Personally, I'd Rather Get the Chocolates

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.

MUSICFEST 2008

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' ?

Maybe Voters Should Stand-up to be Counted

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.

"THERE THEY GO AGAIN" Revised Employee Numbers

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 appears that there are 177 more employees in 2008 than 2007 not to include the 51 potential new hires.)

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.”