The Soprano State

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Appearances
	April 17th Clinton Book Shop, 7:00 PM 33 Main Street, Clinton, NJ

Next Appearances by the authors will be April 17th at: Clinton Book Shop 7pm
33 Main Street, Clinton, NJ

THE SOPRANO STATE OFFICIAL SITE

A Heavy heart: Two boys struck by van while skateboarding

With sadness and heavy hearts, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Grame Preston(age12) and Kevin Clawson(age13) families. May the Lord bless them with peace and strength during at this time.
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FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — A combination of dark clothing, a shadowy area between two streetlights and a pair of skateboarders who were "significantly into the roadway" were factors in the traffic accident that led to the two township boys' deaths, police said Thursday.

Graeme Preston, 12, of Route 79 died of his injuries late Thursday afternoon at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, authorities said. Kevin Clawson, 13, of Koenig Lane was pronounced dead Wednesday night at Centra-State Medical Center in Freehold Township shortly after the 6 p.m. accident, police said.

No charges are expected to be filed in a case that has underscored the twin dangers of skateboarding in the street and wearing dark clothing on the road at night, police said.

"The preliminary investigation supports a finding that this collision was accidental," Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin said. "There was no evidence of alcohol involvement or speeding, but of course we are continuing our investigation."

The boys had been skateboarding on Bar Harbor Road between Sabina Terrace and Burki Place and were in the road when they were hit, said police Lt. Dean Smith, who commands the township's traffic unit. Police described the street as well-lit with both curbing and sidewalks.

Police said the driver of the minivan, Frederick C. Eckhardt, 84, of Edgewood Drive, Freehold, was shaken up but uninjured. There was no indication that he failed to control his vehicle or that his actions contributed to the crash, investigators said after an accident reconstruction team's work at the scene.

Driver wasn't speeding

"Speed was not a factor here," Smith said. "He was doing the posted 35 mph speed limit, if that. The problem is that the kids were skateboarding in the street and they were wearing dark clothing. He just didn't see them, and under the circumstances that's understandable."

It is also possible that only one of the boys was wearing a helmet, Smith said.

"We recovered a helmet at the scene. At this point we don't know if it was being worn by either of the boys," Smith said.

Bar Harbor Road, a residential street, is not an area where police have received complaints about skateboarders in the street, police Capt. James Lasky said.

Smith said studies by the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety have shown that black and blue clothing are the hardest to see at night. A chart prepared by the department said a night-time driver would first see a pedestrian in dark-colored clothing at about 55 feet away. That might give a driver as little as one second of reaction time, studies show.

Skateboarding is allowed on streets as long as the skaters keep to the right, wear helmets and follow the rules of the road, Lasky said.

"The problems come when they can't be seen or dart into the middle of the roadway," Lasky said. "We don't know if that happened here, but we have had complaints about that from other people at different times. A lot of times kids don't realize how hard they can be to see at night and how long a car needs to stop."

School comes together

The boys were seventh-graders at Dwight D. Eisenhower School, said William Setaro, Freehold Township schools superintendent.

He said each teacher was given a short prepared statement to read to their homerooms Thursday, and grief counselors were present, focusing on students' and staff's "feelings, fears and concerns."

"Our teachers will be trying to run a normal day," he said, noting that "what I think is amazing is that the entire school community is coming together."

Although police emphasized that speed was not an issue in the accident, those who live along Bar Harbor Road said, generally, the 35 mph speed limit on that stretch is too fast for the internal street in the Juniper Farms development.

The speed limit has been an issue during the three decades that Sharon Kurczeski, 64, and her husband, Charles, 68, have lived on the road.

"We have tried everything to get this reduced, while our kids were growing up, to no avail," Sharon Kurczeski said.

Richard and Kathryn Lindquist, who live next-door to the Kurczeskis and assisted at the accident scene, agreed the accident did not seem to be speed-related. But Richard Lindquist, 61, said traffic speed has been an issue during the 20 years they have lived there.

With the accident, "maybe this will make some needed changes," Kathryn Lindquist said.

Staff writers Joseph Sapia and Kim Predham contributed to this story.

NJ at its best: Housing Authority chief Mary Jo Grauso gets bonus after serving suspension...

LAKEWOOD — Five months after returning from a 60-day unpaid suspension for giving no-bid contracts to a boyfriend, Housing Authority chief Mary Jo Grauso was awarded a $4,000 bonus Tuesday on top of the standard 3 percent (you godda love it!)

Authority commissioners defended the raise and bonus, which totaled about $7,000, as a reward well-earned by a director whose misstep, while severe, should be put in the context of an otherwise accomplished career. Grauso's base salary is now $109,545 annually.

"We are a very high-performing agency that has succeeded in many areas we've never ventured into before, and it's because of the leadership we've had," Audrey Wise, authority chairwoman, said Wednesday. "How many times are we going to make her pay for her indiscretion?"

Still, the bonus, given after a performance evaluation, struck some as inappropriate, especially in light of the agency's history of controversy. Grauso's predecessor, Meir N. Hertz, stepped down as executive director six years ago following charges of income tax invasion, to which he pleaded guilty.

"Overall, Mary Jo has done a good job over the years, but she made a serious lapse in judgment and it sends the wrong message to now award her with a bonus," Mayor Raymond Coles said.

Township Committeeman Charles Cunliffe said he was surprised Grauso maintained her position after the violation, and was "shocked" to learn of the raise. The Township Committee appoints six of the seven commissioners but has no further control over the authority. The seventh member is appointed by the governor and is currently vacant.

One dissenting vote

In May, Grauso was suspended without pay for allowing her then-boyfriend, James Castaldo, and his Toms River construction company to continue refurbishing housing units managed by the authority after the cost of the work surpassed the $21,000 threshold after which competitive bids must be sought. Grauso, who served her 60-day suspension intermittently, returned to her authority post full-time in October.

Five commissioners voted unanimously Dec. 21 to approve the bonus. On Tuesday, the board put the bonus into effect, retroactive to Oct. 1. Marta Harrison, who was absent at the December meeting, was the only commissioner to cast a dissenting vote Tuesday.

"The violations leading up to the suspension were serious, and when taking them into account, overall a merit-based raise was inappropriate," Harrison said.

In the coming weeks, the Inspector General's Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which funds much of the authority's operations, will also be investigating Grauso's actions, according to Coles, who said he spoke with a HUD official.

Rene Febles, the inspector general's special agent in charge in Newark, said he could not confirm or deny an investigation.

Grauso could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Freehold: Superior Court employee altered checks

A finance clerk working for the state Superior Court in Monmouth County has been charged with theft and official misconduct for altering checks collectively worth more than $18,000, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.

Lisa Morton, 41, of Freehold was arrested Feb. 15 and released on her own recognizance, Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin said. She had been a court employee for more than 20 years and was most recently a supervisor assigned to the court's finance division in Ocean Township, the Prosecutor's Office said.

Prosecutor's detectives began investigating the alleged check-altering in December, Valentin said. Investigators allege Morton altered 23 checks totaling $7,553 and deposited them into her personal bank account, he said. Another 20 checks, totaling $11,280, were also altered, but not cashed due to a stop-payment order, he said.

"Morton violated the trust of her superiors and the fiduciary responsibility that she owed to the people of the state," Valentin said. "This constituted a significant breach of her duties as a public servant."

Valentin said the scheme came to light when the Trial Court Administrator's Office spotted irregularities and called the Prosecutor's Office.

Official misconduct is a second-degree crime and carries a maximum prison term of 10 years upon conviction, the Prosecutor's Office said. The theft and attempted theft are third-degree crimes, and each carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction, prosecutors said.

The New Jersey Criminal Code lists a presumption of incarceration for second-degree criminal convictions. Third-degree crimes do not carry that presumption, according to the code, and probation is generally recommended for people who are convicted of those crimes and do not have prior criminal records, prosecutors said.

Morton was fired on Dec. 14, 2007, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

Manalapan: Teacher admits drinking at Pinebrook school

PLEA DEAL: Substitute faces 5 years in prison, must forfeit teaching license

A substitute teacher who showed up in a Manalapan elementary school drunk pleaded guilty to a lone charge of endangering the welfare of a child and will forfeit her teaching license as part of her plea agreement.

Mary J. Kaminski, 54, of Eagle Way, Middletown, admitted to Superior Court Judge Francis P. DeStefano she had started drinking alcohol on the morning of Dec. 5, 2007, and that she arrived drunk to sit in a fourth-grade classroom at Pine Brook Elementary School in Manalapan.

Kaminski admitted she put the kids at risk of harm by her actions.

Kaminski was called in to the Pine Brook Elementary School to fill in for an absent teacher, but her bizarre behavior in the classroom prompted several students to seek out school Principal Michael D'Anna.

