Tuesday, January 31, 2006 

Senate to Question Corzine on UMDNJ Fraud

U.S. Senate opens probe of UMDNJ:

A U.S. Senate committee has opened an inquiry into allegations of serious fraud, corruption and mismanagement at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

In a letter to Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday, leaders of the Senate Committee on Finance -- which has jurisdiction over the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs -- said they were "alarmed and deeply troubled" by the problems at UMDNJ.

They asked the governor, along with UMDNJ officials, to brief the committee on how and when the abuses were first discovered, and "what efforts, if any, where taken to address the matter."
The committee also wants the opportunity to interview any UMDNJ whistleblowers who warned university officials of "potential criminal fraud and misconduct" at the state's medical schools and hospital.

"Federal health care programs are already stretched to their limit. Any dollar that goes to waste, fraud or abuse doesn't help a person in need," Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Finance Committee chairman, said in a statement.

UMDNJ, the largest public health university in the country, was criminally charged in December with fraudulent Medicaid billing, the Senate finance committee officials yesterday noted that the full extent of the fraud may be "in the tens of millions of dollars."

Tomorrow, the university's board of trustees is scheduled to meet to vote on a $600,000 severance package for UMDNJ president John Petillo, who a week ago negotiated a separation agreement with the Gov. Corzine’s office and plans to resign at the end of February.

For much of the past year, UMDNJ has been shaken by continuing disclosures of widespread waste and abuse, after The Star-Ledger last year first uncovered $75,000 in payments made to Ronald White, a Philadelphia power broker with close ties to then-Gov. James E. McGreevey.

The university made at least three political donations last year: $500 to Newark Mayor Sharpe James' re-election fund, $250 to the state Democratic Committee, and $50 to the Hispanic American Political Action Committee at a dinner honoring Jon Corzine. Those donations violated state regulations that prohibit public universities from making political contributions.

School officials regularly approved donations to charitable organizations, including a $10,000 check to an unregistered breast cancer charity run by Newark Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield-Jenkins. Stein recommends UMDNJ limit its donations to $1,000 and develop new standards for choosing which organizations to support.

In the months that followed, the newspaper detailed millions of dollars in no-bid contracts and questionable spending -- many of those deals to politically connected individuals that were kept below a threshold level, averting review by the university's board of trustees.

Other internal memos obtained by the newspaper spelled out an illegal Medicaid billing scheme that had been allowed to go on for years, despite repeated warnings to top administrators. And last week, it reported that the university paid nearly $70,000 over the past year to shuttle the head of UMDNJ's citizen advisory board, Mary Mathis-Ford, from her home in the Poconos to the UMDNJ campus in Newark in a chauffeur-driven town car.

The U.S. Attorney's Office continues to investigate the institution, and has subpoenaed records related to jobs given to those with political connections, as well as contracts to lobbyists and consultants.

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9:12 AM | |

Monday, January 30, 2006 

Corzine Faces Battle With Own Party Over Budget

Corzine faces money fight:

Gov. Jon Corzine faces a state budget between $5 and $6 billion in the hole, but as he works to close the gap, the biggest obstacle will be the spending habits of his own party’s lawmakers.

Two years ago, then-Gov. James E. McGreevey proposed a $26 billion budget in March. By the time it was enacted in early July, it had swelled by $2 billion in spending added on in the Democrat-controlled Legislature.

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, R-Morris, said $1 billion in possible spending cuts and cost-saving measures his party proposed last year were ignored. Pointing to the report issued by Corzine's Transition and Governmental Re-engineering Committee, he said he expects a similar year.

"There is no question the state budget is loaded with waste that needs to be cut," DeCroce said. "We ask Governor Corzine to eliminate wasteful spending before he considers more tax hikes on our state's overburdened taxpayers."

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8:36 PM | |

 

New Jersey's 28th Legislative District

Democrats try again to fill Assembly seat:

The Essex County Democratic Committee is holding a third special election for the 28th District Assembly seat after the committee's most recent election, held on Jan. 9 was called into question for not following bylaws.

The seat is open because the late Assemblyman Donald K. Tucker was elected posthumously and the committee’s first replacement, Evelyn Williams, was forced to step down in early January after a string of scandals.

Williams was arrested in December for shoplifting at an Irvington discount store and fired from her job with Essex County for collecting state pension checks while still working. She also was accused of stiffing a group of electioneers she hired to promote the Democratic ticket during the run-up to November's election.

On Jan. 9, the committee overwhelmingly selected Oadline Truitt, a 65-year-old Irvington school librarian and longtime district leader in Newark's South Ward, to fill the Assembly seat vacated by another longtime South Ward party leader, Evelyn Williams.

Truitt was selected just three days after Williams' resignation in a rush election designed to make sure a representative was in Trenton for the Assembly's Jan. 10 swearing-in ceremony. But her selection was almost immediately called into question, and Truitt has yet to be sworn in.

The committee will meet Thursday at Sacred Heart Church in Newark to "fill the vacancy arising in the 28th Legislative District," according to a letter sent last week by county Chairman Phillip Thigpen.

Truitt was selected just three days after Williams' resignation in a rush election designed to make sure a representative was in Trenton for the Assembly's Jan. 10 swearing-in ceremony. But her selection was almost immediately called into question, and Truitt has yet to be sworn in.

An examination of party bylaws by The Star-Ledger revealed that the Essex Democrats broke their own rules by giving members only three days' notice of the selection meeting, rather than the required seven. There also was a question of a quorum, since committee members from Bloomfield, Belleville and Newark's North Ward boycotted the meeting.

Essex party bylaws call for 35 percent attendance for a quorum, but the state statute governing in-party elections mandates that a majority of members be present before any action is taken.

It is unclear whether Thursday's election will produce a new candidate or simply solidify Truitt's selection.

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1:45 PM | |

 

Joseph Cryan, The Next NJ Democratic Party Chairman

Party leader and the debatable donation:

A Union resident who hoped to develop a vacant property in the township said he gave then-Assembly candidate Joseph Cryan $2,000 in cash as a political contribution in 2001 -- a donation not reflected in the legislator's campaign finance reports.

Cryan, now the Assembly deputy majority leader and a favorite to soon be named chairman of the state Democratic Party, denied receiving the money. He characterized his accuser, Carol Segal, 65, as a "lunatic" looking for revenge because his development plans fell through.

However, Segal's former business partner said he saw Segal hand Cryan an envelope containing 20 $100 bills during the June 20, 2001, event at the Galloping Hill Inn in Union. Louis Papale, 52, who runs a car dealership in Union, said he watched Segal count the money and place it in a worn, white envelope.

Segal, who is suing the township over his property, said Cryan invited him to the fund-raiser about a month after they met at a Clifton diner to discuss development plans for the abandoned industrial site in Union. At the time, Cryan was the township's Democratic chairman and a Union County undersheriff -- positions he still holds.

Also at the meeting, Segal said, was a prospective developer for the property, Fred Daibes, and one of his executives, Michael Crilley, as well as Papale.

Papale said Cryan was briefed on Daibes' proposal to build a 240-apartment complex on the land, which Segal was in the process of obtaining by purchasing tax liens. Both Papale and Segal said Cryan was generally supportive of the idea.

But Cryan said he has no recollection of the meeting at the Tic Toc Diner, and said he has never heard of Papale, Daibes or Crilley.

