C L I P S: Robinson-Briggs' Dudley House flim-flam?.. Maria: Why are audit recommendations not corrected?.. Bernice: Spycams ready.. Jerry seeks UEZ changes..

PLAINFIELD

"Dudley House Flim-Flam: Robinson-Briggs playing Council for fools?"

Be sure to check out fellow Plainfield bloggers: Bernice notes that the new spycams at 7th & Park are ready for the big turn-on. Maria, following up on the auditor's findings, asks why some auditor recommendations were never corrected from one year to the next. I love olddoc! Today he regales us about succeeding in college (and reveals he heard FDR make a famous speech), his favorite comics page and the famous NY subway fold for newspaper-reading. At PEPtalk, Renata ponders getting our PRIDE back. Plainfield Sports News continues its weekly interviews with Coach Robinson, post-Elizabeth. The Assemblyman's page carries news of a bill to update the state's UEZ program -- you will want to read it, as Plainfield is affected.

Dudley House: "Plainfield explores funding options for Dudley House"

Absentee Voting: "Union County Clerk orders double normal ballots" -- You can still vote absentee, see here.
Youth Hotline: "DCF opens hotline for young to discuss problems at home, school, or in community"
Snow: "Snowfall snarls traffic, cuts power to 62,000 homes" -- We got pelted, but nothing lasting.

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WHAT'S HAPPENING

BUDGET CALENDAR: A three-year budget comparison document is online here.

~~Mon Oct 20~~ ~~| Fire Division and $1.66M error~~.
~~Thu Oct 23 - 7:30 PM, City Hall Library~~ ~~| Extra budget meeting: IT [Information Technology], Public Information,~~ ~~and Project Alert [Dudley House]~~.
Fri Oct 31 | Citizens Budget Advisory Committee sends budget recommendations to council.
Fri Nov 7 | City Council sends budget changes to Council finance committee.
Mon Nov 10 | City Council discusses budget changes and recommendations (from CBAC) with self, and requests administration comment and implementation. CBAC presentation of recommendations to City Council.
Wed Nov 13 | Administration responds electronically to change recommendations.
Mon Nov 17 | Resolution for budget changes is finalized and brought forward.
Mon Nov 24 | Public hearing on FY2009 Budget.
Mon Dec 1 | FY2009 Budget adoption..

Today - October 29. 8 - 8:30 PM. TV: Obama And Fellow Americans On The Economy. A taped discussion of the current economic situation with Obama and families around the country, ending with live coverage of an Obama rally in Florida (more here). On NBC (4), CBS (2), Fox (5), Univision, BET, MSNBC and TV One. And yes, the media buy -- which was made WEEKS AGO, BEFORE THE WORLD SERIES, WHICH DID NOT CONTEMPLATE BEING RAINED OUT -- will pre-empt the beginning of the continuation of Game Five, which is being picked up in the 6th inning, where it was previously rained out.
Tomorrow - October 30. 7 PM. Obama 'Weekend to Victory' Rally and Get-Together. City Council candidates Annie McWilliams, Adrian Mapp and Bill Reid will host a 'Weekend to Victory' Obama rally at McWillliams' home. Attendees will be able to get a limited edition of the 'Plainfield for Obama' T-shirt for a $20 donation. At: 1341 Prospect Avenue (between Woodland and Hillside). All are welcome.
Friday - October 31. 6 PM. Community Halloween Party & Haunted House. The Recreation Division's annual family party includes a haunted house, a costume contest, prizes, snacks and lots of fun for all. A safe and fun alternative for children ages 5 - 10. Parents MUST accompany children. At Washington Community School, 427 Darrow Avenue (parking in Spooner Avenue lot). Info: (908) 753-3097.
Saturday - November 1. 9 AM - 2 PM (Rain or shine). Electronics Recycling. Items accepted include: Monitors, keyboards, CPUs, TVs, phones, VCRs, printers and more. (See full list, including conditions and exclusions here.) Sponsored by Union County. At Schering-Plough, Kenilworth. Pre-registration NOT required, but proof of Union County residence is. Info: (908) 654-9889.
Saturday - November 1. 5:30 PM Sharp bus departure. Community Basketball Trip: Nets vs. Golden State Warriors. Bus trip sponsored by the Recreation Division to the game at the Meadowlands. Bus departs City Hall parking lot at 5:30 PM sharp. Game starts at 7:30 PM, bus will return to City Hall parking lot at 11:00 PM. $40/person includes ticket, Nets giveaway and round-trip transportation. First come, first served. Contact the Recreation Division, City Hall Annex, 510 Watchung Avenue or (908) 753-3097.
Tuesday - November 4. 6 AM - 8 PM. General (Presidential) Election. Polls are open from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

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CENTRAL JERSEY

Hillside: "Ex-cop convicted of helping drug ring launder money"
Kenilworth: "Hopefuls zero in on taxes"
Newark: "Booker cries foul over high school football snubs"
Newark: "Booker wants to restructure Newark City Hall"
Somerset County: "Somerset County turns 'blue'" -- For first time ever, Dems outnumber GOP.
Union: "Town hall nepotism at issue in elections"
Union County Nepotism: "Institutional Nepotism" -- With a link to Sunday's Ledger story on Union Twp. nepotism that never got put online (see here [PDF]).

STATE

Lautenberg/Zimmer Race: "PACs continue to push cash at Senate race"

Bonding: "State schedules $1.6B transportation bond for next month"
GOP: "The rise of a political novice" -- John Crowley. John who? Read on.
Legislature: "Bill to expedite traffic changes by towns is passed" -- Cutting some red tape.
New Jersey Transit: "NJT, caught in AIG downgrade fallout, faces $150M default"
South Mountain Deer Hunt: "Kelly Heyboer: Bloggers chime in on South Mountain Deer Hunt"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here.

Margulies' Cartoon is here.

NATION / WORLD

2008 Campaigns --

(Click to enlarge.)

FactCheck: For a daily analysis of the latest spin from either campaign see the non-partisan FactCheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Latest Polls: "Real Clear Politics: Latest Polls" -- Updated daily.
Endorsements: Current tally is here.
Dems: "Can Biden behave until Election Day?" -- Gaffe-prone Joe has done pretty well, so far.

McCain: "How John McCain ran against himself" -- The hijacking of the Straight Talk Express.
GOP: "Conservatives plan post-election meeting"
Palin: "GOP abuzz over Palin's future role"
The Media: "Why McCain is getting hosed in the press" -- With interesting side stories on how news works.