New Education State Aid for 2007/2008

http://www.northjersey.com/static/education/stateaid_022607.pdf

THE Letter for those that did not receive it yet

letter12306.pdf

And BTW? The mailing of the letter was paid through the same account that Altobelli, DiNanno and Saccomano used for all their political mailings…Bergen County Democrats. Same account…same source.

Need a calculator, Maryetta? – Counting Attorneys

I got Maryetta’s letter today, the 23rd (yes, it is dated the 16th) giving us the perspective  of the new you-will-do-what-we-say Dem majority.

 I saw a few things in this letter that need to be addressed.

I see a Bergen County Democratic Organization trying to recoup their investment in Hasbrouck Heights.  They spent alot of money to get that majority on the Council and they will be damned if they will lose these seats and their “pay-to-play” positions they have set up for their contributors, including Willy Ortiz, the Borough Attorney.  They are amazed that the HH citizens have risen up. I am sure they are mad. “Why couldn’t they just let us do what we want like we have in other Bergen County towns?” Welcome to Hasbrouck Heights, my friends.

In regards to the volunteer issue? There is no excuse for removing people from positions that they have held for years and done a great job. They can say all they want.  But they did “clean house” as directed by Willy and his “bosses”. It was to make a political point. And it bit them in the ass.

The professional appointees? WE HAVEN’T SEEN ANY SIGNED CONTRACTS YET!!  6.5% means nothing if we don’t know what we are spending!!!

And apparently she has a hard time counting attorneys as we have 4 more AT THIS POINT than we had in 2006. What was her statement in her letter? “We also hired one less attorney this year versus last year.”

Right from the Borough website:

2006 Attorneys

2007 Attorneys

Maybe I am missing something?

Patience? We have none. We expect our Council to hit the ground running. But not with our tax dollars grasped in their hands as they pay off the debts of their campaign.

Keeping the info away from the citizens of HH

I went looking for a Public Notice in The Observer this evening. I couldn’t find it.  Someone had told me about the meeting, but I hadn’t seen it in The Observer.  It wasn’t there. I checked the last three weeks. It was in The Bergen Record.

And then I looked for some other recent Public Notices.  Hmm. Again in The Record but not in The Observer. I made some phone calls and I was told that it wasn’t my imagination.

It seems that the Gang of Four and Slick Willy are tired of seeing a room full of people asking questions and are setting a precedent and no longer publishing Council Public Notices and and not requiring all Zoning Board Notices to publish locally either.

And you know why? Because they know that the people in town scrutinize The Observer and note dates and changes. I guess they are tired of that and have decided to let the people dig through the fine print of The Record instead. That’s how they published The Special Meetings (published on the Feb 2nd (Friday) in the Bergen Record ONLY for a meeting on Monday the 5th. Planned them around the publishing dates of The Observer. Didn’t work did it? Those damn citizens still showed up.

Here is a great website that you can check everyday if you wish to see about Public Notices published in NJ.

http://www.publicnoticeads.com/NJ/search/searchnotices.asp

I will also post this permanently on my Blogroll that is on the left side of this blog.  It’s easy to use. Just click on Bergen County and type in Hasbrouck Heights.

So what can we do? Pressure the Council to make all PUBLIC OFFICIAL info that comes out of the Council chambers AND all Zoning information available to ALL citizens and that means in BOTH The Observer and The Record. Don’t let them give the bs about the cost. That is NOT the issue. The Record is 3X the cost.  It is about keeping the citizens of HH in the dark so they can walk away with our money without us “seeing” them do it.

Paying everyone back…

A situation that can easily happen in HH. Not a “polluted” land issue but many other issues that will come up when it comes to the land development projects we have now (Depken/Municipal lot).  They will continue to delay these projects to “prove” a point. Hey they get their marching orders from the “top”. They have no say for themselves. I guarantee that the people/company’s  picked for the job(s) will be major Dem contributors. 

