Roselle Park In Play

Democrats took over in Roselle Park with a more malleable mayor and the first order of business was to funnel more money to Democrat politicians.

nj.com had the story with video:
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and this explanation:

[Republican Councilman and former mayor Joseph] DeIorio noted that the biggest difference between contributions under the old limit and what the state allows is for county political organizations, which can now receive up to $37,000 from donors doing business with Roselle Park for each election cycle, up from just $200.

“The most money you can donate is to the county,” DeIorio said, adding that the amounts now at stake make will make it all too tempting for county party officials — who can make or break the careers of local politicians — to influence municipal contract decisions.

That notion was dismissed by both Signorello and Union County’s Democratic chairman, state Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-22nd Dist. Both said the issue had never been discussed, and while Scutari acknowledged that lifting Roselle Park’s contribution limit could indeed boost the county party’s fundraising, he said it would not lead him or his organization to pressure municipal officials to award contracts to certain donors.

“Do I influence municipal decisions? No,” Scutari said in a phone interview Thursday night, adding that he wasn’t even aware of the council’s move. “This is the first I’m hearing about it.”

So who makes out with this in Roselle Park?

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Check Registry Update – December, 2018

Click here for a spreadsheet of payouts from 2004 sorted by recipient and date paid through December, 2018 as taken from Union County Check Registry data. Some of the familiar names are in additional worksheets in the file. Among them:

Employee List Cofidential

Looking over the most recent list of county employees you notice that some, when asked for their job title, respond:

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Here they are:

Employee List

The latest list of county employees with salaries is out and it shows:

• 2,494 names
• $165,548,315 in total annual salaries
• 394 making over $100,000

Here are the highest paid:

Ethically Challenged in NJ

You may be surprised to know that New Jersey has a Local Government Ethics Law. You may not be surprised that it is of little practical use as a deterrent for unethical behavior. Though it requires Financial Disclosure Statements when even the most obvious instances of malfeasance are uncovered it becomes more of an opportunity for soaking taxpayers and rewarding political insiders than punishing the guilty. For example, no matter how unethically you behave, there is this limit on penalties:

Can Run Elections But Can’t Be Elected

Not because he can’t win (he did) but because he can’t serve on account of an “unspecified criminal offense”.

According to a story in the Union New Daily:

R.I.P. Summit Council President

Summit at one time sent many of their elected representatives to freeholder meetings seeking lower taxes. Sadly one of those representatives passed away.

In remembrance: