Manalapan couple led cocaine ring

Federal authorities are alleging that this home at the corner of Taylors Mills and Tennent roads in Manalapan was the base of operations for an international cocaine ring that was smashed with a series of arrests on May 29.

Prosecutor estimates take from drug sales at $1 million per week.
Article by Kathy Baratta, News Transcript

The investigation of an international narcotics distribution and money-laundering network based in Manalapan has resulted in multiple arrests, including two Manalapan residents.

The joint county and federal investigation, dubbed Operation Unbounded, alleges the ring was generating $1 million per week, authorities said.

Flanked by local and federal law enforcement officials at a June 2 press conference in Freehold Borough, Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin announced that a joint effort that began in spring 2007 ago netted the arrest of seven individuals so far. Officials said the investigation is continuing.

Two of the individuals arrested, Chantal Esteves, 30, who is currently in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, with bail set at $5 million, and her husband, Vicente Esteves, 35, who is jailed on $10 million bail, live in a home at 162 Taylors Mills Road that Valentin described as being "something like out of

Scarface.' "

"Scarface" is a film starring Al Pacino playing the role of a drug lord.

The Esteveses' large home is at the corner of Taylors Mills and Tennent roads. The property is surrounded by trees that help shield the home from view.

Chantal and Vicente Esteves were charged with operating a major cocainedistribution network and money-laundering operation that spanned several countries.

Valentin said Vicente Esteves was the recognized head of the organization and said Chantal Esteves ran the organization when her husband was out of the country.

If convicted, those arrested face 10 years in prison for conspiracy and 10 years for money laundering, according to officials.

According to Valentin, the couple had set up a "business front" to launder the money generated by the sale of the drugs. He would not elaborate on the operations of what he referred to as the "shell business" except to characterize it as a "company used to transfer real property."

According to Gerald McAleer, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge of the investigation who was present at the press conference, "This was a major ring. Dismantlement of such an organization is a DEA goal so no one else can step right in.

"We used every tool in our tool box," he said, noting that drugs associated with the ring were seized throughout the state.

Officials estimated that the drug ring was bringing in profits that amounted to $1 million per week.

Valentin said when the Esteves home was raided by law enforcement officers on May 29, an unspecified amount of cash was seized, along with about $1 million worth of jewelry. The confiscated jewelry included 100 Rolex watches.

"I'm not sure that Donald Trump has 100 Rolex watches," the prosecutor said.

Valentin said Chantal Esteves had a walk-in closet so full of designer shoes that boxes were marked with photographs to show each pair.

According to Valentin, in the course of the arrests of all the individuals, more than 150 pounds of cocaine was seized, along with $2 million in United States currency. The prosecutor would not specify the amount of cash that was seized at the Esteves home.

Valentin said that at the peak of the organization's operation, the ring was distributing more than 1,000 kilograms (2,000 pounds) of cocaine per month.

Valentin said the estimated street value of the cocaine seized by law enforcement authorities exceeds $2 million. He said major airports were used to bring the drugs in from countries such as Mexico and Colombia.

When asked if airline employees were involved in the activities, Valentin said he would not comment.

He also would not comment on the whereabouts of the Esteveses' two minor children, except to say that as far as he knew, they are with relatives.

A seizure order has been filed on the Esteves residence and an individual from the prosecutor's office was seen affixing a notice to the front door of the TaylorMills Road residence in the hour preceding the June 2 press conference.

Others charged in connection with the drug ring are Alfurquan Barringer, 34, of South River; Mark Edwards, 39, of Metuchen; Hector Rodriguez, 40, of Perth Amboy; Michael Lopez, 35, of Perth Amboy; and Cesar Robert Cabrera- Cepeda, 39, of Old Bridge. They were all charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.

Edwards, both Esteveses, Lopez and Rodriguez were also charged with first-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity, which Valentin explained is commonly referred to as money laundering.

Manalapan: GOP PRIMARY JUNE 3 - ***VOTE COLUMN 1***

Candidates vie for GOP nomination

Manalapan Republican County Committee
has nominated Ryan Green and William Garcia

...there's a reason why...

****** ON JUNE 3rd - VOTE COLUMN 1 ******

From left to right: Kalman, Steven, Ryan, William

BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer

Four residents are continuing their campaign to secure the Manalapan Republican Party nomination in the June 3 primary and earn a place on the November general election ballot.

Two three-year terms on the Manalapan Township Committee will be up for grabs in the November general election.

The Manalapan Republican County Committee has nominated Ryan Green andWilliam Garcia to run for seats on the committee. They are being challenged in the primary by Kalman Budai and Steven Johnson.

The Manalapan Democratic County Committee has nominated Township Committeewoman Michelle Roth, who is serving as Manalapan's mayor this year, and Donald Holland to run for seats on the committee. Roth and Holland are unchallenged in the primary.

Individuals who are eligible to vote in the June 3 Republican primary are those people who are already registered as a Republican, or any unaffiliated individual who shows up at the polls on Election Day and registers as a Republican, according to Municipal Clerk Rose Ann Weeden.

Weeden said that after the primary election, people who switched from unaffiliated to Republican in order to vote in the primary may reregister as unaffiliated.

Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. June 3 at the municipality's regular polling places.

Green, 28, is a 20-year resident of Manalapan. He is a school social worker with the Perth Amboy School District in Middlesex County. Green is a member of the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education. If he wins the June 3 primary and is eventually elected to the Township Committee in November, he will have to resign from the school board.

Garcia, 42, is a project manager for a major financial institution in New York City. He has lived in Manalapan for two years.

Budai, 50, has been a resident of Manalapan for 12 years. He is the owner of a ceramic tile company. Prior to that he was a dispatcher for the Suburban Transit Bus Company.

Johnson, 54, is employed in the office automation business, He has been a Manalapan resident for 11 years. He said that in the past he has been responsible for managing a staff of 50 people and a business operating budget of $30 million.

•••

Budai and Johnson, who sought the Republican County Committee nomination but did not receive it, said they decided to mount a primary challenge and run for the Township Committee because Green and Garcia are, in their words, candidates "in name only." They said neither man was a registered Republican until February.

Green and Garcia responded to that broadside.

According to Green, who grew up in Manalapan and was re-elected to a second term on the school board in April, he had always kept his political registration as unaffiliated because he felt doing so would "leave the politics out of the school board, where I don't believe they belong."

However, Green said he has always been a Republican "philosophically" - a term Garcia also embraced when told that was how Green had put it - and has always voted Republican.

Speaking about his voting record on the school board, Green said, "I think my voting record as a fiscal conservative while on the board speaks to my Republican mind-set."

Garcia said when he moved to Manalapan from Queens, N.Y., in 2006, he registered as a Republican when he registered his motor vehicles and took care of other tasks. At least, he said he thought he had done so. He said it was not until he was looking into voting in the upcoming presidential election that he found out his voting registration had not been properly filed and he was listed in his voter affiliation as unaffiliated.

Garcia said he has been a registered Republican since he was 18. He said he explained all this to the selection committee at the time of his interview "and they were OK with it once it was explained."

•••

All four men who are running for a seat on the public body that governs Manalapan were asked to name something they like about the community.

Garcia said it was the "good schools and spaciousness" that hooked him when he was looking for a New Jersey community to move his family into; that and the fact his wife had family in the area made it a marriage of suburban ideals and commuter convenience, given Manalapan's proximity to Wall Street via public transportation.

Green said that given the fact that he grew up in Manalapan, he thought it would be almost impossible to instantly come up with a particular observation. Then he recounted something that happened in the past few weeks that reminded him how much he loves living in Manalapan and is looking forward to raising a family here.

He said shortly after moving into the home in the Yorktowne development where he now resides, there was a knock on the door. Green, who will be married in June, said he almost could not believe it, but "it was a neighbor from the block with an apple pie who just wanted to say 'welcome to the neighborhood.' It's people like that who remind you what a great place Manalapan is to live."

