You can't make this stuff up!

All week long CPAC Republicans have been blasting Democrats for earmark spending. Here's a little tidbit they might want to ponder.

Where to begin?

It's been a little over a year since I left office, so last Monday I thought I would torture myself and sit through a full Township Committee regular meeting. It was beyond painful. I haven't seen so much incompetence since Katrina. It is quite clear you could put the brains of Ken Short, Howard Popper, James Harmon, and Jim LiaBraaten in a thimble and still have room to pack a snack! The only thing missing from this month's meeting was Bill Roehrich's typical “deer in the headlights” stare.

On the issue of the flea market, the committee has taken an idea that should have been fully investigated BEFORE being presented to the public and turned it into something that is now clearly dividing our township. Now Ken Short wants to form an ad-hoc committee to study the pros and cons and make a recommendation. If this sounds like Short "passing the buck", you are not hearing things, because that's just what it is. Funny how something Howard Popper was hoping to claim as a major talking point for his upcoming re-election campaign has turned into nothing less than a total "Charlie-Foxtrot"!

In a typical display of cowardice, the committee also passed on a opportunity to discuss a badly needed "pay-to-play" ordinance, because Harlin Parker (who has been pushing the committee to act on one) wasn't at the meeting. Talk about a lack of leadership. I guess the fact former Mayor John Krickus may have asked a township employee to provide him with a list of venders who the township had spent $10K or more so he could solicit them for campaign contributions on township letterhead isn't enough to warrant the committee to have a discussion on their own?

By the way, does Jim LiaBraaten have any plans to pay back any of the $7,104 taxpayers put up in defense of his bogus school ethics charge against former WMRHSD board member Jeff Emery? Because while Jim loves to call himself a "fiscal conservative, he doesn't mind blowing taxpayer dollars on costly election recounts and bogus ethics complaints.

Lastly, a local GOP operative recently suggested Jeff Emery should "get busy saving money for the district". I have a better idea. Seeing how Morris County tax records indicate this same GOP operative pays less than $7K in property taxes and has two kids in our public schools (at a cost to taxpayers exceeding $25K), how about this GOP operative focus his attention on improving his own standard of living with hopes of someday becoming a net contributor to our township as opposed to sucking Washington Township taxpayers dry for the additional $18K it's taking to educate his kids. Not to mention the municipal and county services he may be consuming, but clearly not paying for, as well.

In full disclosure, my property taxes are more than double the $7K paid by this GOP operative and I have no kids in our public schools. And yet you don't hear me complaining.

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.