Law Offices of Adam Schneider

07/27/2020

Evictions and foreclosures in a pandemic. The statistics are grim. In New Jersey, there are over 15,000 tenancy complaints waiting to be heard. On a national level, it is estimated that one third of all households in the country failed to make payments on either mortgages or rent in July.

Sheriff sales and evictions in New Jersey were halted in March by Gov. Murphy. There has been no word yet as to when they will resume. And when the courts reopen, nobody knows what will happen. Will there be emergency grants and loans available? Are mortgage companies going to agree to forbearance agreements? How will consumers make up arrears with rampant joblessness and reduced income? Again, nobody knows what lies ahead.

If you are facing this kind of problem, bankruptcy may be the appropriate remedy. It can slow down or completely stop an eviction or foreclosure.

Please feel free to call us at 732-222-8800 if you need information or help. There is no charge for the first consultation.

04/16/2020

Don't panic. Good advice the other day and still good advice.

The biggest concern for many people is the inability to make current mortgage or rent payments. If a member of your household has lost a job or had to shut their business, paying bills is an overwhelming concern.

There are appropriate steps to take depending on your individual situation. Legal advice is never one-size-fits-all. If you have a concern about your bills right now, call me at 732-222-8800. I will be glad to spend time on a free phone conference and give you advice as to your best remedy.

04/06/2020

Don't panic. Even though schools are shut, businesses are closed, and a staggering number of people are out of work, don’t panic.

Nobody knows how long this will last and we are all figuring out how to make necessary adjustments.

If you need someone to talk to about your legal issues, my law office remains open. We're still working hard to meet the legal needs of our clients via telephone and computer.

If you feel the need to discuss your financial situation, a potential bankruptcy, real estate, divorce, or Will, please feel free to call. As always, the first conference is free.

08/13/2019

Zombie debt: How collectors trick consumers into reviving dead debts

No, I'm not rushing Halloween. But some debt collectors are part of the zombie apocalypse and they're full of tricks.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/07/zombie-debt-how-collectors-trick-consumers-into-reviving-dead-debts/

Consumer advocates say there's an accelerating effort within the $11 billion debt collection industry to make profits from debts the financial industry once wrote off.

03/14/2014

monmouth-voter-reg-form-062212.pdf - Google Drive

18 years old now? Make sure to register to vote in the May election. If you'll be away at college or you're in the military or otherwise going to be out of town on May 13, absentee ballots are also available. Call 732-963-0801 to get involved.

03/07/2014

CallingPost.com

CallingPost.com

02/25/2014

CallingPost.com

Long Branch election is coming up on May 13th. I am happy to report that Joy Bastelli, Kate Billings, Dr. Mary Jane Celli, John Pallone, and Michael Sirianni will be running with me. We're a team that gets things done, but we can't do it without your support. Sign up here to join us.

01/23/2014

WASHINGTON POST

During my freshman year at George Washington University, September 1972 until May 1973, I had the Washington Post delivered every day. As often as not, there would be a Bob Woodward Carl Bernstein front-page story on the breaking the Watergate scandal and I felt like I had a front row seat to history. Watergate was the first “gate” scandal and proved the downfall of Richard Nixon who resigned on August 8, 1974. I was taught by my parents that everything evil in American life could be traced to Dick Nixon, and there on the front page of the Post was proof.

Now we have newest ‘gate’, the closing of the George Washington Bridge, one of the dumbest scandals of all time. As one of the Democratic Mayors who endorsed Governor Christie I’ve received calls from all over the country wanting my reaction to the mess. One of the calls came from Carol Leonning of the Post and she quoted me right in the first and last paragraphs, and the story was on front page of Sunday’s paper. Text messages, emails, and calls from friends and family started early Sunday, and then more calls from media.

Here’s the first sentence of the Post story: “In September. Adam Schneider, the liberal mayor of the New Jersey shore town of Long Branch, was having trouble with the state utility board. After repeatedly getting the round around, Schneider decided to instead try his luck with the office of Gov. Chris Christie. ‘I’m not talking to any more underlings, and I’m not being delegated,’ Schneider said he told Christie’s aides, ‘I got what I needed.”

The reporter accurately quotes me as saying that I received “enhanced” access after endorsing the governor.

Here’s what I did with my enhanced access:

I got copies of JCPL’s emergency management plan that was in place during Superstorm Sandy. With political power comes great responsibility.

