As the self-proclaimed “second-most hated man in Aberdeen”, I have a pretty thick skin. But the one criticism that really goads me is the claim that you can’t believe anything on this blog because it’s all hearsay, fiction, or lies. Considering the vast documentation on this site of egregious improprieties, an incredulous volume that belies the size of our tiny hamlet, one would have hoped for shock, dismay, and a demand for answers. Instead, defenders of the status quo have chosen to denigrate this blog. And, to a large extent, they have succeeded.
(Note: All of the below quotes are taken from Winston Churchill, a great man who was frequently vilified for being right.)
“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
During the past several months, I have refrained from investigative reporting to dedicate more time to my position on the school board. However, I never imagined that in just six months people would forget the allegations, the evidence, the pure chicanery that betrays the very premise of clean government.
“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
So, for everybody who’s forgotten what this upcoming election is all about, I’ve chosen to review last month, September, just a single month, as a sample of what happens in our town.
“The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.”
In September, the township balanced its budget during a recession by increasing taxes, taking “surplus funds” from the library, and suspending payments to the pension fund. The township then postponed discussions of building Section 8 housing on County Rd. until after the election.
Also in September, Councilman Vinci opened a new home equity line of credit for $242,000. That, by itself, is of no consequence but the number itself is peculiar. According to the latest property assessment, his property is worth over $350,000. Why not ask for a line of $245,000 or $25000? Why $242,000? Well, by coincidence, his prior assessment valued his house at $246,000 (using an equalization factor of .37). Why did his assessment increase so dramatically? Because the prior assessment didn’t include the 8,688 sq. feet of property he purchased from the state and township for the grand price of $2.
It could all be a coincidence but, if I was planning to subdivide my property, I would only take a line for the portion that wouldn’t be separated, just like Councilman Vinci did.
It’s too bad the rest of us can’t get those great land deals. On September 15th, Donald McMahon, a resident of Cliffwood Beach, purchased 3,460 sq. feet of land from the township. Like Vinci’s situation, the land was unused, vacant, and adjacent to his property. Unlike Vinci, McMahon had to pay $15,000.
“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”
John Samaha of Samaha Farms also has to deal with the township on occasion. Earlier this year, he requested permission to join lots so that his property could meet the 5-acre farmland requirement. As part of the resolution, he was asked to sacrifice 2,836 sq. feet for a road improvement program. Last month, the township paid him $1 for the land. (Note: The argument's been made that Samaha voluntarily agreed to the deal, he greatly benefited from the lot consolidation, and it is therefore inappropriate for me to claim he was victimized.)
By contrast, the county needed to buy two small parcels of land at the Lloyd Rd.-Rt.34 intersection to add some turn lanes. The county paid $36,300 in September.
Another interesting real estate purchase in September was from Matawan Borough Councilman Cannon. Looks like he’s moving back to Aberdeen, again, which would explain his decision to not seek re-election. The interesting part, though, is that he was able to purchase the property with only a $5,000 down payment. He probably used the same mortgage broker as his son, Gregory Cannon, democratic candidate for township council, who only made a $4,000 deposit on his property. It’s good to know such loan conditions are still available.
”There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true.”
I don’t print everything I know. Sometimes I give people the benefit of the doubt. Other times, I trust the source but can’t find supporting documentation. That doesn’t mean these things didn’t happen. When I read anonymous comments, I often pursue the stories and many times I find them to be true but I can’t get the documentation without jeopardizing my sources. There’s so much that can be proven, I don’t need these other stories to justify my case – that we, the community of Aberdeen, have been done dirty by those we elected to represent us.
”Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
I and most of the readers on this blog are so critical, so vehement in our opposition to corruption, because we love this town. We’re angry and we’re loud because we know clean, competent, and limited government is the best hope for our community’s future. I am not always right but, the next time you hear someone criticize this blog, ask yourself this – Is the Aberdeener right at least half the time and isn’t that enough to prove his point? >>> Read more!