This is REFORM? Give me a break!

by: Melonie Marano for Freeholder

Fri Aug 17, 2007 at 02:44:41 PM EDT

There's a saying that the way some people tell you they think you are stupid is to say, "Have I got a deal for you!"  In Somerset County, the GOP tells us they think we are stupid by saying, "We will reform county government!"  Man, have they got a deal for us!

Since mid-July it has been clear to everyone that the Somerset County Parks Commission is damaged beyond repair - and the Somerset Board of Freeholders has shown they can't handle the truth.  They are doubly sure unable to do anything about the problem - because they are, part and parcel, the cause and symptom of the problem.

Join me below the fold for the latest outrage in Somerset County.

Somerset County's reconstituted park commission yesterday scrutinized some bills and contracts but not others, and rejected as "unfair" a move to make employees with county-owned vehicles turn them in by Sept. 1.

Reorganizing with six new appointees, the nine-member commission without comment awarded another contract to a graphic artist who employs the brother of the parks director, and later adjourned into closed session without official explanation.

Despite the alert from the June 22 Wolff & Samson report indicating 15 selected employees received free personal use autos from the Park Commission based on "no rationale", the Commission yesterday said asking these individuals to give up their cars by 9/1 would be "unfair". New Park Commission President Fuerst said it may damage morale. So, another extension to September 30 has been agreed upon. And the taxpayer keeps footing the bill.

Meanwhile, the below market and free housing to select employees continues. If the Park Commission thinks September 1 is too soon for a car, how long will it take for the Commissioners to charge employees market rate for their housing? And the taxpayer keeps footing the bill.

And the no bid contracts to relatives keeps going on as well. Yesterday Park Commission Director Ray Brown's brother's firm was awarded graphic design work under a no bid process:

The business listed in those documents has the same address and phone number as another graphic design entity called Brown and Ogilvie -- a venture that also included Glenn Brown, according to cached pages of the company's Web site in July. Brown is the brother of Commission Secretary-Director Raymond Brown. The information on the site -- now blocked from public view -- is copyrighted 2003.

Since January 2006, "Cassandra Ogilvie" had been paid $44,000 for commission work, County Finance Director Brian Newman said in July.

Commission Spokesman Rich Reitman said Thursday that Glenn Brown works as a freelancer for Ogilvie. There is no stipulation that she not use Brown on commission-related projects, he said.

And the taxpayer keeps footing the bill.

With all this, is it any wonder Park Commission attorney Terrance O'Connor resigned too?

The Freeholders may have appointed new Commissioners after the wave of resignations, but it seems things continue to go on the same.  There's only one way to bring change - and accountability - to the Somerset Parks Commission, and that is to elect Melonie Marano as Freeholder this year.  Unless and until the Republican patronage machine is stopped, taxpayers will continue to get ripped off.  You can help make it happen - give today.