns I had to get to get to one destination? Gas is high right now, especially when I'm a little broke. But the problem is there's no communication. There's no follow-up. We come up here every month to talk to you. I've been coming for two years and bless you all that came before me. You've been coming some time. We just ask that you listen and take it upon and just try to act like you're concerned. Why don't you put that energy that you put into people out with the letter that you send out, send a letter to the other levels of government to get our concerns heard? Because I still can't get over that press conference about the ICE issues. Everybody came out. Y'all was crying. Y'all was sad, hurt. But nobody talked about my homeless issues. I mean, I'm sorry. I'm being sarcastic. They did produce a book in 2022, say you're pushing it forward to homeless. Okay, we're in 2025. Are we going to keep talking about the same thing every couple of years when there's an election and don't do anything about it? But that's the people. We accepted it. Remember 2018, your mayor who's running for governor lied about the water. We have to apologize to Gail Cheneyfield about that. He said, don't scare the people about the water. She tried to warn us. Okay. Also, he said you didn't sign about that development. She said the papers weren't clear. Look at us now know where to live. In 2022, we apologize to you, Ms. Montague. You should have had that debate, but you want to just take it upon yourself. She got on that ballot. You keep being fooled. Like my coworker said, y'all want to be mad for like eight days. No, we need to stay mad and get focused, get organized and get some results. Because right now me talking to them, they're not really concerned or paying attention to me. They really don't care. I'm homeless and they like, so what? How you doing, Ms. Brown? No, it's called the follow up. Give resources. It's not just me in a situation. There is a lot of people in this community, but you don't care what happened to JKB 103 Chancellor F 440 Washington. Those are the only ones advertised, but I want to thank you again. People get out. The petitions are ready. Get your assembly in line. Then 2026, let them finish.

may have any information. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, Darnella Lee. Do not see Ms. Lee not appearing. Harold Lewis. Mr. Lewis not appearing. Emily Aikens. Appearing. Good evening everyone. Emily Aikens resident. I wanted to first off, I want to start off first asking about the 2025 budget. Notice that you're already taking money from the budget that we don't have before us and has not been approved. So I was wondering when we were going to start to do things the right way. So can you educate us people as to when we're going to get the budget, when we're going to approve the budget, and if you're going to say no to every item that's requesting money from a budget that we don't have approved. A question that I have that I've been confused about is who do you all work for? I've been trying to figure this out for a long time because every time we come up here we ask you all to vote for us, the people, and you vote for the developers. I'm confused because who exactly pays you? Do we pay you or do the developers pay you? Because if you don't do anything that's in our best interest, because let's be honest, all these luxury apartments, they all look alike. And I would love to be in an apartment in the sky with big windows. However, I don't have $80,000 in my savings account to apply. So that doesn't work for me. I am a single mother. I work very hard. I just don't get paid a lot. So I've been trying to find an apartment here in the city, a city that I have grown to love, but I can't seem to find anything in my budget. And I'm wondering if it's me, but then I'm looking at all these apartments and I'm like, well, are y'all trying to help us get our apartments so we can live and thrive in the city? Or is this really all about having people from the outside come in and then you move us out? Because is that what it is? Oh, because I'm trying to understand why our people live the way they do, like in 440, like in Georgia King Village. And I'm trying to figure out what do you all do to help? And yet we get no answers. And it's getting really confusing. So I just need for someone, not everybody, just one brave person to tell us the truth. And I think we'll go a lot further if we have the truth as to who you work for. Because if you don't work for us, then just let us know. Then we can stop all this nonsense, because then we'll have our answer. And how many of you plan on running for mayor? Because you must think you're doing such a great job where you sit, that you can elevate yourself to becoming a mayor of this great city. Speaking of the mayor, do we pay his security detail? Because he's been all up and through the state of New Jersey, and I'm wondering who's paying for that. So can we get some paperwork documentation to show the taxpayers where that money is coming from? On behalf of the people, we just want to know if he can show us proof that he's not spending our money on his travel. Great. But if he is, we need you to run that money back. And if he's going to spend his time running for governor, then we need for him to resign. We need for you all to help us speak for us. When we come to this mic, when there are ordinances that need to be passed, stop being allergic to no. Say no, because it's not making any sense why you give tax abatements 30, 50 years, 100 years to these developers who seem to come in and then they change hands and sell off to other people. And then we see properties sitting there for five years. Nothing happened to them. All of a sudden, oh, yes, well, you know, they changed hands and now it's this company and it was bought back in, you know, 2004. And now they're ready to develop and all this other stuff. We're not stupid. So as a concerned citizen, taxpayer, y'all owe us some answers and we need real answers, not the fluffiness that you give. We have one, two, three of y'all that have been here since the Stone Age. Can you break it down for us and represent the people? So when we come up here today to speak our ordinances, y'all really should be saying no, No, no, no, no. I don't know where he is. He was outside, wasn't he? Like this is important.

Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker. Deborah Salters. Appearing. Yes, Lord. Hallelujah. Deborah Salters, city of North. The power of no. So, you know, this budget, we have a litigation on here settlement amount 1,993,73 dollars and 73 cents, 2025 budget, mayor's office, blah, blah, blah. Also, all of the other emergency appropriations that have been on here, the last agenda, the agenda before that, but again, there's no 2025 budget. Now earlier today, Alison Ladd got up here and was shucking and jiving about some of these properties that's up here for these developments. how does this administration pick the ones who get the lots and pick the ones who get the properties? And she kept dancing around it, dancing around it. Oh, well this, this and that, this is the rubric. And he said, again, that's not what I asked you. how do you and the mayor's office and the administration What makes them the golden children, the chosen ones? And this is the same question that he asked years ago when the mayor took the $11 million to form OVP, Office of Violence and Prevention and Trauma Recovery. I don't know what trauma they're recovering. to where I've literally been outside talking to Roundtree or somebody else and they rolling up, Like they were gonna do something to me. So please understand when we ask questions, we want answers. And I can speak to whomever I wish to speak to. to the point where the mayor sent a nasty letter And we see them, they've given money to people Who are these people and where have they gone since they've got the hundreds of thousands of dollars? I remember back, it's been at least two years, So, you know, working with the community, knowing what I do, other people, nonprofits, same thing with Alison Ladd and the properties that you don't give to the ones you don't want to have Urie dragged me along and told me every lie until she couldn't tell anymore this January. I will let you lie to me until you can't lie anymore. Especially those that I have had a rapport with. Well, don't get angry because you told me four weeks and then it became, well, two more weeks But the mayor's people that are your favorites They're not really doing the work that we, Somebody from the office of violence prevention in the little mini precinct made an officer put a ticket on my car because she wanted Oh yes, this is the stuff that is being done by the people who are supposed to be squashing And there are those who have worked in the organization who are now traumatized and walked away. Since I can't do that, they doing this and doing that. More to come and if anybody gets up here I know what I said and you know what it is Good morning, Mr. President, members of the council, My name is Jay Coulter and I'm appearing before you not under the weather but at the conclusion The same thing that any North father or man goes through. and to be a check and balance on this government And I appreciate you for coming in here for business with a suit, a tie and dress shoes on and not sneakers. Senior citizen safety affects all wards. It affects our grandmothers, our mothers, those who are the guardians and those who stand in the gap for our most sacred and precious gifts, When will we break the chains of being subjugated to a slave mindset of just one political party? When national elections have indicated to us that this country not only has a balance because they are making decisions on very serious resources. of the Black Madonna and collective change. We want ordinance triple zero of the hand drum ordinance. you grew up around the hand drum, Councilman Ramos, as well as other councilmen in the West Ward. You have a relationship with the hand drum, to bring a universal healing into these chambers How many times does Miss Empress Cassandra Dot have to come before you and explain to you Number four, labor, liberty and liberation. of this government, Mayor Baraka himself, to become a check and balance on the banking system? Stop being afraid of the Federal Reserve Bank. and the financial pillage that has happened all the way through the current administration. At least Mayor Gibson had the balls to go to Congress and testify of the banking manipulation, in the face of the Trump administration. And you may come out of it with a negotiation for our city to have an opportunity to flourish, we have to stream the meeting through AI. You can call, send an email to Elon Musk because we don't have these seats filled. and some of them never made it off the darn bus. and the market forces are not only intensifying when a lot of these matters are self-inflicted. We're gonna transition over to labor, love and liberation. thank you for attending that labor event. that those brothers and sisters want to extend to you. and the public must maintain in this quorum. Number eight, New York rappers, stay in New York. in the juvenile justice system in New