Johnson also mentioned the people who make up the community, but said there are other things he likes aboutManalapan.

"I like that we have Monmouth Battlefield State Park. I like that we have a fourtime championship cheerleading squad and I like that we have the western branch of theMonmouth County Library."

Budai, who has been a member of several committees and boards, including the Manalapan Recreation Advisory Board, said some of the highlights of Manalapan are manifested in its recreation center and programs.

"Manalapan's ball fields are state-ofthe art and the best in the county, if not the state," he said, while also alluding to what he called the spirit of the community and its residents, particularly those who volunteer for municipal boards and committees.

"We have the best volunteers and our police department is second to none. It's just the spirit of the community; it's everybody from the youngsters to the seniors," Budai said.

•••

Budai said he believes his experience as a business owner would serve him well as an elected official. He said his previous employment with Suburban Transit would give him an understanding of issues facing commuters and transportation companies.

Speaking about municipal finances, Budai said he would examine each municipal department to look at the staffing levels and the efficiency of the department with an eye on trimming costs.

Johnson said he would concentrate on finalizing plans for The Village at Manalapan, a 500,000-square-foot retail-commercial complex planned for the intersection of Millhurst Road and Route 33. The project received preliminary approval from the Planning Board more than a year ago but has never gotten off the ground for a variety of reasons.

"We should be concentrating on getting these ratables instead of spending a million bucks on a sports field," Johnson said, alluding to the construction of an $800,000 artificial turf playing field of which he has been critical.

Garcia said his professional expertise would serve him well in reviewing a municipal budget "to see where our money is being spent and how we could make operations more efficient."

However, said Garcia, "I would never advocate cuts that would adversely affect our safety and services."

He said he would focus attention on the types of service contracts the township has on all of its equipment in an effort to see if there can be consolidation and savings.

"It is the little things that add up," he said.

•••

All four candidates were asked why they should be the person Republicans choose on June 3 to run for a seat on the Township Committee in November.

"First and foremost, I am a husband and a father involved in community activities. I am one of my neighbors. I am not a politician," Garcia said. "Bill Garcia was born a Republican and a fiscal conservative. My blood is Republican and I want smaller government."

Green said his experience on the Manalapan Englishtown school board gives him a leg up because of that unique perspective and because the school district has been working with Manalapan to develop a shared services agreement. Green said he has been involved with the development of that agreement.

"I have the right experience at the right time," he said, adding that one area he would examine as a member of the Township Committee would be the administration salaries for Manalapan's summer recreation program, which he said have been increased for 2008.

Speaking about himself and Budai, Johnson said, "We are experienced, hardworking people dedicated to the town. That is who should be running in the general election."

Budai said if he is elected to the Township Committee, he will not take municipal health benefits. He estimated that decision would save taxpayers between $15,000 and $17,000 per year.

Johnson also decried taxpayers paying for health benefits for the members of the governing body. He said Township Committee members should get their health insurance through their place of employment and not expect the taxpayers to pay for health benefits for what is basically a part-time job.
-----------

Remember - vote for the True Republicans -
the ones selected by the nominating committee.
************ VOTE COLUMN 1 ********************

Audits flag spending by poor districts

The audits of all 31 Abbott districts can be found at
www.state.nj.us/education
under the finance section.

Story by Trish G. Graber

tgraber@sjnewsco.com

TRENTON Some of the state's poorest school districts required by court order to receive extra state funding spent thousands of dollars on consultants, travel and sports-related festivities, according to audits of 27 Abbott districts released last week.

In Bridgeton, Cumberland County, school officials spent more than $10,000 to send staff to conferences, including some in Atlanta, Ohio, Orlando and San Diego. They paid a consultant, Salmon Ventures, $12,000 over three months for grant writing and to lobby state agencies.

nd the Bridgeton district paid $1,383 to send students to a Double Dutch jumprope competition in South Carolina, according to the audit conducted by KPMG LLP in New York.

In Phillipsburg School District, Warren County, officials used $15,085 to buy banners for their 100th anniversary football game and their 100th game with their archrival in Easton, Pa.

The district also paid a consultant $50,000 to get input from the community on a new high school, an audit by Livingston-based Wiss & Company LLP showed.

In other areas, Asbury Park paid $4,280 for golf shirts and jackets for athletic coaches. Gloucester City paid $6,116 for rain jackets for the football team.

All of the expenditures, except travel, were flagged by auditors who looked at information from the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school years in 27 of the state's Abbott Districts, released last week by the Department of Education.

But many of the practices questioned may soon come to an end.

The department used the findings to develop new rules for school districts and to shape the job description of the new executive county superintendents, in an attempt to enhance the accountability of all districts.

State education officials said the new safeguards, when they are in place, will make it much less likely that some of the expenditures questioned in the audits will occur again.

"More important than some of the individual expenditures is the fact that some of those audits identified that in many of those districts they didn't have internal controls that could catch these things before they happened," said DOE spokeswoman Kathryn Forsyth. "(The regulations) are going to stop some of these practices by code."

The proposed rules give executive county superintendents the ability to comb through district budgets and eliminate non-instructional expenditures. They make it easier for state officials to withhold state aid if they believe a district is wasting money.

They also provide guidelines for school officials in areas where the state saw excessive spending: Travel, meal reimbursements, professional services and public relations.

For example, the guidelines prohibit overnight stays for school officials if a conference is held within 50 miles of their home and limit the number of school officials that can take out-of-state trips together.

The state is also proposing to prohibit jobs within districts solely for public relations purposes and to crack down on professional service contracting.

District superintendents said the new regulations will be helpful to provide parameters for spending, but they defended their districts' past purchases.

"I didn't think we were out of line with what we were doing," said Phillipsburg's Acting Superintendent George Chando, who was not head of the district during the years the expenditures took place.

In a written response to the audit, district officials said the banners were bought for a football game aired nationally by ESPN, which paid a fee for the broadcast. They also noted that the football program brought in $72,564 during the 2004-2005 school year and $76,608 during the 2005-2006 school year.

Phillipsburg School District also contended that the $50,000 paid to the consultant was not only to collect data but to help the district prepare for a referendum needed for a new school delayed indefinitely after the bankruptcy of the Schools Construction Corporation.

In his case, Bridgeton Superintendent Victor Gilson said the travel by staff was necessary for professional development and the Double Dutch competition was a way to keep students engaged in an area where gangs are prevalent.

The consultant, he said, paid for itself many times over by bringing in money for the reconstruction of the district's stadium and track, including $196,000 from federal officials. To date, he said, the district has raised $1.4 million for the $6 million project.

Gilson said he would not consider any of the expenditures out of order.

He added that many non-Abbotts spend money on the same things, only those districts are not operating under the state's microscope.

"When I was the superintendent of a non-Abbott, we did all these things," said Gilson, the former superintendent in Dennis Township in Cape May County. "To me, it's a very positive story for Bridgeton ... the purpose of these audits were to find dirt and all they found was a little bit of dust."

The audits finalize the work required by a Supreme Court order to audit all 31 Abbott school districts those the state is required to allocate extra funding to make up for economic shortfalls. Audits in the others, Camden, Jersey City, Newark and Paterson, were released last year.

The audits of all 31 Abbott districts can be found at www.state.nj.us/education under the finance section.

N.J. sets rules for school spending

...but who will enforce over-spending? The superintendents making $200,000+ a year?

School districts seeking advice on how to spend tax dollars got a dense lesson from the state on Wednesday.

The Education Department released a 205-page rulebook on how districts must craft their budgets, hire and fire top administrators, and handle shared-service agreements with neighboring towns. The reforms are required under new laws aimed at reducing New Jersey's property taxes, the highest in the nation.

"Taxpayers have been extremely generous," Education Commissioner Lucille Davy said in Trenton. "Given our economic challenges ... it is important that we focus on the efficient use of the resources that are available."

Among other provisions, the rules allow executive county superintendents to issue line-item vetoes on local budgets and order thorough audits of districts they think spend too much. In Bergen County, that authority is given to longtime Superintendent Aaron Graham. Passaic County does not yet have a county superintendent. The job is temporarily held by Robert Gilmartin, the former schools chief in West Milford.

The rules are set to be officially approved in coming weeks and all school districts are expected to follow them during the 2008-09 school year. They put in place mandates set by New Jersey's new school funding formula, the School District Fiscal Accountability Act and the "CORE" reform law that emerged from last year's special legislative session on property tax reform.

"The governor has made it clear," Davy said. "The public is telling us that they want greater transparency and accountability."

Many of the reforms have already been phased in during the current budget season, such as having county superintendents review requests for tax increases over a 4 percent cap.

In recent years, superintendents have reacted with anger or confusion to the states' tightening grip on local spending. However, those public complaints faded after Governor Corzine increased state aid to school districts by more than $500 million this year.

Tenafly Superintendent Mort Sherman said most superintendents would agree that transparency is a good thing in school budgets — in no small part because the public must vote to approve them every year.

"The overwhelming majority of county and local superintendents will say this is OK," he said. "Times are tough. We need to roll up our sleeves."

The state School Boards Association had expressed concern about some of the reforms as the original laws were being debated; spokesman Frank Belluscio said his group had not yet seen the draft rules on Wednesday. He recalled the organization's worry about making county superintendents gubernatorial appointees.

"That brings in a lot of political concerns," he said.

He said that while the goals of the reforms were shared, his organization "would have be concerned about any type of over-regulation. ... School boards in New Jersey are highly fiscally responsible, and they operate under an ethics act that is stricter than that for other public officials."

Yet another lie; MVC Fees Not Going for Trooper Classes or New Helicopters as Promised

From our friends at Millennium Radio:

Motor vehicle registration fees were raised by $3 in 2006. The increase has produced about $29 million per year and was supposed to be used for new State Police Medivac helicopters and more state troopers. Thus far, not a single new helicopter has been purchased and there is no state trooper class planned for the upcoming fiscal year.

"This is why people are so against fee increases and charging things because the money doesn't go where it's supposed to be," says State Senator Steve Sweeney. "We were promised these classes would be funded. It's another broken promise……we promised the State of New Jersey when we charged these fees that we were going to put State Police on the ground to protect our communities and we're not doing that."

"I do believe that we can survive for a year without getting an additional State Police class," says State Attorney General Anne Milgram. She explains the State Police should ideally have as many as 3,400 troopers, but the agency expects to lose 200 troopers per year to retirement. Milgram admits, "We don't have what I would say is a lot of cushion right now."

Budget language that can supersede state law diverted the money to other purposes. Milgram says when the legislature adopts a budget that allows for the money to be used elsewhere, what they're really doing is amending a previous law. She says lawmakers could still pass a budget that dedicates the MVC fees to the original purposes.

Milgram says the State has been seeking manufacturer bids for as many as five new helicopters since March, but estimates it will take 18 months to deliver the helicopters once a contract is awarded. The nine State Police emergency medical helicopters currently in use are designed to fly accident victims to hospitals, but according to Milgram they've each been grounded an average of 81 days since July 1 for maintenance and repair.

Treasury Department spokesman Tom Vincz says, "Any changes to the original statutory purpose have been done through authorizing statute, and surcharge revenues have been used to support the state police." He points out that the registration fees collected have been used to buy 250 new state police vehicles and to pay for State Police salaries, medical helicopter repairs and general state expenses.

State Trooper NCO Association president Dennis Hallion says, "Do more with less now becomes do more with nothing…..I'm always concerned about how we're going to continue to fill the need for bodies for troopers that are out there."

"It's a dedication," says State Senator Kevin O'Toole, "I think that word speaks for itself…..it is just troubling that things are not as they appear."

Bucco: New COAH Map Absurd And Ridiculous

Senator Anthony Bucco asked Joe Doria, Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, in a letter today to correct huge flaws in the new Council On Affordable Housing (COAH) study. The study was intended to identify open acreage available for the construction of court mandated housing. Instead the study identified areas that are clearly closed to development. The letter is attached. Examples include:

• Parts of the Army’s Picatinny Arsenal,
• A rest area and parts of the median on Route 287,
• Areas between the runways and taxiways at Morristown airport,
• More than half of the Schiff Natural Lands Trust,
• Watersheds surrounding the Clyde Potts and Jersey City Reservoirs
• Private homeowners’ back yards

“This is absolutely ridiculous,” Bucco stated. “Let’s put houses on an airport runway or the median of 287. Better yet, develop the Picatinny Arsenal I’m sure the homeowners won’t mind the noise.

“At the very least we should get the money we paid for this study back. They used aerial photographs taken in 2002. This document needs to be fixed before it is submitted to the court this June. I look forward to working with Commissioner Doria to ensure that this seriously flawed study is fixed by then,” Bucco concluded.
April 11, 2008

Honorable Joseph V. Doria Jr.

Commissioner,

Department of Community Affairs

William M. Ashby Community Affairs Building

101 South Broad Street

Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0088

Dear Commissioner Doria:

I am deeply concerned by published reports that some of the areas identified as available for development under a new Council On Affordable Housing (COAH) study are, in fact, closed to development. Some of the areas listed as open acreage in the (COAH) report include: parts of the Army’s Picatinny Arsenal, a rest area and parts of the median on Route 287, areas between the runways and taxiways at Morristown airport, more than half of the Schiff Natural Lands Trust, watersheds surrounding the Clyde Potts and Jersey City Reservoirs, and private homeowners’ back yards.

It is clear that the study conducted by Rutgers Professor Henry J. Mayer and the University of Pennsylvania is deeply flawed and must be reworked. It is vitally important that this report must be corrected before the document is submitted to the court in June. To do otherwise would be a grave disservice to municipalities across the State who have labored in good faith, for years, to comply with the arbitrary and unpredictable dictates of the council.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to speaking with you about this issue.

Sincerely,

Anthony Bucco

It's official: Unanue out, Zimmer in

Andrew Unanue, a former chief operating officer at family-run Goya Foods Inc. courted last month to run for U.S. Senate by Republican Party leaders, dropped his bid for the nomination Friday morning.

Unanue's given reason for dropping out was "extensive business commitments along with new business opportunities," and he will be replaced on the ballot in June by former U.S. Rep. Richard A. Zimmer.

"After much thought and careful consideration, I have decided to end my candidacy for U.S. Senate," Unanue said in a statement. "I made the decision to enter the race after serious deliberation and I have no regrets. My decision to withdraw is based on an equally thorough deliberation.

"The opportunity to represent the people of New Jersey is a privilege that I accepted with great honor," he said.

Unanue is now back on a skiing trip with his family in Vail, Colo., where he launched his Senate campaign from on Easter Sunday and remained until he filed papers to run this past Monday.

Along with Zimmer, state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio, R-Morris, and Ramapo College professor Murray Sabrin are in the race to win the GOP nomination.

Pennacchio's campaign yesterday said it planned to file a complaint with the state Division of Elections challenging the validity of Unanue's candidacy and claiming he never intended to run but was merely a placeholder until another candidate was found.

Bergen County Republican Party chairman Rob Ortiz, a member of Unanue's "committee on vacancies" that chose Zimmer to take his ballot spot, said, "It's ludicrous to say that Andy filed for his candidacy in bad faith."

Michael Rispoli: mrispol@gannett.com

DOE Commissioner Lucille Davy to get grilled today about VERY questionable spending

"There are cocktail parties in the audit report,
there are administrative dinners, there are hotel costs, there are Atlantic City trips,
there are staff parties."
Davy is scheduled to testify before the Budget panel this afternoon.

Some examples of our hard earned money being spent "wisely" at:
The School District Cosa Nostra:

A review of the KPMG audit for the Union City School District (formerly known as an Abbott district) shows the following:

·One individual was paid for 14 pay periods after termination at the employee's request.
·Two individuals were paid 21 and 24 pay periods after termination.
·The audit report says that, according to the contract, school bus drivers are paid 6 hours of overtime each month in order to charge their cell phones.
·One bus driver in the 05-06 school year earned $73,125 in overtime, which accounted for 237% of the driver's base pay. In other words, the driver earned over $100,000 in wages that year.
·A bus driver in the 04-05 school year earned $61,456 in overtime, 217% of base salary.
·One bus driver in the 05-06 school year earned $51,725 in overtime, 204% of base salary.
·$150,000 for an annual lease of the Ronald Dario Swimming Complex, which was used only part-time in year 05-06; and $100,000 for 04-05, again for part-time use?
·The district spent $72,843 for cable TV spots.
·$55,000 was sent to a PR company for helping the district to prepare monthly superintendent's newsletters, which were sent out in August 2004.
·Another approximately $50,000 was expended in printing costs for 1,000 posters and 25,000 brochures.
·$32,302 was sent to a DC law firm to help the district secure grants
·$26,000 in monthly payments were made for website development. Monthly?
·The district paid $2,315 to send kids to Medieval Times. See the following link: . Medieval Times is a chain corporation, which provides dinner and a live jousting show.
·$2,600 for a staff party.
·Taxpayers spent $9,268 for hotel expenses incurred for an out-of-state administrative retreat.
·$3,476 was spent to send 28 students to visit colleges; one trip went to Boston.
·The district spent $3-K to pay for "floats for [a] Thanksgiving Day Parade."
·A firm called Furia Rubel, based out of PA, was paid big bucks from the district for PR and website development. Just singling out the period from October 2004 to February 2005, the firm received over $148,000. And the payments don't stop after that.
·A trip to a Poconos resort, paying for a "field trip" for 140 seventh graders and chaperones back in June 2004.
·$400 for a "clown show" at Gilmore school, which the auditor labeled "questionable."
·$13,411 monthly payment for 39 cell phones used by bus drivers.
·A "Cocktail Dinner" for 50 people at the Old Tapas Restaurant -- $1,150. "Food for staff."
·$21,125 for 25,000 brochures called "Keys to the City," which were sent to the entire City.
·$1,716 for an LCD flat panel TV for the HR Director's Office.
·$2,268 to the Sheraton Edison Hotel back in February 2005, which paid the tab for students and two teachers. According to the audit report, no agenda was found and they were unable to determine the purpose or necessity of the trip.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Former Republican Congressman Dick Zimmer Is Ready To Run

As millionaire businessman Andy Unanue appeared to be ending his Republican race for U.S. Senate, former Republican congressman Dick Zimmer said yesterday he is ready to run if asked by party leaders.

The 40-year-old Unanue informed his campaign staff yesterday he was quitting, three ranking Republicans with knowledge of the situation said last night. They declined to be identified because they were not authorized by Unanue to announce his intentions.

Earlier in the day, Zimmer said he had been asked to consider running for U.S. Senate and would do so if one of the three Republicans in the race dropped out.

"I got some calls from some people pretty prominent in the party, just within the last couple of days," Zimmer said. "This is a pivotal time in America history. It would be an honor to help shape our policy."

"I have to emphasize, this has not happened yet," said Zimmer, who is 63. "This depends on whether the party leadership asks me to step in."

Zimmer, now a lawyer-lobbyist in Washington, D.C., served nine years in the Legislature before winning a seat in Congress in 1990. He served three terms in the House of Representatives before seeking Bill Bradley's open U.S. Senate seat in 1996. He lost to Robert Torricelli.

Monday was the deadline for filing nominating petitions, but candidates have until next Wednesday to drop out and allow their parties' three-member committee on va cancies to name a replacement.

Bergen County Republican Chairman Rob Ortiz, who is on Unanue's committee, said yesterday a switch was a possibility.

Read the rest RIGHT HERE

Republicans will have primary in Manalapan

News Transcript - BY KATHY BARATTA and MARK ROSMAN

There will be a Republican primary in Manalapan in June as four candidates seek the nod to run for two seats on the Township Committee in the November general election.

As previously announced, Ryan Green and William Garcia were nominated by the Manalapan Republican Party to run for a pair of three-year terms. They will run under the banner of the Monmouth County Republican Organization.

On April 7, which was the deadline for candidates associated with a party to file to run, Kalman “Butch” Budai Jr. and Steven Johnson filed paperwork with the Township Clerk’s Office to run under the banner of Manalapan Republicans.

The decision by Budai and Johnson to run for the committee appears to confirm behind-the-scenes maneuvers that have been taking place in Manalapan over the past week and signals a split in the Manalapan Republican Party.

Budai and Johnson were unsuccessful in their bids two weeks ago to secure the nomination of the Manalapan Republican Party to run for the Township Committee.

Municipal Clerk Rose Ann Weeden said Budai and Johnson stated their desire to have their own line on the ballot, and said they also filed candidates to seek seats on the Manalapan Republican County Committee.

The county committee is made up of residents from each voting district in the municipality and helps to select individuals to run for office.

Neither Budai nor Johnson returned messages left by the News Transcript over the weekend of April 5-6. The News Transcript was calling to ask if they were planning to force a showdown among Republican voters in the June primary.

Several Republicans confirmed to the News Transcript over the weekend that they had been approached by individuals who asked them to start a breakaway faction of Republicans.

Richard Frenkiel and his wife, Maizie, said they were solicited for membership in the new organization, but declined to join.

Richard Frenkiel is a former member of the Township Committee who served as mayor during his term of office. Both are members of the Manalapan Republican County Committee.

Maizie Frenkiel said her decision not to leave the regular Republican organization was an easy one because not only was the Manalapan Republican Party’s strength being jeopardized, she also felt the matter spoke to the loyalty of Manalapan’s registered Republicans.

“I hate to see the party split. It’s never a good thing to split the party. I understand there have been disagreements, but I wish they (reform Republican candidates) would simply run in a primary rather than starting a new party,” she said.

“I was approached to join (the Manalapan Reform Republican Party) by another (regular Republican) county committee person and I refused. I have been a member of the regular Republican Party for 30 years and a county committee person for just as long. I didn’t think it was appropriate to switch. I told them it’s a matter of loyalty,” she said.

Richard Frenkiel offered his thoughts on the idea of forming a new Republican faction, saying, “If people formed a new party every time there was a disagreement there wouldn’t be a party.”

Manalapan resident and political gadfly Rhoda Chodosh, who is a regular attendee at Township Committee meetings, has been aManalapan Republican County Committee member for two years. Chodosh said she was approached by a member of the county committee in an effort to get her to join the reform faction.

She said she refused the offer, saying her reason for doing so was also about party loyalty.

“I’m staying where I am because I want strong Republicans in Manalapan. Being on the county committee is not only about the municipal level. It’s more than just the one - I look at the whole, the greater good of the party.”

Manalapan Republican Party Chairman Stephen McEnery said, “The Republican Party is made up of individuals who want to work toward making Manalapan a better place for their families.Whenever a splinter group forms, chaos develops and family focus disappears. Friends and neighbors start to distrust each other and sometimes become enemies. It has happened in Howell,Marlboro,Wall and other towns that have lost their focus.When two parties debate on issues it’s about beliefs. When a party splits it’s not about beliefs, it’s about ego.

“Ego exists through all levels of politics, but when it becomes just about ego with little regard for the township, the residents need to reject that behavior. When people such as Butch Budai, who was the low vote-getter at our convention, uses his position as a party boss to bring people together for him, it’s called a gang, not a party.

