Bruce Springsteen Mocks New Jersey Governor

rocknation · #**111** 11-02-2014, 05:22 AM

Sandy-Gate at a glance, via the New York Daily News:

The non-disbursed total is actually closer to $945 million? I stand corrected. And I like I said, calculating the interest on it might give us a clue as to the reason why it hasn't been disbursed.

P.S: From the "Hands Up Who DIDN'T See This Coming" department:

rocknation · #**112** 11-20-2014, 12:22 AM

Remember this guy Robert Grady, who's running the New Jersey pension fund AND private financial firms that collect fees for handling the New Jersey pension fund?

Well, you can forget about him now:

...As Chris Christie draws closer to a run for president, there's intensifying scrutiny of donations flowing to his political organizations from executives at financial firms that manage ever-larger slices of New Jersey's $80 billion state pension system. Now, the Christie political confidant at the center of many of those questions is resigning. During today's meeting of the New Jersey State Investment Council, private equity executive Robert Grady announced he is stepping down from the chairmanship...

...(C)ampaign finance documents revealed that under Grady’s leadership, the state has awarded lucrative pension management contracts to hedge fund, private equity, venture capital and other so-called “alternative investment” firms whose executives made campaign contributions to Christie's campaign, his state party, the Christie-led Republican Governors Association and the Republican National Committee. The donations included a $10,000 contribution from Massachusetts Republican Gov.-elect Charlie Baker to the New Jersey Republican State Committee just months before Baker’s firm was given a New Jersey pension investment...

Christie has called Grady a "friend of mine for nearly 40 years" whom he relies on for political advice...

With friends like Christie's, who needs friends? Everyone!

rocknation · #**113** 11-24-2014, 06:14 AM

Conflict of Interest, She Wrote

The latest to fly the Christie Crew coop is his number one aide, chief of staff Kevin O'Dowd. Bridge(t)-Gate stopped him from his promised promotion to New Jersey's attorney general -- after all, how objective could he be about investigating the person who hired him, especially since someone who has worked with all nine of the Christie Crew members who are being investigated now runs the state ethics committee?

Anyway, Mr. O'Dowd will be working as the "senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Cooper University Health Care...responsible for...business and organizational development... marketing, human resources, compliance oversight, and corporate real estate and development." All for which he is very well qualified for with his background as a prosecutor in the US Attorney's Office Health Care Fraud Unit!

As consolation prizes go, I guess he came out ahead both professionally and financially. And there's no doubt his wife Mary is proud -- no doubt at all:

Quote:

(She) sent (a copy of) a letter to the ethics commission... telling...Ruth Charbonneau to ensure that...(Mrs. O'Dowd) doesn’t receive any communications “on any matters directly affecting The Cooper Health System…(B)ecause I may be seen to have a conflict of interest…I am delegating all responsibility and authority for handling any such matters” to Charbonneau, (she) wrote.

You see, Ruth Charbonneau just happens to be Mary O’Dowd's chief of staff, and Mary O’Dowd just happens to be New Jersey's health commissioner!

So exactly how will that work? One of the commission's duties is setting regulations for the health care systems. Does she plan to rule one way for everyone except Cooper University Health Care, and look the other way if Charbonneau rules the other way? As for Mr. O'Dowd, how does he make it look in the eyes of Cooper's competitors that there is even the mere possibility of Cooper having a pipeline to the health commission that they don't?

But I hope I'm not coming across as being anti-romantic. I mean, you know you've got a good marriage when you love your spouse so much, you outsource a piece of your job!

rocknation · #**114** 11-25-2014, 09:25 PM

The latest from the Crew Christie Personnel Department, and just in time for feeling thankful:

Since July 1, Joseph G. DiVincenzo has been working at the New Jersey Department of Education as an "education program development specialist" at a salary of around $90,000 US. According to the job description, it involves “the design, production, and delivery of curricula, training, program improvement, and related education services to education agencies to ensure achievement of mandated goals and to meet existing and emerging needs...”

