The County Watchers

County Watchers has a new home

2008-07-06T08:36:00.004-04:00

Visit us at Countywatchers.com

How Can the State Continue to Fund a "Breached Contract"?

2008-07-02T08:45:00.005-04:00

Five Union County Towns Submit Resolutions to Stop the Funding of M&E Freight Railway

Submitted by: Richard Lenihan

The Coalition to Stop the Train has sent copies of Resolutions passed by five municipalities to 19 lawmakers and state officials, including the Governor, Attorney General, and the Union County Manager.

The main impetus for the municipalities' common demand to "terminate funding" is Union County Freeholders' failure to enforce definite and specific stipulations listed in the May, 2002, contract with the Morristown and Erie Railway. The Union County Freeholders thereby have breached their June, 2000, contract with the State Department of Transportation, which charged the County to "monitor and supervise all provisions" of the M&E contract.

All of the taxpayer funding, $14.6 million to date, for this freight railway has been squandered. Now in the seventh year of a ten year contract, there is no due compliance to each of the breached contracts.

All supporting documentation can be found HERE

Coalition to Stop the Train

Previosly posted:
Who really will benefit from the freight rail project?

YO!......Look Out for the Locomotive

Trucks, Trains and Union County

M and E Railway Taking UC for a Ride Back to the Future

UC Alliance Appears to be DOA - Dead on Arrival

2008-06-28T11:38:00.003-04:00

Visit http://www.ucalliance.com/ and one will find an out of date website which appears to have remained untouched since 2005. On the left of the home page is what is said to be the latest edition of the Alliance’s Newspaper, UC Directions, the problem is that it is an edition from 2004, four years ago. It looks for all intents and purposes that the site is as dead as the Alliance itself, but the newspaper keeps appearing in county resident’s mailboxes just in time to promote political agendas of Democrats throughout the county.

NOTE: Among its priorities the Alliance lists the following on its website - Continue to Publish Countywide Newspaper. The newspaper is distributed to more than 200,000 Union County homes and businesses. It serves as a keepsake tool of valuable information, which contains various service and program directories, a calendar of events, and important municipal and county news. The Alliance will continue to provide advertising opportunities from organizations in various sectors in Union County.

Reviewing the latest edition of the Directions it is clear that it has veered far from the original intent.

The first and third pages have been hijacked by State Senator Raymond J. Lesniak sharing his spiritual beliefs and how they aided him in seemingly single handedly getting the death penalty abolished in New Jersey. But what is more annoying is that for the second consecutive year Lesniak has used the newspaper to bash the Elizabeth Board of Education. Not only did he bash the Board of Ed as a whole but he singled out its officials by name which was totally tasteless.

The Union County Alliance receives approximately 80% of its funding from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders which means that it is paid for with tax payer dollars. Though there is some advertising in the paper, it must be noted that those ads are mostly from public entities therefore these ads would be paid for with tax dollars as well. If this newspaper is to be a useful tool of information for the residents and paid for with their hard earned monies than Ray Lesniak’s opinion of the Elizabeth BOE has no place in the publication. Senator Lesniak can certainly well afford to self fund a mailing to every house in Union County as there are many county residents who would prefer to not be a part of his attacks paid for with their tax dollars.

What was once a worthy publication, years ago, has now transgressed into a publicly funded birdcage liner loaded with platitudes for the wonderful ways that the freeholders have developed to spend the taxpayers money without their approval. The front page article about the new Countywide Performing Arts High School at the Vo-Tech is proof positive that the freeholders could care less what the voters think. It would seem to be common sense that a borrowing scheme putting the county $20 million further in debt should really be subject to voter approval and not left to the total discretion of the gang of nine who are able to just quietly take what they want whenever they want passing the costs on to the taxpayers. Something is wrong with this picture especially since we learn about this additional debt by reading about how we all got screwed in this taxpayer funded political newspaper.

And where are the other members of the UC Alliance?

Conspicuously absent in this latest edition is the list of the Board of Directors as well as what companies comprise the coalition. Have they backed away and taken their funding with them preferring not to participate. And if they have good for them as it would certainly be long overdue.

http://www.ucalliance.com/index.htm

Nervous? I’d say!

2008-06-27T09:24:00.007-04:00

Photo of Chris Christie having some down time with States Attorney General Anne Milgram. Both offices are investigating Union County Government.

U.S. Attorney Chris Christie was interviewed by the publisher of Westfield/Scotch Plains Leader, Horace Corbin on June 19, 2008.

“Anyone who’s breaking the law in Union County has to be nervous – and beyond that, I will not be making any comment about any particular individuals,” Mr. Christie said.

Judging last night’s freeholder meeting and the behavior of the Union County Manager, George Devanney, and the freeholders and even county employees, that is an understatement.

Chris Christie asked anyone with a complaint of government or suspecting wrongdoing to call him in Newark at (973)645-2700; or if they prefer, call the FBI in Newark at (973) 792-3000. He said he has e-mail but prefers to talk to people directly. He said they need not be concerned and he doesn’t record his phone calls. “I’m here to serve you, the public.”

You can view the interview here:
goleader.com Video June 19, 2008
U.S. Attorney Chris Christie
Interview with Publisher Horace Corbin (40 minutes)

What About the Children?? - Shouldn't they be a TOP Priority????

2008-06-26T12:04:00.003-04:00

In 2004 the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announced that they were entering into an agreement to purchase and rehabilitate the Union County Arts Center in Rahway. Called a “living landmark” by than board chairman Angel Estrada the old Rahway movie theater was considered the cornerstone of that city’s downtown redevelopment effort.

When skeptics of the plan were cautioning that it was not in the best interest of the county residents to go into the entertainment business a smiling Estrada merely bobbled his head and ended any further discussions. The county managed to come up with $7.2 million to include money from the Open Space Trust Fund, to cover the costs of improvements and the Union County Performing Arts Center opened it‘s doors this past March. The line-up of performers appears as though it should appeal to enough patrons to keep the UCPAC’s head above water with ticket prices set at $100 for the likes of Neil Sedaka, Jay Black and Connie Francis, however only time will tell.
http://www.ucpac.org/html/calendar_of_events.cfm

According to the minutes for the Board of Chosen Freeholders Executive Session for May 15, 2007, Dr. Thomas J. Biostocchi, Superintendent Union County Vocational Technical Schools, requested $20 Million in Capital funding to develop and construct a performing arts academy intentioned to provide students with career track training in dance, acting, stage management and stage technology. According to Chairman Estrada, the performing arts are becoming a vital part of Union County’s economic landscape and the academy will provide the opportunity for young residents to grow into careers.

Almost exactly a year to the day of receiving the request the board approved the $20 million in funding for Biostocchi’s new project. $15 million is slated for construction of a new 42,000 square foot high school facility on the Union County Vo-Tech campus in Scotch Plains. The remaining $5million will be used for classroom space at Kean University as well as studio space and other resources, the school will be opening in September 2008 with a freshman class of 55 students.

One has to hand it to the freeholder board they certainly have the ability to get their ducks in a row quickly when a project is one that is high profile, one that will make them look good. It took the all Democratic Freeholder Board over 8 years to bring the much needed Juvenile Detention Center to fruition, yet the UCPAC came together in less than four, a two day rock music event for thousands takes them less than a year to plan and execute; yet a simple foot bridge for school children languishes on the county drawing boards for months and months.

The most repugnant of crimes are those which are perpetrated upon innocent children. For more than 25 years the Union County Prosecutor’s Office has operated the Union County Child Advocacy Center which has been providing legal and counseling services to child victims of physical and sexual abuse and their families. Housed in a Victorian era house since 1995 the Child Abuse Unit has handled referrals of possible child abuse from police, hospitals, DYFS and schools with the number of cases growing to over 500 a year. The Child Advocacy Center or CAC has not been updated in the 13 years that it has been in service and currently houses eight detectives, two clerical staff, three assistant prosecutors and a coordinator.

It has been reported that Prosecutor Romankow has been working with an architect to create a state of the art Child Advocacy Center that would include space for attorneys, detectives and other staff of the prosecutor’s office but also space for DYFS workers, and on-site nurse examiner and counselors. The new CAC would also include child-friendly age-appropriate interview rooms with digital recording capability and a waiting room, Romankow said “We would like to be able to provide every service the children and their families need under one roof, and make sure that the victims receive the proper medical, psychological and legal services.”

Assistant Prosecutor John Esmerado authored a successful $500,000 grant request which was awarded by the state in April, and combining that amount with the value of the current house Romankow says that they have $1 million but will still need about $2 million to complete the project. A local businessman has created a non-profit corporation, The Friends of the Child Advocacy Center of Union County Inc., to raise the rest, $2-1/2 million, from private sources.

WHY???

* Why is it necessary for the county prosecutor to turn to private sources of financing for such an important public service such as the Child Advocacy Center?

* Why haven’t the Freeholders stepped up to the plate and supplied the funds required to update this facility?

* Why is it that the Board of Chosen Freeholders can come up with over $7 million to rehabilitate an entertainment venue for the benefit of one politically connected municipality and not $2-1/2 million for the benefit of the county’s most vulnerable residents?

* Why is it that $20 million can be had for the asking for a high profile construction project which will benefit only 55 students its first year when a project requiring less than $3 million which would benefit approximately 500 per year has to go begging for private monies?

The purpose of county government is to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the residents but obviously here in Union County that is not the case. The long overdue Juvenile Detention Center, upgrades to our correctional facilities and projects which deal with crimes against children don’t make for upbeat snappy ribbon cutting ceremonies or photo ops for freeholders who are up for reelection but rather make us turn our thoughts to our short comings as a society. It is just plain wrong that the county can find money for those high cost extra frills projects, such as the UCPAC and the new performing arts high school but not for something as important as the health, safety and welfare of our children, our most precious asset.

437.7 million dollar budget - county is now spending $1,199,000 per day

2008-06-22T13:55:00.015-04:00

For the second time in as many years I turned to the county website for directions to the administration building where freeholder meetings are held. Despite telling the freeholders at a meeting that they had the wrong directions on their website, I found the same wrong directions today. We spend about a half million dollars on public information department salaries, and you can’t get directions to the administration building on the county website.

That pretty much sums up Union County government’s rampant incompetence and utter contempt for the public.

The Union County Watchdog Association endeavors to provide citizens with tools to do their own research into county government and about 2,500 visitors hit our website monthly. We also field several requests for documents monthly. The Countywatchers blog endeavors to pick-up where the media left off, the Star-Ledger hasn't had a reporter on county government since last August, and inform the public as issues come up and unfortunately, we never run out of things to report on.

It is evident that the all democrat controlled freeholder board is a visible tumor of the powerbroker cancer infecting county government. Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew being appointed the county manager has proven to be a disaster and the final stages of this government disease that is afflicting the entire state of New Jersey has been set in place. Many believe it is now hopeless. Spending has already straddeled future generations with impossible debt and societal problems have been set in place by government which is not for the people, its by and for the powerbrokers.

Some costs and affects when machine politics run government

Payroll

In 2000 there were 24 employee’s earning over 100,000

In 2008 there are 127 employee’s earning over 100,000

Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, is the appointed county manager - George Devanney

In 2000 the County Manager’s salary was $132,498 today it is $163,831. George Devanney’s arrogance is raging on. It's always been outrageous from when he jointed the county payroll when two part-time positions were created for him, to this current year in which he had his office remodeled and will be issued, after this budget is signed, a brand new Chevy Tahoe for which no purchase orders have been provided to date – to his yearly retroactive pay raises, to his wife’s mother-in-law being put on the county payroll – to his wife being the Open Space Trust Fund Administrator and giving a children’s museum $500,000 with nothing to show for it - to selling government land without an auction to a group that was listed on his wife’s website as a client - to the taxpayer funded Union County Directions Newsletter where recently his Uncle Ray Lesniak promoted his book and Devanney promoted his juvenile fantasy to climb a mountain because he thought he had cancer - to the Music Fest which is Devanney's birthday party. Any sane government that is accountable to their constituents would cut back on a music fest in these hard financial times but our county government has doubled it to two days to fulfill Senator Lesniak’s nephew's fantasy of being a music promoter. The county also created a department and staff to oversee the musicfest and promoted Freeholder Sullivan’s niece to be the department head.

George, take a good look at this picture. You’re middle aged, fat, doppey looking and untalented – get over the music promotion thing and off our tax backs.

Union County Democrat Chairman and Executive Director of the Improvement Authority Charlotte DeFilippo

In 1999 the democrats took control of the freeholder board and replaced a part-time Union County Improvement Authority director position with a salary of $40,000. Since then this salary has gone up $103,409. Charlotte DeFilippo’s salary in 2000 was set at $104,000. Charlotte’s current 2008 salary is $143, 409. This year the county added 6 new captain positions to the sheriff’s department, most likely because DeFilippo’s daughter-in-law scored 7th on the Lieutenant’s exam and she needed a spot to move up to. The promotions waiting list was replaced with a new one. In 2000 Melissa’s salary was $37,213 today her salary is $94,503, Charlottes son is also on the Sheriffs payroll he currently makes $86,089. It would have been so much more cheaper for taxpayers had we simply hired a tutor for Melissa to improve her test score. Her scoring 7th caused an approximate added annual cost to payroll: $300,000. Cost to future pension payments – priceless.

Lawsuits and investigations

This past week DeFilippo was scheduled to give a deposition in a lawsuit in which a county employee is charging her with political interference in eliminating his job. She’s accused of running county government operations from her dining room table in Hillside. I can’t wait to read all the depositions stemming from the Robert Travisano lawsuit. It’s expensive entertainment. It cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to date with no end in site. Charlotte is also under investigation by the State’s AG’s office, there is no official word on what she is being investigated for but chances are that one issue is that she also runs the Union County Improvement Authority from her dining room table. Taxpayers are also paying the legal bills in connection with this investigation.

Freeholders and campaiging

Summit recently passed a resolution calling for a more equitable way to have representation on the freeholder board. Freeholder Adrian Mapp who fell out of favor with the Democrat machine last year and lost the line went on to serve several more months on the board. In that short time he proved how even one outsider on the freeholder board could make a huge difference in not only saving tax dollars, but keeping things under control. It was Adrian Mapp who introduced an ordinance that lowered the cost of copies for public records to 10 cents a page (down from .75). When Mapp was in office the county canned it’s taxpayer funded election season kick-off by not producing and airing a TV commercial and following up with a 4 page glossy color mailer. This campaign initiative historically cost taxpayers $200,000, I fully expect this cancer symptom to reoccur this August. The county manager’s furniture was built by the county carpenters, but not installed until after Mapp left the building. I imagine if Mapp was elected to another 3 years Ray Lesniak’s nephew would not have had his office remodeled, nor would he be getting a brand new Chevy Tahoe, ahh the possibilities for more competent government are endless…and gone as I do not see any relief from powerbroker controlled county government in the near future.

The 2008 Budget

I didn’t get a copy of the 2008 proposed budget until the Star-Ledger ran the county’s press release on it. The UCWA has filed a complaint with the States Government Records Council, because budgets are supposed to be made available upon request. This goes to further prove that the county has so much to hide and they fear public scrutiny.

Golf courses

They lost 500,000 last year.

Prison

The county feigned outrage over prisoner fugitives and praised the prosecutor’s office for a quick capture, even though, it took them 26 days to recapture the prisioners. It was George Devanney who squashed a plan to install camera’s. Where is the freeholders outrage over Devanney’s incompetence? Instead he was rewarded with a renovated office, a Chevy Tahoe and a 2 day musicfest birthday party.

Some of the measures the county has taken after this international embarrassment and destroying a young family because of the county’s handling of the escape: Hired 51 new corrections officers to help improve the operations at the facility and cut down on overtime; A phase I installation of additional cameras (Budget doesn’t mention how many more phases are in store) cost $800,000; Razor wire around the jail’s perimeter and sub-roofs $56,000; Hired a new jail director who used to be in charge of transportation at Rikers Island, he lives approximately 2 hours away in Atlantic County and drives a county vehicle with free gas too and from work, and wherever else he damn well pleases just as the county manager does.

Created a new Department of Corrections. Given the complex issues that include overtime, physical structure, and manpower that have historically plagued this facility, the freeholders now believe that should have the same access and accountability to the county manager’s office and freeholder board as a Department Director. This will serve to simplify communication, provide better oversight, and response to all situations. What this doesn’t say is what the freeholders used to believe, that although the jail is a basic service of county government, and pretty much all we need county government to do, the freeholders never believed the jail was something they needed to fret about in order to get reelected.

Vo Tech Schools

They are bonding $20 million dollars to add a performing arts high school. They are also spening $150,00 for fitness center upgrades and $170,000 for new furniture – the county manager’s sister-in-law is a furniture saleswoman.

Runnells Specialized Hospital

Lost 500,000 last year and is projected to lose 2-million this year. The Runnell’s Director retired and is now receiving his pension and was hired back as a consultant. The county manager’s mother-in-law was added to the Runnells payroll where she joined an illustrious long line of cronies as the hospital is a patronage pit. She originally worked for Assemblywoman Linda Stender who became a Runnells employee when she left the freeholder board to be an Assemblywoman, Stender left the Runnells payroll when she announced her run for Congress and hasn’t returned yet, she’s still running for Congress.

The Overall County Budget Spin

The county maintains their commitment to funding popular county services, what they don't mention is that these services are mostly funded by the state, such as meals on wheels (State grant funded), road repaving (state grant funded) and infrastructure improvements (state grant funded), VoTech Schools, Homeland Security (Federal grant funded), the Sheriff’s Office (6 new captains $300,000; Union County is one of only 2 counties that have both a Sheriff’s and Police Department. Neither patrol the jail, the public safety department does that), the Prosecutor’s office (will be getting 50 new personal computers), our county parks system (Lenape Park Bike Trail is State grant funded), and child safety seat inspections (State grant funded and cost only $37,250.00. This "service" is used annualy in campaign literature).

Keep in mind the salary increases mentioned above and read what the county wrote in their budget introduction: “We cannot ignore the steady rise of mandated salary, pension and health insurance costs continuing to eat at revenue”. So they are implementing fiscal measures to provide budget relief in these areas where they have had “traditional” shortfalls. First they have delayed salary increases for all exclusionary county employees until July 1st of this year, but this didn’t include the county manager. George Devanney got his retroactive pay raise check on time. Why bother to read the rest of the spin?

Taxpayers are out another $377,499

2008-06-17T21:33:00.005-04:00

Although an agreement to establish a children’s museum in Union County was entered into with much fanfare in 2003, recently the county very quietly terminated their agreement with the Children’s Museum of Central New Jersey (CMCNJ) after blowing through $377,499.

Of what was to be a $1,00,000 grant the CMCNJ had received an initial payment of $500,000 for seed money to better their fund raising capabilities. They spent $377,499 during the period of August 2003 through March 2007 on efforts to locate the museum in Union County with $181,052 spent to locate the museum at a Liberty Hall Museum site. The balance of the money $196,4456 was spent trying to locate the museum elsewhere in Union County. The CMCNJ has returned the unspent $122,501 of the $500,000 grant money.

The county and the CMCNJ have agreed that the Children’s Museum will return approximately $200,000 under terms and conditions that might as well state “When Pigs Fly”. The $377,499 is gone for good.

Although the county wasn’t recognized for blowing through $377,499 tax dollars, with little to no accountability, the termimation agreement incredulously states that if the CMCNJ “continues as an ongoing entity and should it succeed in locating and operating a children's museum anywhere else in New Jersey, the CMCNJ has agreed to recognize the Union County Freeholders as a founding donor and to undertake appropriate commemorative and programming recognition for the county’s contribution.”

All the freeholders contributed was the tax payer's money. Their is no evidence that they, or any employee of the county was overseeing the CMCNJ's efforts.

An Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request seeking all correspondence, including but not limited to reports, letters and emails for the period of January 2001 to present between the CMCNJ and any member of the Union County freeholder board, county manager, and Open Space Trust Fund administrators was returned NO DOCUMENTS TO PROVIDE.

According to the minutes of the monthly museum trustee meetings, no freeholder, nor the county manager ever attended a meeting. The meeting minutes show a one-time visit from the Open Space Trust Fund Administrator on January 23, 2006. The responsible parties for this $377,499 loss of tax dollars is the county manager George Devanney, his wife the former Open Space Trust Fund Administrator Angie Devanney, current administrator Victoria Drake Durbin and all nine Freeholders especially the ones that were named as trustees to the CMCNJ, namely freeholders Debora Scanlon, Alexander Mirabella, Angel Estrada and Daniel Sullivan.

History:

The county freeholders unanimously passed Resolution #650-03 on June 19, 2003. The reso authorized the county manager, George Devanney, to enter into an agreement with the Children’s Museum of Central NJ (CMCNJ) of Westfield, NJ, to provide grant funding in the amount of $1,000,000, from the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund. At the time the county manager’s wife, Angie Devanney, was the administrator of the trust fund. This was for preliminary support toward the development of a Children’s Museum. This $1,000,000 was seed money. In 2003, the project was projected to cost $12 million to complete.

Meeting minutes obtained through the OPRA shows the CMCNJ board of trustees met 9 times in 2004; 5 times in 2005 and 1 time in 2006. The minutes show that appeals were made to trustees to contribute to the cause. Excerpt from mintues: Only 9 trustees have made gifts this fiscal year…It is a requirement of the Trusteeship to contribute financially according to one’s ability to do so. If you haven’t contributed yet, please do so before the end of the fiscal year, June 30. It is very bad form to ask others to make contributions when our own Board does not do so…..

In a Worrall Community Newspaper article dated August 7, 2003 then editor Mark Hyrbna quoted Freeholder Mirabella, who was chairman of the trust fund committee, at the time said the county’s contribution will help the organization get started with serious fund-raising. “It’s not a concern because I don’t think they’ve rally started fund-raising,” Mirabella said of the group’s fund-raising to date. “I don’t think they got outta the blocks yet.” This is a group that has a good vision, it knows what it wants to do.”

At the time documents filed with the state, the CMCNJ had raised $17,615, with all but $4,000 in “direct public support,” while spending $11,958.80 for “management and general expenses, leaving a balance of $5,656.10. The CMCNJ was aiming to raise between $10 million and $12 million for the project, with an expected timeline of three to five years before a facility would be in operation.

“They seemed to have some pretty good ideas of where they’re getting money from,” Freeholder Mary Ruotolo, who was chairman of the Open Space Trust Fund Committee in 2002 said. “It’s much easier to fund-raise when you have seed money; then fund-raising becomes a better sell.” “It’s certainly not our intention to pay for the construction of a museum” Ruotolo said.

In a Worrall Community Newspaper article dated May 20, 2004, it was explained that representatives of the children’s museum report to the county on a quarterly basis. They must provide reports of what they spent so the county can see if the m money is being spent in a way that is consistent with the Open Space Trust fund. “If they haven’t totally pent the $250,000 yet, they’re not permitted to come back to us for the next round of funding,” said Open Space Trust Fund Administrator and wife of county manager Angie Devanney.

By early 2007 the CMCNJ exhausted its efforts to find a suitable location for the museum in Union County, event though its board and stakeholders remained committed to locating the museum somewhere in central or northern New Jersey. The CMCNJ notified the freeholders that it would discontinue its efforts to site the museum in Union County and provided the freeholders with an accounting of grant funds.

Design & Feasibility $358,599
Accounting Services $12,650
Legal Services $6,250
Total: $377,499 – not to be reimbursed to taxpayers

$196,466 was spent trying to locate the museum elsewhere in Union County. The CMCNJ has agreed to return the money under conditions that seem to be impossible. But rest assured if they do successfully open a museum our trusty freeholders will be on hand for a photo op. I don’t expect any public comment until the pigs fly.

CMCNJ By Laws

Worrall Article 2003

Worrall Article 2005

Memo of Understanding

CMCNJ Termination of Memo of Understanding

CMCNJ Trustee and Committee names

CMCNJ 2004 Minutes

CMCNJ 2005 Minutes

CMCNJ 2006 Minutes

Summit calls for freeholders to be elected by district

2008-06-10T16:40:00.005-04:00

On June 4, 2008 the Summit Town Council passed a resolution calling for certain Union County Freeholders to be Elected by District.

WHEREAS, all County residents deserve a greater voice in the manner by which they are governed; and

WHEREAS, if the County layer of government must remain existent here in New Jersey, then, as a matter of fundamental fairness, a more proportionate distribution of our County Freeholders should be derived so as to better reflect, and daily represent, our County’s diverse population, demographics and needs; and

WHEREAS, at least two of our peer Counties here in New Jersey have commendably already implemented some degree of Freeholder representation “by District” -- as opposed to having all of their Freeholders merely serving “At-Large”; and

WHEREAS, when a Union County Charter Study Commission recommended (and voters then approved) our current County Manager form of government, it did not specifically address the Freeholder selection process.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Common Council of the City of Summit, as follows:

That the current provision for choosing our Freeholders entirely at-large is fundamentally unfair, as it is not sufficiently representative of our County’s diverse population, demographics and needs.

That we hereby request that the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders adopt a resolution to better, i.e., more democratically, “seek the will of the people” by having eight (8) – or, at least four (4) – of our Freeholders henceforward elected by smaller geographic Districts instead of all nine (9) being “At-Large”.

That this Charter question be placed upon the November 2008 election ballot.

That a copy of this resolution be sent to the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and all Union County Municipalities.

Dated: June 4, 2008

I, David L. Hughes, City Clerk of the City of Summit, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted by the Common Council of said City at a regular meeting held on Wednesday evening, June 4, 2008.

Previously posted: The banana republic of Union County

Feeding Readers Better Information on County Government

2008-06-08T21:15:00.000-04:00

Submitted by John Bury

Twenty years ago the Daily Journal of Elizabeth covered Union County politics. Many municipalities had their own weeklies. The Star-Ledger covered state and national issues but rarely bothered with this county. At least some things don't change.

After the Daily Journal folded in 1992 a gap developed in coverage of county issues. Some weeklies consolidated but focus remained on the towns, which is what their readers primarily cared about. So for the last few years the freeholders have essentially gotten a pass on coverage by the media and gotten fat. Maybe with the Local Source consolidating countywide there will be much-needed light shed on what the freeholders are doing.

Though most things thrive with sunlight when it comes to government budgets it's a lack of sunshine that induces growth. Since 2000 the county tax levy has risen 68% from $150.1 million to $251.7 million. Included in those are vanity projects like the restoration of the UCPAC, studies for a children's museum, and annual musicfests where the costs get passed on to taxpayers with only token debate and apparently little forethought. If the taxpayers don't care, why should the county? But taxayers would care if they were fed the information from a reliable source.

The internet was supposed to supplant newspapers for local coverage but it remains unreliable and sporadic often consisting of little more than rumor and innuendo. There are a lot of writers but not a lot of editors. You can easily get information out there but, without an effective filter, anyone with an internet connection can propagandize, sometimes under various aliases, about whatever would benefit them personally. Couldn't a job of a county public relations department be to go on websites anonymously and denigrate any critics of their policies?

A newspaper editor might get ten items to choose from for inclusion in a paper and pick three. On most internet forums all ten items would be viewed, with quantity trumping quality, leaving it to the reader to also adopt the role of editor. The problem comes when readers often have time to read only the three items and they gravitate to stories that feed their prejudices or taste for sensationalism.

It's as if your mother were to set out ten food items for dinner and you could only eat three. Too many people would be subsisting on diets of chocolate cake, jello, and pork rinds. The spinach and kidney beans that you need for sustenance would go to waste with their necessary nutrients. Hopefully, the new Local Source will lay out a balanced diet and we will all be stronger, wiser and richer for it.

