Game Change

In this month's edition of the Black River News, a publication preventing the extinction of outhouses in some parts of Appalachia, a local GOP operative pays homage to Sara Palin by declaring “she is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama.”

Perhaps this operative should take a look at page 397 of the bestselling book, GAME CHANGE, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin.

 Here is an excerpt:

"Then there was the matter of Palin's substantive deficiencies. On September 10 (2008), she was preparing to fly back to Alaska to see her son Track ship off to Iraq and to tape her first network interview with ABC News' Charlie Gibson. Before the flight to Anchorage, Schmidt, Wallace, and other members of her traveling party met Palin at the Ritz-Carlton near Reagan airport, in Pentagon City, Virginia - and found that, although she's made some progress with her memorization and studies, her grasp of rudimentary facts and concepts was minimal. Palin couldn't explain why North and South Korea were separate nations. She didn't know what the Fed did. Asked who attacked America on 9/11, she suggested several times that it was Saddam Hussein. Asked to identify the enemy that her son would be fighting in Iraq, she drew a blank."

I am quite sure our current President could answer these questions in his sleep.

Setting the Record Straight

In his recent OT letter, Washington Township Republican Committee spokesperson Mr. Tom Lotito states the following:

"You will recall that after I endorsed Mr. Emery’s opponent for the BOE in 2008, Mr. Emery, in the last week before his re-election bid, promptly ran back to the BOE and rushed out an unprecedented press release from the subcommittee he chaired refuting some of the facts in my letter. Mr. Emery neither asked for permission nor informed the full BOE of this action; he used his BOE role to get out his personal campaign message. If that isn’t a breach of ethics to influence an election and an abuse of power I don’t know what is, no matter what the Trenton bureaucrats eventually decided on the case."

The NJ School Ethics Commission had this to say on the matter:

"Although the Commission believes that the respondent was acting in his official capacity as the Chair of the Facilities Committee (Berlin Certification at page 2) when issuing the press release, the Commission can find no direct or indirect financial involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair the respondent’s objectivity or independence of judgment. To the extent that the complainant asserts there was a benefit to the respondent inasmuch as he won the election, the Commission is persuaded by the credible testimony offered by the respondent and his witnesses that the action in issuing the press release was authorized by the Board President and intended to benefit the Board as well as the District, not the respondent. Any incidental benefit to the respondent is purely speculative and insufficient for the Commission to base a finding of probable cause."

Bottom Line: While Mr. Lotito is entitiled to his opinion, he isn't entitled to his own set of facts, which clearly differ from the offical findings of the NJ School Ethics Commission.

Washington Township Budget Updates?

According to the Washington Township website, the most recent 2010 Budget Update was published on January 12, 2010. There have been at least two public budget meetings since this date, yet no update have been published? So much for transparancy!

On a positive note, this week’s meeting contained no Ken Short references to the "schools" as a way of deflecting attention from his past and current double-digit tax increases. Go Ken!

Residents - 1, Flea Market - 0

Despite $8.90 worth of pathetic pandering from Washington Township Republican Club President Chris Westrick, Howard Popper's dream of a Long Valley flea market in 2010 appears to be fading fast!

Tom's Off Target Rant

Based on his letter, which appears in today's Observer Tribune, Washington Township Republican Committee spokesman Tom Lotito completely missed the point of Jeff Emery's prior letter objecting to the appointment of Committeeman James LiaBraaten to the Township Committee. Here is a quote:

"Jeff Emery managed to write several hundred words critisizing an ethics complaint without revealing that he was the defendant in the case and it was his actions that precipitates it!"

A simple reading of Mr. Emery's letter shows he didn't "criticize" the ethics complaint, as the School Ethics Commission's prompt dismissal of the case rendered any further discussion of the complaint itself irrelevant.

What Mr. Emery so rightly criticized was Committeeman LiaBraaten’s appointment to the Township Committee, due to Committeeman LiaBraaten's blatant HYPOCRACY in refusing to hold himself to a standard he set by seconding a WTBOE motion (offered by Bill Roehrich) requesting Ruth McCurdy pay for legal cost incurred by the sole defendant, James Harmon, in her ethics complaint. A complaint similarly dismissed by the school ethics commission.

So with this understanding, the only remaining question is when will Committeeman LiaBraaten live up to his standard and repay $7,104 owed to Washinton Township taxpayers?

Another "Double-Digit" Krickunomics Tax Plan?

Within today's Observer Tribune article announcing his candidacy for Freeholder, John "Kricunomics" Krickus states the following:

"Enacting my platform would result in a double-digit cut in property taxes, which is unherad of in New Jersey."

As much as I would like to believe Krickus' boast, it would have far more credibility if it wasn't completely opposite of what happen the last time he was in charge of my tax dollars.  Because as noted in Township Administrator Dianne Gallet's February 2005 memo, it was Krickus' "economic policies" during his 2001-2003 rein as Mayor that significantly contributed to the 11.1% double digit tax INCREASE imposed on Washington Township taxpayers in 2005.

Gibbs slams Palin

This is too funny!



You betcha!

The True Impact of "Krickunomics"

Back in 2005, the Township Committee, led by Mayor Ken Short imposed a huge 11.1% tax increase on the hard working residents of Washington Township. Below is a memo, written by Township Administrator, Dianne Gallets on the economic policy of the prior John Krickus led administrations and how it contributed to the tax debacle that resulted in the first loss of a GOP seat on the township committee in 30 years!

February 10, 2005
FROM: Dianne S. Gallets, Township Administrator

Budget surplus and tax rate history

Dear Township Committeemen,

I know you are all probably tired of hearing this, but I am again going to try and explain the current budget problem we are in. Yes, everybody has problems, but ours could have been easily avoided.

The Township has been budgeting, not the money, but the tax increase so that they can say that the increases are nominal every year for about five years. I don't think that in more than one year the tax increase even came close to reaching the "cost of living' during that period, and at the same time the raises, insurance expenses, and utilities were increasing faster than the "'cost of living". During that same time period, the schools increased their tax request by as much as 10% and in most cases the public voted for it. Last year when the Township's rate went up .4% the school's rate went up 8.5%. A history of the tax rate increase is attached.