The students reported Kaminski fell out of her chair, had difficulty in getting up and was generally acting erratically. He immediately went to the room to investigate.

The subsequent investigation found that Kaminski had hidden the alcohol in a coffee mug that she carried around the classroom.

Kaminski became a certified elementary school teacher for students from prekindergarten through eighth-grade in New Jersey in 1986 through a reciprocal agreement with another state and recently retired from a school in New Jersey.

Kaminski faces five years in prison when she appears for sentencing on May 23. She remains free on $25,000 bail.

Middletown: Ex-Assembly member had 3 liquor licenses when 2 was limit

APP article

With the approval of the township, former state Assemblyman Joseph Azzolina illegally owned three liquor licenses for several years, a violation of state regulations, according to court documents released Wednesday.

Azzolina, who acquired the third license in 1999, received approval every year from the Township Committee until 2005, according to the documents. State regulations limit the number of liquor licenses a person or company can own at two.

On Wednesday, state Superior Court ruled against Azzolina, who had sought to sell the third license as a way to comply with state regulations.

The court ruled that Azzolina cannot be allowed to sell something he should not have been allowed to own in the first place.

"A seven-year ownership of a third license is not a mere technical violation," the court wrote, "but rather, a long-term, persistent violation of one of the chief evils the Legislature intended to prohibit."

Two of the licenses were listed under the name of Circus Liquors, Inc. while a third was listed under the name of Food Circus Supermarkets of Middletown, Inc. The stockholders of both companies were identical, according to court documents.

One of the licenses was never used, according to the documents.

Azzolina referred questions to his attorney, Larry S. Loigman of Middletown.

Loigman contends that Middletown provided Azzolina with "incorrect information" about the legality of his owning three licenses.

In an appeal brief quoted in Wednesday's court decision, Loigman alleges that Middletown denied renewing Azzolina's third license in 2005 after the former assemblyman publicly opposed the reappointment of William F. Dowd as chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Party in 2004.

Dowd is the law partner of Bernard Reilly, Middletown's attorney.

"There isn't any question about that," said Loigman of the connection between the two events.

Loigman's allegations are "absolutely not true," Reilly said. The township's clerk's office, which Reilly said was in charge of reviewing the details of liquor license renewal requests, did not realize that Azzolina owned three licenses until 2005, he said.

"This is not some massive conspiracy," Reilly said. "When it became known, there was no other choice than to do what was done."

The court's decision on Wednesday essentially means that Azzolina's third license ceases to exist, Loigman and Reilly said.

Azzolina has until March 18 to decide whether to appeal the court's decision to the state Supreme Court, Loigman said.

Assembly lawmakers advance plan for paid work leave

APP article

TRENTON — A Democratic-led effort to make New Jersey the third state to
let workers take paid leave from work to care for a sick relative or newborn child
received a boost Thursday, much to the displeasure of businesses and Republicans.

The Assembly Labor Committee voted 6-2 to approve legislation giving workers six weeks paid leave, marking the first time Assembly lawmakers advanced the paid leave measure.

Legislators have tried to get the measure into law for years, but this proposal
hadn't received Assembly consideration amid worry paid leave could hurt businesses.

The bill is now set for a Monday Senate vote and further Assembly consideration.
Democrats control the Assembly and the Senate.

Robert Serrano, of Cumberland County, recalled how he spent months traveling to a Philadelphia hospital to visit his wife as she was treated for leukemia. He worked nights as a grocery clerk and got by, he said, on two-hour naps. Though he wanted to spend more time with his wife, he said he had to continue working to maintain health insurance.

"It just got so overwhelming sometimes," Serrano said.

His wife died in February 2006, and Serrano said he wished he could have taken paid leave from his job to spend more time with her.

"This legislation is about giving families time to bond," said Senate Majority
Leader Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester. "It's about giving them time to care for their loved ones."

But the New Jersey Business & Industry Association noted how Thursday's hearing came as employment data released this week showed the state added just 3,700 jobs last year — the worst since 2003 — and lost 9,200 private-sector jobs in January, the worst month in five years.

"This is the wrong bill at the wrong time," NJBIA President Philip Kirschner said.

California allows workers to take up to six weeks paid leave under a 2004 law, while Washington will allow workers to take five weeks paid leave as of October 2009.

Since 1993, federal law has allowed workers in businesses with at least 50 employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

The New Jersey leave would be paid through a payroll deduction that legislative
officials estimate would cost workers about $33 per year. Workers who take leave would get two-thirds of their salary, up to $502 per week.

"For $33 a year, this is the best social insurance program that money could buy,"
said Charles Wowkanech, president of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, which is among the labor unions backing the plan.

But Assemblyman Michael Doherty, R-Warren, said the $33 per year cost was simply a new tax.

"We will lose more jobs and the very people this bill purports to help will, in
reality, be harmed by its cascading negative effects," said Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-Morris.

State Labor Commissioner David Socolow, who along with Gov. Jon S. Corzine backs the proposal, has estimated 38,000 New Jersey workers annually would take paid leave. New Jersey has 4.1 million workers.

Sharpe James: just another criminal defendant in federal court

APP article
For 20 years, Sharpe James wielded immense power as mayor of New Jersey's largest city, a political boss who eventually held a dual role as a state senator.

But Tuesday, he will be just another criminal defendant in federal court as he begins the first of two federal corruption trials.

While Newark is moving forward without James, a lot is at stake for the 72-year-old former power broker, notably his legacy and his pension — not to mention the chance of years in prison if he's convicted.

"He happens to be a larger-than-life figure," said Alan Zegas, one of James' attorneys. "He has done an enormous amount for the city in a very public way."

Today's Newark is laden with projects championed by James, including the decade-old New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the Prudential Center, a hockey arena that opened in October after James' longtime support.

But his actions, called corrupt by prosecutors, will also be aired in public, over two trials that are likely to last several months each.

The first trial centers on whether he arranged for the sale of nine city-owned properties at discounted rates to Tamika Riley, a woman nearly half his age with whom he traveled. Prosecutors said they will present evidence to show the two had an intimate personal relationship.

Prosecutors said James improperly steered properties to Riley, 38, and that she, with James' help, quickly resold them at much higher prices. Riley was able to buy the properties though she lacked real estate, construction and financial experience to rehabilitate the properties, according to the indictment.

Riley raised and donated campaign money for James and traveled internationally with him, enjoying vacations and meals partly funded by city credit cards, the indictment charged. She will stand trial with him for land fraud charges only.

After being indicted in July, James and Riley pleaded not guilty to all charges and are free on bail. Prosecutors have said they expect the first trial to last as long as three months, with 40 to 50 witnesses expected.

Jury selection, which Zegas said he expects to take between one and two weeks, begins Tuesday.

The first trial likely won't have the salacious details of the second, where James is accused of using city-issued credit cards to pay for $58,000 worth of personal expenses while he was mayor, including trips with several women other than his wife, to Martha's Vineyard, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Rio de Janeiro.

The charges in the first trial are more serious because he is accused of abusing his office to provide Riley with unfair financial gain, said Robert A. Mintz, a former federal prosecutor with U.S. attorney's office in Newark

"This is the case that really matters to prosecutors," he said. "This is the case that goes to the heart of the government's allegations of corruption. That's why we're seeing it tried first."

Under federal advisory guidelines, James could face seven to eight years in prison if he is convicted on all counts. But a judge could impose a much stiffer penalty — as much as 20 years on some individual counts.

The trials will open a window into the inner workings of City Hall, which James ran from 1986 to 2006 before deciding not to seek a sixth term. He also served as a state senator from 1999 to January 2008, when he left office after not seeking re-election.

The trials could overshadow James' accomplishments as mayor, said Clement Alexander Price, a professor of history at the Newark campus of Rutgers University.

"For some people, Sharpe James will always be remembered as the most significant mayor after the near collapse of Newark in 1967," he said, referring to the city's deadly riots. "He helped to stabilize the city. His articulate rhetoric of optimism was infectious."

While the charges are severe, Price said they are "small potatoes" compared to other urban mayoral corruption cases.

"They strike me as more clumsiness on his part than deeply endowed corruption, like on the scale of the Addonizio administration or the boss Hague years," he said. Hugh J. Addonizio, who was Newark mayor in the 1960s, was convicted of extortion and conspiracy and served five years of a 10-year prison sentence; Frank Hague, a boss of Jersey City for much of the first half of the 20th century, never went to jail.

James is at least the fourth former Newark mayor to be charged with wrongdoing in the last 70 years. Only one, Addonizio, has gone to prison.

