On December 31, 2006 Time Magazine announced their 2006 person of the year on their cover which consisted of a mylar computer screen with a title “Person of the Year” “You”.
“You control the information age”. Wrote time…. “for seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, TIME's Person of the Year for 2006 is you”.
We here at the Countywathers blog graciously accepted the honor, and as we had been doing since June 2005, we spent the next 12 months proving TIME right. I keep a framed copy of the cover on the shelf above my computer to remind me if the Countywatchers didn’t report on Union County government, then who would?
The Westfield Leader/Scotch Plains Times is the only newspaper that maintains a presence at freeholder meetings. As of September 2007 the Star-Ledger officially abandoned Union County government coverage. Ledger reporter Brian Murray left and there are no plans to replace him. Ledger reporter Robert Missek’s coverage of Union County consists of doctored press releases which come directly from the county. Sensational stories, such as the recent jail break, are handled by seasoned reporters, but what little investigative reporting the Ledger did in the past regarding the day to day operations of Union County government is now non-existent.
Although the freeholders have over a 400-million dollar budget and commands approximately 1/4 of our property tax bills, and more importantly is largely in charge of over a half a million resident’s public safety, most of what you read in the printed media are positive stories which come directly from the county's extensive office of public information. Union County is spending more on Public Information salaries than any other county in the state. The government is in control of the printed media but they will never have control over our digital democracy.
Since its formation the Union County Watchdog Association has maintained a presence at every regular meeting of the freeholders. In February 2007 we began to air freeholder meetings on the web. One of our initiatives for 2008 will be to encourage all 21 towns in the county to begin to air freeholder meetings on their local cable access stations. This is not to be confused with the ½ hour show called “"Freeholders Forum" which is produced by the county’s public information department and is pure propaganda featuring freeholders who are up for re-election. We will encourage the towns to abolish this show.
A Countywatchers Year in Review "2007"
January
The freeholder’s reorganization meeting held on January 7, 2007 is something to be seen to be believed. All Union County Democrat political dignitaries were in attendance. Also present were the Chairwoman of the National Democrat Committee and Governor Jon Corzine who gushed on about his beloved home county……
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February
Freeholder Meetings now available on the web
The January 18, 2007 video meeting minutes of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders are now posted on the Union County Watchdog Association's website. Although the county spent $110,000 on new video and audio equipment you will see that the footage is blurry and the audio is scratchy. It's just what we've come to expect of Union County services.
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County will not allow budget hearings to be recorded
The Union County Watchdog Association recently requested permission of the County of Union to video tape their budget hearings. It was our intent to then upload the hearings to our website for free public access. The county initially refused, however, on the heals of a recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision allowing for public tapings and reporter Joe Ryan of the Star-Ledger nudging around the county relented and taped the hearings themselves.
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March
The Plainfield Plaintalker reported this week that Freeholder Adrian Mapp will be replaced by Plainfield Councilman Rayland Van Blake. The only questions to be answered are will Mapp put up a fight and how soon will Van Blake replace Mapp on the Board?ORIGINAL POST
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Bergen Record Reports: State investigating Union County's voting machines
"Nobody can understand what it's all about; we have no idea," said Dennis Kobitz, deputy administrator of the Union County Board of Elections, who spoke with his counterparts in other counties.
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No discipline for freeholder in Farber traffic case
Freeholder Estrada doesn't have to worry about his patronage state job and can be as happy as he was pictured here....
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Christmas in February
The Countywatchers reported that On December 22, 2006, the Friday before Christmas, a “staff meeting” was held for county Juvenile Detention Center employees.
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APRIL
The Courier News- a Gannet Newspaper, reports Freeholder Adrian Mapp’s car was hit by a bullet.
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Union County Superintendent of Schools Displays Questionable Behavior
Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage appears to have the inside tract when it comes to obtaining government records and reports even when those documents are not obtainable under the Federal Freedom of Information Act, it has been reported by the Star-Ledger.
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The UC “Virtual” Improvement Authority”
It has been about six years that the Union County Improvement Authority has been renting space in a shop worn office building on Cherry Street in Elizabeth; the current rent is $2,500 per month. The commercial building is a short sprint, about 2 blocks from the county administration building. The UC Freeholders are in the process of purchasing the structure for $1.275 million to house the Improvement Authority.