Use of Surplus - In the past the Township has historically used more than 55% and less than 65% of its surplus to offset the tax rate. This is a conservative approach and had always worked in the past. In 1997 the Committee started to anticipate how much the surplus would increase (like using a slot machine) and using more in the current year. This has steadily increased to 2004 where the township used 86% of their savings to run the town. That also effects the interest we receive, because all of the surplus is invested and gains more interest (even though it is a small amount). We now have the same amount of surplus to use as we did in 1992 and instead of using 63%, we are anticipating using 92%. That means that next year, there will be even less and the problem will only get worse. A history of the surplus is attached.

Reserve for Uncollected Taxes - This is an amount which we must include in our budget in case people do not pay their taxes. It is based on a formula % of the total tax dollars for the year. This means that if the school and county taxes increase, our budget must increase to make up for any shortfall. If they show that they need $1,000,000 for the year, they get that amount, whether people pay their taxes or not. In 2001 we had included in our budget an amount of $1,697,581 for Reserve for Uncollected Taxes and in 2005 we are anticipating $1,910,000 for this line. (An increase of $265,000 over a 5 year period). It becomes difficult to try to keep a budget on track when the Township Committee's philosophy changes each year to accommodate requests and they do not look at the whole picture. Although when new developments come onto the tax roles the township receives the first portion as an extra, it cannot start assuming that this money will come in. It is nothing more than thinking you will hit the lottery next month and spending the money now.

Dollars vs. Percentage - Prior to about 5 years ago, the Township Committee discussed the amount of cents the rate would go up but then changed to percentages. An increase of I cent gives you about $166,000 in tax dollars. When the school goes up by ll cents (like last year) they get $1,826,000 more to work with for the year. Last year the Township rate went up by 1/2 cents which gave you $83,000 more to work with. (But you budgeted total expenditures of $1,069,000 more than the prior year, even when you only raised the rate to give you $83,000 more.) The schools use an 'average" house to be $266,000 and one cent increase on that home would be about $27.00 per year. (Less than one cup of coffee before work every morning for one month) Right now you are about 9 cents behind the 8 ball, and that is including an already built in increase of 2 cents. This budget is in big trouble .........

Thank you.

DSG/me

Enclosures

Bottom Line: The more you look at John Krickus' record, the more you realize he has no business running for Freeholder in Morris County!

The Audacity of Sarah Palin...

Last night, Sarah Palin delivered the keynote address at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville. On the topic of foreign policy and national security, Palin said President Obama had "misguided thinking" and a pre-Sept. 11 mindset.

This coming from a woman whose 2008 campaign handlers found that her grasp of rudimentary facts and concepts so was minimal she couldn't explain why North and South Korea were separate nations. She didn't know what the Fed did. Asked who attacked America on 9/11, she suggested several times that it was Saddam Hussein. Asked to identify the enemy that her son would be fighting in Iraq, she drew a blank. Palin's response to her incompetence..."I wish I'd paid more attention to this stuff." Priceless!

FLEA MARKET UPDATE!

DUE TO A LACK OF INTESTINAL FORTITUDE, A REVIEW OF THE PROPOSED LONG VALLEY FLEA MARKET HAS BEEN DROPPED FROM THE FEBRUARY 8, 2010 PLANNING BOARD MEETING AGENDA!

BARRING A TAKEOVER OF THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING, THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO VOICE THEIR OPINION IS THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE BUDGET MEETING ON FEBYRARY 9, 2010 @ 7:30 PM - SENIOR CENTER IN ROCK SPRING PARK!

REMEMBER - TO THE COMMITTEE, EACH HOUSEHOLD'S QUALITY OF LIFE IS ONLY WORTH $8.90!

American Idiot: Senate Style

It took less than an hour for MA Senator Scott Brown to prove to the American people he is a clueless idiot. 



To claim the stimulus package has created not one job because the economy lost 85,000 net jobs in December is beyond stupid as the the non-partisan CBO estimates the Recovery Act has created or saved between 1.5 - 2.4 million jobs across America.

PAC Forms to Stop Flea Market in Long Valley!!!

It seems the opposition to the flea market proposal is getting more organized by the minute. 

This full page ad appeared in today's Observer Tribune. It was paid for by the Political Action Committee to Stop the Flea Market in Long Valley. Good for them.

One thing to keep in mind. The idea of placing the flea market in Long Valley was Howard Popper's!

JAMES LIABRAATEN GETS HAMMERED!!!

The following letter, published in today's Observer Tribune, takes newly appointed committeeman James LiaBraaten and his “darkside” comrades to task for their blatant hypocrisy.

EDITOR:

I am very disappointed with the conduct of new Washington Township Committeeman James LiaBraaten.

As a member of the Washington Township Board of Education, Mr. LiaBraaten harshly criticized fellow board member Ruth McCurdy for filing an ethics charge against their colleague Jim Harmon, endorsing a motion to have her compensate the district for Mr. Harmon’s legal fees.

Then, after losing an election for a one-year seat on the regional high school board, Mr. LiaBraaten filed ethics charges of his own. These charges were thrown out in less than 24 hours after they were heard.

It seems only appropriate that before assuming office, Mr. LiaBraaten should issue the taxpayers both an apology and a check.

By voting for Mr. LiaBraaten, the Township Committee is clearly condoning his behavior, particularly his refusal to repay the legal fees resulting from his actions. This is in direct contradiction to the stance they took earlier when they were board of education members. At that time, a majority of the current committee, Mr. William Roehrich, Mr. James Harmon and Mr. LiaBraaten, served together on the K-8 board and were all highly critical of Mrs. Ruth McCurdy’s filing of an ethics claim and instrumental in the attempt to have her reimburse the district .

