WEBBER FOR ASSEMBLY

WEBBER FOR ASSEMBLY             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 24, 2007                                      CONTACT:  (908) 267-1613

 THE CASHA RECORD OF TAXING & TAKING FROM TAXPAYERS

Candidate Made “Conscious Decision� to Take Health Perks for Part-Time Work “to Recover a Bit of His Lost Wages� from the Taxpayers 

Morris Plains, NJ – The Webber for Assembly campaign today released the following statement on Larry Casha’s comments that he made a “conscious decision� to take health perks in order to “recover a bit of his lost wages� from the taxpayers: 

Larry Casha accepted $38,036.28 in healthcare benefits as a PART-TIME Councilman in Kinnelon.  Public records show that Casha took health perks costing taxpayers $11,096.76 in 2004; $12,083.28 in 2005; and $14,856.24 in 2006 for the three full years he was a part-time councilman. 

Those health perks are especially outrageous because Larry Casha has enough disposable income to pump $200,000 of his own money into his Assembly campaign account for this election.  If Larry can self-fund his own political campaign to that extreme, did he really need to make the citizens of Kinnelon pay for his part-time perks?  If he can afford to spend $200,000 of his own money to fuel his political ambitions, did he really need to make the “conscious decision� to “recover a bit of his lost wages� from the taxpayers? 

The taxpayers are tired of politicians who see holding office as a “conscious� way to get perks and “recover� income from the taxpayers, rather than as a means of public service.  If elected officials are to restore citizen trust, they must lead by example.  This issue is about saving taxpayer dollars.  But more importantly, it is about leadership, and making personal commitments to proposed reforms.  That is why Jay Webber testified about his personal commitment to reform before the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform on September 19, 2006: 

As a future candidate for elected office, I have not only pledged to fight to end lifetime pension benefits for part-time Legislators; I have committed to refuse credit in the pension system if I am privileged enough to serve the people of New Jersey in the Legislature.  My family’s financial future is far from secure.  I am a young father of three small children, the only source of income for my family, and I am trying to develop a career in the law.  But I believe that, in this climate, accepting lifetime pension benefits for part-time legislative work is simply wrong, and my wife and I are willing to forego whatever pension benefit to which we might be entitled in order to do the right thing. We hope our modest gesture makes at least a small contribution in restoring the public’s trust in our political system.

 “Just as with pension credits, I pledge today that the taxpayers will not pay for my family’s health benefits if I am privileged to serve the citizens in the Legislature,� said Jay Webber.

 If Larry Casha still cannot comprehend how his taking taxpayers for perks is part of the problem, then he himself casts great doubt on his capacity to clean up Trenton.  On this issue, as with so many others, Jay Webber is part of the solution to reforming New Jersey government, not part of the problem.

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Paid for by Webber for Assembly

www.WebberForAssembly.com