Another Union County prisoner receives a death sentence

2008-06-05T21:14:00.006-04:00

The Star-Ledger has posted that another Union County inmate, Addison Wilcox, 33, died at the Union County Jail. The post doesn’t mention what day the death occurred. The Ledger reported that Newark attorney Gerald Saluti, who represented Wilcox, said members of the family told him that Wilcox had been complaining since Monday of having shortness of breath and upper respiratory problems. "The family complained that nothing was done about it," Saluti said. "I saw him the day he went into the jail. He was as healthy as a horse. He had no respiratory problems whatsoever," the attorney said. "From speaking to the family, it sure doesn't look like he got the attention he needed."
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Sadly Wilcox joins a growing list of dead and mistreated prisoners.

On May 22, 2008 Dexter Gelfand posted on the Countywatchers about his son. “On April 15, my son Geoffrey Gelfand passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He experienced much unnecessary and unfortunate suffering at the hands of the powers that be during his imprisonment in Union County Jail in 2004. He was frequently denied medication for his removed thyroid, to the point where he was debilitated mentally and physically as often as not, and as his disease returned to his throat, causing bleeding, and pain to the point where eating was so difficult that he'd lose as much as 30 pounds a month. His jailers denied proper medical examination and treatment despite his pain and suffering, which was quite alarming to his cell mates.”
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On October 13, 2007 Kathy Figgs posted on the Countywatchers about her brother, Johnathan Dawkins, who was an inmate in the Union County jail. “He was pepper sprayed and restrained by jail personnel. He was then transported to a hospital where he was placed on life support and remains to this day. He was not breathing and unconscious. He had two black-eyes, bruising on his neck, and a swollen face.”
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In 2006 within just weeks of each other Union County inmates Aaron Pittman died of Crohns disease and Donald Davis from a stomach infection. According to family members, both were left untreated and their screams of pain were ignored. Both families have filed separate lawsuits against the county which are pending.
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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.
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Just after Eddie’s Death his family and friends visitied a freeholder meeting.
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Isn’t it ironic don’t you think that every postal patron in Union County received the taxpayer funded Union County Directions newsletter just before Primary Election Day on Tuesday which headlines the appointed county manager George Devanney’s uncle, Senator Raymond Lesniak, and his book, The Road to Abolition: How New Jersey Repealed the Death Penalty.

George Devanney is responsible for the running of the Union County jail and oversees the publishing of the Union County Directions Newsletter.

Devanney allowed to escape responsibility

2008-06-04T16:14:00.007-04:00

It was Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, the appointed county manager, George Devanney who rejected a bid to install about 500 cameras in the Union County jail back in the day, and he is the only county employee to escape punishment, or even public scrutiny, for the systematic problems at the jail which festered for years under his watch and was revealed in an international news media frenzy when two prisoners were allowed to literally “drop out” of the facility last December.

It haunts me that a young corrections officer, Rudy Zurick, needlessly died in connection with the county’s handling of the escapes. It was a tragedy that the young father had to fend for himself when the county purposely threw the spotlight on him and brought down what turned out to be an unbearable media frenzy.

The county immediately released a note from one escape which taunted Zurick and thanked him for helping them escape. Rudolph Zurick’s attorney stated in a Ledger article regarding the note left by the escapees -- his client was not involved and does not deserve punishment. "He was not there during the time of the escape," attorney Michael Mitzner said. "With all the publicity, it's not a fun time for him. He did not do anything wrong."

In the tense days after the escape, Zurick, 40, shot himself to death in his home on Jan. 2, hours before he was to give a statement to authorities.

I hope Zurick’s family will find a way to sue the county. The county never allows me to talk about lawsuits filed against them during public meetings. Claiming that it’s ‘just allegations’ they try and shut me up, I have it all on film. Yet when world media shined a light on Union County after the jailbreaks it took them a hot minute to cough up that note written by prisoners to deflect attention away from management. Where are the corrections officers on this? Why are your unions allowing this outrage to go unpunished? What happened to not commenting on investigations? What happened to not commenting on personnel matters? What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Today’s Star-Ledger reports that the five corrections officers and supervisors who were on duty in December when the two inmates tunneled their way out of the Union County jail are returning to work after their bosses agreed to impose six-month suspensions instead of outright dismissals. The five men -- two corrections officers and three sergeants -- worked out the deal that allowed them to keep their jobs and pensions.

All of the men were on duty during the overnight hours of Dec. 14, when Otis Blunt and Jose Espinosa escaped. The inmates had spent weeks chipping through cinder blocks between their cells and to an outside wall. Their disappearance was not detected until dinnertime Dec. 15.

The escapes showcased deficiencies at the jail and prompted the county to make wholesale changes. Cameras were installed, inside and outside. Additional razor wire now rings the facility.

Director Frank Crose, who had overseen the jail since 2001 was reassigned after the jailbreaks and subsequently retired, but it was Frank Crose who wanted the cameras installed and prepared the original bid for the purchase and installation which Devanney rejected under pressure from the Corrections Officer’s Union, who didn’t want cameras installed. I suspect that’s what shut them up about Zurick being thrown to the media.

Crose’s top aid, deputy assistant director James Dougherty, was fired as a result of the jailbreaks. But Dougherty wasn’t in charge of the day to day operations of the jail; he was an administrator whose duties included disciplining corrections officers.

Frank Crose reported to public safety director Harold Gibson, Gibson has also retired since the December jailbreaks.

The media and the county allowed the buck to stop at Harold Gibson, but Gibson reported to Devanney. Devanney is ultimately responsible for all county operations. That is why he was able to reject the bid to install the cameras.

In today’s Ledger article regarding the five corrections officers and supervisors who are being allowed to return to duty at the Jail Union County Manager George Devanney said it was a difficult decision to make.

"The harder decision was to settle this case and bring them back," Devanney said. "The easy decision was to fight this to the end."

That’s a pretty arrogant statement considering the facts of the matter which are the County Manager is ultimately responsible for the jail, and he was the only person not held accountable for the “systematic problems that festered for years”. He also didn’t protect his employee, Rudy Zurick, who took all the media heat off of Devanney.

Star Ledger coverage on the jailbreak to date

Union County's Budget Crisis

2008-06-03T16:34:00.001-04:00

Submitted by John Bury

The 2008 Union County budget was introduced last Thursday and in the time it took Sheriff Ralph Froehlich to get an award and someone from the United Way to present a Needs Assessment I got to take a peek at that budget. I wasn't really able to pay attention to the United Way presentation but if I were to assess what Union County residents need I would start with lower taxes. They won't get it this year.

Revenue needed to be raised by taxes will go from $238.6 million in 2007 to $251.7 million in 2008 out of a total budget of $437.7 million, up from $435.4 million. That translates into a 5.5% increase for the county portion of a property tax bill. However, the county is still waiting for the state to finalize its budget to find out about any grants. Unfortunately that state is New Jersey which has made news recently regarding its own fiscal crisis. I wouldn't count on much relief from that corner as long as New Jersey's priorities remain spending and taxing, in that order.

The primary cost increases for 2008 come from employee health and pension benefits. Health insurance premiums will rise from $78 million to $90 million. Since there is no trust fund set aside to cover these costs, everything being pay-as-you-go, the double-digit increases in this country's health care costs will translate directly onto government budgets.

Pension costs went up from $10.3 million to $16.6 million. Here we have a trust fund for future benefits but because of gross state negligence in funding these costs, beginning with Governor Christie Whitman's contribution holidays in the mid-1990s, there is a severe underfunding even with the increased contributions. If the state pension plan were to be funded on an actuarially sound basis this line item by itself would triple.

Debt payments rose from $40.5 million to $42.8 million. A slight increase to be sure but in this relatively low-interest-rate environment this too is a line item that will increase substantially in future years when interest rates return to even historic levels. If we were to get runaway inflation, which is possible as the value of the dollar falls, debt maintenance costs would balloon.

To sum up, the good news is that it could be worse. The bad news is that it will be worse. Benefit and debt costs are time bombs that will explode with a booming retiree population sapping more resources. The accountants and actuaries are out of gimmicks and someone will have to pay the tab without draconian cuts in government spending. If you live in Union County, that someone is you. Enjoy the Musicfest.

The Star-Ledger has a stunning reversal in policy

2008-05-31T12:43:00.001-04:00

When the New Jersey State Attorney General's office served subpoenas at the Union County Improvement Authority where the Director is the Union County Democrat chairman Charlotte De Filippo just weeks before the general election in 2007, the Star-Ledger chose to suppress the news claiming it is their policy not to interfere with local elections.

As was previously posted on the County watchers: Election Day was November 4th, 2007. Appearing on the “Breaking News Page” of the NJ.com website and calling it “real time” news at 12:02 AM, Friday, November 9, and in the middle of the night, the Star Ledger announced that an investigation had been launched by state officials into the business and personal dealings of Charlotte DeFilippo the Chair of the Union County Democratic Committee and Director of the Union County Improvement Authority. The news article went on to explain that DeFilippo had been served with subpoenas in September and October so one could say that the Star-Ledger was “late in breaking the news”.

In direct contrast to that policy on Friday, May 30, 2008 just 4 days prior to the Primary Election, and today May 31 just 3 days prior to the Primary Election, in which Elizabeth Board of Education board member president, Armando Da Silva, an outspoken opponent of Elizabeth Mayor Bollwage and the Union County Democrat Committee is running for City council, the Star-Ledger chose to break a story and continue by publishing another story the following day about the Corzine Administration sending a team of inspectors to the Elizabeth school district that week after auditors alleged they have found far-reaching spending abuses. Lucille Davy, the state’s Education Commissioner whose husband James was in Governor James McGreevey’s cabinet and currently has a no-bid county consulting contract, issued the subpoena on behalf of the state Board of Education.

Quoted in today’s Ledger article is Kirk Nelson, general counsel for the Elizabeth board “The politicization of the state Board of Education is frightening on the weekend before a municipal election.”

What is more troubleling and of a great public concern is the Star-Ledger is Union County’s only daily newspaper and it appears they are playing politics in support of Senator Raymond Lesniak, Inc.

The Star-Ledger should include the names of those politicians who apparently are influencing their reporting on the mast head along with their editors and publisher.

Although they boast in advertisements that they are the most read newspaper in Union County The Star-Ledger has not had a reporter covering Union County government for over 9 months now.

Devanney is a god, he can go anywhere he wants on the taxpayers dime

2008-05-29T22:54:00.012-04:00

The below is a photo of Senator Raymond Lesniak's nephew (green t-shirt), who is the appointed Union County Manager, George Devanney, leaving the Parisi Gym in Garwood early yesterday morning with Union County Police Chief Daniel Vaniska

Excerpt from the LAWS OF UNION COUNTY,NEW JERSEY ADMINISTRATIVE CODE & POLICIES AND GENERAL LEGISLATION Updated through 2-6-2008:

H. It shall be the policy of the County of Union that the use of a County-assigned vehicle by an employee shall be limited to official County business, and said vehicle shall not be used for personal purposes with the exception of authorized commuting use to and from the employee's workstation. [Added 1-23-1986 by Res. No. 69-86]

Below is a photo of Senator Raymond Lesniak's nephew, who is the appointed Union County Manager, George Devanney, approaching his unmarked County issued Dodge Durango (silver and Union County Police Chief Daniel Vaniska's unmarked county issued vehicle dark blue).

D. The County Manager shall implement this policy by revision and dissemination of new policies and procedures concerning motor vehicles within 60 days of the effective date of this article.

Below is a photo of Senator Raymond Lesniak's nephew, who is the appointed Union County Manager, George Devanney, getting into his unmarked County issued Dodge Durango thereby disregarding the Laws of Union County right in front of the police chief, and a fed-up taxpayer who snapped the photos.

Senator Raymond Lesniak's nephew will be turning in his 2005 Suburban, which was designed for heavy hauling and will be driving a new Chevy Tahoe any day now. According to their website the amenities are plentiful, inside and out. An array of 18" and 20" aluminum wheels announce you've arrived in style. Both large families and image-conscious urban professionals will appreciate the Chevrolet Tahoe for its superb blend of cargo room, towing power, and luxury amenities.

This Youtube promises that "all will worship you and your tahoe":

Personally, I'd Rather Get the Chocolates

2008-05-26T15:26:00.006-04:00

Any day now Union County residents will be getting a special Valentine from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The Valentine will not be arriving in a red satin heart shaped box filled with Russell Stover’s Little Ambassadors nor delivered by the House of Flowers in Linden, one of the freeholders favorite vendors. Rather landing in mailboxes across the county will be the Spring edition of the renowned Union County Alliance’s publication “Directions”.

NOTE: In most past years the news letter would arrive just prior to the primary election and be jammed with the faces of incumbent Democratic elected officials who were seeking reelection. . Mysteriously last year the Spring ’07 edition was rather late and we can only speculate the reasons why the Freeholders would suddenly pass up a free drop of campaign literature. However, judging by their past performance that won’t be happening again this year.

On Valentine’s Day 2008 the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved the annual contract with the UC Alliance for the contract period of January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 in the amount of $332,125 to provide comprehensive research and communications services.

The contract appears to overlap the preceding one year contract by six months which covered the period of July 1, 2007 through June 20, 2008 in the amount of $265,125. There does not appear to be any resolutions which account for the overlap in coverage or an adjustment of the contract costs. However it should be mentioned that the board also approved $29,000 (resolution 2007-797) for advertising in ’07.

In three years time, since January 2005 the Freeholder Board has forked over One Million, Two Hundred Seventy Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy Five Dollars, $1,278,875, of taxpayer hard earned money.

And for what? One might ask.

Answer: who knows!!

The Freeholders provide approximately 80% of the Alliance’s funding so one could think that they would be some type of an extension of government and thus subject to OPRA. The Alliance claims they are not and are unwilling to release requested documents regarding their activities and associated expenditures. (That is another story for another day and can be read about here in a previous blog or two or three.)

Curious as to what they have been up to lately and how they have been spending our money we decided to check it out. A visit to their website, just click here, http://www.ucalliance.com/index.htm provided absolutely no clues at all. Except for a change in their address, and advertising rates for the “ upcoming” Spring 2005 edition, the site has remained unchanged since 2004.

It is unbelievable that the UC Alliance has taken over $1.2 million of the taxpayers’ money in the course of the last three years and all that can be shown for that investment is two over blown newsletters annually in time for Election Days and an outdated website.

Happy Valentines Day from the Freeholders to the Residents of Union County……personally, I would rather get the chocolates.

In loving memory of my son Geoffrey Gelfand

2008-05-22T09:01:00.000-04:00

Submitted by: Dexter Gelfand

On April 15, my son Geoffrey Gelfand passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He experienced much unnecessary and unfortunate suffering at the hands of the powers that be during his imprisonment in Union County Jail in 2004. He was frequently denied medication for his removed thyroid, to the point where he was debilitated mentally and physically as often as not, and as his disease returned to his throat, causing bleeding, and pain to the point where eating was so difficult that he'd lose as much as 30 pounds a month. His jailers denied proper medical examination and treatment despite his pain and suffering, which was quite alarming to his cell mates.

The jail's idea of medical responsibility was to give him access to a doctor who told him "You're fine". Well, he wasn't fine at all. When he complained about pain and bleeding from his throat, this "doctor" callously responded, "You didn't care about that when you were out on the street, did you?", ordered no tests, and sent him back to his cell to suffer.

By the grace of God, after 6 months of degradation and suffering, my son Geoffrey was transferred to state prison. By this point his condition was so obviously dire that within 48 hours of the transfer he was mercifully brought to a hospital intensive care unit. I received a phone call from the prison to give me the horrifying news: my son had a new incidence of cancer. Had he remained in Union County jail, it would not have been long at all before he'd have expired. Ultimately, delay in treating his tumor necessitated his losing his voice box. He spent his last 2-1/2 years unable to speak.

Geoffrey spent the last months of his life preparing for his passage-more precisely, preparing others. He carefully planned out gifting his loved ones, spending time with them, saying all that he wanted to say, giving and leaving something for everyone. He spent much of his last year trying to prepare his father to be able to accept his coming passing. Despite his pain and fear, he was magnificently thoughtful of those he loved.

His character dwarfed that of the petty and small minded children charged with responsibilities at the Union County Jail. I hope each person who made that choice to be so inhuman to my son and others reads this story, and through some small miracle, in some slight way, feels just a little ping of conscience about what a vicious and hurtful being they have reduced their self to. Maybe, just a little bit, they will think about this the next time they find their self in a position to treat a defenseless prisoner with or without consideration for that person's well being.

Water, Water Everywhere - Not Just in Cranford

2008-05-19T01:17:00.009-04:00

Isn’t it a pity that the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders can silently erect a footbridge for the convenience of concert performers and their roadies in the blink of an eye yet a footbridge to ensure the daily safety of Cranford’s school kids apparently takes an act of God?

Isn’t it a pity that the Board of Chosen Freeholders justify dragging their feet when it comes to their complicity in Cranford’s flooding problems by putting the blame on Cranford’s governing body?

And isn’t it a pity that even though there is a Freeholder hailing from Cranford itself that that Freeholder, even when she was board chairwoman and up for reelection, didn’t position herself as a champion for the interests of central Union County residents, after all the water doesn’t stay in Cranford alone.

One has to wonder exactly why she recently decided to go on the attack against her home town rather than hold accountable the highest paid county employee for his lack of common courtesy to simply return a telephone call or two to an elected Cranford official. County Manager George Devanney has taken this tact before when he ignored the repeated telephone messages and requests for a call back from a Summit Councilwoman who was hot on the trail of information for the “Summit Report” on the relationship of county services received vs. county taxes levied against the municipality.

The county manager seems to repeatedly forget exactly what his role in county government really is, very simply put he is an employee, and an over paid one at that. That he has the audacity to not return the phone calls of elected municipal officials is cause for concern because he has admitted, in the Summit situation at least, that it was politically motivated . Devanney has inferred that there was no love lost between the all Democratic county administration and the Republican Common Council, but was confident that now that there was a Democratic Mayor in Summit that relationship and communications were sure to improve.

Perhaps Devanney has taken it upon himself to act as a self appointed monitor of which municipalities gain favor and which ones don’t. It is a sure bet that in the corporate world any CEO would receive his walking papers for not taking calls from a major investor. Residents of Summit and Cranford contribute a healthy chunk to the county coffers and therefore could certainly be considered major investors.

It is interesting that Freeholder Kowalski, rather than Chairman Estrada released a statement on behalf of the rest of the board and it is very obvious that the county information department drafted it for her.

As a life long Cranford resident Kowalski would be well acquainted with the history of flooding in the town. She certainly should be able to recall the flooding of her youth when in 1968, Springfield Ave, Nomahagen Park and parts of the Boulevard near the skeet range were under water as were many other parts of Central Union County near the county parks.

Surely she realizes the impact that Hurricane Floyd and the Tax Day Storm had on not only Cranford but her neighbors down river. But the tone of the statement almost makes her appear foolish and uninformed when she scolds her own mayor and governing body for not going through the proper channels. Perhaps Devanney in his infinite wisdom squelched any communications to open those channels and decided to put Cranford in its place.

Did it ever occur to the Freeholder that perhaps she could be pro-active? Did she at any point in this saga pick up the telephone or shoot the governing body an Email asking “yo, what is up here?” Does she read the local newspapers? Was she ever the least bit curious about what was going on, was she ever prompted to put a fire under anyone by following up with her state and federal representatives asking where does the county fit in?

An internet search for information on Rahway River Flooding turns up a plethora of government studies, reports and analysis going back decades from everyone from the Army Corp of Engineers to the DEP. There are those who would be surprised to learn that the City of Rahway uses the Rahway River that causes flooding in Cranford as its source of city drinking water. Also, in the early eighties that drinking water was contaminated with chemicals from manufacturing plants located on Fadem Road just off Route 22 in Springfield. That the same Rahway River that hosted canoe races caused flooding so bad in Rahway that they had to declare their public library a total loss and build a new one.

Cranford officials have long recognized that the flooding is a regional issue and not just confined to their town but where have the county freeholders been all of these years. One has to wonder why two long time freeholders Chester Holmes and Rick Procter both from Rahway have remained silent on the flooding issue even though they have also been heavily impacted in that city costing the taxpayers money. Could the anchor of the downtown revitalization, the Union County Performing Arts Center paid for by the county, somehow hold the answer?

To his credit Cranford Mayor Bob Puhak is trying to be optimistic now that he has recovered from getting Kowalski’s ill guided missive. Cranford would do well to proceed with caution when working with the county and it is imperative that they keep the residents and neighboring communities appraised of any discussions and progress that is made as the county has a knack of placing the blame for their own short comings and screw-ups on everyone else. And that would be a pity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahway_River

http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/project/newjers/factsh/pdf/rahwayba.pdf

Sinclair suicide still haunts taxpayers

2008-05-12T15:27:00.002-04:00

On March 24, 2008 another employee lawsuit was filed in Superior Court. Here are some excerpts of the complaint:

11. On May 10, 2003, Mr. Hamilton witnessed the suicide of a teenaged resident. This event left Mr. Hamilton psychologically scarred, and required extensive psychological care.

12. During this event, Mr. Hamilton entered the cell, loosened a sheet that had been tied around the teen’s neck, lowered the boy, removed the noose from around his neck, and immediately reported the incident and requested assistance for the resident as there was no onsite medical staff.

13. Mr. Hamilton reported to the shift commander, Senior Officer Louis Gray, that the room where the youth resident was being held was dangerous because it was a “suicide threat,” but because the facility was over crowded, the county disregarded safety protocol.

14. In fact, the youth’s parent’s sued the county as a result of this incident and revoked monies for the facilities wrongdoing.

19. …due to the work environment and the witnessing of the suicide, Mr. Hamilton took a leave of absence.

28. When Mr. Hamilton returned from his 10 ½ month leave of absence, he was placed back on the 7:00 am to 3:00 pm shift, however due to his depression, and the medication he was taking, he had great difficulties making the 7:00 am shift.

29. At this point, the county issued Mr. Hamilton a notice of discipline for “lateness.”

34. Mr. Hamilton again requested for a shift change, and formally applied for said shift change, but was again denied.

36. In 2006, after Mr. Hamilton returned to duty, and during said time, he witnessed an incident which involved a sexual relationship between a guard, and a youth resident which comprised of a daily fraternization and even sex.

37. Based upon a search of the youth’s room, Mr. Hamilton found handwritten letters that had lipstick and perfume, as well as typed written letters from the guard.

38. Mr. Hamilton submitted a report detailing his findings to Senior Officer Brian Koon.

39. Mr. Hamilton’s accurate report detailed the sexual relationship, which was also corroborated by other guards as well as evidence found in the youth’s room.

41. The acts of the guard where clearly illegal and of serious public importance and were being swept under the rug because of her close relationship with superiors.

43. The allegations of the sexual affair resulted in an investigation which found that Mr. Hamilton’s allegations were accurate.

Read complaint HERE

Employee lawsuit reveals ....

2008-05-07T15:05:00.001-04:00

1. County sham seasonal employee hiring practices

2. County park lands are largely going unprotected from encroachment (too many votes to lose?)

3. Encroachers are pursued “selectively by the county depending on the identity of the encroacher”

4. County lost 5 million dollars in Green Acres funding because of mismanagement “Union County has the worst encroachment situation in the state” stated a Green Acres official.

Sham employee numbers

In a lawsuit filed in Superior Court on January 24, 2008, former county employee Catherine Alexander charges the county regularly avoids the law prohibiting the employment of a seasonal employee for longer than six months, the county engaged in a sham procedure by which they fired Alexander every six months and immediately rehired her without even notifying her and without her losing any time from work.

The complaint states “Union County has repeatedly engaged in a pattern and practice of illegally placing full-time employees in the “seasonal” category in order to avoid civil service tenure rights and to cheat them out of benefits.”

Seasonal employees also aren’t included in an employee “head count”. Remember that sham hiring freeze?

County lost over five million dollars in Green Acres funds

Alexander was singularly responsible to investigate and correct encroachments of publicly owned parklands of the county. Alexander was surprised and deeply concerned by the number and extent of the encroachments – literally in the hundreds. It was her job to identify, confirm and rectify each encroachment, appraising the county to take the necessary law enforcement and legal actions to ensure that the public parklands were stewarded according to the public trust and County and New Jersey Laws.

1,000 acres of the 6,000 acres of the county park system are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The remaining acres have either been nominated or are considered eligible to be nominated to NRHP. However, Alexander was concerned that since an eligibility criterion for NRHP listing was the integrity of the originally designed boundaries, many acres could be rejected from the historic record that would otherwise have been accepted.

Alexander helped the county counsel’s office prepare two ordinances, the Tree Protection Ordinance and Encroachment of County Property ordinance which were passed in 2003. Alexander states in her complaint that she learned that actions against known encroachers in a growing number of egregious cases were pursued selectively by the county depending on the identify of the encroacher. Most wrongdoers were never pursued at all. (Imagine all of those votes they could lose). Not a single summons was issued by the County pursuant to the two Ordinances designed to fight the ever increasing encroachment problem.

After becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of action by the county she then contacted the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Green Acres, Bureau of land Stewardship, which oversees the open spaces within the State. Since Green Acres provides millions of State money to Union County in furtherance of Green Acres programs, it has the power to oversee the county in its proper use and maintenance of the parklands by imposing certain regulation and responsibilities.

On or about August, 2006 Alexander spoke with an employee of Green Acres and he advised that each and every encroachment, particularly once identified by the county, had to be addressed regardless of its size and the identity of the encroacher. The matter was turned over to Mike Hennahan, a Green Acres employee who concentrated on encroachment problems, after investigating county parkland boundaries and the encroachments Mr. Heenahan expressed his opinion that Union County had the worst encroachment situation in the state.

Upon information and belief, Green Acres subsequently withheld over five million dollars from Union County for its indifference to correcting its hundreds of encroachments of public parklands.

Alexander refused to bow to pressure to resign, and was terminated on April 20, 2007.

View complaint in its entirety HERE

How Will Hospital Closing Impact Union County & Who Is Stepping Up to the Plate For the People

2008-05-04T03:06:00.006-04:00

Monday afternoon I set up a fresh pot of coffee and went to my computer to review Emails while I waited for the java to finish dripping. My Black and Decker pot makes some gurgling sounds heard throughout the apartment, the signal that the brewing has finished, at that precise moment my screen went black and the kitchen down the hall went dark. My immediate thought was “Rats”; my husband will kill me for overloading the circuits yet again. An occurrence that usually takes place in the summer when the air conditioners are all humming and one has to turn one unit off to brew a pot of coffee or use a blow dryer, I snapped to reality when it sunk in that this was not the case. That got me off the hook as the culprit and saved my husband a trip from our third floor walkup to the basement to reset the breakers. Determining that it was either our entire building or our part of town, and that surely the electric would be on again shortly, I looked out the window, coffee cup in hand, to watch the spectacle on the street below.

Living on North Ave. (Route 28) has always been interesting to say the least but with a power outage and no traffic signals operational the next hour and a half of surveying the stalled traffic at what is a peak commuting hour got me to thinking about those services which we have come to rely on everyday as just being there and being necessary. The day before the power outage that stalled traffic from Westfield thru Roselle Park I had been talking to some individuals at a street fair who are fighting the closure of Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield. A fixture for some 130 yrs, the hospital has been providing those services that area residents rely on everyday to keep their lives running smoothly and like the traffic jam on North Avenue created by the power outage, one has to question what will happen if the hospital closes in June, and how will that closure impact on not only the residents but on the other hospitals in the region. The group has been telling the story of the multi-faceted Muhlenberg situation and they are attempting to get investors to buy shares in an effort to purchase the hospital and keep it operational. They also are calling for assistance from legislators to use their influence and resources to help keep this much needed community asset offering its varied services to the public.

