Is That What It's Called Now?

The Judge who acquitted former Senator Wayne Bryant, mused in her ruling that:

“It is not surprising that state legislators ... are hired or retained by municipalities or developers ... perhaps in part for their political acumen.”. [emphasis mine]  See story here.

Here's the background.

Sure, that's why Bryant was "retained".  Bryant was so smart, so smart in fact that he's in prison.

You really have to laugh at the twisted logic

Gov. Chris Christe = Another RINO

I wish it weren't true, but it is.  Maybe I should regret voting for Christie and promoting him and maybe all those poor people invested at MFGlobal wouldn't have lost their shirts when Corzine went on to bankrupt MFGlobal after losing the election to Chris Christie.   Hard to say if NJ taxpayers would endured losing more money under Corzine.  After all, the so-called Wall Street wizard, Corzine, raised the sales tax by 33.33%, and raised the tolls by 50% and more.  Raise the tax on alcohol too.  But not beer,  A racist and war-on-woman move if I ever seen one. Ladies love their wine.

However, no matter how many new taxes are passed, it's never enough for our blood tax-thirsty democrats. 

Now, incredibly, our present Governor decided to yet further have ratepayers subsidize solar panels again, to ratepayers' economic peril.  See here.  Clearly, the Govenor either doesn't understand the solar scam or it's a clear indication that Christie is a closet liberal, or perhaps he's trying to help his brother, who I understand, is in the business of the solar scam business.  What this bill does is manipulate the market.  New Jersey, by demanding energy companies to produce green energy, which it can't unless those energy companies raise  rates on the consumers (us) to either produce a product that is economically devastating to the consumer, or forces those energy producers to purchase SRECS, which is equally devastating to consumers.   I can't even believe it's legal. It shouldn't be and Christie should know this, but he chooses to ignore it for whatever reason.  A true conservative would not do what Christie did in signing this subsidy.

The article compares New Jersey to California.  California is on the edge of economic collapse.   Spain was the model for solar panels.  See where this forced energy got Spain?   Spain has gotten and needs more bailouts.  So let's follow Spain and California?  You must be kidding me Governor??!!

Regardless of any of these scenarios, it's not good for consumers of energy, the ratepayers, who are all of us who use electricity.  I am practically living in the dark as it is ... hesitant to even turn on a light.  It just got worse under this jackass of a Governor.  Our Governor admitted to not being too good with numbers.  If he can't add, he surely has no concept of science.

Frankly, I'm sick of the Governor's "straight talk".  That schtick is getting old.   I'm sick of hearing of the Governor's obsession with Bruce Springsteen.  Springsteen went out in the 90's.  Still our Governor acts like a teen-age star struck fan.  NOT APPEALING AT ALL.

Again, like Whitman, a republican, will leave office leaving the State of NJ, and its taxpayers and voters with a sour taste in our mouths, setting us up for another democrat to take control.

Gov. Christie is no Govenor Scott Walker.  Not even close. What the RNC, Fox News or any other media outfit sees in Christie is beyond me.

We got punked.

Wisconsin Governer Walker Wins Recall Election

This was the only election that interests me.  I'm glad to see people are finally taking a stand against thug Unions who are literally eating us out of house and home.

I am JUBILANT.

Union County Prosecutor Loses Round 1

It's almost too stupid to comment on, but since it involves First Amendment rights, the New Jersey Law Journal reports that Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow lost his/their summary judgment motion to dismiss a detective's lawsuit over what the detective sees as free speech.

I have ZERO respect for Romankow for a number of reasons and can't stand him.  Read this for yourself and you will probably agree.

Keep burning our hard-earned tax dollars Romankow.  He could care less.  He's set for life.  Those legislators and/or governor who helped him along have either left their office in disgrace, are dead or in prison.  See here for some of those details.  h/t County Watchers. All of Romankow's enablers were democrats. 

See here for latest lawsuit details.  How do you get someone like this out of office?  You CAN'T.