“The Republican County Committee in Manalapan had an election for candidates and some people lost. Such is life. But this is not Steve McEnery’s party, it’s simply the Republican Party of Manalapan. It was here long before I was elected chairman and it will be here long after I’m gone.”

Howell: Republicans may be unopposed

Two former Republican Planning Board members were the only ones who filed to run for mayor and a seat on the Township Council Monday; although an independent councilman indicated that he may still enter the race for mayor in June.

Republican Russell F. Bohlin of Belmar Boulevard filed to run as mayor to replace current Republican Mayor Joseph DiBella, who chose not to seek re-election. Republican Paul Schneider, a former Planning Board chairman, filed to run for the Township Council for the seat currently held by GOP Councilwoman Cynthia Schomaker, who also is not running for re-election.

No Democrats or independents filed to run for either post. Three of the four council seats in Howell are currently held by independents.

Bohlin said he believes he can bring a fresh perspective to the challenges facing the township. "I know I can make a difference," the 55-year-old said of his decision to run for mayor.

Bohlin, who first drew public attention in 2005 for leading a challenge on behalf of 61 neighbors against a residential developer, recently championed an opposition to the rezoning of a mobile home park.

"I constantly advocated to minimize the impact of development proposals on neighboring residents and the community as a whole," Bohlin said of his time on the Planning Board.

While he currently has no opponents in the November election, that could change. Independent Councilman Robert Walsh, who served as deputy mayor last year, said he has not made a decision as to whether or not he will run for mayor but that he will decide before the June primary.

Schneider also will run uncontested in the Republican primary for the open council seat. Appointed to a number of township panels and commissions dating back to the late 1950s, Schneider said that now that he has retired from his job as director of a pharmaceutical chain, he can devote what he calls the necessary time needed to sit on the township's governing body.

"I consider this position on council as more time consuming," said Schneider, who served on the township's now defunct Board of Health from 1958 to 1985, helped to establish the township's Shade Tree Commission in 1967 and was also a member of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the township's Mobile Home Rent Control Board and Environmental Commission, as well as professional associations.

No Democrats filed for either the mayor or council position before the Monday deadline, although a nominee could emerge through write-in votes.

"We had a few prospective candidates, but at the end of the day no one wanted to run," said Democratic Club President Steven Morlino.

Manalapan/Englishtown: Teachers picket school board

More than 150 teachers — carrying signs with slogans such as "No contract, still working, always caring" — protested outside Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Schools' Main Street administration offices Monday, urging district officials to settle contract negotiations as soon as possible.

Among sticking points in the negotiations are salary and benefits, said teachers of the Manalapan-Englishtown Education Association, who have been working without a contract since June.

But district officials, who did not wish to discuss specifics Monday, said they've offered a fair settlement that teachers won't accept.

Association President Ken Weber, a teacher at Pine Brook School, said in his recollection the kindergarten-through-eighth-grade district has settled a contract only once before it expired in his 30-plus years working there.

"I'd like someone to explain why it's fair to offer teachers in Manalapan the second lowest increase in the county," Weber said before the demonstration, which preceded a fact-finding session at administration offices Monday night. "If someone can explain to us how that's fair, we'll take a look at it."

The district is offering teachers below the 4.64 percent average 2007-08 salary increase in Monmouth County, Weber said, although he would not divulge what the number was. He was flanked during the protest by New Jersey Education Association President Joyce Powell, who attended the rally to lend her support to the association's cause.

(Just for the record, I got a raise of 3% and was very happy)

Wasteful Spending Raises Questions About Universal Health Plan

Questions about whether the state could manage a health insurance program for all residents.

An audit of New Jersey's health care programs for the poor found
examples of wasteful spending.

The audit found people earning nearly $300,000 per year enrolled
in a program meant for working poor parents and their children.

It found the state paying more than $2 million for medical
equipment that should have been paid for by nursing facilities.

The audit comes as some legislators push a plan that calls for
expanding health care programs for the poor and offering state-run health insurance for other residents by 2011.

HAVE YOU SIGNED THE RECALLCORZINENOW PETITION YET???

FIND A NOTARY...
DOWNLOAD THE PETITION...
LET'S GET IT DONE CITIZENS!!!

No need to go crazy - even if you just get
yours and your voting household
to sign the petition - we can do this!!

Clean Energy Program: Something Stinking at the B-PU. The State Is Not Mailing Out Rebate Checks

The State of NJ continues to write the book on mismanagement - this time its the rebate checks that are just not making it to the mailboxes; unfortunately no-one can explain why, but the likely truth, is that anyone appointed by Fox is incapable of putting a check in the mail...

The State of New Jersey has been recognized as a leader in promoting solar power, thanks in large measure to a generous rebate program that's run by the Board of Public Utilities Office of Clean Energy, unfortunately there's a serious problem that threatens the whole program.

It seems rebate checks are not being mailed out in a timely manner, and that's causing a domino effect of negativity for individual homeowners as well as solar installation companies.

Shannon Whitworth, the Director of Operations for The Solar Center in Denville says her company, like many others, is stuck in limbo - unable to begin any new projects for customers "because we've hit our credit limit with our distributors- because the State has not paid rebates for customers previously installed in the past."

She says the State owes her firm more than 1-point-3 million dollars, but to this point, no one can figure out why the checks aren't in the mail.

"We meet with them on a regular basis…we tell them how stressed the industry is- but we're not getting a lot of response…we just don't get any straightforward answers….we're facing potentially laying off half of our staff, because we cannot sustain without the rebates payments coming quickly."

Whitworth adds many solar installation companies have gone out of business because of the financial problems caused in part by the BPU's handling of the rebate program, "but no one can explain why."

She says this is causing another problem - homeowners who have been approved for rebates can't find a company to do the work within the specified time before their rebates expire.

A spokeswoman for the BPU says - in an e-mail message- the difficulty was caused by a change-over to a new online billing system which created a backlog, but the problem has now been resolved. (after $650,000 and a year later - the system does not work.. yeah right)

She says "The Clean Energy Program apologizes to our valued customers for this delay, and thanks them for their patience."

She adds the Office of Clean Energy is going to recommend that rebate deadlines be extended 90 days, so customers can be assured they can install their desired solar system - and get their rebate - without a problem.

Another Fine Mess by our State Government: People earning as much as $295,000 are enrolled in the NJ FamilyCare program.

State Department of Human Services failed to properly oversee a special health care program for the poor.

In another example of why New Jerseyans generally don't trust the government in Trenton with their money, a state auditor on Monday said the state Department of Human Services failed to properly oversee a special health care program for the poor, allowing ineligible residents to score subsidized health care.

People earning as much as $295,000 are enrolled in the NJ FamilyCare program which is designed for working poor families. The state auditor found vendors aren't performing eligibility checks and the state isn't checking applications for unreported income. The state also failed to try to collect $4.6 million owed to the program by 16,300 people who were disenrolled.

State Senator Barbara Buono, the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate's Budget Committee, was furious with the findings in the audit and called for hearings.

"What really bothers me is that I have people calling my legislative office every single day who are trying to qualify for FamilyCare and maybe miss out by one hundred dollars. And then for the Division to essentially defend the procedures they have in place when they clearly aren't doing the job is just beyond belief," said Buono, in an interview with Millennium Radio.

The audit found at least three people with self-employment incomes of $295,000, $186,000 and $177,700 enrolled in the program.

A Department of Human Services spokeswoman told Millennium Radio the problems stem from the process in which people apply for the program. Residents are allowed to self-report income, and the spokeswoman said there are obstacles to checking if the reports are accurate.
The Associated Press also reported some of the other findings:

-- About 13,000 participants weren't sent renewal applications as of September, though regulations require eligibility be determined annually. The audit found $43.1 million was paid to these participants from July 2005 to September without knowing if they
remain eligible.