Healthcare and the associated financial matters of hospitals in New Jersey are in the news daily as several facilities have recently closed citing money troubles specifically the cost of mandated charity care on their bottom line. Gov. Corzine recently announced cuts in state funding to hospitals as he attempts to jam his state budget through the legislature without making any real cuts in expenses in state government operating costs. And, hospitals have morphed into cash generating companies as divisions of healthcare conglomerates expected to perform. In the case of Muhlenberg owned by the Solaris Health System, a community based non profit created in 1997; they have cited $17 million in operating losses due to reduced reimbursements by Medicare, Medicaid and state charity care as the reasons for closing the facility. Solaris also operates JFK Hospital in Edison, click here to learn more about Solaris and their services. http://www.solarishs.org/about-us/

Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center has been described as a 396-bed acute care facility that provides inpatient and outpatient services in all major medical specialties. Other specialized services include a complete array of cardiac services (including emergency angioplasty), a Bar iatric Surgery Center, Vein Center, Lithotripsy Center, Wound Care Center, hem dialysis, home care, hospice and adult medical day care. It is the sort of resource that communities dream of having available for their emergencies as well as routine care. In addition to their many community wellness programs, they host New Jersey’s premier cancer center.

As with anything that affects the community politics is part of the mix with the Muhlenberg closing, there have been calls from the public that local, county and state legislators haven’t done enough to prevent the closing and that may well be the case. Located in Plainfield, in New Jersey’s 22nd legislative district, the Queen City is home to Assemblyman Gerry Green. Green is the chair of the local Democratic Committee and is said to control what happens in Plainfield. At this point in time he seems to have himself stuck in an extremely awkward position as on one hand he would be expected to advocate for the residents of the city and work to keep the beleaguered hospital afloat. But, on the other hand he would also, if only subconsciously, be trying to please his campaign contributors. It has been said that Green along with his protégé, Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, haven’t come through for their constituents who will have to travel to Rahway Hospital, JFK Edison or Overlook in Summit for their medical care, these facilities are not easily accessible using public transportation.

Assemblyman Green’s running mate in the last couple of elections, Assemblywoman and Congressional candidate Linda Stender has been conspicuously silent on the issue of the hospital’s closing, leaving one to ponder what is up with her. Stender and Green have been the beneficiaries of campaign contributions from executives at Solaris to the tune of $1700, with the bulk of the money donated in 2007. Further, Stender received another $500 in Sept. 2007 for her upcoming congressional campaign from Mr. John McGee CEO of Solaris Health Systems. Could their loyalty to a financial supporter be getting in the way of their making a major stink over the hospital’s closing? Assemblyman Green has almost begrudgingly succumbed to local pressure and taken action and assembled a task force to formulate recommendations to handle the fall out and possibility an arrangement to save/merge services. See Courier News article of May 2, 2008 http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080502/NEWS/805020384/1018/NEWS0401

According to the March 6th agenda meeting of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders vice Chair Al Mirabella asked for an update regarding the announcement that Muhlenberg would be closing, at that time the closure was projected to be August. Rookie Freeholder Ryland Van Blake, a Plainfield resident, “implored the Board to help keep the doors open and lend support in any way possible.” Chairman Angel Estrada “commented that there is nothing that can be done on the County level to help Muhlenberg keep its doors open”. He added that the Board could certainly pass a resolution asking the State to develop a regional plan addressing the hospital closing and the pending closings, and Van Black said he would speak with Assemblyman Green to see what support the County can lend. Minutes of the March 20th meeting show that the freeholders discussed potential litigation regarding the Muhlenberg Hospital in Executive Session, could there be something there but later in the month resolution #2008-356 opposing the closing of Muhlenberg Regional Hospital in Plainfield was approved with copies to be sent to the Plainfield Mayor and Council at the request of Van Blake.

The County’s Office of Emergency Management Director, Frank Guzzo, made an important observation at the March 6th Freeholder meeting when he commented that “this closing affects the county’s disaster preparedness plans, which will have to be reviewed and revised.” County residents could have cause for concern as this is the second hospital closing in Union County in approximately a year and it was pointed out that Raritan Bay Hospital in Perth Amboy will also be closing its doors.

Just recently a candidate for the Plainfield City Council, Olive Lynch, assembled a meeting of elected officials from surrounding communities which will feel the full impact of the hospitals closing, neither Green nor Robinson-Briggs showed up. According to the Blog “Plainfield Today”, click here for the complete story and other tidbits on the closure http://ptoday.blogspot.com/index.html Attendees were given an eye-opening presentation on Solaris' moves over the years of profitable operations out of Muhlenberg to JFK -- radiology, pathology, and ob-gyn. Plans to move cardiac rehab to JFK were stymied by massive opposition from Muhlenberg's cardiac rehab user community. In addition, it was reported Solaris has sold off its dialysis unit (the property subdivision was previously reported here) and, most recently, its cardiac catheterization lab.

As one participant said, "Basically, what we have here is a non-profit entity behaving like a corporate raider."

Where is Muhlenberg Now?

The hospital closing appears to be moving forward rapidly, originally slated for closure in August some employees have been informed that they can expect to loose their jobs in June. Some services have already been moved to JFK and Solaris has also quietly subdivided and is disposing an adjoining piece of real estate. Jerry Green is scrambling to make up for lost time by attempting to get some kind of legislation through in a manic effort to save face and votes next time he is up for reelection and Robinson-Briggs has for all intents and purposes done nothing. Assemblywoman Linda Stender has remained quiet and her cronies on the UC Freeholder Board have taken a hands off approach by simply passing a resolution opposing the closure and sending it off to of all people Robinson-Briggs, like that will help when there is a disaster in the county requiring extensive medical expertise to treat the masses.

There does appear to be a glimmer of hope coming out of Green’s “Accidental Task Force” as Somerset Medical Center, Somerville may consider a partnership with some other investor to save the hospitals acute care services. Or perhaps the citizens group which has sought outside help and presented the full picture can pull off a save in the eleventh hour. It is hard to imagine the region without Muhlenberg Hospital and just like the power outage we will never really understand the full impact of the closure of the medical center until it takes place and than it will be too late.

Click here to see what Solaris recently sold off http://www.njbiz.com/article.asp?aID=95189056.3167993.953979.3715435.0495351.926&aID2=73374

Click here for Citizens Group info
http://savemuhlenberg.blogspot.com/

Click here for the full story on Robinson-Briggs no show

http://ptoday.blogspot.com/2008/05/green-robinson-briggs-failed-to-take-up.html

Improvement Authority Legal Bills Sought

2008-04-29T17:48:00.007-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Tina Renna, President
Union County Watchdog Association
Phone: 908-709-0530
Email: tinarenna@unioncountywatchdog.org

Walter Lauers, esq.
Phone: 908.453.2147
Email: wluers@luerslaw.com

UNIOIN COUNTY WATCHDOG ASSOCIATION FILES RECORDS COMPLAINT SEEKING TO VIEW $64,624.96 IN IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY’S LEGAL BILLS

The Union County Watchdog (“UCWA”) announced today that it has retained attorney Walter Lauers, to file a complaint with the states Government Records Council against the Union County Improvement Authority (“UCIA”).

This action has been brought because the Records Custodian of the UCIA, Charlotte DeFilippo who is the Executive Director of the UCIA as well as the Chairman of the Union County Democratic Committee, has violated the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) by redacting nearly all of the information in law firm invoices totaling $64,624.96 for UCIA’s legal work and by not providing a specific, legal basis for doing so.

The Union County Watchdog Association routinely obtains the UCIA’s bills lists and posts them on their website for free public access. “We ordinarily don’t ask to review legal bills, there are so many of them, but these two submitted at the end of the year caught my eye” said Tina Renna, president of the UCWA. “The amounts $28,529.66 and $36,095.30 respectively for a total of $64,624.96 seemed rather high to be marked “general file” and not assigned to a specific UCIA project.”

“Given the knowledge that the taxpayers are footing the bill for DeFilippo’s lawsuit, which was brought by a county employee who alleges DeFilippo routinely intermingles her political business as the Union County Democratic Chairman (She prefers to be called Chairman) with the management of county government, I thought a closer look at these legal bills was in order” Renna explained.

Records obtained from the UCIA through the Open Public Records Act show that the law firm DeCotiis, FiztPatrick, Cole & Wisler was paid $1,306,634.35 in 2007 and $1,085,552.68 in 2006. This includes $41,879.40 to defend Charlotte DeFilippo in the employee lawsuit which is ongoing.

Complaint:

On March 10, 2008, the Union County Watchdog Association, acting through its President Tina Renna, requested certain legal bills from a UCIA law firm, DeCotiis, FiztPatrick, Cole & Wisler. On March 17, 2008, the UCIA records custodian responded to the request, and provided two heavily redacted invoices. Specifically, the “Date,” “Description,” and “Hours” fields were completely blotted out. Other information may have been blotted out too, but that is impossible to determine. In a rather obvious violation of OPRA, the Records Custodian did not say why the records were redacted, she merely stated that “You will note that information has been redacted.”

Presumably, if the UCIA had given a specific, legal reason for its redactions, it would claim that such information was redacted pursuant to the attorney-client privilege exception in OPRA.

Only communications between a lawyer and client “in the course of the relationship and in professional confidence, are privileged[.]” N.J.S.A. 2A:84A-20. The privilege is limited to “those situations in which lawful legal advice is the object of the relationship.” In re Gonnella, 283 N.J. Super. 509, 512, 570 A.2d 53, 54 (Law Div. 1989). Therefore, not every communication between a lawyer and her client is privileged; rather, only those communications that are in confidence and where lawful legal advice is given.

Under New Jersey law, “the attorney-client privilege . . . does not apply to insulate billings from disclosure.” Hunterdon County Policeman’s Benevolent Association Local 188 v. Township of Franklin, 286 N.J. Super. 389, 394, 669 A.2d 299, 302 (App. Div. 1996) (affirming trial court’s holding that billing records are not privileged and are, therefore, accessible under former Right-to-Know law). Rather, legal fee invoices are only privileged if they reveal client secrets or would reveal strategy. Mundane statements that appear in typical invoices, such as “conference call with client” or “review and digest Smith deposition” are not privileged. “In the experience of this court, [attorney billings] will contain a few word description of the general category of the work performed, the number of hours required to perform the work, the date of the performance, and the total cost to the client.” Id. (quoting lower court). In addition, no privilege would attach to the dates on which work occurred, who performed them, or the time spent on those tasks.

Therefore, the Records Custodian violated OPRA because she did not give a specific, legal basis for redacting the records she produced. In addition, assuming that the basis for the redaction is the attorney-client privilege, that privilege does not apply to legal billings unless they reveal client secrets or reveal legal advice or strategy. Therefore, we request that the GRC review the redacted documents in camera to determine whether the redactions were proper.

Redacted Bills HERE

Travisano lawsuit HERE

Very interesting inside view of the players in the Union County Courthouse View Travisano change of venue request HERE

MUSICFEST 2008

2008-04-26T00:53:00.005-04:00

MUSICFEST ’08 EXPANDS TO TWO-DAY FAMILY FUN

AND ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC FESTIVAL
PRESENTED BY UNION COUNTY AND OVERLOOK HOSPITAL

ON SEPTEMBER 5th and 6th IN CRANFORD

A press release popped up about two weeks ago on the Union County Government’s website that has confirmed my belief that there are just some people in this world that one can always count on to be consistent and predictable. I am of course referring to the all Democrat Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and George Devanney, our beloved County Manager. The press release is about the new and improved Musicfest 2008 taking place in September at Nomahegan Park in Cranford.

I say new and improved because this year’s invasion of a quiet residential neighborhood will not only feature a repeat of last years Rock On!! Walkathon but a 5K Rock N’ Run, a third stage is being added for your musical pleasure and the event will take place on Friday night as well as the traditional Saturday from dawn till whenever. You have to hand it to these guys they just won’t give up a great free reelection campaign event when they see one.

I am sure that the local residents can hardly contain their enthusiasm at the prospect of having cars blocking their driveways on narrow residential streets for two days and nights instead of the usual one on a lovely fall weekend. And even better yet excitingly anticipating the possibility of finding some devoted concert attendee camping out under the shrubbery on a finely manicured front lawn because they didn’t want to spring for a hotel room at the Springfield Holiday Inn and loose their much coveted parking space.

This year the walkathon and newly added 5K run will again raise money for the Love Hope and Strength Foundation, “Nephew George’s” favorite charity, and it looks like Devanney will once again benefit with an opportunity to travel to the far reaches of the globe. Last year he was with the help of sponsors, able to climb with his “teen idols” to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal this year they will be sending him off to Machu Piccu in Peru. (Inquiring minds can check it out here for details http://www.perurocks.org/ and click trekkers, you will find George there).

Part of the proceeds raised from the walk will be sent off to Peru but at least the Freeholder Board wised up this year and the second charity that will benefit is The Valerie Fund; a venerable New Jersey organization that supports children stricken with cancer and blood disorders and their families. "Atta Boys" go to the board for making a good choice this time around and keeping at least part of the money here in the states.

Last year you will recall they turned over thousands of dollars to an organization that in essence was a group that lobbied for our tax dollars to be spent on embryonic stem cell research. The ill fated effort was defeated at the polls last election day when wise NJ voters decided that the state shouldn’t plunge deeper in debt by pursuing this controversial science.

What looks like a serious effort to legitimize the two day campaign event the Freeholders have managed to suck Overlook Hospital into the mix as their main sponsor. Hopefully the hospital hasn’t dug too deep into their pockets to lend financial support to recreate “Woodstock in Cranford” as even a few grand could go toward a charity care bill for someone who cannot afford health insurance.

The Freeholders claim that they are merely giving the taxpayers what they want and as a side bonus they are showcasing Union County and contributing to the local economy as they say concert goers are likely to shop and eat dinner in downtown Cranford.

They also point out that last year the event drew 50,000 attendees and this year even more are expected to come making Musicfest one of the fastest growing events of this type in NJ. The press release encourages that lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets be brought along but what the heck why doesn’t the “Gang of Nine” just go for it and erect a tent-city on the campus of Union County College.

Could this be Saturday Morning at 'WOODSTOCK IN CRANFORD' ?

County can’t spin a live performance

2008-04-23T19:20:00.003-04:00

On January 31, 2007 the Union County Watchdog Association announced that it will be posting complete video coverage of Union County Freeholder’s meetings on its website. A press release stated: “Union County government accounts for 1/4 of our property tax bills and constituents have a right to see and hear what goes on during local government meetings,” said Tina Renna, president of Union County Watchdog Association.

In January 2008 we announced that we would be lobbying towns to show freeholder meetings on their local cable access channels. The freeholders stopped distributing meetings to towns a few years ago. We have been very successful and most cable viewers can now access freeholder meetings on at least one channel.

Our website has always been a model of which we would hope that county government would want to emulate. When we started obtaining public records and posting them on the Internet the county did not post any public documents on their taxpayer funded site. The county now posts their meeting minutes and past meeting agendas on their site.

Big whop-de-do and I’ll tell you and show you why I believe that.

The county controls what is recorded in their meeting minutes. The last meeting I tagged for our Veotag account, a video enhancement service, was a good example of how the county twists words made by residents who are critical of them. As with everything we post on our website, it is hoped that the county would get the message and use their million dollar public information department and post this information themselves. This will never happen because even if they spent a hundred million dollars on public information they can never spin a live performance.

Here is two examples how the county is dis-informing the public with their meeting minutes.

Union County Freeholder meeting March 13, 2008:
The official meeting minutes state: Tina Renna, Cranford, New Jersey, does not support the idea of the Board sponsoring and attending the African Heritage Parade and other Parades. She also commented on the Presentation to Mr. Lynch and said that although he is a great guy, he should not be honored at Freeholder Meetings.

THIS IS WHAT I REALLY SAID

The official meeting minutes state: Tina Renna, Cranford, stated that she is the President of the Union County Watchdog Association and commented about the audio equipment for Freeholder Meetings, she spoke about the proposed budget and quoted County Manager Devanney who stated that the increased budget is due to mandated expenses, such as health insurance, pensions and increase in salaries for the Union County Sheriff and Police Departments.

THIS IS WHAT I REALLY SAID

Indictments are my end game

2008-04-20T12:25:00.002-04:00

I receive anonymous mail often which obviously comes from people on the inside of the Democrat machine. I appreciate the tips, but don’t think this is enough to bring indictments. You need to find the courage to trust the State’s Attorney General’s office and not only send them this info, but call them and give your name in complete anonymity.

If you’ve wondered why your information about criminal activity doesn’t appear on this blog it’s because this blog isn’t my end game. Posting this information would be more helpful to the criminals than it would be to law enforcement. Don’t expect me to take your tips about criminal activity and go poking around into documents either. I accept that I am an amature. Telling them what we’re looking at will only set the paper shredders on overdrive.

These tips have to be followed-up with information. Information that can only come from the person on the inside, sure I pass the info you send me on to the State and Federal Attorney Generals’ office, but I doubt its much help.

You also have to remember that corruption is rampant across this state. If we want law enforcement to spend their precious resources to clean up Union County Government than we have to earn their attention. Chris Christie has a great track record for convictions, but that is more likely do to his office going after strong cases that he can win. That takes people on the inside that are willing to help. Neither attorney generals office has unlimited resources.

These days I think our best bet for indictments in Union County will be from the State Attorney General’s office. I implore you to trust the *State’s Attorney General’s office. If you really want to clean up Union County government, you’ve got to step up and trust law enforcement with your tips about what’s going on behind the administration buildings doors and know that they will protect you.

And you – yeah you with the smirk on your face, you think you’re an insider and your safe. I firmly believe that you have to watch how people treat others, because sooner or later they are going to treat you the same way. I don’t care if you think you're the nephew’s best friend, how stupid you are to think that a man with the morals of a flea that can leave his pregnant wife and young children could ever remain loyal to you. Look at the people who came before you and protect yourself.

*Note that I am not telling you to trust the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.

If you suspect criminal activity in Union County Government please contact:

NJ State Attorney Generals Office
Detective John Pizzuro
(609) 984-7032

Union County Government & Illegal Immigration

2008-04-15T22:53:00.000-04:00

Submitted by:
Joseph P. Doherty
Elizabeth, New Jersey

On April 10, I appeared before the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders to express my opinion on the subject of Union County Government and its lack of involvement in the illegal immigration crisis. Unfortunately, I was not able to deliver the entire text of my prepared statement, as the Board Chairman claimed I had exhausted my five minutes of "public comment" time. I did not get any satisfaction when I wondered aloud..."by whose watch?" The following is the complete thrust of my remarks:

I would like to preface my remarks by saying that my comments are critical of county government and may be considered "offensive" to the delicate sensibilities of some listeners.

As a concerned citizen I would like to know what this Board, the Prosecutor's Office, the sheriff's Department and the County Police are doing to address the illegal alien crisis that is impacting the quality-of-life in this city (Elizabeth), county, state and nation. Allow me to answer my own inquiry....little, if anything, and not enough! It is a well-known fact that this issue has reached the critical stage and the majority of American citizens want a comprehensive immigration reform initiative that includes border security, no amnesty and an aggressive campaign against the illegal interlopers who plot, plan, scheme and scam their way into this country, using forged documents and stealing the identities of American citizens in the process. The smuggling of people, weapons and drugs into America has reached epidemic proportions. The violence associated with such activity is staggering! Murderous cross-border drug wars have engulfed once-peaceful sleepy towns, turning them into killing fields and are spreading throughout the land at an alarming rate. While the local scene in Union County has yet to rise to the level of murder and mayhem I just described, it has the potential to do so, as we are plagued with gang and drug-related violence on an almost daily basis. Take Elizabeth, it is a prime example of a dying city, that despite the political propaganda spouted by its defenders to the contrary, has been transformed from a once-upon-a-time typical American city into a seedy, shabby, trashy environment, thanks in part to the scourge of illegal immigration. Let us not, however, ignore the generous contributions of that certain home-grown element amongst us who also bear a huge responsibility for this disgraceful destruction and downfall of a once-clean and wholesome city.

Let me cite just one local example of the negativity involved as it pertains to the abuse of county property. Some people may regard this example as trivial, irrelevant and even silly, but in fact, it is a vital snapshot of a much broader picture. Warinanco Park, a tax-payer funded facility is being transformed from a reasonably well-maintained facility into an abused stomping ground by hordes of soccer players, many of whom are, I suspect, much like the congregating day laborers we see and hear so much about, of questionable legal residency. On any given weekend hundreds running, romping, stomping and scampering feet scar the landscape, laying waste to everything in their path. They pick their spots, set up shop and proceed to destroy public property with impunity, content in the knowledge that they will not be challenged by any authority. In short, they come, they see, they conquer! Once pleasant and serene fields of green are now "brown and bald" as a result of this relentless onslaught. Hastily constructed goal posts dot the landscape, cutting across the domain of once-manicured baseball fields, resulting in a sloppy, shabby, ghetto-like atmosphere. allowing such conditions to take root, flourish and become accepted routine is just another example of the lunacy that reigns supreme in our politically-correct "New America," where illegal alien invaders are treated with a "DO NOT DISTURB" attitude by public officials and law enforcement agencies, who, by their failure to act for the common good, are granting rights and privileges to foreign nationals that are generally reserved for American citizens. Such outrageous conduct poses a potential threat to our national security, while assaulting our sovereignty, ignoring the rule of law and abusing the American values of honesty and fair play. By not acting, the peoples' elected representatives, along with bureaucratic civil servants and "selective" law enforcement officials are lending credence and legitimacy to the presence of foreign feet on American soil. The day I saw a county police officer standing on the sidelines watching a soccer game with his hands in his pockets and cheering, while a cast of questionable characters ran circles around him, I knew we had gone from the ridiculous to the sublime on the illegal immigration issue.

It is time for the mute and mummy-like amongst us to rise up and demand action on this issue. It is time to cast off the yoke of political-correctness, servitude and repression and put a stop to this foreign free-for-all! Do not allow the white flag of surrender to be raised over Warinanco Park or any other part of Union County! Stop embracing a sanctuary-like philosophy! Help enforce immigration laws! I may be old-fashioned and naive and in some ways even corny, but I still believe that politicians are elected by the citizenry to represent the people and conduct the peoples' business in a manner consistent with the wishes and best interest of their constituents, and that discharging those responsibilities in an honest, forthright manner is paramount, and must trump all other conditions and influences that might bring pressure to bear to do otherwise.

In conclusion, may I be so bold as to say that if this Board spent just a fraction of the time on the illegal immigration issue as they do on figuring out ways to raise taxes, Union County might be a better place.

P.S. Why is the Warinanco Park "water works" project taking so long to complete?

NOTE: The above commentary may be considered somewhat lengthy by some standards, but in order to get the "full meaning and flavor" of the words and appreciate the emotional passion and impact of same, one must deliver them in an inflective manner, not in a "rapid fire" voice that is more like hurry up and "beat the clock." While the Board Chairman exercised his right to restrict my comments, it is my opinion that he did so because he heard enough truth for one evening and did not want to hear anymore. His utterance of a few Spanish words to me as I prepared to leave the podium was an obvious "dig" and a feeble attempt to ridicule an American citizen who was exercising his right to free speech and expression, as granted by God and the founding fathers of this great land. A Board member also displayed contempt for my presentation by laughing as I neared the exit door. Such a public display of mocking ignorance and arrogance directed towards a concerned citizen with a legitimate complaint is a prime example of a political coward, who lacks the courage to confront an "adversary" to his face, opting instead to snicker and sneer when his back is turned.

This one-party lock on the Board of Freeholders has dealt a death blow to true democratic representation and produced a breed of politician that stifles dissent and is not responsive to the will of the people.

nonpartisan, nonpartizan (free from party affiliation or bias)

2008-04-13T23:56:00.002-04:00

When are nonpartisan elections really nonpartisan?

About 85 of New Jersey’s 566 municipalities have what is known as the nonpartisan system of local government and most hold their elections in the spring rather than in November. The municipalities range in size from large like the City of Newark to small as is the case of Hillside here in Union County. What makes their elections nonpartisan is that the candidates do not declare or do not formally have a political party affiliation. Though one can say that traditional party politics has been officially banded from the electoral process in these communities the reality of the situation is that partisan politics is actually alive and quite well.

In some towns it is not a secret which candidates are members of and supported by which party; these are “shadow organizations” of Democrats, Republicans and independents who support opposing candidates or slates of candidates. Sometimes coalition slates of candidates come together when there is a specific hot issue that is polarizing the community however even without Democratic and Republican Party lines on the ballot the level of squabbling can still be excessive. Dr. Ray Bodner, professor emeritus of political science at Rutgers, said in a 1993 NY Times article that nonpartisan elections were the byproduct of a political reform movement that appeared on the national scene in about 1900 as a response to rampant political corruption. Further, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were among those who sought ways to make the electoral process more “open and honest”, terms we still hear frequently today.

A definite point of interest regarding nonpartisan towns is that Republican and Democratic county organizations may not contribute to those local races however individual political clubs can make such contributions. And in Union County’s own “nonpartisan” Hillside Township contribute they do based on filings with NJ Elec.

The 2007 elections in nonpartisan Hillside had no less than 14 residents filing to be on the ballot competing for council seats representing various wards. Three incumbents formed a Joint Candidate Committee shown as – CTE Brewer Stroud & Kulish with the treasurer being one Rosemary McClave. Though the Hillside Council has been under Democratic control for a number of years, one name on the slate of incumbents jumped out, John G. Kulish.

The following is taken directly from a 2006 newspaper article quoting Councilman John Kulish regarding the discord between Hillside’s mayor and the council: Kulish stressed that residents are not complaining about the mayor, but that the criticism is coming from people in town hall."A recall is normal when there's friction between the mayor and departments, or when a mayor is performing what she feels are her duties and rights and someone disagrees," said Kulish, the only member of the GOP on the council. "The only option is, don't vote her in or have a recall.""But they don't tell me anything," Kulish added. "I'm a Republican."Published in the Star-Ledger, Sunday, February 12, 2006, page 39.

Kulish and his running mates showed total receipts of $25,717.80 of both “In-Kind” and Monetary Contributions coming from the Hillside Democratic Campaign Committee and the 20th Legislative District Committee, both by the way show the same Virginia Street address. The address is also listed for the CTE Brewer Stroud & Kulish committee and unsurprisingly Rosemary McClave is also listed as the treasurer of the Hillside Democratic Committee.

Mr. Kulish has what appears to be a distinguished career in public service; the following is taken directly from the Hillside Township website:

3rd Ward Council

John G. Kulish

John has been a resident of Hillside for 53 years. John has been a former Hillside Township Mayor in addition in being a former municipal clerk. He has been a past president of both the Hillside Board of Education and the Hillside Board of Health. John has served Hillside as Commissioner of the Police, Fire, Recreation, and Finance Departments. Additionally he has been a commissioner of the Joint Meeting of Essex and Union Counties; he presently serves as a commissioner of the Union County Utilities Authority

However the following appointment from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has been omitted from that bio:

60-2004 FREEHOLDER SULLIVAN, appointing the following individuals as
Members
to serve on the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic
Preservation
Trust Fund Public Advisory Committee:
John Kulish, Elected Official
(Republican)
George Jorn, Elected Official (Democrat)
effective
1/1/05 to 12/31/07.

And most recently:

2008-47 CHAIRMAN ESTRADA, appointing the following as members to the Open
Space,
Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund Public Advisory
Committee:
January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2008: Environmental: James
Lynch;
Environmental: Joseph Spatola; Historic: Michael Yesenko; Labor: John
Malcolm;
Business: Ralph Salermo; Education: Dr. Frank Deo; and January 1,
2008 through
December 31, 2010: Elected Republican Official: John Kulish;
Elected Democrat
Official: Brenda Restivo; Public Member: Clarence
Cunningham; Public Member:
Oscar Ocasio; Public Member: Ruby Green; Public
Member: Pete Corvelli, Jr.