What does this tell you about our Township Committee? Apparently, the majority of them do not hold themselves to the same standards that they have set for everyone else.

In a time when the community is facing a number of very critical issues such as our never ending town budget woes, a declining economic base and the proposed flea market, we need to know that we can trust the decisions made by our Township Committee. We need our committeemen to make choices based upon what is best for the community and not for each other.

We now have four committee members who have yet to serve one full term. They will undoubtedly be making important choices on behalf of our community for some time to come. Their decision to appoint Mr. LiaBraaten is not a reassuring start.

Jeff Emery

For more background, here's the disposition of LiaBraaten's bogus complaint along with a letter from the WMRHSD stating the cost incurred by taxpayers as a result of LiaBraaten's revengeful actions.

Taxes, Taxes, and More Taxes!

The above chart shows hits to this website over the past seven days. Guess what topic drove traffic through the roof over the past two days?

Trifling...

Based on some of the results contained within this poll, a significant number of US Republicans qualify as the dumbest people on the planet.

OVERALL TOWNSHIP PROPERTY ASSESSMENT DROPS 13.2%

As a result of the recent Township Committee mandated property re-assessment, the total value of all property across Washington Township DECLINED by 13.2% from $3,248,332,329 down to 2,820,516,022. The next question many will ask is what this mean in terms of MY property taxes?  To answer this question, I have created a simple MS Excel tool you can download and use to see the impact based on your assessment. Just enter the old and new assessment for your home and it will tell you the change in your property taxes per this year's tax rate. Once the new tax rate is determined in the July, your taxes will increase based on the 2010 budgets passed by the schools, township, and county. 

If anyone has any questions, post them here and I will answer for the benefit of everyone.

Finally!

In a long overdue move, the nation’s top two Defense officials today called for an end to the 16-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, a major step toward allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the United States military for the first time in its history. Having served in the armed forces for over 15 years, I found this policy indefensible in that it was founded on blatant discrimination of individuals based on who they were as opposed to any prescribed sexual misconduct they or any heterosexual may have committed.

Moving forward, once the policy is repealed, I hope the military focuses on disciplining those who demonstrate inappropriate behavior as opposed to a person's sexual orientation.

As for local right wingers who may object to the end of this policy, I have only one question. When did you serve?

Drinking the Kool-Aid!

It seems someone on the Daily Record editorial staff has helped themselves to a large glass of Ken Short Kool-Aid by buying into the notion WT school budgets should receive more public oversight than Short’s municipal budget. At least the public gets to vote on school budgets. Can the same be said for Ken Short's municipal budgets which in the past have called for 11% tax increases?

Last year's WTBOE budget had a 0.52% tax increase and an overall DECINE in spending. Ken Short's municipal budget had a tax increase more than seven (7) times the size of the WTBOE's due to a spending INCREASE.

With a current projected municipal tax increase over 10%, Ken Short has plenty of work to do to get his own fiscal house in order and should perhaps look to the WTBOE for tips on how to develop a responsible municipal budget worthy of public support.

Be careful what you ask for...

The live public exchange between the President and the entire House Republican caucus was unprecedented, and clearly to the White House’s benefit. So much so, Fox News had to cut away when it was clear the President was “putting on a clinic”. FOX was the only network that chose to limit coverage. I wonder why?



All-in-all, I hope this event leads to more cooperation amongst the players in Washington.

Flea Market Financials!

A lot has been said about the possibility of the Chester Lions Club bringing their flea market to Long Valley. Here is their formal proposal to the township.  One thing that jumps out - the public toilets will remain onsite thoughout the entire 6 month operating period each year.

Earlier this week I received a call from a resident who wanted to know the tax impact of the proposed maximum $60K annual payment to the township in terms of how it would benefit the “average” homeowner. With the average home in the township assessed at $500K, the "tax reduction" benefit comes out to $8.90 a year.


So for $8.90 a year we get to turn the land behind LVMS into a weekly "hillbilly" yard sale, complete with outhouses that remain onsite. Go Howard!

Municipal Budget Update

Despite holding a budget meeting this past Tuesday, the Township Committee made no progress in terms of reducing a projected 10.6% municipal tax increase if their budget was adopted as it now stands. Having reviewed Police operations during Tuesday's meeting, the Committee was unable to make any decision on what should or should not be cut. The inability to make decisions is not surprising when you consider a majority of the Committee now consists of former WTBOE dead weight (Harmon, Roehrich, & LiaBraaten) that didn't contribute much intellectual heft as school board members. Throw in the well documented incompetence of Ken Short & Howard Popper and it's not a pretty picture.

This probably explains why Ken Short is so hell bent on deflecting blame for high property taxes on the WTBOE as opposed to accepting responsibility for his own budget failures. Let us not forget how in 2009 it was Short's administration that imposed a "skyrocketing" property tax increase seven (7) times LARGER than the WTBOE's 0.52% property tax increase.

Say what?

According to Republican Steve Lonegan, "less than two weeks into office, Gov. Chris Christie seems poised to break his signature campaign promise to cut taxes for all taxpayers — instead, agreeing to raise taxes for all businesses and workers. This is unacceptable."

No need for me to add anyting else!

More wisdom from Howard Popper

Within the same DR article quoted in my previous posting, Vice Mayor Howard Popper makes the following statement:

"Residents in Washington Township already don't get much for the taxes they pay, and I don't want them to have to get less."







So according to Howard, other than having...

1. Our children educated
2. Roads maintained and cleared of snow in the winter
3. Recreational programs and fields maintained in the summer
4. Fires extinguished in homes
5. First aid responders show up when we are sick
6. Police who protect us
7. A bus that transports our seniors
8. A prosecutor, judge, and court that holds us accountable
9. A health department that monitors the quality of our drinking water
10. A building department that ensures safety within our homes
11. Free use of county and municipal libraries

...we don't get "much" for our taxes. Go Howard!

This from a man who has yet to deliver on his "Lower Taxes Now!!!" promise. Is Howard the dumbest man on the planet or what?

Thank you Mr. President!