James Trial Jury Selection Enters Day Three

The methodical process of whittling down an initial jury pool of 150 people continued at federal court in Newark on Tuesday in the first of two corruption trials of former Newark mayor and State Senator Sharpe James. Judge William Martini quizzed potential jurors in small groups and individually on an array of issues with the aim of determining whether they can be impartial and block out all they've heard in the news media about the high profile case.

Those jurors who pass the first round of questioning aren't guaranteed a seat on the jury. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will individually have an opportunity to challenge each juror in the final part of the process to seat 12 with seven alternates.

Some would-be jurors made it clear they could not serve. Juror #4 (all prospective jurors are identified by number in the courtroom) told Judge Martini he had a "jaded attitude about politicians" and that he could try to be impartial, but it would be "a stretch." The Hoboken resident was excused. So was an Irvington woman, juror #28, who said she'd have a hard time being fair because her father cheated on her mother. Prosecutors allege James' co-defendant Tamika Riley was his mistress, although that specific information was not detailed to potential jurors during the selection process.

James, 72, is charged with abusing his power by arranging for the sale of nine city-owned properties at discounted rates to Riley, 38. Prosecutors allege she then sold them for big profits.

Jury selection commences in ex-mayor's corruption trial

Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys for former Newark mayor and state Sen. Sharpe James will begin questioning potential jurors today in their effort to select 12 jurors and seven alternates to hear corruption charges against him.

James, who as leader of New Jersey's largest city for 20 years and a state senator for nine wielded enormous political influence, appeared subdued in court Tuesday as he began the first of two federal corruption trials.

The usually talkative politician declined to comment on the case, saying little to reporters besides "good morning" as he entered the courthouse Tuesday, just blocks from City Hall, his longtime base of power.

James, 72, is charged with five corruption counts, including conspiracy and fraud. His co-defendant, Tamika Riley, 38, faces those charges as well as eight others, including tax evasion. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, James could face seven to eight years in prison if he is convicted on all counts. But a judge could impose a much stiffer penalty — as much as 20 years on some individual counts.

Prosecutors have said they expect the first trial to last as long as three months, with 40 to 50 witnesses expected.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William J. Martini spent nearly 30 minutes explaining the case to potential jurors, introducing the defendants and their attorneys and summarizing the pending charges.

Attorneys reviewed responses from 131 prospective jurors who filled out questionnaires. They were asked to answer 38 questions submitted by prosecutors and defense attorneys. The questions addressed issues ranging from newspaper reading habits and occupations to whether jurors believed they could judge the facts of the case without bias.

Senator Jennifer Beck says Fox should not be leading the BPU

State Senate Judiciary Committee Member Furious Over Plan to Keep Jeanne Fox as President of the BPU

The good news is that Fox must be confirmed by the committee to be re-appointed

A member of the State Senate Judiciary Committee is strongly criticizing Governor Corzine's decision to re-appoint Jeanne Fox to a new six year term as President of the Board of Public Utilities.

Senator Jen Beck says Fox should not be leading the BPU because she's under investigation for "taking some 83 million dollars off-budget, and using that money to hand out grants to what seemed to be politically connected people…both the Feds and the State are investigating this - they've had some difficulty because she shredded many of the record that were associated with that grant giving."

Beck says another problem with re-appointing Fox is that "she's in the middle of a whistle blower lawsuit, and she has been politicizing the BPU with a number of patronage jobs."

A spokeswoman for the BPU says "unfortunately, Senator Beck appears to be unfamiliar with the BPU's accomplishments under President Fox's leadership, and to have relied upon factual errors to form her opinions…President Fox looks forward to speaking directly with the Senate Judiciary Committee on her full record of achievement, answering any questions on that record, and talking about why she is a prudent choice for shepherding New Jersey's utility policies."

Passaic County: Freeholder cites threat of charges in budget vote

BY PAUL BRUBAKER

Passaic County Freeholder Terry Duffy said he felt pressured to support a $10 million budget fix because of the county counsel's warning in December of possible criminal charges and a government shutdown.

But exactly what County Counsel William Pascrell III said at the Dec. 11 closed-door meeting is disputed among the freeholders. Meanwhile, Pascrell won't release transcripts and recordings of the meeting, citing attorney-client privilege.

County taxpayers will have to pay back the $10 million, plus interest, in the 2008 tax levy, which has been projected to increase about $25 million. Average cost per property owner will be known when the county's 2008 budget is introduced on March 11.

Duffy said he originally intended to vote against the resolution to borrow $10 million to replace revenue expected from the failed golf course sale. Duffy's opposition would have killed the measure.

But Duffy changed his mind after Pascrell's warnings of possible criminal charges and a likely government shutdown.

"I recall being told that we really don't have a choice," Duffy said in a recent interview. "Bottom line was that we'd be skirting our obligations. We really had no recourse. It was mandated actually from the [state] Local Finance Board director. I'm not here to violate the law."

The measure passed in a 5-2 vote, with Freeholders James Gallagher and Bruce James dissenting. The state's Local Budget Law requires a two-third majority of the seven-member board on emergency appropriations.

Other freeholders described the closed discussion as "intense" and "very heated," but no one else contacted on Monday recalled Pascrell advising that they were on the verge of committing a crime.

"I presented an alternative," Gallagher said, "staff reductions."

Freeholder Elease Evans said she distinctly remembered the possibility of county government closing.

"If it didn't go through, we had no alternative," said Evans, who was freeholder director at the time. "What else would we do other than close the doors?"

Earlier in December, a state appeals court had blocked sale of the county golf course, leaving a $10 million gap in the 2007 county budget. The freeholders' agenda on Dec. 11 indicated that the $10 million appropriation was ordered by state Division of Local Government Services. The $10 million was raised through short-term borrowing that must be paid back this year, with interest, with county taxes.

Pascrell would not comment Monday on whether he advised the freeholders that rejecting the resolution was a crime because the closed session was protected by attorney-client privilege. He repeated a statement he made that the memo from the Division of Local Government Services was tantamount to a court order.

"It's an administrative determination by the executive branch [of state government] for the freeholders," Pascrell said. "The agency was responding to the appellate decision and they were directing the freeholders to act. Had they not acted they would have suffered the consequences."

Monmouth County: County to oust department head

Monmouth County government officials have decided to oust the head of the Shade Tree Department from the $78,000-per-year job when the position comes up for reappointment in two weeks — though Middletown resident Gary Lovallo said the department “made significant strides” in the two years he was superintendent.

(Now we’ll see who gets the job, and for how much… Thomas Aumack is “the acting” super. Now lets see if he gets the permanent spot, and if there’s any “family” involved…)

“When they brought me in, they said they wanted to get rid of the country club attitude and make the department more businesslike,” Lovallo said. “I guess that rubbed people the wrong way.”

Lovallo would not elaborate except to say the changes he implemented, which he said included a new computer inventory of trees on county properties, were designed to lead to “a more efficient operation.”

Neither county Public Works Director John W. Tobia, who oversees the Shade Tree Department, nor county spokesman William K. Heine would comment on why Lovallo is being dismissed.

“Gary Lovallo is not being reappointed. That’s all I can say about that,” said Heine, noting the subject was “a personnel matter.”

Lovallo said, “I’m not really contesting anything. I want to move on, though I believe I wasn’t given a fair shake on a lot of things.”

Lovallo also has a business, Consulting Municipal Foresters Inc., based in Old Bridge.

Thomas Aumack has been named acting superintendent of the Shade Tree Department, which maintains the trees along 400 miles of county roadways and at Brookdale Community College and throughout the Monmouth County Park System when requested.

Lovallo said he supervised 33 people in carrying out routine trimming, hazardous tree removals, insect and disease control, tree replacement and capital planting projects.

In April 2007, Monmouth County became the 17th county in the nation to be given a “Tree City USA” designation by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Bob Jordan: (732) 308-7755, bjordan@app.com

Gov. Corzine's Approval Ratings continue falling.

" Just one in four voters (25%) say the state is headed in the right direction, the lowest percentage since November 2005 just before Governor Jon Corzine's was elected." says Fairleigh Dickinson University-PublicMind pollster Peter Woolley.

65% say the state is off on the wrong track.
54% of Democrats agree the state is on the wrong track as do four of five Republicans (80%).

Woolley explains, "In part, those dismal numbers reflect that the governor himself is emphasizing that the state is on the wrong track."

"The governor's approval rate continues to drift down with 42% approving and 43% disapproving," says Woolley and that's a 17-poinjt negative swing, "In early January he was way ahead with 48-32% approving." Those who heard "some" or "a great deal" about the governor's toll plan split with 41% approving of him and 45% disapproving. Those who've heard "little" or "none" about the financial plan approve of the governor by 44%-30%. Woolley says, "There's no way to untangle those two things."

