Quote:

Hoboken Mayor David Roberts expresses outrage at an obvious misuse of taxpayers funds.

Compare and contrast with the attitude of the Jersey City major.

...

silence (crickets)



-M

OH, CRAPS!
Hoboken mayor orders limits, cites $21G bill for convention

Tuesday, January 30, 2007
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Second of three parts

HOBOKEN - Mile Square taxpayers shelled out more than $21,000 to send nearly 50 employees and elected officials down the Garden State Parkway to attend the 2006 League of Municipalities Convention in Atlantic City.

The number could easily approach $25,000 as more employees submit their expenses related to the trip, according to a review by The Jersey Journal of receipts and payment vouchers obtained under the Open Public Records Act.

Hoboken is the fifth-largest city in Hudson County, yet it ranks second, behind only Jersey City, in terms of the amount of taxpayer money spent and the number of people sent to the annual convention.

By comparison, Union City - which has nearly 30,000 more residents than Hoboken, according to the U.S. Census Bureau - refuses to pay for city employees to go to the convention, and, predictably, no one from that city attended.

Hoboken, on the other hand - at least until The Jersey Journal's investigation - agreed to pick up the whole tab.

Now, however, Hoboken Mayor David Roberts says he's dramatically changing the rules when it comes to the convention. From now on, Roberts says, the city won't pay for hotels or other expenses - just the $45 registration fee. He also will require employees to get written permission from his office before attending.

"First off all, I am highly disturbed by the excessive billing for this convention. It's an important place, but it surely should not result in these types of billing," an angry Roberts said. "I am upset about the abuse. It's beyond offensive."

The town paid nearly $20,000 in hotel expenses alone, including shelling out thousands of dollars for 16 rooms that were never used and putting up three members of the city's Shade Tree Commission for three nights apiece.

It's unclear how much Hoboken spent or how many city employees attended the convention in previous years. Roberts has been mayor since 2001.

Roberts, who was unaware a room had been rented in his name, never went to Atlantic City and has reimbursed the city for the unused stay - and Chief Financial Officer George DeStefano has done the same thing.

"I have been a councilwoman for 12 years this spring, and I have never gone. I just don't feel comfortable," Councilwoman Theresa Castellano said. "I don't abuse the taxpayers' money. I don't feel comfortable eating meals and staying in Atlantic City on the taxpayers' dime."

Councilman Peter Cammarano said: "I think the mayor's executive order couldn't come any sooner. It's the way we're going to have to start treating this."

Councilman Chris Campos was initially opposed to the new restrictions, arguing that many of the attendees hold volunteer positions with the city's various boards and agencies and deserve something in return - like an all-expense-paid trip to Atlantic City.

"Most of these boards are appointed boards with no salary," said Campos. "If there is one conference per year, considering they donate so much time, then that should be OK."

Later, however, Campos told The Jersey Journal he'd changed his mind and that the restrictions are appropriate.

Vote Quimby!

Were any of these people there?

1. "This stuff has been going on 100 years," Healy said.

--Yes, acting like a buffoon in public is a well-established practice, as is having cozy relationships with developers, as is having politicians getting locked up.

2. ??was the scene of the start of the downfall of disgraced former County Executive Robert Janiszewski, who was confronted by federal agents in his hotel room there in 2000??

I guess some people just never learn. But, two can play this game ? let?s start a Vega ?line? on who will be the next politician to fall.

Councilman X [insert name here], is currently 5-1 (in favor) of being indicted within the next two years.

Pressing on?

3. ?The messy world of dual jobs reared its head, as a number of people cherry-picked the best offer. For example, Jersey City Councilwoman Willie Flood allowed the city to pay for her lodging but accepted the $165 per diem (total of $495) from the city's Redevelopment Agency, where she serves as a commissioner. The city pays after the receipts are submitted while the Redevelopment Agency issues a check in advance.?

Can someone please point out to Willie why this is inappropriate?

4. ?In a number of cases, attendees took their husbands or wives with them to Atlantic City and, it appears, charged taxpayers for their meals.?

This should be referred to the Jersey City Ethics-in-Government Commission. Oh, wait a minute, we have no such commission. My bad. Never mind, we obviously don?t need any watchdogs to insure our politicians act appropriately. They clearly make unambiguous decisions all the time.

-M

I surprised that Healy didn't walk into a phone booth and reappear as 'SUPER SAMARITAN'!

This is a slap to the face for anyone who was hit with an 18% property tax increase last year.

$30,000 for a freakin seminar? AND HEALY IS JUSTIFYING IT!!! How can we never have money for anything (police, schools, parks, and what not) but we can have money in OUR budget for this crap? It makes no sense whatsoever.

City officials, pols and workers spend three nights in Atlantic City
Monday, January 29, 2007
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
First of three parts

Elected officials, city workers, volunteer board members and consultants from across Hudson County stormed Atlantic City during last year's annual League of Municipalities convention - and you, the taxpayer, got stuck with the bill.