This morning the government announced 4Q2009 GDP growth of 5.7 percent. The highest it's been since 2003. I am sure the GOP will do everything it can to discount the numbers, but in the end it's much better than when "what's his name" was in office!

Another Ken Short Lie!

This DR story contains another purposely misleading quote from Mayor Ken Short:

"All of the committee members already donate their stipends back to the budget."

By law, the committee must pass an ordinance each year declaring the salaries of all township employees. In 2007, the ordinance set a salary of $500 for each committeeman. In 2008 and 2009, no salaries were declared for committeeman, meaning they received no pay. How then can one donate something they never received in the first place?

So here is a question for Mayor Short...if committeeman received no pay in 2008 and 2009, how much did the committee members actually "donate" back to the town? Did it come close to the $50,000 of taxpayer provided health care benefits you sucked down during your first two terms?

Another ignorant "Tea Party" racist

Dale Robertson, a Tea Party activist who operates TeaParty.org, is getting stung for this photo — taken at the Feb. 27, 2009 Tea Party in Houston — in which he holds a sign reading “Congress = Slaveowner, Taxpayer = Niggar.”

The only thing worse than a racist, is an ignorant racist who can't spell.

Also, notice this coward "Photoshopped" his sign for his organization's website.

Let's go to the video tape!

For the second time in a month, Republican Rudy Giuliani managed to make a total fool of himself.



The only person who can match Rudy lie-for-lie is our own Ken Short!

Initiative and referendum within NJ

It's good to hear Governor Chrisite backs a proposal that provides for initiative and referendum within NJ.  This is long overdue and would allow Washington Township voters to weigh in on "quality of life issues" like the flea market.

SOTU

The President's speech was inspiring, unifying, and confrontational, all at the same time. The Republican response from VA was beyond embarrassment.

The Peter Principal

Jim LiaBraaten's appointment to fill the open Township Committee's seat is a another example of the local GOP demonstrating it's mastery of the "Peter Principle".

Having served without distinction on the WTBOE, LiaBraaten's most recent contribution to the community was his demand of a 20% across the board cut of the district school budget. A demand of his former peers AFTER he left the board.

What are the odds of LiaBratten calling for a 20% across the board cut of the municipal budget? Probably about the same as a 0% tax municipal increase!

Do The Right Thing!

As some of you know, I am a bit of a movie buff. So much so, I recently rented the 20th Anniversary Edition of Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" on Bluray.

Ironically, this is also the title of Paul Krugman’s latest NYT op-ed urging House Democrats to "Stop whining, and do what needs to be done."

I could not agree more.

Congressional Democrats are Clueless!

Based on this news and what I have seen in the past three days, it's quite clear Congressional Democrats have no clue in terms of what to do on health care. As a result, Democrats most likely will lose their majority in the House in the fall and quite frankly, deservingly so. Nothing is more unbecoming that a bunch of weak politicians who care more about their own survival as opposed to the needs of the American people.

Guy Gregg's senior moment

While leaving last night's Township Committee meeting, I had a short conversation with Washington Township Republican Committee Chairman Guy Gregg. I asked Guy if he had read my DR opinion piece, which he said he had. I told him I looked forward to the lower taxes Christie has promised. At this point Guy seemed to suffer a senior moment. To insure Guy's condition is not contagious amongst all NJ Republicans, below you will find Christie’s tax promises as they appeared on his campaign website:

New Jersey has the highest tax burden in the country and it’s getting worse - the latest Corzine budget just raised taxes by another $1.2 billion. We’re also burdened with the highest property taxes in the country, but that didn't stop Jon Corzine from taking away property tax rebates from 1.2 million New Jerseyans in this year’s budget. In fact, Jon Corzine and Jim McGreevey have raised taxes on the average New Jersey family by more than $10,000 since 2002 – over $22 billion in taxes, the highest in the nation. In all, Corzine and Governor McGreevey have raised over 100 taxes on New Jersey’s hardworking families.

This will change in a Christie Administration. New Jersey’s hard-working middle-class families can no longer handle the weight of these out of control taxes. The first step to reversing New Jersey's declining economic climate and giving New Jerseyans a little relief is by cutting property taxes.

Provide Property Tax Relief

The last thing Chris will do is to follow Corzine's lead in eliminating property tax rebates for 1.2 million New Jerseyans. The rebate currently is the only property tax relief we have, and it provides much needed, meaningful help while we put in place other reforms. We keep the rebate in place to give taxpayers some breathing room in these tough economic times.

Reduce New Jersey’s income tax

Chris Christie will commit to cutting New Jersey’s gross income tax during his first 4-year term as Governor. Cutting these taxes will make New Jersey more affordable for our hard-working families, encourage investment in and expansion of New Jersey-based small business, and make our tax policies more competitive with the other states in the region that have better private sector job growth.

Chris Christie will seek two types of income tax reductions:

• “Across the board” rate cut for all taxpayers

• Additional cut or credit for those taxpayers who derive business income from New Jersey-based small businesses.

Reduce the corporate business tax rate to give New Jersey a competitive advantage

It will be a top priority for the Christie Administration to reduce corporate business tax rates.

Reducing the corporate business tax rate, as part of an overall economic recovery effort, will create a better business climate to attract private sector investment.

Eliminate the “double-taxation” on New Jersey S-Corporations

80,000 S-Corporation taxpayers currently pay the corporation “minimum” tax, up to $2,000 per year, based on their total gross receipts. The Christie Administration will eliminate the “double taxation” on New Jersey’s S-Corporations in line with the other 47 states and federal government which have implemented this policy.

Eliminate the hidden “investment tax” on New Jersey-based businesses

The “investment tax” acts as a penalty for businesses for being based in New Jersey. Instead of being taxed for only the amount of sales in New Jersey, the “investment tax” also factors in the level of investment (i.e., real estate, payroll, etc.) a company has in New Jersey. Chris Christie will change New Jersey’s tax policy to enact a “single-sales” factor for New Jersey-based companies to enable them to better compete.

