Reader says Ridgewood meter money theft issue is a pandora’s box of speculation
I’m usually against conspiracy theorists, be it Kennedy, 9/11, Elvis, the Moon landing, bin Laden’s killing, etc., but I have to say that the Ridgewood meter money theft issue is a pandora’s box of speculation, and in a world where everyone has an online voice, it’s hardly surprising that speculation is rampant. Why? Here’s why:
1. Despite advances made in parking meters in just about most of the world, including other towns and even NYC, Ridgewood, considered to be a highly sophisticated town, decided to keep it’s museum-pieces as a way of collecting parking fees.
2. The man who was caught was able to negotiate an absurd guilty-plea deal whereby he avoided jail time and agreed to pay just some of it back. One has to wonder why the prosecutor agreed to such a sweet deal on a charge of what is effectively massive theft by a public official in a position of trust. The perception is that the deal was made as a way of avoiding a trial, a trial which would have given the defense attorney room to ask a lot of embarrassing questions.
3. There have been unconfirmed accounts that meter money has always been used as a petty-cash box for the Village, a way of paying for incidentals, like lunches, entertainment, etc. There’s no electronic methodology of recording what gets taken in by the meters, and therefore, it’s easy to record this number at whatever you want it to be.
4. This is local government in the state of New Jersey. If you need me to expand on this, then you must be new here.
If we had a truly democratic and open local Government, the meter theft matter would have been publicly addressed, instead of being allowed to fester.
It was aliens that help him. You see they need the silver in the coins to rebuild their warp drive. The copper they sold to a junkyard in Paterson. Then they all went to the Village of Ridgewood Council meeting to hold hands with Rev. Al before their long journey back the the planet Hoboken.
Strange story……. again.
Other than firing everybody, what are your improvement suggestions NOW ?
1. Court Process questioned, needs improvement…. how?
2. Municipal Village Manager over seeing the process questioned How ?
Parking Operators that use Parkmobile experience an increase in parking revenue over typical honor box and legacy meter implementations. Additionally, most Parking Operators see reduced operating expenses associated with maintenance (such as coin collection, service, maintenance, vandalism, and shrinkage). Additionally our solutions have an uptime of 99.9%, significantly higher than any parking equipment.
See DOM there are a lot of info on the internet. This Council ( Your Friends) and the VM don’t want to do anything about it.
Indianapolis received more than $3 million in revenue from parking meters in 2013, its highest total yet since turning over meter operations to ParkIndy in late 2010.
Another one Dom. I would do more research on this but its not my job. Maybe the VM and the Engineer should do some research after all they are on the payroll.
For small meter systems with tight budgets, we have push carts and carry cans with funnels for dumping open-top coin boxes. However, POM understands the importance of security in your meter collection system. That is why we designed our entire line of collection components to offer the best possible protection from pilferage. Our collection systems are fully “sealed”, eliminating access to the money collected. It is your assurance that all meter revenue will make it to the bank.
WHAT DOES HIGH TECK RIDGEWOOD — USE.? PLASTIC CUPS
Yep, VoR uses white plastic buckets – no risk of slippage there !!!! Why can’t we have a smart meter system like every other modern municipality ? This is a chance for the VM to clean up the cancer in our Village Hall, where municipal employees betray the public trust by stealing money that should be used to benefit Villagers. In this day and age, how can meter money be used as a petty-cash box for the Village, as a way of paying for incidentals, like lunches, entertainment, etc? Why is there no electronic recording of what gets taken in by the meters? As it stands now, the number can be whatever the Village wants it to be. Taxpayers should sue, and the mob should be rooted out of Village Hall, we deserve better governance than this fraud. BTW, if Rica cut a deal, who was he protecting?
Why hasn’t the Village appealed the Bergen County deal for Rica, or filed a civil suit against him? Someone higher up is being protected, and Villagers have the right to know who. This whole thing reeks of corruption.
#7 “Someone higher up is being protected” Who is that high up as to be protect by the Bergen County Prosecutor Office and yet be involved in a local theft?
It was a plea deal with Bergen County, wasn’t it? So what did Rica have to bargain with? Deals like that for someone who stole half a million dollars and violated the public trust just don’t happen without some leverage. People get jail time for stealing a candy bar, and this guy just walks free, without even having too make full restitution? Someone or many people are being protected here, and the Bergen County prosecutor is up to his eyeballs in this.
WOW now the Bergen County prosecutor is up to his eyeballs in this. What do you think the leverage was?