According to DiVincenzo's father, "As a teacher for six years, Joe graduated with a master’s degree in educational leadership and earned certifications that qualify him to be a school administrator, principal, supervisor, school business administrator, K-5 elementary education teacher and grade 6-8 math teacher."

Lovely -- except that DiVincenzo's father is Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo...AND that Joe Jr. was SO qualified, the job was apparently never advertised!

Quote:

After Department of Education spokesman David Saenz did not respond to more than half a dozen phone calls and emails on the matter since early October, NJ Advance Media filed an Open Public Records Act request for a copy of the public notice for the job that was filled by DiVincenzo (Junior). The department denied the records request "based on the fact the Department of Education does not maintain the records you have sought under this request.”

But the Department of Education does keep such records for other jobs. A subsequent public records request by NJ Advance Media for all job advertisements by the Department of Education during the month of May produced five records, including an advertisement for “Education Program Development Specialist 3” — the same job title DiVincenzo has, but for a different specific job in Morristown. DiVincenzo...works out of the Essex County Superintendent’s office in Newark...

I myself just applied for a job at New Jersey non-profit agency. If they decide to contact me, they will do so after December 3, and if they decide to hire me, it will be before December 15 -- information I got from the job posting. It's possible that the agency has already made a hiring decision and are covering themselves by going through the motions of a hiring process. But that's the way it's SUPPOSED to be done.

Quote:

“This is the type of job in the Department of Education that people generally get promoted into. I think it is highly unusual that somebody from the outside would be hired into the highest level of this title,” said...Rosemarie Cipparulo, a labor lawyer and professor of at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations...

Hetty Rosenstein, New Jersey director for the Communications Workers of America, the largest state workers union, said she reads the state’s lack of evidence to mean it never advertised the job at all, which would violate its contract with the union. She said she plans to file a grievance...“I think it’s really been obvious what it is. It continues to be obvious what it is. It is a patronage job...(DiVincenzo Junior) got it through political connections.”

Shame on Cipparulo and Rosenstein! They should "give thanks" that taxpayer resources WEREN'T wasted on contacting and interviewing people applying for a job that was never available -- and think of the trees that were saved because no resumes had to be printed out!

rocknation · #**115** 12-07-2014, 01:52 AM

It turns out the that the 32-year-old daughter of a cousin of Christie's wife had a $95,000-a-year job as a school system administrator in Camden, New Jersey -- at least, until very recently after someone complained about the possible nepotism at a school board meeting.

Hopefully she worked there long enough to qualify for a state pension:

Quote:

Christie administration's pension liability estimate doubles under new rules

New Jersey’s unfunded public employee pension liabilities have soared to...more than double previous estimates as the state comes into compliance with new accounting rules...(that) call for a smaller rate of return when estimating how much money the pension system will earn in interest and investments...

The two largest pension plans, Public Employees Retirement System and the Teachers Pension and Annuity Fund, could run out of money by the ends of 2024 and 2027 respectively, according to the bond disclosure...

(T)he new pension numbers...(are)...among the worst in the country...New Jersey has $40 billion in assets and $122.8 billion in liabilities, rather than $44 billion in assets and $81 billion in liabilities...

Gov. Chris Christie’s administration acknowledged the change in a Nov. 25 supplement attached to a Transportation Trust Fund bond offering...A task force appointed by Christie is expected to make recommendations on how state should deal with its pension problems...

I doubt restoring proper tax rates will be among their "recommendations." Hey, maybe the lost income can be made up with revenue from the New Jersey lottery!

Quote:

Lawmaker calls for N.J. lottery review after revenue falls short

...(According)...to a Bloomberg report...Northstar New Jersey missed its projections by $24 million in the first fiscal year of a 15-year contract...