Dear Governor...

Fred Snowflak of the Daily Record asked if was interested in writing an opinion piece providing advice to our new governor. Here is my take.  Thanks to Fred and to anyone who cares to comment.

Kevin Walsh

It is with deep sadness we learn former Township Committeeman Kevin Walsh passed away yesterday at his home here in Long Valley. He loved our township with all his heart.

Our prayers are with his family.

Why we lead the free world...

This picture is worth a thousand words.

Please join me in making a donation to the CLINTON BUSH HAITI FUND.

Thank you!

Axelrod vs. Rove!

In today's Washington Post, President Obama's senior advisor David Axelrod pretty much mopped up the floor with Karl Rove. It doesn't get any better than this!

Howard Popper Strikes Out on Local Ethics Board

Remember back in 2007 when Howard Pooper ran for Committee and promised to create a local ethics board? This despite being told by yours truly and others there is already a similar body at the state level charged to handle issues of impropriety by local officials. Instead, Howard stuck to his guns and with the aid of local GOP operatives, insisted a local committee was needed in our town. When the potential cost of such an entity was pointed out, Howard again insisted this could be done at virtually no cost to the taxpayer. After two long years and a recent hammering on this blog, Howard Popper seems to have had an ephipany at this week’s Work Session agenda included "Ethics Board" as a discussion topic.

So you would think after two years of silence, Howard would finally be ready to publicly announce his plan to implement something so central to his campaign it ranked second only to his “LOWER TAXES NOW!!!” pledge, right? Wrong! After a ten minute discussion, Howard and his fellow GOP committeeman conceded it wasn't needed after all and that the cost of creating such an entity are far beyond what the township could have EVER afforded.

Perhaps had Howard read the following language from the NJ LOCAL ETHICS LAW, he would have realized his transparent campaign promise was doomed at the moment he first proposed it back in 2007 during his campaign.

40A:9-22.20 Provision of offices to municipal ethics board

a. The governing body of the municipality shall provide the municipal ethics board with offices for the conduct of its business and the preservation of its records, and shall supply equipment and supplies as may be necessary.

b. All necessary expenses incurred by the municipal ethics board and its members shall be paid, upon certification of the chairman, by the municipal treasurer within the limits of funds appropriated by the municipal governing body by annual or emergency appropriations for those purposes.

c. The municipal ethics board may appoint employees, including independent counsel, and clerical staff as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this act within the limits of funds appropriated by the municipal governing body for those purposes.

Bottom Line: This was just another empty unfulfilled campaign promise from Howard Popper, who has yet to demonstrate any value during his tenure on the Washington Township Committee.

Initial 2010 Municipal Budget Highlights

Having reviewed the initial 2010 municipal budget in detail, a few things stand out:

a) While the current 10% plus tax increase will certainly be reduced, the refusal of the committee to set a realistic tax increase target is troubling. After refusing to set targets in the years leading up to and including 2005's 11.1% increase, targets were used in each of the three years (2006-2008) I served as Finance Liaison. The results speak for themselves as the township experienced three consecutive tax increase declines leading to 2008's 2.3% increase, the smallest in five (5) years. Last year's (2009) 3.7% tax increase represented an astounding 60% increase in tax growth. This in a year when the CPI only increased 2.7%.

b) The current $600K plus budget gap is entirely due to a combination of loss revenue associated with a single year $1 million plus depletion of the surplus and the loss of $200K in revenue from the Chesters after they abandoned Washington Township in liu of the county for public safety dispatch services.

c) The loss of over a million dollars in the township surplus account in a single year is unprecedented. Perhaps had Mayor Short not terminated the Finance Liaison position, someone would have been tracking this throughout 2009 and come up with strategies to remedy the situation early on. This is a clear example of what happens when everyone claims shared responsibility, yet in reality, no single person did anything.

d) The loss of revenue from the Chesters could not have come at a more inopportune time. Perhaps with better leadership, the reductions in staff that have been achieved could have been positioned with the Chesters in a manner that may have retained their business.

e) One bit of good news. The annual allocation for the Library has been reduced by $15K versus last year. This was not included in the figures presented on Tuesday.

Rush Limbaugh belongs in Hell

Having visited Port-au-Prince on numerous occasions, the images of the human suffering associated with the devastating earthquake resonate more than anything I have ever seen. It is for this reason I find Rush Limbaugh’s use of this tragedy to disrespect the President, black Americans, and the people of the nation of Haiti, beyond belief.



Quite frankly, had Limbaugh not survived his recent heart related health scare and ended up in Hell, where he belongs, the world would be a better place.

More Ken Short Flip-Flops

In addition to the flip-flop mentioned below, it seems Mayor Ken Short is on a roll when it comes to reversing his position on key aspects of the upcoming municipal budget, including reducing debt service payments as way to save money; using proceeds of a possible sale of a liquor license as a revenue source; and deferment of a portion of the township's pension payment as a means of making the numbers work this year.

Based on his comments of last evening, Ken Short's position on all these issues has changed, despite his past criticism of others whose opinions differed from his prior ones.

Two faced Ken, strikes again!

At times it was hard to tell if tonight's budget meeting was being held by the Township Committee or the Board of Education, as Mayor Ken Short tried his best to turn our attention towards the school budget as opposed to explaining how he would reduce a municipal budget containing an initial 10.8% tax increase!  When asked specifically to state his tax increase goal for this year, Short stated it was 0%. In most years, one would applaud any mayor for such an aggressive goal.

But in Short’s case, we might want to consider how just two months ago, Short sat before a room full of voters and ridiculed his Democratic opponents Harlin Parker and Jody Price for their pledge of not voting for a budget unless it contained a 0% tax increase in 2010. Short said it was unrealistic and could not be achieved. So one has to wonder what happen? Why has Short changed his tune? Or is Short just playing politics? Maybe he just thinks everyone is stupid and won't notice his flip-flop.

This is yet another example of the why Mayor Ken Short can never be trusted.