Both Segal and Papale said they were willing to sign sworn statements and submit to polygraph tests. Asked if Cryan would do the same, his attorney, Tim Donohue, said: "We will not dignify their nonsense allegations with any further comment. Both men will become aware of our full response in the very near future."

Segal, a retired chemical engineer, purchased tax liens on 11 acres in the southern end of the township known as the Schaefer Salt Co. site. By the end of 2004, he had taken deed for the property.

A year ago, township officials drafted an ordinance to designate the property a redevelopment site and "work with the property owner" to build townhouses there. But in May, when the ordinance was introduced, that language had been removed. Instead, the plan called for the township to choose its own developer and reserve the right to seize the property through eminent domain.

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12:34 PM | |

 

Zulima Farber, Attorney General Peter Harvey Redux?

COMMENTARY: Farber says she may need analysis:

It's not often a politician admits she may need psychoanalysis, but that's what Zulima Farber told the Senate Judiciary Committee before it approved her nomination to be attorney general.

Questions about her go beyond her highway hijinks. With no background in law enforcement, she also has some quirky ideas. When asked about the use of deadly force if your home is invaded, this is her response: "Deadly force should be reserved for defending one's self, not property."

Let's analyze that. A dude with a knife cuts through your window screen and comes in looking for a TV to steal. You confront him. How do you know the knife was to break into the house and not hurt you or your family? Would Farber prosecute you or the burglar?

The company line is it doesn't matter that Farber has no real law enforcement experience. They can bring in a No. 2 person to handle that. Sound familiar? That's what they said when former Attorney General Peter "See No Evil" Harvey was up for confirmation.

One thing for sure, if Farber turns out to be another Harvey, it will fall squarely on Corzine and his ambitions. As it should.

9:46 AM | |

Sunday, January 29, 2006 

Governor’s State Employee Benefits Report

Gov. Jon Corzine’s Budget and Reengineering Government Transition Policy Group report states:

The severe and complex budget problem posed by the State's pension and post-retirement healthcare obligations requires swift action. The State has unfunded liabilities in its retirement and health care programs that probably exceed $30 billion.

In conjunction with reducing the gap between the assets and liabilities of the plans, a multi-year strategy to curtail the growth rate of the benefits needs to be implemented. The programs need to be brought into line with the State's ability to pay and known abuses must be reversed.

Implement the actionable recommendations of the Pension Task Force immediately and consider changes that ultimately go beyond the recommendations of the Pension Task Force.

The Pension Task Force report, submitted November 2005, may be read here.

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11:33 AM | |

 

Governor Corzine's Transition Team Advisory Reports

After November’s election, Gov. Jon Corzine appointed 19 policy advisory groups to produce recommendations on a range of important policy issues facing the state. Each group has now released a report with their analysis and recommendations. Links to each report below:
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10:52 AM | |

Saturday, January 28, 2006 

Highlights from Selelcted Governor’s Advisory Reports

Highlights of selected reports

The following are highlights from transition reports to Gov. Jon Corzine containing policy recommendations on a range of issues, including budget, ethics reform, anti-terrorism efforts and child welfare.

Each advisory group was asked to study a particular issue or topic, then report back to the governor by Jan. 17 on how he could best implement his agenda. The recommendations include both short-term fixes to pressing problems and long-terms goals for systematic reforms.

Budget: Expand sales and income taxes to new, but unspecified, items. Recommendations in a draft version of the report suggested taxing clothing, cable television and massages, but the final report left out such specifics.

Implement immediate department-wide spending cuts, including a freeze of state work force levels, pay cuts for nonunion state workers and preparation of layoff plans.

Ethics: Bar private funds from political campaigns and adopt a system of public financing of elections. Hold public hearings to debate the issue and move to enact legislation.

Short of public financing, implement prohibitions on the flow of campaign funds between political organizations, and encourage greater transparency of political contributors.

Homeland Security: Establish a Cabinet-level Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. It would subsume the existing Office of Counter-Terrorism and keep its intelligence-gathering functions, but criminal investigations would be separated and conducted by investigators with the Attorney General's Office and FBI.

Child Welfare: Restructure the entire system, making services for children and families more autonomous within the larger Department of Human Services.

Property Tax Reform: Attain Corzine's campaign goal of increasing property tax rebates by 40 percent over four years.

Call a special legislative session on property taxes and support a citizens' convention on property taxes. The convention should not discuss spending.

Economic Growth: Focus on certain business sectors, including energy, tourism, high technology and financial services.

Energy: Increase the number of New Jerseyans eligible for home-heating relief.

Appoint a director of Energy Savings and Sustainability in the Treasury Department to reduce the state's energy expenses.

Establish a business incubator and center to research renewable and advanced energy technologies, perhaps at Fort Monmouth.

Establish the Gov.'s Office of Economic Growth to develop policy and do research.

Environment: Enact a water use fee, costing the average resident about $2.40 per year and raising $11.2 million annually for watershed preservation.

Repeal the "fast track" law, which environmentalists say could allow development dangerously close to drinking water sources.

Improve tracking of diseases that could be caused by environmental hazards.

Public Education: Make schools more rigorous, especially in teaching science and math.

Offer full-day kindergarten and publicly funded preschools in districts statewide.

Higher Education: Increase the number of recipients of Tuition Aid Grants.

Give tax credits to companies that hire New Jersey undergraduates to work part-time jobs. Knowing they can find part-time work can keep some students in school.

Land Preservation: Find a way to continue to pay for state land preservation programs when current funding runs out in about two years.

Labor: Expand employment and economic growth programs, and improve accessibility.

Create a commission on charity care and the uninsured.

Housing: Encourage development of "mixed income" housing to increase the supply of affordable housing and promote income diversity.

Develop a plan to preserve "at-risk" rental housing.

Transportation: Constitutionally dedicate $560 million to the operating budgets of NJ Transit and the Department of Transportation.

Establish a policy of NJ Transit fare increases to keep pace with rising costs.

Military and Veterans Affairs: Enact legislation to establish Local Redevelopment Authority for Fort Monmouth.

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11:36 AM | |

 

Corzine Advisory Reports Call for Tax and Spending Increases

New sales taxes cut from proposal:

Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday released 19 reports from his transition team's policy advisers on some of the toughest issues facing the state, but stressed they are only suggestions, not the agenda for his administration.

The final report from budget advisers drops some of the most controversial suggestions from an earlier draft: a proposal for phasing out the state pension system; sales taxes on clothing, internet purchases and other services; and a gasoline tax increase. It does call for closing "illogical loopholes and exemptions" in sales and income taxes. The final report does still call for layoffs and cuts in pay for non-union state workers,

Another panel, which studied energy issues, said raising the gas tax should be "seriously" considered. A group that looked at transportation issues was silent on the gas tax, but warned that the state's Transportation Trust Fund is going broke and needs a new funding source.

The property tax report echoed Corzine's campaign goal of increasing property tax rebates by 40 percent over four years. It called for enacting long-term solutions through a special legislative session and a constitutional convention. The report said the convention should not address spending because that would "doom" the effort by entangling it with hot-button issues.

The higher education transition report asked Corzine to back a proposal to borrow billions for expanding and improving the state's colleges.

