Category: Trenton

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DUBIOUS FINANCIAL DEALINGS AT NJ AGENCY TASKED WITH PROTECTING ANIMALS

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CAREN CHESLER | MAY 9, 2017

Stripped of its tax-exempt status and plagued with apparent conflicts of interest, the NJSPCA spends far more money on legal fees than on animal care, according to its own tax records

This is the first in a two-part series investigating the NJSPCA, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which has come under scrutiny in recent years for not filing income taxes and for loss of its status as a charitable organization. Follow this link to read the second story.

The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA), a private organization with a 100-plus-year-old charter from the state, has been the focus of controversy for almost 20 years. Charged with protecting animals, the group’s senior members are given the power of arrest, carry guns, and have little state oversight. Now, the society is in trouble, losing its charity designation after not filing tax returns for three years. Despite this, it accepted public donations without informing donors that their contributions were no longer tax-deductible.

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/05/08/dubious-financial-dealings-at-nj-agency-tasked-with-protecting-animals/?utm_campaign=new-jersey-politics&utm_content=2017-10-05-9578938&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics

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Attorney General Announces Two New Initiatives to Fight Corruption, Including Reward Program Offering $25,000 for Tips From Public

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May 10,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

TRENTON NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino today announced two new initiatives to fight public corruption, including a reward program offering up to $25,000 for tips from the public, as well as a program that offers lower-level defendants in a corruption scheme the potential to avoid prosecution if they reveal the crime to the Attorney General’s Office so more culpable defendants can be prosecuted.

New Jersey has tough anti-corruption laws that provide mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment and parole ineligibility for people who commit crimes that touch upon their public office or employment. The Attorney General’s Office has utilized these laws in recent years to prosecute major cases involving elected officials, government employees and companies receiving public funds. A critical challenge, however, is securing the initial leads that allow such crimes to be uncovered and prosecuted. The new programs are designed to encourage those with information on corruption to come forward.

“It’s a troubling reality that along with the many public officials and employees who carry out their duties with integrity, there are some who abuse their authority and corruptly exploit their positions for personal gain,” said Attorney General Porrino. “We know these bad actors are out there, and we’re casting a wide net to catch them with these two new programs. For members of the public who have personal knowledge of corruption and are fed up with it, we’re offering an added motivation for them to turn their anger into action.”

“Our whistleblower program strategically allows secondary players in corruption schemes to come clean and avoid prosecution,” Porrino added. “Whether we’re talking about a skilled public worker assigned to act as a personal handyman for his boss, or a contractor asked to pay bribes to a local code inspector, or a corporate employee pressured by executives to make illegal political contributions, we’re offering a way out of such predicaments for those who come forward first and are less culpable.”

“These new programs offer strong incentives for people to come forward confidentially and help us root out public corruption, whether they’re tipsters from the public seeking a reward, or public workers or others seeking to extricate themselves from a corrupt scheme,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “By offering the programs for a limited time, we’re looking for swift results, and we will vigorously pursue every lead.”

“By implementing the Anti-Corruption Reward and Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Programs for a relatively short time frame, we are hoping for quick and decisive action by anyone with knowledge of public corruption by elected officials and government employees,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “The goal of the initiatives is to encourage those to come forward with information that will eventually lead to the prosecution of anyone who engages in these corruption schemes.”

Attorney General Porrino announced the following programs to promote reporting of corruption cases:

Anti-Corruption Reward Program

The Attorney General’s Office is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for tips from the public leading to a conviction for a crime involving public corruption. The reward program will be funded by the Attorney General’s Office using criminal forfeiture funds.
Individuals applying for this reward must provide information about a crime that has not previously been revealed to law enforcement and they must not have participated in the crime.
The reward limit for any case is $25,000. In most cases, only the person who first reports the crime will receive the reward. However, where two or more people provide different information that is material to successfully prosecuting the case, the reward may be apportioned.
The reward is not available to government employees who learn of the crime in the course of their employment if they have an official duty to report such crimes.

Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Program

This program encourages eligible individuals or corporations to self-report their involvement in criminal activity, in return, in appropriate cases, for an agreement by the Attorney General’s Office to waive prosecution of the whistleblower.
Individuals interested in participating in the program can choose initially to report information anonymously and/or through an attorney to determine whether they are a likely candidate for waiver of prosecution under the program. They can then decide whether to proceed with the formal application.
The program is restricted to lower-level participants in a crime who provide information that enables the Attorney General’s Office to charge higher-level defendants. The whistleblower must provide truthful and complete information and must cooperate as required by investigators.
An individual will not be eligible for the program if he or she is an elected official, had a controlling role in the criminal scheme, or enlisted another party to participate in the scheme.
The whistleblower may be subject to forfeiture of public employment depending on the circumstances.
Corporations may apply for the Whistleblower Program only where the criminal activity at issue was committed by employees of the corporation, without the knowledge, acquiescence or participation of the high-level employees, officers, directors or shareholders seeking waiver of prosecution for the corporation, and only where the corporation took prompt action to terminate the illegal activity or report it to law enforcement once it was discovered.

The programs are intended to encourage individuals who have information on public corruption to come forward promptly, so they will be open for a limited time. Both programs will expire on Aug. 1, 2017.

The Attorney General’s Office will keep the identities of applicants to the programs confidential to the fullest extent possible, subject to any statute, rule of court, or judicial decision to the contrary which may require disclosure to certain parties, including, in certain circumstances, a criminal defendant. Applicants to each program may be interviewed by detectives at the discretion of the Division of Criminal Justice. The applicant may also be required to give his or her verbal statement under oath and sign a written memorialization of his or her statement.

Additional information about the two programs can be found posted with this press release on the Attorney General’s Office website: www.njpublicsafety.com.

Individuals may report information and apply for the Anti-Corruption Reward Program or Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Program by one of the following methods:

Call the DCJ hotline 866-TIPS-4CJ to speak with corruption detectives 24 hours/7 days a week;
Visit www.njdcj.org to submit an online report;
Write directly to DCJ at the following address:

New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety
Division of Criminal Justice
25 Market Street
P.O. Box 085
Trenton, NJ 08625-0085

Attention: Anti-Corruption Reward Program OR Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Program.

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Reader says ,NJ Pension Liabilities paying for the past and ignoring investment in the future

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Paying for the past instead of investing for the future? Explains much of why NJ’s economy is in the toilet. Will.be an interesting test case on what to do as the state spirals down into oblivion. New legislation will be needed to resolve the liabilities, many of the needed federal & state laws haven’t been written yet, but states like NJ and Illinois will provide the necessary precedents. Current employees certainly won’t have it as good as current retirees, which is why some posters above are defending paying for the past and ignoring investment in the future. This is generational warfare, and the retiring baby boomers are winning, big time

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Reader says Unlike the city of Detroit, the state of New Jersey cannot declare bankruptcy

manhole DETROIT-BANKRUPTCY

Unlike the city of Detroit, the state of New Jersey cannot declare bankruptcy. Federal bankruptcy laws don’t allow it.

“It’s not provided in the federal bankruptcy laws. There is a provision for municipalities and any other kind of organization in the state to go bankrupt, but not the state itself,” said Professor J. Fred Giertz, an economist who is director of the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and public Affairs.

And although there has been some talk of changing federal law to permit states to reorganize their financial obligations through bankruptcy, it hasn’t gone far.

“In the United States we have a federal system where the states have powers that are protected from the national government, so there’s a real question about supremacy and whether the federal government can impose bankruptcy rules on the state, which is supposed to have powers that are protected from the federal government,” Giertz said. “I don’t think there’s any likelihood it’s going to be approved by Congress anytime soon.”

• The state itself cannot file for bankruptcy under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

• Municipalities cannot file for bankruptcy under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code without approval of the state (See N.J.S.A. 52:27-40).