Senator Reid's comments...

There has been much ado about comments made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with respect to President Obama back in 2008. Specifically, Reid suggested Barack Obama could become the first African-American president because he was “light-skinned” and because he did not speak with a “Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

Hello?

During the 2008 campaign I did quite a bit of door-to-door canvassing throughout Morris County. On a number of occasions I had doors slammed in my face after being told by some voters they would never vote for a "black man".

Lets face it, if Barack Obama looked like Idi Amin and sounded like Flavor Flav, he wouldn't be President today. That's not to say the county hasn't made progress on issues of race, but let's be honest.

As much as Reid's thoughts may make some people uncomforable, they match up to what a number of people, including many African Americans, truly believe.

Thank you Mr. Barr!

Former Republican Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, and was the 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States. Here is his take on his former party's critisim of the President's handling of the failed Christmas Day terror event:

"Yes — the not-so-bright, would-be terrorist from Nigeria got though international and domestic security mechanisms supposed to have stopped him long before the jerk lit his underwear afire before landing in Detroit. And yes — the incident happened during the administration of President Barack Obama. But the sniping at the president by Republicans, including former Vice President Cheney, and by conservative radio and TV commentators, borders on — if not passing into — asinine.

The criticism has included such childishness as blasting Obama for waiting a few days before making a national speech on the incident. For heaven’s sake, the president was briefed on the incident from the moment it occurred; he made statements almost immediately indicating his concern and that he was being regularly briefed; he took time to gather the facts and meet with his national security team; and then he appeared publicly to give a rational, measured, but hard-hitting response. And for this, a former vice president criticizes him.

Partisanship truly has pervasively infected our political system when a reasonable, measured, factual, timely and substantive response by a president to a single security incident — the roots of which clearly indicate long-simmering problems that predated his tenure in office — is publicly blasted as irresponsible. In point of fact, those leveling such counterproductive attacks are the ones engaging in irresponsible behavior."

In addition, along with David Keene of the American Conservative Union and Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, Mr. Barr recently issued the following statement with regards to handling domestic terrorist cases in federal court:

"We are confident that the government can preserve national security without resorting to sweeping and radical departures from an American constitutional tradition that has served us effectively for over two centuries.

Civilian federal courts are the proper forum for terrorism cases. Civilian prisons are the safe, cost effective and appropriate venue to hold persons convicted in federal courts. Over the last two decades, federal courts constituted under Article III of the U.S. Constitution have proven capable of trying a wide array of terrorism cases, without sacrificing either national security or fair trial standards.

Likewise the federal prison system has proven itself fully capable of safely holding literally hundreds of convicted terrorists with no threat or danger to the surrounding community.

The scaremongering about these issues should stop."

Black, African American, or Negro?

According to 2000 census figures, I am one of 90 Blacks or African Americans who live in Long Valley’s 07853 zip code. I note this only to point out when I completed my census form in 2000, “Negro” wasn’t an option under race (not that I would have chosen it). It is in this context I find the controversy over the word “Negro” appearing on the 2010 census forms somewhat interesting; especially during a period when we have the first Black, African American, or now” Negro” president.

Can we assume the 2020 forms will expand the definition of folks who look me to include “colored” as well?

Hold Them Accountable!

While GOP opposition to the recent failed NJ gay marriage legislation was expected, the following Democrats provided a disservice to their constituents by voting no as well or in the case of three weasels, were no-shows for this historic vote. These individuals should face stiff primary challenges.

NO

Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May)

Sen. Ronald L. Rice (D- Essex)

Sen. John A. Girgenti (D-Passaic

Sen. Nicholas Sacco (D-Hudson) .

Sen. Fred H. Madden (D-Gloucester)

Sen. Shirley K. Turner (D-Mercer)

Sen. Robert W. Singer (R-Ocean)

ABSTENTIONS

Sen. Paul A. Sarlo (D-Bergen)

Sen. Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Gloucester)

Sen. James Beach (D-Camden)


Kudos to Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Mercer), the lone GOPer who voted yes!

Rudy Giuliani Says NO Terror Attacks Occured on GWB's Watch

We knew the GOP response would be off-base, but who could have predicted what Rudy Giuliani said in an interview with Good Morning America earlier today?

Rudy Giuliani Criticizes Terror Trial

With one minute to go in the interview, Giuliani actually said there were no terror attacks on GWB's watch.

I guess it was Giuliani’s twin who served as Mayor during the September 11, 2001 attack on the twin towers.

This man ran for President?

Honestly, you can’t make this stuff up!

Leadership

In a stark departure from his predecessor, President Obama today accepted responsibility for the failures of the intelligence community for the recent terror attempt in Detroit. His leadership is in keeping with the highest traditions of his office.

WOW..Where to begin?

Last night's Washington Township Reorganization meeting certainly was one for the ages:

1. Ken "2%" Short was selected for a second straight term as Mayor. An impressive feat given his last two stints as Mayor have resulted in tax increases when combined, come close to 15%. If this Democrat had raised taxes by this amount we would have a public lynching. But what else can you expect from Washington Township's voters who would vote for a ham sandwich if it ran as a Republican? Short gave the traditional mayoral 'state of the township' where he continued the trend of doom and gloom reporting on township finances. Unfortunately, based on his record, you can't trust a word Short says. Things are probably much worse than he is letting on.

2. Howard "LOWER TAXES NOW!!!" Popper was selected as Vice Mayor. Lord help us. Is there a dumber man on the planet? A move many suspect was needed to bolster his chances for reelection in the fall. I wouldn't count on it as being too effective. Howard should plan on voters being constantly reminded of his total failure to deliver on his "LOWER TAXES NOW!!!" pledge along with his politically inspired call for the creation of a local ethics board. Again, something that hasn't happened.