Click here for freeholder minutes
http://www.ucnj.org/freeholders/agendas/Minutes%20-%20Reorganization%20Meeting%20-%201-6-2008.pdf

What a Sham!!!!

nonpartisan, nonpartizan (free from party affiliation or bias)

Mr. Kulish’s appointment by the Freeholders to the Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund Committee is outrageous, he is a NOT an Elected Republican Official, he is an elected official to a nonpartisan governing body, so it would appear that he does NOT fill the bill even if his voter registration is Republican.

Further, he was elected on a slate whose campaign has been totally funded by Union County Democrats to include state legislators and coincidently the Hillside Democratic Committee just so happens to have one vacancy and it is not at all a surprise that it is for a male committee member in his, Kulish’s, ward/district.

It would seem that Mr. Kulish being a Republican is an absolute joke.

I will not allow them to lie to the public without speaking out

2008-04-13T22:23:00.004-04:00

From: Nicole Dirado [mailto:ntedeschi@ucnj.org]
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 2:09 PM
To: tinarenna@unioncountywatchdog.org
Subject: RE: Open Space

Pursuant to OPRA, kindly submit a request form for the audit report which you have requested below. Thank you.

-----Original Message-----
From: tinarenna@unioncountywatchdog.org [mailto:tinarenna@unioncountywatchdog.org]
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:49 AM
To: Nicole Dirado
Cc: union@starledger.com; jcasiano@starledger.com; dwalsh@starledger.com; union@njnpublishing.com; editor@goleader.com; press@goleader.com; subnews@njnpublishing.com; letters@thnt.com; ipeditors@njnpublishing.com; cnletter@c-n.com; editorial@thelocalsource.com; Jersey@nytimes.com; letters@thealternativepress.com
Subject: Re: Open Space

Dear Mrs. Dirado,

Please forward this to your freeholder board:

My comments were in response to Freeholder Chairman Angel Estrada's comments to John Bury who inquired, forgive me for not recalling the exact words "what has the open space trust fund accomplished to date". This is the second meeting where Mr. Bury asked this question and Freeholder Estrada replied ,if not word for word than it was implied, “I will be happy to get you that information”.

I am requesting Freeholder Estrada hold true to his offer to Mr. Bury. Asking me to now place an official OPRA request in which I now have to fish for this information is disingenuous and business as usual for a one party ruled freeholder board who has proven time and again that it answers to no tax-payer.

I respectfully request that Freeholder Estrada keep his word and not waste any more of my or Mr. Bury's time. Since this fund has spent millions of tax-dollars, as well as created dozens of new county jobs, there should be some form of audit that accounts for every dollar. As to how much came in, and how much went out, how much debt has been incurred and how Green Acres funds intermingle with the funds expenditures.

I refuse to waste my time on playing these unprofessional if not outright childish games in my quest for how approximately ¼ of county taxpayers property taxes are spent. I am also tired of the outright lies that are told during freeholder closing comments to dispel any questions the public asked during their alloted 5 minutes speaking time. Freeholder Sullivan surely remembers every election where at least one candidate not on the power broker appointed Democrat party line suggests that this fund be put on hiatus as well as the complaints that this fund is being used for brick and mortar projects rather than open space. There has been numerous letters to the editor written about this as well as public comment during freeholder meetings. There has also been numerous editorials written about such things as using this fund to purchase the Arts Center as well as to hire employees is not in keeping with the meaning of the fund.

If there is no documentation to which Freeholder Estrada eluded to than that would be an answer as well. More lies and smoke and mirrors, I've come to expect nothing better of this freeholder board and I will not allow them to lie to the public without speaking out.

Sincerely,

Tina Renna
President
Union County Watchdog Association, Inc.
cc: UCWA Member list
------Original Mail------

From: "Nicole Dirado"

To: "Tina Renna" ,

"Opra"

Sent: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:04:17 -0400

Subject: Open Space
Mrs. Renna:

As per your comments last night, kindly submit an OPRA request for the

documents you seek relative to the Trust Fund.

The water expert

2008-04-12T11:17:00.001-04:00

Submitted by:
Anthony Gencarelli
N.J Licensed Professional Engineer

It is with both disgust and dismay that I read the main headline story in the Union County Section of the April 6, 2007 Sunday Star Ledger. I was truly astounded how a newspaper that is supposed to provide unbiased information as a public service could publish such a once sided and, in my opinion, misleading article.

The article implies that the Rahway/United Water privatization deal has been benefited the City’s ratepayers. This claim has certainly been made publicly by Mayor Kennedy and his administration, but based on my investigations, nothing could be further from the truth. I have a copy of the privatization contract that I am willing to share with anyone interested. You don’t have to be a lawyer to understand from reading this contract that the citizens of Rahway are being taken for a ride and not a pleasant one. Also, the unwillingness or inability on the City’s part to provide billing information that I requested under OPRA also speaks volumes about this deal. Despite their recalcitrance in providing the requested information, I was able to review the City’s bills list which clearly document that United Water is receiving payment for a lot more then indicated by their contract. These are “extras” that the City fails to consider in their financial analysis of the benefit of the privatization contract. Anyone who takes the time to investigate the privatization deal for Rahway’s public water supply will have to conclude that it has actually been more expensive then it would have been to continue operating as a public utility.

Is it really believable that Mayor Kennedy is traveling oversees on this own dime to profess the benefits of privatization and for no personal gain? How many of you spend your own time and money so that corporations that you have absolutely no financial interest in or connection with can profit? Is there anyone besides me who finds it interesting that Mayor Kennedy draws an annual salary of over $60,000 from the City of Rahway, but is willing to incur travel expenses and spend his own time promoting privatization overseas without any compensation? If he is such a generous guy and so interested in doing what’s right for the public, why doesn’t he serve as Mayor of Rahway for $1.00 per year? Why doesn’t he volunteer his time for the benefit of U.S. citizens? Governor Corzine serves as Governor for $1.00 per year. Clearly privatization firms profit by taking over public utilities. There is something about this that just doesn’t seem right.

The most insulting remark in that article is where it says “Kennedy is happy that he’s able to see so many parts of the work and help people solve their water and waste problems.” If you want to learn about people helping others solve their water supply problems go to the Web site for “Water For People” at www.waterforpeople.org. There are people that are donating time and money to help the less fortunate have safe drinking water. Those are the real heroes.

If you would like to learn more about the Rahway Water privatization, or are interested in the supporting documents for my conclusions, please contact me at Gencare_97@yahoo.com.

Diamond George gets a new crib

2008-03-30T16:08:00.010-04:00

The county has proven again that it is awash in disposable tax revenue and disinterested in their constituents needs during this dire budget climate when the Union County Manager had his office drastically renovated during the start of the 2008 budget season recently.

During public comment at the last freeholder meeting I had a good laugh when I asked about Senator Raymond Lesniak's newly renovated management wing and Freeholder Chairman Angel Estrada responded "I take exception to your use of the word renovation. This was done for security purposes". I asked if he bothered to walk back there recently.

The county put a 1.3 million dollar atrium addition on the administration building a few years ago, they claimed this was also for security purposes.

Despite the Star-Ledger occupying an office on the 3rd floor of the same building there was only a slight mention of the renovations in the Westfield Leader.

As long as Union County can enjoy operating out of site of the public our county taxes will continue to sky rocket so the politically connected can feed at the trough. What mayor in Union County could escape media scrutiny over these recent events?

On February 13, 2008 employees began clocking in overtime to complete a total renovation of Union County Manager George Devanney’s office. The center point being a new royal entranceway.

On February 14, 2008 Devanney proposed the 2008 county budget with a projected increase of 6.5% that would raise taxes in every municipality but Winfield.

On February 26, 2008 Gov. Corzine proposed the 2008 State budget which drastically reduced municipal aid.

On February 28, 2008 an email shows that a county employee promises the Deputy County Manager that renovations will be completed by Monday morning. The county manger was out of town at the time, he was allegedly in Colorado on a ski trip with county vendor USA Architects. Most likely in celebration of the Arts Center 1st phase renovation completion. USA was given 700,000 in contracts for the Arts Center alone.

Although some bills and costs are obviously missing, an OPRA request for the costs of this renovation revealed:

Materials cost: $7,975.61
Employee overtime labor costs: $2,637.39
Employee regular hours labor costs: ?

Total: $10,613

The documents obtained through OPRA do not show the labor and materials costs of the furniture that was made in the county carpenter shop in late Summer/early Fall and stored on the 6th floor of the county jail. It appears that county management didn’t want Devanney’s new office to become a campaign issue so they waited for Freeholder Adrian Mapp, who fell out of favor with the democrat machine and was running as an independent democrat in the general election, to leave the board before renovations commenced and the furniture was installed.

The documents also didn't show bills for the couch and chairs in the lounge area. These may have been old and not purchased recently from Devanney's sister-in-laws furniture company.

Although work hasn’t been completed yet and plans didn’t show up in my OPRA request, I’ve been told that a sink area in the county management wing is also slated to be renovated. This is needed because the present sink is too small to wash dishes. The new sink will eliminate the need to walk a few feet into the freeholders conference room where a full kitchen complete with a dishwasher is at their disposal. By the way, have I reminded you lately that freeholders cater their board meetings to the tune of $250 - $350 per?

The public isn’t barred from walking into the public area where the county manager’s wing is located, so I walked right on in before the start of the last freeholder meeting. The royal nephew scampered away while I took some photos. I didn’t venture into the interior of the office uninvited. That would have been rude.

I thought of making an appointment to see the updates to the interior offices, but what is the point? I doubt I would be shown the secret button that would cause the fully stocked bar to flip out of a wall and the caged go-go girls to drop out of the ceiling as it does in the Springfield Mayor’s office.

Devanney has always reminded me of Mayor "Diamond Joe" Quimby of the Simpsons. Aside from the physical resemblance, Mayor Quimby is known to be an "illiterate tax-cheating, wife-swapping, pot-smoking, spend-o-crat". In his defense Quimby maintains that he is no longer illiterate.

But seriously, this letter was sent to all Union County Mayors and council members today asking them to help raise awareness of Union County government's waste, mismanagement and corruption.

Focusing on the wrong machines

2008-03-24T00:04:00.008-04:00

I’ve worked the polls in Union County for a number of elections and I am not all concerned about the voting machines. However, I have always been amazed that the system of hiring poll workers is so dysfunctional. Given to what I know about the people running Union County this past decade I have to wonder if this is orchestrated by the power brokers.

It certainly worked in their favor in Elizabeth in 2006. When a contentious primary election didn’t go their way and the only independent Democrat on the city council won re-election they had the money to challenge it in court. If you look close enough at any election you will find poll worker errors. In this case poll workers allowed 40 registered Republicans to vote Democrat. A judge threw out the election results and ordered a second primary and the machine won that one. "There is nothing to be done except policing," said Michael Moussallem, director of information systems for the county elections board in a Star-Ledger article. "This could be happening every time."

I get my conspiracy theory from the fact that every county will tell you it is hard to find enough people to work the polls. Yet I don’t see enough of an effort on Union County’s part to hire poll workers and on any given election in places like Elizabeth you will see county and city workers being used as challengers alongside poll workers and as campaign workers handing out literature outside of the polls. With such a shortage of poll workers, why doesn’t the Democrat machine encourage these employees to be poll workers instead?

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi is an educated and professional woman, yet when she raised alarms about voting machines recently, however justified her concerns may be, the fact that she chooses to ignore the process by which poll workers are hired to work these machines makes her motive’s suspect to me. Why didn’t she demand an overhaul of the system that hires poll workers after the Elizabeth fiasco when she called the special election "unprecedented (in Union County) from my historical knowledge". The redo election required the services of 103 poll workers and cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.

Ditto for State Senator Nicholas Scutari who plans to introduce legislation to create a Voting Machine Integrity Unit within the state Division of Gaming Enforcement to thoroughly test and certify all new voting technologies before they are implemented. Sequoia already submits their machines to a federal certification process.

“It’s an embarrassment that we have a far more rigorous and thorough approach to ensuring the fidelity of our slot machines than voting machines” Scutari said in a March 29, 2008 Star-Ledger article.

Yet Scutari isn’t embarrassed that a poll worker who operates the voting machines could be hired by simply providing their name and social security number. The gaming workers that are in charge of the slot machines are required to have a license issued by a regulatory agency, such as a state casino control board or commission. Applicants for a license must provide photo identification. Poll workers are never looked at face to face, never mind interviewed. Poll workers do not have to submit work experience or references.

To be a poll worker you fill out a form which gives your basic information: name, address, Social Security number. The only requirement for employment, besides showing up for work, is you have to attend a mandatory training class every two years.

To most of us, including Dictionary.com, the definition of mandatory is: Law, permitting no option; not to be disregarded or modified. Yet the definition of mandatory to the Union County Board of Elections is: It is mandatory for all poll workers, to attend a training class at least once every (2) two years….The payment (for working the polls) will be $200, and if you do not attend the mandatory class, you will be paid less.

When you attend the training class you sign your name on a list and sit down without anyone speaking to you. You could easily walk out. You could just as easily have someone sign you in. Attendance isn’t called and a test isn’t given. And Senator Scutari isn’t embarrassed that we have a far more rigorous and thorough approach to ensuring the fidelity of our slot machine operators than our election poll workers? Hell Nicky, we have a far more thorough approach to ensuring the fidelity of our fast food workers. Little wonder to me that this is the same senator that introduced legislation to legalize marijuana.

When Sequoia voting machines showed a discrepancy in the last primary election, the company maintained the errors were caused by poll workers who inadvertently pressed buttons on the control panels.

During a primary election a voter is signed in at the table and given a pink slip if they are a registered democrat and a blue slip if they are a registered republican. The voter then gives this slip to the poll worker manning the machine. The poll worker then has to push (1) one button which sets the machine for either party. Yet time and again it is found that poll workers have a difficult time performing this task.

I can tell you from experience, the person manning the machine is usually determined early on in the day. It will be the person least capable of signing voters into the book which simply requires knowledge of the alphabet.

Along with a better screening process for poll workers, another piece of legislation someone truly concerned about the integrity of our elections should introduce would be that Board of Elections Deputy Administrators shouldn’t be involved in partisan politics. Union County’s Dennis Kobitz, while seemingly to be competent at his job, has been a Democrat municipal chair in Hillside for a number of years. Why aren’t the Rajoppi’s and Scutari’s concerned about this potential conflict of interest?

People are focusing on the wrong machines. Sequoia may have quirks, and perhaps a certain amount of human error will just have to be dealt with as needed, but it’s an embarrassment that no one in New Jersey has the political will power to address the fact that it is more likely that the election process is being compromised by man made political machines.

Union County Board of Elections Poll Worker Application

Articles:
Elizabeth Democrats Revote
Tougher tests sought for Jersey's voting machines

Lesniak: Greed, Arrogance and Abuse of Power

2008-03-18T19:15:00.000-04:00

Submitted by Bruce Paterson

Here is a Paul Harvey “The rest of the story” moment. But instead of something inspirational or uplifting, this unfortunately reveals greed, arrogance and abuse of power.

As you may be aware, the NJ state legislature is considering cutting state aid to small towns under 10,000 population of which my Garwood is among one of them. This in order to address our state’s fiscal crisis problems. An elected Garwood boro official expressing concern for Garwood’s constituents reached out to the local senators and assemblymen covering this area. The assemblymen showed compassion. However, one senator, Senator Lesniak, decided to write an editorial in the March 6 edition of the Star Ledger New Jersey section. Although the town wasn't mentioned by name he noted our .8 square mile size and the loss of $350,000 in aid and used our concerned “boro official” and our Garwood as a example of how small towns don't want to help themselves. He said we had a large development proposed that would bring in large ratables but our planning board had turned it down, with Senator Lesniak stating, “this town chose higher property taxes because development proposals weren't quite what it wanted”.

And now “the rest of the story”. The development which Senator Lesniak claimed was beneficial to Garwood was located on a back neighborhood off the main streets. Where 9 houses are allowed the developer proposed to put 47 apartment units in a 3 story building with underground parking for 95 automobiles. Indeed, Garwood would have garnered $400,000 in ratables, but at what cost? The neighborhood is zoned for two family homes and is mostly cape cods. But the real dirt lies beneath this project. This developer was using a local legal firm as his application attorney. Three months before the application was to be heard, the applicant changed his law firm to a firm by the name of “Weiner Lesniak”. Senator Lesniak is the principle. Two months before the hearing, a $7,500 donation was given by the project applicant to Senator Lesniak’s political committee. It appeared to Garwood that Senator Lesniak was possibly strong-arming himself into this application to make good money off of the applicant and Garwood. He then sent his best lawyer to the hearing but alas, Garwood planning board turned it down.

A few years ago, Senator Lesniak bragged to the Star Ledger that he is the “political boss” of the area. He “controls” elections, political appointments and which developments are for the towns in his so-called kingdom. He has become quite good at his destruction on the residents all to his financial gain. He has wrested control of our Rahway valley Sewerage Authority over the years. His Weiner Lesniak legal billings went from $80,000 to $500,000 in 10 years, all paid by tax monies. He was able to manipulate his nephew into the Union County Manager job, now paying $155,000/year. This fellow had no experience or education for this position 12 years ago and still doesn't. The nephew’s incompetence has allowed the county taxes to skyrocket 70% since year 2000 as pay to play, cronyism, lawsuits and nepotism run rampant at the county. And collateral damage occurs as the county manager’s wife had a good paying county job and even his mother was on the county payroll, where another hard pressed senior could have had that job.

Senator Lesniak has feathered his nest lucratively for himself, his law firm and his relatives, thanks to his corrupting the system and the abuse of his Senatorial powers. How many other “small towns” are the subject of his greed and manipulation? How many towns have refused his self-serving greed and now have his wrath for their resistance, going so far as him using Garwood as some kind of example? And now you have the rest of the story.

Their wish isn't our command
Posted by Ray Lesniak March 06, 2008 10:22AM
Categories: Policy Watch, Politics
A famous philosopher once sang, "The times they are a-changin'." Another sang, "You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need."

Those profound words came to mind recently in the aftermath of Gov. Jon Corzine's budget proposed cuts.

There's no question that government is too big and the cost of government has made living in
New Jersey too expensive.

But to ease that burden, we have to start looking at local governments, not just state expenditures.

Willie Sutton wouldn't be planning a heist at a 7-Eleven. He would go where the money is -- in
this case, school boards and local governments.

The state's operating budget is $4.4 billion. Another $23 billion, or about 73 percent of the budget, is spent at the local level, primarily for schools, local governments, hospitals and property tax relief in the form of rebate checks.

Add to that the $21 billion spent and raised at the local level and you quickly see where the best opportunities are for cutting spending.

Oversight of local spending, along with restructuring of small municipalities and school districts
to eliminate unnecessary administrative and capital expenditures, is required if we are serious about making New Jersey a more affordable place to live.

The state should continue to provide local governments and boards of education what they
need. But what about what they want? Case in point:

A local official complained to me about losing $350,000 from Corzine's proposed budget cuts.

I pointed out that the town turned down a development proposal for age-restricted housing --
i.e., no school-age children -- which would have brought $400,000 yearly tax revenues to the community.

The proposal was too dense, the official responded. We wanted fewer units.

Don't expect the taxpayers of the state to pay for what you want, I explained.

The official countered: The four-story buildings proposed would have required the purchase of a
bigger firetruck, which we can't afford.

What? I asked. Your town is 0.8 square miles and you have your own fire department? An agree
ment for fire protection with surrounding communities would save money, lower response time and potentially save lives and properties.

It's a volunteer department; they're all residents, voters and very vocal. They would complain,
the official said, so we need the $350,000 from the state.

This town chose higher property taxes because development proposals weren't quite what it
wanted. The town also chose higher property taxes and less protection from fire hazards because it didn't want to give up its own fire department.

When I told this story to others, they all thought I was speaking about their town.

The option of having state taxpayers pay for what local residents want, rather than what they need, is gone -- and not coming back.

"You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need."

Thank you, Sir Mick.

"The times, they are a-changin'." Thank you, Mr. Dylan.

Correction...Local Finance Board Resignation

2008-03-17T09:37:00.003-04:00

NEW JERSEY
LEGISLATIVE DIGEST
for June 18, 2007
Office of Legislative Services -- Office of Public Information

TO BE A MEMBER OF THE LOCAL FINANCE BOARD:
Honorable Susan Bass Levin, of Cherry Hill, to replace Chairwoman Charlotte DeFilippo, resigned

Correction of blog UCDCSNA below........It appears that Charlotte resigned her position with the Local Finance Board in June 2007.......

The Democratic County Connection Network – Social Network Analysis or UCDCSNA

2008-03-15T15:21:00.006-04:00

"SNA can be defined as the mapping and measuring of relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations, computers, or other information- or knowledge-processing entities."

Kudos are in order for Charlotte DeFilippo, the Chairman of the Union County Democratic Committee, (she prefers to be referred to as Chairman as opposed to Chairwoman, ........whatever). Ms DeFilippo also happens to be the Chair of the Hillside Township Democratic Committee and she has done an absolutely outstanding job of keeping her committee people busy and off the streets least they get themselves into trouble. We all know what they say about idle hands.

What is curious about Hillside is that they have non-partisan elections, meaning that the political parties, Democrat, Republican, and Green Party etc. don’t get involved in municipal elections. There are no primaries and the municipal elections are held in May which is intended to reduce the influence of partisan identification and loyalties this is the intention with school board elections as well. (Click here to learn more about party politics in NJ….http://www.aljbs.org/php/govt/party.php )

Just recently those interested in running for posts on the Board of Education submitted their petitions to be on the ballot in early April. It is no secret that in some Union County municipalities the political parties field full slates of candidates and provide backing in various ways from producing campaign literature and signs to running full scale GOTV operations for their preferred candidates.

This year it is said that the Hillside Democratic Chair Charlotte DeFilippo is backing a slate of three candidates and what makes this especially interesting is that all three candidates are county employees, two of which were hired in the first half of 2007, Jamar Cherry and Salonia Saxton-Tompson. And two, Salonia Saxton-Tompson and Richard Samiec where given appointments by the all Democratic Freeholder Board as delegates to the Motion Picture and TV Advisory Board in January of 2006 till December of 2008. And further, one of those, Richard Samiec, also has a four year term on the Hillside Board of Adjustment. And Salonia Saxton-Tompson represents Ward 2 Dist. 2 on the Hillside Democratic Committee. This information was gleaned simply by going to a couple of internet search engines and putting in the names.

The Hillside Democratic Committee currently has 25 persons listed as committee members…. http://www.unioncountydems.com/ just click on Hillside on the Union County map ….Sixteen of those committee people, including Charlotte herself either have been appointed to one or more boards or authorities by the Freeholders, are county employees or in some cases are both employees and appointees to county or Hillside Municipal positions.. To her credit this arrangement allows Charlotte to keep on top of what is going on with County and Hillside Government inside and out.

This leaves one to ponder what level of influence the Union County Democratic Chair has in other Union County Municipalities under Democratic control.

Page Down for Charlotte's Hillside SNA.........whoops.....the Hillside Democratic Committee

The following links were among those accessed to prepare this blog.

Union Couty Employee Lists 2007 and 2008
http://unioncountywatchdog.org/docs/2007UCEmployeeList.xls

http://unioncountywatchdog.org/docs/2008UCEmployeeList.XLS

Union County Advisory Boards Sept 2007
http://www.ucnj.org/freeholders/Union%20County%20Advisory%20Board%20Members.pdf

New Jersey by the Numbers- Data base of public information – find info on public employees past and present -
http://www.nj.com/news/bythenumbers/

Hillside Democratic Committee - SNA

Ward 1, Dist 1
Peter Krill
Hillside Twsp emp.

Teresa Hale
Commissioner UC Board of Elections paid position $13,013 9/95 to present
Appointment…UC Advisory Council on Aging 1/07-1/09
Appointment …Commission on the Status of Women in UC 1/07-1/09

Ward 1,Dist 2
Charles Watts
Appointment …UC Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse 1/07 – 12/09
Retired Newark Public Schools
Gwendolyn Watts
Retired Newark Public Schools

Ward 2, Dist 3
Dr. Frank Deo (it is unclear where Deo’s legal residence is, some entries indicate Hillside other entries show Scotch Plains)
Councilman Township of Hillside w/committee assignments
Director of Special Services Hillside HS
Appointment: UC Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund Advisory Committee
Appointnent: Union County College – Board of Trustees

Helen Marie Troiano
Retired Township of Hillside

Ward 2, Dist 1
Cristian Pardo – No information available

Marie Pardo
Retired Township of Hillside
Appointment - UC Advisory Board Status of Minorities 1/07-12/09

Ward 2, Dist 2
Keith D. Burroughs
Employee - UC Runnells Hospital 5/73 to present…Bldg Maintenance

Salonia Saxton-Tompson
Employee – UC Clerk of the Board 2/07 to present Clerk …$49,000
Appointment –UC Motion Picture & TV Planning Board 1/07 -1/08
Hillside Board of Education Candidate – 2008

Ward 2, Dist 3
Samuel T. McGhee – Former Hillside Mayor
Exec.Dir. Joint Meeting of Essex & Union Counties (water treatment facility) $145,728
Appointment - UC Improvement Authority 1/03 -1/13
Appointment - Board of Trustees – Hillside Public Library

Nancy Maloney Smith – no information available

Ward 3, Dist 1
Ralph N. Milteer – former Hillside Mayor
Appointment – Union County College Board of Trustees
Hillside LibraryBoard of Trustees – President
Retired East Orange Board of Ed

Shirley E. Milteer – no information available

Ward 3, Dist 2
Joseph W. Miskiewicz
Employee – Union County 1/04 to present Clerk $48,155
Appointment – Union County Improvement Authority1/06 -1/07 & 2/07 to1/12

Rosemary D. McClave
Appointment – Union County Citizens Insurance Review Board 1/07-12/07 & 1/08 – 12/08
Appointment – Union County Planning Board 1/05- 12/07 & 2/08- 12/10
Former Treasurer Hillside Township

Ward 3, Dist 3
Vacancy

Julia A. Krajcech – no information available

Ward 4, Dist 1
Richard Johnson,Jr. – no information available

Georgette Corvelli
Employee – Union County 9/99 to present Housing Dev Analyst……$72,048
Appointment – Hillside Board of Health exp June 2008

Ward 4, Dist 2
Robert Varady - Attorney w/various muni and county contracts

Gina Varady – no information available

Ward 4, Dist 3
Dennis Scott Kobitz
UC Board of Elections Dep. Admin. 3/16/85 to present $80,149
Appointment – Hillside Board of Adjustment 4 yr term

Charlotte DeFilippo – Chair Hillside Dem. Committee
Chair Union County Dem Committee
Employee Union County Mgmt Speclst 2/98 to present Dept of Finance (Director UC Improvement Authority) $143,420 yr.
Appointment Hillside Public Library Board – Mayor’s Representative
Legislative Aid – Assemblyman Neil Cohen $10,000 yr.
Appointment – State of NJ Local Finance Board resigned 6/07

Ward 4, Dist 4
Jerome Jewell, Jr. Former Hillside BOE
Councilman Hillside w/committee & board assignments
Appointment UC Parks and Recreation Advisory Board 1/07 – 12/09

Kimberly Mollett – no information available

Destination Union County-Through the Back Door

2008-03-11T10:32:00.006-04:00

Beautiful - A Must See

Be sure to include this in Your Travel Itinerary

Though I have lived in Union County all of my life I never realized that I had grown up and than raised my own family in the middle of one of the East coast’s hottest tourist destinations, but apparently I have been wrong. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Union County and if weren’t for the state of New Jersey’s financial affairs and cost of living I would never even consider living elsewhere. But that is a story for another day.

