7 POINT PLAN? MORE LIKE 7 POINTS OF FENTON FAILURE

(Mount Laurel):           Burlington County Democratic Chairman Rick Perr issued the following statement regarding the Fenton’s Failures released yesterday by the Burlington County Republicans.

“Fenton’s plan is nothing more than a recycled collection of past Republican campaign promises.  Fenton and his handlers must think the voters of Burlington County aren't sophisticated enough to see through this pathetic smokescreen. 

The sad facts remain: We're paying more in Burlington County and getting less in return from our government. Fenton's solution? Plagiarize the old rhetoric and keep your fingers and toes crossed as you vote in the affirmative year after year for bigger, more bloated government, higher taxes, spending and pay-to-play deals for political benefactors.

The regurgitation of past propaganda does nothing more than highlight the astounding numbers of failures Fenton has managed to accumulate as a Freeholder in just three years.

Save (More?) Tax Dollars:

“Freeholder Fenton has failed miserably at controlling taxes and spending.  County spending has increased by more than $27 million since Freeholder Fenton was elected in 2005, including nearly $3 million increase just this year.  The next time Freeholder Fenton cuts spending, it will be his first.” (Source:  Burlington County Budgets)

Seek and Secure Funding for more State Mandates:

“It is obvious that Fenton and the Republicans would rather play the blame game instead of trying to clean their own house.  As we congratulate Fenton for finally realizing State Mandates are a burden of local government after three years in office, we would like to suggest Fenton start trying to clean his own house.  While Fenton wants to go after the State for money he is simultaneously refusing to demand that Bob Stears repay the $2 million he admitted to stealing in Federal Court.  He is also ignoring the concerns of  Senator Diane Allen’s Chief of Staff who has stated that a lawyer for the Board of Social Services is not providing commensurate work for the money he is being paid.  Yet, Freeholder Fenton continues to blame anyone and everyone outside of Burlington County for his failures; it is about time he looks in the mirror.”

Enact a Green Energy Plan:

“When Democrats Chris Brown and Mary Anne Reinhart introduced their Green Energy Plan last August, Fenton wasted no time in criticizing them for taking that initiative.  Less than two months later Fenton – who has ignored the issue for three years, tries to introduce a plan similar to his opponents.  This is straight out of Karl Rove’s playbook.” (Source: BURLINGTON COUNTY DEMOCRATS “STRAIGHT A’S FOR CHANGE” TEAM ANNOUNCES COMPREHENSIVE AFFORDABLE GREEN ENERGY, August 7)

Create a Wider Window of Government:

Despite a plethora of newspaper reports detailing waste, fraud and abuse in Burlington County government, Fenton has failed to enact any meaningful reform.  Instead of introducing a comprehensive ethics reform package and pay-to-play ban, Fenton tries to pass this obscure rhetoric off as ethics reform.  He fails to mention that his campaigns are being funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans from 20 individuals who have made over $30,000,000 in government contracts and salaries in the past two years (Source: www.paulsens20.com). 

Senator Diane Allen, a former loaner to the Burlington County Republicans has stated that she was “pressured” to sign the loan when the party was funding her race (Source: Philadelphia Inquirer September 4).  The litany of corruption issues is too long to even enumerate.

Become Even More Business Friendly.

More businesses have shut their doors on the Route 130 business corridor then opened them under Fenton’s leadership.

Major (Burlington) County based employers Jevic Transportation in Delanco, Sybron Chemicals in Pemberton Township, U.S. Pipe in Burlington City and Sallie Mae in Mount Laurel closed or reduced operations during the past year, resulting in hundreds of layoffs.  The unemployment rate in the county for the first five months of 2008 was averaging 4.5 percent, up from an average of 3.8 percent in 2007. (Source: Tough Times in County,  Burlington County Times July 13, 2008) 

All of the spin in the world cannot change the fact that Fenton has failed to lure businesses back to Burlington County. 

Provide more support for our Towns.

Mayors and Municipal Leaders around the County have said that Freeholder Fenton has never made an effort to develop a cooperative relationship with their municipalities.  While 35 out of 40 municipalities were forced to raise taxes this year, Freeholder Fenton has been woefully unavailable.  While Freeholder Boards through out the State are setting up cooperative relationships with municipalities, Freeholder Fenton has failed.

Last July, Freeholder Fenton was exposed for his lack of knowledge regarding the $40 million Marlton Circle project, despite the fact that it impacts a County road.  (Burlington County Democrat Press Release July 3,2008)

Freeholder Fenton was criticized by Mayor Randy Brown of Evesham for never accepting a meeting with him during his first year in office, despite the fact Mayor Brown represents Burlington County’s largest municipality. (Source: Burlington County Democrats Press Release: July 1, 2008)

Expand Senior Citizen Outreach.

Such outreach would not be necessary if the Freeholder did not cut transportation to our seniors. (Source:  Burlington County Times:  January 24, 2008)

 To keep 5 part time, politically connected lawyers on the Board of Social Services payroll, while cutting transportation to seniors is reprehensible.  The seniors in Burlington County deserve more than empty promises, they deserve people who will put their needs before political contributors.

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