It's vile.

Money Bomb Time For The UCWA

After reading today's S.L. Auditor column, and the Union County 2012 tax levy posted by John Bury here, (3.22% for Linden, but Summit at over 10%!) lies about MusicFest costs, soon-to-be ex-Freeholder Scanlon's son being hoisted on the county taxpayer funded payroll here, (not to mention that Freeholder Scanlon admitted that she didn't fully understand the solar scheme) and a host of other malfeasance committed in Union County too numerous to mention, there can be no doubt that Union County government has been out of control for a long time.  At taxpayer expense.

In Linden, we have serious problems with the County, whether Linden's Mayor will acknowledge it or not.  Projects, under the direction of the UCIA and more chilling, the UC Dem Chair, who, just by chance I guess, is the Executive Director of the UCIA, have cost Linden taxpayers more money than we can ever recover.  In the millions.  The Mayor thinks Freeholder Christopher Hudak will help us?   You have a better chance of seeing God.  This Freeholder's father not only advises Linden, but advises the UCIA on bonds.  And gets paid for it.  So too do the other attorneys working for Linden work for the County.  Our interests are NOT the same. No conflict?  If you say so.

We send out hard-earned tax dollars to the County because we have no choice.  What we can do is help the UCWA in their efforts by sending a buck or two or more to the UCWA for their efforts.  The UCWA does its best to pry open the lid of the worm can known as county government.  They fight for the right to access to documents that would never see the light of day.  It's a very worthy organization, a description if I am not mistaken was even used by a Union County Judge, and IMO the only people who are concerned about the taxpayers in Union County.  Name me one elected official who works as hard  as Tina to bring transparency to Union County government.  Just one.

Donation information HERE. 

It's a Badge of Honor Rahway Mayor

Former Union County Freeholder Rick Proctor, now Rahway Mayor, evidently was or/ is mpeached by the local dem organization..

Be proud and SPILL your guts to the Feds.

 

Kirkland v. DiLeo & City of Linden

The New Jersey Law Journal did not report that the Linden taxpayers are being sued as well as DiLeo.

Read complaint here:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/83946279

Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Former Municipal Judge

According to the New Jersey Law Journal, a federal lawsuit has been filed against former Linden judge Louis M.J. DiLeo in a suit entitled Kirkland v. DiLeo.  The suit alleges that the plaintiffs' constitutional rights were violated.

See here, here and here for background.

Are Linden taxpayers going to have the foot the bill for DiLeo's defense?

S.A.G. Settlement - 9 years later

Strategic Alliance Group.   I reached out to two council persons to find out the terms of the settlement  What is the settlement?  Council voted on it.  Why the secrecy?  The Settlement Agreement should be attached to the Resolution approving the settlement.  More importantly, it should be disclosed at the Council meeting and not just referred to in a Resolution.  TAXPAYERS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE PAYING.

Can anyone imagine waiting nine (9) years for a resolution to a lawsuit?   Besides which the Judge calls out your own lawyers' statements (here, that would be Linden's lawyers and for which, I believe we paid them over a million dollars) TO BE INAPPROPRIATE.  Yet Linden taxpayers gave these very lawyers even more money and that was back in 2010.  

Could it be that the lawyer's fees exceeded the recovery?  Probably.   The judge wasn't too kind to Linden's lawyers, which Judge had this to say back in 2010:

• "The City also stated that it would file a Motion to Enforce Settlement against the LaVans by the end of July. While no motion was filed in July, on December 8, 2008 the City moved to enforce its settlement agreement with the LaVans.Strategic Alliance Group, et al vs. City of Linden, et al."

• "Here neither the City nor the LaVans moved to reopen this matter within the 90 days provided by ¶1 of the Court’s Order of Dismissal."

• "Similarly, neither the City nor the LaVans ever made a request that the 90 day period set forth in ¶1 of the Court’s Order be extended.Instead, over 9 months or 270 days elapsed before any party informed the Court that there was an issue with the settlement reached in this matter."

