Haelig Responds To Threats From Larsen: “Invite Me To A Township Committee Caucus, And I’ll Put A Practical Program On The Table To Save At Least $150,000 At The DMUA”

In A Letter To Mayor Russo, Senior Utilities Authority Commissioner Says: “A few Minor Adjustments To Current DMUA Policy Would Save At Least $150,000 Annually • • And Enhance DMUA And Township Credibility”

Arrogant Township Committee Has Never Bothered To Answer Numerous Letters Asking For Help In Fixing The DMUA, But “I Am More Hopeful This Time”, Haelig Says

Dover Township: Democrat Municipal Chairman Jeffrey J. Horn recently scrapped the first amendment and threatened to sue if Dover Municipal Utilities Authority officials continue to defend themselves against attacks by his “client,” Committeeman-Elect Richard Larsen and Larsen’s wacky plan to dissolve the DMUA.

Horn used double talk to convey Larsen’s displeasure at having his DMUA dissolution plan exposed as a phoney, but Larsen repeated his threat to sue if DMUA officials continue to criticize him.

Larsen’s Ponzi Scheme Will Cause Big
Tax And Sewer Rate Increases

At Tuesday’s township committee meeting, the Senior DMUA Commissioner, former Assemblyman Robert K. Haelig Jr, said Larsen’s plan was “a Ponzi scheme that will cause the biggest tax increases and the biggest rate increases in the township’s history if it is approved."

Larsen wants to dissolve the DMUA and turn its reserves over to the township committee to save him the trouble of making cuts in the out-of-control township budget.

Haelig has been trying for the last eighteen months to get township officials to listen to him regarding a program of reforms to DMUA spending policies, but township officials have “never answered my letters, possibly because the township is “wasting a lot more taxpayers money than the most extravagant DMUA commissioners even dreamed of wasting”.

Haelig Asks Russo To Put Him On The Caucus Agenda To Air $150,000 DMUA Cost Savings

In a letter to Mayor Russo, Haelig offered to “put a program on the table regarding practical and timely ways to save money” at the DMUA.

Haelig noted the DMUA will reorganize in February and, “even though we have a new commissioner who appears to be quite reasonable, we still do not have a majority who can be depended on to regularly support good public policy independent of political obligations and patronage commitments”.

Haelig Lauds Russo And Two Republicans
For Sheehy Appointment

Haelig lauded Russo and Committeemen Carmine C. Inteso and Michael Fiure for “your appointment of John Sheehy Esq. as a DMUA commissioner”, calling Sheehy’s appointment “a refreshing act of statesmanship”.

Haelig also noted that parts of his program for the DMUA “have already been presented to the township committee in previous letters and conversations, all of which remain unacknowledged: none of my letters have ever even been answered”.

Haelig Says A Few Minor Policy Adjustments
Would Save $150,000 Every Year

“My program, which involves a few minor adjustments to current DMUA policy, would save at least $150,000 annually, and its adoption would enhance the credibility of both the DMUA and the township committee”.

But Haelig cautioned Russo: “none of this is likely to happen automatically”.

Unless Township Committee Acts Soon, DMUA
Waste Will Continue For Another Year

“Unless the township committee acts soon to endorse my proposed reforms, money will continue to be wasted, and the public will continue to pay the price for the consistent failure of their elected officials to respond coherently to problems that are obvious and eminently fixable”, Haelig said.

“My immediate objective would be to obtain a clear indication of support from the township committee for my program of savings (at least $150,000)", so that something constructive could happen in February.

Larsen Silent On Whether He Will Sue Over
Haelig’s “Wacky Ponzi Scheme” Charge

Larsen has not said whether he would sue Haelig for calling his proposal a “wacky Ponzi scheme.”                             (for 1/9/03)

Click here for previous OceanCountyPolitics•Com. article on Horn, Larsen, Moriarty lawsuit threats.

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