The following
post from nj.com wanted to know more about my platform and what
I can do as freeholder.I answered each issue and can elaborate
if need be. Please feel free to ask me to clarify if necessary.
(NJ.COM would not allow me to post a reponse.)
2486.1.1. No real
platform..
by FlatKatz, 10/3/03 19:21 ET
Re: I Predict by UCReporter, 10/3/03
To say, "We
need to cut waste" is not a platform. Its one thing to grandstand
and point out problems and say they need to be fixed, its quite
another to
actually know how to fix them. It incumbents certainly need to
go but how
does Joe plan on following through? Even more important, if he
does win,
who will follow him next election and help him effect change?
Dear FlatKatz,
These are all excellent points and I have addressed them extensively
in my writings. Eliminating waste is an a platform. The waste
in County government is the source of the Freeholders raising
the County portion of our property tax 10% each year for the last
three years.
I have offered solutions to cutting waste. For instance the County doles out no-bid contracts to companies that have contributed to their campaign funds. If these contracts were subject to a bid process, the County would be able to get better service for a lower price. Even a move of a few percentage points would result in substantial savings. I've pointed out at least a dozen projects that the County contracted out which have either ran into cost overruns, had shoddy production or economic failure (Galloping Hill Golf Course, privatization of the print shop, etc.). End pay-to-play practices and no bid contracts.
I also recommend putting an end to the Open Space Trust Fund. The Freeholders admitted to reaching their goal of preserving open space within the first three years. The rest of the money collected over the next 17 years is bound to be wasted on patronage jobs and more political payback.
Patronage jobs suck the coffers of the County dry and they are also responsible for the flawed projects and contracts that are implemented with out any analysis. Over the last three years, patronage jobs have increased in number and now make up the highest levels of the County administration. The incompetence at the top of the County hierarchy renders the rank and file workers unproductive. Administrators with no experience or skills are overseeing projects that are costing the County millions only to fail because of lack of oversight or proper planning. I have also mentioned a few examples of these in the past.
The reason the County is in such bad shape is that the public has no knowledge of what is going on. Critical information is not shared with the public until the resolutions are past. Then it is too late for public reaction to have any effect, not that the Freeholder board even considers public reaction.
The impact I can have on the board would come from me getting the information out to the people. I probably know more about the new Open Public Records Act than anyone in County Government. It is a tremendous tool for people to gain access to information. Even with the Act in place the County is still not forthcoming, and when they are, the information is too little too late.
As a Freeholder I would have access to public records first hand. It would be difficult for the Freeholders to wheel and deal as they do under the secrecy of all Democratic board. It is also the Freeholders' job to approve the decisions of the County Manager. Since I am not beholden to the leaders of the Democratic party, I will not be rubber stamping my approval to flawed proposals and ridiculous contracts. The incompetence of the County administration must be held in check.
Information is the key to fixing County Government. One person can accomplish this. Of all the sitting Freeholders, and other candidates, I am the most qualified to do so. Marketing, advertising and publishing has been my entire career. I can create a more open County government, and I can do it independently.