December 23, 2011 at 1:00 P.M. I am among those who often find the holidays more annoying than blissfully delightful. I welcome the chance to see a few family members and others I love, of course, while dreading the obligatory encounters with persons I detest -- persons whose lingering presence in my life is like a cancer that I cannot remove just yet.
To quote Richard Nixon, "Let me make one thing crystal clear": Anyone who cooperated with my enemies or betrayed my trust by assisting in the violations of my rights and then lying about it is hateful to me. I will not be able to avoid treating such persons in the manner that they deserve. Please do not approach me with a pretense at friendship if you are someone who claims to have known me in my New Jersey existence but whose actions, for a small fee, were "less than loyal." Hypocritical smiles from "persons" whose loathsome and false statements behind my back are now known to me are simply sad and sickening, especially from the good folks in suburban New Jersey. ("How censorship works in America" and "Censorship and Cruelty in New Jersey.")
Sam Dolnick, "New Jersey Company Is Given Contract It Lost," in The New York Times, December 15, 2011, at p. A34. ("Herbert Klitzner's Greed and New Jersey's Hypocrisy.")
"Over the summer, Essex County, N.J., abruptly canceled plans for a contract with a private company to house federal immigrant detainees after questions were raised about the sole bidder, a company with close ties to Governor Christie. But after county officials conducted a new round of bidding in October, the same company was again the only [emphasis added] participant, and on Wednesday night, county officials unanimously approved the contract."
I wonder how they "sweetened the deal" to lead local officials -- who were opposed to this obvious mutual back-scratching operation the first time around -- to accept this Faustian bargain? Money?
It is obvious that, if Guantanamo is closed, you can be sure that detainees or inmates currently confined and tortured at that facility will end up in sparkling new federal buildings, like this prison (that's what we're talking about here, a prison), in Essex County.
The African-American and blue-collar community in the Newark area is going to be stuck with these confined people who would be much better off in Stuart Rabner's neighborhood in Short Hills -- Is that Essex County, Stuart? -- or in the area of Mr. Christie's northern New Jersey office, Ridgewood, New Jersey. ("More Trouble for Ridgewood, New Jersey.")
For some reason, politicians and judges -- like Christie and Rabner -- are reluctant to live next door to a facility housing "the worst of the worst." However, they will be among the first to welcome the presence of such detainnees in the Garden State -- if the federal government adds some money to the request for their acceptance when it closes the Guantanamo prison. ("Stuart Rabner and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" and "New Jersey's Politically Connected Lawyers On the Tit.")
The government will close that infamous prison because the facility in Cuba has become an object of global scorn and humiliation for America. The people of New Jersey deserve better from their elected officials than a shady sweetheart deal like this, Mr. Christie. I wonder how much is coming back to Governor Christie under the table? ("U.S. Attorney Calls New Jersey Politics a Culture of Corruption.")
About 1,250 immigrants/detainees (amazingly similar to the total number of detainees now in Guantanamo and "elsewhere"!) will be housed at the new facilities for "approximately $50 MILLION."
Who will share in this loot? Republican friends of the Governor? How many of these friends are "local" people residing in Newark, New Jersey? Very few Republicans call Newark home. I wonder why that is? ("Corrupt Law Firms, Senator Bob, and New Jersey Ethics.")
" ... Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., Esq." -- better known as "Joey D" -- "the county executive hailed the deal as a victory for his administration and for the county."
I guess this answers my question: Joey D is going to make some money and so will his friends. The rest of the people in the county will get stiffed, as it were. Joey D is a "Turncoat Democrat" who breaks bread with Mr. Christie and is known to Sweeney and Codey as the "Godfather of the Barzzini family." Joey just "wants to wet his beak." ("Mafia Influence in New Jersey Law and Politics" and "Is Union City, New Jersey Meyer Lansky's Whore House?")
Essex County and a private company "close to" the New Jersey Governor will "profit from immigrant detention" at the expense, perhaps, of the public interest of most people in Essex County, some of that county is rural and absolutely beautiful, as are parts of Newark.
Who cares about the people in this urban area? Not their elected officials in this administration.
Mr. Christie, what happened to the crusading corruption fighter that you once were? Ambition? Do you really want to be Vice President of the United States, Mr. Christie? Wouldn't you prefer to be the Governor of New Jersey, Mr. Christie, ALL of New Jersey? ("Is Christopher Christie 'Mentally Deranged' and a 'Liar.'")
The company getting these contracts "Community Education" of West Caldwell, New Jersey -- Republican country! --"has donated to Mr. DiVincenzo's political campaigns, as have [its] senior executives and several members of [the CEO's] family."
Is this a way of getting around campaign finance laws, Mr. Christie? Have individual contributions come from wives, friends, one's dog in order to circumvent limits on individual donations?
"William J. Palatucci, [Esq.,] a senior vice president at the company, is one of Mr. Christie's closest friends and a former law partner [of the New Jersey Governor.]"
