Friday, September 17, 2010

A Question of Competence

Nearly nine months into the fiscal year, Aberdeen Township passed a budget. Woo hoo! Mayor Tagliarini spoke proudly over the township’s ability to deliver a double-digit tax increase, the largest tax increase in Aberdeen Township’s history, “without furloughs and without layoffs”. The same mayor who damned the school district for requesting a 1% tax increase has now levied an 11.4% tax increase on top of the sewer fee increase. And, contrary to the school district cutting expenses, spending has increased 2.6%.

According to the article, the township partly blames the budget increase on a decrease in state aid. Either that’s a typo or another sign of the fiscal insanity that has plagued Aberdeen.

Pensions jumped, naturally, after a one-shot payment deferral last year that Mayor Tagliarini characterized as a “decrease in spending”. As expected, debt payments rose by $118,000 – gotta pay for that missed pension payment, not to mention all the debt from our vaunted road program.

About that road program, “the governing body did not want to discontinue its road program, a move very important to Deputy Mayor Vincent Vinci.” Looks like CME Associates has a champion on the town council. Guess they’ll keep getting their million dollar-plus service fees each year. Maybe that’s why CME, along with our town attorney and Anchor Glass developer, have cosponsored Aberdeen Day. Such generosity, such gratitude, who cares if they plunder our town a little? Unless, of course, you happen to be a homeowner.

Sadly, it looks like the good times may be coming to an end. As shown in the chart below, the township is quickly burning through our reserves. At this rate, we’ve only got one more year before we’ve completely exhausted our surplus. We hit asset depletion in five years. At some point, our bond rating will drop and financing our CME-approved roads will become a whole lot more expensive.

Values are in millions
 
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Assets
7.60
6.34
5.06
4.38
Year-End Surplus
1.57
1.49
1.36
0.72
0.40

However, our councilmen aren’t concerned. They figure if we’re ever in trouble, we’ll just mug the library, again.

Unfortunately, even the budget numbers are suspect. Each budget publishes the prior year’s “Surplus Balance – December 31st”. Since the budget is published months later, it should be an easy thing to know how much money is in our bank accounts at the end of the prior year. But we don’t. As the next chart shows, each year’s end-year surplus is revised; 2007’s surplus was revised by a whopping $300,000.

Values are in thousands
 
2006
2007
2008
Original Surplus
1,497
1,064
744
Revised Surplus
1,490
1,365
720
Discrepancy
7
301
24

Our town council has retained a lawyer who blatantly lied to the council and the public stating COAH would immediately withdraw Aberdeen’s certification. (Further proof of the lie can be seen from Marlboro’s loss of COAH certification. Marlboro’s de-certification was on COAH’s agenda whereas no such decision was ever scheduled for Aberdeen.)

Our town council has retained another lawyer who threatened local residents with police force after the townspeople objected to his denying their right to speak at a public meeting.

Our town council has recently re-appointed a felon convicted of attempting to bribe an IRS auditor to be our lead developer on the transit village.

Our town council claimed we had no choice but to accept a massive low-income housing development on County Road only to see the developers voluntarily work with the Cliffwood Housing Association to scale-down the project.

At some point, you begin to question the council’s competence. If only they were as good at running our township as they are at getting themselves elected. At the very least, they should earn their council salaries.

On a final note – Kudos to the township employees for accepting a wage freeze. I wish other public employees had done the same. >>> Read more!

18 comments:

WHO IS LYING THIS TIME said...

IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE EMPLOYEES DID NOT ACCEPT AND WERE NEVER EVEN OFFERED A WAGE FREEZE BY EITHER THE TOWN MANAGEMENT OR THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

IF THAT IS TRUE WE TAXPAYERS ALL NEED TO ASK ONE SIMPLE QUESTION.

WHO'S LYING TO US THIS TIME FROM WITHIN TOWN HALL ?

THE ANSWER WE CAN BE SURE IS VERY SIMPLE.

OUR KAUFF CONTROLLED POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IS LYING TO US TAXPAYERS TO KEEP THEIR POWER.

OUR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP WHOSE CORRUPTION ALONG WITH EVERY KAUFF CORRUPTED AND CONTROLLED WORD THEY ESPOUSE IS ONLY DONE TO KEEP KAUFF AND HIS COHORTS WELL FUNDED.

