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.

Pink Slip

Dear employees on this list, I take no glee in informing you that you are targeted for layoff. I believe you haven’t been officially notified yet, your only warning has been word of mouth.

In a memo dated March 5, 2009 to the state’s Division of Local Human Resource Management, appointed Union County Manager, George Devanney informs the state that the county intends to issue eight-four layoffs (although he uses the number 83 in parenthesis). This brings up the question yet again, is being Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew enough to qualify you for the position of county manager?

At a glance it appears that the entire Department of Golf Operations is on the list which would point to impending privatization of the golf courses. George Devanney’s personal trainer is not on the list. Armando Sanchez was hired in 2008 and replaced 46 year employee William Gallman, Jr. who was earning $98,965 at the time of his retirement. Sanchez was hired with a starting salary of $110,000 a $11,035 salary increase for the same job – at the time. Now Sanchez will have a lot less to do.

Senator Nick Scutari’s father is on the layoff list but sources inside the county allege that he was transferred just 2 days ago to the Building Services department which would put him in a position to bump someone lower than him. George Devanney is on Scutari’s legislative staff and earns another $6,000 for this appointment.

It was announced previously that the entire Department of Engineering will be eliminated however, freeholder Sulllivan’s daughter managed to be transferred out of this department and will not be affected.

Star-Ledger reporter Gabriel Gluck retired from the paper and was put on the county payroll during a hiring freeze on 1/10/09. No one knows when the freeze went into effect, including the county, even though it was announced with much fanfare in 2006 it was obviously a PR gimmick.

No one in the extensive office of Public Information is on the list, even though most counties do without this service. Even Gov. Corzine cut back the states press corps when he first took office. The county needs this office to manipulate and intimidate the media and churn out fluff press releases to cover up their incompetence, waste, mismanagement and especially their corruption.

Gabe Gluck’s wife Joyce Marinelli is on the layoff list. Gluck’s beat included the county, he was charged with covering the railroad reactivation, what could arguably be called the most important public safety issue of the decade. The freeholders and Devanney lied to the public about the reactivation, yet Gluck who was charged with being a government watchdog managed to cover this story and stay in the county’s good graces to go on to become the county manager’s ‘Confidential Assistant” with a starting salary of $91,856. This title is bogus and has no salary range. Any political hack with any background can walk into this position.

There are no layoffs planned at the patronage pit which is Runnells Hospital even though it bleeds money annually. Some people on the payroll there include:

The county manager’s mother in law
The deputy county manager’s nephew
Senator Scutari’s uncle
An array of elected municipal officials

The county payroll has gone up exponentially over the years even though the number of employees has stayed about the same. What has happened since Devanney forced his way on board by having 2 part-time positions created for him is the payroll has become more top heavy. Getting away with rampant patronage wasn’t enough, these hacks wanted promotions and salary increases. There are many examples of the institutional nepotism which has plundered the county payroll and is now pushing the hard working employees out of jobs, and imperiled their pensions.

Remaining employees can take action. The F.B.I. needs you to contact them. You have access to information, you are present during these back-door meetings and can wire up, you can document and record the favors to contractors and the quid pro-quos that can put them in prison.

Not one of you is safe. At election time the county finds ways to warn employees of the impending doom should the Union County Democratic Committee slate not be reelected. If the county was run in a professional above board manner the only cloud facing employees today would be over the connected heads. The hard working, honest employees who are qualified for their jobs would have nothing to face but another hard day of honest work in what was meant to be public service.

You can’t be anonomous. You will have to fully cooperate in order to have any impact. I don’t recommend you call the State A.G. it is apparent that politics are still running the show there.

If you suspect criminal activity in Union County Government contact:
U.S. Attorney General’s Office (973) 645-2700
________________________________________
If you are aware of waste or mismanagement contact: State Comptroller 1-866-547-1121, or send an email to comptrollertips@osc.state.nj.us.

The County of Union will be staging a 150th Anniversary celebration on Saturday. The only history mentioned in their press release is the county’s creation.

The county hasn’t mentioned the most famous part of its recent past, the creation of the county manager plan. This has been referred to by historians as the biggest mistake in county government history (reference New Jersey Politics and Government).

In 1976 The Elizabeth Daily Journal let a crusade to endorse this form of county government to of all things, end widespread patronage. County charter reform forces won in a close race and George Albanese was named the first county manager. Historians have noted that Albanese was a respected and talented administrator who swiftly restored fiscal responsibility and they fretted that he would be hard to replace.

Thirty years later we have State Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew appointed as the county manager. A 2006 study conducted by the Union County Watchdog Association found that 542 county employees have the same surnames of elected Democrat officials. We can’t say for sure that all these people are related, but we can say that we have no idea of knowing how many employees don’t share the same surname, such as in-laws and cousins. For instance, Senator Lesniak’s nephew’s name is George Devanney. Devanney’s mother-in-law is on the county payroll, all three have different surnames - So much for ending patronage.