• While the City may have believed that the matter was settled and that therefore there was no reason to move to reopen the case in accordance with ¶1, the City fails to explain why, when it became apparent that the settlement would not be consummated within 90 days, it failed to request that the 90 day period be extended."

• "Instead, nearly two years after the Order of Dismissal was entered, the City filed the instant Motion to Enforce and the LaVans’ opposed same."
  

• "With respect to counsel’s Certifications, the Court finds that in addition to statements of facts, certain portions of Steven J. Eisenstein and Paul A. Sandars, III’s Certifications filed in  reply to the City’s Motion to Enforce Settlement contain factual arguments that are inappropriate under L.Civ.R. 7.2(a). (See, e.g., ¶¶ 5, 9 and 11 (among others) of the Eisenstein and Sandars’ Certifications).

The certifications the Court was referring to were the lawyers for Linden.

See here for the full Judge's Report.

Council members need to start reading up on Judge's report.  Council should, if it didn't, dismiss these lawyers and not pay their fee.  But what Council did was pay these inappropriate and late filing lawyers fees that exceeded a MILLION DOLLARS.

No one from our own law department oversaw this lawsuit?   No lawyer from our own law department diaryed the 90-day settlement before the matter was dismissed?   Here we are almost 2 and half years later and we are still jerking around with this case?  Hell, I even forgot all about it even though I wrote about it extensively here.  The longer the case goes on, the better for the lawyers, who, in turn, can give more money to political causes, right?

Can I believe any current or new council person can remember this lawsuit or that our own politically-connected lawyers advise our politically council members without a conflict?  I don't think so.    Who do they rely upon when they are called to vote on a settlement?  Do they even review the litigation papers or just go with what the politically-connected lawyers tell them to do?

Can anyone imagine a lawyer taking this long to resolve a dispute, and then charging you more than what you sued for?  It doesn't happen in the real world, for the most part.

And that's what you get when lawyers charge $150 or whatever low figure it is they charged.  Plus they have to make political contributions to get these contracts.

A real Bargain Barn.

Temporary Judges

Interesting article in this week's New Jersey Law Journal regarding the hiring of temporary judges.  Since Linden has added two additional temporary judges, hope Linden and the Union County Assignment Judge have carefully crafted the wording to avert a situation like Paterson.

See here for article.

SS shout out

Holy cow.  Can't even say hello on the commie site.

UCIA Failed Projects

The South Wood Avenue and ISP/Dupont projects began over 10 years ago.  ISP had entered into an agreement with Linden to develop its own property, but Council, in all of its non-wisdom, decided to pull the rug out from under ISP's feet back in 2005.  That ended up in litigation.

 I can't recall when Linden taxpayers were called upon to buy properties on St. George Avenue, including Assemblyman Green's dumps for nearly three-quarters of a Million Dollars, but I believe that failed project, Morning Star, began about 9 years ago.  What do the overtaxed taxpayers of Linden have to show for it?  Those properties we purchased have been taken off the tax rolls and we are paying for bonds on vacant properties, not to mention hundreds of thousands to the connected lawyers and engineers.  Not one Linden elected official publicly questions this.  We're talking millions of dollars, yet who does Councilman Koziol point his finger at during a budget meeting?  Ron from the Linden Economic Development Corp.  I don't seem to recall the LEDC buying properties at the expense or peril of taxpayers.  Either Koziol is too simpleminded or he can't speak to it least it affect the support of the Union County Dem machine.  Probably both.

Council should finally start demanding accountability from the UCIA.  It's a major problem.    Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, months into years and years into decades. 

How Could the DeCotiis Law Firm Not Know?

A partner in a law firm is sending an $8,000 monthly check to former Senator Wayne Bryant and no one in the firm knew about?  If you say so ....

Story here.

Summit Does, Why Not Linden?