A Jersey Journal review of records from the Atlantic City convention from each Hudson County municipality, Jersey City's autonomous agencies and county government shows that at least 265 people made the trek down the Garden State Parkway to the gambling mecca.

The three-day convention began Nov. 15, and many receptions were held the night of Nov. 14, when people began arriving.

The total tab is at least $115,363, or roughly $435 per person.

Since 1915, the League of Municipalities - a voluntary association with more than 13,000 officials from all of the state's 566 municipalities - has hosted an annual convention featuring seminars on governmental issues such as planning and crime prevention, women in government and labor relations.

The convention also has its ugly underside. Critics have derided it as a taxpayer-sponsored junket, where politicians and government employees party with vendors.

It is described in former Gov. James McGreevey's recent book as a "meat market," and was the scene of the start of the downfall of disgraced former County Executive Robert Janiszewski, who was confronted by federal agents in his hotel room there in 2000.

Policies regarding the trip differ by municipality, with some cities, like Jersey City, paying for lodging and expenses while others, like Bayonne, paying only the registration fee.

The more liberal policy in Jersey City cost taxpayers roughly $30,000 and the more conservative Bayonne policy cost taxpayers just $765.

"I think $30,000 once a year to get our directors and our policy people to attend seminars, that is certainly a reasonable expenditure of taxpayer money," said Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy (emphasis mine).

Then there's Union City, which pays for nothing.

"To be honest, we never saw any value for our taxpayers in the convention, so we don't pay for it," said Mayor Brian Stack.

It's also not surprising that the less the local government pays for, the fewer people attend the convention. Jersey City and Hoboken, which both pay for everything, sent the most people, while Union City and Weehawken sent the least.

A Jersey Journal analysis turned up the following questionable - if not comical - expenses.

In a number of cases, attendees took their husbands or wives with them to Atlantic City and, it appears, charged taxpayers for their meals.

North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco spent $368.67 in taxpayers' money per night for a reception room, which his spokesman said was used to conduct "city business," though he refused to provide specifics. The room was rented for four nights; the convention lasted three nights.

North Bergen taxpayers paid $327 for Anthony Ferraro to attend the convention. He's not a city employee, he's the unpaid "driver" of Commissioner Theresa Ferraro.

Hoboken parking czar John Corea submitted an expense voucher for a $1,735.67 restaurant tab at the ritzy Borgota Hotel. He later withdrew the request.

The messy world of dual jobs reared its head, as a number of people cherry-picked the best offer. For example, Jersey City City Councilwoman Willie Flood allowed the city to pay for her lodging but accepted the $165 per diem (total of $495) from the city's Redevelopment Agency, where she serves as a commissioner. The city pays after the receipts are submitted while the Redevelopment Agency issues a check in advance (emphasis mine).

Records show that Hudson County and West New York both paid for Sal Vega to stay in Atlantic City, but a West New York official said Vega's county hotel room was actually occupied by his aide, who couldn't secure a room because he lacks a credit card. At the time, Vega was a Hudson County freeholder and West New York commissioner; he is now mayor of West New York.

Rep. Albio Sires, D-West New York, the former mayor of West New York, made the trek to Atlantic City despite the fact that he was no longer a city official. He won the U.S. House seat weeks earlier and had to relinquish his title as mayor, but city officials say the room was paid for before the election.

It appears it wasn't hard to get on the list of attendees in Hoboken. Even two members of the little-known Shade Tree Commission - which regulates tree planting in the city - got to spend three nights in the city that's "Always Turned On."

Let's see: Matsikoudis, Gaughan, O'Reilly, Czaplicki.

A Greek, two Micks, and a Polack meet at a bar...

Who cares?

This city has very important business to conduct every moment of every day, and I'm not about to devote scarce resources to figuring out what started an argument at 2 a.m. in Atlantic City," Healy said yesterday.


When city employees and elected officials attend these conferences, they are acting as ambassadors for Jersey City. For Healy to condone such behavior is unacceptable, and demonstrates that his administration is deeply flawed. A first step would be to reprimand the city employee involved. These guys make us the laughing stock of NJ.

Healy: Better things to do than probe yelling matches

Nov. 21 - KEN THORBOURNE - JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Boys will be boys.

That's the attitude Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy took yesterday when asked if he planned to investigate reports of two barroom confrontations involving city Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis last week in the wee hours of the morning in Atlantic City during the League of Municipalities Convention.

"This city has very important business to conduct every moment of every day, and I'm not about to devote scarce resources to figuring out what started an argument at 2 a.m. in Atlantic City," Healy said yesterday.

Saturday's Jersey Journal reported that Matsikoudis got into a lively tiff with Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly around 2:30 a.m. at the Gypsy Bar at the Borgota Hotel. Matsikoudis also reportedly engaged in a shouting match with City Councilman Bill Gaughan, who also serves as chief of staff to County Executive Tom DeGise.