York. If I see another New York rapper in New York telling New York how to get done with business, I'm gonna become a journalist and stop coming here I have family from there, but I'm a Jersey resident, And with that showcasing, the George Floyd statue, we want to see him replaced with T. Thomas Fortune a black engineer from New York or something. Get that George Floyd off our front yard. Cassandra Dock, it's Black History Month. We are still fighting for the same thing. is the leaders that we have to fight today, black. And I've told y'all from the first day I came here to start speaking, I'm not talking to you, Gonzalez. or sometimes a part of some of the things But I'm talking to you, Patrick, because you're black. I'm talking to you, Kelly, because you're black. Talking to you, Crump, you know you're black, Talking to you, Louie, because you're black. Hundreds and hundreds of years later, we're still fighting. That's why I'm in agreement with get rid of DEI, until we started experiencing for ourselves and the beige, the BEI's that was the problem. But just like we here fighting blacks back then, And the main one who's at the forefront of this You go around, even when you did the panel, Teresa, Senator Teresa Ruiz, I saw you crying. when somebody had more power than you, like Donald Trump, because you're crying about the Latino kids Well, we were crying about the black kids when you allowed Kami Anderson to come here and disrupt our traditional public school system. We were crying with the judges that you, We're crying because when the judge evicted that black mother, that black child is also homeless. I was even crying more tears when I saw a picture We fight you, but we know you have more power than us. So I'm glad that Donald Trump is getting y'all asses. think about what you do that's evil, Patrick. Think about what you do that's evil, Kelly. Think about what you do that's evil, Larry. And Reverend Rowntree, I call you Reverend sometimes, Stop all that trying to act like you tough.

I've been going through a lot of situations and I'm kind of like tired of going through it. Like the people saying, it's nothing getting done. And they so disrespectful in the courts now that they don't even respect y'all violations. I got the legislator of my rent been paid from 2014 till now, when the EPP kicked in to help us out. When I got hurt on my job, I went for help. Sky Management under the Nanny brothers, They robbed the government for so much money 16,000, 12,000, city of Newark gave them 12,000 My rent was only $500 because he deducted it He deducted it down to 500 because I was going to sue him because I was getting sick from the mold. I just got out of hospital this morning. because I didn't want to be in the hospital. I got doctors notes saying that he can't even be I spent $500 for a special mold company to come So what he did, he dropped my rent to 500. that don't mean nothing in the court, nothing. The judge ordered me to pay him $7,000 back rent That's when I got kicked out with this in front of a judge. So I go back up to the judge and I tell the judge, Cause you know it's wrong because my rent is paid. So he called his other judge friend and said, when Barry's paperwork come across your table, So I called the state that was paying all this money out. I'm stuck with my son over here in 900 Franklin where there's mold, spices and everything I'm getting sick because I'm allergic to mold. They don't mean nothing to note, nobody. They got a prescription from the doctor today. I don't wanna live this way at this age. the alcohol and the gun violence and all that. So I saved myself not to be eating mold. First, thank you, council president, city council. My name is James Kern and I'm a county commissioner Route 78 is actually the Newark-Phillipsburg Expressway. The reason I'm here and I'm disappointed I actually, from what I just saw on Twitter, he's in Mercer County losing the county convention there But I wanted to address my comments to him this evening. But tonight I'm urging the Newark City Council to support a resolution calling on Governor Murphy Mayor Ross Baraka recently visited our neighbor, Hunterdon County and asked local officials not to cooperate with federal authorities. When officials at the highest levels refuse to act, to manage the impact on public resources, and the safety of all of our neighborhoods. Our law enforcement officers should not be restricted which exists to protect all citizens and legal residents Legal immigrants who follow proper process deserve to have their efforts respected. that allow illegal immigration to continue unchecked, It is a matter of, is not a matter of politics. It's about ensuring that laws of this nation are followed. It is about safety and fiscal responsibility. not while our own citizens struggle with rising costs Enforcing the law is not a radical idea. It is a fundamental responsibility from government. And candidly, from what I'm hearing tonight, To close, I'll be emailing a copy of this resolution to the city clerk and asking for the support again Newark, like many other communities across our state has felt the direct impact of failed policies. And it is essential that local governments speak that our state officials take responsibility. I urge the Newark city council to join us and attorney general Plotkin to do their duty, enforce the law and protect the people of New Jersey. And with that, I thank you, God bless you