Christie inked the deal with Northstar in July 2013...over the objections of the union representing lottery employees and New Jersey's Democratic state lawmakers. Four months into the arrangement, which began Oct. 1, 2013, Northstar secured a contract amendment reducing its revenue goals...Northstar cited slowed sales from Superstorm Sandy in its request.

Superstorm Sandy? But that happened a whole year PRIOR to Northstar coming into the picture! I realize that there are people waiting for Sandy money to this day, but it didn't shut the ENTIRE state down!

Quote:

The lottery is New Jersey’s fourth-largest source of revenue, generating $2.7 billion in ticket sales a year. Proceeds are spent on scholarships, psychiatric hospitals, centers for the developmentally disabled and homes for disabled veterans.

Under the contract, Northstar took over lottery sales and marketing. It paid the state $120 million up front and promised to generate at least $1.42 billion more over the next 15 years. In turn, Northstar gets to keep 5 percent of the increases if it meets its goals...

Why should I believe Northstar can run the lottery more cost-effectively? And why weren't they fired for daring to claim that Sandy hurt their business when the state had record ticket sales in spite of it?

Quote:

Northstar spends more in general than the state-run system did. Administration costs for the year ended June 30 were $50.3 million, according to treasury information. That was a 45 percent increase from the $34.7 million under state control a year earlier.

Two of the three (Northstar) partners have contributed to the Republican Governors Association, where Christie was chairman for a one-year term that ended this month. In 2013, Gtech gave $101,800 and Scientific Games gave $76,000, according to the group’s disclosure forms.

That's what I get for asking rhetorical questions.

Nonetheless, there is a silver lining: The Revel casino has been sold; online gambling income is negligible; and now New Jersey is losing money on the lottery -- Chris Christie has finally won a trifecta!

rocknation · #**116** 12-08-2014, 05:33 PM

It looks like Christie will be able to count on getting the unfit parent vote.

Quote:

State plans to cut NJ cops' OT, a move unions worry will hurt kids

Human Services Police Department will no longer dedicate 25 of its 92 officers solely to child welfare workers...a department spokeswoman said, "By merging the groups, there will be a larger pool of officers from which to draw for shifts and calls, which will reduce overtime" and added that dispatching officers from a few centralized locations "is how most police departments are operating."

A decade ago, the unit was seen as an essential step toward improving New Jersey’s child welfare system after the body of a 7-year-old...was found...a year after caseworkers lost track of him and his family.

"Those dedicated police officers were trained in child welfare, and they provided important back-up to the workers. It was one of the most important reforms in terms of safety on the job and improving morale," said Hetty Rosenstein, state director for...the union representing child welfare workers.

For some reason, people forced to be held accountable to child protection agencies tend to be particularly vulnerable to taking things personally and reacting violently. Nonetheless, the decision to remove state police officers from ALL child welfare agencies went into effect twenty-three days ago...and this went into effect twenty-one days ago:

Quote:

(A)...caseworker...was stabbed multiple times...by...a woman whom (she) monitored, police and union officials said...

Another employee at the Division of Child Protection and Permanency “tackled” the assailant, said Hetty Rosenstein, state area director for...the union that represents workers from the Department of Children and Families.

The attack comes two days after the departments of Children and Families and Human Services reorganized the Human Services police force and disbanded a unit that assigned police to children welfare offices to save money on overtime, a long-standing problem in the department...

The stabbing took place on the fourth floor...Prior to Friday, police officers had offices on the third and fourth floors in the building...Officers did not provide security for the building, but they frequently worked from that location...Rosenstein said. “These workers are very brave. They risk their lives every day to protect children. It is incomprehensible that the Human Services Police were pulled out of the offices. It's inexcusable.”

...(T)he independent, court-appointed monitor of New Jersey’s child welfare system...said she was unaware the police officers were pulled from the child welfare offices, but planned to inquire about the reorganization.