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MAY
Union County elected municipal compensation study
How does your municipality fare against others in compensating your elected officials? What mayors and council members are also holding other public employment? The Union County Watchdog Association compiled the answers to these questions.
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Another bloated Union County Powerbroker-Controlled Budget is adopted
The Westfield Leader reported that a $414.4-million budget that called for taxes to be increased in 18 of the 21 municipalities as part of a $238.6-million tax levy. County taxes would jump 5.27 percent, or $11.6 million – about $66 per household countywide, according to county officials.
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County taxpayers have nothing to celebrate on 150th anniversary
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Bills are still adding up for harassment lawsuit against Sheriff Ralph Frohlich, Inc.
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Union County's Early Retirement Offering - Is It Really Voluntary??
The county now finds itself embroiled in not one but at least two law suits stemming from their so called early retirement offerings and layoffs.
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August
Union County Watchdog Association wins OPRA lawsuit
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Recommended Labor Day weekend reading
New Jersey Policy Perspective released a report in July titled: How Much is Enough? Drawing the Lines on Multiple Public Job Holding in New Jersey. And this being New Jersey, the media didn’t pay any attention to this important work, no wonder that media disenfranchisement is mentioned in the report as a key problem.
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September
Musicfest VIP compound
After being caught on film last year feasting and drinking in their exclusive tax-payer funded VIP tent, fit with celebrity port-a-potties, the county made sure they didn’t do it again - get caught on film that is.
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County owned Runnell's Specialized Hospital is being run by a contractor
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Freeholders caught voting on something they knew nothing about
At tonight’s freeholder meeting confusion ensued over the freeholders second reading of a Bond Ordinance which provided their consent to the issuance by the Union County Improvement Authority of up to $7-mill in bonds to fund an organization that the freeholder’s knew nothing about, the Black United Fund-Plainfield Project. They also didn't know who would be responsible for the bonds should the 501(c)3 organization default on their payments.
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October
County public information spin is as negligent and twisted as their prisoner care
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November
Union County served with subpoenas
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Peek into Union County machine politics
The Westfield Leader taped an interview with Freeholder Mapp. Mapp was thrown off the Democrat party line and is running as an independent.
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We get the government we deserve
The County of Union has recently settled a wrongful death lawsuit in the matter of Edward Sinclair, Jr., the 17 year old who died in their Juvenile Detention Center on May 10, 2003.ORIGINAL POST
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County Manager goes to kathmandu
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December
Title Insurance Agency under investigation was to benefit from legislation
It is certainly interesting that other high ranking Union County Dems just happen to own shares in a title insurance company, “Camelot Title Agency LLC" in Woodbridge, NJ. They are said to be Union County Democrat Committee Chairwoman/Director Union County Improvement Authority/Legislative Aide to Neal Cohen - Charlotte DeFilippo who has had personal and business records subpoenaed by the State of NJ and Assemblyman/ NJ Democratic State Chairman/Union County Undersheriff - Joe Cryan, both appear to hold shares in the company and both are also Union County employees.
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Employee nepotism lawsuit settled
"We were able to establish that Mike Florio had repeatedly bragged to several people that he was going to get the job because he was a Democrat, his father was a Democrat and that they had made connections to Sen. (Raymond) Lesniak," stated Todaro's attorney David Corrigan in a Star-Ledger article.
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Christmas bonuses for Lesniak’s nephew and the freeholders
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Got Out of Jail - What an Embarassment!!!
Unseen by corrections officers, inmates Jose Espinosa and Otis Blunt apparently spent days - if not weeks - boring through their cells' cement walls. They broke free, leaping some 30 feet over razor wire sometime last weekend. Their escape was not discovered until Saturday evening, when the men failed to rouse from their bunks for dinner.ORIGINAL POST
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County's new recording equipment malfunctions "again"
The Union County Watchdog Association has requested an investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office into the malfunctioning of the recording equipment during the December 20, 2007 freeholder meeting. “I believe there may have been statements made during this meeting that could aid the current investigation into county management’s role in the prisoner escapes as well as past practices in the jail. Namely, prisoner health care, politically connected prisoners being given preferential treatment and the lack of cameras inside the facility” said Tina Renna, President of the UCWA.
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A county watchers year in review "2006"
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