A report on revitalizing communities offered a strategy for the state's school construction program, which has been stalled since officials announced last year they had used up the $8.6 billion allotted to the program. The advisers said Corzine should retool the program as a 14-year project, seek a new round of borrowing for high-priority projects to be built within four years, and spread the remaining projects over 10 years.

Another transition policy group recommended giving the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs responsibility for protecting the state's military installations from Pentagon budget cuts.

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11:19 AM | |

 

Newark Housing Authority Director Retires Ahead of Audit Report

Newark official retires from troubled agency as audit report looms:

Harold Lucas, Director of the Newark Housing Authority, announced his retirement yesterday, a week before the federal Office of Inspector General is expected to issue the results of an audit of the agency.

The Authority has been under federal investigation since Lucas announced in September 2004 that 99 employees were being laid off even as the agency spent more than $1 million to renovate its headquarters.

From agency funds, Lucas spent $2,849 for a 42-inch plasma television for his office and gave a $25,000 payment to his daughter to run a beauty pageant. He also has at least three relatives on the agency’s payroll.

Lucas came under fire again for investing $1.4 million of authority money in a troubled movie theater run by a nonprofit he headed. The agency also spent $30,000 to take tenants to a picnic held at the same place and time as one given by Mayor Sharpe James' re-election fund.

The questionable spending prompted an investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2004. Still, last March, the Authority awarded Lucas a new contract that would pay him as much as $222,688 by 2008, making him one of the highest-paid directors in the country.

In April, HUD released a scathing audit that accused the Authority of spending $3.9 million in low-income housing voucher funds on the Newark hockey arena project. HUD has since declared the Authority a troubled agency in danger of a federal takeover.

Last month, documents revealed the layoffs in 2004 turned out to be a mirage. More than a year after letting 84 people go, another 81 were on the payroll, including 19 who returned to the same positions they previously held.

Lucas has twice served as director of the Authority. His firs stint was from 1992 to 1998, when he left to join the Clinton administration as assistant secretary of public and Native American housing.

In 2001 Mayor James named him Newark’s city business administrator, a job that paid $150,000. A year later, after James was elected to a fifth term, he again put Lucas back in charge of the $70 million-a-year housing authority - the nation's 12th largest, with 30,000 residents.

Meanwhile, the housing authority, which Mayor James and the City Council chose as the agency in charge of the downtown redevelopment -- including the $310 million hockey arena - moved Thursday to transfer all money for the project to a newly created public corporation called the Newark Downtown Core Redevelopment Corp.

City Business Administrator Richard Monteilh will head the corporation. James said the move will allow the housing authority to focus on housing, something critics of the arrangement called for months ago.

Note: Newark Mayor Sharpe James owns a Rolls Royce, two boats, and multiple homes.

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12:11 AM | |

Friday, January 27, 2006 

Corzine: Needle Exchange Priority in His Administration

Governor will push drug needle program:

Gov. Jon Corzine will urge the Legislature to pass a law giving intravenous drug users access to clean needles and would consider using his executive power to force the issue if lawmakers fail to act.

In his first major interview since taking office, Corzine yesterday said he believes needle exchange programs save lives and establishing needle giveaways in New Jersey is a priority in his administration.

Cinnaman - NJ Gov: Cleaner Guns for Criminals

Stressing that the move will prevent unnecessary deaths and amputation, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine today proposed a free gun-cleaning service for the state’s criminals who do not have the funds to pay for maintenance of their illegal weapons.The announcement follows Corzine’s call yesterday for a clean needle exhange service for illegal drug users.

Note: The Cinnaman post is satire. The article about Corzine's needle exchange priority is not.

9:42 AM | |

 

Some Budget Recommendations Will be Flat-out Rejected by Corzine

Tax increases and job cuts urged for N.J.:

Saying "pain will have to be shared," Gov. Jon Corzine's transition team is urging him to increase taxes, lay off some state workers and cut the pay of others to help get state finances under control.

The report suggested expanding the sales tax to cover clothing; tanning, massage, limousine and cable services; and purchases from the Internet, including music and software downloads. If those failed to produce a balanced budget, the report said, Corzine should consider a "temporary tax surcharge."

The team also said Corzine should consider raising the gas tax to replenish the state's Transportation Trust Fund -- a recommendation echoed by the governor's energy policy group
For the current budget, the team also recommended a series of immediate steps including a layoff plan, across-the-board salary cuts and a mandated extra vacation week without pay for state workers.

The report also calls for a tax study commission and a bipartisan "re-engineering" program to reduce spending. And it proposes to gradually phase out the pension plan for state workers, enrolling new hires in a defined contribution plan similar to a 401(k) plan.

"Some of the soon-to-be-released recommendations will be flat-out rejected by this administration," said Anthony Coley, Corzine's press secretary.

"I doubt a lot of that would turn into reality," Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) said of the report. "It seems a little too far-reaching for me, but you never know. We've got to see how the economy is doing. Certainly I don't think anybody in the Legislature is going to commit to anything right now."

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9:28 AM | |

 

New Jersey Voters to Corzine:Cut Spending

Enlighten-NewJersey - Wake Up New Jersey Republicans:

Ninety-two percent (92%) of New Jersey voters believe the state's budget problems are serious, and most would prefer that it be balanced by cutting services rather than raising taxes, according to a newly released Quinnipiac poll.

Voters say 57 - 28 percent that they would rather cut services than raise taxes to balance the state budget. Democrats split 44 - 44 percent on service cuts or tax hikes, while Republicans prefer service cuts 75 - 13 percent and independent voters prefer service cuts 55 - 26 percent

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8:53 AM | |

 

Corzine Considers Tax Increases To Solve New Jersey’s Financial Crisis

Enlighten-NewJersey - Report: New Jersey Is A Financial Basket Case

“The fiscal health of the state of New Jersey has plunged perilously close to ruin”, begins a “politically explosive” report from Corzine's “budget and re-engineering government” policy group. The Press of Atlantic City obtained a copy of the report Wednesday.

The report portrays a grim picture of state finances, estimating the accumulation of $30 billion in debt and another $30 billion in unfunded liabilities to retirement and health care programs. The group warns that without changes the problem will get worse as the state continues to spend more money than it takes in. “

The Corzine agenda was clear from the beginning of his campaign for governor – raise taxes. Corzine ran on an “affordability” platform which amounts to taking money from taxpayers to give to his tax receiving supporters.
It’s not possible to tax people or the state into prosperity. Many have tired, all have failed. And if you need an example, just remember New Jersey.

Dynamobuzz - That Didn’t Take Long:

Jon Corzine inaugurated as New Jersey governor: January 17, 2006. Plans to increase taxes on the already over-taxed New Jersey residents: January 26, 2006.

A Blog For All - You Were Warned:

One must keep in mind that the primary reason that New Jersey is in the current mess is that the state spent its way into massive debt. It was not for a lack of revenues - as New Jersey had seen revenues come in ahead of projections due to an improving economy. Trenton simply went nuts with spending on programs without a care as to how any of it would be paid.

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8:51 AM | |

 

Millions Wasted By Schools Construction Corp

Criminal charges may arise from SCC mess:

The inspector general, whose analysis prompted sweeping reforms at the state Schools Construction Corp., told lawmakers yesterday it is possible criminal charges will be pursued against individuals or firms responsible for millions of dollars in questionable spending.