This depressingly familiar scenario of visible cronyism reminds us that the more things change in New Jersey the more they stay the same. Christie's people claimed to be ushering in a corruption-free era -- after the fiasco of the McGreevey administration -- only to collapse, quickly enough, into "business as usual." Are these my self-styled "ethical and intellectual superiors," Mr. Rabner? ("No More Cover-Ups and Lies, Chief Justice Rabner!")
Democrats will be thrilled to see a Republican scam, for once, targeted by me as opposed to one of their many shady capers. Democrats will actually feel vindicated because, while Democrats often steal in Trenton, Republicans obviously do exactly the same thing. The notion that no one should be stealing the people's money will be regarded as utopian or romantic idealism suitable for Connecticut, perhaps, but never for New Jersey. ("Law and Ethics in the Soprano State" and "Cement is Gold!" then "Senator Bob Loves Xanadu!")
Stuart Rabner will demur; the New Jersey Bar Association will offer an ICLE course on legal issues in land use and municipal practice in graft situations. Everybody will be happy -- except for the little people, of course, who in Mr. Nixon's favorite phrase: "get shafted."
A list of sources detailing further corruption and incompetence in New Jersey's political and legal system will be added to this essay in the days ahead.
Sources:
New York and the World:
Dennis Overbye, "Data Hints at Elusive Particle, but The Wait Continues," in The New York Times, December 14, 2011, at p. A10. (Have we found the Higgs field boson? Too soon to tell, but it looks like we have identified the source of all matter in the universe.)
Brian Greene, "Waiting for the Higgs Particle," in The New York Times, December 15, 2011, at p. A39. (Have we really discovered the ultimate reality of all being or what Stephen Hawking described as "the mind of God?" Empirical verification of a priori knowledge and theory at last? Ideas and idealism vindicated? Looks that way.)
New Jersey's Nightmare:
James Quirk & Kibret Marcos, "Suspect Failed Drug Tests: Ex-Cop in Wood-Ridge Killing Struggled On Probation," in The Record, December 14, 2011, at p. A-1. (One of many New Jersey cops suffering from substance abuse and other emotional troubles resulting in criminal activity. Mr. Romankow, allegedly?)
Jeff Pillets, "Insurance Broker Draws FBI Scrutiny: Had Lucrative Deals With Town, Agency," in The Record, December 14, 2011, at p. A-1. (Crooked brokers kickback to politicians who then let them in for a piece of the action in terms of public expenditures. Does this sound familiar, Senator Bob? Is Lilian Munoz, Esq. still your front person and partner on closings and real estate deals, Bob? Mark Elias? Were these lawyers at "The Philosophy Cafe" at MSN? If so, why? At whose request were the attacks on my sites launched, Senator? Any of my so-called "relatives" and "friends" involved in those efforts against me -- for a small fee -- at "The Philosophy Cafe"? Give my regards to the twins, Bob.)
Herb Jackson, "Corzine Denies Role in Misuse of Funds: But Overseer Disputes Ex-Governor's Account On Client Moneys," in The Record, December 14, 2011, at p. A-1. (Corzine "dipping"? Or only incompetent, as usual?)
Peter J. Sampson, "Doctors Charged With Taking Bribes From Test Facilities," in The Record, December 14, 2011, at p. A-3. (A kickback scheme for New Jersey doctors subjecting patients to tests and TREATMENTS deemed unnecessary in order to scam medicaid funds, allegedly, including phantom tests for non-existent patients with the assistance of crooked lawyers and politicians. Hudson County? Is it true that one New Jersey man had his appendix removed three times? That almost sounds like criminal fraud: "Jennifer Velez is a Dyke Magnet!")
Jarett Renshaw, "Christie Ends Security Detail Used by Codey: Ousts 2 Officials Close to Democrat," in The Record, December 14, 2011, at p. A-4. (Christie continues his war with Codey by removing Codey's security detail hoping that Bob Menendez will agree with other Democrats to approve the Governor's appointees in order to avoid further bloodshed in Trenton.)
John Petrick, "Man, 40, On Trial in Rape of Girl, 12, Charges Are Based on 2005 Assaults," in The Record, December 14, 2011, at p. L-1. (Frank Smith assaulted and raped a 12 year-old girl in the state that leads the nation in the volume of child sex matters: "New Jersey's Child Sex Industry" and "Is Senator Menendez For Sale?")
Ryan Hutchins, "Mayor's Salary Chopped by a Third -- Rahway Overturns Veto, Passes Nepotism Ban," in The Star Ledger, December 14, 2011, at p. 29. (Rick Proctor, Mayor of Rahway, had his salary cut from $65,000 to $20,809 -- this will not affect cash in envelopes, if any, for Mr. Proctor's "consultation services" -- as part of a political coup aimed at ousting the mayor from office. Who is behind this operation? Codey? I think the mayor is still overpaid. As for a "nepotism ban" in New Jersey, people are still laughing.)
Jarett Renshaw, "Christie's Actions Get Message to Codey: Senator's Security Detail Stripped, His Friend Fired After a Public Spat," in The Record, December 14, 2011, at p. 1. (Codey and Christie duke it out. Christie by a TKO. Codey has a Constitutional argument on First Amendment grounds. Each says the other is an idiot. I think they are both right.)