The word ‘enhanced’ got attention. MSNBC wanted to send a driver to take me to New York for an interview. I told the producer I couldn’t make it. Tuesday is Mob Movie night with the boys, and Wednesday Long Branch wrestles Ocean. What can I tell you, some things are more important than national exposure. They may send a crew down to interview me anyway.

The Asbury Park Press interviewed me Monday. That story makes clear there was nothing asked for by me, and nothing offered by them when I endorsed the governor.

The Post interview was before the accusations of Dawn Zimmer became public. The Hoboken mayor accused the Lt. Governor and the head of the Department of Community affairs of pressuring her to approve a redevelopment project supported by one of the Governor’s friends to receive more Sandy money. Her allegations have received angry denials.

The Post quoted me to finish up the article too, explaining why I won’t vote for Christie for President. Every time he talks like a republican I’m reminded why I can’t vote for him for president

As for Richard Nixon, I have the front page of the Daily News from the day he resigned hanging in my office.

As for Mob movie night, we’ve watched both Godfather’s, Prizzi’s Honor, the first and last episode of the Soprano’s in memory of James Gandolfini, and have scheduled the Departed. Maybe next we’ll watch All the President’s Men.

10/16/2013

IF YOU’RE EASILY OFFENDED, DON’T READ THIS COLUMN.

Thursday night, at a Clean Ocean Action fundraiser at McLoone’s Pier House, I was asked to welcome the crowd to Long Branch. My wife Pat has been COA’s Board of Trustees recording secretary for 23 years and the group does great work and that’s what I said.

Then I said if you’re upset with the insanity in Washington and care about issues like a clean ocean, you need to get out and vote. I added that the congressmen shutting down the federal government don’t want you to vote if you’re a woman, a person of color, or a person with an open mind. I didn’t mention the Tea Party or use the word Republican.

Then I sat down with Pat and finished my dinner.

A few minutes later, a man came up to me and told me he was offended by my comments because he was a conservative. He also said he was thinking of withdrawing his donation to COA because of what I said. I wanted to tell him what to do with his money but instead politely told him I disagreed. He muttered something I couldn’t understand while he turned and walked away.

My remarks were quite restrained and accurate. What the Tea Party Republicans are doing is extortion, undemocratic, destructive, and nothing less than an attempt to sabotage our government.

Remember, these same congressmen delayed the passage of aid to Sandy victims. As a mayor of a coastal city working with the federal government to rebuild the boardwalk and counting on sand replenishment, I’m concerned about the shutdown causing delays. That’s just one of dozens of ways Americans are going to be affected.

Have whatever opinion you want of Obamacare. You have every right to be against an attempt to provide health care to the 50 million people who don’t have medical coverage. But Congress passed the bill, the Supreme Court upheld the law as constitutional, and the president was re-elected.

If the shut down isn’t enough, this week those same 80 congressmen are trying to force our country to default on our bills for the first time in history. The potential damage to the world’s economy is frightening to all rational people.

I’m rooting for President Obama to invoke the 14th amendment and pay this country’s bills. Then watch the same crazies try to impeach him.

Again, feel free to disagree, but if these people have their way, you might not get to vote again. Despite there being no evidence of voter fraud, state legislatures in Arizona and Kansas are working on restricting voting rights. Pennsylvania, Texas and North Carolina and other states have already passed restrictive legislation targeting people of color and the poor. The statistical evidence is clear. After passing voter ID laws, state legislators’ brag about how much harder it will be Democrats to win elections.

Remember what started this column; I told people if they care about what’s going on in this country, they need to vote. If poll numbers are correct, the shut down and extortion are doing huge damage to Republicans around the country. I’m endorsing my GOP governor and legislators, but if they ever mess with voting rights or run for federal office, all bets are off.

As for the guy I pi**ed off, that’s just one of the benefits of being Mayor.

09/27/2013

Thank you summer 2013 | The Link News

Thank you summer 2013 | The Link News

Think of this column as a cross between a thank you note to the summer of 2013 and a post card from a friend already back from vacation. Summer officially ends this week so now is the time to count our blessings and give praise for a great season.

07/11/2013

Summer After Sandy: Business Booming in Long Beach For 4th of July

Long Branch is open for business.

People are heading to the beach and supporting local businesses in Long Branch, N.J., during the holiday weekend. Sandy splintered boardwalks and business across the shore. Jonathan Vigliotti reports

06/27/2013

THE ENDORSEMENT AND HOW IT CAME TO BE

Two of the first people I called when I started thinking about endorsing Governor Christie for re-election were my sister and Tom Booth. Becky lives in NYC and has been a federal prosecutor her entire legal career. Tom has been a close political ally and a friend since he called me twenty-six years ago to help save Jackson Woods.