I have many fond memories of Union County during what are considered to be kinder gentler times when the county was less developed and there were fewer restrictions on where we could go and what we could do.

My late father would take my sisters and me to Rahway Park on Sundays to feed the ducks on the lake and there would be miniature boat enthusiasts sailing their radio controlled watercraft. I learned how to ice skate on Mill Lake in Rahway, played tennis on the clay courts in Warnaico Park, went tobogganing at Galloping Hill, played miniature golf at O’Keefe's on St. Georges Ave. followed by hot dogs at Walt’s 42nd Street Bar and Grill. From Clark we would hop the #54 bus on Westfield Ave. and shop in downtown Rahway or Westfield and if we had a few more bucks go to Broad Street in Elizabeth. And though I am dating myself I admit to remembering the Wheatena Box water tower and the smell of the coffee roasting in Linden. As teenagers when we started to drive Sunday’s were spent in the Watchung Reservation exploring the trails or admittedly parking with my first husband on a Saturday night steaming up the cars windows in Echo Lake Park. Union County was farms and fields and plenty of open space and a good place to raise a family and I am still proud to say I am and will always be a Union County Gal.

Union County holds a proud place in our nation’s history with many revolutionary buildings, we have parks, challenging golf courses and quiet residential tree-lined streets, but we also have highways, oil refineries, manufacturing facilities and half of a major international airport within our boundaries as well as some wetlands that when the tide goes out are less than aromatically pleasing. So when the Board of Chosen Freeholders talks about attracting tourism to the county as a means to generate revenue I have to chuckle to myself. Click here to view the Freeholders press release regarding tourism in the county http://www.ucnj.org/news/0802tourism.html

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders recently spent $5,000 for a professional to study the county and prepare a report called the Union County Tourism Master Plan – “Defining Union County’s Tourism Industry”.

I must confess after reading the first 13 pages I was scratching my head in amazement that the board actually paid good money for this and found myself wondering why.

The report really didn’t contain anything new that couldn’t already be found on the county website and used figures for NJ tourism from 2006, which of course was before the economy tanked last year. The final pages of the report contained recommendations on steps to be taken to develop tourism into a revenue generating industry for Union County and truth be told it didn’t say anything that the average citizen couldn’t have come up with after a high school marketing course. My initial thought was – What a waste of taxpayer’s money and what do we have a county Department of Economic Development for if not to develop plans of this nature. And, if they aren’t capable of developing this light weight report than we have the wrong people working for us.

Click the link to review the 22 page report and decide for yourself if the $5,000 could have been put to a better use http://unioncountywatchdog.org/docs/TourismMasterPlanReportFinal.pdf

Denial for public records leads to complaint

2008-03-08T18:53:00.011-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Tina Renna, President
Union County Watchdog Association
908-709-0530 Email: tinarenna@unioncountywatchdog.org

Walter M. Luers, Esq.
Law Offices of Walter M. Luers, LLC
105 Belvidere Ave., Oxford, New Jersey 07863
Phone: 908.453.2147 Email: wluers@luerslaw.com

Union County - Attorney Walter Luers has filed a complaint with the state’s Government Records Council on behalf of the Union County Watchdog Association in response to the county’s refusal to turn over documents responsive to the UCWA’s request seeking records that would show what individuals donated to a county sponsored fund-raiser in which the county manager was personally involved in and profited from and politicians used as a campaign whistle stop free from Election Law Enforcement reporting guidelines.

(l-r) Assemblywoman Linda Stender, Governor Jon Corzine, Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, Freeholder Chester Holmes, Sheriff Ralph Froehlich, Freeholders Daniel Sullivan and Angel Estrada

Background:
• Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, who is the appointed Union County manager, used the 2007 Musicfest as a backdrop to raise money for his friend’s organization. “Over a couple of beers in Wales, we put together a structure to make Musicfest ’07 a pilot music festival in which the Love Hope Strength Foundation would be a part.” Stated George Devanney in a blog on the LHSF website.

(l-r) Freeholder Chairwoman Bette Jane Kowalski, Senator Raymond Lesniak's newphew-Appointed Union County Manager George Devanney, Freeholder Alexander Mirabella

• The Co-Chairs of the event were Assemblyman Neil Cohen, Assemblywoman Linda Stender and Freeholder Chairwoman Bette Jean Kowalski.

• The county manager’s wife listed on her website that she was the treasurer of the Love, Hope Strength Organization.

• County resources, including the website and employees, were used to organize, facilitate and raise the money for the event.

• For raising in excess of $25,000 the county manager got to go on the organizations free trip to Mt. Everest in Nepal.

• For donating certain amounts of money contributors, including county employee's and county vendors, got to rub elbows with elected officials while attending a private party at the county manager's home in which county vendors performed.

• Politicians connected to the Union County Democrat machine got to use the fund raiser as a campaign whistle stop free from Election Law Enforcement Commission rules on campaign spending and contribution reporting.

“The fact that Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew is now trying to keep the details of this publicly funded and facilitated event out of public view after being so intimately involved and had personally gained from is despicable beyond words," stated Tina Renna, president of the Union County Watchdog Association.

“This was a shameless exploitation of what may very well be a worthy cause, for personal gain and political grandstanding,” continued Renna. “County concerts have been used as campaign whistle stops for the one-party ruled county government since their inception. Vendors have been donating to these supposed “free concerts” in which campaigning pols are given top billing over the acts who are paid by the taxpayers to perform. The addition of a fund raiser at this year’s Musicfest was turned into more backroom dealings that cross the line between public resources and the practice of Union County Democrat Committee politicians campaigning at the taxpayer’s expense. The UCWA has vowed to shine a light on this abuse of the public trust wherever it rears its ugly head.”

The complaint and exhibits can be viewed in its entirety HERE.

"It's all about getting elected baby!" Senator Raymond Lesniak's nephew, appointed Union County Manager, George Devanney - 2007 MusicFest

Why Are Freeholders Wasting Public Funds to Benefit M&E Railroad?

2008-03-05T21:05:00.003-05:00

Submitted by James Neville
Coalition to Stop the Train

Over the last several months, five municipalities in Union County have passed resolutions citing breaches of contract in agreements made between the M&E Railroad and the Freeholders of Union County — and between the freeholders and the NJ State Department of Transportation.

These resolutions cite the opposition of each town’s elected officials to the state and county continuing to honor contracts, which must be voided due to non-performance
and third-party injury to the taxpayers of New Jersey.

Over six years ago, the board of freeholders assured local communities that deactivated, abandoned rail lines in Union County would never carry rail freight without full agreement of affected communities. In fact, a letter signed by then-Freeholder Senator Scutari was sent out to assure mayors, town councils and citizens that the century-old tracks would never be returned to service.

The freeholders reneged on their commitment, signed a 10-year agreement with the M&E, leasing the 22-mile right-of-way for 17 cents a month. Additionally, the M&E was awarded a no-bid contract to restore the railbed. To date, $14.6 million in public funds have been appropriated in support of this private railroad’s enterprise. There have been heated public hearings where the voice of the people was ignored. Protests, demonstrations, letter-writing campaigns and lawsuits have not brought about change.

The breach of contract cited in the resolutions has to do with M&E’s failure to supply a “detailed written Business and Operating Plan” as required by the 2002 contract. Imagine embarking upon a project that to date has cost the taxpayers almost $15 million without any plan in place to justify the expenditures. These expenditures cover only a quarter of the freight trackage through Union County.

Considering the contract breaches and the depletion of public funds during this current budget crisis, why would the freeholders want to waste additional public funds for the benefit of the M&E freight railroad? For six years, M&E has not lived up to their part of the deal. It is now time for the freeholders to stop the waste and put an end to this reactivation once and for all.

Who is going to be next?

2008-03-01T12:29:00.001-05:00

Submitted by Kathy Figgs

On October 13, 2007 my brother, Johnathan Dawkins, who was an inmate in the Union County jail, was pepper sprayed and restrained by jail personnel. He was then transported to a hospital where he was placed on life support and remains to this day. He was not breathing and unconscious. He had two black-eyes, bruising on his neck, and a swollen face.

Who is going to be next? That is my question to you. Maybe your friend, husband, father, brother, son, sister, or even mother will wind up behind bars. No one is exempt, situations happen and people make mistakes. People are sent to jail short term and long term.

Who is to say that the law enforcement officers in the jails that are there to assure that the facility that is housing your loved ones runs smoothly on a daily bases, won’t decide that your family member, like they did with my loved one, is displaying abnormal behavior, and it is necessary for them to remove them, or as they so pleasantly use the term “send in a specially trained team of officers” to exact the inmate. And they inflict to much force in removing the inmate, that now someone else’s loved one is laying in the hospital fighting for their life or maybe dead.

Then will society see the importance of standing up and saying: “We will not allow the system to abuse in anyway anybody that is institutionalized anymore and if it does happen, we will hold the State, County, City, and the Administration accountable for the actions of their employees. We the tax payers pay their salaries and just because our loved one, for what ever reason, is now in jail this does not mean that you have the right to abuse him or her. The penalty for the crime should be what was set by the law for that crime and not a death sentence.

Well what I’m saying is we as the family members have to step- up and make sure justice for these inmates is ensured and not just swept under the rug and forgotten about.

The media will not address the issue. I’ve tried that route and all I got was “we can’t print that of which we have no proof”. Well I say you haven’t tried to even look into to what I’m saying to find the proof. Humm think about it.. But let some inmates escape and it’s all over the news but anything about how inmates are being abused, the news media doesn’t want to report about that... “We have no proof”, “we can’t substantiate these allegations”, that’s what I’ve been told. They hold up reforming the system and it’s wrong.

The media will not attempt to do what Geraldo Rivera used to do, you know, “investigative reporting” to expose the illegalities and human abuses of the prison system and instead will print statistics that lie to the people stating that incidents of police abuse and brutality are down.

The incidents of police brutality and the abuses by law enforcement and correction officers are not down, they are simply being ignored by said system and the media in an attempt to make people believe that incidents like Michael Bell in New York, my brother Johnathan Dawkins, my nephew whose mother is a police officer who was shot by another police officer in the back for being young and in the wrong place at the wrong time...this same young man, fifteen years old and already being considered as a hopeful track star for the next Olympics... Go back twenty or so years... names like Eleanor Bumpers, an elderly black woman, shot and killed by an officer… it doesn’t make a difference what the ethnic background of the person is or what crime was allegedly committed, it is not right that they are caused harm by the system and ignored by the media.

Questioning County Government

2008-02-26T15:25:00.002-05:00

You might well be reading an article on the Open Space Trust Fund, or at least glancing past a headline with the words ‘Slush Fund’ punned, had I gotten the freeholders’ perspective. This fund takes money from Union County taxpayers so the freeholders can dole it back to favored municipalities or for pet projects. To get balance for the article I went to a recent freeholder meeting and wanted to know what the board members considered to be the major accomplishments of this fund.

Comment time came and I posed my question succinctly with a good four and a half minutes allocated for their answers. I did not get any. Freeholder Chairman Estrada informed me that this was my time. I could speak for up to five minutes as long as I didn’t curse or insult the freeholders or wasn’t Tina Renna. This seemed pointless to me as I could just as easily have gone outside and chatted with the odd passerby outside the UC Administration building to greater effect.

Was this normal? Are we not supposed to question county government? I had to know so I asked, though not at any county meeting, of course. If they do not answer questions then going up there and saying the words: “do you ask questions?” ran the risk of reenacting a Beckett play without the dialogue and we might all still have been there if they didn’t happen to have a time limit. Instead, I went to 21 county websites and posed the question. Here is how a sampling of counties in New Jersey handle comment time.

Most open their meetings to the public first on only agenda items scheduled for that meeting and then on any topic. Some counties (Mercer, Warren. Burlington and Cumberland) begin their meetings with public comments. This allows the public who usually show up on time to give their input and skip whatever ceremonies or routine matters fill out the program if they wish. Contrast that to a recent Union County meeting I attended where, to discuss personnel matters, the freeholders went into executive session for well over an hour as the press (one guy from the Westfield Leader) and three civilians chatted amongst ourselves waiting for public comment time. What could the freeholders have been thinking? This was the equivalent of putting prisoners together to give them time to plan their next caper.

Of those counties that answered, a majority had a time limit on speakers. Only Cumberland, Warren, and Mercer had no time limit. Most common was 5 minutes but Monmouth and Gloucester indicated it was flexible and in Morris County “rarely enforced.” In Hunterdon the ‘new Director of the Board does not feel there should be a limit” though past Board Directors “have set a limit of 5 minutes per person.” Passaic has “a 3 minute limit that is strictly enforced. Questions may be asked and they are addressed at the end of the public portion. There are no questions from the public and answers from the Freeholder while the person is at the podium.”

Most county websites responding answered that questions were allowed at public meetings and presumably would be answered. Perhaps the 9 counties who did not respond by email, or phone like Bergen did, also do not respond to questions at their meetings. We may never know.

And what about Union County? They answered in their uniquely terse manner: “Questions are allowed, time limit is 5 minutes.”

Maybe Chairman Estrada didn’t get the memo at the time I took to the podium. Maybe they changed their policy after some soul-searching. Maybe whoever responded for the county somehow avoids being a seat-filler at freeholder meetings and only knows what official and not actual policy is. We might never know and I just don’t feel like asking.

Maybe Voters Should Stand-up to be Counted

2008-02-24T12:10:00.008-05:00

The ability to participate in electing government leadership is perhaps an Americans single most precious privilege which has distinguished us from other nations around the world. At election time we are reminded frequently how every single vote counts and can make a difference, which of course is true. However this week the saga of the troubled electronic voting machines continues to make the news and perhaps voters should speak-up and request paper and pencils be provided instead for the next go round.

NJ Attorney General Anne Milgram said that NJ will miss another deadline to retrofit the Sequoia Voting machines with paper printers, intended to allow voters to see a paper record of their ballot selections. It seems that testing of the machines with the new apparatus has been delayed, once again and it will not be possible to have the equipment voter ready for the June 3rd primary.

Meanwhile back at the Union County Ranch, in a Star Ledger article on 2/20/08, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi tells of the difficulty she had in verifying returns in the recent presidential primary, it seems that the numbers on some of the Sequoias just didn’t jibe. Rajoppi learned that similar problems existed in Bergen, Gloucester, Middlesex and Ocean Counties.

Further it has also been reported that Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes, in a letter to the state attorney general voiced his concerns regarding discrepancies as well when problems with the numbers cropped up in 30 of the county’s 600 Sequoia Voting Systems machines. Sequoia called the discrepancy “an anomaly” and they suspect a corrupted computer chip to be the culprit. However, when it comes to voting there is not any room for anomalies or corrupted computer chips or excuses for any kind of malfunction.

Quite frankly Sequoia’s attitude seemed rather cavalier which come to think of it doesn’t appear to be anything new. In 2006 a company representative referred to machine problems in CA, WA, FL and NM as “minor glitches” and “extremely minor if they exist at all” this according to an article in the Rocky Mountain News regarding the Denver City Council purchasing Sequoias and the quandary that Essex County, NJ faced regarding their order for the same electronic voting machines. . http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1326&Itemid=51

Voter’s rights activists here in New Jersey appeared before a Mercer County assignment judge in Feb. of ’07 in an attempt to have all 10,000 of New Jersey’s electronic voting machines withheld from use. The Judge told state officials to start making backup plans to replace Sequoia electronic voting machines used by 18 of 21 counties if they cannot be equipped with paper printers by the start of 2008, which would have been in time for the recent presidential primary.

The lawyer for the group, Penny M. Venetis cited the research work of Princeton University computer science professor, Andrew W. Appel, who had purchased 5 electronic voting machines off the internet for a total of $82. Mr. Appel is an expert in computer security and said that a more secure voting system would have a separate paper ballot that could be verified by voters. One of Mr. Appel’s students was able to open up a machine in about seven seconds with a screwdriver and after having studied the software Appel said that someone with a bachelor’s degree in computer science could subvert it in about 10 minutes. Click here to read Appel’s article, “How I bought used voting machines on the Internet” in its entirety http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~appel/avc/

Dr. Rebecca Mercuri, president of Notable Software Inc, is a recognized expert in computer security, especially in electronic voting, says that the machines are not flawless. She says that the electronic voting machines cannot be audited even with paper printouts. "I can teach my first-year students how to show one thing on the screen, print something else on the paper tape, and record something different on the computer disk," Mercuri said. One than has to wonder if pursuing this avenue is really worth the effort.

We hear that at the latest meeting of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders Joanne Rajoppi was praised by some to almost heroic status for being able to notice the discrepancy, but hey, she was doing the job that she is paid handsomely to do and was elected to do. The residents of Union County count on her to keep the county’s records and keep them accurately which admittedly she does. Sequoia insists that their machines problems have no bearing on the vote tallies for each candidate, but it seems that from her reaction to the incidents Rajoppi finds little comfort in their assurances.

Call in the Experts -
Because this is a state wide problem the attorney general is dealing with Sequoia but perhaps the Freeholder Board along with administrations of the other counties need to exert some public pressure on the situation. To be realistic, how can Sequoia retrofit these voting machines with printers to produce a paper trail when they are not able to produce the technology to build a machine which engenders trust from the voters when they are casting their ballots? Sequoia, to be sure, will never willingly throw up their hands and cry uncle as there are really big bucks on the line. But, since voting machines are a far cry from ATM machines might I suggest that they, Sequoia, consult with the good folks at Nintendo who have successfully mastered the world of interactive technology.

Board heads back to TV - For real this time

2008-02-21T10:02:00.006-05:00

500 and 99 yesterdays ago .....

On July 7, 2006 Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, who is the appointed Union County Manager, was quoted in a Star-Ledger article headlined “Board Heads back to TV” .... “This investment in our sound system, PA and taping system will ensure that the public, our constituents and all entities that do business with the county will continue to receive information about our meetings in a timely and accurate manner,” County Manager George Devanney said yesterday....

The article went on to quote me as the President of the Union County Watchdog Association “…$78,000 seemed like an extraordinary amount to pay for new equipment .... “For 80,000 she said, “I would hope they would be Webcasting meetings too." .... “Actually, the county is looking into that” said Delia (county public information officer).

The county replaced their equipment in 2006 but they never distributed the meetings to the local cable stations, nor did they ever Webcast their meetings. The bills the UCWA eventually obtained through OPRA show the county spent $110,000 for the new equipment.

The UCWA has been Webcasting freeholder meetings as well as county budget hearings since January 2007.

One 2008 Union County Watchdog Association initiative is to have freeholder meetings broadcast on the local cable channels. Many towns have already moved to request these meetings and will begin to air them shortly.

Channel 26 programming is controlled by Comcast and is broadcast to most Union County towns. The UCWA will routinely request the meeting tape from the county through OPRA (pay $15.00 for it) and drop it to Comcast. The Dec. 20 meeting will be the first (the one the county claimed didn’t exist until the UCWA asked the Prosecutor’s office to investigate) it will be aired on February 28th @ 9:30 pm.

Things that make you go Hmmm.....

In response to the UCWA’s recent efforts to return freeholder meetings to the public cable viewing audiences throughout Union County the county’s extensive office of public information has revamped their efforts to distribute the freeholders taxpayer funded infomercial and have begun dropping off their ½ hour "Freeholder Forum" shows to cable stations – BUT not their meeting recordings.

The county has been promoting this show, which usually features a freeholder who is up for re-election, steadily on their website since approximately a million yesterdays ago.

____________

Freeholder meetings are avialalbe on the UCWA Veotag account

Board heads back to TV - Star Ledger 7/7/06

Freeholder Forum Show county website promotion

County Watchers "What were they trying to keep from you?"

"THERE THEY GO AGAIN" Revised Employee Numbers

2008-02-17T17:26:00.008-05:00

County Manager George Devanney proposed his 2008 Exec. Budget to the Board of Chosen Freeholders last week. His $436.8 Mil spending plan called for raising county taxes 6.5% or $22 mil over last year. It is a sure bet that had he been around the late President Ronald Reagan would have greeted this announcement by shaking his head gently while saying “There they go again.”

2008 marks the eighth consecutive year that the county operating budget has been increased and while daily spending was just a tad under $1 Mil in 2004 with this proposed budget we are now talking about $1.357Mil a day in just 4 years time. Ask yourself what do you see for this kind of money, what services do you receive that justifies this kind of spending?

A Star Ledger article appearing on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 reported that an increase of 5.7% was to be laid on the backs of the tax payers in ‘07or the county would have to cut programs that were popular with the county residents. Devanney specifically cited: Meals on Wheels, a prescription drug program and concerts in the parks, this was very odd as seniors contribute to the cost of their meals, the prescription drug program is paid for by the participants and the concerts, according to county officials are funded by sponsors. How did these items impact the budget?

The article also went on to report that the Freeholders hoped to trim about 50 positions from the county’s work force of almost 3,000 employees, but not thru layoffs. Instead the positions would be left vacant after resignations and retirements. But according to county employee records, obtained thru OPRA and presented on Excel Spreadsheets, in 2007 there were a total of 3112 employees http://unioncountywatchdog.org/docs/2007UCEmployeeList.xls (note this list list does not include 269 Seasonal employees) with 2008 showing 3,289 employees http://unioncountywatchdog.org/docs/2008UCEmployeeList.XLS. (list includes seasonal employees) Now after the recent UC jail debacle they are hiring 51 new corrections officers which it appears will put the number of employees well over 3,300.

Is it any wonder that the costs of medical insurance and pension contributions have soared but what of the early retirement packages offered in 2006 and 2007 that were intended to cut the payroll budget? It almost appears that 2 workers were hired to replace each that left the ranks so where are the savings?

Also impacting the county budget is the county run Runnells Hospital that has only operated in the black one year out of the last 17 years. This facility is nothing more than a money pit which has been given more than ample time to prove its worth. The time has come for the county to rid itself of this albatross from the resident’s necks and either privatize its operation perhaps on a trial basis or just sell it outright and stop the bleeding.

The story changes little from year to year with the Freeholders and the County Manager blaming everyone and every thing but themselves for what will be a cumulative tax increase of over 60% since the year 2000. County government keeps growing every year, as shown by the numbers that they continue to employ.

Then of course there is their unwillingness to admit that perhaps Runnells should be cut from the county portfolio rather than to continue to throw good money after bad. We will have to wait and see what the upcoming budget hearings will bring but it is a pretty safe bet based on their past performance that when the residents receive their tax bills for 2008 they will be saying “There they go again.”

What were they trying to keep from you?

2008-02-10T15:24:00.000-05:00

Earlier we reported that after the county claimed that the Dec. 20th freeholder meeting wasn’t recorded, despite the camera’s visably rolling, the UCWA issued a press release and asked the prosecutor’s office to investigate. The county then changed their script and the Clerk emailed “Please be advised that the response form I faxed to you on December 28, 2007 stating "No recording to provide", was inaccurate. A VHS tape is in fact available ….”

What were they trying to keep from you?

See for yourself at our Veotag account HERE.

Addendum - Keywood Strategies

2008-02-07T13:16:00.000-05:00

Angie - Where Have You Gone???
Within 24hrs of posting my last blog about Ms. Angie Devanney’s “new” business venture her website seems to have encountered technical difficulties and can no longer be accessed from the link provided in the blog below, that is too bad. Since inquiring minds want to know what the site contained; readers can just click here http://unioncountywatchdog.org/docs/Kewood.pdf as the contents were saved in a PDF format shortly after the original blog was posted.

Keywood Strategies - Angie Devanney Principal

2008-02-02T01:27:00.000-05:00

The website reads “Navigating you to succeed”, Keywood Strategies, Berkeley Heights, NJ. Keywood Strategies has a proven record of rezoning, planning, and managing key projects by navigating the local governing body, Planning Board, Board of Adjustment or State regulatory process. Westin Hotel, The Connell Companies and Summit Medical Group are among those business interests listed as having received assistance from the principal of Keywood Strategies LLC, Angie D. Devanney.
http://www.acalmspace.com/ad0707/about.html

Until recently Angela Devanney was the Township Administrator of Berkeley Heights, a position she held since 2005 upon leaving her employment with Union County Government where she served as the Administrator of the Union County Open Space and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.

In an interview with “The Alternative Press”, an online newspaper for residents of Summit, Berkeley Heights and New Providence, Ms Devanney cites the personal health scares faced by her and her husband, Union County Manager George Devanney and a desire to spend more time with her young son as her reasons for resigning her Berkeley Heights post. In the article Devanney said she had already been thinking about starting her own business and declined to reveal what she would be doing next but said it would be something done on a consulting basis. She is quoted as saying “I’m going to leave the details out for now.”

Why Angie was leaving the details out is a bit puzzling but perhaps she is as confused as the rest of us as the information about her on the Keywood Strategies website’s About Us/Home page (which is just about Angie) is a bit of a stretch.

The Keywood Site Says:

Angie formed Keywood Strategies, LLC in 2001 and remains the principal.

§ Before launching her own company, Angie also served as the Union County Trust Fund Administrator acquiring over 100 acres of open space 7 years ahead of schedule. Responsible for over $130 million dollars dedicated from a special tax, she also worked closely with Green Acres and wrote the grant applications that yielded millions of dollars in acquisition grants. As a result, Union County was able to add several new parks, expand the Trailside Museum and improve the Union County Arts Center.

In November of 2000 the Union County voters approved a referendum which created the Open Space and Historic Preservation Trust Fund; the Board of Chosen Freeholders started approving the necessary ordinances and resolutions to create the fund and in May of 2001 voted on the final one which authorized the county tax board to dedicate the new tax. If Angie started her company in ’01 how could she have accomplished all of what she claims before hand if the fund wasn’t totally operational till May/June ‘01? Puzzling indeed.

ALSO
§ The Star Ledger, wrote about the development boom (in Berkeley Heights) in a July 2007 article, an effort spearheaded by Mrs. Devanney through intensive zoning changes and economic development planning.

Equally puzzling – Ms Devanney started her employ with Berkeley Heights in 2005, and left at the end of 2007, during her tenure the Summit Med Group expanded, Connell Companies is expanding and hotels are coming to town. It should be pointed out that these are the same companies that she touts on her website as business references and states that she assisted, but this begs the question what side of the fence was she actually working on and who benefited from and financially compensated her. Was there a conflict here at any time?

More from the website:
Development Planning and Zoning

Keywood Strategies has a proven record of rezoning, planning and managing key projects by navigating the local governing body, Planning Board, Board of Adjustment or State regulatory process. Angie has successfully assisted:
Lifetime Fitness
Westin Hotel
The Connell Company
Hilton Extended Stay Hotel
Summit Medical Group
Berkeley Aquatics Training Facility
Berkeley Heights' Imminent Boom
Projects to getunder way soon
Commercial buildings likely will add estimated $1.5M in revenue cont'd

And finally: How disappointing that Mrs. Devanney couldn’t find it in her heart to be honest with the Alternative Press’ reporter when asked what she would be doing upon leaving the Berkeley Heights Business Administrator’s job. Instead she says she has been thinking about starting her own business. Doesn’t this make you wonder what else has been going on behind the scenes.

http://thealternativepress.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

OMG! Who's hooking him up?

2008-01-29T22:42:00.001-05:00

Niel Palmieri. The name might not ring a bell but you might recall a Star-Ledger article, way back when the Ledger had a reporter covering Union County, about a county employee who was allowed to rent a county house for $300 a month. The house featured 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, a fireplace and sat on 1.3 acres in Summit. The county paid roughly $10,000 a year in property taxes on the house and Palmieri paid $3,600 a year to live in it. Cost to taxpayers: roughly $6,000 a year.