Hotel security was summoned to break up the disputes, according to sources who spoke to the Journal.

Healy said Matsikoudis and Gaughan approached him in Atlantic City on Wednesday and told him they had an "overheated argument."

He attributed it to rivalries between the city and county.

"This stuff has been going on 100 years," Healy said. "They said it was no big deal. Everybody's moved on."

The mayor said he had no information about the reported beef between Matsikoudis and O'Reilly.

O'Reilly acknowledged an "oral argument" with Matsikoudis, but declined to comment further. Matsikoudis refused to comment on any of it yesterday. Gaughan denied a ruckus even took place.

"There were rumors," he said.

Borrowing from the popular Las Vegas ad campaign, Healy's chief of staff Carl Czaplicki quipped, "What happens in Atlantic City, stays in Atlantic City."

I doubt Fulop was there for long since he has a real job. The others, well...the hotel rates and fees are expensive and a huge contingent from JC and the county went for many days. So no I don't find them funny or interesting since we're all paying for these bums.

the sad part is that these a-holes could have had their meetings and subsequent fights in a Jersey City Hotel and kept some of their monies here at home supporting local business. The waitresses they tipped would have been most likely from JC and they could have all walked home, beaten and battered, and saved the city from coughing up the hotel bills.

Parkman should be plenty peeved and Fulop for participating in this moeny wasting frat party.

To all of Hudson County's Reichstag members who represent us so well.......

These people are retarded.

My apologies to all developmentally-disabled people by using that term to lump THESE schmucks in with you nice folks.

Hudson County politicians, ya can't take em anywhere. But you gotta love it, they DO make life interesting around here.

Shouting, shoving, then they're all smiles
By Augie Torres
Saturday, November 18, 2006
I t only took the second day, and technically the first few hours of the third, for the Jersey City contingent to make themselves known at the League of Municipalities Conference in Atlantic City.

According to some present, about 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, in the Borgata hotel and casino's Gypsy Bar, a "physical" confrontation broke out. The star of the day seemed to be Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis. Also present were Carl Czaplicki, Mayor Jerramiah Healy's chief of staff, city Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly, Jersey City Councilman Bill Gaughan, the grandfatherly chief of staff for County Executive Tom DeGise, and Craig Guy, former police officer and another DeGise assistant.

There were no thrown punches, bodies rolling on the floor, nor blood, but there was plenty of shouting and screaming, shoving, and bumping of torsos. Hotel security broke up the altercation. The bar itself was shut down. It should be interesting to note that the Borgata Web site lists the Gypsy Bar hours and the latest it is ever open is 2 a.m.

Let us mention that according to Matsikoudis, nothing untoward happened.

"Someone is blowing this up way out of proportion," he said.

According to several others, the entire event started off with Matsikoudis confronting city Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly with the corporation counsel giving his opinion on the competency of O'Reilly's office. O'Reilly is said to have removed his glasses and said, "Go ahead, I'll give you the first shot."

Matsikoudis says it was a friendly conversation and suggested that he has had tougher exchanges with O'Reilly at City Council meetings. Yet, others say the heated exchange at the Borgata bar attracted all the other Jersey City parties and Gaughan volunteered to take O'Reilly's place to make it a fair fight because "I'm 70 years old."

What followed was what usually takes place at all past tavern conflicts in Jersey City between Healy and DeGise supporters. One side or the other shouts that their man is in the person who "is in (political) control" of the city and county, according to several sources.

Some claim Matsikoudis also lay claim to the Assembly seat now held by Lou Manzo of Jersey City and the 31st Legislative District. Perhaps, but if true, it is because the corporation counsel was probably aware that Gaughan covets the 32nd Legislative District Assembly seat now occupied by Joan Quigley of Jersey City.

Gaughan is said to have scoffed at Matsikoudis, saying that should there be a decision to ever replace Manzo, "We wouldn't replace him with you."

The intensity of the confrontation alarmed the Borgata staff to take action.

"I don't know about any of that because I left the bar with Craig Guy," said Matsikoudis.

Later that evening, the combatants all showed up arm-in-arm at a function honoring Healy and Newark Mayor Corey Booker. As they have at all past tavern brouhahas, they denied that anything serious occurred among them - and smiled.

At another party following the Booker and Healy affair, hosted by both DeGise and Healy, Matsikoudis interrupted a conversation between attorney Jim McCann and city Downtown Councilman Steve Fulop, according to Fulop and several county officials.

"He told Mr. McCann that because he was conversing with me that he could lose all business with the city," the councilman said yesterday. "McCann and I were totally stunned. We didn't know what to say to this raving person. Matsikoudis was totally out of control."

Matsikoudis did not seem to recall this incident.

"I said what to whom?" he repeated. "This is very strange." He then asked if his name was appearing in the Insider and whether this was journalistically worthy of mention.

Guess so.



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