MR. WARREN I WOULD SUGGEST YOU CONTACT PEOPLE WHO WORK IN TOWN HALL. BETTER YET CALL SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES LISTED IN THE PHONEBOOK AT THEIR HOMES. PERHAPS THEY WILL TELL YOU THE TRUTH UNLIKE THE KAUFF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP WHO ARE POISED TO SELL THE TOWN EMPLOYEES DOWN THE RIVER FOR THIS NOVEMBERS ELECTION WIN. THAT WIN OF COURSE MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED TO CONTINUE THE ILLEGAL KAUFF FLEECING OF THE ABERDEEN TAXPAYERS BANK.

Anonymous said...

Come on people! Is anyone going to be surprised that politicians would say something even when they knew damn well it was a lie?

This is New Jersey after all.

Sleep well Aberdeen our liars are running the show.

The guy on the street said...

The words well funded were used in the first posting and it got me thinking. Did anyone look and see if the municipal professionals used by Aberdeen took a pay freeze? Don't bother looking. The answer will be no. Even if they took a supposed pay freeze or lower fee for their services you know they just tack on more hours and get right back to their needed number.

That is the real deal in federal, state and municipal government, It is like the guy who checks the number of trucks delivering asphalt on my job. One little envelope to the right person and ten trucks show up on paper but they are trucks that we never see on the site with an awful lot of asphalt that we never laid down that the boss gets paid for. Ten trucks of asphalt is a lot of money and it is a crime. And since I am back to work I am not making any waves or doing the right thing. I like breathing thank you very much.

Just look at the biggest contributors to all levels of government and you will see who gets the big contracts year after year.

We call it highway robbery at my job. The Contractor saves on $10,000 worth of asphalt and the counting guy in the truck gets $500.00 for his trouble. Don't think it don't happen because it happens in every job.

Politics of course is the worst offender we can all be sure. Just look at your taxes. All I have to do is look at the engineers on my job. They show up in the morning and you see them for a little while. Then just before the end of the day you see them again. You can bet they billed five or six other jobs for being on site all day also. Nobody checks the checkers you see.

This year all you have to do is compare the ending totals for professionals in this town. Look at the numbers they've gotten each year and see how much those numbers have gone up. You see they never go down. Wonder why?

Mayor Sobel's best jokes said...

Two funny jokes from the past. While reviewing some past paperwork and googling the words Norman Kauff and scumbag and Mayor Dave Sobel and Norman Kauff the following jokes came up.

Joke #1. During a Aberdeen council meeting Mayor Dave sobel was asked if " He ever spoke to Norman Kauff about Stewart Brown which in turn caused Brown's departure from the manager position?

Mayor Dave Sobel said No. He further added that Norman Kauff is a friend of his.

Joke #2. Mayor David Sobel said after a heated moment from questioning by a Mr. Petragnani Mayor Sobel said the following. " At the end of the day all you have left is your integrity".

Without a doubt those are the two funniest jokes I have ever heard. That and the fact that Mayor Sobel really thought that the people present would never ever believe that Norman Kauff had absolutely nothing to do with getting rid of Stewart Brown. Sure he did not? Anyone want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge for a dollar. That would be far more believable than Norman Kauff having had nothing to do with ousting of the former manager. He had everything to do with it. Kauff and CM&E of course. The one honest guy and they put him to the curb like yesterdays garbage.

So if you are looking for some fun on a rainy day just google Kauff and any assorted derogatory word you choose. Something always seems to come up about our Kauff when you follow his name with bad words.

WARNING: Just don't try googling the words Kauff and honesty, truth, ethical... that wastes your time as those words have nothing and I mean nothing to do with our local political scumbag Norman Kauff.

Honest Coach Fred??? said...

It takes a big set of balls to say that our town employees accepted a pay freeze wen they were never even asked.

Isn't that right Coach Fred?

So much for the man I thought was honest.

Fred. You're just a Kauff with a different name.

So sad! So sad!

And to think that I voted for you.

NEVER AGAIN will I vote for a democrat.

G Get
R Rid
of
I Incumbent
P politicians

IVANHOE said...