Out of county residency
Palmieri, who is the division head of building services and had an annual salary in 2007 of $106,162 (up from $66,770 in 2000) has since moved to Monmouth County, against the Laws of Union County which clearly state:

B. It shall be the duty of the appointing authority to ensure that all full-time employees hired after November 10, 1983, are and remain bona fide residents of the County of Union during employment. Failure of any such employee to be a resident of the County of Union prior to employment or to maintain residency in the County of Union during employment shall be cause for removal or discharge from service.

County take-home vehicle
Niel Palmieri is allowed use of a county take home 2002 Ford Explorer. Palmieri’s boss, Joseph Grazziano, does not have use of a county take home vehicle. Palmieri is one of only two employees in his division that have this privilege. The other is Freeholder Dan Sullivan’s brother.

Free gas
Palmieri's county issued 2002 Ford Explorer had the sixth highest fuel consumption among 64 employees with the same privileges in 2007. The other five were law enforcement officers. Palmieri used 1,225.9 gallons of gas at a cost of $2.11 per gallon average to cost taxpayers $2,586.65.

The Laws of Union County has this to say about the county cars:
A. All County cars assigned to those individuals who reside outside of Union County will be restricted to Union County.

H. It shall be the policy of the County of Union that the use of a County-assigned vehicle by an employee shall be limited to official County business, and said vehicle shall not be used for personal purposes with the exception of authorized commuting use to and from the employee's workstation.

Home Internet Service
Out of 2,842 county employees, Niel Palmieri is one of 10 that are currently having their home internet service paid for by the taxpayers. Not even his boss has his home internet service paid for. Heck, four of the 9 freeholders do not have their home internet services paid for! (Side Note: the other five have never returned even one of my email inquiries, if they don't communicate with taxpayers then why are we paying for their toys?). The county manager, deputy county manager, clerk of the board and the Director of Personnel also have taxpayer-funded home internet service. This information did not come easy - but that's another blog.

Blackberry
Palmieri has one.

All of these taxpayer funded privileges, and exceptions to the county’s laws, leaves this watchdog to wondering who Palmieri's BFF is.

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This old house at $300 a month - Star-Ledger

Employee vehicles and gas consumption

The Laws of Union County

UCPAC Sinkhole

2008-01-27T18:43:00.000-05:00

Government can provide a nice living for a lot of people if projects touted as essential keep popping up. In Union County in 2004 it was the reconstruction of the Arts Center in Rahway that became a tax-money MacGuffin.
A former vaudeville and silent movie palace built in 1927 devolved into an X-rated movie house in the 1980s until the appearance of VCRs left it an arts center, which basically means a home to puppet shows that can come up with the rental fees. What most people would have viewed as the next home for a Walgreens the Union County freeholders saw as the first step in making Rahway an entertainment hub. Build a state-of-the-art theater, get Joe Piscopo to open a comedy club, throw around some county money and voila: Branson – East.
But like a prisoner left in solitary for years, the all-Democratic freeholder board seemed to have taken no counsel other than from the voices in their heads. They might have looked at similar venues and dreamed their dreams. The Count Basie theater in Red Bank does well but that’s in the middle of an arts town surrounded by upscale suburbs. Around here you would draw more people from Winfield Park with a tractor pull than the Bolshoi. The John Harms Center in Englewood books about one big event per month and I don’t remember anything at the Ritz Theater in Elizabeth since Raymond Lesniak brought in Ich Troje.
What possessed the decision-makers in Union County to believe that reviving a burlesque theater in the middle of Rahway would be worth the millions of dollars of tax money they were prepared to sink into it? The Worrall papers perceptively editorialized on April 1, 2004: “the taxpayers have enough of a financial burden on their collective plates without having to add this one to it. We know it’s a done deal, we know the transaction will occur, and it will occur despite what anybody says in opposition to it because that’s how the almighty freeholders conduct business – with total disregard to the populace who elected them.”
To this Freeholder Daniel Sullivan responded three weeks later by accusing the paper of “misrepresenting the facts about county government in a very partisan manner to a dwindling subscription base.” After the requisite three insults that all freeholders are obligated to hurl when addressing the public, he moved on to bandy phrases like ‘spur economic development’, ‘investment in the arts’, and ‘new jobs and increased ratables.’ All worthy goals but why a theater, why in Rahway, and why county tax money? You could hire a thousand workers to dig holes or give $300 checks to everybody making under $75,000 and claim many of the same benefits.
The theater just happened to be available. Had a hospital, racetrack, or liquor store been on the block and the freeholders needed to divert money back to their supporters through no-bid contracts we would have had similar paeans to their rehabilitations. Rahway is a Democratic town with a nice tax cow in Merck that allows their local government to play spending games with the county without much voter backlash. If the county did not undertake these development projects there would be little justification for the existence of this layer of government.
So where is the UCPAC today? It will host a stepping competition on February 9, admission $7 and there are 532 of a capacity 876 seats left. Joy Behar will be there on May 3 and an Alan Ayckbourn romantic comedy will have eight performances in February. When you go on ucpac.org and check ticket availability both acts seem to have an unusual number of available front-row center seats with the rest of the house unclickable, possibly to give the impression that you and your date won’t be the only ones in the audience to see Joy Behar and whomever on the freeholder board is up for election this year to introduce her.
So what does this whole episode teach us? That government officials may be able to run strip clubs but not an arts center? That you can’t locate an entertainment complex in Rahway without involving a happy hour?
No. The lesson here is that if you stay silent while self-dealing politicians squander your money on vanity projects then you deserve the tragicomedy that will be played out, not on any UCPAC stage but in the County Administration building.

Elizabeth council member mugged & pistol-whipped

2008-01-23T08:03:00.000-05:00

Today's Star-Ledger article about an Elizabeth council member being mugged and pistol-whipped around the corner from City Hall reminded me that citizens who attend freeholder meetings aren't allowed to park in the two (2) empty county employee lots.

At the April 19, 2007 meeting of the Board of Union County Democrat Committee Chosen Freeholders I made a public comment about the public not being made to feel welcome at county public meetings. You can view it on our Veotag account HERE.

Freeholder Sullivan either ignored or didn't comprehend anything I said and during his closing comments (freeholders never respond to you when you are at the microphone and can defend yourself) the bully went on a rant about Elizabeth being a safe place for people to visit and further proved my point that citizen input isn’t welcome.

Safe for whom I wondered? For Freeholder Sullivan who drives from his house in Elmora, which is the safest neighborhood in Elizabeth due to the fact that all the Elizabeth politicians live there, and then parks his car underneath the County administration building? His feet never touch the streets in Elizabeth where violence is reported daily.

You can see Sullivan's rant on our Veotag account HERE.

I personally feel safe attending freeholder meetings. However, Elizabeth is a very intimidating place to many people across the county. There is no parking on the street outside of the administration building. There is parking a block away and around the corner, which you will have to find yourself, and then you will have to walk the dimly lighted streets with no security around. The extensive security staff is all inside the administration building, protecting the administration.

Couple this with the fact that citizens are routinely harassed by freeholders, after making public comments and at best are ignored by them, and you get a government that isn’t anywhere near a welcoming neighborhood “of the people”.

While exercising my First Amendment right to freedom of speech, I was removed from meetings by the county police three (3) times in 2007. I will stay true to form in 2008 and defy tyranny while being removed from meetings as often as necessary.

Freeholder Sullivan stayed true to form on April 19th and during his closing comments he didn’t address the fact that the county website was listing the wrong directions, or that the public has no where close by to park despite there being empty county employee parking in abundance all around the building. Instead he ignored all the issues I raised and harassed me for making these comments.

Freeholder Sullivan ranted “I am highly offended by Mrs. Renna’s comments about Elizabeth isn’t safe! You are all safe here in Elizabeth!”.

Sullivan should send his comments to union@starledger.com

Elizabeth council member mugged
School principal pistol-whipped
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
BY JONATHAN CASIANO
Star-Ledger Staff

An Elizabeth city councilman and school principal was robbed at gunpoint and pistol-whipped around the corner from City Hall last weekend after a night out with teachers from his school.
Frank Cuesta, a councilman at large and the principal of Elizabeth's Alexander Hamilton Middle School, suffered fractures to his skull and right eye socket during the attack, which occurred on Dickinson Street around 1 a.m. Saturday, he said yesterday.
Cuesta was also robbed of his wallet, keys, credit cards and $1,000 in cash by the unidentified mugger, according to the police report.
"It's been a very traumatic experience," said Cuesta, 54. "From what my friends tell me, I'm just lucky to be alive."
About 65 staff members from Hamilton Middle School gathered after work Friday at the Sun Tavern in Roselle Park, Cuesta said, as part of a social outing he had organized to "build morale and rela tionships" at the school. After leaving the Sun Tavern, Cuesta and several of his colleagues made their way to Dolce, a popular restaurant and lounge on Broad Street in midtown Elizabeth.
Around 1 a.m., Cuesta left the restaurant to walk one of his teachers to her car. The teacher, a 25-year-old Parsippany woman, was taking her pocketbook out of the car's trunk when a man in a hooded sweatshirt walked out of the nearby alley. He walked up behind Cuesta, put a black handgun to the side of his head and demanded money, the police report said.
After Cuesta handed over his wallet, keys and cash, the mugger struck him in the temple with his gun.
"It happened so fast. Before I knew it, he struck me in the head and I guess I went down," Cuesta said.
The mugger then turned his attention to the teacher, who had locked herself inside her car to call 911. After tapping on her car window with his gun, the man got into another car that was waiting nearby and drove off, the report said. The teacher was not injured.
Cuesta was taken to Trinitas Hospital, where he was treated and released later that morning. He said doctors expect him to make a full recovery without surgery.
Meanwhile, police are searching for his attacker, who was last seen riding east on Dickinson Street. Detectives are hoping that at least one of several private surveillance cameras posted near the scene will help identify the mugger and his getaway car, said police spokesman, Sgt. Stephen Negrey.
Jonathan Casiano may be reached at (908) 527-4012 or jcasia no@starledger.com.

Waiting on the A.G. in UC

2008-01-16T18:51:00.001-05:00

In the Lobby reports today:
Hot off the press!

WAITING ON THE A.G.: Rumors are rampant that the state probe into Union County politics may have widespread political implications; there’s tremendous angst among politicos waiting for the multiple shoes to drop. We hear that the case may also include no-show jobs. (1/16/08)
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A Victory for Democracy

2008-01-09T16:52:00.000-05:00

Ballots that were signed by Roselle Councilman Jamel Holey

APPELLATE DIVISION UPHOLDS DANSEREAU VICTORY IN ROSELLE ELECTION! Cites "rampant statutory violations" of the handling of absentee ballots by Roselle Councilman Jamel Holley and other members of the Bullock campaign

The players:

Judge John Malone former Democrat Chairman, whose wife works for Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage was originally assigned to the case and threw it out. He claimed Dansereau’s argument was “convoluted, contradictory and confusing.” A Superior Court appellate panel, reversed Judge Malone’s decision to dismiss the case. They ruled that Malone was too narrow and restrictive in his view of the law in dismissing the matter.

Jamel Holley admitted there were "minor procedural issues" with the way some of the ballots were collected, but at the time, contended they should not have been invalidated. "In some instances, people left it for me to pick up. You don't invalidate someone's vote because of something minor like that," Holley said. Worrall Community Newspapers 1/9/08

"I won fair and square," "Sometimes disappointment hurts. She (Dansereau) needs to do something positive for the community." Said Rosemary Bullock immediately after the election. The Star-Ledger

"This is a victory less for me, and more for the people," says Councilwoman Christine Dansereau. "It is a victory for democracy." 1/8/08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2008
Contact: Renée Steinhagen, Executive Director, New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center, 973-735-0523/ Diana H. Jeffrey, Esq. Director of Government Accountability Program, 973-981-5862

Roselle, NJ - The Appellate Division issued an opinion today affirming a lower court's ruling that "improprieties" on the part of Rosemarie Bullock's campaign workers necessitated the invalidation of 31 absentee ballots cast for Bullock in the 2006 primary for the Borough of Roselle's 5th Ward council seat. Those invalidated ballots voided Bullock's victory, resulting in Christine Dansereau emerging as the winner of the primary. After Bullock filed an unsuccessful emergent appeal of that decision, Dansereau went on to win in the general election. Bullock then appealed the lower court's decision, asking the court to reverse the lower court's ruling, install her as the winner and/or invalidate the election results and hold a special election.

The appellate court upheld the trial court's finding that there was extensive mishandling of absentee ballots by Bullock campaign workers. Stating that "It is clear the statutory requirements for voting a valid absentee ballot were not followed here, and the deficiencies were more than the technical violations," the court went on to describe the various ways in which Bullock campaign workers' activities violated election laws. "The record is rampant as to the statutory violations," writes the court, pointing to evidence of Bullock campaign workers in some instances appearing to have cast the ballot for the voter; and in many other instances, carrying unsealed voter materials outside of the voter's presence. Testimony of the "haphazard manner of delivery of the absentee ballots pervaded the trial," says the court, describing for instance how some voters testified that they had never met Roselle Councilman Jamal Holley or did not know who he was, but his name appeared as the bearer of their absentee ballots. "The majority of the voters had no idea how their ballots ultimately got to the Election Board. . .somehow, their ballots ended up at the Board, twenty-three of them signed by Holley."

The court rejected Bullock's argument that the trial court lacked sufficient evidence to rule that the invalidated absentee ballots had been cast for Bullock. Citing the "extensive testimony of the direct involvement of other Bullock campaign workers throughout the voting process of these invalidated absentee ballots," the court ruled that "The circumstantial evidence was overwhelming that the absentee voters whose ballots were invalidated by the court cast ballots for Bullock. Given the evidence of the vigorous pursuit of absentee voters by the Bullock campaign and the skewed numbers in the overall absentee count in favor of Bullock, that most likely was a valid conclusion."

"This is a victory less for me, and more for the people," says Councilwoman Christine Dansereau. "It is a victory for democracy."

"This ruling serves as an unambiguous shot across the bow to campaign workers everywhere. Illegal election schemes like this one undermine our guarantee of free and fair elections." says NJ Appleseed's Director of Government Accountability Programs Diana H. Jeffrey, Esq., "The clear victors today are the people of Roselle."

For more information, contact Renée Steinhagen, Executive Director of New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center at: New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center, 973-735-0523, rsteinhagen@lawsuites.net, www.njappleseed.net, or Diana H. Jeffrey, Esq., Director of Government Accountability Program, 973-981-5862, DHJeffreypilc@aol.com.

Pay to Play - MusicFest 2007

2008-01-05T19:52:00.000-05:00

Pay to Play, the practice of companies making monetary contributions to political parties, usually the one in power and being awarded lucrative professional contracts seemingly in return, is one of those outrageous situations that Gov. Jon Conzine promised he would tackle during his tenure.

Though legislation has been attempted on more than one occasion over the past couple of years what has resulted has been watered down and containing loopholes. Interestingly the principal players have managed to find some intriguing ways to discreetly continue to do what they always have been doing.

Reviewing the list of “sponsors”, obtained through OPRA, for the Freeholders so called free concert for county residents, MusicFest 2007 proved to be a veritable who’s who of the county’s vendor list.

Case in point:

In 1998 the Westfield Leader reported that the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders awarded a $3.4 million contract to Correctional Health Services, Inc. of Verona, to provide health services to inmates at the County Jail and detainees at the county’s juvenile detention center, they would be helping the county switch from public to private management of the two facilities.
Citing reports of other counties utilizing CHS then County Manager Michael Lapolla predicted the savings would be at least $350,000 over the following two years. Union County has awarded contracts to CHS since that time to provide medical/health care services at the jail, detention center and also the children’s shelter, for the term of January 2004 thru December 2006 at a cost not to exceed $3.6mil for yr. 1, $3.7mil for yr. 2 and $3,968,940 for 2006.
According to reports filed with NJ Elec., Correctional Health Services, Inc. of Verona had awarded contributions to the Union County Democratic Committee in excess of $60,000 for the period from Sept. ’98 thru October’04.
Double checking the NJ Elec website showed that indeed, the last contribution to the UCDC was in October of 2004 however lo and behold Correctional Health Services pops up as a MusicFest sponsor to the tune of $5,500.
Coincidentially just this month the all Democratic Freeholder board authorized the County Manager to enter into a month-to-month contract with Correctional Health Services, Inc., Verona, New Jersey, to provide medical/health care services for inmates and residents of the Union County Jail and the Juvenile Detention Center for the period of January 1, 2008 through June 30, 2008 in the amount of $2,249,373.

Some other MusicFest sponsors doing business/having done business with the county include: Schoor DePalma Engineers, Pennoni Engineers, 4 Connections, Maser Engineers, Waste Management, Ricci Green Architects, Access Systems and Spruce Industries who contributed a combined $35,500 to the event thus giving the incumbents an actual stage to appear on before thousands of county residents without them having to spend a single campaign dollar.

Meeting recording turns up

2008-01-03T07:26:00.000-05:00

Last Friday the UCWA asked the Union County Prosecutor to investigate why a copy of the Dec. 20th freeholder meeting wasn't available through the Open Public Records Act. We also sent a press release to local media.

The County Clerk's office sent the following email yesterday:

Dear Mrs. Renna,
This e-mail is a follow-up relative to your OPRA request of December 21, 2007 for a DVD copy (VHS if DVD not available) of the 12/20/07 Freeholder meeting. Please be advised that the response form I faxed to you on December 28, 2007 stating "No recording to provide", was inaccurate. A VHS tape is in fact available and the cost to purchase same is $15.00.
Please accept my apologies for the error. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Office of the County Manager
Union County Administration Building, 6th Fl.
10 Elizabethtown Plaza
Elizabeth, NJ 07207

ORIGINAL POST

Meeting can be viewed HERE

A Countywatcher's year in review "2007"

2007-12-31T18:55:00.001-05:00

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

Governor Jon Corzine has confidence in Power Broker Driven Union County government

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……

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST_________________________________________________________________
March

Another one quietly bites the dust
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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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....

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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APRIL

The Courier News- a Gannet Newspaper, reports Freeholder Adrian Mapp’s car was hit by a bullet.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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County taxpayers have nothing to celebrate on 150th anniversary

ORIGINAL POST
_________________________________________________________________ June

Bills are still adding up for harassment lawsuit against Sheriff Ralph Frohlich, Inc.

ORIGINAL POST
_________________________________________________________________ July

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.

ORIGINAL POST
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August

Union County Watchdog Association wins OPRA lawsuit

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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County owned Runnell's Specialized Hospital is being run by a contractor

ORIGINAL POST
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Freeholders caught voting on something they knew nothing about

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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
ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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Christmas bonuses for Lesniak’s nephew and the freeholders

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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A county watchers year in review "2006"

ORIGINAL POST

UCWA requests investigation into $110,000 equipment

2007-12-28T14:27:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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. The county recently spent $110,000 on updating and installing new video equipment.

The UCWA routinely requests a copy of the meeting recordings and then has them converted to be available to the public on the Internet. An Open Public Records Act request for a copy of this meeting was returned “no document to provide”. Also not available to the public is a written statement which was read by the County Manager regarding the county’s response to the recent prisoner escapes.

During this meeting there was input from the public on many important subjects both on and off the agenda. It is the county’s habit of taking care of messy business such as retroactive pay raises at their end-of-the-year meeting. This meeting was held 5 days before Christmas.

Although the announcement hadn’t been made yet regarding the done deal of Richard Childs becoming the new County Public Safety Director the freeholders were asked repeatedly what qualifications Childs had for this position considering he was currently a part-time investigator in the County Counsel’s office and why a national search wasn’t performed to fill this position as was being done to fill the Jail Director position. The new Jail Director will be reporting to Childs.

No explanation was given or public statements made regarding this all-important position of public safety. There is no record of this position being discussed during public or closed session meetings of the freeholders.

Consider that Childs will now be in charge of a department with about 400 employees, including 74 County Police. The Public Safety Department also includes the operations of the county's Divisions of Correctional Services, Emergency Management, Medical Examiner, Weights and Measures, and Health. Childs will also be responsible for the supervision of the Bureaus of Domestic Preparedness, Hazardous Materials, the Fire Training Academy and Fire Investigations Task Force, and the Office of Consumer Affairs.

The UCWA is requesting an investigation because we 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.

Other important business during this meeting was the creation of 6 new captain positions in the Sheriff’s Department. This will bring the total number of captains to 11 and will allow for 6 Sergeants to be promoted to Lieutenant including the Union County Democrat Chairman, Charlotte DeFilipo’s daughter-in-law. Sheriff Ralph Froehlic’s step-son will be promoted to Sergeant. There are also 7 Lieutenants and 10Sergeants under 1 Sheriff and 3 Undersherriffs (one undersheriff is an assemblyman and another is the son of an assemblyman).

The main function of the Sheriff’s department is to guard the Courthouse which doesn’t include the prison. The freeholders were asked why six new Captains were needed. No explanation was given. These new captain positions and the other promotions will cost approximately $300,000 annually. Also created were 3 new lieutenant positions in the County Police Department.

Raises for the County Manager, who is appointed by the freeholders and is Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, and the freeholders were also on the agenda and voted on as well as raises for all constitutional officers - including the prosecutor and sheriff.

The county allows citizens 5 minutes to speak. Freeholder Chairwoman Bette Jean Kowalski repeatedly tried to keep me from speaking on all of the above, and I repeatedly asked her why I wasn’t allowed to speak the truth. Kowalski eventually had me escorted from the meeting by a county police officer. Now the recording of the meeting isn’t available. hmmmm

Union County government takes approximately ¼ of our property taxes and can not be held accountable to the public. Citizens of Union County should be very concerned about their public safety as well as their Democratic freedoms as dictated by the county freeholders.

View OPRA response HERE

Got Out of Jail - What an Embarassment!!!

2007-12-20T17:02:00.000-05:00

From:

The Star-Ledger
Thursday December 20, 2007, 4:20 PM

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.
The men hid their absence by stuffing their bedding with foam, rigging the material to make it appear that they were asleep in their bunks. They covered the gaping holes that they wriggled through with pin-up posters of half-naked women.

Even after reading the newspaper articles about the Union County Jail Break this past week, the question that still remains is: how was this possible??? Where was everybody? When a cinderblock was removed from an outside wall, didn’t anyone in charge notice even a modicum of fresh air coming from the cell? Since one of the escapees had only a short time prior made a similar attempt wasn’t it conceivable he would try again? Wasn’t anyone watching these guys? Weren’t they incarcerated in a high security area?

If these two weren’t the dangerous type what transpired would have been amusing since it was such a simple escape scenario, when was the last time any of us can remember anyone chiseling their way through cinderblocks with a hunk of wire. The only simpler scenario would have been for the outlaw’s horse to show up with a lasso and participate by pulling the window bars out thus enabling the prisoner to ride off unnoticed. That in of itself is probably what is causing our county prosecutor Theodore Romankow to be so enraged. Here in Union County the powers that be have justified their ever escalating expenditures for the county police and sheriffs depts. by claiming to be on the cutting edge when fighting crime. On television newscasts Romankow appeared as if he wanted to smack someone up side of the head and rightfully so for making UC corrections appear like the keystone cops.

Our county correctional facilities and uniformed services have not enjoyed the best publicity the past couple of years as prisoners have suffered fatal illnesses and law suits have been filed by employees against management and coworkers.

To Prosecutor Romankow’s credit he is demanding answers to these questions and others in short order, let’s just hope that when the answers come those responsible for this breech of security are held accountable and not given a free pass like the officers who set off fireworks and damaged residents personal property while blowing off steam after completing a drug case a few years back.

County residents deserve to feel safe in their homes and their neighborhoods and it would be nice to know that Romankow’s rage is in empathy with the residents and not a product of embarrassment because of someone else’s poor job performance.

Christmas bonuses for Lesniak’s nephew and the freeholders

2007-12-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

At the last freeholder meeting an ordinance was introduced which simply stated “An ordinance fixing the salaries of county officials and department heads”.

During public comment I asked who would be receiving raises and the freeholder chairwoman refused to give any details. She instead instructed me to place an Open Public Records Act Request with the clerk. At the end of the meeting I spoke out as the freeholders were leaving the dais “Did you not answer me because you are ashamed of the raises? You should be you don’t deserve them”.

Bruce Paterson of Garwood also asked for the information during public comment and was instructed to place an OPRA request with the clerk. He stated he wanted to see the ordinance before determining “whether you deserve the raises.” He later read the first part of his “Union County Countdown to Disaster – 2007,” which he reads each December to the freeholders. He summed up a list of lawsuits against the county, county tax hikes, the use of county cars for non-work activities and a photo opportunity for a county freeholder candidate staged in front of the county’s new homeland security boat as well as the many investigations by both the State and Federal Attorney General’s offices. Mr. Paterson said county government continues to use “waste, mismanagement and corruption” in its operations.

After obtaining the full text of the ordinance through OPRA it was confirmed that the freeholders and the County Manager and Deputy County Manager will be receiving retroactive pay raises. Which means they are getting pay raises for the new year and a Christmas bonus for the past year.

A Westfield Leader article quotes county director of public information Sebastian D’Elia as stating the raises place the Union County freeholder salaries to fourth highest among New Jersey’s 21 counties. However, documents obtained by placing OPRA’s to all 20 counties reveal Union County will now be the third highest paid freeholder board behind Essex and Hudson counties respectively. The county director of public information was also quoted as stating the county has the “fourth or fifth” highest population in the state. However, according to 2006 census information on all 21 counties posted on the New Jersey State website Union County has the seventh highest population in the state.

Our county manager, who is State Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, became a Union County employee when two part-time positions were created for him Deputy County Manager and Director of Economic Development. He was appointed to the county manager position in 2001. Lesniak’s nephew is the third highest paid county administrator in the state behind Middlesex and Somerset who do not employ deputy executives. The Somerset county executive has been a county employee for 37 years.

Freeholders are part-time positions. They will now be paid $30,385 an increase of $885. The Chairman will earn $32,445 and increase of 945 and the vice-chairman will receive $31,415 and increase of $915. The County Manager will now earn $163,831 an increase of $6,301 and the Deputy County Manager $142,440 an increase of $4,817.

This Thursday, Dec. 20 the Union County freeholders will have the final reading of the ordinance. They will then allow public comment and most likely vote 9-0 in favor. Merry Christmas taxpayers.

3rd Annual "Union County Countdown to Disaster-2007, the Year in Review."

2007-12-08T17:38:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Bruce Paterson of Garwood

The previous year 2006 was a disastrous year for Union County government all at the expense of the residents. This year was no different. Lets countdown the year together to see how we did.

February-A lawsuit against the Prosecutors office and the county alleging that the prosecutor’s office has no standard criteria for promotion and was frequently revised to allow for promotion of certain individuals with political connections. In addition, Hispanics had a distinct disadvantage. This sergeant when he spoke up was humiliated, harassed and his assigned parking spot was taken away.

February-Even though it is written in the county bylaws that all questions from residents should be addressed to the chairman of the board, chairwoman Kowalski told a resident you can comment, but we will not answer questions. Union county-we’re connected to you but only in 1 direction.

March-subpoenas handed down to the double dipping Union county undersheriff/ assemblyman Cryan. He is being investigated as to whether certain non-profit group’s donations to Cryan’s political fund in return helped them receive state grants. Hey when your sheriff in town, you make the law.

March-Cranford’s township authorized an 8 member committee to study the county taxes they pay versus the benefits they get from the county. They state that they pay over $13 mill in county taxes, they get 10 cents on the dollar in return and the rest is unknown where it disappears to.

March-State committee of investigation requested records from the county about our dealings with Sequoia voting systems, who the county bought the voting machines from. They want to study the reliability of the machines against tampering and all political donations from voting machine companies to the county political powers. Makes one wonder about the validity of elections in the county. The county subsequently said they are retrofitting them next year with paper ballots.