I started thinking about supporting the governor when he called out House Republicans for delaying the vote on the Sandy aid bill back in January.

As a life long Democrat publicly just considering the possibility of endorsing a Republican was a difficult decision. I knew Becky would be totally against any such move, and I expected comments along the lines that “our parents would be rolling over in their graves,” and ‘No pumpkin pie for you on Thanksgiving.” That’s a very serious threat in the Schneider family. There was also the argument that the Governor was looking for Democratic endorsements so that he could run for President in 2016 as a conservative Republican with bi-partisan support.

Tom’s approach was mixed. What he understood better than my sister was how long it’s been since I received any help from the state or county Democratic Party. For reasons it will take a book to explain my party turned on me twenty years ago. Even now, despite the fact I know how to win elections, Democratic candidates barely speak to me.

Tom’s advice was consistent with what I was thinking, “talk to as many of my political friends and supporters as possible and see the reaction.”

I talked to about forty people. One Monmouth county mayor said that I’d never be able to run for any office other than mayor of Long Branch because Democrats wouldn’t support me. I think that might have been some kind of joke. Most people were supportive. I’ve been bipartisan for years the Democrat candidate, State Senator Barbara Buono doesn’t have much of a chance of winning so there was no reason to back her, and the Governor has been doing a good job on issues important to Long Branch.

In the midst of all these calls Governor Christie called me. His message was that he would appreciate my support.

06/14/2013

will be in in at 10:45 on Monday, June 17. More to follow.

06/06/2013

Shore's own 'Scotty' fixes Star Trek craft

I'm not the only Adam Schneider in Long Branch. The other Adam Schneider is a major league Star Trek fan. A very cool story on how he is restoring the Galileo prop from the show. He and Leslie are donating it to NASA. http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013305310095

In the 50 years that Hans Mikaitis, owner of Master Shipwrights Inc., has worked on vintage boats, he never thought his talent would be tested restoring a prop from the original Star Trek TV series.

06/05/2013

Snapshots from Jersey: First Summer After the Storm

A great view of Long Branch beaches from above.

New Jersey's push to bring back summertime tourists has made national headlines – from Jersey Shore cast reunions to Obama/Chris Christie bonding sessions. With rebuilds still in progress in many seaside towns, some prospective vacationers seem to be in "wait and see" mode. But if the first week of....

05/14/2013

CodeRED in Long Branch NJ Mayor_Sandy testimonial_021513.pdf - Google Drive

CodeRED - I'm a fan.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5DbTeFk94aieTJCSDdXbEFDRDg/edit?usp=sharing

05/09/2013

Sandy made us modify the course. Boston made us increase security. But nothing kept 11,000 of us from running.

NJ MARATHON 2013

THIN ICE
No one wanted to cancel, but after the bombing at the finish area of the Boston Marathon, our race was at risk. Everyone involved knew that security measures had to be ramped up, but plans had to be prepared and the extra personnel had to be paid. Pulling that together in such a short time took effort and compromise. Right after Boston, Joe Gigas, the race director, Jay Roebuck, the Long Branch Public Safety director, and I started on plans. We were confident that nothing bad was going to happen, but knew that we had to take every precaution. We spent a tense two and a half hours working out the details two weeks ago.

Police departments from all affected municipalities, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, NJ state police, and Homeland Security did their part. Helicopters were flying all over the place. I hope this kind of security is not the new normal for all large public events.

The Boston Red Sox theme song, Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond, played before the race. As a Yankee fan, I hope this isn’t the new normal either, but Joe Gigas grew up in New England rooting for the Sox and the song was his idea.

OF COURSE I’M ON TIME. IT’S NOT A COUNCIL MEETING
I’m not known for being punctual but I’m on time Sunday morning. I meet up with Carl Turner, the city planning director at 5:30 AM at the senior center parking lot. Along with zoning officer Michelle Bernich and fireman Jim Cook, we get a ride over to the race start at Monmouth Park.

Monmouth Park has plenty of parking and the clubhouse is huge. At six in the morning runners are warming up inside and horses are outside on the track.

As much as it pains me for the race to begin out of town, the racetrack is the best place. But the race will be a week earlier next year so as to not compete with the simulcast of the Kentucky Derby.

YIDDISH WORD OF THE DAY
You could go into the used clothing business picking up discarded clothes the first few miles of the race. 45 degrees at the 6:45 start, experienced runners wear old clothes for cold starts and then shed them as they warm up. “Shmata” is a Yiddish word meaning old clothes or rags. I think the race has someone driving the course later rag picking and the clothes are donated.