Those of you who castigate Norman Kauff may want to try thanking him instead.
Thanking him for over a generation of good government in the town of Aberdeen. Your local Democratic Party has always endeavored to select candidates with vision and integrity, leaders in our community. As a leader in the Party, Norm Kauff has kept his finger on the pulse of the community that he loves, Aberdeen. He continues to do so as a Democratic "elder statesman", not by dictating policy as some writers here insist, but by keeping a fatherly guiding hand on the shoulders of our town fathers.
That your Democratic Party has chosen leaders of the community can be seen in the makeup of our Town Council. Wilhelmina Gumbs, longtime leader and community organizer. Vincent Vinci, who kept the streets of Aberdeen safe from crime as a police officer for many years and, as if that was not enough, has volunteered as a fireman for over 50 years! Not to mention Richard Wolfe, Gene Sadowski, Wilma Greenspan, George Hausman, Dave Sobel and many others. Norm is even willing to "cross the aisle" and recruit Republicans such as Tom Perry or Mayor Fred Tagliarini, making our Town Council truly bipartisan. It is a testimony to Norm Kauff's leadership that while other towns have gone to the Republicans, Aberdeen has rejected that road and continues to elect Democrats. I know that when Norm Kauff is sitting in temple his prayers include the community he loves. I am proud to call Norman B. Kauff my friend and a friend to Aberdeen!

Mark Coren is not a nice man and is a cad in his personal life. That having been said, what he did or didn't do on his own time has no bearing on the fact that he was the best town manager in Aberdeen's history, indeed one of the best in the state! There is no evidence that Mark Coren was involved in anything untoward during his service to Aberdeen. You need a tough leader as town manager, not someone who wants to be everyone's friend. Although Mark was originally hired by a lame-duck Republican council, it was Democrats who recognized that he was the natural order of things for Aberdeen. Mark came on board as a young man in his early thirties and remained to retirement, with the exception of a few years where the Republicans summarily fired him. When Aberdeen returned to the Democratic fold, one of the Town Council's first actions was to bring back Mark Coren.
I will add that with all the allegations of corruption in Aberdeen, none has ever been found, and that is a testimony to good leadership in our town. We know the FBI was looking at Aberdeen a few years ago, but it soon became evident to them that there was "nothing to see here", and they moved on. Where they found the corruption was in Republican towns like Marlboro, Keyport and Hazlet. Suffice it to say, that if the FBI had found corruption in Aberdeen, Bush's partisan US attorney (Chris Christie) would have trotted it out and made a big PR event out of it. They found nothing!

Chief Auriemma has run our town's fire department for more that half a century and now a handful of disgruntled back benchers are sniping about him. I hear some of these people weren't even born when he became chief. You don't argue with experience and Aberdeen is lucky to have "Lou" keeping us safe.

Petty jealousies don't lead a town. Experience does. When a few people with axes to grind start complaining, don't pay any attention to them.

Anonymous said...

Must be that teacher's union again.

Anonymous said...

Things have been awfully quiet over in Matawan. Did they do anything about their out of control chief? Or did they chicken out again?
Before the idiot says it...I know, racist, kkk, white sheets, blah blah blah

Norms friend is Norman Kauff lackey said...

I have to ask Norman Kauffs friend one simple question.

How did you make it out of the jungle when you and all the other believers were drinking the Reverend Jim Jones Kool-aid?

You took a not so brave step today in defending the most politically corrupt and costly scumbag in Aberdeen.

You speak of all of these people as if you know them. You don't really know the in any way, shape or form. You speak of Vinny Vinci and know nothing about him. Do you think running numbers as a police officer is honest. Or crying and whining to the Freeholders about a street specific traffic change costing $850,000.00 just for him. Don't get me wrong the area needed a traffic signal but did we need to buy a house, and make all of these changes to facilitate a corrupt politician and his selfishness. Forget all of the hundreds of fees and questionable contracts awarded by CME and corrupt and inept so called professionals who charge far more than any other similar contractor for services that often are wrong and counter to the publics approvals, A man who blindly follows your buddy Kauff who is the lowest of the low who engineers and orchestrates every single move all with very questionable ethics and worse.