-- Some beneficiaries failed to report all income on FamilyCare applications, including income earned through self-employment, rentals, interest and dividends. Applicants authorize the program to match applications with their tax return, but the state isn't
checking all tax files.

-- Auditors found nearly 7,000 cases where the applicant reported $10,000 or more in self-employment income on their 2006 tax return, including those who failed to report self-employment incomes of $295,000, $186,000 and $177,700 on their NJ FamilyCare
applications.

Corzine's Ratings continue to slip... now Corzine "the person" rating is tailspinning too.

The Governor's favorable rating which is a general impression of the person rather than approval of the job he does is finally catching on just like his toll hike plan - 38% say they have a favorable impression of the Governor.

"66% say the state is headed in the wrong direction and that is a new high," says Fairleigh Dickinson University-Public Mind poll director Peter Woolley. Just 26% say the state is off on the right direction.

In the new poll out today, the public splits over the Governor's performance with 44% approving and 45% disapproving, similar to his 42%-43% showing in February, but Woolley points out, "Back in October he had an approval rating of 51% against just 29% disapproving so, things really have changed."

Also changed is the Governor's favorable rating which is a general impression of the person rather than approval of the job he does. Woolley explains, "38% say they have a favorable impression of the Governor. 52% say their impression is unfavorable…..For a long time voters have given Jon Corzine high personal marks even if they didn't approve of this or that proposal. He may have come to the end of that good will."

"77% think their property taxes will increase in the coming year; and 43% say their (property) taxes will increase 'a lot,'" says Woolley. That's an increase of 10 percentage points from the same question asked a year ago. It is not a partisan issue. Nearly half of Republicans (48%) expect their property taxes to increase "a lot," nearly as many Democrats (41%) expect the same.

Just shy of half of New Jersey voters say they prefer "very steep budget cuts" to other possible options such as raising highway tolls or the gas tax or the income tax. Before the Governor announced his deep budget cuts, 51% said they preferred cuts. "The blood and gore of the budget cuts has not yet shaken voters even though the lobbyists are swinging into high season," says Woolley.

Staunch opposition remains to the Governor's proposal to restructure the state's finances by issuing bonds against an 800% toll increase. 60% oppose the plan, including half of Democrats (51%), three of five independents (62%), and most Republicans (70%). Woolley says, "How the budget cuts play to Democratic voters is key to the Governor's success or failure in the legislature."

The poll of 816 New Jersey registered voters statewide was conducted from March 24 through March 30 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points.

Monmouth County Petition for the Recall of Jon Corzine

Click Here to Download the Petition. Petitions are in Alpha order. Want to learn more, visit recallcorzinenow.com

Corzine Cosa Nostra hard at work

Interesting read from our friends at inthelobby.net

So the news out of Trenton is grim. State revenues will be down about $133 million this year; right now, they’re estimating a shortfall of $289 million for the next fiscal year.

And what is our governor doing?

Why, he’s signing an executive order allowing 649 contract workers – i.e., nonstate employees -- to unionize and be represented by the CWA. As Star Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine tells us, these folks are community care residential providers, who take disabled adults into their homes. Thanks to Gov. Corzine, they will now be represented by the CWA in negotiations "for the purpose of entering into a written agreement regarding reimbursement rates, payment procedures, benefits, health and safety conditions"

And what does the CWA plan to do for these folks?

"They are supposed to be paid based on market rate," said Rosenstein. "We can show what the market rate is so they're paid more."

She also told Mulshine: "It's not our goal to have them treated as state employees. But for those who don't have health care, we want them to eventually get health care whether through the state or some other source."

Corzine’s spokesman, Jim Gardner, insists that the executive order is “revenue neutral.”

Which, of course, is true now. But if the CWA is successful getting these folks a pay increase, or eventually, health care, well then, it won’t be revenue neutral in the future.

It reminds us of the time Gov. Corzine gave back that 1.5 percent payment of their pensions retirees were going to pay toward their health insurance premium.

READ ITS ENTIRETY HERE: Mar.26

Ocean Twp. Court Inundated With Calls About Indicted Court Clerk From Freehold

OCEAN TOWNSHIP — The municipal court here has been flooded this morning with calls from people who want to know if their case has been mishandled by a Superior Court clerk accused of altering checks valued at more than $18,000.

"It's not our court or our employee and we have nothing to do with it," said Antoinette Bodine, the municipal court administrator for Ocean Township.

The woman accused of the theft, Lisa Morton, 41, of Freehold, works for the state
Superior Court's finance division ofice, which is located in Ocean Township, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said. That office has no connection to the municipal court, Bodine said.

"I have four women who work here and since this morning they have been receiving constant calls about this case," Bodine said. "We just want people to know they're calling the wrong place."

Questions regarding Morton should be addressed to the court administrator for the Monmouth Vicinage in Freehold, officials said.

Gov. Corzine continues to tout his Toll plan to Businesses while ignoring bloated spending.

Gov. Corzine has held town hall meeting all around the state, but he isn't finished trying to sell his plan to "pay VISA debt with new AMEX debt" & fund transportation projects by dramatically raising tolls over the next 75 years. The Governor gave his pitch to local chambers of commerce last week. While the state Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the toll hikes, some local chambers haven't exactly taken a position for or against just yet.

The Governor detailed his plans to raise tolls and shave $2.7 billion from the state budget before taking questions from a mostly friendly audience. He said proposed spending cuts weren't the result of "some scheme" in his head. Rather, the state simply doesn't have the money to fund every program.
You can read the rest of this article RIGHT HERE

Fox hearing delayed until after BPU case

The Senate Judiciary Committee won't hold a confirmation hearing on Board of Public Utilities President Jeanne Fox until after a whistle-blower case against the BPU is finished, the committee's chairman said Friday.

"Well, we wouldn't call it before the trial is over, some sort of whistle-blower case," Judiciary Chairman Sen. John Adler, D-Camden, said. "I don't want to predict what might happen. We have to go slow on nominations of this importance."

Fox, the BPU, and two other top officials are named in the suit brought by BPU fiscal chief Joe Potena, who claims retaliation for alerting state officials to an $80- to $100-million ratepayer-funded Clean Energy account set up outside state Treasury purview.

Sen. Gerald Cardinale, R-Bergen, who has called on Gov. Jon S. Corzine to withdraw Fox's nomination, said he's backing off that request to give Fox a chance to prove her claim that she was following legal guidance in setting up the account.

READ THE REST HERE

Public Worker Salaries & Benefits Increased to 45% of State Budget

State pensions, benefits also grow at rapid clip

Since 1998, the costs of public worker salaries and benefits have increased by more than $4.2 billion.

That's 45 percent of the total increase in the state budget, according to the state Treasury Department documents provided to lawmakers.

Since 1998, just the cost of health insurance and retirement benefits for employees and retirees increased by 201 percent, from $1.56 billion to $4.69 billion —nearly seven times the rate of inflation.

About 450,000 teachers, state workers and other public employees contribute to the state's various pension systems.

Rae Roeder, who represents 7,000 state workers as president of Communications Workers of America Local 1033, said she doesn't want to hear about having teachers, police or other state employees pay more for their health care or pension costs.

State workers already contribute 5.5 percent of their pay to pensions and 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health insurance.

When asked if she could empathize with workers in private industry, who typically pay more for health insurance and their retirement plans, she said, "Private industry has flushed its workers down the toilet."

She said she wouldn't participate in any conversation about trimming the costs of state workers' benefits.

"Now, I see the conversation going down the harebrained road of the right-wing nuts. So I'm done with this conversation," she said, hanging up the phone.