• The state has in the past made it clear that they would not approve such a filing by a municipality. There are red flags under state law that identify when a municipality is experiencing financial difficulty. Such a municipality must appear before the Local Finance Board with a financial recovery plan.

• It is unclear, at best, whether the major costs affecting municipalities for unionized contractual obligations can effectively be terminated, changed or even renegotiated by virtue of Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. These obligations seem to be the driving force behind bankruptcy filings by local governments in other states, but they do not appear to have been successful in creating leverage in such contractual negotiations. The lack of ability to reorganize or dissolve that enables private corporations to bring their creditors to the table for serious negotiations as leverage may not exist under Chapter 9.

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South Brunswick Attacks Judge Over Affordable Housing Rulings

CBD high density housing

By Salvador Rizzo • 04/07/17 2:13pm

Things are getting personal in the seemingly endless legal fight over how much affordable housing to build in New Jersey.

After South Brunswick lost a court case seeking to tamp down its affordable housing obligations, the township’s attorney, Jeffrey Surenian, filed court papers last week attacking the judge who issued the ruling.

The allegation is that former Superior Court Judge Douglas Wolfson had a conflict of interest because earlier in his career Wolfson represented and befriended a developer, Jack Morris of Edgewood Properties, who allegedly stood to benefit financially from Wolfson’s rulings last year calling for more affordable housing units to be built than some towns wanted.

https://observer.com/2017/04/south-brunswick-attacks-judge-over-affordable-housing-rulings/

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The last thing N.J. needs is another entitlement

Baby-3

Editorial: The last thing N.J. needs is another entitlement

April 2, 2017 at 3:00 AM

State Senate President Steve Sweeney, the sponsor of New Jersey’s 2009 paid family leave law, wants to expand the program. Giving workers paid leave from their jobs to care for a sick relative or a new baby — and paying for it with a small, capped payroll deduction — proved to be a sound idea.

Abuse has not been widespread, employers’ worst fears have not been realized and some studies have contended that companies benefit from the program.

But there is no compelling reason to expand this new entitlement, as Sweeney (D-West Deptford) is unfortunately proposing now.

Oh, wait. There is one compelling reason: To boost Sweeney’s and fellow Democrats’ chances in November, when the entire Legislature is up for election. The Democrats shouldn’t need that much help this year. But Jersey pols, Democrat and Republican, never forget what keeps them in office — giving gifts to prized constituencies.

Sweeney, in particular, is in a bit of a jam, with the powerful New Jersey Education Association, miffed by his pushback on teacher pensions, vowing to fight him. Hence, a renewed commitment by lawmakers to dangle popular proposals in front of voters — like, say, expanding the paid family leave program.

https://www.njbiz.com/article/20170402/NJBIZ01/170339943/editorial-the-last-thing-nj-needs-is-another-entitlement

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Christie dares NJ sanctuary cities to risk losing federal funds

Chris_christie_theridgewoodblog

By Sergio Bichao March 27, 2017 7:39 PM

Gov. Chris Christie told the mayors of the state’s two largest cities to “have at it” by declaring themselves “sanctuary” cities after the Trump administration once again threatened to cut federal funding.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday said such cities — which refuse to use municipal resources to enforce federal immigration laws — risk losing grants that already have been awarded.

“People should just comply with the law,” Christie said Monday during his monthly appearance on New Jersey 101.5’s “Ask The Governor.”

After Trump signed an executive order in January that would defund cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities, Christie advised municipalities to take Trump at his word.

Christie also has vowed to veto any measure that would use state dollars to reimburse sanctuary cities for lost federal funds.

On Monday he called Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka by name.

“If they engage in voluntary conduct — which means sanctuary city is not mandated by the state; it’s voluntary conduct — then they think it’s important enough for their taxpayers to pick up the tab. Their call.

“Mayor Fulop, Mayor Baraka — have at it.”