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk0NyZmZ2JlbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5NzA3NzM1OSZ5cmlyeTdmNzE3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTM=

“Obstructionists”

I hope you had a chance to read today’s Observer. 

That is what Mr. Altobelli calls all of those citizens that object to the Democrats method of selling our town to the highest bidder. 

“And they will scream their opposition to the tiniest little thing they view as wrong and work as hard as they can the block any initiatives that are not in their own best interests.  They will be obstructionists.  That is their choice, some would say their obligation.  But I don’t believe it is in the best interest of the greater community.”

Yes, he is right. We will  ”block any initiatives that are not in the HASBROUCK HEIGHTS CITIZEN’S  best interests.”  He truly believes that the selling of the professional appointees positions to pay back the Bergen County Dems and Willy Ortiz is in THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE GREATER COMMUNITY! He wants us to shut up and sit down and let the Dems do what they want in Hasbrouck Heights. Well, that won’t happen, will it?

In regards to Slick Willy and his money contribution, he says, “he did not, however personally contribute to my campaign.”

Semantics.

No, he didn’t write a check from his own personal account, but he wrote out many checks all over Bergen County to cover the Dem’s “bets” from the PACS that he controls out of his offices in Hackensack, Demarest, West NewYork and his home in Emerson.

 So the Treasurer of their campaign, wrote out checks from his PAC to their campaign.  Give that man a job! Oh wait!  They did.

Take a look at the pdf file with Dinnano and Altobelli’s check listed. 

 Ortiz Contributions

You will also see a $10,000 check to “Victory ‘06″.  That was for BC Freeholders. Mr. Ortiz also wrote out many thousands of dollars worth of checks from his other PACs: Pascack Valley First, District 39, Dumont Dem Org.  to this same group as well to make sure that they could guarantee a win and guarantee some nice paid appointees.  Slick Willy got some work there.

BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERSCOUNTY OF BERGEN
NOTICE OF CONTRACT AWARD
ON JANUARY 17, 2007
The Board of Chosen Freeholders has awarded a contract without competitive bidding as a professional service (or extraordinary, unspecifiable service) pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5 (1) (a). This contract and the resolution authorizing it are available for public inspection in the Office of the Clerk to the Board.
Award: Ortiz & Paster
58 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Services: Legal Services
Legal Representation of indigent
Non-Custodial Obligors in Child
Support Hearings
Period: January 1, 2007 through
December 31, 2007
Amount: $7,000.00
Reso. 44 Valerie Coniglio, Clerk
Board of Chosen Freeholders
January 26, 2007-Fee$29.32 (26) 1946012

BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERSCOUNTY OF BERGEN
NOTICE OF AMENDED CONTRACT AWARD
ON DECEMBER 20, 2006
The Board of Chosen Freeholders has awarded a contract without competitive bidding as a professional service (or extraordinary, unspecifiable service) pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5 (1) (a). This contract and the resolution authorizing it are available for public inspection in the Office of the Clerk to the Board.
Award: Ortiz & Paster
58 Main Street, 3rd Floor
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Services: Outside Special Counsel
Representation of Sheriff Trella
& Sgt. O’Sullivan Lorenzo Soto
v. Sheriff Trella, et al.
Civil Action No. 03-CV-1098
(WGB)
Period: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Amount: $7,500.00
Reso. 1836 Valerie Coniglio, Clerk
Board of Chosen Freeholders
January 2, 2007-Fee$31.57(28) 1926027

BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERSCOUNTY OF BERGEN
NOTICE OF AMENDED CONTRACT AWARD
ON DECEMBER 20, 2006
The Board of Chosen Freeholders has awarded a contract without competitive bidding as a professional service (or extraordinary, unspecifiable service) pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5 (1) (a). This contract and the resolution authorizing it are available for public inspection in the Office of the Clerk to the Board.
Award: Ortiz & Paster
58 Main Street, 3rd Floor
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Services: Outside Special Counsel
Representation of
Neonila Solomacha for
Municipal Court Appeal
Docket No. 06-004,
BMA 002-03-05 and
03-29-98
Period: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Amount: $10,000.00
Reso. 1835 Valerie Coniglio, Clerk
Board of Chosen Freeholders
January 2, 2007-Fee$32.70(29) 1926187

Slick Willy was also very generous in Dumont. 