3. The joke of the night came during committee assignments when rookie Committeeman Bill Roehrich was assigned the newly created position of "voucher signer". A required leftover task from the Finance Liaison position, which was done away last year with in order to avoid a direct comparison to the declining tax increases that occured when I enthusiastically took on the role for three consecutive years. The chart on the right tells you why no Republican wants to be compared to my record. In a bit of irony, this is the same Finance Liaison position Ken Short attempted to emphasize in his infamous last minute 2009 campaign mailer he managed to screw up.

4. In a total surprise, Committeeman Kevin Walsh resigned his seat at the conclusion of the meeting. Word is he informed Short of his intention to resign. Short tried to get Walsh to hold off and resign during a regular meeting; but Kevin basically took a "Homie don't play dat" attitude and dropped his bomb anyway. Good for him! While I am sure he sees his overall service to the township as an honor, as I did with respect to my own tenure, I don't think Walsh will miss the current crop of fiscally incompetent ideologues he would have had to work with.

5. Note that I have said nothing of Committeeman James Harmon, because in a continuation of his service on the WTBOE, he hasn't contributed anything worthy of mention.

DJIA Highest in 15 Months!

All last year, a local GOP gladfly complained about "Obama bringing down the stock market!"

How ya like me now?

2010 prediction...

Despite what Mayor Ken Short is telling us now, the Township Committe will adopt a municipal budget containing the largest municipal tax increase since the all-GOP 11.1% increase in 2005.

You heard it here first.

Happy New Year...Mr. Popper!

As we begin a new year, three questions come to mind as this is the year Committeeman Howard Popper must run for re-election if he wants to remain on the Township Committee. What happen to the pledge of "Lower Taxes Now!!!" that appeared on signs posted around town in the days leading up to your election in November of 2006? Why should township voters even think about voting for you again when you have not come close to delivering on this promise? What taxes are LOWER? What happen to your campaign pledge of creating a local ethics board? Why have you not made this happen since it was one of the themes you campaigned on? Why have you recently removed your old campaign site on the web? What are you trying to hide? Here is a link to your website on the internet archive.

How about some leadership?

Mayor Ken Short and Committeeman Bill Roehrich recently ran for office on a platform that basically said they had more fiscal experience than their opponents. If this is the case, why do they seem so desperate in "reaching" out to the public for ideas and opinions to alleviate a severe cash crunch they created?

Instead of searching for people to hide behind (no one from the public other than Harlin Parker is going to show up anyway), how about these two do what they were elected to do by showing some thought leadership beyond setting aside $10,000 to audit the K-8 school budget, as this move has lost its political appeal now that their are two former K-8 school board members on the Township Committee.

Mr. Pragmatic...

Here is an excellent NYT analysis of the President's pragmatic approach to dealing with the way things get done in DC.

Setting the record straight...

An article in this week's Observer Tribune contains misleading informatiom pertaining to next year's municipal budget.  While the article states "the township could legally increase taxes by 3.5 percent , 1 percent above the state maximum, because funds have been posted into a cap bank for the past two years", this is incorrect as the cap bank is associated with spending, not taxation.  This 2.5 percent spending limit and cap bank were in place back in 2005 when the Committee soaked taxpayers with their infamous 11.1% tax hike.

For our sake, there is now a state mandated 4 percent limit on the growth of the tax levy.  However, as noted in my posting below, Mayor Ken Short has set 2.5 percent as the target for next year's municipal tax increase.

"Realistically to keep it at 2.5 percent"

It seems my prior efforts to bring transparancy to the municipal buget process continues to have a lasting impact on the Township Committee. Prior to 2006, the Committe was reluctant to set a tax increase target prior to developing the municipal budget. It seems times have changed as Washington Township Mayor Ken Short has publically stated an intention to not to have a (2010) tax increase of zero, but realistically to keep it at 2.5 percent.  Now that Short has named a 2.5% municipal tax increase as a benchmark, let's all wish him well in meeting it.

I'll be watching and providing weekly updates on the Committee's progress beginning in January.

Stocks Hit New '09 Highs

Earlier in the year, the right was complaining about the stock mark and how it expressed no confidence in the Obama Administration.  This story is for you.

How ya like me now?

An Historic Vote!

According to the WSJ, the U.S. Senate voted 60-39 to approve sweeping health-overhaul legislation, a landmark moment for White House-led efforts to expand insurance coverage to more than 30 million Americans. The bill would represent the biggest expansion of the federal safety net since the 1965 creation of Medicare.

I fully support this bill and the changes that are forthcoming, including the provision that will allow my daughter to remain on my health insurance policy until she reaches the age of 26.  Under current law, our insurer could have kicked her off as soon as she graduates from college in the spring.

A good start...but more needs to be done.

According to the DR, Corzine is making more cuts in the current state budget. In addition Christie has asked his team to prepare for spending cuts in next year's budget of up to 25%.  This is good news, but it doesn't go far enough. Christie needs to cut state aid to municipalities entirely as a way of forcing towns to make deep cuts in their budgets.  For a township like ours it would mean a cut of $1.8 million.  This would force the township committee to make deep cuts in spending to balance the budget. I would love to watch the Republicans holla and scream if this were to happen.

Well Done Harry!

With Senate Democrats having cleared the first step a series of procedural hurdles towards passage of their health care reform bill, this picture of the Majority Leader pretty much says it all.

I have to admit, it is somewhat entertaining seeing the party of "NO" reduced to "potted plant" status.

Just remember you heard it here first...

In an op-ed appearing in today's NYT, noted columnist Paul Krugman suggests a possible end to Senate filibusters by route of the "nuclear option". This is something I advocated over a month ago. Nice to see the rest of the world catching up.

A money saving idea...

This morning I ran into Mayor Ken Short at the Post Office. After exchanging pleasantries, we talked about the challenges posed in next year's municipal budget. He offered how municipal department heads were being asked to trim their budgets by 20%. This sounds like a good idea and it is. Unfortunately, it won't yield much in a budget exceeding $17 million dollars in spending. Why? Because the amount of spending under direct control of departments is only about $2 million. A 20% cut (if achieved) amounts to $400K in savings. Most of this amount would be absorbed in increases in mandated fixed costs (salaries, social security, benefits, and pensions) associated with a total workforce the committee is reluctant to reduce.

