The Asbury Park Press has started using real words like "corruption" and "bribery" to describe the practice known as "pay-to-play" and the "shamelessness of public officials willing to use their public office for personal gain."

"Both Forms Of Corruption Are Hidden Taxes"

“Both forms of corruption are hidden taxes, inflating the cost of providing government services through inflated contracts and contracts that are not bid competitively," the Press editorial said

Taint A Broad Base Of Government Decisions

"They also taint government decisions about taxation, spending priorities, development and land use, transportation, public employee contract negotiations and hiring,” the editorial noted.

More Of Every Contemptible Practice

There have been more political payoffs and more crony hirings, more of every contemptible practice denounced by the Press in the first fourteen months of the new government in Dover Township than in any other suburban township in the state's history, so far as we know.

Pay-to-play payoffs, pension scams, useless jobs and double-dip rewards for more than 40 lawyers, engineers and a whole regiment of worthless political hacks have made Dover Township the political payoff capital of New Jersey since the new government organized on January 3, 2004.

Is Dover The Most Corrupt Town In New Jersey?

Does this make it the most corrupt town in New Jersey? If you use the corruption definitions implied by the Press editorial, it may.

Citizens who made it through the snow to Tuesday's township council meeting got a sample of the budget manipulations which have accompanied the climate of greed from Mayor Paul Brush, who made a report requested by Republican reform leader Robert K. Haelig Jr. and also by another Press editorial.

The "report" defended a $500,000 bogus "emergency appropriation" enacted three weeks ago for "accumulated sick time payments" which Brush, choosing his words carefully, claimed could not have been put in the 2005 budget because "the decisions were made (by employees) after the budget was made up."

Brush Uses Weasel Words To Justify Bogus "Emergency"

Brush said retirements for two executive employees had not been announced "late last summer" as the "budget was being made up" so the mayor and council were forced to make the $500,000 emergency appropriation which, by law could only qualify as an legitimate "emergency" if the mayor's late summer lack of knowledge was true.

Unfortunately for the public and for the destitute credibility of both Brush and the Republicans on the council, Brush's disclaimer was based on an outright lie and the $500,000 "emergency" was probably flagrantly illegal.

The fact is that Brush and the council knew about the retirements for nearly three months because the budget was not adopted until December 14th: the $500,000 could have been included in the budget according to the law at any time before the budget was finally adopted.

World Class Tax Increase Would Have
Been Even Larger If Brush And
The Council Didn't Invent Bogus "Emergency"

The reason Brush and the Republicans didn't want to comply with the emergency law was it would have made their World Class 10¢ tax increase into an even larger 11¢ tax increase.

The latest lie continued the trail of bad faith that has characterized the township spending process ever since the Mayor said he "didn't know" whether there would be a tax increase ten days before the budget was introduced with huge spending and tax increases back in July.

Haelig got up to talk about the spending increases and was greeted with another ambush as Brush accused him of "being responsible for the 1992 fiscal crisis" which produced the biggest revenue shortfall and the largest tax increase in the township's history.

Haelig Says Brush Is Operating "In The Twilight Zone"

Haelig accused Brush of living in the "twilight zone" and pointed out after the meeting he had nothing to do with the 1992 problem, that he criticized the practices that caused it "both before and since," and had warned numerous times that the same practices would produce another crisis, "which indeed they have, haven't they?" he asked.

Councilman Carmine Inteso accused Haelig of disrespecting Brush with the "Twilight Zone" comment, and Councilman Michael Fiure accused Haelig of "lying," but as per his usual practice, didn't cite any of the "lies" that only Fiure and Brush appear capable of perceiving.

Performing For The Approval Of Chairman Gilmore

It didn't become clear until after the meeting that the three axis-of-greed flunkies were actually performing and wagging their tails for the approval of Republican County Chairman George Gilmore, who was listening to the proceedings from an anteroom.

Annual Cost Of Greed Tax May Be More
Than $100 Million Annually" Haelig Says

Haelig said the "hidden taxes" identified by the Asbury Park Press, including the "culture of greed produced by a hemorrhage of political payoffs in Dover Township and elsewhere in Ocean County" could be in excess of $100 million a year "wasted to pay the extra greed bills."

Click Here For OCP Report On The Huge
Spending Increase And The World Class Tax Hike

And, Be Sure To Click Here For A Look At The Video Of The Haelig Ambush. It Tells A Significant Story About The Way The Axis-Of-Greed Operates.

Stay tuned for more on Tuesday's meeting, including a revealing comment by Councilman Brian Kubiel on snow plowing in  his neighborhood in the recent snow storm, the latest letter from Bradley Campbell on Ciba-Geigy, and the appearance of three Berkeley Twp. GOP political hacks, including CyberCreep Richard Ciullo & Central Regional School Board President Carmen Amato, at the meeting to assist in the Axis-Of-Greed smear campaign.

This article prepared for publication March 13th, 2005.