Some Familiar names? Gee, I wonder why.

BOROUGH OF DUMONTNOTICE OF CONTRACT AWARD FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICESAt the Reorganization Meeting held on Thursday, January 4, 2007, the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Dumont, awarded the following contracts for one (1) year without competitive bidding as a professional service pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5 and under the provisions of the Local Public Contracts Law. These appointments are in accordance with the Fair and Open Process under New Jersey law:Ortiz,Paster&Campos, Esq. Borough Attorneys
Eric Bernstein, Esq. Borough Labor Counsel
McManimon & Scotland Borough Bond Counsel
Lerch, Vinci and Higgins, C.P.A. Borough Auditor
T& M Associates Borough Engineers
Neglia Engineering Borough Planner
Maser Consulting Borough COAH Consultants
Daniel P. McNerney, Esq. Special Counsel-Conflicts
Brown & Brown Risk Managers
Gibbons, DelDeo, Dolan, Griffinger
& Vecchione, P.C. Government Affairs Counsel
McNerney & Associates Borough Appraisers
Gittleman, Muhlstock & Chewcaskie, Esq. Tax Appeal Attorneys
Viviana C. Malantic, M.D. Borough Physician
E. Carter Corriston, Jr., Esq. Borough Prosecutor
Mateo Perez, Esq. Borough Public Defender

We all have to live with our own set of ethics. 

Altobelli, DiNanno, Introna and Saccomano  have showed us theirs. It looks like the “Obstructionists” have their work cut out for them.

A little Google…

Last night (2/13) at  the “working session” of the Council Meeting Marietta had a presentation by a Carmine DeMarco of Demarco Communications about the possibility of having a monthly “newspaper” sponsored by the Council but paid by the local merchants by ads. They said they could also offer a web site design and update service.

Mr. DeMarco kept stressing how it would not “cost” the town a thing and then brought up the other towns that they had a simlar arrangement.

As soon as he said the towns, a lightbulb went off in my head as they are towns associated with the Bergen County Democratic Organization and one especially with Willy Ortiz,  in Dumont where he and his partner Gregg Paster dictated their paid appointees as they did ours as ordered through the BCDO.  http://www.publicnoticeads.com/NJ/search/view.asp?T=PN&id=272\1112007_5761392.HTM

After the Mayor heard Mr. DeMarco’s “pitch” he expressed his concern about a “newspaper” sponsored by the Council and the inability for such a paper to be truly bipartisan. This was also a very good observation in light of the connection that Mr. Demarco has with the Bergen County Dems through his “Communication” business. He is also an attorney.

Mayor Jones also was concerned about the ability of local merchants to support ANOTHER publication with ads when we already had two fine local papers that do a good job at reporting Hasbrouck Heights news and a town website that is updated on a regular basis as needed.

It ended with the Mayor dismissing the idea (along with Altobelli, surprisingly) but allowing Mr. DeMarco to submit samples of his company’s  work.

http://www.demarcocommunications.com/

http://www.demarcocommunications.com/news/release_08-10-06.pdf

It appears that our Dems think that the public is too stupid to do a “Google” to see what the connection would be with a service that we have no need for as “suggested” by a Democratic Councilperson.  Just like we have attorneys that were hired by the Dem majority that we have never had a need for but were forced on us by Willy Ortiz and the BCDO. Thanks again, Dems, for all of your concerns about keeping our taxes down. It is so obvious where your loyalty is and it is not with Hasbrouck Heights.

