The Citizens Alert leaders noted the only way the public got access to a clear record of the meeting they attended, even second hand, was the presence of an OceanCountyPolitics microphone on the table in the meeting room.

So the OCP mike became the center of attention at the subsequent DMUA meeting, held last Thursday in the DMUA meeting room, as Republican Club functionaries tried to get rid of the microphone.

Rick & Debbie: If You Can't Hear,
Get Rid Of The OCP Microphone

Rick and Deborah Clement, he president of the local Republican Club, she a DMUA commissioner with much of the responsibility for this year's DMUA record operating deficit of more than $2.1 million, decided what was required under the circumstances was to get rid of the OceanCountyPolitics microphone.

Mrs. Clement Launches Wacky Twilight Zone Charges,
Accuses Chairman Haelig Of "Slander"

"The last thing we want is for anybody to hear what is going on," Mrs. Clement clearly inferred, as she launched a diatribe of twilight zone charges against OCP Editor Richard Schiff, the first amendment to the U. S. Constitution, her husband's critics, comments by Citizens Alert leaders, and DMUA Chairman Robert K. Haelig Jr., whom she accused of "slander".

Haelig: "Leave The Mike On The Table Where It Belongs"

Haelig's "slander," apparently, was to disagree with the Clements' twilight zone charges generated by the microphone debate. Haelig suggested justice could best be served by "leaving the microphone on the table, right where it belongs."

"We Have More Important Things To Do"

"We have a lot of important things to do, like address the need to cut our operating deficit, rather than wasting valuable time with a lot of mickey mouse about whether we should allow a media microphone at a public meeting," Haelig said.

Commissioner Anthony Benyola, a recently appointed Clement Republican Club stooge who sits with his back to the public at DMUA meetings, turned around to the public for a few seconds to respond to a comment by Schiff, saying: "I'll never turn my back to the public," then immediately turned around again - turning his back to the public.

Haelig Notes Mrs. Clement And Former Commissioners
Suppressed Public Documents And Falsified Public Record

Chairman Haelig said the removal of the microphone would be the near-equivalent "of suppressing another public record," noting that "the suppression of public documents and the falsification of public records" occurred previously at the DMUA at the hands of Mrs. Clement and former DMUA commissioners.

Mrs. Clement Appears To Confirm She Helped Falsify Public DMUA Records "To Save Mr. Haelig From Mr. Haelig" (See Video)

Mrs. Clement appeared to acknowledge her complicity in the "falsification of public records," but said this was done to "save Mr. Haelig from Mr. Haelig" in connection with the alleged "slander."

Mrs. Clement did not explain her "slander" comments - or how they related to the question of the removal of the OCP microphone.

Instead Of Leaving OCP Mike On Table, DMUA Ratepayers Will Pay For Individual Microphones For Everybody In The Room

In a typical bureaucratic response to what originally appeared to be a very simple problem (the Clements' punitive attitude towards the public's right to know), the commissioners overruled Haelig's objections and adopted a motion offered by former Planning Board Chairman and recently appointed DMUA commissioner Juan Bellu to remove the OCP microphone after obtaining a new public address system and buying individual microphones for everybody at the table.

New Public Address Equipment Purchase Could Be April 28th

Purchase of the new public address system and six bushels of live microphones will be considered at the regular monthly DMUA meeting on April 28th.    This article prepared for April 4, 2004.

Coming soon: Stay tuned for all of the gory details on falsification of official records by Mrs. Clement and former DMUA commissioners, undertaken on orders from the Clement GOP Club to validate the club's schedule for the 2002 Haines-Aldrich job switch which undermined the confidence of rank-and-file Republicans and the public in the integrity of the DMUA and the Clements and the local Republican Club.

Don't Miss The Great DMUA Debate On
The OCP Microphone - On Video - Click Here

OCP Article From March 26th: Citizens Alert Leaders DiGiovanni, Polifroni, Kenny Say DMUA Commissioners Turn Their Backs (Literally) To The Public - Click Here