When created in May 2009 the county stated in a press release that the new office of Economic Crime/Inspection Bureau to be headed by then acting public safety director Richard Childs would conduct public awareness programs on identify theft and credit card fraud as one of its duties.

Over a year later an OPRA request sought the schedule of public awareness programs conduced by the Office of Economic Crime/Inspection Bureau since its creation to date.

Response:

No document to provide.

Previously reported.

Last Tuesday The Star-Ledger reported that Senator Raymond Lesniak and Nicholas Scaturi (both D-Union) questioned Attorney General’s Milligram’s nomination for N.J. civil rights chief. This gem of a quote was within the article:
“(Milgram is) choosing her personal friends for this position and not even considering New Jersey lawyers,” Lesniak said. “It’s worse than patronage. She’s practicing cronyism.”

Web definition of cronyism:
Favoritism shown to friends and associates (as by appointing them to positions without regard for their qualifications)

Definition in context:
The Union County Republican Committee questioned Salena Carroll’s qualifications to the post of Union County’s Emergency Management Planer; in a short time she was promoted from the title of “Community organization specialist” to “special assistant to the deputy county manager”. According to her Linkeden Page she is a Bureau Chief in charge of over 200 employees. There was no job posting or candidate search done for this position whose job duties include having to evacuate Union County residents if there should be a terrorist attack. Lesniak referred to Carroll as his girlfriend in a blog post.

Definition of nepotism: Favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
Definition in context:
Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew was appointed to the position of Union County manager, after having had two part-time positions created for him at the county. No candidate search was done for any of these positions.

Lesniak must be a bit cranky with the Attorney General, why else would he be embarrassing a Democratic Governor whose in the heat of a tough re-election campaign?

Politickernj.com reported that Lesniak has taken up a collection for the Union County Democratic Chair, Charlotte DeFilippo’s defense fund. The attorney general has been investigating DeFilippo. Her close associate Rosemary McClave’s trial is set to start next week. Attorney General Anne Milgram charged the 66-year old McClave, former Assemblyman Neil Cohen’s campaign treasurer, with stealing money from his election fund to use for personal expenses.

If there is to be an indictment of DeFilippo it will happen before September 10th, which is the Thursday after Labor Day. This is unofficially the cut off date for indicting political figures before Election Day.

It would be a priceless piece of campaign front page news if Corzine can stand alongside his AG and announce the indictment of a major Democratic power broker. Especially in light of the F.B.I.’s stunning performance on this front last week. Corzine’s press conference where he stood alongside Milgram denouncing corruption, seemingly to take credit for the F.B.I. sting, was just a reminder of what a poor job Corzine has done in the fight against corruption.

The heat is on and Ray lesniak let us see him sweat.

Union County Manager George Devanney has proposed a $449.3 million budget for 2009 that predicts cost reductions through at least 28 layoffs. In a letter to the freeholders dated 1/22/09 Devanney writes “We have implemented a hiring freeze on all non-essential positions.”

Sound familiar? The hiring freeze was implemented in January 2006 with much fanfare; if it was ever called off it was done so very quietly. Since then 493 employees have been hired including 112 in 2006.

Four employees have been hired in January alone. Seven employee’s were hired in December including Mark Brink who is a System Analyst for finance with a starting salary of $69,250, just to give you an idea of what the county deems a “essential” employee, 17 employees were hired in November, 9 in October……..

Just a few of my favorite “essential - can’t do without them” recent hires are: Clerk Typist ($31,000), Data Processor Programmer “Trainee” ($40,000), and on December 20, 2008 - DRUM ROLL please!!!

The Sheriff’s Department hired a new “PARKING ATTENDENT” ($31,529).