Inspector General Mary Jane Cooper has been reviewing the $8.6 billion initiative to rebuild public schools for almost a year, following a report in The Star-Ledger that detailed massive cost over-runs, change orders and professional fees that added hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost of the state school projects.

For instance, Cooper noted one episode in which SCC staffers had apparently created misleading documents to boost payments to a private company by up to $3.4 million. She highlighted another instance in which millions of dollars had been wasted on rushed orders for temporary classroom trailers that ended up sitting, unused, in a field for a year.

The SCC, which was authorized to spend up to $6 billion on a court-ordered overhaul of hundreds of decrepit public school buildings in 31 “Abbott” communities and $2.6 billion subsidizing construction elsewhere, has spent all that money with hundreds of schools left to be built.

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8:33 AM | |

Thursday, January 26, 2006 

Outgoing New Jersey Commissioner Drums Up Business

Before leaving post, official fished for business:

On one of his last days as chief of the state Department of Human Services, outgoing Commissioner James M. Davy stayed up late trying to drum up business for his brand-new consulting firm. Earlier that day, at a meeting in Trenton, he had promised county human services officials to push for $1.7 million in state child-abuse prevention grants they had pending before his agency.

Late in the evening, Davy fired off 21 e-mails to the officials, asking that they consider hiring him to advise how to spend the grants once they got them.

"As I mentioned today, I have formed James M. Davy Associates LLC to provide and facilitate strategic planning and problem solving consulting for non-profit, municipal, county and state governments."

"As you consider the prospect of fashioning your Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Strategic Plan for submission to the Office of Prevention and Community Partnership, I would ask that you give James. M. Davy Associates an opportunity to facilitate your strategic planning process."

Davy's actions, which he confirmed in an interview yesterday, appear to violate state ethics laws that prevent state officials from soliciting business, said Paula Franzese, a Seton Hall University law professor who served as special ethics counsel to former Gov. Richard Codey.

Davy said he should have postponed the sales pitch. "I probably jumped the gun by a few days. I was walking out the door. I couldn't influence a thing, anyway," he said. But the former commissioner also said he did not think he did anything wrong: "I don't think it's a conflict. Maybe I am wrong."

Davy, 52, was a town manager for nearly 30 years, most recently in Woodbridge, where McGreevey was mayor. In 2002 he went to Trenton as a member of the McGreevey administration, first as director of operations and then as the head of Human Services. His assignment was to overhaul the state's troubled child welfare system. His wife, Lucille, a lawyer and former teacher, is currently the state's acting education commissioner.

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12:18 PM | |

 

Pay-To-Play In Bergen County

A County Leader at the Core of a Pay-to-Play Fight:

After the Democrats took control of Bergen County government in 2002, Neglia Engineering essentially switched allegiances, and upped the ante on contributions. In 2002, when the company gave the Republicans $7,200 and the Democrats $4,800, it received one contract for $90,000, according to public records.

The next year, the firm gave the Democrats $19,650 and the Republicans $4,120, and won six contracts totaling almost $221,000. Then in 2004, when the company gave Democrats $19,300, more than 14 times what it gave to the Republicans, the county awarded the company six contracts worth more than $307,000.

The shift in the company's donations appears to illustrate a link between campaign contributions and government contracts, a practice known as pay-to-play. And in New Jersey, one of the reputed masters of the system is Joseph A. Ferriero, the chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Organization. Ferriero is a partner at the firm of Scarinci & Hollenbeck. His wife, Diana, is a workers' compensation judge.

Ferriero's status as the top political leader in the state's most populous county affords him extraordinary power in selecting candidates, raising money statewide and influencing public policy. Through the strength of his political machine, he has been able to gobble up money and power, seat by seat, town by town, while rewarding contributors.

"The empire-building is getting your feet in town, helping the minority win control, and then controlling the appointments and no-bid contracts," said Matt Ahearn, a former Democratic assemblyman from Fair Lawn who had a falling-out with Mr. Ferriero. "That is the gold mine of New Jersey politics, and that is what bosses do."

It is only natural, Mr. Ferriero said, to do business with those closest to you ideologically and those you know best. And if doing business with those who support you drives up costs, it is offset by the benefits.

He added, "Yes, Democratic supporters have been given contracts. There's nothing wrong with it, because the government is giving work to people who are supportive of the team."

Ferriero became the county chairman in 1998, and that year Ferriero's party raised more than $1 million, or triple that of the previous year. In 2004, that figure approached $4 million, with a good portion coming from Democratic organizations, as well as developers, engineers and other firms from other parts of the state.

Now Democrats control six of the seven seats on the Board of Freeholders. They have nine legislators in Trenton, up from only three several years ago. And perhaps most impressively, the Bergen Democrats have claimed majority control of the councils in an additional 20 or so municipalities in just the last few years, some of which had been solidly Republican for decades.

But as the Democrats' power has consolidated, dissenting Democrats and Bergen's weakened Republican Party have tried, desperately, to highlight what they believe have been dubious contracts and inside-politics practices that exemplify the high price of doing business under the Democrats.

Critics have seized upon the emergence of the Bergen County Improvement Authority, a quasi-governmental body that has the power to issue debt, as a sign of. Ferriero's expanding influence. The authority's lawyer, Dennis Oury, is a close political ally of Ferriero's and the general counsel to the county party.

Since 2003, the authority's bond activities have skyrocketed to $50.3 million from $4.3 million, also generating increased fees and work for lawyers and others.

Democrats have been most under fire in Fair Lawn. What started out as a suggestion to spend $500,000 to renovate an existing building has turned into a $13 million state-of-the-art four-story theater and gymnasium. But that price tag, say disillusioned Democrats and dejected Republicans, has been inflated, and has contributed to a 60 percent increase in taxes over the last half-dozen years, thanks to the hiring of the same professionals who have been active Democratic donors.

One Fair Lawn resident, a lawyer and accountant named Donal A. Meyers, started a Web site that compiled contributions and other documents, fairlawnonline.com. That site contributed to a communitywide effort to unseat Mayor David L. Ganz, who is also a county freeholder and an ally of. Ferriero's.

Ganz lost his race for Mayor, but with another Democratic freeholder received almost $1 million from Mr. Ferriero's county organization, won re-election as freeholder.

11:51 AM | |

 

New Jersey Attorney General's Office Botched Major Corruption Case

U.S. attorney rips AG's office over corruption probe

U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie unleashed a blistering attack on the New Jersey Attorney General's Office yesterday, accusing state investigators of botching a five-year corruption probe into South Jersey political boss George Norcross III so thoroughly that it could not be salvaged.

The investigation into Norcross, a prominent businessman who has helped to finance, elect and appoint dozens of public officials, proved to be an albatross for both offices.

Christie found that the probe was bungled largely from the start, citing not just incompetence, but evidence that led to "a number of damaging inferences, including the protection of political figures."

In early 2001, state prosecutors authorized Gural to tape all his conversations, but ordered him not to wear the wire during a fundraiser for Camden County Democrats at the Tavistock Country Club in Haddonfield -- an occasion that drew all the subjects of the investigation to the same location, according to Christie's letter.

And he chided Harvey's administration for striking plea bargains with two JCA officials, Mark Neisser and Henry Chudzinski, that allowed them to plead guilty to tax charges and avoid prison without providing any valuable cooperation in the case.

