Torch Is Back? With Both Feet? Hours Are Short; Pay Is Good!

Ousted Senator Robert Torricelli Is Appointed “Special Master” At “Unspecified” Hourly Rate To Supervise Cleanup Of Toxic Waste Site Owned By One Of His Former Campaign Contributors

Jersey City Dump Site Owned By Honeywell International (Contributed $15,000) May Cost Upwards Of $400 Million To Clean Up; Censured After Accepting Lavish Gifts From Campaign Contributors, Torch Abandoned Senate Re-Election Campaign

Toxic Appointment Approved By Governor McGreevey Who Appoints Torch Friend Virginia Bauer Lottery Director On Torricelli Recommendation

The Torch is back and Trenton insiders are taking notice.

Former US Senator Robert Toricelli was forced to withdraw from his re-election campaign last year after censure by the Senate Ethics Committee for taking "gifts" (kickbacks) from big time campaign contributors.

Now he’s back in double time, as Governor Jim McGreevey gives the green light for the Torch to get a piece of a $400 million toxic waste cleanup in, appropriately, Jersey City.

Honeywell Gave Torch $15,000 For 2002 Re-Election Campaign

The toxic cleanup, where Toricelli is to be “Special Master”, is owned by Honeywell International, a long time Toricelli campaign contributor who gave the Torch $15,000 for use in his aborted 2002 re-election campaign.

Following his designation by U.S. District Court Judge Dennis Cavanaugh, which raised eyebrows all over New Jersey, Torch said he was “pleased and honored”, defended the appointment by noting he has “received the support of almost every major corporation over the years”.

Should Be “Last Attorney In NJ To Accept Such An Appointment”

One prominent Democrat, who did not wish to be quoted by name, said this was the “very reason former Senator Toricelli should be the last attorney in New Jersey to accept such an appointment.”

“It sends absolutely the wrong message to the public at a time when the public has no confidence in us anyway”, the Democrat added.

Doesn’t Hurt To Be Toricelli’s Friend
If You Want A Cushy Job

Another message circulating in Trenton is that it doesn’t hurt to be a personal friend of Toricelli’s if you’re looking for a high visibility state government job opportunity.

Case in point: Virginia Bauer of Rumson was named by McGreevey and State Treasurer John McCormac as Executive Director of the New Jersey Lottery.

Ms. Bauer, a Democrat, replaced Acting Director Carole Hedinger, a Republican who had the job in a holdover capacity since former travel-loving Lottery Director Virginia Haines retired early in 2002.

Ms. Bauer was described by McCormac as “a former financial planning and account management executive with Merrill Lynch”, apparently her only “professional” qualification.

Taxpayers Have A Right To Hope

The taxpayers have a right to hope that McCormac is better with figures and numbers than he is with accurately representing the qualifications of McGreevey’s torch-driven patronage appointments.

Ms. Bauer is not a financial planner, except in the most ubiquitous sense, and she was not an “executive”, and not part of Merrill’s “management” in her job as the lowliest species of account representative, a position which she left during the 1980's - and to anybody’s knowledge, she has not enjoyed anything close to gainful employment ever since.

If they wanted to appoint Ms. Bauer because she is Toricelli’s friend, then fine.

If McGreevey and McCormac wanted to appoint her because she is a 9-11 widow, that’s fine too, and maybe even in the public interest.

No Reason To Make Up Stories: Ms. Bauer
Was Only Marginally Qualified

But there’s no reason to make up stories about “management” or “executive” qualifications which don’t really exist. It leaves citizens with a familiar feeling of frustration and resentment when they discover they have been had again.

And especially when the replacement has weaker qualifications than the person she is replacing.

Mrs. Hedinger is a CPA with considerable experience in her profession. She has an accountant’s license. There were actually people who regarded this as useful at the Lottery Commission including, presumably, McGreevey, who kept Ms. Hedinger on for more than a year until Toricelli arrived with what turned out to be a strong argument to appoint Ms. Bauer in her place. More on these issues in the fullness and majesty of time on OceanCountyPolitics. 6/22/03

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