"One in four (27%) say the governor is doing a "poor" job, up 10 percentage points from early January before his State-of-the-State speech," says Woolley. 33% rate his performance as "good" or "excellent," down from 36% in early January and from 42% in late October just before the state's legislative elections. Those who use the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway to commute to work are more likely (33%-23%) to rate the governor's performance as "poor" than other commuters. Woolley adds, "There's no doubt the governor's proposal for raising tolls has taken a bite out of his public standing…..Considering the beating he has taken on his toll plan, it's remarkable his numbers are not a good deal worse."

"64% of New Jersey voters now say they oppose the governor's plan to raise tolls to facilitate a fiscal restructuring, up five percentage points from late January," says Woolley. 28% say they support the plan, down five percentage points from a few weeks ago.

It's not very difficult to figure out what the voters want. Asked which budget option they would support, 51% say "make very steep budget cuts" while 20% say raise tolls, 9% say raise the gas tax and 8% say raise the income tax. Woolley explains, "Budget cuts are easier said than don….after the governor lays out those cuts, there will be no shortage of well-informed and well-organized lobbies opposing those budget reductions that affect their people."

The poll of 795 New Jersey registered voters statewide was conducted from February 18 through February 24 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points.

By Kevin McArdle - Millenium Radio - 101.5fm

Toms River: Central Regional budget would raise taxes in 3 of 5 member towns

School taxes will go up in three of the five towns that make up the Central Regional school district under the $33,610,093 budget for 2008-09 introduced tonight by the Board of Education.

A public hearing on the budget, which includes a tax levy of $25,796,028 -- up $941,401 over the previous year -- is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 27.

Superintendent David Trethaway said that despite the increase, the district is below what the state considers an adequate level of funding.

"Our budget is $4.1 million less than what the state considers the local fair share,'' he said. "The major cost drivers in the budget are pension contributions, health benefits, utilities and gasoline, and out-of-district placement for sixth-graders entering the middle school. That gives us an increase of $1.5 million.''

Trethaway explained that the finance committee was able to make about $700,000 in cuts by cutting back on purchases.

For example, he said that English textbooks will be replaced in stages, as will computers.

"We're not cutting staff or programs and we won't be adding any, either,'' he said.

The proposed spending plan calls for tax hikes in Berkeley, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park, said Craig A. Lorentzen, board secretary.

Taxes will go up 2.4 cents per $100 of assessed value in Berkeley to 66.4 cents, he said. The owner of a home valued at $108,600, the borough's average, would pay $26.11 more.

In Seaside Heights, the taxes would go up 3.2 cents per $100 of assessed value to 28.9 cents. The owner of a home valued at $310,300 would pay $588.49 more, Lorentzen said.

"The high number in Seaside Heights is due to the recent revaluation where the value of business properties, such as the Boardwalk, dropped, and the value of personal property increased,'' he said.

In Seaside Park, the tax rate will go up 1 cent to 54.3 cents per 100 of assessed value and the owner of a home valued at $335,512, the borough's average, would see an $81 increase in the annual regional school tax bill, he said.

Taxes would decrease slightly in Island Heights and Ocean Gate. Island Heights would see a 0.005-cent drop from 26.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to 26.1 cents and the owner of a home valued at $382,900 would pay $18.20 less.

In Ocean Gate, there would also be a 0.005 cent decrease from 35.7 cents last year to 35.1 cents this year. The owner of a home valued at $239,200, the borough's average, would pay $6.41 less in taxes.

Lorentzen said the district will eventually lose $309,000 in revenue due to the removal of senior stabilization aid from the new school funding formula adopted by the legislature unless efforts to restore the money are successful.

"We have the aid this year but we have to spread it out among all of the towns in the
district,'' he said. In past years, the aid, which was given because Berkeley has a high senior citizen population, was earmarked to help Berkeley residents.

Board members said they hope that residents will vote favorably on the budget this year.

"This budget is the soundest budget we are going to get under the circumstances,'' said board member Robert Ray.

Board member Keith Buscio noted that the budget was only going up 2.5 percent, which is below the consumer price index.

"It's so frustrating for us to have to be so thrifty. There are so many things we want to be able to do for our students but we can't,'' said board member Denise Pavone-Wilson.

"Take a look at our bleachers. They're falling apart,'' she said. "Some of the windows in the building are original.''

"We try to take care of the facilities every year but it's becoming harder and harder to do so when the budget is defeated and the money gets cut,'' Cheryl Mackenzie, the board president said.

Monmouth County Freeholders - more luctrative consulting contracts, no trimming yet.

Monmouth County freeholders are on pace to equal or exceed last year's spending on lucrative contracts given to consultants and other professionals. Meanwhile, time is running out for the board if it will deliver on hinted cuts to a proposed $8.1 million tax levy increase.

The board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday and is expected to act on the budget, which currently stands at $489 million. The budget was introduced Jan. 24, and board members since then have stated that reductions would be considered. No cuts have been made as of yet.

"As far as trimming the budget, we're doing things that people may not be aware of," said Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, a Republican.

Burry said it's "possible" reductions to line items will be made but declined to elaborate.

But the board largely hasn't altered how it does business with consultants and professional service firms or trimmed the amount of taxpayer dollars being paid out on those contracts.

On Feb. 14, the board approved spending $210,000 over the next year for two transportation consulting contracts. One of the contracts, which will send $120,000 to the firm run by Robert A. Roe, the former congressman, was unanimously approved. The board's Democrats said the county didn't need two transportation consultants, but they were outvoted by the board's three Republicans on the second contract, retaining Gibbons P.C. at $7,500 per month plus expenses.

In January, the board's Republicans rejected Democrat John D'Amico Jr.'s observation that some tasks in a financial consulting contract could be done at lower cost by in-house personnel, and the GOP votes carried the award of the maximum $80,000 contract to Public Resources Advisory Group to serve as the county's "general financial adviser." D'Amico wanted the board to award the contract at a reduced figure.

Such contracts are covered in the budget under a line item for "consulting and temporary outside services" charged to the freeholder board's account.

County Finance Director Mark E. Acker said $1.35 million is appropriated for that account in the proposed budget, equal to last year's amount. The board spent $1.274 million of that appropriation, Acker said.

"A couple of years back, the appropriation was $1.5 million, so it's come down," Acker said. "I wouldn't suggest to the freeholders that they lower it more, because you don't know what comes up in the course of a year. Of course, the money not spent stays here."

There are a number of similar accounts to hire professionals and consultants to assist with work in other departments, Acker said.

"If you add it up, it will come to several million dollars, but it's not a reliable figure for what is spent on consulting services, because there are other things included in that line item. For instance, money spent on nursing agencies is included in that account," Acker said.

Acker added, "Most people I've heard from are not unhappy with the budget, because they're not unhappy with the services they receive in return and the other benefits the county government provides."

But some residents say they are losing confidence that the budget will be slashed prior to its adoption.

The complete article is HERE

So Corzine... Time is up: Are you FOR US or AGAINST US?

Governor Corzine still loves his Toll Hike Scheme and will not let it die easily. During tomorrow's state budget speech, he must make it look like the best alternative so beware the drastic budget cut recommendations he proposes. He likely paid a good consulting fee to the speech-writer (the same one that gave us "flying pigs") because this is do-or-die for his scheme (we all know it's all but dead).

However... did the Governor finally hear us, and is he ready to do the right thing? The only way to know for sure is if he looks at some real fat to trim before insulting us with threats to cut much needed services.

Some ideas for him:
Eliminate the state cars driven by those like Assemblyman Speaker Joe Roberts... or better yet: what about the McGreevey appointees - do you know our other bozo Governor mcGreevey even though he's long gone, these appointees never left?

What about all those politically connected outside lawyers Attorney General Anne Milgram continues to hire to do her work - and then some like defend the BPU on the whistyleblower case that she continues to hope just goes away ?

Time is up Governor... time to see if you're for us or against us!

IT WAS THE FLYING PIGS!! Governor looks to cut thousands of NJ jobs

Star Ledger

Jon Corzine on Tuesday will become the first New Jersey governor in a decade to propose a state budget that cuts total spending, when he presents a plan that has no new taxes or fees, shrinks the state payroll by as many as 5,000 jobs and eliminates three departments, according to three individuals familiar with the budget.
Having pledged to keep total state expenses below the current $33.5 billion, the governor also will propose slashing state aid to towns and cities by about $100 million, and "charity care" funding for hospitals by as much as $200 million, according to the individuals, who requested anonymity because Corzine's plan had not been made public yet.
And while administration officials have said aid to school districts defined by New Jersey's school funding formula will increase by $530 million, overall school funding will be about the same as last year because of other reductions, not yet disclosed.