Mucking it up…

I am  sure that Slick Willy got a nice phone call from Joe Ferriero this morning…

Don’t forget to come to the “regular” Council Meeting this Tuesday the 13th at 8:00. And bring your questions.  Don’t ever forget, Your Town, Your Money….

http://www.bergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNCZmZ2JlbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5NzA3NDA4Mw==

It’s too bad no one in HH could write the same letter…

Below is a letter that was in yesterday’s Asbury Park Press. So refreshing to read this. It’s so incredibly sad that the Dems on our Council are more concerned about being the good little puppet for Joe Ferriero and Slick Willy than serving the people of our town. And then there are those “paid” appointed positions…

Appointments nonpartisan

The Republican majority in Holmdel began the new year by taking the high road. At the Jan. 4 organization meeting, the Republicans appointed and reappointed members of the community to serve on various volunteer committees. These committees serve an important role in ensuring that the quality of life in Holmdel receives an important focus. Each volunteer serves the community with the sole intention of making a difference for our town.

Although Republicans are in the majority, people from all political leanings were appointed. These appointments include two doctors appointed to the Board of Health and a traffic engineer to head the Transportation Safety Advisory Committee. Clearly, these volunteers represent the extraordinary quality of people in our town. Interestingly, many were appointed previously by former Mayor Larry Fink and the Democratic majority. The Republicans reappointed these volunteers not because of political leanings, but because of their service to the town.

Clearly, the Republican majority led by Mayor Serena DiMaso has charted a solid course. If reaching across the political aisle and including new volunteers from the community is the course of the Republican majority, as demonstrated at this meeting, Holmdel is in good hands.

Eric J. Hinds

HOLMDEL

“It Fell Off the Truck…”

As has been demonstrated by Lenny, Marietta, Altobelli and Diananno, that silly thing called “ethics” doesn’t mean anything in the “real world” as long as the Hasbrouck Heights objectives that were designed by the Joe Ferriero and his underlings are accomplished.

http://www.bergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MDczMjgz

Ethics can’t be taught to adults. That’s the bottom line.  You either learn it as a child or you go through the rest of your life not giving a s**t as to how you conduct your life and how you obtain your goals.

But we are imperfect beings and we make mistakes. There are a couple of major religions that use this as a basic tenet. We then admit that mistake, correct it and move on. But to sit on the dais, admit that you accepted $5,000 in cash from your Treasurer’s PAC for your campaign and then appoint him as he is the Bergen County Dems choice for Borough Attorney and then say that you see nothing wrong with it demonstrates such an incredible example of ethical dysfunction to the citizens of HH and its young people of this town it boggles the mind.  And we wonder why young people are so turned off by politicians and politics. Here they are taught at home to be honest and forthright only to see their elected officials, locally and nationally, living by their own set of special rules. 

 My 11 year old daughter was asking me why everyone was so mad and why I was going to yet another meeting and I told her. She shook her head and asked why didn’t they understand that taking the money was wrong. She’s a child and SHE understands this. This is why the press makes such a big deal when someone finds something of value and then makes the effort to return it to the person that lost it. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070208/ap_on_fe_st/honest_cabbie  How sad it that? That should be a “given” in this world. But it is not. It’s all about ethics and what has unfortunately, become acceptable because we have let it.

It’s like the famous line, “It fell off the truck.”  A person gets a good deal on the item but examining where it came from is not important. They don’t really want to know nor do they care. To question the orgin of the item would mean that they would have to confront a personal ethics issue. Like Willy’s PAC money. According to Altobelli it “costs alot of money to run a campaign.” So to him it was just campaign money. According to his own set of ethics he could justify it that way.   “It fell off the truck”.

Poor Willy. Joe Ferriero of the BCDO must be beside himself because Hasbrouck Heights is in the newspaper again. Not real happy with Willy and Lenny, his hand-picked, Council President, I bet.  Like someone said on the HH Forum, Napoleon had his Waterloo, the BCDO has its “Hasbrouck Heights”.