Union County is the only county in New Jersey which adopted the county manager plan of government. It was considered a mistake and has become the poster child of bad county government.

Senator Tom Kean, Jr. introduced a bill in 2004 to study the effectiveness of county government. With the 21 counties in New Jersey being under home rule of one powerbroker or another who dole out patronage and contracts to political contributors who keep them in power it is little wonder that this bill didn’t get far. Other states have had recent success with getting county governments off of their tax backs. Connecticut got rid of county government in the 1970’s. In 1997 Massachusetts abolished 8 of its 14 counties.

While the freeholders and politically connected in Union County have plenty to party about on Saturday, property tax payers, who will be no doubt picking up the catering bill for the festivities, have nothing to celebrate to date.

In December 2000, Worrall newspapers reported “The Union County Improvement Authority has a new executive director: Charlotte DeFilippo, chairwoman of the Union County Democratic Committee.”

DeFilippo replaced Doug Placa, who was then Angie Devanney’s husband. Angie is now married to the county manager. Placa was the UCIA’s first executive director, appointed in February 1999 at an annual part-time salary of $40,000. The position was turned full-time when DeFilippo was appointed and the salary was set at 104,000. DeFillipo’s current salary is $132,910 up almost $100,000 since she took over.

Worrall reported in 2000 “There’s no way that job warrants $104,000 a year, said Wayne Smith, the lone Republican on the nine-member UCIA board.” He called it a blatant patronage job that does not even warrant $40,000 a year. The UCIA is doing a lot for the county but this is typical patronage and the UCIA really plays patronage to the fullest extent. He was the lone dissenter in a 7-1 vote to replace the part-time financial administrator with a full-time executive director.

Formerly the township clerk in Hillside, where she also is Democratic chairwoman, DeFilippo has worked for the county since Democrats took control of the freeholder board in 1998. She was a management specialist in welfare, a civil service position, with an annual salary of approximately $75,000.

In an editorial published in Worrall last week DeFilippo writes that public employees are being made scapegoats because of the perception among the public that they have overly luxurious pension packages.

Union County employee records show that in 2000, 868 employees made over $50,000. Today that number has almost doubled to 1,530 employees. In 2000, 29 employees made over $100,000. Today that number has almost tripled to 74. 542 Union County Employees have the same surnames as elected Democrat Officials.

It isn’t the rank-and-file that infuriates good-government watchers. What people are furious about are the politicos like DeFilippo who are abusing the system. They are using the workers as a smoke screen. She writes of rank-and-file employees as if she is one of them. Even more deceitful, she claims to be the defender of them - and more, calls herself a “Democrat.”

What New Jersey needs is for people to stop blindly following a political party. So called Democrats like DeFilippo are making fools of the rank-and-file worker and are using them to the hilt. It’s the rank-and-file that are being taxed out of their homes to pay the patronage salaries and perks of the DeFillipos of New Jersey.

The following letter appeared in the Westfield Leader/ScotchPlains Fanwood Times in March 2005

It warms my heart knowing that Union County’s current Board of Chosen Freeholders is so very concerned about Robert Codey’s financial security that they are paying him $46,731 annually, over and above the $93,268 salary that the state of New Jersey is already paying him. Additionally I feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that Union County’s generosity will add another $36,000 to his pension, which will be based on his highest years earnings, he is now eligible for a pension of $98,500 a year upon retirement.

Robert Codey, NJ’s acting governor’s brother, is a deputy state attorney general and on loan to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office to contribute his talents in prosecuting Organized Crime Cases. Certainly a welcome addition to the team, he temporarily replaces our most experienced organized-crime prosecutor who recently retired but what the residents of Union County may not realize is that we could have gotten this guy at no cost. It has been said that Mr. Codey did not come looking for additional dollars to accept this assignment but rather Union County offered it, and get this, he will be making more than our County Prosecutor - his boss - and more than over 100 others who out-rank him.

Does this action strike anyone else as a bit odd? Has this all-Democrat Freeholder Board opened a can of worms by setting a costly precedent and will Union County be looked upon as the place to make a quick cash hit? All of this aside I can now comfortably sleep at night secure in the knowledge that because of our concerned freeholders Robert Codey will not become a drain on society when he reaches his golden years.

Update

Well, that didn’t take long did it?

As most everyone is aware, Robert Codey, has announced his retirement already. He will be leaving the Union County Prosecutors Office in September exactly one year after his arrival. I guess his “work” here is done and all the organized crime cases in Union County have been successfully prosecuted. Funny I don’t recall hearing or reading anything about his job performance.

Well, actually his work here is done, he will have successfully jacked up his pension to the tune of $36,000 more annually, plus thanks to the freeholders he will have pocketed a hefty bonus. Not too shabby.

Our freeholder board should be ashamed of themselves. It has been painfully obvious since the get go what was going on here. The real crime is that this board allowed the residents to be used in this way.

Of course they will lie, cry and deny that pumping up Codey’s pension was not the reason behind their financial largess. However most people would have to agree that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it certainly isn’t a rooster.