Happy to report that the caseworker was released from the hospital last week. Unhappy to report that this resulted in more Christie versus union drama:

Quote:

Gov. Chris Christie’s office is criticizing a possible protest from state child welfare workers who may boycott work for a day in their call for more security in their offices...Communications Workers of America Local 1039 president Lionel Leach...sent (an email) to union members...“if by Monday every worker is not protected, we will not be working on Tuesday.”

...Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for Christie, had harsh words for anyone who takes part. “The job action CWA has been contemplating would be completely irresponsible, and the people hurt most would be the state’s most vulnerable children and families...CWA should unequivocally state that they will not walk out on DCF clients.”

No "harsh words" about the decision to create vulnerable caseworkers by irresponsibly making their police protection walk out and leave them without so much as a metal detector? Not even any apologetic words to the caseworker who got "hurt" (21 wounds from a steak knife) and could just as easily have gotten killed?

Quote:

...Drewniak said..."(The job action)...makes absolutely no sense since DCF and the administration advised CWA leadership last week of the security enhancements which are being implemented as we speak."

...The state began adding armed guards with metal-detecting wands to offices within days. The administration says that by Monday, 19 of the 40 offices had the enhanced security and the rest were expected to have the new measures in place within the next few weeks. Priority is being given to offices with the biggest caseloads and most foot traffic.

Well, I have to take Crew Christie's side in this case -- it doesn't make sense to carry out a threat if making the threat gets you the desired result. I believe the technical term for Drewniak's reaction is "sore losing!"

rocknation · #**117** 12-09-2014, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocknation

...Why weren't (Northstar) fired for daring to claim that Hurricane Sandy hurt their business when the state had record (lottery) ticket sales in spite of it?

Quote:

Two of the three (Northstar) partners have contributed to the Republican Governors Association, where Christie was chairman for a one-year term that ended this month. In 2013, Gtech gave $101,800 and Scientific Games gave $76,000, according to the group’s disclosure forms.

That's what I get for asking rhetorical questions...

But wait -- there's more:

Quote:

Two months after Christie lowered the revenue target, GTECH made (the)...contribution ...(A) GTECH spokeswoman...said there is no relationship between the donation and the company's work in New Jersey or in other states. Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said any assumption that the donation was tied to the lowered revenue target "is a wild-eyed stretch...Connecting the two is completely nonsensical."

...GTECH has paid Wolff & Samson Public Affairs $450,000 to be its lobbyist, starting in 2011, a relationship that is still in place. Wolff & Samson Public Affairs is the lobbying affiliate of a law firm founded by David Samson, Christie's choice to lead the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Samson, a key name in the George Washington Bridge scandal, resigned as the authority's chairman in March after questions arose about his potential conflicts of interest.

GTECH also turned to Mercury Public Affairs...(whose) managing director (is) Michael DuHaime...the lead strategist for Christie's 2009 and 2013 gubernatorial campaigns...Mercury's relationship with GTECH "long predates Gov. Christie's tenure in office," said (a) Mercury spokeswoman...

The Communication Workers of America tried but failed to stop the outsourcing...claim(img) it was a breach of the state constitution by giving operational duties to a private group...(A) spokesman for the CWA said, "The bidder had David Samson and DuHaime lined up. They were going to get what they wanted from the Christie administration."

Northstar's request that the revenue be lowered because of Hurricane Sandy not only "predated" their relationship with New Jersey, it was a "nonsensical wild-eyed stretch" of an excuse that should have been seen right through. Was Christie too complicit, too gullible, or too stupid not to?

And look whose head pops up yet again -- David Samson's, like the proverbial monster that can't be destroyed! As busy as he is, he even had time to run a lobbying group? Will wonders never cease!

rocknation · #**118** 12-11-2014, 08:47 PM

Kevin O'Toole Doesn't Let Being Implicated In Bridge(t)-Gate Stop Him From Criticizing the Interim Report

Quote:

...(T)he state legislative committee investigating the George Washington Bridge...gathered in public for the first time in months to discuss an interim report on the first 11 months of its investigation into traffic-clogging lane closings at the nation's busiest bridge in Fort Lee last September...The committee — which includes eight Democrats and four Republicans — voted along party lines to officially release the interim report to the public.

Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex) — one of the GOP members of the committee...said he wanted to discuss the report Republicans released this morning called "Minority Statement," which says the Democrats who lead the committee have "ran up exorbitant public costs", "proved to be some of the most partisan elected officials in modern times", and abused their power to "destroy" Christie...But Wisniewski told O'Toole that...he would not put the Republican report on the agenda. "This is not North Korea, John," O'Toole told Wisniewski. "This is America. You want to censor what I want to say?"

...O'Toole...added that...the panel has instead become a "runaway committee" spewing "irresponsible conspiracy theories" that...has been "plagued by leaks" to the media, and accused...the panel's co-chair...State Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex)...of continuing the investigation to boost his political career...

Wisniewski...a possible candidate for governor in 2017...call(ed...the report) "a shining example of how American democracy and checks and balances are supposed to work...(that)...may well serve as a great example, perhaps the greatest example, of legislative oversight in our state's history..."

It is far from shocking that Wisniewski would stick up for the report -- aside from being a Democrat, he helped spearhead the state-level investigation. And it is far from shocking that O'Toole would criticize the report, being a Republican. But it IS shocking that with three other Republicans on the committee, they chose as their spokesperson on this matter the one member whose name showed up on a Bridge(t)-Gate email:

Quote:

...In emails exchanged on Dec. 5, David Wildstein, the Port Authority’s director of interstate capital projects, thanked Gov. Chris Christie's Press Secretary Michael Drewniak "for all of your sound advice last night, I always appreciate your friendship. Spoke with O'Toole this morning and he will talk with you later today."

Wildstein resigned the next day...

O'Toole said in a brief interview on Jan. 16 he did not recall that conversation with Wildstein...and...said he did not speak to Wildstein about the Assembly's ongoing investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane closures. "I don't know what that means," O'Toole said of the email exchange.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Junior...(R-Union)...said he stands by his choice of O'Toole... State Senate President Stephen Sweeney...Sweeney (D-Gloucester)...said he will not question the appointment...

You'd think that since his name doesn't appear in the report, O'Toole would have enough sense to follow his mentor's advice -- "sit down and shut up." Anyway, here's the report -- a 136-page PDF. And I have no choice but to take Wisniewski's side: Having a spy in the enemy camp had to have made it that much harder to do a good job!

rocknation · #**119** 12-13-2014, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocknation

You'd think that since his name doesn't appear in the report, O'Toole would have enough sense to follow his mentor's advice -- "sit down and shut up."

No such luck.

Quote:

State lawmakers are quietly considering changing the law to allow Gov. Chris Christie to profit from a book deal and in turn boost legislative staff and judicial salaries...

“...I’m not going to deny it’s being talked about,” said Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “I haven’t seen the bill, though, and I won’t endorse it or condemn it yet.”

Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester), sponsored a similar bill...in February...that stalled. “Leadership said we think we’re going to look at that bill again...I haven’t seen exactly what they’re thinking but I’ve offered to stay engaged with it.”

...State Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex)...stressed that no legislation has been finalized. But he said his opinion "is that everyone should be entitled to write a book and get paid for it. Why treat (Christie) any differently?"

That's their idea of leadership, huh? Are they SURE there isn't anything MORE important for the New Jersey assembly to work on?

Quote:

...(The) bill...would have raised the salary of the govenror’s cabinet members up to $175,000 a year, matching the governor’s. Each legislative office would be allotted $140,000 for staff salaries, up from $110,000. And justices and judges would see their salaries increase 4 percent over four years. Though there had been talk of...(the) bill allowing the governor to make money from a book, the provision was removed before it was introduced.

