PASSAIC COUNTY DEMOCRAT SPENDING GOES UNABATED; QUICK FIXES, NOT TOUGH DECISIONS

 PATERSON NJ, May 4, 2009 --  Despite serious economic times, the all-Democratic Passaic County Freeholder Board continues spending money like it was water, heaping a bigger burden on taxpayers, says GOP Strong’s Republican candidates for county office.  

The GOP Strong slate features Kristin Corrado  running for county clerk, and freeholder candidates Bruno Varano,  Robert Cruz, and Debra Andriani.

Varano said the recent announcement that the county freeholders are increasing taxes 3 percent and still spending $2.8 million to upgrade the county golf course that they wanted to sell two years ago is “an outrageous expenditures for these current economic times.”

“With record high unemployment and jobs disappearing at an alarming rate, I think it is economically foolish for the Democrat freeholders to pump almost $3 million into a golf course that they tried to sell in order to plug their budget deficits,” said Varano, a former special agent with the federal Office of the Inspector General. .

At the same time that the freeholders are spending money on golf course improvements they are also spending lavishly on new furnishings. According to the April 14 freeholder agenda, the seven member board approved a resolution authorizing the spending of $350,000 for furniture, carpeting and window treatments for various county departments. 

Andriani said the freeholders should be embarrassed by such an expenditure.  “People are losing jobs and some are losing their homes so the freeholders decide it’s time to redecorate?” she asked.  

"I would love to get new drapes and carpeting for my home, but like most other taxpayers I can’t afford to do it right now. Why can’t the county officials do what most homeowners are doing and live with the furnishing they have now until the economy gets better?" 

Cruz noted that since the Democrats took control of the freeholder board they have increased  taxes by $135 million and introduced a preliminary 2009 budget last month that increases taxes by another 3 percent.  At the budget introduction, the county freeholders and the county administrator patted themselves on the back for “making tough decisions” on spending.

“What tough decisions?” asked Cruz. “How can you say you made tough decisions when you just spent more than $3 million on a golf course and furniture? 

Cruz said the freeholders are benefitting from Gov. Corzine’s misguided pension holiday that  allows the counties and municipalities to skip this year’s pension payment for their public employees. 

Passaic County will save $9 million by not paying that money now, but Cruz says the payment will only get larger next year. 

“The freeholders didn’t make any tough decisions; they got a gift from Gov. Corzine and they are telling people they are being fiscally prudent, which they are not,” said Cruz. 

Varano noted that the county will benefit by closing its Youth Detention Center and sending the young offenders to Essex County.  

“Without the pension holiday and the closing of the youth detention center, the $395 million 2009 county budget is almost the same as last year’s $412 million budget,” said Varano.

“The freeholders are pulling a con job on the taxpayers,” added Varano. “They are pretending they made great strides to cut spending when in reality, the spending is going on unabated.”  

 “Where are the deep spending cuts, taxpayers were promised?”