SANDY WAS GOOD FOR SOMETHING
Bathrooms are at a premium before, during, and after the race. The racetrack has plenty inside and there’s a long line of port-a-potties outside. Men have it much easier on race morning than women.

There are many homes under repair or being raised along the route, with porta-johns in front yards, and long lines of runners waiting their turn.

The course was changed to avoid the hardest hit Oceanport neighborhoods. Mayor Mike Mahon was the official race starter and was at the finish line, too. He told me that 65 Oceanport families are still out of their homes.

JOE MERCADANTE
Last year I worked the finish line and was amazed when I thought I saw Joe Mercadante cross. I wasn’t sure it was Joe since he was one of the least likely people I know to run a half marathon. He called me a few days later to tell me that he had finished his first race. This year we could see his house from the bridge coming into town from Oceanport. He hasn’t lived there since the storm but he finished the half again this year. Congrats to a real runner.

THE BOARDWALK
Audrey Ging was running south as I trudged north along the oceanfront with a little more than a mile to go. She turned around and offered to run at my pace, which was good because I couldn’t possibly move at her speed. I was happy for the company.

Audrey almost got picked up by the police right after the storm, running down the promenade to see the damage. Like many Long Branch residents, she takes a possessory interest in our beach. She also understands the boardwalk can’t happen until we re-create the bluff.

FINISH
My training got me to the start line healthy and to the finish line in just under three hours, about 15 minutes off my goal. I beat the men’s marathon winner, but I had a 75-minute head start and he ran twice as far. An hour later I’m home, showered, and asleep on the couch.

04/25/2013

Liberty St Crop Mob, Long Branch, Sat Apr 27, 8am-4pm - Transition Monmouth

Don't be alarmed - starving French peasants with pitchforks and torches will not be descending on Long Branch this weekend. Great tie-in to the Library's free showing of "Les Miserables" after the gardening.

04/17/2013

Update on the Long Branch beaches.

THE BEACH

Sandy is still the number one topic of conversation around town. Six months after New Jersey got whacked upside our collective heads, many of us are still in recovery mode. But Memorial Day weekend is six weeks away, crowds are anticipated, and we need to be ready.

From Sandy Hook to southern Ocean County, every town is scrambling for what we all hope will be the usual throng of people from North Jersey and New York that clog our roads, eat in restaurants, spend in our stores, buy beach passes, and otherwise boost our local economy. We need them to come, maybe this summer more than ever.

Beach access came up at the last council meeting in February for the first time and every meeting since. Occasionally, the question is prefaced with the accusation that we only care about Pier Village.

The reality is that PV was constructed to withstand the 500-year storm so there wasn’t much damage. There was sand all over the place, and some of the stairs were undermined, but the new construction withstood the storm quite well and did not need significant repair.

Our goal now is to re-build everything south of Pier Village to Brighton Avenue once and do it right. There’s no sense in constructing a bluff, boardwalk, and road that could get wiped out again in a storm the same strength as Sandy. We’re developing design plans and working with FEMA right now to fund the project. I’ll keep everyone posted as we make progress.

As for summer beach access we’re hoping to get lucky in West End. DPW was down there last week and enough sand has come back that we’re cautiously optimistic that we’ll have a decent set of stairs, working bathrooms, and a shower close to Brighton Avenue. We just might have as many access points as last year. Lifeguards will patrol the same beaches as last summer. Keep your fingers crossed that we don’t have any more storms between now and Memorial Day.

Under the heading that timing is everything, we’ve also decided to hold off on parking meters until next year. The council and I want to make a summer day in Long Branch as easy as possible.

Six weeks until summer. Amen.

04/12/2013

Six Months After Sandy, Jersey Shore Is Ready to Run

Another great event coming up in Long Branch. I plan to do the half marathon. Who else is running?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/12/sports/six-months-after-sandy-jersey-shore-is-ready-to-run.html

The New Jersey Marathon had to be reworked and rerouted, but the race organizer said there was never a question of whether it would be run.

04/11/2013

Summer Concert Schedule

A couple of days of flip flop weather reminds me that it's almost summer. Check out the 2013 summer concert schedule in Long Branch - four pages of free concerts and events here in the Friendly City.

Long Branch

04/10/2013

The workshop is tonight, not tomorrow.

04/10/2013

City to host real estate workshop

If you have questions about real estate, mortgages, foreclosures, or rebuilding after Sandy, you can get answers tomorrow night, April 10, from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Adam "Bucky" James Community Center.

http://www.app.com/article/20130409/NJNEWS10/304090097/City-host-real-estate-workshop

The city's Recreation and Human Services in conjunction with a city-based, non-profit Maestro Community Development are hosting a real estate and mortgage workshop tomorrow, April 10, between 6 and 8 p.m.

04/08/2013

Robert Pinsky's PoemJazz

Congratulations to U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and his family on the birth of his grandson, Benjamin. Robert talks about Long Branch and tours his old neighborhood in this video of his PoemJazz performance at Monmouth University. Thanks to Aunt Dorothy Wright for passing the word to us.
http://tinyurl.com/awqos69

Three-time U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky reads his poetry to improvised jazz at Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre in his hometown of Long Branch, New J...

03/20/2013

This is the final draft of the column posted below. I think it's better so I'm reposting.

JCP&L - COMEDY OR TRAGEDY?

I’ve been writing a book for almost three years. Since the Saturday after the election I’ve written every day and won’t stop because I respect streaks. The working title is True That, about a mayor writing a book after an election but struggling to tell the story because what really happened during the campaign is too weird for anyone to believe. My progress has been slow and not fully focused since Sandy. Time previously devoted to writing was spent doing Code Red messages and dealing with my good friends at JPC&L.

The latest adventure with JCP&L is pretty bizarre and difficult to believe. You decide whether the story works better as a Three Stooges comedy or Shakespearean tragedy.

You may remember on November 3rd, five days after Sandy hit and while the city was in the midst of a power outage, Jim Markey, the utility’s district manager for Long Branch, asked for a meeting with city officials. We all stopped recovery work because we thought he’d be giving an update on repairs to the Long Branch grid. Instead of anything useful, he told us that he didn’t know the amount of damage in Long Branch or even who might have that information. He knew Sandy was a storm of unprecedented magnitude, and told us repeatedly, “I’m there for you.”

Two weeks later my picture was on the front page of the Asbury Park Press. I was quoted saying JCP&L either didn’t know what was going on during the storm or was choosing not to tell us, and neither was acceptable.

Don Lynch, president of JCP&L, didn’t like what I said. Actually what he didn’t like was that bad publicity for JCP&L was on the front page of the Press. I had been blasting the utility on the radio and in Code Red messages for two weeks at that point, so it had to be that the front page of the Press got him to respond.

He was so disappointed and upset that he emailed business administrator Chub Woolley that same day. I must have really gotten to him.

I emailed President Lynch and suggested he contact me directly if he didn’t like something I said.

Since actions speak louder than words, President Lynch showed true leadership and had someone else call. Vice President Mark Jones explained the President was a very busy man and that’s why I hadn’t heard from him personally. Mr. Jones told me he likes Long Branch so much he was thinking of moving to Pier Village. Seriously, he really did say all that.

I met with Mr. Jones on December 20th. I told him I wanted a written copy of JCP&L’s emergency management plan applicable to Long Branch for our emergency management crew to review. You would have thought I was asking him to actually install 21st century equipment in town. Vice President Jones couldn’t commit to showing me their plan. I had the feeling he had to talk to the very busy President Lynch for permission.

By January 9 I hadn’t heard from Mr. Jones, so I sent him an email. No response, so I sent another on February 4. Mr. Jones called and I returned the call on February 8th but didn’t hear back.

On February 12, Jim Markey emailed Chub telling him that I hadn’t returned the vice president’s phone call. Since I take returning vice presidents’ phone calls very seriously, I sent him a copy of my phone bill and circled his phone number to prove I called and to prevent any future misunderstanding.

VP Jones apologized. He claims my first two emails had been quarantined, something to do with coming from a Comcast address, and just by luck he saw the third one. I had no idea what he was talking about except he was telling me that no one at JCP&L bothered to read two emails from the mayor of Long Branch. This is a company claiming to be working hard at improving communications with me. I can’t make this up.

Then I asked about the JCP&L emergency management plan I’d requested three months ago. The Vice President told me that the document doesn’t exist. Why didn’t he tell me that back in December instead of wasting my time? I may not be quite as busy as the very busy President Lynch but my time matters. VP Jones said I have to understand that JCP&L’s emergency management is not a plan it’s a process. I have no idea what that means and I told him he’s not in any position to tell me what I have to understand.

But the VP is still looking forward to all of us working together. Mr. Markey, the district manager who showed up back in November knowing nothing, is setting up the meeting.

