IT'S NICE TO SEE A DEMOCRAT BLOW SOMETHING BESIDES AN ELECTION (Arsenio Hall, after Clinton's saxophone debut on his show)

Subject: Being Democrat Doesn’t Always Mean Doing The Right Thing: A mistaken belief of “I’m getting mine, screw the rest of you” or a case of “Money talks” or “I may not be a Republican but I’m just as dumb” The Plot Against Medicare, Paul Krugman (Economist) The plot against Social Security failed: President Bush’s attempt to privatize the system crashed and burned when the public realized what he was up to. But the plot against Medicare is faring better: the stealth privatization embedded in the Medicare Modernization Act, which Congress literally passed in the dead of night back in 2003, is proceeding apace. Worse yet, the forces behind privatization not only continue to have the G.O.P. in their pocket, but they have also been finding useful idiots within the newly powerful Democratic coalition. And it’s not just politicians with an eye on campaign contributions. There’s no nice way to say it: the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens have become patsies for the insurance industry. … To appreciate what’s going on, you need to know what has been happening to Medicare in the last few years. The 2003 Medicare legislation created Part D, the drug benefit for seniors … At the same time, the bill sharply increased payments to Medicare Advantage plans, which also funnel Medicare funds through insurance companies. As a result, Medicare … is becoming, instead, a system in which the government pays the insurance industry to provide coverage. And a lot of the money never makes it to the people Medicare is supposed to help.… Reasonable estimates suggest that if Congress had eliminated the middlemen, it could have created a much better drug plan — one without the notorious “doughnut hole,” the gap in coverage once your annual expenses exceed $2,400 per year — at no higher cost. With the Democratic victory last fall, you might have expected these things to change. But the political news over the last few days has been grim. First, the Senate failed to end debate on a bill — in effect, killing it — that would have allowed Medicare to negotiate over drug prices. … 42 senators, all Republicans, voted no on allowing the bill to go forward. At the same time, attempts to rein in those Medicare Advantage payments seem to be running aground. …(B)oth the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens sending letters to Congressional leaders opposing plans to scale back the subsidy. What seems to have happened is that both groups have been taken in by insurance industry disinformation…Public opinion is strongly in favor of universal health care, and for good reason: fear of losing health insurance has become a constant anxiety of the middle class. Yet even as we talk about guaranteeing insurance to all, privatization is undermining Medicare — and people who should know better are aiding and abetting the process.

RESPONSE: Single payer government run health care...call it socialized medicine would indeed remove the middle man, the insurance companies, who are profit driven and as a result make medical decisions too often based not on medical information but on their bottom line as they reject this or that medical treatment that doctors recommend. The scam Republican plan of Republicans in Massachusetts and California to force their residents to buy health care insurance is the latest salvo in the Republican markets solve all problems scam.

The Medicare ‘D’ scam that Bush Republicans passed when his sycophants controlled Congress which forbid any kind of bargaining for lower drug prices because of the purchase of large quantities of drugs (isn’t that what a ‘market’ does) is but the latest indication of the sell out of the American public to large corporate interests in return for campaign contributions. We saw when Democrats took over Congress the attempt to allow government to bargain for lower drug prices killed by Republicans in Congress...and of course our own Bush lackey frank THE HYPOCRITE lobiondo voted against lower prices via market force bargaining. HUH?

The irony of course is that Democratic constituencies who have union provided health coverage are content with the present system as they are fine and so we see in effect teachers, cops, government workers, and casino workers ... saying to their fellow citizens...’I got mine and don’t care about you.’ Of course, many of these selfish folks vote Republican.

RESPECT YOUR EFFORTS, RESPECT YOURSELF. SELF-RESPECT LEADS TO SELF-DISCIPLINE. WHEN YOU HAVE BOTH FIRMLY UNDER YOUR BELT, THAT'S REAL POWER (Clint Eastwood)

