Bergen County: Corruption-free for 0 days!

by: Juan Melli

Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 09:41:45 AM EDT

Maybe BCDO headquaters can put up a motivational poster to encourage Joe Ferriero to be less corrupt.

City officials gave permission to Hackensack University Medical Center to build a new cancer center. In return, the medical center agreed to handle the city's daytime emergency ambulance calls.
Seems OK, right?
Well, consider this: A key player in this deal is Joe Ferriero, chief of Bergen's Democratic Party and dispenser of patronage.
Ferriero, acting as a private attorney, represented the medical center in negotiations with Hackensack officials. But he insists he felt no conflict of interest. He says he was just another ordinary lawyer, not a powerful political wizard.
"If you want to criticize the deal, fine," he told me. "But don't say I have a conflict of interest."
Well, consider this: Two members of the supposedly non-partisan Hackensack City Council who were supposedly objective when they had the chance to assess Ferriero's hospital deal are also members of the Ferriero-controlled Bergen Democratic committee. Another had been a member of the committee until this year. And yet another has a job, courtesy of the Democratic-controlled county government.
And one more thing: A political action committee run by the medical center donated $10,000 in campaign funds to this supposedly non-partisan political team that took over the council in 2005.
Yep, this is one big conflict. Think of this as just a bunch of buddies, doing a deal.
But that's not the end of it.

Keep reading for the rest.

Juan Melli :: Bergen County: Corruption-free for 0 days!

Tags: Joe Ferriero, corruption, BCDO, Bergen County, hackensack, (All Tags)

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Bergen County: Corruption-free for 0 days! | 2 comments

Shameless (4.00 / 1)

It's all about Joe's quest for $$$. I grew up just like Joe did - in Bergenfield, though, in a modest home. I wouldn't have been able to afford Holy Angels high school if it hadn't been for a Knights of Columbus scholarship.

He is a land use attorney. I am a licensed civil engineer. We are both involved in the Democratoc Party in Bergen County. However, when I took the Council position as a member of the Planning Board in Tenafly, I told all my clients that I was not designing any more in Tenafly because that would be a conflict of interest. Did that cost me money? You bet it did. The last two projects I designed BEFORE I took office, went on to sell and rent for the highest amounts in Tenafly history. But I did not take on new designs in Tenafly because IT WAS THE RIGHT THING DO. Did I continue and whine that everyone was persecuting me? No. I offered to stop working in the town where I was on Council before anyone had to even ask me. NJ is a big state - construction wise. There is PLENTY of work outside of Hackensack and Tenafly. Joe's influence runs deep in Hackensack, regardless of his protestations and his tentacles - like Oury's are EVERYWHERE.

I find it difficult to believe that Joe doesn't make enough as a CONSULTANT to the Passaic Valley Sewer Authority even though he rakes in a taxpayer funded salary AND consulting fees? He has to take absolutely EVERY land use job - like he is a pauper and needs to keep his family fed?

Please. I know drainage - and his argument holds absolutely no water.

One Vote. Yours. It really does matter.

by: carolh @ Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 16:10:13 PM UTC

Greed rears its ugly head (0.00 / 0)

Greed rears its ugly head again. Boss Ferriero is insulting our intelligence if he thinks no one can see through his charade, using his political IOUs and his ownership of the local Hackensack politicians to leverage insider deals affecting the community and the hard working people there.

And this is the guy that our Governor and State Democratic Chairman hitched their stars to? Does not speak well of our state Democratic establishment.

Values and standards mean nothing to them? I guess it must be something in the water here in New Jersey. Explains a lot as to why the state is in the shape its in.

by: TerryMalloy-OnTheWaterfront @ Fri Jun 13, 2008 at 04:38:05 AM UTC