Christie wrote that the FBI and federal prosecutors asked three times to join the probe between 2000 and 2005, but were rebuffed each time. They finally were handed the case last March, after Rosenberg and Gural took their claims public in a lawsuit.

Christie wrote that such a move put prosecutors "in the uncomfortable position" of reviewing a case they had long been denied, then left them "saddled with the results of a clearly compromised investigation."

Gural and Rosenberg in a statement said: "In retrospect, our biggest mistake was to entrust a political corruption case of this magnitude to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office."

11:07 AM | |

 

The Case for Cutting Taxes

Michael Carroll - Connecting the Dots:

On his first day in office, Governor Corzine bemoaned the state’s anemic economic performance. Quoth Hizonor:

"To put it simply, we are growing too few jobs, losing high-paying, value-added jobs and replacing them with lower-paying service work. To meet this challenge we will embrace pro-growth and pro-business initiatives."

There, he singled out former Governor Codey, praising him for an initiative to retain Verizon in state. What induced Verizon to remain? A $64 million grant and a waiver of sales and use taxes on the expenses of expansion. Put succinctly: Verizon responded to a tax cut.

Simply put, the Governor’s speech precisely proves what the GOP has been saying all these years: envy inspired tax increases drive businesses, jobs, and high earners out of state. It’s not rocket science; it’s common sense. Just as Verizon responded to a tax cut, so will other businesses. To paraphrase a famous phrase, if you cut taxes, they will come.

Note: Michael Carroll is a Republican representing the 25th District in the New Jersey Assembly.

12:01 AM | |

Wednesday, January 25, 2006 

Fired Department of Corrections Official Boosts Pension

Fired official gets paid "retirement":

Carrie Johnson, the former Assistant Commissioner of the state Department of Corrections, reportedly fired in September for misusing inmate labor, is now receiving a $71,508 annual pension.

Johnson, 58, was permitted to stay on the payroll for five extra weeks, secure an "early retirement," rather than a dismissal from her $116,277 per year position. Additionally, the former Assistant Commissioner bought an extra six years of pension eligibility for government work outside New Jersey, enabling her to retire with 34 years of service instead of the 28 she worked in this state, officials said.

State law allows employees to purchase pension credits, which cost Johnson $48,600. Treasury Department spokesman Tom Vincz said he couldn't calculate how much the change boosts Johnson's pension. An unofficial calculation by Gannett suggests the change adds about $12,800 a year.

Department officials insist favoritism played no role in the way Johnson was treated, but some observers found the details unusual. "The matter is under review," said Ivette Mendez, communications director for Gov. Corzine.

John Hagerty, a spokesman for the Division of Criminal Justice, said neither the ethics commission nor the Department of Corrections forwarded the case for investigation. State law governs the use of prison labor. "We can't investigate something we know nothing about," Hagerty said.

7:18 PM | |

 

Arrested Morristown Councilman Applauded for Apology

Councilman applauded for apology:

John Cryan, the newly elected Morristown councilman, who was arrested on Jan. 14 for assault and burglary, earned applause at a council meeting last night when he apologized and promised to seek counseling.

A Morristown judge transferred the case to Superior Court last week, and Cryan said he is due in court on Friday to fill out paperwork. If Cryan is convicted, he would need to step down from his council seat, officials said.

Council President Anthony Cattano appointed Cryan to be liaison to the parking authority. It was a vote of confidence, Cattano said after the meeting. "John is going to be a tremendous council member," Cattano said. "He made a mistake and I want to show that I'm backing him."

Councilman Dick Tighe agreed. "I think John's trying to straighten his life out and I think he deserves a chance," Tighe said after the meeting.

Cryan, a Democrat, is the cousin of Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the new Democratic State Chairman, and his uncle is the late former Essex County Sheriff, John F. Cryan.

5:17 PM | |

 

Fifty-Three Percent of NJ Workers Can’t Afford Rent

N.J.'s rents found unaffordable for state's low-income tenants:

"You have heard a lot about the affordable housing crisis caused by the skyrocketing cost of homeownership. However, just as important is the housing crisis for renters, who make up one-third of all households in New Jersey," said Susan Holman James, Housing Network president.

"Over half of the workers in New Jersey cannot afford to rent a modest two-bedroom apartment on their salary." Fifty-Three percent of the renters in the state cannot afford rent according to a report, "Out of Reach," compiled by the nonprofit Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey.

Overall, New Jersey ranks behind only California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii as the most expensive state in the nation for renters.

"As a part of his affordability agenda, Governor Corzine has set a statewide goal to create or preserve 100,000 units of housing that are affordable for low- and middle-income families over the next 10 years. Moreover, a key part of his property tax plan will provide additional direct property tax relief to renters, as well as homeowners."

The Housing Network is supporting legislation sponsored by Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer) that would require that 25 percent of housing built by cities and towns meet state Council on Affordable Housing obligations and be set aside for low-income families. The bill is A1343.

Note: Neither the article nor Housing Network’s report explains where the 53% of workers unable to afford rent, live. New Jersey does have a State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) in addition to the Federal Section 8 program. Perhaps that helps to explain in part, the disconnect.

3:46 PM | |

 

Indicted Atlantic City School Board President Refuses to Step Down

Indicted A.C. school board chief staying put:

Atlantic Count Board of Education President Cornell Davis rejected Tuesday a call to step down from his position by other board members, who charged Davis' recent indictment on bribery charges had humiliated the board.

Davis was indicted by in December on two counts of bribery for allegedly seeking kickbacks from contractors to do work in the district. He pleaded not guilty to the counts last week in Superior Court.

“This board asked me to take over as board president when another member stepped down and then re-elected me when we reorganized last year,” Davis said. “I intend to do this job. I'm not required by law to step down.

The next court proceeding in the case is scheduled for Feb. 15, but it is not yet clear that a trial could be held before the Board of Education elections are held in April.

2:42 PM | |

 

Sires Accused of Campaign Impropriety

Vas accuses opponent of campaign impropriety:

Yesterday, Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas (D), who is vying for the Democratic nomination in the 13th Congressional District, criticized Assemblyman Albio Sires (D-33) for accepting casino money for his federal campaign while the Legislature was considering whether to ban smoking in casinos.

In reports filed with the Federal Election Commission in September, Sires reported receiving at least $12,000 in donations for his Congressional campaign from three casino operators and an employee for a fourth casino.

Sires received $5,000 from Harrah's, $3,000 each from Borgata and Tropicana and $1,000 from an employee of the Trump casino organization.

Candidates running for New Jersey state offices are prohibited by state election law from accepting campaign contributions from casino operators. But candidates for Congress are allowed to accept donations from the gaming industry.

Note: Governor Jon Corzine has thrown his suppport to Sires in the race for Congress in the 13th district.

2:17 PM | |

 

New Jersey Senate Race

PoliPundit - Senate Race in NJ 2006:

Well, the voters in NJ again will not have an opportunity to see the Democrat candidates campaign against each other in a primary. Frank Pallone has dropped out leaving Jon Corzine’s pick unchallenged. Maybe one day NJ will mirror Canada in voting for Republicans out of disgust for arrogance and corruption; but, unlike Canada, there seems to be no desire to challenge the NJ Democrat machine. Does Tom Keane have the fight of a Steve Harper? We will see.