Subject: Corzine speaks; man files seat-belt complaint: By TOM BALDWIN, GANNETT STATE BUREAU, Gov. Jon S. Corzine Thursday uttered his first public words since suffering critical injuries in a car wreck two weeks earlier, saying, "I'm the most blessed person who ever lived." Corzine spoke to an Associated Press photographer as he sat in a chair next to his hospital bed in Camden, on the same day that word emerged of an Atlantic County man who had signed a complaint against Corzine for not wearing a seat belt when he got into the imperiling wreck. That man, Larry Angel, said he had twice voted for Corzine and would likely do so again. "I'm a fan," said Angel of Mullica. "I'm a Democrat. I'm probably to the left of the party. I voted for Jon as a senator. I voted for him as governor. I would probably vote for him again. "It seems unequivocal that he was acting in an irresponsible manner, like we all do at times," said Angel. "I wish the governor well, but there is this perception that the laws are not always administered fairly. I just don't think that serves society well." Corzine is now entering his third week at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. He's in stable condition; doctors Thursday removed a tube from the left side of his chest that had been used to drain fluid from around his lung. Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley said the governor had several hours of physical therapy Thursday and sat upright comfortably in a chair. Angel, 65, said he tried to file the complaint Tuesday but was rebuffed by police. When he returned Wednesday, "They were extremely courteous." "On Tuesday, he'll review the complaint," Galloway Township Court Administrator Roseanne Lugg said of the municipality's judge. Angel said he hopes Corzine, who is recovering from critical injuries to his legs and ribs, will make a public-service announcement about the wisdom of wearing seat belts. "I would hope he would say something," said Angel, who described himself as a "local gadfly" who is "quasiretired" from odd jobs. Corzine could face a $46 fine. State law says drivers and front-seat passengers must be belted. Corzine had been unbelted in the front-passenger seat of a trooper-driven Chevrolet Suburban driving 91 mph April 12 when it got in a chain-reaction crash and plowed though a Garden State Parkway guardrail in Galloway Township. By Thursday, no police citation had been issued to Corzine, though that can transpire up to 30 days after the incident. People who are seriously injured in crashes often are not ticketed for failing to wear a seat belt. Tom Shea, Corzine's chief of staff, has said he believed Corzine should be cited.

Subject: Corzine target of seat belt lawsuit (From The Press regional week in review) A Municipal court judge will review a complaint that a citizen filed against Gov. Jon S. Corzine for not wearing a seat belt when he was injured in an April 12 crash on the Garden State Parkway, the court administrator said Thursday. Larry Angel, of Mullica Township, long known for attending public meetings and being a gadfly to local officials, filed the complaint against the governor earlier this week in municipal court. The crash occurred on a section of the parkway in Galloway Township. Judge Christopher Brown will review the complaint before a court session Tuesday morning, court administrator Roseann Lugg said. If he can’t find probable cause to issue the ticket to the governor based on Angel’s complaint, a public hearing will be scheduled.

RESPONSE: Tuesday, May 1st the Probable Cause Hearing in Galloway Municipal Court will occur with larry THE PEDANTIC MISANTHROPIC S.O.B. angel ordered to be in Court.

THERE IS ALWAYS A RIGHT AND A WRONG WAY, AND THE WRONG WAY ALWAYS SEEMS THE MORE REASONABLE (George Moore)

Subject: And the Beat of Corruption Continues: It doesn't matter what rock at the White House we turn over. There's nasty stuff under them all. And now just as the subpoenas of accountability are finally starting to fly, they tell us that millions of White House emails, required to be preserved and archived by federal law, have up and disappeared. Or so they now claim. And isn't this yet ANOTHER admission of administration law breaking. Was it not enough that they lied us into a war that has killed more of our citizens than 9/11 and as many as a million in foreign countries? Was it not enough to conduct illegal wiretapping of our personal communications, while simultaneously swearing they were doing no such thing? Was jeopardizing our national security by outing a key figure in tracking down the REAL weapons of mass destruction, was that not enough? Was an official government policy of torture, to our shame around the world, not enough? It's just one high crime after another, and either the president is totally not in charge of anything, in which case he should be impeached for that dereliction alone, or all this pipes right through Karl Rove into the Oval office. And whether Cheney is in charge of everything or just half the treason, he's got to go too. Rosie O'Donnell was speaking for a lot of people when she exclaimed recently, "What do you have to do to get impeached in this country?" But what will make it really happen is when each one of us speaks for ourselves, and we contact our members of Congress to finally demand Constitutional responsibility, and keep doing it again and again. We don't believe for one second that the Bush administration hasn't now on top of everything else totally corrupted our federal justice system by requiring selective and wrongful prosecutions of members of the other party as a CONDITION for continued employment as an attorney general. The corruption goes completely to the core of everything our country is supposed to stand for. The last time we checked the Pledge of Allegiance ended with the words "justice for all". You got that, George? ALL! And that means you don't just prosecute non-Bushies and let yourself and your cronies off the hook. But of course he doesn't get it. He's never going to get it. Instead Bush is going even deeper into tantrum and denial mode, demanding even more and more power to grossly abuse, without any accountability whatsoever, as if the results of the last election had not even taken place. They think they're just going to plow ahead with new proposed laws to expand domestic surveillance even further, as if all those rubber stamping Senators voted out in November were still around. He's not going to stop on his own folks. He's incorrigible. And the only force that can stop him is the pressure of public opinion, coming from our individual voices to our members of Congress, to call on them to honor the Constitution and do what should have been done years ago already. We can't wait until 2008 to be rid of them. Impeach the president and vice president now.