State law prohibits the governor, cabinet members and his top staff from “receiving or agreeing to receive, whether directly or indirectly, any compensation, salary, honorarium, fee, or other form of income from any source, other than the compensation paid or reimbursed to him/her by the State for the performance of official duties.”

Never mind that Christie's cabinet would have as much earning power as the governor, but allegedly not as much political power (how would that work?). And never mind that New Jersey hasn't got any extra money to throw around thanks to Christie's fiscal mismangement. It's just that you would think that BECAUSE New Jersey hasn't got any extra money to throw around thanks to Christie's fiscal mismangement, he would have more important things to do with his spare time than write books. But let's not overthink this.

Maybe $175,000 simply isn't enough for a New Jersey governor to live on, and with four kids, Christie simply needs the extra income though his wife works. And let's be fair: if he can't manage the state's finances, SHOULD we expect him to be good at mangaging his own?

Do yourself a big favor, Governor Soprano: also tell O’Scanlon and Burzichelli to sit down and shut up. And if O'Toole is going to insist on calling attention to himself, somebody do ME a favor and hit him with a subpoena, please -- a BIG one!

rocknation · #**120** 12-17-2014, 11:49 PM

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was hedge fund company called Angelo Gordon & Co. One of their clients was tne New Jersey Treasury Department, who paid Angelo Gordon fees for managing their state pension fund investments.

In 2011, the New Jersey Treasury Department decided to take their money away from Angelo Gordon -- but it didn't make them sad, because the Treasury continued to pay them the fees!

Then one day, the people at Angelo Gordon found an abandoned orphan on their front doorstep, who they decided to take in and give a job, and everyone lived happily ever after. The name of that orphan? Mrs. Chris Chrsitie!

Now before you start crying "Foul!" it turns out that there's a perfectly logical explanation for this:

Quote:

A spokesman for the New Jersey Treasury Department...said...that while New Jersey “ended its investment” with Angelo Gordon in 2011, the payments were legitimate because the state continues to hold an “illiquid” investment in the firm. Christie officials declined to disclose details of what exactly that illiquid investment is and the justification for continuing to pay fees to Angelo Gordon...

Thomas Byrne, the Christie-appointed acting chairman of the New Jersey State Investment Council...said..."This is standard; we are not doing something different here that is outside the norms of the financial industry and the world of private partnerships.

"We are paying fees on whatever money is left in there, so it could be an asset that could be increasing in value...(W)hy should the manager work for free if they are hamstrung in the short term but they have made an investment that makes sense? A contract is a contract and presumably both sides are working in good faith to get out of it, and a deal is a deal."

...(T)he Christie administration said that details of New Jersey's remaining investments in Angelo Gordon are exempt from the state's open records laws because they represent "trade secrets."

So there. But what IS an "illiquid investment", exactly? Mrs. Christie's Secret Service code name? The new diet her husband is on?

Quote:

The state of a security or other asset that cannot easily be sold or exchanged for cash without a substantial loss in value. Illiquid assets also cannot be sold quickly because of a lack of ready and willing investors or speculators to purchase the asset. The lack of ready buyers also leads to larger discrepancies between the asking price (from the seller) and the bidding price (from a buyer)...

Some examples of inherently illiquid assets include houses, cars, antiques, private company interests and some types of debt instruments (notes, bonds, certificates, mortgages, leases)...Illiquid securities carry higher risks than liquid ones; this becomes especially true during times of market turmoil...(H)olders of illiquid securities may find themselves unable to unload them at all, or unable to do so without losing a lot of money.

So it's cheaper to pay the fees from New Jersey taxpayers than to take a loss by selling? Then it's a good thing we have Mrs. Christie looking out for us. The moral of this fairy tale: "Behind every great man there's a woman...helping him stuff his pockets."

Bruce Springsteen Mocks New Jersey Governor

NBJ - Everything Else