March-the only freeholder on this board who has financial experience was never allowed on the budget committees and now has been tossed from the upcoming election campaign. Why spoil the county record of financial disaster by having it addressed with experience.

April-Union County schools superintendent allowed a confidential and incomplete audit report into the hands of Elizabeth Mayor Bollwage so he could use it against the Elizabeth school board in the upcoming school election. This was unethical, despicable and possibly illegal since incomplete reports cannot be disclosed to the public.

April-the saga and lawsuits of the political patronage job continues in the County weights and measures dept. Two people were passed over for promotion so a politically connected hack could get the job. This guy also finished behind the 2 others in the civil service exam. Settlement finally happened this December the total fiasco costing close to $1 million. Maybe this is where Cranford’s county tax money is going.

May-Photos were taken about a county mosquito commissioner using his county car for political campaign work. This car was taken away from him. Finally 1 accountability.

May-It was uncovered that a county financial director has been using his county car to go to the gym when he is only allowed to go portal to portal. We wonder if he uses it for his second job in Linden. No reprimand.

May-oh oh county taxes to the residents up 5.3%. Total county taxes increases 70% since 2001. Probably had to cover all those unwarranted big raises from last year. Budget up 3.6%

May- A $5 mill Lawsuit against the county and dept of economic development and an officer of the improvement authority, from a person who alleges he was being forced into early retirement for political reasons. He’s not the same political party as the director of the improvement authority.

June-Final lawsuit settlements for harassment of a sheriff’s officer. Cost $2.5 mill. Direct out of taxpayer money: $1.7 million. Maybe that’s where Cranford’s county tax money is going.

July- County quickly settles suit with a Union county watchdog organization over unreasonable fees being charged for OPRA. Cost $1,900. Stated a watchdog- "that fee was just to stop people from asking for information from the county". Union County-we’re connected to you-only when we extort money from you.

July- County receives a Homeland Security Boat to protect the county coastline. Sadly the boat’s first critical mission was to have freeholder candidate Ryland Van Blake get a photo op with it for the freeholder’s upcoming campaign literature.

July- After promising $3 million in aid for flood relief to Cranford, the county gave the town $800,000 and reneged on the rest. Cranford deputy mayor and many residents went down to a freeholder meeting to beg for the rest. No such luck it appears.

August- The county medical examiner stated that he was forced out of the position for political reasons. He is now being replaced by 2 people. His salary was $145,000. The 2 new salaries total $350,000, one for $190,000 the other for $160,000. So much for the hiring freeze. And big raises take the place.

September-Another Musicfest extravaganza, this time costing twice as much as last year. Again there was the freeholder royalty tent set up with free alcohol and food for their cronies. Although the public pays for this, they are not invited to the tent. A resident last year said instead of inviting political cronies and hacks the freeholders should invite the disabled and specialized residents to the VIP tent. No such luck. The county is now big in the entertainment business. Maybe that’s where Cranford’s tax money is going.

September- Positive proof that the freeholders don’t even know what they vote on at their meetings, especially big ticket items. A $7 million bond ordinance for a non-profit organization in Plainfield was introduced. When questioned by a resident and Freeholder Mapp, the other freeholders said they didn’t know what it was about. A resident commented on this and was promptly thrown out for her comments. Union County, we’re connected to you, especially when they are dragging you out.

October- another inmate at the county jail ends up in intensive care after possible medical mistreatment at the county lockup. There were 3 deaths in as many years in the past. It seems one risks death being in county custody.

October- Again Sheriff Froehlich who was up for election sent out a political campaign piece using the official county seal. This is unethical and more likely illegal, but hey he’s the law around here so it doesn’t make a difference whether illegal or not.

October-Five subpoenas were served on the director of the Union County Improvement Authority, Charlotte Defillippo. They are requesting several back years of financial docs on the authority, her committee’s involvement with the Roselle primary election, and her ownership of a Camelot title agency. For 2 years we have implored you to get rid of this apparently shady character but you wouldn’t. Now the county is getting a black eye with the subpoenas to Cryan and Defillppo. It’s starting to look like a criminal enterprise thrives here in the county. And the taxpayers are the victims.

November-it appears that a sexual harassment lawsuit against a freeholder is back on the agenda. This freeholder already settled 1 sexual harassment lawsuit.

November- County finally settles lawsuit regarding the death of a juvenile in the detention center from 2003. Cost approximately $900,000. Over the years, the state had taken the county to task over the deplorable conditions which went on un-repaired for 18 months until this unfortunate death.

December- The county wants to create 6 new Sheriff Captain positions. So much for the hiring freeze. With big raises to take the place.

Every year, there are common threads in the countdowns-waste, mismanagement, lawsuits from political patronage, no accountability, death and harm. We dread to see what will chronicle next year. And here in the bizarro world of Union County government this is all rewarded with raises and promotions. It stinks, this is not Union county, it should be called ONION county.

Sheriff's dept. promotions to cost $271,604

2007-12-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

The UCWA was told that an ordinance will be on the Dec. 6th or Dec. 20th freeholder meeting agenda to create six additional Sheriff's Department Captain positions, which will allow for Union County Democrat Chairman Charlotte DeFlippo’s daughter-in-law to be promoted to Lieutenant. Sheriff Ralph Froehlich's step son will be promoted to Sergeant. The following are listed in order of rank in passing the exams. (Under Lieutenants you will see 2 number 6’s – this is because the candidates had the same score).

The employees with (promoted Jan. 07) means they have already been promoted this year. With the reorganization passed, the others will be promoted in the new year starting 2008.

NEW CAPTAINS

There are currently 5 captains. Excluding 1. Roxanne Banek, who was already promoted in Jan. 07, the following will be promoted from Lieutenant to Captain:

1. Roxanne Banek (promoted Jan.07)
2006 salary
Sheriff’s Officer Lieutenant: 86,580
2008 salary
$106,186
Increase: $19,606

2. Gail Alexander Lie
Sheriff’s Officer Lieutenant: 89,949
2008 Captain Salary: 105,686
Increase: $15,737

3. Nancy Diesel
Sheriff’s Officer Lieutenant: 89,949
2008 Captain Salary: 105,686
Increase: $15,737

4. Matthew Jagusak
Sheriff’s Officer Lieutenant: 90,449
2008 Captain’s Salary: $106,186
Increase: $15,737

5. Richard Cederquist
Sheriff’s Officer Lieutenant: 89,949
2008 Captain Salary: 105,686
Increase: $15,737

6. Michael Frank
Sheriff’s Officer Lieutenant: 90,449
2008 Captain’s Salary: $106,186
Increase: $15,737

7. Cynthia Weber
Sheriff’s Officer Lieutenant: 90,449
2008 Captain’s Salary: $106,186
Increase: $15,737

NEW LIEUTENANTS

Excluding 1. George Kurz, who was already promoted in Jan. 07, the following will be promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant:

1. George Kurz (promoted Jan. 07)
Sheriff’s Officer Lieutenant: 88,949
2008 Lieutenant Salary: 94,503
Increase: $5,554

2. David Pierro
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 80,984
2008 Lieutenant’s Salary: 96,003
Increase: $15,019

3. Dennis Burke
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 79,984
2008 Lieutenant’s Salary: 95,503
Increase: $15,519

4. George Valladares
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 80,984
2008 Lieutenant’s Salary: 96,003
Increase: $15,019

5. Melissa DeFilippo (Union County Democrat Chairwoman’s Daughter-in-law)
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 78,619
2008 Lieutenant’s Salary: 94,503
Increase: $15,884

6. Mark Banek
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 80,984
2008 Lieutenant’s Salary: 96,003
Increase: $15,019

6. Kara Davis
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 81,484
2008 Lieutenant’s Salary: 96,003
Increase: $15,019

NEW SERGEANTS

Excluding 1. through 4. who were already promoted in Jan. 07, the following will be promoted from Sheriff’s Officer to Sergeant:

1. AnnMarie Hagemann (promoted Jan. 07)
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 79,984
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 85,090
Increase: $5,106

2. Frank Miller (promoted Jan. 07)
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 79,984
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 85,090
Increase: $5,106

3. Nicholas Cadigan (promoted Jan.07)
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 80,984
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 86,090
Increase: $5,106

4. Brian Howarth (promoted Oct.07)
Sheriff’s Officer Sergeant: 72,032
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 77,652
Increase: $5,620

5. Frank Coon (Sheriff Ralph Froehlich’s step son – Not to be confused with Christopher Coon, Frank’s brother who was involved with the Sheriff Car Auction Lawsuit
Sheriff’s Officer: 72,032
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 77,652
Increase: $5,620

6. Stephen Lanzano
Sheriff’s Officer: 73,532
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 77,652
Increase: $5,620

7. Gerald Marko
Sheriff’s Officer: 73,532
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 77,652
Increase: $5,620

8. Clifford Meros
Sheriff’s Officer: 61,041
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 77,652
Increase: $16,611

9. Carlo Caparruva
Sheriff’s Officer: 72,032
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 77,652
Increase: $5,620

10. Carmelo Stillitano
Sheriff’s Officer: 72.032
2008 Sergeant’s Salary: 77,652
Increase: $5,620

Total cost for increases: $271,604

Freeholder’s annual holiday gifts to taxpayers...

2007-12-04T20:10:00.000-05:00

More patronage, nepotism and arrogance. Gee they shouldn’t have!

Word on the street is that the county is on the verge of creating 6 new Captain spots which will enable a politically connected Sergeant in the sheriff’s department, who scored the sixth highest on the Lieutenant's exam, be promoted.

It’s Christmas time, the county always has some kind of scam involving raises during the holiday season. It’s right after the Election and people won’t be paying attention, we’re all busy making cookies…..The UCWA is paying attention, and we’ll have more on the Sheriff’s Department shuffle soon.

Union County taxpayers will now be paying two superintendent salaries for one superintendent of weights and measures, the son of former Union Township Mayor Florio. Three law suits stemming from the promotion of the mayor’s son over 2 long-standing county employees who scored higher on a civil service exam cost in excess of $790,000. The prize? A lousy $8,000 pay raise all around.

The county recently settled a second lawsuit brought by employee Maria Todaro who was hired by the county Division of Weights and Measurers in 1993. Michael Florio joined the county 5 years later in 1998. The division is responsible for ensuring that gasoline pumps, supermarket scales, store scanners and other measurement devices are accurate.

Todaro who scored higher than Florio on a civil service exam, has a math degree, is bilingual, formerly worked for a law school dean and was a former packing manager for Proctor and Gamble. She has been secretary to the New Jersey Weights and Measures Association since 1997 and was employee of the month. Todero was able to prove that she was passed over for the county promotion because she is a registered Republican.

The only background information I was able to find on Michael Florio is that he is the son of former Union Township Mayor Florio.

In Maria Todero's first lawsuit a Union County Grand Jury, which found she was discriminated against, initially awarded Ms. Todaro $300,000. Ms. Todaro appealed the second part of the lawsuit, in which she argued she should be awarded the job because she was the most qualified candidate.

At the November 8th Freeholder meeting the county agreed to settle Todero’s second lawsuit for $200,000 and give her the Superintendents pay raise but they would not give Todaro the job.

Employee Joseph Freitas, who joined the county in 1987, 11 years prior to Mayor Florio’s son, also won $150,000 in a suit filed in Federal Court for being passed over for the same job. Freitas also scored higher than Florio on a civil service exam. The counties legal fees were $25,000.

Quote of the year:
"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.

You can view the lattest settlement document HERE.

Next freeholder meetings are Thurs. Dec. 6th and Thurs. Dec. 20th. The Dec. 13th meeting has been cancelled.

Cocktail Party Talk

2007-12-01T23:08:00.000-05:00

Imagine a buffet table somewhere in Union County:

Hey Joe, how is that new business venture of yours going?

Pretty good Ray, but could be better.

What seems to be the problem Joe?

Just some pesky state regulations Ray that are getting in the way of our tapping a specific target market for our service.

Sometime Later>>>>>>

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/S2500/2229_I1.HTM

According to its synopsis, a bill, introduced in the NJ State Senate in October of 2006 by State Senator Raymond J Lesniak, a Union County Democrat, permits title insurance companies and agents to offer certain inducements in connection with the business of title insurance. There is no companion bill in the assembly at this time.

Has anyone else noticed this proposed piece of legislation which pertains only to title insurance companies and agents?

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.

Surely there are those who would rather that this little extra tidbit of information not be put out there, but hey, to think that these people don’t talk to each other would certainly be naive to say the least. Could it be that title insurance companies/agents are one of Mr. Lesniak’s special interest groups? Where did his inspiration to craft and sponsor this piece of legislation come from originally? Was this just a case of incredibly bad, bad timing? Certainly doesn’t look good; does it?

Election time grant distribution show now available

2007-11-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

At the October 11th freeholder meeting the annual election time ritual of the Open Space Trust Fund Grant distributions to municipalities was performed. Officials from 18 towns traversed to Elizabeth and paid homage to the freeholders for giving them back a fraction of the money their taxpayers paid into the fund. You can view the spectacle on our Veotag account HERE.

Although the county performs the grant distribution ceremony with lots of photo ops and press releases sent to the local media, they never mention how much towns have paid into the fund. Since the fund’s inception in 2001 municipalities have paid $58,565,562.02 into the fund and have collectively received back $10,165,402.84 in grants. You can view our spreadsheet HERE.

You can’t miss where this money has gone in your town. Municipalities have to sign an agreement with the county which includes agreeing to hang a “We’re connected to you!” sign pictured above. There is no stipulation in the agreement which states when you can take the sign down but you do have to agree to have the county install it “for you!” exactly where “they want it to hang!” You can view a agreement template HERE.

I wouldn’t mind the spectacle so much, if once in a while the freeholders would come down from their thrones and show a little humility. They should acknowledge that they get their money from the towns. If they want ceremonies like the annual Open Space Trust Fund ritual, to be fair, why not have all 21 mayors present the freeholders with blown up prop checks in the amount the towns sent the county that year? The freeholders would have to say thank you and give an explanation as to what they are spending your money on.

I’d purchase a ticket to see that show.

Previously reported:
Rocks in our heads
Trust fund grants show signs of propaganda

A Countywatchers Year in Review "2007"

2007-11-18T18:02:00.000-05:00

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 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

Click Here f0r a complete history on the Farber/Estrada flap

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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APRIL

The Courier News- a Gannet Newspaper, reports Freeholder Adrian Mapp’s car was hit by a bullet.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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

ORIGINAL POST
_________________________________________________________________ June

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September

Musicfest VIP compound

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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 katmandu
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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.

ORIGINAL POST
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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"

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A county watchers year in review "2006"

ORIGINAL POST

Peek into the workings of & between the freeholders & their boss lady

2007-11-18T12:19:00.000-05:00

At a September 27, 2007 freeholder meeting, that can now be viewed on the UCWA Veotag video meeting minutes account, confusion ensued when freeholder Adrian Mapp moved to table a 7-million dollar bond ordinance put forward by the Union County Improvement Authority for a non-profit organization located in Plainfield. “We still don’t know who is behind the project, or who is responsible from the Union County Improvement Authority” said Mapp who resides in Plainfield. The board couldn’t answer to what the project was or who the people involved were, but this didn’t stop them from voting 8-0 to push the borrowing forward.

Depending on how you look at the new information the Union County Watchdog Association has gathered regarding this bond issue, the plot either thickens or the fog is lifted on the workings of and between the Union County Improvement Authority and the freeholder board who usually unanimously votes 9-0 on every ordinance and resolution without public discussion. One thing is crystal clear – the freeholders follow their boss lady blindly and vote on ordinances they have no knowledge of.

The Improvement Authority is headed by Charlotte DeFilippo who is also the Union County Democrat Chairman. The Freeholder board is made up of 9 democrats who, because of a myriad of reasons for which people vote down the Democrat line, are quite literally appointed and fired by DeFilippo and her machine.

In defense of his vote, Freeholder Sullivan, who works for the State Motor Vehicle Commission stated “Based on the county rules of governance, we have to approve any and all projects that the Improvement Authority puts forward,” said Sullivan. “Based on their track record and my faith in the Improvement Authority, they have done their due diligence and understand what the risks are with all projects. That’s why they have my support.”

But who is doing the Authority’s due diligence? A copy of the following letter was obtained through the Open Public Records Act. It was addressed to the Clerk of the Board of Freeholders and shows how a vendor of the Improvement Authority wrote the ordinance the freeholders approved without having any knowledge about it:

Dear Ms. Tedeschi:

Enclosed herein for consideration by the Freeholders for their next regular meeting is an ordinance requesting the County’s consent to issuance by the Union County Improvement Authority of its bonds in the amount of not to exceed $7,000,0000 to finance African American Fund of New Jersey Plainfield Project, a pre-school facility.

Should the freeholders approve this financing, I ask that you kindly forward a certified copy of the Ordinance as introduced, and as adopted to my office.

If you have any questions or comments, please do no hesitate to contact me.

Very truly yours,

John G. Hudak, Esq. (Not Charlotte DeFilippo, the Director of the Union County Improvement Authority)

The above letter, which can be viewed in its entirety HERE, included an attachment with the language for the ordinance that the clerk placed on the freeholders September 27, 2007 agenda and was approved 8-1. The one abstention being from Freeholder Adrian Mapp, who has fallen out of favor with the machine and was not given the party line during his bid for reelection.

An OPRA request to the Improvement Authority seeking to find out how the Black United Fund went about requesting funding from the Improvement Authority was responded to via email:

Dear Mrs. Renna:
During your OPRA review of the Black United Fund materials from the law office of John Hudak you asked if we had any preliminary documentation to how the Black United Fund was bonded. I have found that the Black United Fund went directly to our bond council, Mr. John Hudak, Esq. office.

If further information is requested, please let me know.

Thank you,
Jennifer Erdos
Union County Improvement Authority
10 Cherry Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07207
908-820-9710

So, you see, Sullivan and the other Freeholders admittedly blindly voted to approve the ordinance without any knowledge of what it contained. And even though he said he did so because the ordinance was presented by the Improvement Authority, records show that it wasn’t. This has been the motus operendi of the Freeholder Board for the past ten years and has put the County government in financial crisis.

I was tossed out of the meeting because I reminded Sullivan that DeFilippo gave him his state job and that she could take it away. Before I left the mike, I asked if the meeting was being video taped because besides having spent $110,000 on new video equipment the Freeholders had stopped tapping meetings.

They taped the meeting.

Is this all just for an opportunity to reward ‘friends”? Plainfield Today: Friday, September 28, 2007 $7M bond for nonprofit may leave Plainfield on the hook..

Miscellaneous Documents obtained through OPRA:

Draft Summary & Terms of Purchase

Black United Fund Plan of Finance

Union County Improvement Authority Resolution

Hudak Letter & Ordinance

Miscellaneous Correspondence

George's Trek

2007-11-18T10:42:00.000-05:00

I must apologize.

I have been remiss, I neglected to wish County Manager George Devanney good luck in his climb to the base camp of Mount Everest last month.

Actually, I had intended to pass along an Associated Press article, which appeared in many media outlets, as he prepared for his trip, however my personal health drama got in the way keeping me away from my computer for a number of weeks.

Devanney you will recall was embarking on a sojourn to Nepal thanks to the shoe leather of county workers and others who participated in the “Rockon Walkathon” in September at Nomahagen Park in George’s name.

Nepal Considers Nudity Ban on Everest
Nepal's Mountaineering Authorities Call for

Nudity Ban on Mount Everest
The Associated Press
KATMANDU, Nepal

Attention climbers: Please keep your clothes on while climbing Mount Everest.

Nepal's mountaineering authorities are calling for a ban

on nudity and attempts to set obscene records on the

world's highest mountain, officials said Wednesday.
Last year, a Nepali climber claimed the world's

highest display of nudity when he disrobed for

several minutes while standing on the 29,035-foot summit

with the temperature about 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

"There should be strict regulations to discourage such

attempts by climbers," said Ang Tshering, president of

Nepal Mountaineering Association.
Other record-setting attempts that sparked controversy

included a Dutch man who attempted to scale the peak

wearing only shorts.

The people who live on the foot hill of Everest worship the

mountain as a god and mountaineering authorities have

asked the government to ban disrespectful stunts on

Everest, Tshering said.

Mount Everest has always attracted record-setters,

including the oldest climber (71 years old), the youngest

climber (15 years old), the first climber with one foot and

the first blind climber. In 2005, a Nepali couple exchanged

vows on the summit as the first couple to get married on Everest.

Since Mount Everest was first scaled in 1953 by New Zealander

Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay, thousands of people have scaled the mountain.

I certainly hope that George managed to keep his wits about him and not get too caught up in the excitement of the moment.

Follow the link below to view the complete itinerary of the trip of a lifetime that George Devanney made with the help of the walkers and what may be the use of county resources.

http://www.lovehopestrength.com/everest/everest-trek-details

We get the government we deserve

2007-11-15T07:49:00.000-05:00

“Union County Freeloaders” was the message emblazoned across this photo dipicted on t-shirts worn by protesters during a May 10, 2007 vigil which ended with a visit to a freeholder meeting.

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.

After the death of Sinclair, the State’s Child Advocate released a blistering report of the facility which stated that “Union County’s “disregard” of rules let the teen hang himself. The advocate went on to report that the county “set the stage for his death”. The Child Advocate also stated that the county had a disregard for basic human rights and held "juveniles" three to four to a cell for 18 - 20 hours a day in which they ate and slept in 8 x 10 cockroach-infested cells.”

The Juvenile Detention Center is a basic service of County government, instead of building a much needed new facility or even doing needed repairs on the old facility, the county chose instead to construct new buildings to house county employees. The state directed the county to fix the sprinkler head that Sinclair hanged himself on, 17 months prior to his being put in the filthy cell. The county never bothered to make the recommended repairs.

The county also ignored pleas from the corrections officers union. The Star-Ledger reported on May 13, 2003: “A lawyer for Council 8 representing 30 officers at the detention center said the union had filed numerous complaints with the county, warning that “Something like this would happen because of the overcrowding and under staffing” at the facility. “For the last couple of months the union has been documenting and complaining about the conditions there, but I don’t think they really addressed our concerns,” said attorney Michael Bukosky.

In a November 30, 2000 Worrall newspaper article it was reported that after spending more than $2 million the freeholder’s scrapped its plans to construct a new detention center. At that time freeholder board chairman Daniel Sullivan said the cost to build a new center “is just not worth it” given a declining population at the current facility.

According to records obtained by the Union County Watchdog Association through the Open Public Records Act it shows the center was at over capacity at the time of Sullivan’s statement. In the same article Freeholder Louis Mingo, stated he did not want to “waste a lot of money if we don’t have to. We want to make sure that if we make an investment, its on solid ground.”

The cost at the time to build a new center was projected to be $20 million. The cost of the current project is roughly $40 million - plus a 17 year old human life.

Other costs to date associated with scrapping the original 1998 plan:

Sinclair law-suit county attorney’s fees and settlement to date: $1,110,000; State mandated updates to make the old facility clean and safe(r): Approximately $800,000; Maintaining the state mandated cap on the facility and housing youths out of county: $555,952

Total wasted money since the death of Edward Sinclair, Jr.: $2,465,952

The future of the 42-year-old detention center, which is located above the county employee parking garage is undecided. The UCWA recommends the freeholders move their offices to the facility and have freeholder meetings up there to remind them and the public of what happens when government can’t be held accountable.

The new detention center is 8 months past due from its last promised opening date. With the settlement of this lawsuit only the Union County taxpayers have been held accountable for the death of Edward Sinclair, Jr. No employee or elected official of the state or the county has been held accountable for Sinclair’s death, the condition of this facility or the treatment of countless other juveniles. No one has been written up, reprimanded, fined, suspended or voted out of office.

Freeholder Daniel Sullivan was the highest vote getter this past Election Day. We get the government we deserve.

In memory of Eddie Sinclair, Jr.

Eddie's family and friends visited a freeholder meeting shortly after his death.

Late in "Breaking the News"

2007-11-10T17:52:00.000-05:00

Just what is the role of the Fourth Estate in the everyday lives of the people and whatever happened to “who, what, when, where and how” reporting?

Appearing on the “Breaking News Page” of the NJ.com website and calling it “real time” news at 12:02 AM, Friday, November 9, and in the middle of the night, the Star Ledger announced that an investigation had been launched by state officials into the business and personal dealings of Charlotte DeFilippo the Chair of the Union County Democratic Committee and Director of the Union County Improvement Authority. The news article went on to explain that DeFilippo had been served with subpoenas in September and October so one could say that actually the Star Ledger was “late in breaking the news”, and shame on them.

Even in these times of high tech gadgets and gizmos many people get the news of their communities from the local newspapers, both dailies and weeklies. We want to know that those local papers will deliver the news in an up to date easy to read format, bringing us the facts relating to our local government, schools, sports, births, deaths and local business in a timely manner.

Yesterday’s news is basically useless as we live our lives in “real time” and need our news to be the same. We want to hear it all and prefer to decide for ourselves what information we will keep in our mental files for later use because it is important to us and what information we will discard. News in real time is what happened yesterday, today or what we can expect tomorrow, not what happed last week or last month because what are we going to do with old news, how will it benefit us now or in the near future.

The Star Ledger’s recent performance has been disappointing to say the very least. To claim that they choose to not report the details of the Union County subpoenas and their contents so that they would not be viewed as interfering with the recent elections is absurd. Should not the residents be informed of the unbiased facts of what is going on with their government and those running it in, shall we say “real time”? If the reporting of those unbiased facts coincides with some public event such as an election than so be it, and can holding back on news information be it good or bad also be viewed as interfering, why not just let it rip? Unless of course there are some forces that are actually running the presses and the newspaper is not, now, isn’t that sad?

Many would have to agree that what we really want from the news media is just the N-E-W-S!

Please just....tell me the facts,
give them to me in an expeditious & timely manner
and let me decide for myself what I will ignore and what carries some weight in my decision making.

To the Star Ledger: You are not my mother so don’t try to protect me from what you perceive to be evil or detrimental for me to know. And kindly refrain from attempting to cast the news in a good or bad light, which just annoys me because if I wanted an opinion I would have visited the editorial page.

Further in the case of government ... the last I checked it was by and for the people, not, by the news media shaped in their image for the people, this is manipulation of the facts, and inexcusable. Perhaps the Star Ledger should include the names of those who apparently are influencing their reporting on the mast head as they appear to be the ones steering the Ledger’s ship.

Charlotte Snared in Her Web

2007-11-09T01:20:00.000-05:00

Breaking News!!!

Authorities probe Union County Democrats
by Ian T. Shearn
Friday November 09, 2007, 12:10 AM
State officials have opened an investigation into matters involving some of Union County's most powerful Democrats, The Star-Ledger has learned.
The focus of the ongoing investigation points toward county Democratic Chairwoman Charlotte DeFilippo, the former freeholder who heads the Union County Improvement Authority and is a legislative aide to Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Union).
Patti Sapone/The Star-LedgerUnion County Democratic Chairwoman Charlotte DeFilippo at her Hillside home last year.
DeFilippo confirmed the existence of five subpoenas that demand documents and information about her public and private business dealings. The contents of the subpoenas, which were served in September and October, were described by DeFilippo this week in an interview.
"When you wear several hats, you acquire enemies over the years," she said.
DeFilippo is a towering political figure in Union County, where Democrats dominate most town councils and have held a 9-0 lock on the freeholder board since 1997. She does not hold elected office. But as head of the county committee, DeFilippo hand picks the Democratic candidates for freeholder, mayor and council in the county.
According to DeFilippo, the subpoenas seek:
-- Financial and other documents for the last three years from the Improvement Authority, which each year awards millions in contracts to construction, law and engineering firms.
-- An explanation of her duties as Cohen's aide. Cohen said he also received a subpoena in late October, asking for any records pertaining to his employment of DeFilippo.
-- All records relating to the county Democratic Committee's involvement in last year's primary election in Roselle, in which allegations of voter fraud are being investigated by the state Division of Criminal Justice.
-- A client list and financial records from Camelot Title Agency, a Woodbridge company in which DeFilippo owns a minority stake.
See more in Corruption in NJ, Union County

Taxpayers get some respect

2007-11-07T18:17:00.000-05:00

Cranford Commissioner, George Jorn, who told a resident "I don't respect you so why would I give you any respect" after being asked to recall what he did to earn $4,500 county tax-dollars, lost a re-election bid yesterday by 19 votes at this moment. There are 19 provisional ballots still to be counted.