THE JUVENILE SEA SQUIRT WANDERS THROUGH THE SEA SEARCHING FOR A SUITABLE ROCK OR HUNK OF CORAL TO CLING TO AND MAKE ITS HOME FOR LIFE. FOR THIS TASK, IT HAS A RUDIMENTARY NERVOUS SYSTEM. WHEN IT FINDS ITS SPOT AND TAKES ROOT, IT DOESN'T NEED ITS BRAIN ANYMORE SO IT EATS IT! (IT'S RATHER LIKE GETTING TENURE) (Daniel Dennett)

MULLICA CLERK GETS TENURE

At the March 27th Mullica Town meeting, before a packed room of supporters, family, and well wishers, Mullica’s highly partisan Clerk, kim THE QUIZZLING CHRISTIAN BIGOT johnson was reappointed for her second term as Town Clerk thus providing her with tenure. The unctuous accolades by Republicans for a woman who has repeatedly demonstrated her contempt for the law and willingness to pander to parochial interests in violation of her oath of office bodes poorly for the future of Mullica Township.

THE CHRISTIAN BIGOT johnson, who earned that sobriquet for what initially was clearly an honest misjudgement of indicating that Town Hall would be closed for Veterans Day with a drawing of a cemetery cross marker. When informed that this was inappropriate as Veterans’ Cemeteries contained over 30 different markers for brave veterans of other faiths, THE CHRISTIAN BIGOT johnson indicated she saw nothing wrong with the poster. A formal Complaint resulted in subsequent Town notification of how improper the Veterans Day sign was and a commitment from the Town to comply with honoring all veterans in the future.

THE CHRISTIAN BIGOT johnson was also sanctioned recently for her arrogant and repeated violations of the Open Public Records Act and while she argued to the State that she was just too busy to do her job and provide the public in a timely manner with executive minutes as required by the OPRA law, her lame palliative which was in reality a ploy to hide from the public records that Mullica Republicans did not want released, and thus THE BIGOT johnson was sanctioned by the State.

Sadly, that partisan lack of professionalism continues to this day with a recent request for ‘all documents’ on the Waszen settlement being repeatedly rejected as lacking specificity. According to the State, requests for ‘all documents’ allow for rejection of said OPRA request. The State went on to inform GadFly that a town Clerk knows what documents on a matter they may have and as an employee of the people has an obligation to assist the pubic in filling out these request with the type of specificity that allows for public records to reach the public. In Mullica, THE QUIZZLING CHRISTIAN BIGOT johnson has repeatedly demonstrated her immaturity and partisanship...she sadly perceives herself as working for the Mullica Republican Party and not the people.

Oh, and THE QUIZZLING reference was another example of a coverup of knowledge of and apparent participation in the doctoring of a time card for a loyal Republican employee.

{FEMINISM IS} A SOCIALIST, ANTI-FAMILY, POLITICAL MOVEMENT THAT ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO LEAVE THEIR HUSBANDS, KILL THEIR CHILDREN, PRACTICE WITCHCRAFT, DESTROY CAPITALISM AND BECOME LESBIANS (Pat Robertson)

Subject: Wiccan Victory: Hey Larry I hope you caught the recent decision by Department of Veterans Affairs that adds the Wiccan five-pointed star to the list of ‘emblems of belief’ allowed at Veterans Cemeteries. You might want to point this out to our Clerk, Kim Johnson who you have repeatedly defined here as a bigot because of her efforts a couple years ago during Veterans’ Day to have our town only honor Christians who have fought for our country and ignore those of us who are of different religions recognition as veterans. I guess she and THE MULLAH bob hageaman are Mullica’s Christian Taliban. Mullica Wiccan

I'M NEVER GOING TO BE FAMOUS. MY NAME WILL NEVER BE WRIT LARGE ON THE ROSTER OF THOSE WHO DO THINGS. I DON'T DO ANY TING. NOT ONE SINGLE THING. I USED TO BITE MY NAILS, BUT I DON'T EVEN DO THAT ANY MORE (Dorothy Parker)

Subject: LIVE FROM MULLICA IT'S JANET: WHY DOESN'T JANET JUST SIGN HER NAME WHEN SHE WRITES IN. WHAT IS SHE AFFRAID OF???