12:56 PM | |

 

Smith Touts Trafficking Victims Protection Act

Smith to visit Oprah, discuss trafficking law:

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), appeared on Oprah Winfrey's television show today to talk about a bill he sponsored to strengthen and expand the nation's laws against human trafficking.

President Bush signed the bill, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, into law earlier this month. Last fall, Winfrey encouraged her viewers to send letters and e-mails to their elected representatives in support of the bill.

12:32 PM | |

 

Sires to Run in 13th Congressional District

DynamoBuzz - Albio Sires is Running for the Menendez Seat:

As expected, former NJ assembly Speaker Albio Sires has announced that he will be a candidate for the US House of Representatives seat representing NJ's 13th district. This is the seat that's vacant now that Bob Menendez has been promoted to senator.

Sires is a double dipper, serving as mayor of West New York and member of the state assembly. His opponent for the seat will be Joe Vas also a double dipper as mayor of Perth Amboy and member of the state assembly. Whoever wins cannot be a triple dipper and would have to give up the two NJ jobs for the seat in Washington.

The Inside Edge - Corzine backs Sires:

Governor Jon Corzine has picked a horse in the race for Congress in the 13th district: Albio Sires, the former Assembly Speaker from Hudson County. Corzine attended Sires' formal announcement today.

12:23 PM | |

Tuesday, January 24, 2006 

Farber Nomination Approved by NJ Senate Judiciary Committee

Correction: New Jersey Attorney General Story:

In a Jan. 23 story about the New Jersey attorney general's confirmation hearing, The Associated Press reported erroneously, based on information from the governor's office, that the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination of Zulima V. Farber 9-2. Instead, the vote was 8-2 with one member absent.

2:56 PM | |

 

Farber Cconfirmation Hearing for State Attorney General

Dynamobuzz - Governor Corzine: The First Week

Her [Zulima Farber] confirmation hearing was yesterday, and the senate committee questioned her for about four hours before her nomination was approved with only two "no" votes (Republicans Cardinale and Kyrillos voted "no").

Many have observed that Ms. Farber does not have much criminal experience on her resume. Given the rampant corruption in this state and the abysmal performance by her predecessor, Corzine should have picked a tough, no nonsense law and order type with a background in criminal prosecution experience.

Farber has mostly been a corporate lawyer though she did work in the Byrne administration and had a short stint in the Bergen County prosecutor’s office. Of even more concern for New Jerseyans should be her liberal political beliefs, like being against minimum sentencing, the death penalty and such. She was the state public advocate, a job that uses state tax dollars to sue the state. Hey, Corzine is a liberal and he gets to pick as many liberals as he wants for state office. Too late for NJ residents to complain.

9:12 AM | |

 

Democrat Property Tax Relief Proposal

Enlighten-NewJersey - Manzo’s Property Tax Relief Plan:

Based on a plan developed by the New Jersey Coalition for Property Tax Reform and refined by Assemblyman Louis Manzo (Hudson-D), the state would impose a 25 percent surtax on state income taxes to “to cut school property tax bills in half.”

To mitigate the need for higher property taxes and to bring about parity in per student spending throughout the state, New Jersey introduced the income tax in 1975. New Jersey’s Constitution stipulates revenue from the income tax can only be used to reduce the public school portion of property tax bills.

This year New Jersey will collect a minimum of $9.5 billion in revenue from the state’s income tax and all of it will be distributed to municipalities for the sole purpose of reducing property tax bills. However, property tax relief is not allocated in a fair and equitable manner.

Homeowners living in New Jersey’s urban centers receive huge property tax reductions, while those living in rural and suburban towns receive little in the way of relief. Families with identical incomes and home values receive wildly different property tax relief from the state under the present system. This inequality has led to the current property tax crisis in New Jersey.

9:08 AM | |

 

Aronsohn to Challenge Garrett in 5th Congressional District

Former Clinton staffer announces he's running against Garrett:

Democrat Paul Aronsohn, of Ridgewood, announced Monday he is running for Congress against Republican Rep. Scott Garrett, who represents the New Jersey 5th Congressional District. The district is comprised of parts of Bergen, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties.

Aronsohn, 39, is a former staffer in the administrations of President Bill Clinton and New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey. This will be Aronsohn's first political race.

"I love my country, and I refuse to stand by while people like Scott Garrett lead us dangerously in the wrong direction," Aronsohn said in a statement. "I refuse to stand by while they undermine our national security, neglect our economic security, and pay lip service to our health security."

6:18 AM | |

 

Group Calls for State Office on Immigrant Affairs, In-State College Tuition

Advocates call for state office to focus on immigrants' needs:

The New Jersey Immigration Policy Network has called on Gov. Jon Corzine to create a statewide office on immigrant affairs, and to push a bill allowing immigrant children to be eligible for in-state tuition - about half the cost of out-of-state fees - at state colleges and universities. State Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex County), said Monday his office is drafting a bill to that effect to be introduced in a few weeks.

The Network recently presented Corzine with a 10-page issue paper asking him to take action within his first 100 days of office. The Network’s Executive Director Partha Banerjee was optimistic: "Based on what he has done in the past, I'm very hopeful he'll put words into action," Banerjee said. As a U.S. senator, Corzine co-sponsored similar federal legislation, called the DREAM Act.

Among those who oppose the idea is Assemblyman Christopher Connors. In addition, the Ocean County Republican has reintroduced a bill to prohibit the state from granting any license, contract, loan or tax abatement to New Jerseyans who cannot prove they are legal residents.

"Our state's citizens ought not to be in competition for seats in our colleges and university's with individuals who are here under illegal means," Connors said Monday. If an immigrant affairs office were to be created, he said he hoped it would work with federal officials to locate and deport undocumented immigrants.

A Corzine spokesman said Monday the new governor is still reviewing the Network’s suggestions.

6:15 AM | |

Monday, January 23, 2006 

Bonnie Watson Coleman Sought Pardon For Tucker

The Auditor – Assembly Majority Leader and the Democratic State Chairman, Bonnie Watson Coleman:

In the waning moments of Richard Codey's term as governor, Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman made a plea for a pardon that would have cleared the criminal record of Kiburi Tucker, son of the late Assemblyman Donald Tucker (D-Essex).

Watson Coleman (D-Mercer), the Democratic State Chairman, called Codey's office minutes before he accompanied incoming Gov. Jon Corzine from the Statehouse to the War Memorial for the inauguration.

Watson Coleman said she “felt strongly that he's a young man with a lot of promise and truly regrets his mistakes."

Kiburi Tucker, now 31, served four years in prison for his involvement 10 years ago in a drive-by shooting in Newark. Tucker, who pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and drug possession charges, was released in 2001.

He says he requested the pardon because he wants to run for Newark City Council. Donald Tucker, who served as a councilman at-large for 31 continuous years, was Newark's longest serving councilman.

"It would have been a good thing," says Tucker, who took out petitions to run. "One of my main concerns was to be able to give the constituents who supported my father the same service they are used to."

Note: Former Newark Deputy Mayor and School Board President Evelyn Williams briefly held the Assembly seat from the 28th district, replacing the late Donald Tucker.

Seven days after taking office, Williams was arrested for shoplifting.. Two days later, she was fired from her job with the Essex County Corrections Department for filing for and receiving illegal pension benefits from the state. Williams resigned from the Assembly several days later.