Three Stooges or Shakespeare?

Long Branch has a written plan, as does every municipality in the state. Ours is on file with Monmouth County and is reviewed annually. The city reviews our emergency management performance before and after every storm. JCP&L’s plan is to send crews from Alabama up to Long Branch and hope for the best. A written plan by JCP&L would be a form of contract between JCP&L and the city and would represent a commitment on the utility’s part. No wonder it doesn’t exist.

Believe this: I want to meet the person who will be in charge of helping Long Branch get its power back on during the next storm. I haven’t yet, so I’ll just keep pushing.

03/18/2013

JCP&L – Comedy or Tragedy?

I’ve been writing a book for almost three years. Since the Saturday after the election, I’ve written every day and won’t stop because I respect streaks. The working title is True That, a story of a mayor writing a book about an election but struggling telling the story because what really happened during the campaign is too weird for anyone to believe. My progress has been slow and not fully focused since Sandy. Time previously devoted to writing was spent doing Code Red messages and dealing with my good friends at JPC&L.

See if you believe the latest about JCP&L and decide whether the story is a comedy or tragedy.

You may remember on November 3rd, five days after the storm hit and while the city was in the midst of a power outage, Jim Markey, the utility’s district manager for Long Branch, asked for a meeting with city officials. We all stopped working because we thought we’d be getting an update on repairs to the Long Branch grid. Instead he told us that he didn’t know the amount of damage in Long Branch or even who might have that information or what we should expect. He did know that Sandy was a storm of unprecedented magnitude.

Two weeks later I was quoted in the Asbury Park Press, saying JCP&L had exactly the relationship with municipalities that they want, either they didn’t know what was going on or were choosing not to tell us.

Don Lynch president of JCP&L didn’t like what I said about his company’s performance. Actually, what he didn’t like was that the story, my quote and my picture was on the front page of the Asbury Park Press on November 20. I had been blasting JCP&L on the radio and in Code Red messages for two weeks by that point so I’m assuming the front page of the Press got him to respond.

He was so disappointed with me that he emailed Business Administrator Chub Woolley. I must have really gotten to him.

I emailed President Lynch and suggested that he contact me directly.

Since actions speak louder than words, President Lynch had a vice president call me. Vice President Jones told that me the President was very busy and that’s why I hadn’t heard from him personally. Mr. Jones told me he likes Long Branch so much he was thinking of moving to Pier Village. Seriously.

I met with Mr. Jones on December 20th and told him I wanted a written copy of JCP&L’s emergency management plan applicable to Long Branch for our emergency management crew to review. We’d been inviting them to meet with Stan Dzuiba and be part of emergency management team for years with no success. You would have thought I was asking him to actually put maps and computers in trucks. Vice President Jones couldn’t commit to showing me their plan or meetings. I had the feeling he had to first talk to the very busy President Lynch.

By January 9 I hadn’t heard from Mr. Jones, so I contacted him by email. No response. I sent another email on February 4. Mr. Jones called, I thought in response, and I returned the call on February 8th.

On February 12 Jim Markey emailed Chub telling him that I hadn’t returned the vice president’s phone call. Since I take returning vice presidents’ phone calls very seriously, I emailed him again and even sent him a copy of my phone bill with his phone number circled to prevent any future misunderstandings.

VP Jones emailed and apologized, and told me that my first two emails hadn’t reached him,that they had been quarantined, and it was just by luck he saw my third one with the attached phone bill. I think he actually said they were quarantined because they came in from a Comcast address. I had no idea what he was talking about except that he seemed to be telling me that no one at JCP&L bothered to read two emails from the mayor of Long Branch. This is a company claiming to be working hard at improving communications with me.

Then the Vice President told me that the document I want, a written emergency management plan, doesn’t exist. Long Branch has one, as does every municipality in the state. Ours is on file with Monmouth County and is reviewed annually. The city reviews our emergency management performance before and after every storm. JCP&L’s plan is to send crews from Alabama up to Long Branch and hope for the best.

VP Jones told me I have to understand that JCP&L’s emergency management plan is not a plan, it’s a process. I’m not sure he’s in any position to tell me what I have to understand. A written plan would be a form of contract between JCP&L and the city and could represent a commitment on the utility’s part. But the VP is still looking forward to all of us working together. Mr. Markey, the district manager, who showed up back in November knowing nothing is setting up the meeting.

Believe this: I just want to talk to the person who will be in charge of helping Long Branch get its power back on during the next storm. I don’t believe I’ve met that person yet.