"We have no one to blame but ourselves," said Michael P. Riccards, executive director of the nonpartisan Hall Institute of Public Policy in Trenton. "We're an old state with a lot of old institutions. A lot of situations need to be changed. And neither political party has a reform caucus that can make it happen."

$33 Billion and counting

Although the size of the state budget has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, the governor keeps telling us we're broke.

So, where has the money gone? How could spending jump from $16.8 billion in 1998 to $33.4 billion in 2008 — and we still can't pay the bills?

You'll find most of the money if you look at three categories: spending on education — especially extra aid to low-income schools; salaries and benefits for government workers and retirees; and property tax relief.

In the 31 neediest school districts, called Abbott districts, it cost an average of $14,431 to educate each pupil, according to a review of 2007 school spending figures. That was $2,280 higher than the average per-pupil cost for all public school students last year.

Corporate scholarships

There's only one thing lacking in the Abbott districts — academic quality, said Dan Gaby, executive director of Excellent Education for Everyone. His group, known as E3, favors state financial support of private schools. Gaby served as vice president of the state Board of Education in the 1970s under former Democratic Gov. Brendan T. Byrne.

Despite the $30 billion spent on education in the Abbott districts over the last decade, standardized state test scores show little improvement, except in the elementary grades, according to state Department of Education data.

In some of the poorest districts, dropout rates remain high. Asbury Park High School's graduation rate was 63.5 percent last year. Camden High School's graduation rate was 49.8 percent. In 2007, the state's average graduation rate was 92.3 percent.

"We could spend half the money and get better results. The children are out of time, and the taxpayers are out of money," Gaby said.

Read the entire APP article HERE

With sick time, Long Branch superintendent received $305,099 in one year

In needy districts, some are well paid

In some of the state's poorest communities, school superintendents make more money than the governor or the chief justice of the state Supreme Court.

In Camden, former school Superintendent Annette Knox boosted her 2004-05 salary of $180,081 by cashing in $11,630 in unused sick time, and she was given a car to drive. But there was a limit to the school board's largess.

Knox resigned when the board claimed she took $18,000 in unauthorized performance bonuses. Her replacement — Bessie LeFra Young — is paid $220,000 in one of America's poorest cities. The state pays 84 percent of the district's budget.

In Asbury Park, former Superintendent Robert H. Mann was given a $310,000 severance package in addition to his $120,750 salary to settle what the school board said in 2000 was a clash of "leadership styles."

In Long Branch, Superintendent Joseph Ferraina was paid $305,099 during 2004-05 for supervising about 5,000 children. That's about $61 per child.

Ferraina received an extra $111,950, most of it unused sick time, to add to his reported base salary of $193,149.

The deals given Knox, Ferraina and Mann were criticized in a March 2006 State Commission of Investigation report titled, "Taxpayers Beware: What You Don't Know Can Cost You."

The report found "a range of questionable and excessive practices that, collectively, cost unsuspecting New Jersey taxpayers millions of dollars."

"Lucrative provisions of these privately negotiated deals enable superintendents and others at the top tier of public school administration to receive compensation and benefits often well beyond the reach of any other class of public-service employees," the report concludes.

State spending on education has ballooned to $11.5 billion, an increase of nearly 30 percent in four years. Approximately half of that money goes to the state's 31 neediest school districts.

Ferraina made no apologies for his compensation.

"I have nothing to hide," Ferraina said in an interview. "Had I been in private industry, I'd be a multimillionaire. I'd be making $150 million. Why? It's real easy. I'm a visionary. I look at the future. I have ideas. But I don't want to make $150 million. I want to make a difference in society. I want to be able to help the children of this community."

His sick days, he says, were accumulated over more than 30 years of service to the district, as a teacher, school principal and superintendent.

Mann and Knox could not be reached for comment.

Asbury Park, Camden and Long Branch are considered by the state to be among the 31 most needy in the state, commonly called Abbott districts.

Driven in large part by increased spending on the Abbott districts, education funding statewide has jumped from $4.7 billion in 1998 to $8.1 billion in 2008 — an increase of 72 percent, according to budget documents provided to state lawmakers by the state treasurer. When adjusted for inflation, the increase comes in at 35 percent.

While other low-income districts — especially Camden — captured headlines for failing to improve student performance, Ferraina points with pride to progress made in Long Branch.

"There's a brand-new preschool, a brand-new middle school, a high school, two brand-new elementary schools," he said. His district had expansion plans ready when the state money was first made available.

He says that test scores, especially for younger students, have improved dramatically in his district.

In 1999, for example, 28.2 percent of Long Branch's fourth-graders passed state language and literacy tests. In 2007, 77.7 percent passed the tests, he said.

In 1999, 33.1 percent of fourth-graders passed math tests. In 2007, 71.8 percent passed the test.

Ferraina said he has worked hard to earn his salary and benefits during his 32 years of service.

"It's legal," he said.

Manalapan: Manalapan High to continue police presence

MANALAPAN — The increased police presence will continue at the high school tomorrow, after a parent overheard a student speaking about rumors that a shooting would take place at the building today , authorities said.

Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, the high school principal called police to tell them he had received a call from the concerned parent, authorities said.

Detective Matthew Trembow and Patrolman Daniel Carey launched an investigation and they could not substantiate the threat, police said.

Meanwhile, the principal put all school officials on alert. Police are continuing their investigation, and they also had increased presence at the school today.

New Jersey by the Ugly Numbers Corzine Wants To Ignore

...by our friends at inthelobby.net

Have you ever wondered, just how did New Jersey get here?

How could a state as prosperous as ours get to the point of financial crisis that it is today?

Here are a few reasons:

10,000: The number of state employees who were hired by the state's governors, both Republican and Democrat, between 2000 and 2006, a 17 percent gain even though the state’s population grew by only 4 percent, according to City Journal..

(Corzine brags that he's cutting roughly 3,000 jobs wants to skip the fact that there's still a net of +7,000 jobs over the past 6 years)

13,000: The number of full-time (or full-time equivalents) hired by agencies and authorities subsidized by state government but not directly controlled by the governor, in that same time frame.

Nearly 6 percent: The amount state spending increased a year from 2000 through 2008, nearly double the inflation rate.

33: The number of times ex-Gov. McGreevey raised taxes and fees in his short time in office.

$1.2 billion: The amount Gov. Corzine raised the sales tax in 2006.

Second-worst: New Jersey's ranking for business-tax environment in the country, according to the Tax Foundation.

Third-worst: Managed state in the nation, according to Governing magazine.

9 percent: The amount then-Gov. DiFrancesco and the Legislature raised pensions for public employees, teachers and state lawmakers in 2001, according to the Asbury Park Press.

$5.2 billion: The amount the pension boost cost taxpayers.

Almost $8 billion: The expected cost of active and retired employee benefits, including pension and health care, in 2013, up from $2 billion this year.

Now how does Gov. Corzine's budget and fiscal plan address these facts?

We've said it before, we'll say it again. New Jersey doesn't have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem.

Jacking the tolls up by 800 percent, or raising the gas tax, will do nothing to change that.

NJ: HIGH PRICE FOR ROTTEN GOV'T

From the NYPOST

WHEN New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine announced his slim med- down budget recently, he said that the state could no longer afford the government that it now has. What he didn't say is that this government isn't just expensive, it's also mismanaged and ineffective.

That is, New Jerseyans pay some of the country's highest taxes to get one of the country's worst governments.

In a new study, Governing magazine ranks Jersey the nation's third-worst-managed state. The problem isn't just the shambles that its finances are in, but also its lack of investment in infrastructure, its poor employee training and development, and a failure to apply technology and data to manage public services well.

Talk about a quadruple whammy for the state's residents, who ought to be asking exactly what the heck the state has been doing with all their money.

One thing that Jersey's patronage-ridden government has been doing is hiring workers at a rapid rate, far faster than most other states. Corzine's recent pledge to trim the state's workforce by 3,000 employees (as part of $500 million in spending cuts) drew a howl from public-sector unions, as well as warnings from some editorialists that the cuts might hurt services.

