One of the worst radioactive contaminations in the country

http://www.nbc10.com

GLOUCESTER CITY, N.J.  -- It was one of the worst radioactive contaminations in the country.Now, after almost a decade-long cleanup, there is some relief, but also anger, NBC 10 reported on Wednesday. The radioactive cleanup occurred in Gloucester City, just over the Walt Whitman Bridge from Philadelphia.Officials could finally reopen Klemm Avenue after the latest cleanup of radioactive wasted dumped in Gloucester City in the early 1900s.
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Comments

Remember charity starts at home.
Bob

[throwing away money]

I can't believe we are paying an administrator so much money in a town where the basic income is about poverty level. Who thinks up this stuff???

[views]

Amazing that this has turned into the bash Rick Gonzales report instead of why our past city leaders hate Gloucester so much they wouldn't recommend anyone moving here. They are the ones who created this place with their 20 year rule now we are stuck trying to undo it. Everyone seams rather blind to that fact. We have more to clean up in this town than radioactive waste we have tons of Government waste to deal with. Our Mayor needs a plan, so that no matter what is going on day to day he can continue to chip away at the plan to recover the city. I don't envy him that job.

Response
In a previous post I was referring to Mrs. McClay. She was my eighth grade civics teacher. She was one of two teachers that made a lasting impression on my life. She taught us about the various forms and levels of government. She required that we know every detail of how Gloucester was structured and she graded by keeping a running total of each students errors. At that time a student named Ken (Dutch) Parker was the best scoring student of her career. Dutch was a couple years ahead of me. I knew Dutch and I asked him how he managed to have only seven errors for the entire year. He explained the extra credit system she used.

You could reduce your total errors by participating on the debating teams and other such activities. She challenged all of her students each year to surpass the reigning champions low score. I gave it my best shot and have used the skills developed there all my life. Thank you Mrs. McClay.

Respecfully submitted
Rick Gonzales

5-7-08 11:26
Let me start by saying that you don't seem to be any less venomous than me if that is what we are. Since you choose to never sign your name I will name you KEN. Not Ken MacAdams but a cronie. Since Ken MacAdams chooses to let his mistaken attack on me stand I will refer to anyone who attacks a person and not their writings as Ken. I will encourage others to do the same. Likewise anyone who wants to guess about authors and make accusations without substantiating their claims they can direct them to Rick. Remember, close only counts in horse shoe and hand grenades.

If raising or addressing an issue, topic, or comment is a display of misery I'm missing something. Please explain.

As for Paul Kain I suggest you speak with him about why I might be critical of the administrative function of this city.
He could not afford to discuss that issue publicly in my opinion. Simply stated the administrator lacks leadership skills and Gloucester City is suffering because of it. Since I can say nothing that you will address I'll let you point out his good points and if I disagree I'll try to express my position. And I assure you I will not attack him as a person.

If I might be so bold as to comment on you literary style I would have to say that people in the education system and people in structured corporate/goverment systems would likely judge your actions/writing as BULLYING. That is something that concerns me since I believe that if we as parents and grandparents choose to set those kinds of examples our children will emulate those tactics with disasterous results.

If bullying is to be your tactic to silence me. Picking on the little, short, fat, balding, old man may not work. You might try presenting stronger, more convincing comments to the issues.

What is your take on the Kain-Gorman assessment of Gloucester?
Ken, thanks for the opportunity to present my point of view.

Respectfully submitted
Rick Gonzales

5-7-2008 11:36pm HEY BRO
I'm behind you 110%.
I hate the guy too.
He's got a real bad attitude.
One Question:
What's our complaint?
Post it and I'll spread the word.

[John P. Schmidt]

Even though I may disagree with Rick Gonzales at times, I support his right to free speech. I have read many posts on this blog about Paul Kain. Mr. Kain has one of, if not the most powerful positions in Gloucester City as City Administrator. In that position he is responsible for being a watchdog over city departments, and ensuring that Gloucester is fiscally sound. If Rick wishes to comment on something he is concerned about he has a right to. Mr. Kain is paid close to $100,000 per year. If he is not being accountable or doing an adequate job then Rick and others should stand up as concerned residents and taxpayers and bring their concerns to the public and should be applauded for doing so. I believe if there is open dialogue about our city government and as citizens we hold our government officials accountable then all the residents will benefit.

Rick Gonzelas you sure seem like a venomousness snake just waiting for your chance to argue again!

Are you really that miserable in your life that you feel the need to attack people all of the time?

Heck all of the times that you have talked about Paul Kain I'm surprised he hasn't brought legal action against you!

And PLEASE don't act like you are some noble upstanding citizen that will surely post your name with any of your comments. YA RIGHT!!!
Anyone who has heard any of your rhetoric KNOWS that YOU ARE the author of plenty comments that maybe signed Observer, democrat, former democrat now a strong republican the list goes on, you can deny it but WE CAN ALL READ Right Through YOU!!!

