Touting Reforms, while playing the same games

by: Jason Springer

Sun Sep 02, 2007 at 05:54:57 PM EDT

A $44,300 study of the Burlington County Bridge Commission's management and contract-awarding practices recommends a series of reforms, all of which have either been implemented or are in the process of being implemented, bridge commission officials said.

County freeholders requested the study after a public relations consultant admitted last year that he routinely overbilled the bridge commission.

The consultant, Robert Stears of Lawrenceville, admitted during a December federal court hearing that between 1997 and 2003, he routinely inflated the number of hours he and members of his firm worked while under contract with the bridge commission. Stears pleaded guilty to income tax evasion and mail fraud and the incident led to the resignation of Bridge Commission Executive Director George Nyikita.

And what have these $44,300 worth of changes actually changed? Don't worry, the Bridge Commission is already breaking their arm patting themselves on the back to take credit for the "successes."  Follow me below the fold...

"The reforms we've put in place are part of our efforts to make the commission a model agency of transparency and accountability," Commissioner James E. Fletcher said in a written statement the agency released on Friday.

The ordinance would create the Burlington County Lease Bank, which would provide a maximum loan of $1 million for items such as vehicle and equipment purchases.

The bridge commission approached the freeholders last month with the idea. The commission, using its powers as an improvement authority, operates a bond program intended for major capital programs like roads and buildings. The Lease Bank, however, would provide money for smaller purchases and, for the first time, would include school boards.

The money for the loans would come from a yet-to-be-selected bank and the bridge commission wouldn't be lending any toll money. The bridge commission needs the freeholders to authorize the use of the county guarantee.

The guarantee means the taxpayers of the county would be backing the loans arranged by the bridge commission, something only the freeholders can approve.

Well, under the old system, if a town wanted to fund a project, they'd ask the bridge commission and the bridge commission would approve it and issue bonds for the funds. This means that the process would be subject to public oversight, if at no other point, when the investors bid on the bonds.  That would be totally lost under the new system.

Instead, when a town in the district decides that they need something, they go to the Freeholders.  The "Lease Bank"/"Slush Fund" doles out money for the project - without public oversight of the plans, the environmental impact, or the bidding process.  The local town then hires Vendors to complete said project.  The Vendors will then of course make contributions to the County Party and candidates for the business they have gotten and will get in the future, because the taxpayers have now bonded a steady revenue stream of business.  Not to much of a stretch, would you say?

Not only that, but the new "reforms" allow the Freeholders power to finance projects for school districts - a power they didn't use to have.  It isn't as if our schools were non-political before, but this raises the potential for politicizing such things as buying school buses and maintenance to a whole new level.  Even if you boot a corrupt member off of the School Board, their buddy on the Board of Freeholders is still in position to "enforce discipline" on vendors.

So the candidates get money for their elections, the vendors get money for their business and the taxpayers take it in the wallet.  This is pay-to-play on a whole new playing field - one created specifically by the Board of Freeholders. 

The way I see it, they got caught committing a crime and came up with ways to make it harder to get caught doing it in the future. But don't worry, because the reforms have made them the model of transparency.  Does this mean the people can see themselves getting screwed more visibly?  What a joke!