In addition, the spending plan will eliminate rebates to about 152,000 homeowners. Administration and legislative officials said last week homestead rebates would be limited to families making no more than $150,000 instead of the current $250,000 limit. The nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services estimates that move will save more than $100 million.
Rebate amounts are expected to remain about the same. They averaged $1,051 for homeowners and $303 for renters last year.
Not since Gov. Christie Whitman proposed a slightly downsized budget in her re-election year in 1997 has a governor sought less spending than the year before. Last year, Corzine recommended a $2.4billion increase, and the budget he signed in June padded that by $200 million.
Like most of his speeches, the governor's third budget address has been written by Corzine himself, though aides helped fine-tune it. In keeping with the gravity of the occasion, the speech to be delivered in the Assembly chambers will be short and direct.
In his State of the State address last month, the Democratic governor, who faces re-election next year, vowed to freeze spending as part of a broad strategy to put state finances on sounder footing. He also called for new long-term controls on future spending and borrowing.
Corzine's complex plan to halve the state's debt and create a pot of cash for decades' worth of road projects has included a sharp increase in road tolls. But Corzine conceded last week the toll plan needs major retooling to have any chance to pass the Legislature.
The proposed budget does not include the estimated $600 million in savings the governor's tolls-for-debt plan would bring, the sources said.
The proposed budget would produce big savings by laying off about 1,000 state workers and offering incentives for 3,000 to 4,000 already eligible for retirement to leave this year. The total job cuts would come on top of the 1,850 net positions eliminated by Corzine since he took office two years ago. The full-time payroll now stands at 68,430.
The source confirmed the departments of Personnel, Agriculture and Commerce all face the ax, though the administration has not yet decided where their essential functions would be transferred.
Municipal officials are expecting to be one of the biggest casualties of the budget, which now funnels nearly $2 billion to the state's 566 municipalities. In addition to plans to reduce that amount by about $100 million, Corzine will propose cutting a $75 million inflationary adjustment that municipal representatives say they deserve under state law.
William Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, said the combined cut would be "unprecedented" in scope and lead to either higher property taxes or layoffs of police, firefighters and other municipal personnel.
"It will have a catastrophic impact," he said. "It's a perfect budget storm, and the people who are going to take it on the chin are going to be the property taxpayers."
Such a reduction in state aid could force big cuts on the local level because Corzine last year signed a law seeking to prevent towns from raising property taxes by more than 4 percent.
Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) said that while cuts are inevitable, lawmakers will try to ease the pain where possible. The Democratic-controlled Legislature must adopt a final budget by July 1.
"If anyone thinks all of the cuts are going to be restored, they are wrong," Codey said. "That doesn't mean the ones that affect people the most we won't try every way possible to restore them, especially the ones that hit the middle class and the poor the most."

Hospital officials and their legislative defenders were equally nervous about a reduction of "charity care" aid in the range of $200 million. This year, 51 hospitals and hospital systems received $716 million.
Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), chairman of the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, said he expects any major reduction would be "fundamentally harmful" and could trigger more hospital closures. Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield last week became the fifth hospital in recent months to announce plans to close.
Vitale said that within a month he intends to introduce legislation that would revamp and try to stabilize state hospital funding as part of a plan to provide universal health insurance. "We will be working overtime to try to address this issue now," he said.

To keep the budget below the present $33.5 billion level, the governor would have to offset the school funding increase, rising pension and health care costs, salaries, debt payments and other costs where growth is locked in. That would mean slashing more than $2 billion in expenses elsewhere.
Lilo Stainton, the governor's spokeswoman, said Corzine will outline a plan "that reduces spending by billions. The budget will be austere -- it will reduce the size of state government, but also seek to protect property taxpayers and society's most vulnerable as much as possible."

Joseph Doria, commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, said his department already is feeling pinched by the loss of 140 positions since Corzine took office two years ago. For example, the former Assembly speaker said, while there is a new law requiring the DCA to inspect single- and two-family homes for lead contamination, a hiring freeze prevents the department from employing the 25 to 30 inspectors needed to enforce it.

Doria said while the public may be clamoring for budget cuts, they should prepare for fewer public services. "People want the services they believe the state should be doing, but they don't believe it costs money," he said.
Jeffrey Tittell, a lobbyist for the New Jersey Sierra Club chapter, said the Department of Environmental Protection "will collapse" if the governor continues to pare its payroll, which he said has shrunk by nearly 1,000 positions during the past decade.

While some are gearing up to fight the budget-slashing, Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Union) said Republican legislators are ready to help Democrats scale back the budget.
"We will support real cuts in government spending and we look forward on a bipartisan basis to find those cuts that are real and sustainable," he said.

As if we weren't already ticked off about Corzine's Toll Hike Scheme, wait till you read about the $500k a month he's still spending on it...

Yep - that's right! Our Jersey Republicans recently unearthed that our beloved Financial Genius of a Governor has spent $4 million on legal fees to firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meager and Flem (I mean Flom - another likely part of the Corzine Cosa Nostra).

That's $4 million that according to State Senator Steve Oroho "makes no sense whatsoever to be spending so much money in legal fees "for a plan that 75 percent of the people say they're not for - to me, that's way, way, way too much money on something that obviously we don't have the money to begin with."
He goes on to say that if we do the math, it amounts to $500,000 per month. I don't know about you - but Ohoro is right when he says that the average taxpayer like you and I should ask ourselves: Hmmm.. would I pay $548 dollars an hour for an attorney? On top of that, would I have 30 outside lawyers work on a plan that 75% of the people don't want?

So far we're talking $4 million dollars and we're still not likely done with being billed for this fiasco.

Oroho and other republicans are calling for the State Comptroller to immediately review the situation - especially because the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom may still be planning to bill the State for an additional 4 million dollars worth of work.

Matawan-Aberdeen Bd of Ed: What are you thinking hiring a P/T school chief?

Matawan-Aberdeen Board of Education paid $18,500 tax dollars to a consultant to help them find a new superintendent, and this is the best they can do?? Am I missing something here?

After paying $18,500 to a consultant to help the district find a new school superintendent, you’d think the Matawan-Aberdeen Board of Education could do better than hiring a school chief who can work only part time for now. It’s not clear how many days Richard O’Malley will work in the district, but he will be available nights, weekends and holidays, he says. The students and staff of the seven-school, K-12 district deserve more leadership than that.

The board voted 6 to 3 last week to hire O’Malley, chief school administrator in Mountainside, at an annual salary of $173,000 when he is released from his duties in the Union County district. Until then, he will receive $750 a month. Board President Lawrence O’Connell said O’Malley’s skills and talents would be “a breath of fresh air” for Matawan-Aberdeen.

But a three-person board minority rightfully opposed the contract over O’Malley’s part-time status, which they said was ambiguous and didn’t specify his work schedule. They also asked whether he could address the district’s complex issues as a part-timer. Without more specifics, the district’s taxpayers should wonder whether they’re getting enough in return.

Teachers and parents also should question the wisdom of hiring a superintendent from a much smaller district. Mountainside is a K-8 district of about 700 students in two schools. Matawan-Aberdeen has about 3,900 students in seven schools. They also should ask the board why they gave such a long contract, four years, to a superintendent taking on his first large district. It certainly wasn’t in exchange for a lower salary. O’Malley’s annual pay will be about $23,000 higher than the salary of his predecessor, Bruce Quinn, who left in November after serving for five years. Quinn said he resigned, in part, because of disagreements with divided school boards.

The O’Malley hiring reflects that division. The board majority should address the concerns about his part-time status before those divisions deepen and undermine public confidence in the new superintendent.

Beck and Scanlon Reaching Out With Town Hall Meetings Of Ther Own

Seeking input from us taxpayers on alternatives for fixing the budget crisis

With the almost universal rejection of Gov. Corzine's plan to raise tolls by up to 800 percent, few who attended a forum Thursday led by two harsh critics of the proposal thought the session was going to be a love fest.

But of the more than 100 people who came to Mahala F. Atchison Elementary School for the two-hour session — led by state Sen. Jennifer Beck and Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon, both R-Monmouth — several said they came searching for better solutions to the state's budget crunch.

Veronica Cozzi, a borough resident, wanted to know why the state couldn't sell New Jersey's horse racing tracks to private corporations. And Christopher Cast, also a borough resident, just wanted to know how he could continue to drive 40,000 miles a year on New Jersey's toll roads without going broke trying to make a living.

Beck and O'Scanlon said they have a solution: no increase in the state budget this year, make cuts in future budgets and restructure the way government business is done.

"If we do these three things, we think, we're going to come real close to solving our problems," O'Scanlon said.