Has Linden designated anyone to attend Union County Freeholder Meetings as was suggested by former Mayor Paul Werkmeister?  Unlike what the Mayor would like you to believe, having someone from Linden on the Freehold Board DOES NOT insure fair or proper representation.  In fact, I was shocked when I saw the Mayor of Linden giving newly elected Freeholder, Chris Hudak, a head-ups at a earlier council meeting.  Is he blind to what Linden taxpayers are accumulating in debt because of the actions of not only the Union County Freeholder Board, but the Union County Improvement Authority?  Not only that, it was wholly inappropriate of the Mayor to make a political statement endorsing a politically connected Freeholder who won.  It's not hard for a democrat to win in Union County.  A door knob can win under the banner of Union County Democratic organization.  Even so, Mayor you had no right to do that because it is implicitly against the Council rules against making political statements.  You made a political statement.   Are you stupid, dumb, a democrat, or all three?

Mr. Mayor, I ask you, how much money have the taxpayers lost in failed UCIA projects?  How many millions are Linden taxpayers are in the tank for by failed bonded projects and why do you continue to protect Union County instead of speaking out against the UCIA, an Authority that is incompetent?

Morning Star and South Wood Avenue.  No signs are posted advertising these properties are available.  Why?   Why don't you ask?  It's a disgrace.  Why not go to Hillside and ask BOSS TWEED.  Bring a couple of packs of Pall Malls.

Electricty vs. Electricty

I'm trying to get this straight in my brain.

Let's break this down.   The car industry, which was bailed out by Obama, (which did not include Ford)  is good, according to democrats.The fuel oil needed to power these cars is bad. Elcetricity is bad, but we want more electric cars on the road. 

What am I missing?

What I'm thinking is we should put a solar panel on the head of everyone who thinks this way and hope they get an electrical surge in their brains.  Sorta of like electrical shock treatment. Or they can pick up some brain cells from some stem cell research lab, like the one Corzine visited a few years ago.  I suggested Corzine steal a few.  Guess he didn't. 

Feh.

Treasurer & Rahway Democratic Committee Reprimanded and Fined $60,500

Although PolitickerNJ is reporting the fine to be $55,000 (reduced from $68,750), PolitickerNJ did not take into account a $5,500 partial payment made by the Rahway Democratic Committee on account.   The Democratic Commitee and the Treasurer will make 20 quarterly payments according to the Consent Order and Final Decision. 

Whatever happened to the complaint against the NJ State Democratic Committee for the deliberate, calculating and misleading robo calls it made back in 2009 in a desperate attempt to re-elect slimeball Corzine by making robo calls to encourage republicans to vote for Daggett?  A search on ELEC reveals "There are no Complaints or Final Decisions to view".

People need to start going to jail for this crap.

Drop the Lawyers

They make enough money whether it be chasing ambulances or pay-to-play contracts. Why is it that we keep the same lawyers on year after year?  The premise was to have a lawyer, who lived in Linden, serve the City for a certain amount of time, without inuring benefits.  The other premise was to have a lawyer serve as Judge for a certain amount of time, without inuring benefits. That's why the Mayor is inured with that task of naming lawyers and judges .  Good will in the community and all that stuff.  The premise was NEVER to have a lawyer serve so much time that he would be vested in the pension system, collect medical benefits and be a burden to the taxpayers.  After all, lawyers make a lot of money, no? That's the way the City Charter was set up.

Elected officials have forgotten the mission.  Did our City Attorney serve as the Democratic Chairman?  Did our City Attorney's wife sue our own City and settle a lawsuit what I liken to a lottery?  Will Linden overtaxed taxpayers, who will never see an annual paycheck that Kologi gets in retirement benefits, or his wife, deserve to pay his pension for life?