You speak of Ms. Gumbs as well who has profited for a long time and whose presence on boards where she worked as a real estate person should have had her step aside and she never did.

David Sobel? Really what a joke he was too. But you say all of these people are honest and benefited the town under Kauff leadership. Put the cup down and stop drinking the Kauff kool-aid.

Did you read this post about the questionable finances and outright lies? Did you look at the last twelve years and the monies paid to the Kauff professionals and Kauff himself?

You throw Coren out with the trash and fail to link Kauff tp Coren. Here is a hint Kauff knew. He knew about several Coren rescues during his time here under the Kauff corruption umbrella.

I have to go take my son now but I will be back with a couple more examples of your Kauff.

By the way what kind of person defends Kauff but won't sign his name. You cannot deny al that is on this site whatsoever. Just so you know. Your defending of this scumbag without signing your name is all the proof that all of us who hate and despise Kauff know him for what he is. A crook.

Don't worry though the investigation is underway. This I swear to you as the man who received a letter from the DOJ. On my life I will tell everything I know and everything I have heard about him. Call Norman and ask him about the parking lot shakedown. If he tells you it never happened he is not really your friend.

Friends don't let friends do Kauffs bidding.

Norms friend is Norman Kauff lackey said...

I have to ask Norman Kauffs friend one simple question.

How did you make it out of the jungle when you and all the other believers were drinking the Reverend Jim Jones Kool-aid?

You took a not so brave step today in defending the most politically corrupt and costly scumbag in Aberdeen.

You speak of all of these people as if you know them. You don't really know the in any way, shape or form. You speak of Vinny Vinci and know nothing about him. Do you think running numbers as a police officer is honest. Or crying and whining to the Freeholders about a street specific traffic change costing $850,000.00 just for him. Don't get me wrong the area needed a traffic signal but did we need to buy a house, and make all of these changes to facilitate a corrupt politician and his selfishness. Forget all of the hundreds of fees and questionable contracts awarded by CME and corrupt and inept so called professionals who charge far more than any other similar contractor for services that often are wrong and counter to the publics approvals, A man who blindly follows your buddy Kauff who is the lowest of the low who engineers and orchestrates every single move all with very questionable ethics and worse.

You speak of Ms. Gumbs as well who has profited for a long time and whose presence on boards where she worked as a real estate person should have had her step aside and she never did.

David Sobel? Really what a joke he was too. But you say all of these people are honest and benefited the town under Kauff leadership. Put the cup down and stop drinking the Kauff kool-aid.

Did you read this post about the questionable finances and outright lies? Did you look at the last twelve years and the monies paid to the Kauff professionals and Kauff himself?

You throw Coren out with the trash and fail to link Kauff tp Coren. Here is a hint Kauff knew. He knew about several Coren rescues during his time here under the Kauff corruption umbrella.

I have to go take my son now but I will be back with a couple more examples of your Kauff.

By the way what kind of person defends Kauff but won't sign his name. You cannot deny al that is on this site whatsoever. Just so you know. Your defending of this scumbag without signing your name is all the proof that all of us who hate and despise Kauff know him for what he is. A crook.

Don't worry though the investigation is underway. This I swear to you as the man who received a letter from the DOJ. On my life I will tell everything I know and everything I have heard about him. Call Norman and ask him about the parking lot shakedown. If he tells you it never happened he is not really your friend.

Friends don't let friends do Kauffs bidding.

Anonymous said...

Unless you name actually is Norms friend is a Norman Kauff lackey, you didn't sign your name either. Put up or shut up.

Ivanhoe is a joke said...

How about the Coren rescue down south. How about his cocaine addiction and that local police rescue. Ask Norm, Vin and all the rest of the people you think are so honest about those little tid bits. You are an asshole Ivanhoe.

Anonymous said...

Hey Ivanhoe how about answering just one question.

Why does Kauffie need to be OF COUNSEL for Aberdeen?

Is the real reason Ivanhoe because Kauffie is despite you glowing but so laughable response and your so very flawed defending of Kauffie and his forty thieves who ruin this town. Sadly and despite your so very flawed defending of the corruption that you seem to purposely overlook the very real and obvious fact that Kauffie really is the man who pulls all the strings on his controlled and corrupted planning and zoning boards, the Kauffie puppet council and the Kauffie puppet manager all of whom fail us taxpayers on a daily basis?