TO BE A SAINT IS THE EXCEPTION; TO BE UPRIGHT IS THE RULE. ERR, FALTER, SIN, BUT BE UPRIGHT. TO COMMIT THE LEAST POSSIBLE SIN IS THE LAW FOR MAN. SIN IS A GRAVITATION (Victor Hugo)

MORE ON THE CORZINE SEAT BELT COMPLAINT

While the initial perception was that the Galloway Municipal Court Judge would decide before Court on Tuesday, May 1st whether there was probable cause to issue the seat belt ticket to Governor Corzine, ...the Complaint signed by larry THE MISANTHROPIC PEDANTIC S.O.B. angel ...a letter from the Galloway Court Administrator directs THE S.O.B. angel to be in Court on May 1st for the Probable Cause Hearing.

The following back ground on this seat belt incident from the MSNBC web site; Corzine was riding in the front passenger seat without a seat belt when his SUV, driven by a state trooper at 91 mph, crashed near Atlantic City. The governor has not been cited over the seat belt by police, who have 30 days to act. No decision has been made on Corzine’s case, state police Lt. Gerald Lewis said Thursday. The citizen complaint was filed Wednesday by Larry Angel of neighboring Mullica, Lugg said. Angel, 65, did not respond to a phone message or an e-mail seeking comment. Angel, regularly attends public meetings and comments on elected county officials. He ran unsuccessfully for a municipal office as a Democrat in 2003 and hosts a blog called “Gadfly,” where he referred to the Corzine complaint in a Thursday posting. Tom Shea, Corzine’s chief of staff, has said the governor should be ticketed if he wasn’t buckled up. Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley referred a reporter to those comments Thursday when asked about Angel’s complaint.

(This is from The Denver Post) Spotlight on official drivers of governors – Speeding because the boss is late isn't allowed, a national survey of state travel policies shows. By Angela Delli Santi, The Associated Press, According to an Associated Press survey of travel policies nationwide, governors' drivers - who are state law enforcement officers - are expected to obey traffic and safety laws and not to speed or use warning lights just because their bosses are running late or want to get somewhere quicker. Still, these drivers typically are allowed to speed and use flashers in emergencies, and in some states they are allowed to speed to avoid potential security risks that may come with standing idle in traffic. The survey of gubernatorial travel in all 50 states found: All other governors say they use seat belts, even New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, whose state is the only one without a law mandating seat- belt use. Governors typically sit in the front seat if they're riding alone but in back if aides are traveling with them. Governors may use a plane, helicopter, state car or SUV, depending on their schedule, the weather and the distance they're traveling. Officials in several states reported having no written policy on gubernatorial transport.

ALMOST ANYTHING THAT IS GREAT HAS BEEN DONE BY YOUTH (Benjamin Disraeli)

MULLICA STUDENTS SHINE

In the recent NJ Conserve Wildlife Poster Contest there were two winners from Mullica, Honorable Mention went to 5th grader Matt Crane and First Place County winner is 5th grader Kyle Murray. Both boys from Barbara Rheault’s class

Also, NJ Arbor Day Art Contest – 1st place went to 4th grader Ty Steele

And, Atlantic County Emergency Preparedness Office ran a contest on hurricane safety and two whirlwinds from Mrs. Herbert’s first grade, Gabriella Martinez and Zeynep Gul blew over the competition taking first and third place respectively. Much to be proud about here in Mullica.

THE WRECKS OF THE PAST WERE AMERICA'S WARNINGS (George Bancroft)

Subject ...and the bad judgements cont': Larry, have we stooped so low that religious discrimination is now official policy? Our nation was founded on freedom of religion, but now, in another land, our misguided military leaders have taken it upon themselves to force religious ghettos on the people of Iraq. As our military sinks further into fomenting sectarian violence by favoring groups or walling off neighborhoods, the only reaction will be further hatred of Americans. Our military presence in Iraq is based on ignorance and can come to no good. Bring our troops home now and stop the slaughter. H

THE WORLD IS DIVIDED INTO PEOPLE WHO DO THINGS AND PEOPLE WHO GET THE CREDIT. TRY, IF YOU CAN, TO BELONG TO THE FIRST CLASS. THERE'S FAR LESS COMPETITION (Dwight Morrow)