Corzine might have noted that from 2000 to 2006 - after the Wall Street tech-stock meltdown and the economic fallout from 9/11 - a succession of NJ governors added 10,000 workers to the state's executive workforce, a 17 percent rise, even as the state's population grew by only 4 percent.

The hiring spree didn't stop there. State agencies and authorities not directly controlled by the governor were rapidly boosting their own payrolls, adding about 13,000 more full-time (or full-time-equivalent) workers to the state's payrolls, reports the Census Bureau. Only a few other states increased their public payrolls as quickly; all were far larger than Jersey and had more rapidly growing populations. By contrast, even New York was a model of efficiency, growing its workforce by less than 1 percent during the same period.

READ THE REST HERE

Corzine Interview on NJ101.5 with Jim Gearhart

The interview is in 4 parts. Click here

Brick: Officials want to postpone property revaluations

Township officials will ask the Ocean County Board of Taxation for permission to postpone its ongoing revaluation for another year in light of the deteriorating housing market, Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said today.Acropolis said assessing homes while prices are falling would be unfair to Brick residents, and could also cost the township money. If prices fall below a home's assessment, the mayor said residents could successfully appeal their revaluations.

"If you do put a value on the houses in November of this year, in '08, when everyone gets their tax bill in '09, they're going to say, "I can't pay this much money. I'm going to appeal it,'' Acropolis said.

The mayor said the township would formally ask to postone the revaluation by letter this week.

Manchester and Toms River have had similar requests granted this year, according to county board officials.

Corzine + his phantom cuts = secret tax hike

Excellent analysis by Greater Media's Greg Bean:

If it looks like a tax hike, and smells like a hike …
READ IT HERE

...and therein lies Jon Corzines problem...

Two months after we the people rejected Corzine's little $450 million in new borrowing for his stem-cell initiative, he stood before the state legislature and informed that the state was in a deep financial crisis - that NJ borrowed much more than it can pay back and something must be done...

SO: if in January, he "fesses up to the obvious", why two months earlier is he pushing to borrow another $450 million???

Very interesting read from our friends at inthelobby.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After his successsful sneak attack on Pearl Habor, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is said to have lamented, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

Fast-forward 66 years, and you have to wonder: Does Jon Corzine suspect that he may have done the same thing?

Call it what you will, but something is happening in the New Jersey electorate. It started in November, when voters who were smarter than their government rejected $450 million in new borrowing to pay for the operating costs of stem cell research centers that the state had already agreed to borrow $270 million to build.

Corzine, who sunk at least $100,000 of his own money into a pro-stem cell advertising campaign, was stunned when it didn’t pass, after pollsters and pundits and his own sensibilities had assured him it would.

Two months after that defeat, he stood before the state Legislature and solemnly exclaimed that New Jersey was in a deep financial crisis. The state had borrowed to the point of excess; debt service was eating up the budget, and something must be done.

His plan, as we all now know, was to turn control of the toll roads to a Public Benefit Corporation, which could sell bonds off the toll roads and raise tolls by 800 percent.

So here’s a question Corzine’s never answered: If he knew that the borrowing was eating the New Jersey budget alive in 2007 – as he surely did – why in the world was he out there promoting the sale of another $450 million in bonds?

And therein lies Jon Corzine’s problem.

He may not have connected the dots, but the public does. Corzine is no different than other politicians when it comes to spending our money on programs he thinks we should have -- even if we can't afford it.

That point became even clearer after his administration admitted that they also plan to go out and bond for another $2.5 billion in school construction – even though the state had already wasted more than $6 billion with very few schools to show for it the first time around.

For all his talk about putting the borrowing to the public, he doesn't mean it. How can he? Corzine has given every Trenton politician a “Get Out of Jail” card when it comes to borrowing. As long as they declare that the bond issue would be paid for by an existing tax stream, it doesn’t have to go before the voters.

And that will stop borrowing how?For all his talk, Corzine’s vaulted promise that all future borrowing would go before the voters isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.

Trenton politicians – heck, all politicians – want what they want when they want it. Corzine wanted to be a player in stem cell research. He wants to build new schools. The state doesn’t have any money, but why let that stand in the way of his legacy?

Only one problem. The voters said no to stem cell research.

He won’t make that mistake again. That’s why he says the school construction doesn’t need to go to the voters. And why he won’t put his massive $38 billion toll hike scheme before the voters.

Technically, he says it’s because they’ll both have dedicated funding (taxes on school construction, toll hikes on the toll roads.) The reality, however, is much simpler.

He can’t trust us not to say no.

When he went into the belly of the beast this week – Monmouth and Ocean counties, two areas that will be hurt the most by the toll hike plan – Corzine was likely not expecting the level of anger he heard from the residents.

And he was probably stunned that they knew all about his inconsistencies: agreeing to raises for judges, despite the state being broke; shouting down his attempts to say that any cuts in the budget would result in hospitals closing; and generally demanding that the government cut itself, before he asks them for any more money.

We love how whenever the governor is questioned on why he is forcing the state’s burden on such a small segment of the population, he pipes up with how frequent commuters could get a discount of 20 to 25 percent.

As if turning an 800 percent toll hike into a 600 or 660 percent toll hike somehow makes it fair or acceptable.

The real reason that Corzine wants commuters and those who drive the toll roads to pay an 800 percent increase is purely political: it affects fewer people than an overall hike in the gas tax, combined with significant spending cuts, would.

Want proof? Check out this map developed for the Asbury Park Press by City University finance professor Jonathan Peters. It shows where the highest concentration of E-ZPass users live in New Jersey.

Three guesses what counties appear hardest hit – Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex. The bulk of the counties don’t have significant numbers of E-ZPass drivers, according to this map.

It's the same reason he’s putting off the toll hikes until the year after he and the state Legislature stand for re-election.

But Corzine couldn’t be that cynical, could he?

What the governor underestimated – as he underestimated in the stem cell research vote – is that New Jerseyans aren’t stupid. Their rising property tax bills have ended whatever complacency they once had.

They love their state, but they either can’t afford to live here, or are afraid they won’t be able to in a few years.

There’s a reason why more people are leaving New Jersey than coming in.

The people of New Jersey recognize that the politicians who are running their state government don’t understand that the status quo no longer works. That government spending is not the answer to their problem; it is the source of their problem. That government’s efforts to protect the bureaucracy are harming their families.

They understand that an 800 percent toll hike will mean all New Jerseyans will pay more for food, clothing and goods. That businesses like shipping and warehouses and distribution may move to other states, and take their jobs with them.

They know that families in New Jersey are forced to make hard choices every day in order to make ends meet, and government should have to make those same hard choices – before they go to the people and ask them for more.

A larger government will not make the lives of New Jersey families any better. A larger paycheck, and fewer taxes – and tolls – will. New Jerseyans are willing to make some sacrifices in order to fix the fiscal mess, but they’re not willing to be the only ones –and they want the government to be cut down to size first. Otherwise, the people know that despite what Corzine says, the government will go on, spending money it just doesn’t have.

Corzine’s already doing it – his new school funding formula expands government by mandating preschool education for low-income students, without identifying how he’s going to pay for it.

Whatever hopes the governor had that he could rush this plan of his through the Legislature has fallen wayside to the anger of the public. Tomorrow, there will be a rally at noon at the Statehouse, sponsored by NJ101.5 radio, to show voter discontent. The only way Trenton will listen is if they fear the wrath of the voters. A large crowd will make them notice.

In 1941, it was bombs over Pearl Harbor that awakened the anger of America. In 2008 New Jersey, it may well be pigs flying over the Statehouse.

Either way, New Jersey is awake. Let’s see how many politicians in Trenton start paying attention.