If you can't answer the first question how about asking your friend Kauffie why did his puppet mayor announced to the taxpayers that the employees took a pay freeze that they were never offered or involved in. That dishonest news release has the stink of your friend Kauffie all over it. That is the truth about a man that you call your friend. Many of us call your friend exactly what he is CORRUPT through and through.

So when you look in the mirror tomorrow morning know full well that you truly are a complete idiot who is so easily manipulated by a man so corrupt that you are the only one who has ever defended him in all these posts with all the evidence, examples and proof from many sources for over two years now. Did any of the people you suggest are hard working Democrats brave enough to stand up to the hundreds of posts about your friend Kauffie?Are we all liars?

Of course you you know you are a total ass for defending Kauffie. But you are a friend of the devil of Aberdeen so being truthful with yourself has long left your psyche since you sold your soul to the devil.

I hope you are proud of yourself?

Union proud said...

Where is big mouth Ivanhoe or as I like to call him or her Norman Kauffs-Ivan-Ho? He or she claims to be a friend of Kauff? He or she claims that the D's have done a great service to Aberdeen? Sure they have? Whatever goes on in town hall is done for only one reason. It is all done to feed the Kauff political machine. Norman is the one who pulls the strings in town so he may as well just sit behind that big desk in the managers office.

Now Kauff through his puppet lawyer wants our unions to renegotiate, freeze our pay and give back our hard earned money and change our similarly hard earned retirement numbers to solve the budget problems that the corrupt town leadership created. You see for years Kauff gave all the monies to his road program and of course the Kauff and CME crime organization that really runs the town. The federal RICO statutes should be used to curtail the leadership and their political crimes against the employees and residents.

Why did they not raise taxes and bank the surplus during the good times? Why not raise one or two cents in good times and not spend the surplus to plug budget holes? Surplus was the game wghen Coren was here.Where is the surplus that Coren had when he left as the manager? Sure he has a very serious black mark from his recent perversion but he was a good although arrogant and demeaning manager. That is especially true when we look at our present town leadership who is really a joke and has no respect from rank and file. Kauff knows it and so do his clowns that parade around patting themselves on the back like they involved us employees as they lie to the public again. They ignored our suggestions that we gave them in several meetings. They won't tell the taxpayers that. They say it is management that deserves the credit. What management? They all know that the puppet is hurting the employee morale and much more each and everyday. Is that sound management? It is Kauff management.

So Mr. or Ms. Ivanhoe keep defending the un-defendable. Your friends has hurt not helped us and he has cost all of us millions.

Anonymous said...

The person defending the scourge of Aberdeen Norman Kauf says he sees him in temple. Sure he does. Than he says that Coren was a tough manager band that we don't want a manager that wants to be everyones friend. Why not. You are for sure one of the people who voted to put what purports to be a new tow manager in Coren' old chair. What did that do for the residents cause he is no manager. He is a joke and you know it. The guy who you claim was everybodys friend was honest and was ousted on the order of Kauf. That is why he was fired unjustly by the man you cryptically defend. The fact that Stew stopped funding the crooks at C.M.E that is a badge of honor for Stew to wear. We liked and respected Stew and hate the man you supposedly defend. I love the fact that you won't sign your name while you defend your supposed friend. Some friend. You are a real tool.

Defending Normie unthinkable said...

The title of this should have been NO QUESTION OF INCOMPETENCE. This is especially true with this Ivanhoe jerk trying to defend Normie while only succeeding in embarrassing their anonymous self. At least we can say even idiots get to defend the unelected Normie. One day very soon the end of Normies reign will come and than you will see the rats scurry off the ship of fools that have been on the USS Normie. By the way did Ivanhoe seek the error of his idiocy and leave the web? I hope so. Defending Kauff what a concept. Right Ivanoe?

Shaft said...

Norm,
Thank you for taking the heat off of me. Those racists are tryin to brig me down I owe you one brother.

JA

MiddletownMike said...

Joey,

Keep up the good work, Aberdeen sounds an awful lot like Midddletown. The status quo is not good enough in either town and changes should be made.