Not Written by anyone wearing a Blue Jumpsuit etc. etc. blah blah

[views]

I think it was interesting that a Kain/Gorman would say not to bring a business to Gloucester City. They have created so much legislation in town that it makes it impossible to start a business in town unless you have unlimited supplies of cash on hand. I know for a fact that every developer out there has blackballed the city as one of the most uncoopertive place to build or rehab a property. So that tells me we need to rethink some of the past rules and regs put into place by the Kain/Gorman establishment, or our tax dollars will be the only thing used to build new housing and condo's on that waterfront. Our city IS NOT supposed to be a development firm or a landlord. They are supposed to be encouraging such firms to come here and spend their capital to do these projects. Maybe the city leaders should take a class on management. It doesn't mean you push the worker out of the way and do the job yourself ( if so then why did you hire the worker?)
Another thing I was wondering about that is a legacy of the Gorman era, what city department is taking care of the Marina. It is time to dredge the place again. Since our dredging rights are only for 10 years before we have to renew them we better not waste them. And yes every marina does maintenance dredging or the boats will be sitting in the mud during low tide.

THREAD ASSESSMENT

Bill Cleary posts an NBC 10 article with its link to the complete article and its comments.

Post #1 appears to have been a copy of comment #2 of the NBC 10 article posted by KAIN GORMAN. The content addresses the Cleary post in part and then expands to refer to the city politics. The writer, a former resident, finalizes by saying Gloucester City is a slum.

Post #2 written by AMAZED makes a number of negative comments about Gloucester City and then attacks Rick Gonzelas and Mr. Schmit.

Post #3 appears to be a defensive response to AMAZED by Rick Gonzales. He charactizes the negative and pessimistic statements. He then closes by referring to negativity as being unacceptable to Ken MacAdams. I find a parallel thread in which Ken MacAdams attacks Rick Gonzales as being a negative person which appears to be the reason for the reference.

Post #4 by Bill Labbree Jr. is largely supportive of the Rick Gonzales response with qualifications and hope for the future but does not address the Ken MacAdams issue of negativity.

Post #5 To Bill Labbree Jr. attempts to counter his comment with a negative charge of pugnaciousness by Rick Gonzales while saying Rick Gonzales should have to walk a 1/4 mile in Ken MacAdams shoes. These comments remain unexplained and the post is unsigned.

Post #6 by Brian Corky Flood addresses the high cost of the cleanup and then makes three unrelated statements.

Post #7 by Rick Gonzales asks post #5 to provide substantive support for the claim of pugnaciousness. Which remains unaddressed. Rick Gonzales then explains that reference to Ken MacAdams was because Ken MacAdams cast the first stone. Rick Gonzales then picks up that same stone and throws it back.

Post #8 attacks Rick Gonzales as being pugnacious and then turns out to be the most pugnacious poster to this point. The post is unsigned.

Post #9 by Rick Gonzales addresses the comment by post #8 line by line. Once again Rick Gonzales asks for some support of the unsubstantiated claim of pugnaciousness. Rick Gonzales then seizes the opportunity to politely berate his less capable attacker. Finally Rick Gonzales refers to a Mrs. McClay. He doesn't explain her relevance which makes one wonder if this is the next Ken MacAdams.

ASSESSMENT COMPLETE.

QUESTIONS;

1. What percentage of the KAIN GORMAN comment do you as a reader agree with?

2. Is the Kain Gorman comment correct in its assessment of Gloucester City politics?

3. In light of the lack of support of the claims of pugnaciousness, was this a political attack by Ken MacAdams and friends?

An Observation

1. Who is Mrs. McClay?

2. Who is the monster?

5-6-08 1:35 pm
I will WEAR it, not where it, if you will be so kind as to cut and paste from my writings and offer some constructive/objective suggestions as to how I may improve my writing skills. I preach change and improvement all the time and I will follow your instructions if you will just guide me.

Other readers and I will have to assume that you are the pugnacious one if you don't carry out the challenge you created.

"Pugnacious- Combative, To attack by words or arguments;
To contradict; to assail; to call in question; to make insinuations against; to gainsay; to oppose."

"Rick, you would start a argument in an empty room.
So if the SHOE fits where it, after you get it out of YOUR Mouth!!"

Sounds pugnacious to me. Unless I have attacked you in the previous writings of this thread you would not be entitled to claim your statement is the "quid pro quo". Look it up so you understand.

The readers would all like to see you be bold enough to identify yourself so they could shake your hand and pat you on the back for putting that awful person, Rick Gonzales, in his place for speaking his mind so pugnaciously. I think you are much too humble to seek community wide acclaim. So I'll just settle for some constructive literary criticism.

Some of the readers may may even think Mrs. McClay is the root problem for creating such a monster.