A better idea would be to focus on where the big bucks are currently spent, which is the Police department. Since all municipalities are trying to figure this one out, why not have the county take over the responsibility of providing police service to all 37 municipalities via a single county wide police force with precincts located where some existing municipal police stations already exists? Each precinct would be lead by an officer in charge as opposed to a highly paid Chief of Police as is the case today. You probably would not need as many officers as there are today across all the separate departments to cover the same amount of territory. Imagine the reduction in management overhead and full cost sharing of such a plan. The cost efficiencies could be enormous. By the way...this approach isn't anything new. Most states already follow it.

If Washington Township saw a 20% reduction between what it currently pays for police services and what it would contribute to the county for the same, the savings would amount to over $1 million. Now we are talking!

The township committee can't make a change like this on their own. Such a change would require leadership from our new Governor. If Christie is smart (and I think he is), he will take a hard look at something like this.

If I were Christie, I would mandate a consolidation of all municipal police services across the state by 2011 and stipulate no resident would pay no more than 80% of what they now pay to the municipality to the county for police services. No ands, ifs, or buts. Just do it.

Progress on Heath Care Reform

This morning's news on health care reform is good on two fronts.

1. The CBO has scored the latest bill and it will reduce the federal deficit by $132 billion over the next ten years. An earlier GOP alternative would have save only have as much.
2. Democrats have secured a 60th vote that will end debate and bring the current bill to a vote before Christmas.

Clearly, there is a lot of emotion on both sides of the issue, but the extreme positions of far left liberals like Howard Dean and Keith Obermann, along with the do nothing antics of the entire GOP congressional caucus (less one) make the pragmatic approach taken by the President and the Democrats of the Senate even more satisfying.

Mitt who?

Earlier this morning while watching "Meet the Press", I had to ask myself, after claiming the Obama Administration has done nothing to help the economy, what part of the chart on the right does Mitt Romney not understand? He would have more credibility if he were talking about the last 6 months (Aug 2008 - Jan 2009) of the Bush Administration.

Bottom Line: It's killing the GOP how President Obama saved the economy from the falling off a cliff and now has it on a path towards a full recovery.

Is Christie completely frustrated with himself?

While I remain somewhat optimistic, I hope this tidbit, captured by the Daily Record, isn't a sign of what we can expect from a Christie administration. We have enough to worry about with our own incompetent Ken Short led local government.

What about our budget?

While it's great for Mendham taxpayers to see theirTownship Committee hard at work providing details of next year's municipal budget, it's not suprising we have heard NOTHING from our own Washington Township Committee when it come to specific details on next year's budget.  Why is it Mendham can be so far along and our committee be so clueless? This is what happens when you eliminate a Finance position on the committee to protect a fiscally novice committeeman, then make purposely misleading hypocritical claims in your campaign mailers about your performance in that same role, right Mr. Short?

So far all we've heard are excuses from Mayor Ken Short as to how "extremely difficult" next year will be.  Yet, only last month Short told us he thought the 2010 budget wouldn't be as bad as the 2009 budget. This contradiction may not seem so bad, but consider it comes from the same guy who soaked us with an 11.1% tax increase in 2005, it definitely something to keep a close eye on.

Mr. Bill speaks...

In the latest example of intellectual dishonesty by a Township Committeeman, Bill Roehrich recently made the following statement in the OT with respect to the issue of leasing township property to hunting clubs:

“It doesn’t mean as a municipality that we do or don’t condone hunting. We’re just making it available as a recreational resource.”

Sorry Bill, but that's kinda like saying you can't tell if a madam does or does not condone prostitution just because she rents rooms to whores.

Nice job Mr. Brooks!

This NYT op-ed by David Brooks (a conservative) is the best analysis of President Obama's approach to governance to date.

The dumbing down of America

I'm sorry but this woman is just plain stupid!

I wonder how many degrees of separation there are between her and Ken Short?

Road to recovery...

There is good news on the econony.

From a macro perspective losing 11,000 jobs in November of 2009 is GREAT news when you consider our economy was losing over 700,000 jobs back in January 2009. Give credit where it is due. The President's stimulus package is obviously working. I am sure the GOP will find every way to say it isn't. My answer to them would be where were you in the final quarter of the Bush administration?

From a micro perspective if you are one of the 11,000 who lost their job, good luck!

The sky is falling!

It's not suprising the news of a $17K cut in state aid has Mayor Ken Short acting like the sky is falling. To put this cut in perspective, it's against a budget that exceeds $17 million.  In other words, it represents one tenth of one percent. Wow...call the National Guard!

Let me throw poor Ken a bone...look at your payroll numbers for dispatchers and you should see savings that are more than enough to cover the $17K, especially since the Committee has reduced the number of dispatchers on a shift from two to one. If the savings are not there, then the question becomes what did you spend the money on and why?

Also, what happen to the $10,000 Short had the Committee put aside to audit the WTBOE school budget if they had failed...which it didn't as it contained a tax increase one seventh the size of the skyrocket municipal tax increase Ken Short soaked taxpayers with this year!

Maybe if the Committee had a Finance Chair, Ken Short wouldn't have to openly audition for the role of "Chicken Little."

Please just go away, Dick!

Cheney's criticism of the President's strategy in Afghanistan is so far off base it's embarrassing. For someone who skated on 5 draft deferments, when it was his turn to serve, to now criticize the President’s noble attempt to mop up a mess created by the Bush administration’s poor war planning and execution is beyond belief.

The Commander in Chief Speaks

President Obama has made a pragmatic decision to send 30K additional troops to Afghanistan over six months with a planned withdraw of all our forces to commence in July 2011 with an estimated completion in 2012.

As a former military enlistee, cadet, commissioned officer, and now veteran, I fully support the President's decision.

While just about every corner of the political spectrum will find something it doesn't like, what we witnessed was LEADERSHIP, something the county hasn't seen throughout this decade.