That's how fucked up the system is.  Not because it's the 99% against the 1%, but it's because the poltically connected take from the rest of us.  There are numerous, well-documented cases in Union County how the politoicos pad pensions.  We reward people who shouldn't even be employed here to earn those benefits, including the Judge.  Those so-called professionals are suppose to serve the public.  Not become a dependent on those who earn easily a fraction of what they make. When those attorneys pay to play, taxpayers lose

Get rid of Hudak and Roth already.  They don't seem to be doing a good job anyway.  And no where do I remember electing Roth to bargain with the Unions. That should be our elected officials  responsibiltiy. Is Roth in the Pension System?  If he is, how can be an unbiased  negotiater?

I'd rather see a lawyer charging $250 to $350 (the going rate in the real world) an hour then these flunkies.  And some ought to look into the Zoning Board lawyer.  Seems to me the County wants to pad his pension.   Didn't Zitomer just fuck up big time in the Shoprite litigation?  Fire this lawyster too.   It isn't rock science to be a zoning board attorney.  I smell a malpractice suit, but how do you sue your own attorney?

There is no direction and no one knows anything.  They only know what the lawyers tell them, those lawyer who are on their payroll.

Fire them all.

Come Meet Our New Judge, Judge Roberts

As some of you remember, along Dewitt Terrace, ridiculous signs about "Meeting our Judge" and some other nonsense signs that were erected during the JTG (John T. Gregorio) era.  That Judge (Judge DiLeo) has since retired, on taxpayers dime, amidst ethic charges, for which, IMO, he will most certainly be sanctioned for.  See here for those charges.  I am pretty certain Judge DiLeo will not escape those charges.  In any event, Councilman Brown, along with some others, voted to not endorse the Mayor's appointment of Dan Roberts.  Dan Roberts, Esq. meets the N.J. Statutory requirements. The City Charter allows the Mayor to appoint the Municipal Judge and Dan Roberts meets the criteria.  Brown says he has other resumes.  Too bad Councilman Brown; that is not within your power.  Brown needs to learn the rules and statute law.  He needs to get a new hairdresser as well.


Other items:  Criminal background.  If I'm not mistaken, we have a FF (firefighter) who has a criminal background as well as a current employee.  Therefore, it should not be limited to the Recreation Department.

Union County Improvement Authority being designated as the developer of the ISP property passed.  BAD MOVE.  The UCIA couldn't find its own ass in a paper bag.  BIG DISAPPOINTMENT on this vote.  But hey, you might want to curry favor with the Dem Chair.   Who knows?

Anti-Nepotism    Looks like a viable candidate got knocked out because of it.  Then Council changed the policy.  Never should have been instituted in the first place.  It should have always been best candidate gets the job, so why do it?  Koziol loves nepotism.  In fact, his wife and kid works for the BOE, which Board he served on.  Anyone thinks that was not nepostism?     Remember when Council gave JTG a 50% pay increase?   Koziol voted for that; to pad the Mayor's salary which would in effect adversely affect the taxpayers.Koziol makes me sick that now he acts all sanctimonious now. Koziol want to cut now?  He has a three-to five year plan now for an IT Plan?  Is he serious?  We needed a three-to-five year budget plan five years ago, like former Mayor Paul Werkmeister suggested.  But no.  We get the blame game. And his kid got a job with the B.O.E. in the meanwhile  Can't dispute that.

Council Reports.  Just one comment.  1st Ward Councilman Kolibus encourages everyone to visit the City website for recreational programs.  It seems to be the rec department uploads their programs with no problems.  I'd like to see the monthly AGENDAS uploaded and MINUTES uploaded in a timely fashion   Can ANY city councilperson or mayor call for this?  HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO UPLOAD DOCUMENTS?  Got to be an idiot not to be able to do that.

Sheehy:  You want suggestions?  Get an Email address No.1 because I would privately email you.  My next suggestion is to have all attorneys submit a Request for Proposals for a City Attorney(s), Judge or other attorney position  for a three-year term.  This way, we have no attorneys on the payroll or collecting, medical or pension benefits.  Email me @ devilfish622@gmail.com and I will give you more suggesstions. 