In a presentation lasting about an hour, the lawmakers outlined their plan, which includes a two-thirds reduction in 1,300 "non-essential, political personnel" from the state's payrolls. That move would save an estimated $50 million, they said.

Beck and O'Scanlon also propose eliminating cost-of-living pay increases for state workers making more than $80,000, for an estimated savings of $116 million, and eliminating a sick leave injury program for state workers. Beck called the program redundant because those employees already are covered by worker's compensation laws. That move would save $2.5 million, according to the proposal.

Pension reforms

Beck and O'Scanlon also propose radical changes to the state pension system, such as eliminating benefits for part-time employees and allowing full-time employees to receive a pension from only one job. The pair estimated savings from those reforms could put $4 billion back into the state's coffers.

It was a message that was well received by those who attended.

"I think you're right on the mark with the spending cuts," said Duane Morrill, a Tinton Falls councilman, echoing the remarks of many who addressed the legislators. "We're all trying to do more with less. Why can't Trenton?"

Corzine wants to raise tolls to cut the state debt in half and fund transportation projects.

The governor's plan calls for forming a public benefit corporation to run the Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway. The corporation would increase tolls up to 800 percent, according to a schedule that would allow the state to borrow between $32 billion and $38 billion against toll revenue.

Of that, $16 billion will be used to pay off half the state debt and the rest to fund transportation projects and replenish the transportation trust fund, which runs out of money in 2011.

Corzine offered toll discounts of 20 to 25 percent for frequent drivers, funding commuter rail service to interior Ocean and Monmouth counties and widening and upgrading Route 9 as benefits.

"It will kill me," Cozzi said. "It'll hurt. It really will."

Zero support

But Bob Kelly of Oceanport isn't worried. With the entire Republican minority in the Legislature against the plan and no Democrats so far casting their lots with Corzine, the plan is nearly dead already, he said.

"The governor's plan is going to flop, flat out," Kelly said. "It's going to fail."

Earlier this week, both the Tinton Falls Board of Education and the Borough Council passed resolutions opposing Corzine's toll plan, adding to a growing number of municipalities lining up against it.

"The state needs to stop coming up with creative ways to tax us and start looking for new ways to cut spending," said Council President Michael Skudera during the forum.

Some lawmakers have suggested lesser toll increases, gasoline tax increases, massive spending cuts and not paying off state debt with toll money.

Cast, who spends a good amount of time on New Jersey's toll roads for his job, said the jury is still out on the plan outlined by Beck and O'Scanlon. But they were on the right track.

"If it involves cutting spending, I'm for it," Cast said.

NEXT TOWN HALLS:

Wed. Feb27th:

Hightstown HS 7:30 - 9:30

25 Leshin Lane, Hightstown NJ 08520

Tues Mar 4th:

Freehold Twp Senior Center 7:00 - 9:00

116 Jackson Mills Road, 07728

Keith Brown of APP reported on this story

LOOKS LIKE THE PIGS FLEW!! Corzine's Fiscal Restructuring Agenda: Shift From Near Dead "Toll Hike", To Budget Reduction

According to three lawmakers, Tuesday's Budget presentation is going to call for a $250 million budget reduction in likely response to the Governor's "almost dead" toll hike scheme (Trenton finally heard our LOUD VOICES!!!)

Spending and borrowing restraints are two pieces of Corzine's "fiscal restructuring" agenda. But the governor conceded Thursday that his toll road plan, the centerpiece of his proposed financial fix, has little support and that he may have to settle for less than he originally set out to accomplish.

"I'm not conceding that it's dead. On the other hand, I'm a realist. I don't have 21 and 41 votes for this. I may not have any votes for this," Corzine said.

That plan, which would sharply raise tolls in order to halve state debt and fund decades of transportation projects, needs 21 Senate votes and 41 Assembly votes to win approval. It has received a cold response from lawmakers and a skeptical public.

Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, said Corzine is now eyeing a roughly $250 million reduction in spending this coming year. Two other lawmakers, who asked for anonymity while discussing the governor's planning, confirmed that figure.

Corzine had previously pledged to hold spending flat, a move that alone requires more than $2 billion in spending cuts.

"We can only spend the revenues we have, and details of the plan will come on Tuesday," said Corzine spokeswoman Lilo Stainton.

Corzine said he still hopes to halve the state's $32 billion debt. But his comments Thursday focused more often on investing in state infrastructure, the second of the two prime goals in his toll plan.

"We may not get everything I want with regards to these issues, but if we get a long way down that path, I think we will have made real change, a real contribution to both the present and the future of this state," Corzine said.

He cited the importance of investing in bridges, highways and the state's mass transit system, and said "we will get as much as I can in restructuring the finances and hopefully the debt of the state."

In recent days, some lawmakers have embraced the prospect of using more moderate toll hikes, gas tax increases or a combination of the two to fund transportation projects.

Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, said Wednesday that tying toll increases to improvements on the toll roads would be an easier sell than Corzine's plan, which was criticized for, among other things, hitting up drivers of some roads to pay for statewide debts and transportation needs.

Corzine would not discuss details of his budget Thursday but hinted at going further than just freezing spending.

READ THE REST HERE

Manalapan asks Englishtown to help pay for recreation waivers

MANALAPAN - The Manalapan summer recreation program will no longer pick up the cost of economic waivers for children from Englishtown who cannot pay the $500 registration fee.

Manalapan is asking Englishtown to cover the costs for children from that town who cannot pay to participate in the summer program.

Manalapan officials are still waiting to hear back from Englishtown representatives on a letter that was sent to the Englishtown Borough Council regarding economic waivers for the 2008 summer recreation program, according to Mayor Michelle Roth.

Roth was discussing the recent reorganization of the Manalapan Recreation Advisory Board when she noted that a letter which had been sent to Englishtown several months ago regarding the attendance of Englishtown youths at Manalapan's summer recreation program has gone unanswered.

Roth said it is only fair to expect Englishtown to contribute something toward the summer recreation program expenses.

"We welcome everyone into our summer program, however, the only waivers we will be continuing to consider will be for Manalapan residents. It's not fair to Manalapan taxpayers and really is the responsibility of the Englishtown Borough Council" to provide payment for Englishtown children who cannot afford to pay for the recreation program, she said, adding, "We are anxiously awaiting a response from Englishtown."

READ THE REST HERE

Manalapan: Mayor Michelle Roth updates on the Woodward Road Project

Road work is now estimated to be completed by the end of July

Mayor Michelle Roth provided an update at the Feb. 13 Township Committee meeting regarding the ongoing improvements to Woodward Road. According to Roth, because of recent favorable weather conditions the project is currently ahead of schedule.

Officials had stated in recent weeks that improvements on Woodward Road would keep the portion of the street that lies between Millhurst and Daum roads closed until the end of August.

Last week Roth said the work may be completed by the end of July.

The mayor said there had been some concern about keeping the schedule due to an "unforeseen utility conflict, but we were able to resolve that very quickly."

She said it is important for the builder, Hovnanian, and the township to complete the Woodward Road improvements as quickly as possible. Hovnanian is making the improvements in conjunction with the development of housing along Woodward Road.

According to Roth, there has been a threshold established on the number of building permits that will be issued until the road work is completed. The schedule will also affect the issuance of certificates of occupancy on completed construction.

Another planned road improvement project, this one at the intersection of Iron Ore and High Bridge roads, is not moving as quickly, but that does not mean the project has been halted, according to township engineer Greg Valesi.

Valesi said he has met with residents who will be affected by the road project in order to hear their concerns.

According to Valesi, the planned road improvements require Manalapan to acquire about 10 feet of frontage from some Iron Ore Road and High Bridge Road residents in order to make the needed improvements.

"It looks like it will be a minimal amount of land we'll need to acquire on both of those roads," he said.

However, the township may need to acquire more than 10 feet on what is referred to as Little Mount Vernon Road in order to make the intersection improvements at Iron Ore and High Bridge roads, he said.

According to Valesi, residents of Little Mount Vernon Road voiced concern because the potential exists for Manalapan to have to acquire more than 10 feet on their properties.

Valesi said he will examine the possibility of revising the conceptual sketches in an attempt to mitigate the residents' concerns.

The planned improvements to the intersection that is just outside of Englishtown where Mount Vernon, Iron Ore and High Bridge roads come together have been under discussion and in the planning stages for about five years. Coming from Route 33, the intersection is on a curve in Iron Ore Road and drivers must slow down and navigate a large hump to get onto High Bridge Road and head into Englishtown.

BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer News Transcript

Marlboro: Council will appropriate funding for Property revaluation

Project will assign new assessments to Marlboro properties

The Marlboro Township Council has introduced an ordinance to authorize a special emergency appropriation of funds that will be used to pay a firm to conduct a revaluation of all properties in Marlboro.

