Baristanet was copied on this email from Joe Hartnett to Mike M. (whose name and address was on the letter, but requested anonymity on Baristanet) regarding his complaints about Watchung Station.
Thank you for your recent letter. With respect to the trash receptacles, unfortunately what had happened was that NJ Transit recently replaced the receptacles with a new, locking kind of unit but did not give us the keys. We just obtained the keys yesterday so the overflowing trash will not continue to be a problem.
With respect to the security issues, we have been trying a variety of strategies but they obviously have not worked. As long as the station remains under lease to us, we will stay at it until we find a permanent solution. We will be happy to check the information you forwarded to make sure we are not missing anything. Of course, the major issue we always face is balancing the many demands put upon our Police and other departments while trying to restrain escalating property taxes. I assure you that the vast majority of our people are neither work-averse nor irresponsible.
Locking the station was a temporary measure to protect a valuable asset while buying a little time to help us work to a more permanent solution, just like I had to “lock out” other things I’m working on (like the township budget) to buy the time to personally respond to your letter. It’s always about prioritizing and balancing time and resources, whether Police work or anything else we do. Otherwise, almost all problems would be very easy to solve.
Thank you for your interest, concern, and suggestions and we’ll be taking a look at that information you sent. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Joe Hartnett
Township Manager
just like I had to “lock out” other things I’m working on (like the township budget) to buy the time to personally respond to your letter
Holy crap. How dare his royal highness be disturbed! What an obnoxious response.
“just like I had to “lock out” other things I’m working on (like the township budget) to buy the time to personally respond to your letter. ”
Oh God, Joe you are such a pompous ass, and you don’t even realize it.
He must’ve attended the Ed Remsen Charm School.
wow, I take back the previous “benefit of the doubt” I extended to Hartnett.
This guy is an ass and should be fired.
It’s all Bull Sh*t! Can he also let me know why the platforms are never shoveled in time for the morning commute. I woun’t mind but even teh conductor said he called 3 different times for someone to shovel and they ignored him.
What DOES he do all day?
If you are refering to snow removal or garbage removal, call NJ transit. If you get raped or robbed there, call MOntclair’s crack police force.
Joe H is beyond belief. He really could use a shrink to deal with his anger issues.
Blooouugghhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
Just another case study in how not to government.
It’s business as usual here in Montclair.
It is time to hang a banner from the Municipal Building’s flag pole displaying the township’s motto “C.Y.A” – that’s Cover Your ASSets!
Hey Joe – it’s time for you to move on since incomptency rises to the top – another township could benefit from your management skills.
LOL! that is good sh*t. Ranks up there with “My dog ate it.” or “I was abducted by a UFO”
“Just another case study in how not to government.”
coupla “case studies” going on in this thread…
” it’s time for you to move on since incomptency rises to the top.”
Now that’s funny!
OMG, I can’t believe he said that! It was a good response until the “lock out” comment. Mr. Hartnett, don’t worry, you’ll have lots of free time soon enough. Arrogant pr!ck
I’m sure that dealing with the whiners and complainers in Montclair on a daily basis can be a pain, but as the Township Manager you can CHOOSE to be more civil in responses. Hartnett pulls this crap frequently in his written responses to complaints. There is always a nice big slap to the face buried in there.
Grow the f*ck up, Joe. You’re supposed to be a leader. Act like it for a change.
That’s our Joe! He doesn’t disappoint. We knew that his response would be arrogant, pompous and dissmissive.
Hey Joe,
Drop the passive/aggressive tone next time and instead of ending an arrogant and preachy email writing “Thank you for your interest, concern, and suggestions and we’ll be taking a look at that information you sent. Thanks again.… just say get to the point and save us all some time. Try this: “Dear Mike, I think you are a prick for bothering me. I am way too busy and important to deal with you. Love, Joe.”
“(whose name and address was on the letter, but requested anonymity on Baristanet)”
the spearamint rolls on
“…NJ Transit recently replaced the receptacles with a new, locking kind of unit but did not give us the keys”
It’s so funny, but yet, so sad.
I’m confused as to why NJT was installing new trash receptacles if the town is responsible for trash management…
And it’s not just at Watchung that the platforms aren’t cleared of snow for the commute; Walnut has the same problem. We’re lucky they’re cleared EVER! I’m confused though, if the town technically holds the lease or whatnot on the station, aren’t they responsible for things like that? Or is it still NJT?
If I ever wrote a letter like that from my place of employment, I’d be fired….
“We just obtained the keys yesterday so the overflowing trash will not continue to be a problem.”
What are the odds?
OMG!
Lockin’ th’ stashun was a tempo’ary measure t’proteck a valuable asset while buyin’ a li’l time t’he’p us wawk t’a mo’e permanent solushun, jest like ah had t'”lock out” other thin’s ah’s wawkin’ on (like th’ township budgit) t’buy th’ time t’varmintally respond t’yer letter. It’s allus about prio’itizin’ an’ balancin’ time an’ resources, whether Po-lice wawk o’ ennythin’ else we does. Otherwise, almost all problems’d be mighty easy t’solve.