And I brought two of our board members as well, in regards to some of the issues that we've had that you provided the 30 year abatement. So in September, there was a power outage and so we have various seniors in our building. And unfortunately, they were left in the building. that the air quality was not good in our building. I think the lights were out for about 48 hours and basically advised that the air quality was not good. and we developed this tenant association There are various individuals that are in our building when you are providing these 30 year abatements. but at this point we're speaking to the ordinance. So I was just saying when you're authorizing abatements, considering some of the buildings are old, that you should probably have them investigate for the air quality as well as asbestos, People in NORC 700,000 of you all honorable residents, this ordinance involves a redevelopment area bond by the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority, which offers creative bond financing solutions for capital improvements and expansions. so that the borrowed funds bond proceeds at attractive below market interest rates The NJRA has the ability to issue $100 million of taxable and tax exempt bonds annually to stimulate and revitalize New Jersey's urban areas. I only said that as an introduction, Mr. President, Now, they're giving it to Paramount Assets, I'm not understanding why we would use our bond leverage. when we're not doing it with like 10 businesses at once similar to what Elizabeth did, Mayor Bolridge, and bonds from the NJEA ED to make a mall. You could have used the redevelopment bonds for there. All I'm asking is for what my representative in the South would ask for, financial prudence. but now we're in a different presidential administration. Don't be so sloppy with our financial incentives. I'm just the second dad to remind you about it. Honorable George Tillman Jr. has been telling y'all, why are we so lax about our financial incentives? I've heard a few of them in the majority say that we need to scrutinize all deals to make sure that not only the city government, but the taxpayer inherently are getting benefit. The state is not gonna send us stimulus as rentees. 80% of New York's population is renters. And we're all experiencing the housing crisis. that's used to build malls given to one entity, we urge not only the economic department to come So the word abatement, often in legal use, the ending, reduction, or lessening of something. and I know Munira and Lisa are thorough at this, we're moving into that whole area of addressing things If we was to do a listing of all the things Because I know that they own the building up in East Starr is the one on Harrison that goes from Harrison always down to Evergreen where the new wing stop at, that whole little strip right there, they own that. Cousin, you're supposed to be the expert up there And then Chase just talked about the bonding. We had to get Joe, Joe D, Joey D to bond I'm sorry, when he was doing the whole governor panel, so now we're in a position to bond for somebody else. Now I ain't gonna tell you what they said, I may come up here and I may talk about you, If it was something to do with the word, Cause you probably know the owners of Paramount that said, yeah, I know a few of them too. I don't know if he E-man, but he said he support it. You all said y'all was gonna do an assessment on giving out these long-term tax abatements, right? So why we still got these long-term tax abatements? because the time is going fast moving on me. there needs to be independent investigation Paramount Assets own practically everything This is a corporate investor that funds your campaign. And then not only on top of that, the jobs. Where is the return on investment for the tax abatements? And y'all continue to allow these people and thinking that we gonna vote for you. we got people being evicted left and right. We can't even get approved for the housing Ali Muhammad, I just got threatened here Mr. President. It was a jewelry store, Karak Manaw jewelry store. In that building, I had my first office in 1977. bought that building from the city for 50 grand. At that time, Gissin was selling all these buildings, It was given to the Muslims to have a mass shed But no money was never spent in the building. The building