The ordinance is expected to have a public hearing, second reading and vote for adoption at the council's Feb. 21 meeting.

The revaluation of every property in Marlboro was ordered to be undertaken by the Monmouth County Board of Taxation in 2004, but has never occurred. The previous revaluation of the township was conducted in 1992.

The revaluation will result in every property being assessed at its current market value. The assessment of each parcel is used to determine the amount of taxes each property owner pays in municipal taxes, Marlboro school taxes, Freehold Regional High School District school taxes, Monmouth County taxes and other assessments.

READ THE REST HERE

Asselta’s qualifications … or lack thereof, received scant attention.

What about his resume?

The Corzine Cosa Nostra hard at work…

The Senate Judiciary Committee did nothing to enhance public trust in government by holding a mere 14-minute hearing last week before unanimously advancing former Republican Sen. Nicholas Asselta’s nomination to the state Board of Public Utilities. Most of the time was spent questioning Asselta about a crucial vote he cast in favor of Gov. Corzine’s school funding proposal … one day before Corzine nominated him for the $125,301-a-year post.

Read the rest of this APP article RIGHT HERE

5 GOP candidates lining up for Monmouth County freeholder seats

Five candidates, including incumbent Lillian G. Burry, are in the race so far to win Monmouth County Republican Party endorsements in this year's election for two freeholder seats.

Today is the deadline for any additional candidates to declare their intention to
meet with the party's screening committee, said party Chairman Adam Puharic.

The other seat at stake this year is held by Republican William C. Barham, who
announced two weeks ago he is not seeking reelection. Control of the freeholder board is at stake. Republicans currently hold a 3-2 majority.

Besides Burry, the other candidates for party endorsements are Red Bank Councilman John Curley, Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMaso, former Howell Planning Board member Russ Bohlin and Neptune resident Eileen Kean, director of government affairs for the Medical Society of New Jersey.

Puharic said about 20 members of the party's screening committee will meet with
candidates at party headquarters in Freehold on Saturday. The committee can then forward endorsements for one or both open freeholder seats to delegates at the party convention, scheduled for March 26 at the Middletown VFW.

By Bob Jordan

It’s about time: Starting March 1st, stiff penalties for drivers talking or texting on a hand held device

In just a couple of weeks, New Jersey drivers who may be distracted by some electronic devices while behind the wheel will be facing stiffer penalties.

Starting March 1st, it will be a primary offense for drivers caught by police using hand-held cell phones to talk or text message while operating their vehicles. Speaking on Millennium Radio’s “Ask the MVC” Wednesday night, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission chief administrator Sharon Harrington says the reason for the change is simple. “What you’re supposed to be doing when you’re behind the wheel is driving; paying attention to not only your actions and to the road in front of you, but to the drivers and the activities around you.”

Harrington says it’s so important to keep your eyes — and your attention — on the road. “Use your common sense! Use your head! You know it’s wrong. Any driving distraction is wrong!”

Harrington points out that the MVC and the state have been doing their part to get the word out. “We’ve been working with the law enforcement community. They’ve been strong partners in this, and we will continue to work with the Attorney General through the Law Enforcement Advisory Committee, to make sure that everyone is fully aware of the change in the law.”

A state study shows that as a secondary offense, over 45,000 tickets have been issued to those who were caught speaking on a hand-held cell phone while driving since 2004. With the violation now being upgraded to a primary offense, it means that police no longer need another reason to pull you over…if they catch you with your hand on the phone and off the wheel.

Violators of the new law would face a $100 fine for gabbing on a hand-held phone, and up to $250 if they’re caught texting.

Corzine's Public Benefit Corp all but dead thanks to "A Different Road"

Corzine says the state is nearly broke: Wisniewski challenges that statement head-on:

"New Jersey maintains an "AA-' bond rating on Wall Street. "Goldman Sachs, who everybody would acknowledge is a world-class financial operation on Wall Street, shares exactly the same financial rating as the State of New Jersey," Wisniewski said. Corzine used to run Goldman Sachs.

Corzine's Public Benefit Corp is likely all but dead thanks to Assembly Transportation Committee chairman John Wisniewski's recommended plan.

Although the 18 cents gas tax hike may not be the ultimate answer, it does have a much more reasonable moderate Toll increase schedule and he does have the Trenton Legislators buzzing about it. The problem as I see it however, is that IT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSE. In other words, there's nothing in the plan that calls for CUTTING spending (only freezing). Some Republican legislators, (preferably a newly elected official(s) like Scanlon/Casagrande/Beck?) need to submit another alternative that may incorporate "a modest" gas tax with across the board cuts.

Wisniewski's plan would not cut state debt, which is a key element of Corzine's proposal to raise tolls by roughly 800 percent by 2022 and by inflation from then on. Corzine has said reducing debt could save the state $1 billion a year in interest payments over the next decade.

But Wisniewski said his plan would more fairly spread the costs among all motorists.

"An 800-percent toll increase was going to fund transportation. I find that unacceptable," Wisniewski said.

He said Corzine's proposal would unfairly hit seven counties, including Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean, that rely on the state's toll roads while asking much less of the rest of the state. Wisniewski's alternative would roughly double tolls by 2018 and would direct the money raised back to projects on the toll roads.

Corzine's proposal would halve the state's $32 billion debt, at least temporarily, and fund up to 75 years of transportation projects.

Under Wisniewski's plan:

• The gasoline tax would grow by 18 cents, with inflationary increases following to fund transportation projects.
• On the Parkway, tolls would grow from 35 cents now to 75 cents in 2018. Corzine's plan would raise the same toll, in four installments, to $2.70 by 2022.
• The Turnpike would see three 25-percent toll hikes in place of Corzine's four increases of 50 percent plus inflation. That means today's $1.20 average trip would cost $2.35 in 2018 under the Wisniewski proposal, compared with the $9.85 by 2022 called for by Corzine.
• A 50-cent Expressway toll would become $1 by 2014, compared with $4.05 by 2022 under Corzine's plan.

Wisniewski also endorsed the same spending controls as Corzine, and even tighter restrictions on new borrowing.

"The governor is pleased that an active dialogue has emerged on how to put New Jersey on the path to fiscal responsibility while also recognizing the need to fund critical, long-term infrastructure improvements," Corzine spokeswoman Lilo Stainton said.

Other lawmakers react

A Democrat whose support is key to Corzine's plan, Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, applauded Wisniewski's approach. Lesniak, who is sponsoring the Corzine proposal, said it will be much easier to convince toll-road drivers to support fee increases if they see the funding coming back to the highways they use.

"The governor trying to do everything all at once in one big bundle; that's too complex to do it all in one way," Lesniak said.

(That's Trenton talk for: I'm not supporting Gov. Corzine's plan any longer)

He said that once the state finds a source of transportation funding, a separate debate can begin on reducing debt.

But Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said talk of a gas-tax hike is premature.

"Right now, there's no reason to talk about a gas tax, there's no reason to talk about toll increases until (Corzine) presents his budget," Sweeney said.

Corzine is scheduled to lay out his plan Tuesday, and Sweeney, like other lawmakers, has called for reduced spending to alleviate the state's financial problems.

Wisniewski disputed Corzine's assertions that the state is nearly broke.

"Bankrupt really means that you're insolvent, that you can't pay your bills. That's not a situation where New Jersey is at. We can pay our bills," Wisniewski said.

He said New Jersey maintains an "AA-' bond rating on Wall Street, similar to most other states.

"Goldman Sachs, who everybody would acknowledge is a world-class financial operation on Wall Street, shares exactly the same financial rating as the State of New Jersey," Wisniewski said. Corzine used to run Goldman Sachs.

New Jersey's debt costs the state $2.6 billion in payments each year, and growing pension and health care liabilities cost another $2.2 billion a year, according to the administration. Corzine has said those payments severely restrict the state's ability to pay for needed programs and repairs.

2 convicted ex-mayors' pensions get cut. ...It's a start!

Former Brick Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli must repay more than $20,000 he received in pension benefits, a state pension board ruled Wednesday.

The Public Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees also voted unanimously to strip the pension benefits Scarpelli accrued from 1998 until his resignation as Brick mayor at the end of 2006. The order reduces the 68-year-old Scarpelli's monthly pension check to approximately $333 from approximately $1,825, according to Tom Vincz, a state Treasury Department spokesman.

In another unanimous vote, the trustees revoked former Ocean Township (Monmouth County) Mayor Terrance D. Weldon's state pension. Weldon, who recently began a 58-month prison term at Texas' Beaumont Federal Correctional Complex, would have received roughly $1,667 each month beginning next year.

Weldon, 59, pleaded guilty more than five years ago to taking cash bribes in exchange for official favors. He was the first local official to fall in the FBI's Operation Bid Rig investigation.