Cranford Commissioner, George McDonough also lost a re-election bid yesterday, by a WHOLE LOT of votes. McDonough ranted on at a recent Township Committee meeting regarding being caught on the following video of last years Music Fest VIP Tent which cost tax-payers $5,500 for the food alone. Said McDonough in defense of his VIP treatment "…I went to a concert, along with 10,000 other people! I was in a tent for elected officials and there was beer and wine!....” ” “I think this is a slur to the Irish!”.

Wrong again George, it was a slap in the face to taxpayers, and for this and your general disrespect for them and your obnoxious absurdity, they slapped you back yesterday.

The sun is rising in Union County.....

Yesterday’s election didn’t put any watchdogs on the freeholder board; because all freeholders seats are at large, all three selected puppets were elected by the cities. But there were many victories in town races across the county. A lot of good people were elected and a lot of machine puppets were sent packing.

I’d say it’s dawn in Union County and with the looming investigations into county machine politics and their business with our tax dollars, the rooster is on the verge to welcome a new day. But don't expect the rooster to be quoted in the Star-Ledger in your morning paper. The Ledger has been suppressing news regarding the investigations for 2 weeks now so as not to have an effect on county elections. Sources have said that the Governor all the way UP the power chain to Ray Lesniak put pressure on the Ledger to keep their dirty business from their readers.

The Ledger has proven themselves to be Lesniak's bitch and it becomes more irrelevant by the day.

Click HERE to view video footage of George McDonough, who was tossed out of office yesterday, driking and eating at tax payers expense in the V.I.P. tent for cronies connected to the Democrat machine.

Peek into Union County machine politics

2007-11-04T08:14:00.000-05:00

The Westfield Leader taped interviews with all freeholder candidates. I highly recommend you view the interview with Freeholder Mapp. Mapp was thrown off the Democrat party line and is running as an independent.

Many freeholders have been 'fired' by the Democrat machine in recent years. For the past decade anyone on the Democrat line is automatically elected. Mapp replaced Freeholder Louis Mingo who fell out of favor with the machine.

Mapp's interview gives some behind the scenes insight into many issues the Countywatchers blog has written about as well as the workings of county government and the control the Democrat machine has on the freeholders, although you have to squint to see it at times.

This is not a candidate endorsement. The Mapp interview along with all Union County Freeholder candidate videos can be viewed on the Westfield Leader/Scotch Plains Fanwood Times website HERE

Union County served with subpoenas

2007-11-01T11:40:00.000-04:00

I've been hearing that last week the New Jersey State Attorney General's office served subpoenas at the Union County Improvement Authority where the Director is the Union County Democrat chairman Charlotte De Filippo.

There is no way for the public to verify this information. The truth will be told eventually and another subpoena involving political corruption served up in New Jersey at this low point in its history is not shocking. Especially if it involves De Falippo running county business along with party business from her dining room table. No secret there. The Improvement Authority’s headquarters at 10 Cherry Street didn’t even bother to have Internet service installed until this past June. With past puppet Attorney General’s like Zalima Farber and Peter Harvey why bother to put up much of a front?

What will be another blow to New Jersean's faith in their State and their institutions is whether or not the Star-Ledger will suppress the news until after Election Day.

County public information spin is as negligent and twisted as their prisoner care

2007-10-27T13:30:00.000-04:00

It was brought to the Union County Watchdog Association’s attention this week that another prisoner held in the Union County jail was near death after possible medical mis-treatment. Allegedly several memebers of the medical staff have been released from their duties. The staff work for Correctional Health Services, the contractor in charge of medical treatment at the jail. The firm is a heavy democrat party contributor and has also contributed upwards of $10,000 to Union County concerts.

The County of Union uses it’s website as a campaign tool. Only fluff stories that mostly feature freeholders that are up for re-election are posted, negative press releases are only sent to insistent media.

When we learned that a press release was sent to just a select group of media and not placed on the county website we placed an Open Public Records Act Request for all releases sent to media outlets and was sent the following release which was issued 10 days after the prisoner fell ill and fails to inform us of any details while strongly implying that the county had nothing to do with this prisoners illness and care. Notice the county makes sure they mention the prisoner’s crimes in case anyone should feel sympathy for a human life and forget that this isn’t a ‘law abiding citizen’.

The county to date also refuses to accept any responsibility for the death of a 17 year old held in their juvenile detention center despite a report released by the States Child Advocate which stated “the county set the stage for his suicide” and other strong evidence of neglect of the center and its inhabitants. This lawsuit is scheduled to be officially settled conveniently after this upcoming Election Day.

An email to Freeholder Chairwoman Bette Jean Kowalski asking for information regarding this prisoner’s health has gone unanswered. Because of the lack of public information and freeholder accessibility, the Union County Watchdog Association will now include asking for all press releases in our weekly routine OPRA requests. It is very tedious keeping an eye on Union County government, all the more reason for the need for government watchdogs.

Other recent prisoner deaths and abuses: In February 2006 The Star-Ledger reported that the county was facing its second lawsuit in five weeks for the death of an inmate who died in custody because of a lack of medical treatment. Aaron Pittman was convicted for drug possession. He died 18 days after he was detained and his medication for Crohn’s disease was confiscated. Another inmate, Donald Davis, died from an untreated stomach infection on Oct. 25, 2005. Davis was arrested and locked up at the Union County Jail for stealing an undershirt from a store in Elizabeth. Five days later, the 44-year-old man from Newark was found dead in his cell, from an untreated stomach infection -- peritonitis. It was also found that a 22 year old prisoner had to have his voice box removed, and is currently fighting for his life, due to a cancer that went untreated. (Management in charge of the jail were given raises in December 2006.)

OPRA response:

From: Sebastian Delia
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 6:07 PM
To: Marlena Russo
Subject: This is the one not on the website

October 23, 2007
For immediate release
Contact: Sebastian D’Elia
Communications Director, Union County
908-527-4419

UNION COUNTY INMATE IN INTENSIVE CARE AT
UNIVERSITY MEDICAL HOSPITAL

ELIZABETH--Jonathan Dawkins, an inmate at the Union County Jail, is in intensive care at the University Medical Hospital in Newark.

On Saturday, October 13th Dawkins had to be removed from his cell after exhibiting behavior that posed a potential risk to himself and those around him. During the course of his removal by a specially trained team of corrections personnel, medical intervention became necessary. Dawkins was transported by Elizabeth Emergency Medical Services to University Hospital in Newark.

Dawkins, a 35-year old resident of Newark, was in jail on Union County warrants for aggravated assault and resisting arrest. He had been in the Union County Jail since October 1st, awaiting pre-trial processing.

This information has been released following the notification of Dawkins’ family members.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office and the County Police Department are conducting a joint investigation of the matter.

--30--

SHAME - SHAME - SHAME

2007-10-23T18:36:00.000-04:00

“Shame on You Ralph Froehlich”

A Message to Sheriff Froehlich: Take Down Those Illegal Pole Signs

We realize that old habits die hard and that this guy is an old time politician but come on already!

One would think that since he is among the highest ranking law enforcement officials in the county and probably the longest serving sheriff in the country he would simply comply with the law instead of thumbing his nose at it.

Sheriff Ralph Froehlich currently has hundreds of campaign signs illegally posted on public utility poles from one end of Union County to the other including the one pictured above which is posted right outside of the building bearing his name. Besides being an unsightly blight on the landscape of Union County, the pole signs represent a slap in the face to the very residents who have repeatedly entrusted him to uphold the law. These signs are not only in violation of state law but local ordinances in some of our municipalities as well.

We would like to point out that Sheriff Froehlich rarely misses an opportunity to publicly commend himself for running his department in what he believes to be an up-to-the-minute cutting edge style frequently bragging that he is always looking to institute new, inventive programs and technologies. That being the case one would think he would step into the 21st century when it came to campaigning and expect that he would not feign innocence again this year by blaming others for this unsightly barrage against good taste.

Why than does he continue to campaign in an old fashioned manner plastering the county with these ugly and illegal signs reminiscent of the days of Boss Tweed and high button shoes?

· Is it because he has been in office for so long that he has forgotten who pays his salary and what they expect.
· Is it because he does not take his oath of office seriously especially where he promised to uphold the laws of the state and county.
· Is it because he thinks he is above the law.

Whatever the reason it is time that he stopped being a hypocrite and showed some respect for the taxpayers by respecting the laws that he vowed to enforce.

2008 Music Fest - Now here we go again

2007-10-17T19:58:00.000-04:00

We previously reported that after being caught on film last year feasting and drinking in their exclusive tax-payer funded Musicfest VIP tent, fit with celebrity port-a-potties, the county made sure they didn’t do it again - get caught on film that is.

This years Musicfest VIP tent was set far off and out of sight and out of reach of a camera’s zoom lens. Therefore, it was necessary to return the next morning, which was a Sunday, and take a peek around.

Last year the county left their mess until after 9 a.m. on Monday morning. I arrived slightly before 8 a.m. on Sunday and found a Parks & Recreation crew already on the job. Next year, the county is going to have to get up a bit earlier than that if they want to hide their tax-payer funded party.

The following photos were taken of the aftermath of this year's Musicfest VIP tent party. Open Public Records Act requests were returned with the following responses:

The county has no catering bills for the VIP tent catering

The county has no alcohol bills for the VIP tent alcohol

The county has no permits to serve alcohol to their VIP tent guests

Bottles being carted away in a county golf cart:

A county parks sign:

Taxpayers Port-a-John:

VIP Tent Port-a-John complete with flowers, sink with soap dispenser, doormat and a mirror for checking your lipstick:

Previosly reported:
Freeholders VIP Compound

Taxpayers get no respect

2007-10-14T15:23:00.000-04:00

In Union County machine politicians can't be held accountable, law enforcement is overwhelmed and taxpayers get no respect.

Paying a hell of a lot more for less

2007-10-07T11:26:00.000-04:00

Ocean County maintains a kiosk at the Ocean County Mall, yet Union County taxpayers are shelling out $131,745 more for what the freeholder's consider "public information".

The County of Union is spending more on public information department salaries than any other county in the state. A hell of a lot more. From sightings on the campaign trail, a video on you-tube, the ELEC site, and in offices of local newspapers, citizen watchdogs and the local media can’t deny the fact that these employees are involved in campaigns.

Listed in the Laws of Union County is a code that requires that every full-time employee "shall devote his entire time during business hours" to the job.

That means when a public information department employee calls a local newspaper editor to make a campaign interview appointment –they are not devoting their entire time during business hours to their job. When a public information department employee accompanies campaigning freeholders on media interviews involving their campaign – they are not devoting their entire time during business hours to their job. Unless their job description encompasses working on freeholder re-election campaigns.

The head of this department, who is quoted often in the press as the “Union County Spokesperson” has been said to be on call 24 hours to disseminate information to the public. In a 2005 memo in which the county manager recommends this department head for a raise he acknowledges that “Seb works around the clock, and handles major issues and hostile inquires on a daily basis”.

Then when can it be appropriate for this tax-payer funded “round-the-clock spokesperson” to be working on freeholder campaigns? And why is the local media, who by the way folks are supposed to be the government watchdogs, not exposing this abuse of the public trust?

Westfield homeowners pay more property taxes to the County of Union then they do to their town. If the Mayor of Westfield had a town employee arrange a campaign meeting during business hours, would the local media wink and nod at this as well? Most likely it would be reported on the next few published editorial pages.

It is illegal
At the time of this posting, former Essex County Executive James Treffinger couldn’t be reached for comment on the legalities of this campaign staff/public employee issue. Treffinger was convicted, and was sent to prison, for having county employees working on his campaign for U.S. Senate.

Outside information
In addition to spending $445,173 on public information department salaries the county maintains a $232,000 yearly contract with Strategic Media for the purposes of providing media consulting and marketing services. They also have a separate firm “All Access Marketing and Media” which they pay $15,000 to market the Musicfest. Yet another firm provides management services for the Musicfest. Strategic Media, which has changed its name several times also does work for the all-Democrat freeholder campaigns.

What counties are spending on Public Information staff salaries:

$445,173__Union
$313,428__Ocean- Maintains a kiosk at Ocean County Mall
$311,717__Somerset
$243,462__Burlington- Head of PI is also Custodian of Records
$238,389__Cape May
$204,200__Atlantic
$187,437__Monmouth
$184,425__Bergen
$154,066__Essex
$128,912__Warren- Confidential Assistant also takes meeting minutes
$105,192__Passaic
$ 83,590__Morris
$ 82,410__Hudson
$ 79,826__Cumberland- PI Officer is also the Director Dept. of Planning
$ 43,577__Gloucher- PI Director is also the Clerk of the Board
$ 41,560__Salem- PI Officer is also Head of Human Resources

Counties with no Public Information Departments:
Camden
Hunterdon
Mercer
Middlesex
Sussex

Research is based on Open Public Records Act requests for 2006 public salary information.

Still no accountability on juvenile detention center

2007-09-30T10:50:00.000-04:00

At the September 6, 2007 Union County freeholder meeting the Board refused to answer when I asked when the new juvenile detention center would be opened.

The last time the county committed to an opening date was in the Star-Ledger on 4/15/06: “The facility should be ready for occupancy in August 2007, said Union County Spokesman Sebastian D'Elia.”

Loss of life

After the death of a 17 year old on Mother’s Day 2003 the Child Advocate reported that the county’s “disregard” of rules let the teen hang himself. The advocate went on to report that the county “set the stage for his death”. The Child Advocate also stated that the county had a disregard for basic human rights and held "juveniles" three to four to a cell for 18 - 20 hours a day in which they ate and slept in 8 x 10 cockroach-infested cells.

Edward Sincalir, Jr. hanged himself on an exposed sprinkler head which was cited as a violation and suicide hazard by the state in a report sent to the county seventeen (17) months prior to his death. The county never made the recommended repairs.

The county also ignored pleas from the corrections officers union. The Star-Ledger reported on 5/13/03: “A lawyer for Council 8 representing 30 officers at the detention center said the union had filed numerous complaints with the county, warning that “Something like this would happen because of the overcrowding and under staffing” at the facility. “For the last couple of months the union has been documenting and complaining about the conditions there, but I don’t think they really addressed our concerns,” said attorney Michael Bukosky.

The loss of tax-dollars

In an 11/30/2000 Worrall newspaper article, then Regional Editor Mark Hrywna reported that after spending more than $2 million the freeholder’s scrapped its plans to construct a new JV center. At that time board chairman Dan Sullivan said the cost to build a new center “is just not worth it” given a declining population at the current facility.

According to records obtained by the UCWA through the Open Public Records Act it shows the center was at over capacity at the time of Sullivan’s statement. In the same article Freeholder Louis Mingo, stated he did not want to “waste a lot of money if we don’t have to. We want to make sure that if we make an investment, its on solid ground.”

The cost at the time to build a new center was projected to be $20 million. The cost of the current project is roughly $40 million - plus a human life.
Other costs to date associated with scrapping the original 1998 plan:

Attorney fees to date, with no end in site, resulting from a 17 year olds death at the center: $330,000 (county costs alone)

State mandated updates to make the old facility clean and safe(r):
Approximately $800,000

Maintaining the state mandated cap on the center and housing youths out of county:
$555,952

Total wasted money since the death of Edward Sinclair, Jr.: $1,685,952

The future of the 42-year-old structure located above the county employee parking garage is undecided. The UCWA recommends the freeholders move their offices to the facility and have freeholder meetings up there to remind them and the public of what happens when government can’t be held accountable. This would also offer the public a safe and convienent place to park during meetings.

Other freeholder comments regarding their accountability for the facility and the death of a 17 year old:

On December 16, 2004, after I was escorted from a freeholder meeting by two county police officers while making a public statement regarding the counties neglect of the JV center, then Freeholder Chairman Angel Estrada went on a long diatribe in defense of the county's treatment of juveniles.

"Let me just talk about Eddie Sinclair for a second the young angel
(Sarcastic) that we often hear unfortunately did die. But I think we also need to look at the realities in society in terms of what get people to where they are and the locations that they've been in not to say that I am not favorable to an individual who commits a crime and has to pay his punishment to society but the reality is that often we find ourselves that for some reasons individuals don't find their way out of the loop in time by which they do things that are totally improper and incorrect.

I by no means believe that this board is a cause and effect of this gentleman’s death and the reality is that there are many things that are behind the scenes that we are were not fully getting in terms of other potentials that may arise from this so the reality is that through the years I'm sure that you've all read articles in the papers where by this is not a problem of Union County this is a problem of the state of NJ. This problem of institutions that basically are not serving individuals in the right capacity. I'm willing to spend as many millions of dollars in terms of schools rather than detention centers but we have to do these things as well.

This board has been prepared and has moved on this and is working to achieve those goals. But understanding is that in the same token society and individuals in society have to take on the responsibility of things that they actually do that may cause harm to other individuals."

Oh really…

No employee or elected official of the state or the county has been held accountable for the death of Edward Sinclair, Jr., the condition of this facility or the treatment of countless other juveniles. No one has been written up, reprimanded, fined, suspended or voted out of office.

Child advocate’s report.

How boring to be tossed out of yet another freeholder meeting

2007-09-27T20:38:00.000-04:00

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 orginzation default on their payments.

The Director of the Union County Improvement Authority is Charlotte De Falipo, who is also head of the Union County Democrat Committee who appoints the freeholders.

Freeholder Adrian Mapp asked that the ordinance be tabled because as a Plainfield resident not even he could speak as to what this project was about or who was behind it.

I have never seen a freeholder debate the board on anything, and obviously neither did they because the confusion that followed was reminiscent of the Key Stone Cops.

They didn't know how to proceed with the meeting. They were mumbling, they were fumbling and they were far reaching. Freeholder Holmes made a recommendation on how to include Mapp's objections in the second reading. He was then reminded that this was the second reading.

The only defense for their ignorance came from Freeholder Daniel Sullivan who has a state job working for the MVC. He said the Improvement Authority has always done their due diligence in the past, and if they O.K.’d this project then it is just dandy fine with him.

During public comment I commended freeholder Mapp and told him he had my vote. I then laughed in their faces telling them how refreshing this scene was and how absurd they are to be blessing a 7-mill project with no knowledge what-so-ever about it. I believe I used the phrase “eye popping” to describe Freeholder Sullivan’s blessing of 7-mill to the Improvement authorities due diligence. As if we didn’t already know the agenda is written at Charlotte De Falipo’s dining room table and her puppets blindly vote yes on everything put before them.

Freeholders get paid approximately $30,000 a year to watch over the approximate ¼ in property taxes we are forced to send them. Tonight shined a light on how they follow their leader when doling it out.

I was tossed out of the meeting because I reminded Sullivan that De Falipo gave him his state job and that she could take it away. I got one other shot in before I left the mike. I asked if the meeting was being video taped because besides their having spent $110,000 on new video equiptment they have stopped tapping meetings.

Anyone still believe this is a democracy?

Plainfield Today: Friday, September 28, 2007
$7M bond for nonprofit may leave Plainfield on the hook.. Letter to Asm Green.. Abbott Schools boost state.. Mortgage help..

County owned Runnell's Specialized Hospital is being run by a contractor

2007-09-24T21:30:00.000-04:00

Four years ago Union County Runnell's Specialized Hospital's administrator accepted a county retirement package which included life-time health benefits. One month later he was hired back as a consultant under the firm Aruspex, LLC to provide the same duties he performed one month earlier as a county employee.

Joseph Sharp was making $108,019 as a county employee. Upon retirement on July 1, 2003 he began collecting a $47,419 pension. According to county resolutions dated August 1, 2003 to date the county has paid Aruspex, LLC $365,950 for Sharp’s services as administrator.

Department heads are responsible for presenting resolutions to the freeholders for adoption. Sharp has been presenting resolutions as a contractor since his retirement.

Since retiring on July 1, 2003 Sharpe has collected $189,676 in pension payments. This is the amount the Union County Watchdog Association has asked the State Pension Employee’s Retirement System to demand back from Sharp.

It was recently reported in the Star-Ledger:.... Rahway business administrator and redevelopment director Peter Pelissier retired from both jobs to a log cabin on a 23-acre spread in Montana. His retirement after almost three decades in public service did not last long. The same month he began collecting his public pension from New Jersey, the 61-year-old Pelissier also began receiving checks from the Rahway Redevelopment Agency as a high-paid consultant -- doing the same job he had left for retirement, in an unusual, long-distance relationship.

Now the state wants the pension money back, arguing Pelissier never left the job as redevelopment director in Rahway.

The job he once performed for a salary was the same job he was being paid to do as a consultant, the state contends.

"If you retire, you cannot ... go back into a position similar to what you were doing when you left government, or another position covered by the pension system," state Treasury spokesman Tom Vincz said. "We're seeking to recoup all benefits paid out."

Vincz said the state comes across about a dozen cases a year of retirees doing public work while collecting a pension, spanning all manner of public employment, from school administrators to police officers.

Paula Franzese, a Seton Hall University law professor and chairwoman of the State Ethics Commission, said Pelissier's arrangement was "wrong on every level" and demonstrated loopholes in the system that need to be plugged.

"It's a betrayal of the pension system. It's a betrayal of the public trust and confidence, and it's a clear-as-day reason why local government needs to be within the purview of the uniform ethics code," Franzese said. "It just adds to the taint and perception that it's all politics as usual."

Freeholders Dis Westfielders

2007-09-21T22:26:00.000-04:00

DO THESE LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THIS????

It appears that the ugliest government building in Union County is soon to have a sibling that could possibly nudge the Froehlich monstrosity, on North Avenue East in Westfield, out of first place and into second, much like when mom brings home a newborn bumping big brother out of the limelight. Artist’s renderings show that the new construction which will house county vehicles and office space unfortunately bears a striking family resemblance to its big brother, neither one fitting into the ambiance of charming downtown Westfield.

Coming before the Westfield Planning Board in early September Noel Musial, president of the Musial Group, of Mountainside, the county’s fav architect, spoke at length about how the building would be different than the existing garages and the doomed Venneri bldg on North Ave which will be demolished for what appears to be additional parking. The new buildings will be energy smart, which is certainly a good thing, having for instance solar panels on the roof for heating, but also up there will be rooftop parking at the second floor level. The office building will have yet a third floor which according to the rendering will have those porthole windows just like “Big Brother”. So upon completion, there will be the original Queen Mary and what looks like a barge towing a flush deck for your cruising pleasure. Whoever decided on the style of these buildings ought to be keel hauled.

Though Westfield residents send more of their tax dollars to the county for it’s operation than they keep to run the town, they have no say as to what will be built on county owned property within the town and the presentation to the planning board was a courtesy at best. It has been reported in all of the local weekly papers that Planning Board members were a bit taken aback by the magnitude of the buildings but were assured by Musial that some of their concerns will be addressed by planting shrubbery. It could just be speculation but will they be bringing in giant redwoods to hide this miserable looking building from sight?

The county contends that they want to be “good neighbors” and appear to think that by announcing that they are using a lot of recycled materials in the construction they will be able to get on Westfielders good side and glean acceptance for the project; like that would make it more visually appealing. However, if they were good neighbors they would have given more consideration to the hard work that officials have put into the planning and guidance of suitable construction styles appropriate for their town. Further, good neighbors are sensitive to the trials and tribulations of those in residence near to them, so one would think that the county would recall the well publicized parking garage issue which had brother fighting brother in Westfield. To quote former Mayor Garland “Bud” Boothe, “this just doesn’t do it.”

The bottom line is that Westfield, paying some of the highest taxes in the county, doesn’t seem to matter to the Freeholder Board as they surge forward awarding no bid contracts to political contributors like The Musial Group and Joseph Jingoli & Sons, who are also on board with the project. Looks as though they are thumbing their noses at the good taste and sensibility of the town’s residents while blatantly picking their pockets and telling them “we are connected to you”.

50% Here & 50% Here - Could have Been 100% There

2007-09-16T23:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's Rock-on-Walkathon is said to have raised over $75,000 for County Manager George Devanney's favorite charities. .....proceeds are to be a 50-50 split between two charities - the following is from those charities websites:
50% - Love Hope and Strength Foundation - tax deductable contribution - going to Nepal.

In October, cancer survivors and co founders of the Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHSF) Mike Peters of the Welsh rock band the Alarm and entertainment insurance executive James Chippendale are taking the fight against cancer to new heights- Mt Everest; leading 40 musicians, mountaineers, cancer survivors, those whose lives have been affected by cancer and invited friends on the adventure of a lifetime. "Everest Rocks" is a fourteen day trek and acoustic concert at the base camp of Mt Everest, with a grand finale rock concert in Kathmandu. Leading up to the event will be a series of promotions and concerts in LA, NYC, Wales, Dallas and New Jersey.

50% - NJ Coalition for Cures - NOT tax deductable

The NJ Citizens' Coalition for Cures is a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. NJCCC is dedicated to educating the public about the promise and realities of stem cell research. Our mission of advancing biomedical research in New Jersey to find life-saving cures and treatments is made possible by your donations. Donations to NJCCC are not tax deductible, thus allowing the Coalition to lobby for legislation that promotes better health and offers hope to patients and their families, who are waiting for medical miracles.

The following article appeared in many local newspapers, to include the Cranford Chronicle this past week .....The county could have supported this effort:

Walk for Hope, Walk for Mom at Nomahegan
Friday, September 14, 2007
CRANFORD -- CancerCare of New Jersey has announced that its annual Walk for Hope will take place at five locations in New Jersey, including Nomahegan Park, on Saturday, Sept. 22, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The Cranford walk is also known as the ninth annual "Walk for Mom," organized by Tim Dursee in memory of his mother, Charlotte Dursee. Area residents are invited to join the Dursee family and friends for a walk around Nomahegan Park, and to receive a "Walk For Mom" T-shirt. Participants will enjoy entertainment, activities for the kids and refreshments, as well as the satisfaction that comes from working together to make a difference.
Walk for Hope is one of CancerCare's most important fundraising events. The event brings family members, friends and the community together for a fun-filled day to benefit an extremely important cause.

This year, the non-profit organization's goal is to recruit 1,500 walkers and raise $250,000 to benefit its completely free services.
CancerCare's Walk for Hope is an opportunity to honor those lost to cancer, celebrate those who are survivors, and give hope to those who are coping with the challenges of the disease. Visitors to Nomahegan will see the CancerCare Wall of Hope, which will offer participants the chance to write a message and make a dedication to someone they love.

The walk will take place rain or shine. For more information or to register, visit http://www.cancercare.org/walkforhope or contact Kathy Trethaway at (800) 813-HOPE (4673) or / ktrethaway@cancercare.org.

CancerCare is a national nonprofit organization that provides free professional support services -- including counseling with trained oncology social workers, education, financial assistance, and practical help -- to anyone affected by cancer: people with cancer, caregivers, children, loved ones, and the bereaved. All the services are completely free of charge.
© 2007 suburban_news
© 2007 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.

Click and read here about the trek to base camp Everest Nepal http://lovehopestrength.com/everest/archives/category/george-devanney/