7:21 PM | |

 

Municipal Candidates Out-Spend Candidates for New Jersey Legislative Races

Campaign financing going up and up across N.J.:

New Jersey Candidates for municipal office have more than doubled their campaign spending over a decade, according to a report issued this month by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission.

The report, titled "Local Campaign Financing: An Analysis of Trends in Communities Large and Small," also said municipal candidates spent more money in the past decade to get elected than those seeking state legislative offices. Democrats sending money from one county to another to help local candidates -- a practice called "wheeling"-- outspent the Republicans statewide by a 3-1 ratio.

"That money exerts a great deal of influence, especially in the choice of candidates," said Jerry Cantrell of Randolph, president of the tax reform group The Silver Brigade. "It's absurd to spend $50,000 to win a post that pays $5,000 a year. It does not make any sense. Accepting money from lobbyists and consultants creates conflicts."

The most benign reason people make campaign contributions is that they donate because the candidate shares their views or that they trust him or her. But donors also give because they may hope to obtain a government job or contract if the candidate they support wins the election. Some may contribute hoping that their donation will provide access to the officeholder, thereby creating a favorable climate for discussing important issues.

The ELEC report acknowledged the problem of local corruption: "As has become increasingly apparent, New Jersey has been experiencing its share of corruption," the report said. "In the last three years alone, over 80 public officials have been indicted and/or charged with corruption, many of them municipal employees or officeholders."

4:16 PM | |

 

New Jersey State Senator Wayne Bryant

To Bryant, Corzine wasn't on the money:

One of the legislators who objected to Gov. Corzine's inaugural lecture on ethics last week was State Sen. Wayne Bryant (D-Camden).

With several government contracts and relatives in publicly funded jobs, Bryant is no stranger to the political spending Corzine wants to target.

A $38 million local-assistance fund tucked into the budget last month is the latest example of Bryant's prowess. He is chairman of the budget committee that has final say over the grants. They included $250,000 to renovate the Wayne Bryant Community Center in Lawnside, where his brother Mark is mayor. An additional $200,000 will help open a Paulsboro satellite facility of CAMcare, the federally funded health center that Mark Bryant heads.

The Camden Redevelopment Agency, where Bryant's law firm has contracts for legal work, got $225,000 to hire two public-relations officials. Rutgers University-Camden got $100,000 and the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Stratford $200,000 for programs; Bryant has part-time jobs at each.

3:40 PM | |

 

Democrat Assemblyman and Mayor of Orange, Mims Hackett

Before she's AG, past to be plumbed:

Mims Hackett was a popular teacher and candidate for Orange City Council, when he was convicted of the abduction and beating of a man he suspected had broken into his home in 1975. Sentenced to a mandatory 30 years in prison -- a term the judge, prosecutors and police all called excessive -- his case became a cause célèbre. Newspaper columnists and community leaders backed his claim that he had been framed. The victim recanted his testimony, and Hackett's cousin confessed to being the assailant.

It was Zulima Farber's job, as assistant counsel to then-Gov. Brendan Byrne, to recommend whether the governor should reduce Hackett's sentence under his powers to release inmates or cut their time.

After what she called an extensive review, Farber wrote in a Jan. 26, 1979 memo she was "convinced beyond any doubt" of Hackett's guilt and believed he had pressured the victim to change his story and concocted his tale of a frame-up.

"To me, this is more disturbing and reprehensible, legally and morally, than the crime itself," Farber wrote. She did recommend a sentence reduction, but to five to seven years -- twice what Byrne finally adopted on the recommendation of prosecutors and judges.

Hackett's conviction was ultimately overturned by a federal judge who said he did not get a fair trial. Hackett is now a Democratic assemblyman and mayor of Orange.

2:41 PM | |

 

Dredging the Delaware River

Cinnaman - The Taxpayer's Guide to "River Dance":

“Ere you consult your fancy, consult your purse.” - Benjamin Franklin

Tragically, there is no Franklin genius around now to rescue taxpayers who are about to be soaked by the Great Delaware River Dredging Dodge.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell wants the river bottom dredged –from 40 to 45 feet -- so bigger ships can continue to feed the docks along the water and keep industry going.

New Jersey has opposed the plan as originally set forth, which made Rendell mad enough to threaten shutting down the high-speed line across Ben Franklin’s bridge. New NJ Governor Jon Corzine has yet to pronounce on the topic.

Meanwhile, Jersey has been busy figuring out how it can reconfigure the shores of the river with $5 billion worth of development from Pennsville north to Pennsauken. More than 300 bankers, builders and lawyers met last week to discuss the possibilities.

Ben Franklin was a master of the pithy “sound bite,” but his little sayings were more than superficial message points. They stand the test of time because of their truth. Here is another Franklin gem: “Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.”

Before the taxpayers fork up the production costs for the biggest River Dance ever, who will consult us with the truth?

12:10 PM | |

 

State Attorney General Nominee Farber

Nominee's hearing is Monday:

A partner in the Roseland law firm Zulima V. Farber would be the first Hispanic to head the New Jersey’s Department of Law and Public Safety.

At her confirmation hearing today, state attorney general nominee Farber is likely to be asked about her driving record, her sparse experience as a prosecutor, her solutions for the troubled office and her statements against mandatory sentences.

She lacks the experience for the kind of AG Corzine said he wanted. As attorney general, Farber would head the Department of Law and Public Safety, whose nearly 9,000 employees include the New Jersey State Police.

A former state public advocate and public defender, Farber would arrive in the top law-enforcement job in the state with limited prosecutorial experience. She was an assistant Bergen County prosecutor from July 1975 to November 1978.

Her record has left some political observers scratching their heads about Corzine's choice because during last year's campaign, he pledged a stellar appointee.

Note: Hispanics make up 14.2 percent of the state’s population and Corzine's gubernatorial bid garnered nearly 80 percent of New Jersey's Hispanic vote

8:13 AM | |

 

Key to Property Tax Reductions

Keep an eye on contracts:

The modus operandi for most school boards, municipalities and counties, is to do everything short of declaring settlement agreements national security secrets to keep the terms of the contracts out of public view.

Why? Because if taxpayers were aware of what the contracts contained, were given a full accounting of how much their public servants were being paid, and knew just how much the employee benefits were costing them, officials know the public wouldn't tolerate it for long.

The lack of public awareness is the primary reason property taxes have been allowed to escalate wildly out of control. Generally, about 60 percent of the property tax dollar goes to pay for the schools. The rest goes to pay for municipal and county services. The majority of those tax dollars pay the salaries and benefits of government employees. That's fine. But taxpayers deserve to know what they are getting for their money. Few do, thanks to towns and school boards that go to great lengths to impede easy, broad access to such information.

If the public wants to see real property relief, it needs to do two things: It must insist that municipal, school and county officials negotiate reasonable contract settlements — something that occurs only rarely these days, even at a time when people are begging for tax relief. And it must insist on full disclosure of contract terms, including the salaries of every school or municipal employee and their negotiated benefits. All of that information is public. But it doesn't do any good if the public doesn't demand to see it.

The relevance of employee salaries and benefits becomes increasingly apparent at budget time, when officials wring their hands over the difficulty of balancing a budget that is mostly "fixed costs" — negotiated salaries and benefits. They are fixed all right, by the officials who negotiated them at contract time.