Pension Padding:  Can our newly elected Freeholder from Linden, Christopher Hudak, who is the Linden Democrat Chair, and whose father is on the Roselle and Linden payrolls, ensure us his father won't profit or be a burden on us over-taxed taxpayer?  Of course not.   This is what Linden Mayor endorsed during a council meeting which was wholly inappropriate and no one called him on it by making a political endorsement because 1)  it was or a democrat (that's why you know our Mayor is not an indepedent) and ;
2)  After the fact because dem-run Union County gave us some money for a a couple hour, no-one cares Holleen parade?

Mayor of  Linden, I beg you:

No one cares about parades or concerts.  What homeowners wonder about is even if they can meet their mortgage payments, can meet THEIR PROPERTY TAXES? 

Not all of us have a government pension

Someone better get in this quick.

July, August, September, October & November Minutes Not Posted on City Website

FIVE months have passed since the July Council meeting, yet no Minutes are posted on the City website.  Not to mention August, September, October and November.  Last Minutes posted are from June, six months ago. See here for latest minutes (June).

I know our City Clerk has a lot on his agenda, two jobs as Clerk, one for City of Linden and one for the Union County Utilities Authority.  Plus the political position as being the Treasurer for the Union County  Dems.  Hope the City Clerk doesn't send those reports out on City time or using City equipment.  I have evidence that he has.

I wonder which job the Clerk of Linden values the most?

So why is it agendas and minutes get posted on the UCUA in a some-what timely fashion, but not on the City of Linden's website, where Bodek earns over a $100,000 salary from Linden taxpayers?

Linden's Mayor, who is suppose to be an independent, but in this City acts as a democrat, says nothing of course.  An Independent RINO&D.  He can't make up his mind. 

Why not let Linden taxpayers see what is going on since July?

Get your act together Bodek and post the Agendas BEFORE the meeting and after the Minutes are APPROVED.

How hard can it be?

Passaic County Not So Hot On Solar Panel Program

Apparently, the volatility of the Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC) market is not only a concern to the Passaic County freeholders, but to would-be contractors as well. Not one contractor submitted a bid to perform the construction of solar panels on public buildings in Passaic County.   Too risky?

From the The Record:

"Some experts warn that the certificates could become worthless in the decade ahead as utilities expand their own renewable energy capacity. For example, PSE&G, North Jersey's largest power utility, has been placing solar panels throughout the region, reducing its need to buy SRECs."

"Under the original proposal, the county's Improvement Authority — its chief financing arm — would sell as much as $30 million in bonds to pay for construction of solar panels on public buildings in towns and cities. But after the county put forward projections that showed the project could cost $18.4 million more than the revenue it would generate, the Nov. 10 bid deadline came and went without a single bid submitted."

"The County's requests for proposals included projections that showed income would not cover costs. No developers bid on the project."  (emphasis mine)

According to the article, the advisors on this Passaic County panel project are the same advisors who formulated the Morris County Model and counseled Union County and Somerset County on their solar panel projects. This isn't a conflict? Aren't all the counties who are went along with this solar scheme competing with each other to sell their SREC's? Not only that, by flooding the market with solar panel projects, it seems to me that the very advisors are, to some extent, the cause of the volatility. According to this article, the DeCotiis law firm received about $1.3 million in fees from the three counties.

"The DeCotiis firm declined requests by The Record for interviews of its representatives. Instead, a public relations agency retained by the firm responded to emailed questions from The Record."  That's odd.  Jonathan Williams of the DeCotiis law firm seemed so eager and enthusiastic when touting this scheme to Union County.  Why use a public relations firm?

If the Passaic County scenario projects that the costs could be more than the revenue generated, that would seem to hold true for the Union County solar panel scheme.  It never made any sense to begin with.  Elected officials are so easily hoodwinked.

Of course, New Jersey could accelerate the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and it appears the Christie administration is prepared to do just that.  That means traditional energy prices will be jacked up for ratepayers to subsidize "feel good" unsustainable solar energy.  

See full Record article here.