Asbury Park Press

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

Turn up the heat on ethics reform

Asbury Park Press, Editorial, September 29, 2006

The executive order signed by Gov. Corzine this week to reform the state's independent authorities was welcome news. Authorities have long been fertile ground for political patronage, pay-to-play abuses and fiscal waste. Corzine aptly described them as an "invisible government" - one that spends billions of dollars each year with minimal oversight.

Corzine's executive order, which applies to more than 50 authorities, including the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, requires authorities to establish open procedures for awarding public contracts, provide more frequent public reports to disclose their activities and coordinate with the state Office of Economic Growth.

Corzine should follow up this important initiative by pressuring the state Democratic leadership to heed Republicans' call this week for a special voting session on ethics reform. While progress has been made in this state, much more work needs to be done. The short list includes: comprehensive pay-to-play reform, a ban on dual office-holding, mandatory jail time and loss of pensions for corrupt public officials, elimination of pension padding and tacking, tightening of anti-nepotism laws, extending the Open Public Records Act to include the legislative branch, a ban on acceptance of gifts by lawmakers and the creation of an independent ethics commission to oversee officials at all levels of government.

CARTON, HERGET LEVEL FALSE ELEC CHARGES

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP (MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ): In a move that is a bit early in the season, but not entirely unexpected, Middletown GOP Chairman Peter Carton has announced allegation of ELEC wrongdoing by the Middletown Democratic candidate and it was announced by the Asbury Park Press's Reporter Alison Herget last week.

"The Middletown Democrats, Candidate for Committee Patrick Short and myself did nothing wrong in ELEC reporting or anythng else," Caliendo stated.

However, those charges will likely not be resolved by the election in November, but Miss Herget will have the option to keep referring to them throughout the campaign in her "stories" in the APP. "Carton decided, Miss Herget typed and that's how I see it," Caliendo said.

EARTH TO CALIENDO: No Request for Investigation Was Filed Regarding the Middletown Democrat Executive Committee’s ELEC Reports

Middletown Republicans Still Waiting For Democrat Township Committee Candidate Patrick Short To Comply With The Law

(Middletown) - Middletown Republican Chairman Peter Carton today renewed his call for Democrat Township Committee Candidate Patrick Short to disclose contributions and expenditures to and from his individual candidate’s committee with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission ("ELEC�) as required by law.

“Mr. Short’s handlers obviously do not understand the nature of the Request for Investigation filed by the Middletown Republican Executive Committee against Mr. Shorts candidate’s committee,� said Carton. “Nothing has changed, Mr. Short cannot legally continue to hide his contributions and expenditures from public view.�

The Middletown Republican Executive Committee is going to file a supplementary exhibit to its original Request for Investigation filed with ELEC on Thursday, August 10, 2006, to include today’s Asbury Park Press article which provides an admission from Mr. Caliendo that the transfer of funds to Mr. Short’s candidate’s committee did take place.

-30-

There is much disarray among Democrats in Monmouth County, where the party organization has withdrawn their support of Freeholder candidate Leonard Inzerillo. Under pressure to drop out of the race so that Democrats can replace him on their ticket, local sources say that Inzerillo seems intent on running anyway -- even without the backing of County Chairman Victor Scudiery. If he insists on remaining in the race, there is nothing Democrats can do to remove the winner of their primary. But if Inzerillo stays, it appears that Democrats will lose their other candidate, former Freehold Councilwoman Barbara McMorrow. McMorrow ran in 2005 and came within just 1,792 votes of winning in a race where the spoiler was a Green Party candidate who -- with the support of the Asbury Park Press -- won 18,698 votes. McMorrow seems to believe that she can not win if Inzerillo is on the ticket with her and has reportedly told party leaders that she will drop out if they can't find a more suitable running mate for her. McMorrow could also emerge as a candidate for the State Assembly in the 12th district next year, running with Democratic incumbents Ellen Karcher and Michael Panter.

Editor's note: McMorrow told PoliticsNJ.com after the original post that she intends to remain in the race, with or without Inzerillo on the ticket.

"With 89 days remaining, I am committed to spending every one of them making sure the residents of Monmouth know that I will be their voice in county government come November 7th.

To the contrary of the article that was posted on Inside Edge, I do not now nor have I ever believed that I cannot win if Lenny is on the ticket nor did I tell party leaders that I will drop out if they can't find a more suitable running mate. In addition, I would like to make it clear that I have absolutely no intention or desire to seek or accept the Democratic nomination for State Assembly in the 12th district next year.

This campaign, without Lenny, is well underway. Beverly and I have been actively campaigning for weeks and continue to do so at this moment. Our commitment to this campaign is nothing less than 110%."

POU STATEMENT AT OPENING OF JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BENEFITS REFORM

(TRENTON) - Below are remarks prepared for delivery this morning by Assemblywoman Nellie Pou, co-chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform:

"I don't really think the Legislature understands it. Most of them do not have the level of sophistication to understand this, and some of them don't care, frankly." -- UMDNJ Trustee-designate Hazel Gluck, on Chamber of Commerce initiatives to improve the state's business climate and economy. (Asbury Park Press, 4/25/06)

Democrats came within 1,792 votes of winning a seat on the all-Republican Monmouth County Freeholder Board last November -- if not for the 18,698 votes cast for the Asbury Park Press-endorsed Green Party candidate they probably would have won two seats -- so Monmouth was expected to be a battleground county in 2006 as the GOP seeks to defend two more of their seats. But infighting among Monmouth Democrats makes a victory there this fall far less likely.

Monmoth County Democrats announced this week that they would no longer support their Freeholder candidate, Leonard Inzerillo, because the former Middletown Board of Education member's failure to file campaign finance reports for his 2005 Assembly campaign. The controversy over the ELEC reports led to a very public fight between Inzerillo and the Democratic County Chairman, Victor Scudiery.

Scudiery and Inzerillo have had a rocky relationship since 2003, when Inzerillo within 244 votes of ousting longtime Republican Assemblyman Joseph Azzolina. He blamed state and county Democrats for failing to help him finance his campaign. Had Democrats given Inzerillo money, he likely would have won that seat. Scudiery refused to back Inzerillo for an '05 rematch; instead the nominations went to former Assemblyman William Flynn and Keansburg attorney Michael Dasaro, who beat Inzerillo in the primary but lost the general election.

The Asbury Park Press reported today that FBI agents have raided the Western Monmouth Utility Authority and the home of WMUA Executive Director Frank Abate. Abate, a former Marlboro Councilman, won 32% of the vote as the Democratic candidate for Congress against Richard Zimmer in 1992. He was indicted in 1995 on charges that he tampered with election petitions, but the charges were eventually dropped.