Pay attention. Go to your town hall and school board office. Ask to see the employee contracts. Read them and weep. Then vow to do something about them.

7:54 AM | |

 

Higher Education Short Changes Students

A Limited Skill Set:

Most college students today lack the literacy and math capability to handle common real-life tasks, according to a study by the American Institutes for Research. Given the cost of a college education, that's depressing and in today's highly competitive information economy, that's scary.

The study evaluated three types of literacy: analyzing news stories and other prose, math skills and understanding documents. Most students had an intermediate skill level. But without proficiency, their analytical skills leave them unable to interpret tables, such as information about exercise and blood pressure. They couldn't understand arguments of newspaper editorials, compare the interest rate and annual fees of different credit card offers or summarize survey results.

7:01 AM | |

Sunday, January 22, 2006 

Sen.Menendez Struggles on $162,100 Salary

From House heavyweight to Senate lightweight, Menendez sworn in:

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), 52, said he hopes to introduce legislation soon to make college education more affordable for families, and to provide financial support for people who care for elderly family members in their own homes, two issues he said New Jerseyans repeatedly voiced concerns about to him.

Menendez tells voters he also struggles with those issues; He pays for his two children's college tuitions while he and his sister care for their 86-year-old mother, Evangelina, who has Alzheimer's disease.

Note: As a member of the U.S. Congress Menendez is paid an annual salary of $162,100 plus benefits.

2:39 PM | |

 

UMDNJ President to Step Down

President of UMDNJ is forced out:

John Petillo will step down as president of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey next month in return for a severance package that will pay him $600,000, capping a year of scandal and turmoil at the school.

In the past year, the university has been hit by almost-daily disclosures of mismanagement and abuse. The revelations began when The Star-Ledger reported UMDNJ had paid $75,000 to a Philadelphia power broker with close ties to then-Gov. James E. McGreevey for consulting work that no one could explain. In the months that followed, the newspaper detailed millions of dollars in no-bid contracts, as well as awards to politically connected consultants and lobbyists.

Then, in December, UMDNJ was charged in a $4.9 million Medicaid fraud scheme involving deliberate double-charging for physician services. The illegal billing had been going on for years despite warnings to top administrators, internal documents showed.

The federal charges could have forced the shutdown of UMDNJ and the hospital it operates in Newark, University Hospital, but UMDNJ's trustees entered into a deferred-prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney after ceding control of the university to a federal monitor.

;

2:11 PM | |

 

Corzine's Potential

TigerHawk - A question for Jon Corzine:

I expect that Corzine's tenure will be bad for business in New Jersey, and it will hurt my own income in some substantive way. But, and this is a huge but, he is our most recent best chance for cleaning up the endemic corruption in this state. Ordinarily, I would not expect a governor to do that, but if he has presidential ambitions -- which he must, because otherwise you'd have to be nuts to give up the Senate seat for Trenton -- he could come up with worse ways to burnish his reputation than scrubbing down this state's politics. So let's wish him well in this, and I'll hold the snark as long as possible.

11:40 AM | |

 

Hoboken Has the Smallest Houses

Mister Snitch - Hoboken Makes the List:

The "Top 100" series lists cities by a number of criteria …Hoboken made the 'Highest Percentage of Renters' and 'Smallest Houses' lists.

11:38 AM | |

 

The High Cost of High Taxes In New Jersey

The Political Dogs - Leaving The Welfare State:

If you want to know what the liberals are thinking these days, look no further than New Jersey.

New Jersey, despite years of a tremendously good economy, is in fiscal crisis. State government is running a huge deficit. Residents pay the highest property taxes in the country to support schools which … do not reflect the huge amount of money which is poured into them. Heavily traveled roads in this, the most densely populated state in the union are beginning to deteriorate. Businesses are starting to move out due to high levels of taxation and the crumbling infrastructure. The inner cities are rat holes of crime, drug abuse, etc.

There are wealthy people in the state of New Jersey to be sure but collectively they don't have enough wealth, let alone income flow, to pay taxes sufficient to raise everyone up to the liberal standard of living.

Most of the money will be taken from the hides of middle class people - people who are educated by some of the best institutions in this country because their parents bit the bullet or because they piled on debt; people who work 60 hours a week excluding their 1 - 2 hour commutes each way; people who have things and live pretty well because they sacrificed.

My efforts have provided a decent home for my family but we're certainly not rich. Our income pays the mortgage, buys food and a little - not enough - is left over to put away for the kid's college or for our retirement. But we don't take vacations or buy expensive cars or have a lot of other "luxuries." We pay our own health insurance - a little less than 10% of our monthly earnings. I've had enough. So I'm movin' out.

I'm movin' to a place where the identical house costs less than half, where the taxes are less than one fifth, where the schools and the quality of life are better, where there is a conservative (yes Republican but not just Republican) government which actually holds down costs.

11:28 AM | |

 

Howard Dean Comes To New Jersey

Parkway Rest Stop - Howie:

As soon as we heard that Howard Dean, the Chairman of the National Democratic Committee, was coming to the Garden State, we dispatched one of our PRS Operatives to Newark Airport to see if he could spend a few moments with Dr. Dean.

He caught up with Dr. Dean as he waited for his limousine to be brought around.

PRS: “Dr. Dean, welcome to New Jersey. I’m from PRS and I wonder if I could ask you a couple questions?”

11:26 AM | |

 

Legislating and Spending From The Bench

NJ Conservative - What Happens If:

What would happen if the Governor refused to enforce a decision of the State Supreme Court. What if the legislature and Governor just refused to either create legislation according to the edict of the court or to act to enforce one of its decisions.

So why did the other branches of government allow the court to spend taxpayer dollars. I don't know. It seems to me that the Legislator and the Governor should never have let the court dictate legislative issues. I'd really like to know what would happen if they refused.

11:23 AM | |

 

New Jersey Stadium Deal

Enlighten-NewJersey - Deal for Stadium in New Jersey Gives Teams Reason to Cheer:

We’ve written on this subject before, but the article in the New York Times - Deal for Stadium in New Jersey Gives Teams Reason to Cheer – reminds us why state run businesses are such a bad idea. And we mean any business – entertainment, real estate, stem cell research, manufacturing – you name it.

One reason – politicians make decisions based upon political considerations and not sound business or financial calculations. The state's deal on the sports stadium and property in the Meadowlands is just one sad example.

11:21 AM | |

 

Susan Bass Levin

Dynamobuzz - Newly Inaugurated NJ Governor:

Corzine is asking Susan Bass Levin to be his commissioner for the Department of Community Affairs.

Levin is part of the old regime, the McGreevey years, and she ticked off environmentalists everywhere by turning the Highlands Protection Act into the Leave No Real Estate Developer Behind Act by adding goodies to the bill that would give free reign to build just about anywhere in the state. And it was just this past July that the FBI announced they were investigating possible campaign finance violations from when Ms. Levin was mayor of Cherry Hill.

11:19 AM | |

 

Science Illiteracy

Fausta's Blog - More on Boys and Books, and Science Illiteracy:

Lazy teachers might find it useful to have the students spend time playing with "stuff" instead of actually doing a guided experiment where the teacher has specifically structured the activity to demonstrate a law of science. Small wonder that "students whose science education is heavily weighted toward the inquiry method will score poorly" in standardized tests.

11:13 AM | |

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