Rick Gonzales

To Mr. Rick Gonzales

I was reading the posts and I looked up in the dictionary the meaning of the word Pugnacious that people have associated with you I posted the definition below:

Pugnacious- Combative, To attack by words or arguments;
To contradict; to assail; to call in question; to make insinuations against; to gainsay; to oppose.

There are also many others that describe the word Pugnacious above is just a summary, I was wondering how many people have read your posts or saw you on TV @ council meetings would agree that you are Pugnacious I certainly do, in fact when I was looking at the definition it had a picture of you next to the word Pugnacious.

Rick, you would start a argument in an empty room.
So if the SHOE fits where it, after you get it out of YOUR Mouth!!

5-5-08 11:45 am
I would like to have you cut and paste some of my writings and describe what it is about the way I articulate myself that warrants your choice of the term pugnacious.

As for my reference to Ken MacAdams, I offer this explanation. It was the "quid pro quo". It would not have been mentioned again except for your reference to me "walking a 1/4 mile in Ken Mac's shoes". I'll be glad to try. As soon as you get them out of his mouth.

Rick Gonzales

[Brian "Corky" Flood]

100 Million to clean up this City. Wow..thats alot of money.
I like the Phillies. I also Like Fishing. And on Thursdays I get to drink milk.

Mr. Labbree Jr.

I have read many of Rick Gonzales' postings too, I don't think of Rick Gonzales as Dr. Phil I think more along the line of this definition.

Rick Gonzales- Pugnacious & try to walk a 1/4 mile in Ken Mac's shoes!

John P. Schmidt- unseasoned,immature judgment,inexperienced but I think he means well and will learn as we all do from our mistakes.

[Bill Labbree, Jr.]

Rick,
Good response. Although I certainly don't always agree with you, you do not just criticize and complain. You try to offer suggestions and try to find solutions to the problems. Mr. Schmidt may be young and he certainly does have a lot to learn but to his credit, he has committed himself to getting involved and learning it. We need more young people to take an active role in our community. Let's just hope he continues to be a community advocate and doesn't fall into the politician frame of mind. So far, so good.

Bill Labbree, Jr.

Amazed
I see the words. What is the message. I don't see anything informative or constructive. Please elaborate.

One Life to Live"
aka "Stuck in spending more of my Life in Gloucester"
Sounds like you're not happy living in Gloucester. But don't have the drive to improve your lot in life.

All My Children"
aka "All my Puppets"<<"Voters" named by the politicians
Sounds like you're not happy with Mayor James and his appointments and fellow council members. Tell us what you can offer to change and/or improve Gloucester. I supported Mayor James. Maybe we the readers would support you.

"Days of Our Lives" aka "Higher Taxes no Surprise
Sounds like something we all could agree on. Offer an idea or two. The Mayor and Council read this every day. That's why CNB has such a high rating in New Jersey.

Dr. Phil can be replaced by Rick Gonzelas
I'll just let you explain this one. But you really should try to get the spelling right.

Opera can be replaced by Mr.Schmit
Did you mean Oprah or opera? And it is much more important that you spell John P. Schmidt's name correctly. Name recognition is very important to aspiring politicians. I might add that although he's young he's not dumb. You may wind up working for him if he is successful. And that should vastly improve your outlook on living in Gloucester City. I will also say I've seen Mr. Schmidt at council and work session meetings and he appears to be sincere in his attempt to carry out his role as a member of the board of health.

Amazed, if I may offer one piece of advice, don't sound so negative. You may become the target of Ken MacAdams.

Rick Gonzales

[Amazed]

Well, really nothing should really amaze any of us that have lived our lives in Gloucester City it's surely one of the top communities that would be considered for Soap Operas:

"One Life to Live"
aka "Stuck in spending more of my Life in Gloucester"

"All My Children"
aka "All my Puppets"<<"Voters" named by the politicians

"Days of Our Lives" aka "Higher Taxes no Surprise"

Dr. Phil can be replaced by Rick Gonzelas

Opera can be replaced by Mr.Schmit

Bill
It looks like the family is starting to let us know what we are to expect in the future. This is a comment to your link on this topic.

Kain Gorman
Elmer, NJ
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#2
Yesterday

Gloucester City has been conveniently located in between 2 Trash to Steam Plants yup, one in Westville & one in Camden.
PLUS, Gloucester City boasts the bragging rights to some of the most contaminated property in the COUNTRY!!!
Besides the housing market falling in Gloucester City and some of the most undesirable people moving into town.
Gloucester City has POLITICS that are rivaled by none, not even Washington DC, Gloucester City is on a down hill spiral and The Mayor is rumored to be resigning!
If you are looking for a place to bring your business or invest in Real Estate don't look @ Gloucester City, it's on it's way to Bankruptcy and they are even buying property to try and get rid of the undesirable people that this slum of a city attracts.
Former Gloucester City Resident

A READER