Commentator Tom Cotello Says "McGuckin And The Republican Council Are Part Of The Problem, NOT Part Of The Solution To The Problems Facing Our Community"

River City: To The Editor:

I almost choked on my breakfast reading Carol Benson’s fawning praise of pay-to-play lawyer Gregory McGuckin for his “professional manner” as council president in Dover.

I have been present at many council meetings, and it is clear that McGuckin, an elected official up for re-election, is part of the problem, NOT part of the solution to the problem.

Dozens Of Greedy Lawyers Appointed By McGuckin

Who can forget the gaggle of political cronies and dozens of greedy lawyers appointed by McGuckin and the Republican council, including the most disgraceful appointment of all, the costly political reward to Republican county chairman George Gilmore Esq. to make $90,000 worth of ridiculous changes to the township administrative code.

Taxpayers In Pain Over Greed Conspiracy

Who can forget McGuckin’s obsessive commitment to the political greed conspiracy that is ruining the credibility of government in Ocean County and in our community?

Who can forget the artificial turf fiasco, when McGuckin refused to trust the public in a referendum, and made up vicious stories about some of his critics to cover up his duplicity.

Political Prisoners Section In The County Jail, But They Exempted The Annual Republican Golf Outing

Who can forget the ordinance, sponsored by McGuckin, that called for 90 days in jail for citizens engaged in “campaigning on public property,” but exempted the annual Republican fund raiser at the Bey Lea golf course just to make sure everybody knew who was boss.

Clements, Haines, Bellu Plunder DMUA

Who can forget McGuckin’s refusal to lift a finger to stop the plunder at the DMUA as his appointees, all members and officers in the local Republican club, trashed the finances there, creating a single-year deficit of $5.3 million.

Two of the folks most responsible for the plunder at the DMUA, former chairman Virginia Haines and current Chairman Juan Bellu, are co-campaign managers for the re-election campaign of McGuckin, Maurice Hill, Brian Kubiel and Maria Maruca, all ward incumbents.

DMUA commissioner Deborah Clement and her husband, GOP boss Richard Clement, control the Republican operation in Dover Township along with Gilmore.

Who can forget McGuckin’s campaign promise to “cut wasteful spending” and “hold the line on taxes,” and who can forget the huge increase in spending and big tax hike McGuckin gave us just to rub salt in the wounds left by his failure to level with the voters?

Who can forget McGuckin’s 2003 campaign fliers that never mentioned he is a lawyer, much less acknowledging his status as a partner in one of the top three pay-to-play law firms in Ocean County with dozens of municipal clients? Is this a conflict?

"No Republican With A Conscience Could
Ever Vote For Any Of Them Again"

Who can forget that this “oversight” was repeated in the first Republican publication this year (no mention that McGuckin is a lawyer), the same flier that also included the absurd slogan: “He Works For Us”?

"They Work For Everybody BUT Us"

The problem is McGuckin, Maruca, Hill and Kubiel work for everybody BUT “us,” a sad fact of life in the current landscape of political and financial greed that Mrs. Benson obviously doesn’t understand.

Nobody with a real conscience who believes in basic Republican values could ever vote for any of them again.

Thomas Cotello – Dover Township

This article prepared for publication August 30, 2005.

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