Scarpelli, who began his tenure as Brick mayor in 1994, pleaded guilty in 2007 to accepting more than $5,000 in bribes to help a developer gain building approvals. He is currently serving an 18-month sentence at a federal prison at Fort Dix.

Current Brick Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis, a longtime opponent of Scarpelli, a Democrat, said he thought loss of pension was an appropriate penalty for officials who abuse the public trust.

"I think any elected official, if they're involved in corruption, they shouldn't get a pension from the state," Acropolis said. "We as taxpayers shouldn't have to pay twice."

Michael Blandina, chairman of the Brick Democratic Municipal Committee, also said he thought the reduction of Scarpelli's pension was fair.

"I think that's the most important thing; it sends a message to other elected officials, whether you're in Brick Township, the state of New Jersey or elsewhere, that they have to do the right thing or face the same consequences," Blandina said.

Repayment schedule

Scarpelli must pay back the $20,000 over a 10-year period, though the exact details of the repayment were still being worked out, Vincz said.

The PERS board also voted Wednesday to suspend a $5,000-per-month pension Weldon receives through the state Police and Firemen's Retirement System. Weldon is a former Asbury Park fire chief and city manager, and the suspension will last from April until the end of his incarceration, Vincz said.

Ocean Township Mayor William F. Larkin said he also thought the board's decisions were fair.

"I think it's certainly a correct ruling," Larkin said. "I feel, and I'm sure a lot of the residents in the community feel, that (Weldon) should not be awarded a pension based on his employment with the town."

Tristan J. Schweiger:
(732) 557-5734 or tschweiger@app.com

Five judges retiring after pay hike boosts pensions

Why not? If I had Corzine as a friend (Corzine Cosa Nostra), I can retire too…

Because of the pay raise approved this month, retiring Superior Court judges can see their pensions boosted by $6,000 a year if they work one day this year.

Under pension rules, judges of the supreme, superior or tax courts who are fully vested in the system can collect 75 percent of their final salary. So when Gov. Jon S. Corzine and the Legislature increased their pay 5 percent from $149,000 to $157,000 this month, they also hiked veteran judges’ pensions from about $112,000 to $118,000.

At least five Superior Court judges have indicated they plan to retire by April 1 during the two weeks since the pay raise was approved by the Legislature. In recent years, about 22 judges have retired annually in New Jersey.

“I wasn’t hanging fire because I needed a certain number, it’s just that I knew it would go up,” retiring Superior Court Judge Paul T. Koenig Jr. said. “And why would I retire the first of October when I knew there was say a 50-50 chance that we might get another pay raise either January or July? That was the rumor. And I figured in my situation it was worth waiting to see what was going to happen.”

According to pension estimates, Koenig who is slated to retire Friday from his Mercer County post, will collect a pension of $112,569 — reduced from the maximum of $118,000 because of various benefit options he selected.

In addition to Koenig, whose decision has postponed the trial date of a whistle-blower suit against the Board of Public Utilities, four other judges have signaled they will retire by April 1: Joseph C. Visalli in Cape May County, Maryann Bielamowicz and Neil Shuster in Mercer County and John J. Harper in Morris County.

“It was a consideration, that didn’t put me over the top,” Visalli said of how the pay raise factored into his plan to retire April 1. “I like what I’m doing. I always liked it. I enjoyed doing it and it’s very hard to separate.”

The multiplying effect of pay raises on pensions is one of the reasons some Republicans protested the measure when it was approved last session.

“The way the law is written judges only have to stay for one day at the higher salary and their pension is based on the higher salary,” said Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow, R-Hunterdon, adding this remains “pretty much for the rest of their life.”

Koenig plans to spend the next phase of his life in Florida, where he owns a home and his wife has wintered for the past few years.

“My wife is retired and lives in Florida, and I figured it was time for me to spend more time there,” Koenig said.

Judges, county prosecutors, and county constitutional officers such as clerks and sheriffs were granted raises under a law signed by Gov. Jon S. Corzine Jan. 14, a week after both houses of the Legislature approved the bill.

This followed a separate raise granted judges last summer in the annual budget that raised pay for Superior Court judges from $141,000 to $149,000. That number increased under the new law to $157,000 and will rise to $165,000 next January.

The net effect is that top pensions for Superior Court judges will rise from $105,750 in 2007 to $123,750 next year — a 17 percent increase.

The pay raises were pushed by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, who argued the raises were needed to keep quality judges and give them pay in line with federal judges. The Senate voted 25-13 and the Assembly 51-26 for the raises.

“This increase is vital to ensuring the continued exceptional quality of our Judiciary and the retention of our experienced judges,” Corzine wrote in a statement when signing the law.

Gregory J. Volpe: gvolpe@gannett.com

Marlboro: Ex-mayor wants town to dismiss suit against him

Marlboro asserts damage done by bribed officials

A complaint filed by Marlboro Township in November asserts that the town was indeed damaged by the actions of four former public officials who accepted more than $300,000 in bribes from real estate developers between 1997 and 2004.

Marlboro claims that the corrupt activity by those officials resulted in increased development and a corresponding increase in the need for public services, such as roads and schools. As a result, the town would like to recoup damages of at least $300,000.

But one of those corrupt officials — former Mayor Matthew V. Scannapieco, who admitted accepting $245,000 in cash and awaits sentencing — contends that Marlboro has no proof of such harm and is asking a judge to dismiss the township’s complaint.

“It is legal and political folly,” Scannapieco’s lawyer, Douglas J. Katich, said Tuesday of the complaint.

And a motion Katich filed Feb. 12 to dismiss the complaint states that Marlboro has failed to “allege or set forth any injury to its property or business.”

At the core of the dispute is the township’s contention that the four former public officials — Scannapieco; Planning Board member Stanley Young; municipal utilities chairman Richard Vuola, and Western Monmouth Utilities Authority executive director Frank Abate — conspired with real estate developers to defraud the township.

The real estate developers named in the complaint are Anthony Spalliero and his son, Joseph Spalliero; brothers Bernard and Steven Meiterman, and Edward Kay, who worked with the Meitermans.

All of the public officials have either pleaded guilty or been convicted of accepting or passing bribes. All of the developers except Joseph Spalliero have pleaded guilty to bribing officials. Joseph Spalliero has pleaded innocent and awaits trial.

The November complaint was filed in federal court and claims the officials and the developers engaged in a pattern of racketeering, in violation of federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act.

Robert Kleinberg, who was mayor of Marlboro when the complaint was filed, said Tuesday the actions of the corrupt public officials and developers will have long-term effects on the township.

“When you build more houses, you have to hire more police, you have to pave more roads, you have to have more schools, you have to hire more teachers,” Kleinberg said. “People don’t understand what the cost of corruption is.”

Katich, who represents Scannapieco, said towns are barred, under the applicable federal law, from suing to recover the cost of municipal damages.

Stephen N. Dratch, an attorney representing Marlboro, said Tuesday the township is “on firm ground” legally.

He said that if the case is eventually dismissed by a federal judge, the township would likely pursue other charges against the former officials, such as official misconduct, in state court.

“This thing is not going away,” Dratch said.

Oral arguments in the motion to dismiss have been requested for March 17 before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano.

New Jersey’s Credit card bill - just unbelievable…

Amazing numbers here - the preplexing question (other than where the heck all these spending numbers come from) however is Why is Gov. Corzine is in such a panic to pay our bills?

Hmmm…. Terrific read by our friends at Enlighten NJ

Thanks guys - keep doing what you’re doing!

Another slick move by our beloved Gov.: Advocacy group “Save our State NJ” pops up to support the Toll Hike fiasco… Guess who funded it??

The Courier Post online had an article about a New Advocacy Group called “Save our State NJ (coincidence - it’s in opposition to save our assets nj?). It’s registered as a 501(c)(4) organization.

In the article, spokesman Jennifer Godoski states “We are going to raise whatever it takes to get the message out to New Jerseyans about the crisis we are in and about the plan that is on the table”.

Wow - seems like a well informed convicted backer of the Corzine fiasco - oops - I mean Toll Hike plan.

So who is this Jennifer Godoski? THAT is a great question!

She’s listed as chief of staff to Kris Kolluri, Corzine’s commissioner of transportation and one of the chief proponents of the 800 percent toll tax. Before that, she was a spokeswoman for Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-Mercer.

So our slick Governor funds a 501(c) organization to push his agenda and have the spokeswoman plucked from one of his main backers.

Hey Govna’ - if this is a wise, honest, and convicting plan, what’s with all the slick maneuvers?

Any wonder why we believe you’re totally dishonest and not credible?

Good source of information found at our friends at inthelobby.net