Read More: Christie dares NJ sanctuary cities to risk losing federal funds | https://nj1015.com/christie-dares-nj-sanctuary-cities-to-risk-losing-federal-funds/?trackback=tsmclip

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Sessions takes aim at ‘dangerous’ sanctuary cities, warns on funding

sen-jeff-sessions-2012-reuters-640x480

Published March 27, 2017 FoxNews.com

Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired a broadside at so-called “sanctuary cities” Monday, telling reporters local policies of noncooperation with immigration authorities are “dangerous” and will cost communities federal funding.

In the Trump administration’s most pointed warning yet, Sessions said federal law allows withholding of federal funding to sanctuary cities, and signaled that such measures will soon be taken. Sessions, who took the podium at White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s regular media briefing, warned of a pending crackdown by the administration.

“Such policies cannot continue,” he said. “They make our nation less safe by putting dangerous criminals back on the street.”

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/27/sessions-takes-aim-at-dangerous-sanctuary-cities-warns-on-funding.html

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N.J. Supreme Court enters fray over pay hikes for public workers

14405_trenton_new_jersey_s_state_house_capitol_in_trenton

By Samantha Marcus | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on March 14, 2017 at 7:45 AM, updated March 14, 2017 at 8:32 AM

TRENTON — Public employee unions and government officials clashed Monday in a case before the state Supreme Court that could determine whether workers across New Jersey will get pay raises.

The state’s highest court heard oral arguments over the whether “step” increases — raises in pay when workers reach annual milestones in years of service — should be granted after a contract has expired.

Atlantic County, Bridgewater Township and the Public Employment Relations Commission asked the court to reverse an appellate court ruling, which found PERC overstepped its authority when it upended a four-decades-old doctrine that says step increases outlive the term of a contract.

The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 34 and Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 77 charged Atlantic County with unfair labor practices, alleging the county violated that “dynamic status quo” doctrine during contract negotiations and arbitration.

Police officers who were not yet at the top of the pay scale were due 5 percent or 6 percent step increases.

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/03/nj_supreme_court_enters_fray_over_pay_hikes_for_pu.html#incart_river_home

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N.J. unions seek control of own pension plan

Steve-Sweeney-Atlantic-City-finances

Updated: MARCH 12, 2017 — 5:00 AM EDT

by Andrew Seidman, Trenton Bureau  @AndrewSeidman |  [email protected]

TRENTON — New Jersey lawmakers are considering relinquishing management of the pension plan for police and firefighters from the state to the unions that represent them. Public workers have been complaining for years that the state relies too heavily on investments in hedge funds and other so-called alternative investments.

Now, Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) is effectively saying: Fine, you give it a try. And most of the unions are embracing the challenge.

“It’s my pension. I need to wake up and see it’s being cared for, that it’s being invested smartly,” Patrick Colligan, president of the Policemen’s Benevolent Association, said during a Senate Budget Committee hearing Thursday. “And we can’t, respectfully, count on the State of New Jersey to do that anymore.”

The committee advanced the legislation on a 10-1 vote, with two abstentions, and it is expected to head to the full Senate for a vote Monday. The bill has not been introduced in the Assembly.

https://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/NJ-police-firemen-union-control-pension-christie.html?utm_campaign=new-jersey-politics&utm_content=2017-13-03-9122193&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics

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Rullo Brings Fireworks to the Middlesex County Young Republicans, NJ gubernatorial primary debate

Trenton_New_Jersey
March 13,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, When Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno formally threw her hat in the ring in New Jersey’s race for governor, the Republican primary field already held State Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (a career politician ) , Nutley Commissioner Steve Rogers( union hack), and Ocean County businessman Joseph Rullo and a gentlemen named Hir Sang (big on ideas light on details) which we cant seem to find out much information at all.

Comedian and radio host Joe Piscopo (what exit) has also been rumored to be mulling a ran for the GOP nod and while the rumors grow louder there is no movement at the moment .