was in bad shape 50 years ago. They putting their money where their mouth at. So I could see them coming and asking something. Branford police, it needs to bring Branford police See, they don't know, because they're not old enough. what I'm saying to you is, this is a good deal. And even though they gave it to the Muslims, the Muslims do nothing, did nothing to the building. It was just a mass shed and that was it. So now you got somebody who wanna make a building better and the people they paid the 8.5 million, stop. they should be, I don't know, they not thieves. and bought another building for $7 million. That I used to be there in 81 when Mr. West was there. I was one of, you was a little kid, going to Valdine. So what I'm saying, anytime somebody's bringing something better to the situation, to the town, Branford Place was a beautiful city, man. It was a restaurant called 55th and Nelson. Come in with a mainstream, she just interrupted me. and they paying their way, Paramount is paying their way, nobody gave it to them for nothing, Carlos. that still is not happy and give them some place to go. Thank you for your comments, next speaker. When everyone speaks, we should respect their ability or their right to speak and let them say what they need to say without being harassed and everybody to say what's necessary, what they feel. It seems like they have a whole bunch of locations And even driving through the central ward, it looks like they're part owner of the central ward. Knowing that we need low to moderate income, right? because again, affordable is really not affordable. That's just a cozy name that they put there, So really it should be no's across the board because why would I give you 30 year tax abatement for apartments that don't benefit the community? It benefits those that you want to bring in. can you please tell us who these apartments are for? And again, I'm wondering who pays your salary then I guess you all are going to say yes. But if we pay your salary, then you'll say no because again, we need apartments that we can afford. Many of us are living in really bad apartments, right? And then can we get a list of all of the apartments So again, if we pay your salary, then you'll say no You know, when Paramount Asset came into Newark, And you know, they told them, I don't want your money. They pushed them out, priced them out, out. Woman had a beauty shop there for 30 years. We don't want your money, we want you out. So you all are saying yes to people who were when they came and bought the buildings. And these are the people that you're saying yes to And so the thing is, don't get it twisted. We love, listen, I'm born and raised here. we had the black millionaires and the music people and the Ponderosa, like every, look, Newark is it. And everyone from the outside realizes the value And you all have given it away for Skittles and throw you a few dollars and give us what? The prices for these apartments are ridiculous. Again, we keep telling you the word affordable because nothing is affordable for the Newarker. but you all have made it for the outsiders. How many times do we have to tell you this? I dealt with the guy from Paramount Asset when he first got here, several meetings and told him, I'm glad that you love our old buildings and you're moving your office to Newark, Meanwhile, we the people who pay your salaries Our businesses have been pushed out by these people. As Ms. Salter says, it's not that we come and we're advocating against the development because absolutely that corridor, brand for place, That's never, if you listen to the complaint, as you all would say, that we bring to this microphone, it has to do with the benefit portion of it. So when Newark residents aren't benefiting And one of the things that is supposed to be done in these presentations for these tax abatements is that compliance report on that particular developer, That commission, the Affirmative Action Review Council, and enforcing this Newark resident employment policy giving a compliance report on a developer whether they're paying their tax abatements have they complied with their old tax abatements that they had, so none of these things are being done. So it's the process of us not benefiting without that Affirmative Action Review Council that's supposed to be doing the monitoring enforcement of the Newark resident employment policy If no one is not effectively looking out and local minority contractors is not being done. our resident employment policy is not active It's one is during the meeting out of City Hall why is that Affirmative Action Review Council now doing these meetings outside of City Hall? They're not even doing the due diligence. We don't even get a report on these developments to ask the administration to come to give us a report of that Affirmative Action Review Council because that's a vital component of the law.