GOP gubernatorial candidate Douglas Forrester continues to maintain his silence on Ocean County corruption issues and the pay-to-play, pension scam and influence peddling empire of Republican County Chairman George Gilmore, Dover Council President Gregory McGuckin and McGuckin's partner Jerry Dasti, chairman of the county GOP finance committee.

Forrester has vowed to erase all forms of corruption in New Jersey, but he is in business with a company that is being sued for fraud by New York Attorney General Elliott Spitzer.

Why Is McGuckin Smiling? Why Is His Opponent Smiling?

Gilmore, McGuckin and Dasti, all lawyers, have established lucrative legal services contracts all over Ocean County for themselves and a small army of lawyers, engineers and architects who contribute more than $1 million every year to campaign accounts controlled by Gilmore and other Republican "leaders."

Crown Prince Of Pay-To-Play And Influence
Peddling Runs For Re-Election To Dover Council

McGuckin is a candidate for re-election to the council in Ward IV in Dover Township, and his status as crown prince of Gilmore's pay-to-play, pension scam and influence peddling empire has become an issue for his opponent, Democrat Jeanene Feaman, who is not a lawyer and is not associated with the axis-of-greed.

Gilmore, McGuckin and Dasti also exercise control over numerous local officials, whose sole purpose in holding office is to enrich Gilmore, McGuckin and Dasti, and the other pay-to-play associates.

Useless "Jobs" For Axis-Of-Greed Stooges

Gilmore, McGuckin and Dasti have also arranged useless county jobs for their patronage collaborators, which include current and former "leaders" of both parties, so the greed conspiracy has a bi-partisan flavor.

Former Democratic county chairmen Fred Potter and Al Santoro have benefited from the Gilmore-McGuckin generosity and have cooperated fully in the erection of his empire of greed.

Plunder Includes Raid On Brick Schools

The three Republicans have plundered public treasuries all over Ocean County, including the recent raid on the Brick school system by Gilmore, McGuckin and Republican county committeeman Jack Sahradnik, who is also paid about $700,000 a year by the Republican freeholder board for legal services.

Gilmore and McGuckin and some of the others have also put themselves on the pension payroll with bogus salaries in Seaside Heights, South Toms River, Stafford Township, Ocean Township and other places for legal services which are normally billed by the hour by lawyers who are not principals or financially lubricated associates of the axis-of-greed.

Stooge Officials, Including Some Democrats Have Produced Big Deficits And Tax Increases

Gilmore and McGuckin exercise direct control over the entire Dover Township Council, six out of seven commissioners on the Dover Municipal Utilities Authority, entire governing bodies in Seaside Heights, South Toms River, Beachwood, Seaside Park, Lavallette, Plumsted Township, Ocean Township, Barnegat Township, Central Regional School Board, Berkeley School Board, the Ocean County freeholders and numerous other school boards and public agencies.

Greed Surtax Has Reached $110 Million Annually

Axis-of-greed policies have produced a greed surtax in the form of higher taxes and rates and useless salaries which may total in excess of $110 million extra every year paid by Ocean County taxpayers.

Forrester's company, BeneCard Services, is on the public pad for dozens of no-bid public contracts all over New Jersey, so his promise to end pay-to-play and other forms of implicit corruption may have a hollow ring to some people.

Forrester Criticized Corzine Affair With Labor Leader, But Poll Shows Corzine Up By 20 Points

Forrester has made an issue of his Democratic opponent's affair with union leader Carla Katz, and the opponent, U.S. Senator Jon Corzine, has acknowledged making a $430,000 loan to Ms. Katz, the state employees union official.

Corzine forgave the loan when he and Ms. Katz terminated their liaison last year, but the voters appear to be focusing more on Forrester's failure to address corruption issues because the latest Star Ledger/Eagleton poll shows Sen. Corzine has widened his 10 point lead to 20 points during the past month.

Corzine With 47.6%, Forrester Has 27.5%: Getting Close To Coattails For Some Democrat Candidates In Ocean County

The Star Ledger poll shows Corzine with 47.6%, Forrester getting 27.5%, with 21.7% of likely voters undecided.

This is very bad news for the Gilmore-McGuckin greed coalition in Republican Ocean County, because a Corzine lead of this magnitude could produce a coattail effect for local Democratic candidates, especially if the weak Democratic organizations decide to run actual campaigns for numerous local, county and legislative offices.

This article prepared for publication  September 12, 2005