New Jersey faces unprecedented fiscal problems; a huge pension deficit ,collapsing infrastructure , worst business environment in the USA, a drug epidemic and the lest tax friendly state in the land making the Garden State the number one state people look to move out of year after year.

While the New Jersey media spends it time covering the latest “outrage ” from the Trump administration and parades of “vigina clad” protesters , state issues hardly garner a mention.It seems if the media is not bashing Christie and his associates they have nothing to say at all.

Despite the eminent fiscal doom of the state , long since past the point of no return the next Governor will face a whole host of crushing issues leading to what many think will be the absolute collapse state finances leading to a state take over by the Trump administration.

One would think that the next gubernatorial election would take on a renewed urgency , but alas not in New Jersey . On the Democratic side we have the usual suspects of Bernie Sanders Socialists , 100 year out of date Union activist  and  a Goldman Saks gentleman ,we will call him Corzine 2.0 looking to buy the state house and rent rooms on AirBnB.

On the GOP side we have the usual mix of wanna be Democrats , career politicians , Christy  Whitman Toad  , “it’s my party too “,types with one exception fighting Joe Rullo.

The supposed front runner  Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, an anti Trump , Whitman Toad wannabe who has so far managed to duck every debate and avoid any policy pronouncements what so ever.

To many critics Guadagno is nothing more than Whitman 2.0 , but less able to steal from public pensions  and no chance of issuing the infamous, “air is safe” at ground zero.

Rullo caught our eye with his rather off beat campaign style , drain the swamp Trump rhetoric and YouTube commercials . We admit he is a long shot but so far he has offered some common sense policy , quick one liners ,isnt beholden to special interests and generally irradiates the status quo .

It is often so clear the both the New Jersey media and the Trenton Bureaucrats speak with one voice funded by vested interests .
During the recent Middlesex County Young Republicans of NJ, NJ gubernatorial primary debate ,fireworks erupted when Rullo was attacked as being anti labor by Steve Rogers for saying the state should save money on Wall Street management fees on NJ Pensions.

Later Rogers accused Rullo of not telling the truth at debate. Rullo claimed that Rogers said he would prosecute drug dealers as terrorist. Funny but in 3 separate media sources Rogers is on record saying the very same thing….oops!

“I have a message for every drug dealer. You better pack your bags before I get elected,” the candidate said. “If you are a drug dealer, you are a terrorist, and you will be treated as a terrorist.”
-NJ Governor Candidate Steve Rogers
Source: North Jersey.com
Source: Politico
Source: NJ.com

Other interesting moments when came after admitting people continue to move out of New Jersey because taxes are too high , Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli actually claimed some New Jersey towns are not over taxed with property taxes. and that healthcare was a “right” of every resident of New Jersey .

Steve Rogers defended pensions as “a promise made ” ,went into the usual union clap trap about stop blaming the workers ,but even he did finally admit some of those promises are a bit much and unsustainable. Ciattarelli recovered much lost ground with his constant insistence against bailouts, and government subsidies.

Rullo promised legalization of marijuana using the tax revenue to fund road work and state pensions. While Sang pushed for more efficiency in how Trenton works. Rullo went even farther pushing for more consolidation of state agencies, state functions and toll collection . Rullo throughout the debate continued to focus on getting rid of fat cat over paid administrators at all levels on New Jersey government.

All the candidates opposed sanctuary cities , taxpayer funded abortions , all favored immigration, and heavily opposed illegal immigration except perhaps for Sang .The candidates all favored Chris Christie’s ” fair school funding” or something similar .All candidates expressed strong support to 2nd Amendment issues .

Again most the of the issues have not changed for New Jersey since Whitman, and the slide continues to accelerate. Trenton’s vested interest , nanny state mentality is clearly the enemy . A lot of big talk from the candidates , the question is will things finally get so bad in New Jersey that Trenton has no choice but to change?