CHIRPY CHIRPY CHEEP CHEEP
(Harold Stott)
Middle Of The Road – 1971
Mac & Katie Kissoon – 1971
Where´s your momma gone
(Where´s your momma gone)
Little baby gone
(Little baby gone)
Where´s your momma gone
(Where´s your momma gone)
Far far away far
Where´s your poppa gone
(Where´s your poppa gone)
Little baby gone
(Little baby gone)
Where´s your poppa gone
(Where´s your poppa gone)
Far far away, far far awayayay…
Last night I heard my momma singing this song
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Woke up this morning and my momma was gone
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep chirp
Where´s your momma gone
(Where´s your momma gone)
Little baby gone
(Little baby gone)
Where´s your momma gone
(Where´s your momma gone)
Far far away
Where´s your poppa gone
(Where´s your poppa gone)
Little baby gone
(Little baby gone)
Where´s your poppa gone
(Where´s your poppa gone)
Far far away far far awayayay…
Last night I heard my momma singing this song
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Woke up this morning and my momma was gone
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep chirp
Last night I heard my momma singing this song
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Woke up this morning and my momma was gone
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep chirp
Last night I heard my momma singing this song
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Woke up this morning and my momma was gone
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep chirp
Last night I heard my momma singing this song
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Woke up this morning and my momma was gone
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep chirp
Last night I heard my momma singing this song
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Woke up this morning ……… FADE
The following is a parody, and does not represent the words or actions of any Montclair civil servant.
Dear Mark M,
Thank you for your recent letter. {I can’t believe I’m missing the Young and the Restless over this crap. Note to self: Use eminent domain to take over Baristanet and turn it into the Joe Hartnett fan site.} With respect to the trash receptacles, unfortunately what had happened was that NJ Transit recently replaced the receptacles with a new, locking kind of unit but did not give us the keys. {That George Warrington over at NJT is such a card. Just last week after we played squash, he put Ben-Gay in my thong. I fixed his wagon – sent his wife a picture of old Georgie felching McGreevy at after the ’02 budget meetings.} We just obtained the keys yesterday so the overflowing trash will not continue to be a problem. {Note to self: Have that lardass Remsy rubberstamp a change to the town charter making obnoxious, Jeri-curled Council members responsible for station trash removal duty.}
With respect to the security issues, we have been trying a variety of strategies but they obviously have not worked. {Put a table lamp inside the station on a timer. Stuck one of those “Protected by ADT” stickers to the window. Nothing worked. Those skateboard punks are smarter than they look. Must be private school kids cause they sure didn’t get this sharp at Montclair High.} As long as the station remains under lease to us, we will stay at it until we find a permanent solution. {Yada, yada, yada} We will be happy to check the information you forwarded to make sure we are not missing anything. {Like you could figure out anything that we didn’t already think of.} Of course, the major issue we always face is balancing the many demands put upon our Police and other departments while trying to restrain escalating property taxes. {If we authorize budget for any more police patrols, my kids might have to return the township Hummer} I assure you that the vast majority of our people are neither work-averse nor irresponsible. {I’m dying to say something about Mattox, but Trembulak told me to keep my trap shut.}
Locking the station was a temporary measure to protect a valuable asset while buying a little time to help us work to a more permanent solution, just like I had to “lock out” other things I’m working on (like the township budget) to buy the time to personally respond to your letter. {My power is intoxicating. All consuming. Bow before me! Oooh, I’m making myself hot.} It’s always about prioritizing and balancing time and resources, whether Police work or anything else we do. Otherwise, almost all problems would be very easy to solve.
Thank you for your interest, concern, and suggestions and we’ll be taking a look at that information you sent. Thanks again. {And keep an eye on your mailbox for an updated property assessment, douchebag. }
Well if Montclair not having the keys to the trash isn’t a metaphor, I don’t know what is!
Hiding 2:38:
Brilliant work. LOL. Thanks for writing that!
Remsen, how about having a nutsack and actually reprimanding Hartnett for such a nasty response.
“Remsen, how about having a nutsack and actually reprimanding Hartnett for such a nasty response.”
Isn’t this like the wolf guarding the henhouse?
The sorry part is that he could have brushed off the complainer just as effectively by saying, “thank you for your input. I always appreciate it when citizens take the time to voice their concerns. Please be assured that we hope to resolve the Watchung Station situation and that I have passed your specific suggestions to our hard working police department.”
Thank you for your input
Vote the bums out. Fire the rest of them.
Man, they get this worked up over a little garbage.
Wonder what they’ll do when they get hit w/ the NJ Transit fare hike next week?
Personally, the tone of the letter from Hartnett seems to match the tone of Mike M’s original letter. Seems like Mike M has all the answers in his original letter. Gee, I wonder wy the police never thought of that. He had no idea the efforts made by the pd to increase patrols in the area, yet the police aren’t doing anything. Mike M’s letter was arrogant.
Hiding 2:38 FOR MAYOR!!!!
Regardless of the tone of Mike M’s letter, we should expect better from a public official. If someone calls Remsen an ass on this site, should Remsen respond by calling the poster an ass? Oh wait, he has. Nevermind.
Mike m sounds like a lot of the people here.
Joe will be gone in 2 years since the present clowns will definitely be voted out. Unfortunately we’ll still be paying for his retirement pension. I wish we’d go back to the commission form.
“Personally, the tone of the letter from Hartnett seems to match the tone of Mike M’s original letter. Seems like Mike M has all the answers in his original letter. Gee, I wonder wy the police never thought of that. He had no idea the efforts made by the pd to increase patrols in the area, yet the police aren’t doing anything. Mike M’s letter was arrogant.”
whatever it is the police are doing isn’t working. Mike M showed initiative something that police, town council, township manager and mayor have not showed.
“Mike M showed initiative something that police, town council, township manager and mayor have not showed”.
YOU FORGOT THE GARBAGE MEN !
could he have blamed anyone else ?
Dear Joe,
You Blow