With the recent controversy about Democratic Monmouth County Tax Board Commissioner Annie W. Grant's sense of entitlement about her publicly-funded junkets, we must take a look at the County Democrats and their attitudes towards public service.
There are several incidents that are, I believe, telling.
Let's first go back to Operation Bid-Rig. A number of elected and appointed officials of both parties were busted for various corrupt activities. Then - GOP County Chairman Frederick P. Niemann immediately called for the resignations of the corrupt officials. This blog has been critical of Niemann, but he got that one right. If a Republican falls into corruption, the initial reaction of the rank and file may be shock and disbelief; that is swiftly followed by outrage and revulsion that such an individual was among us.
What did County Democratic Boss Victor Scudiery do? Rather than express outrage at the blatant betrayal of the public trust, Ol' Vic accused the office of U. S. Attorney Christopher Christie of entrapment! Typically, the Dems will circle the wagons.
This happened recently with the indictment of Sen. Wayne R. Bryant (D - Camden). Long a poster child for the corrupt culture of bottom - feeders in Trenton, Bryant's indictment touched off a firestorm of accusations of partisanship against Christie by several liberal Jersey bloggers. Circling the wagons.
Back to the Tax Board.
John E. Westlake, another Democratic appointee on the Board, pleaded guilty last September to failure to declare $350,000.00 on his federal taxes. He's gone away. And Grant has her junketeering problem. She should go away.
The Tax Board is a gubernatorial appointment. For you Democrats, that means the governor makes the appointment. The Board is to be divided between Democrats and Republicans. As is customary, appointees are recommended by their respective county chairman. That means that Scudiery would have had to recommend both Westlake and Grant. Grant was also an unsuccessful candidate for Monmouth County Clerk.
The Democrats do not have many appointments available to them here in Monmouth County. One would think that they would make every effort not to screw up. With two (So far!) such appointees on one important board, this should give pause to every taxpayer and voter in Monmouth County. Is this the type of individual that the Democrats would appoint should they take control of the Board of Chosen Freeholders? Well? Is it?
2 comments:
These are great points. Additionally, look at the mess Senator Karcher-Hochberg created among Monmouth County Democratic attorneys when she screwed up the county prosecutor's appointment last year.
Word is that when she chose to go "out of county" with the appointment, despite several well-qualified local attorneys, she 86'd her potential fundraising efforts among Monmouth county lawyers.
All politicians take care of thier friends, it just semes that the dems have more crooked friends.
with respect, abe, when the bid rig people were arrested, all vic ever did was say that they were arrested and not convicted and they were due rights ...since this is america and all. he obviously had no agenda other than he was restating the point of our judicial system. not rushing to judgment or proclaiming someone guilty immediately upon arrest is not a mark against anyone.
and characterizing jack westlake as a "democrat" would be wrong.
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