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Breaking: Piscopo Makes His Move in NJ Gov’s Race

Joe Piscopo

Actor-Comedian invites Kyrillos COS Tony Perry to his home in Western NJ

By Ken Kurson • 03/08/17 6:40pm

PolitickerNJ has learned that Comedian-Actor-Radio Host Joe Piscopo summoned Tony Perry to his residence in Hunterdon County last weekend. Perry is the Chief of Staff to State Senator Joe Kyrillos (R-Middletown). Piscopo, the morning drive time host on AM970, became highly associated with the Garden State via his Paulie Herman character (“I’m from Jersey”) and Frank Sinatra impressions on Saturday Night Live. He has been frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for governor this year, either as a Republican or Independent.

https://observer.com/2017/03/joe-piscopo-makes-his-move-invites-kyrillos-cos-to-his-home-in-western-nj/

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Lawyer: Corzine was ‘mastermind’ behind MF Global’s collapse

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By Matt Arco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on March 07, 2017 at 3:58 PM

TRENTON — Former Gov. Jon Corzine was blasted as the “mastermind” behind MF Global Holdings Ltd.’s collapse inside a Manhattan federal courtroom on Tuesday, according to published reports.

A lawyer representing the accounting firm PwC in a $3 billion trial over who’s to blame in MF Global’s down fall told jurors that Corzine should be held to account.

“Its bankruptcy was caused by its risky trading, its unprofitable business and other problems” said James Cusick, a lawyer for PwC, according to Bloomberg. “Mr. Corzine was the mastermind and the driver of that strategy.”

Gov. Chris Christie unseated Corzine in the 2009 gubernatorial election. After the election, MF Global hired Corzine, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, to help engineer a turnaround of the firm’s collapse.

MF Global collapsed in 2011 after a disastrous bet on European countries’ debt.

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/03/lawyer_corzine_was_mastermind_behind_mf_globals_co.html#incart_river_index

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Lawmakers consider giving governors broad new control over Waterfront Commission

Marlon Brando film On the Water Front

By RYAN HUTCHINS

03/07/17 05:30 AM EST

TRENTON — Lawmakers in New York and New Jersey are pushing legislation that would give the governors of both states the authority to block actions by the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, a six-decade old, bi-state agency charged with rooting out corruption at the ports.

The proposal marks the latest attempt to wipe away tough regulations the commission has imposed on the maritime shipping industry in both states and comes less than two years after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill that sought to abolish the organization entirely.

https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2017/03/lawmakers-consider-giving-governors-broad-new-control-over-waterfront-commission-110127

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Joe Piscopo Could Be New Jersey GOP’s Best Hope to Succeed Chris Christie

Paul DiGaetano and Joe Piscopo

The incumbent could not be much less popular, and so New Jersey Republicans could go way outside the lines for an “outsider.”

It would be an understatement, and not at all a comment on the New Jersey governor’s girth, to say that Chris Christie casts a large shadow over this year’s election to select his successor. For eight years he has dominated his state’s politics, first as a successful bipartisan “problem-solver” with a knack for making his opponents look bad, and then a scandal-plagued punching bag and early lame duck. Until just over a year ago, his ambitions for higher office obscured his steadily declining status back home, aside from the “Bridgegate” scandal that dogged his presidential campaign. But then his close association with Donald Trump defined his national profile, and when Trump surprisingly won, it was widely assumed Christie was headed to Washington in some capacity.

Now, after being passed over for the attorney general gig he supposedly craved, leading him to turn down less exalted posts, Christie looks likely to stick out the last year of his governorship. But he may have thoroughly worn out his welcome in New Jersey. His job approval ratio fell to an abysmal 17/78 in a Quinnipiac survey at the end of January. His own lieutenant governor and the most likely Republican to succeed him, Kim Guadagno, has been trying desperately to distance herself from her former mentor and political sponsor. Another competitive GOP candidate for governor, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, hasn’t had to do that because he’s long fought Christie, and even called for his resignation for spending too much time outside the state.

https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/comic-could-be-gops-best-hope-to-succeed-chris-christie.html