OCP Editor Schiff Responds To McGuckin's Desperate Charge That Criticism Of Mrs. Benson's Endorsement Of His Greed And Bad Council Policies Was Intended To Mock Her Grandson's Childhood Cancer Tragedy

River City: Editorial By Richard Schiff

It is shameful that pay-to-play lawyer Gregory McGuckin, in pursuit of another term of office, would stoop to whimpering and cowering behind former candidate Carol Benson.

It is even more shameful that McGuckin blamed criticism of his bad policies on a desire of his critics to "mock" the tragic cancer death of Benson's grandson.

Carol has suffered for years before the Township Committee, and has run for office unsuccessfully. She was a leading force in the first round of anti-Pay-To-Play petitions, and even began to file a suit against the Republican Council until deterred by something that none of her co-workers on Pay-To-Play reform understood at first.

Benson's Fawning Praise Of McGuckin Began When Her
Son-In-Law Became Part Of McGuckin's Campaign Payroll

Then it surfaced that Carol’s son-in-law was a Republican club officer, a candidate for the school board in Berkeley, a partner in a website business on McGuckin’s campaign payroll, and her loyalties no doubt followed that lead.

McGuckin and Company have been on notice for months that the two major newspapers in Ocean County have called for him and the rest of the Republican council slate to be turned out of office in the November election.

McGuckin heard me say to his face that it was his policies and his greedy personal lawyer’s agenda that earned him a vote of no confidence from the media.

Brush Won After Being Endorsed By Media

He smugly responded that newspaper editorials do not decide elections. He is quite wrong. Mayor Paul Brush won the election after being endorsed by the local newspapers.

Aptly, on the day McGuckin’s crybaby letter appeared on the opinion page of the Ocean County Observer, the newspaper’s own editorial on the same page said:

Observer Hits Council For "Open Space Plundering

“What used to go almost unnoticed in Dover Township — the efficient delivery of public services — needs restoring — before we get on with nonsense like buying little chunks of land owned by the politically powerful for exorbitant prices.

“The mayor seems to have his feet on the ground and his priorities right while the council is off wasting tens of millions of dollars on questionable open space plundering.”

This is what should be utmost on Mr. McGuckin’s, lawyer McGuckin’s mind, that his squandering of the money paid in taxes on the network of pals and buddies and bosses that were handed millions in no bid contracts is why those he named in his letter are demanding he be removed from office.

McGuckin Endorses Payoffs To Politically Powerful

It is why the newspapers say his priorities are dead wrong. He is endorsing payoffs to “the politically powerful” over affordable taxes, efficient spending and better services.

His abuse of power has him sneering at dissenters, pontificating instead of leading.

"Pontificating Instead Of Leading," McGuckin And His
Colleagues Are A "Disaster For The Taxpayers"

His role is that of mouthpiece for the politically powerful, and spokesman for the politically connected. McGuckin and his Republican colleagues are a disaster for the taxpayers.

Too often honest citizens are bought away from their friends and fellow citizens through the long arm of political influence and the way it leads to money or perks or power.

Exorbitant Prices Paid By Council

Trust the newspapers. They only see the results “with nonsense like buying little chunks of land owned by the politically powerful for exorbitant prices.”

You should have paid more attention to the honest people like Messrs. Haelig, Galante, Kenny, Polifroni, DiGiovanni, Earle, and even me, Richard Schiff, all of whom simply wanted to be treated honestly by you and the new governing body.

"We Do Not Like To Be Lied To"

We do not like to be lied to. We have tried to keep you from becoming puppets, but we have clearly failed. We tried unsuccessfully to keep you from destructive policies that the newspapers and the informed public will see as wasteful and corrupt.

Richard Schiff - Editor OCP

 This article prepared for publication September 10, 2005.

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