Subject: Re: Mullica Police Ticket Performance This Year: Larry the recent chart shows as you note that Ray Aquino, PJ and Anthony Trivellie are deserving of praise for their improved performance. The question as to how ELMER FUDD wild’s continuing poor performance merits a promotion instead of demotion given his devotion to hunting and not for ticketing speeders while on the job is highlighted in his low number of tickets written (one tikcet so far this year). Also the low numbers in March for the new cops is a concern and you raise the possibility that some of the older guys who clearly have been doing their job not at full tilt may have pressured these young guys to write less tickets. The numbers will tell the story as the year progresses. Please keep up the good work in highlighting who is doing their job and who is not. Devonshire

ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS TO CONTEND WITH IN A HOSPITAL IS THAT ASSUMPTION ON THE PART OF THE STAFF THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE LOST YOUR GALL BLADDER YOU HAVE ALSO LOST YOUR MIND (Jean Kerr)

Subject: Marks named chair of hospital board: by Gabe Donio, Gazette Staff Writer Hammonton Gazzete; Gregory C. Marks of Elwood has been named the new chairman of the board of Kessler Memorial Hospital. Marks, 61, has been a member of the board of directors of the hospital for 12 years. Marks succeeds former board chairman Samuel Pignatelli, who will remain a member of the board. Marks has a long history with health care facilities, and has been the nursing home administrator of the Genesis Healthcare Corporation facility based in Millville since 2000. The facility has 120 beds and an additional 47 sub-acute-care beds. Originally from Queens, New York, Marks has been an administrator at several health care facilities during his career, including the Cherry Hill Convalescent Center, the Rosewood Manor Nursing Center and the Bridgeton Nursing Center. He was also an instructor at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. “We have tough decisions to make, and we have to make the right decisions. I believe we will do it,” Marks said. Marks said his experience as a nursing home administrator prepared him for his new role as the chairman of the board of Kessler Memorial Hospital. “It’s a nursing home, but I also have a large sub-acute unit as well. There are two types, one of which is a progression orthopedic unit and another that is dedicated to medically complex patients coming out of the hospital,” Marks said. That experience, coupled with his 12-year tenure on the board at Kessler Memorial Hospital, has prepared Marks for the hard work of turning around the hospital, which filed for bankruptcy in 2006. He said that turnaround was his top priority. “Right now, my main goal is to see to it that we complete this turnaround strategy that we’ve embarked upon due to our financial difficulties. That will be accomplished by everybody working together to do what we have to do to affect that turnaround,” Marks said. Effective communication between the board, administration and medical staff is critical to saving the hospital, Marks said. He also asked for the entire community’s support. “The community has to use this hospital if they want to keep it,” Marks said. Marks said changes at the hospital are good for the institution. “We’re in a good position because we have a fair number of new people at the hospital. We’re looking at things different than we did in the past . . . You have some new members on the board that have come on board in the last five years. That’s not a long time. When you consider the longevity of the board, it’s not that long. They’re all working together,” Marks said. Bringing everyone together to support the hospital will be a major theme of Marks’ tenure, he said. “I think people can expect a significantly improved working relationship between all the players involved with this hospital: the board, the staff, the foundation, the administration. I believe the circumstances are right for it at this point in time,” Marks said. The problems facing the hospital will be addressed with a positive outlook, Marks said. “I’m always optimistic. I don’t approach things in a pessimistic way. There’s a way out, we just have to find it. I’ve got a lot of people right now working very diligently to get through that,” Marks said. Some of the new way of looking at the hospital’s management has included cost-cutting measures, such as the recent closure of the dialysis center. The center’s building was seized by Susquehanna Bank as part of a foreclosure proceeding, after the hospital defaulted on a loan. Marks said the dialysis center was losing more than $60,000 a month. The hospital has not continued with dialysis. “Everything changes. We may not be what we were yesterday. But you have to change. You can’t be all things to all people,” Marks said. Rural community hospitals have seen their role change in recent years. “Rural community hospitals didn’t have the problems that they have today,” Marks said. Charity care reimbursement – or the lack of it – remains a concern, Marks said. Marks said that most hospitals in New Jersey only operate with a profit margin of one to two percent. He plans to encourage innovation that keeps up with the changes in the healthcare industry, so the hospital stays open for many years to come. “We have to find a way to get this hospital to a break-even point . . . You have to look at what’s going on in the environment and meet the needs of the changes that are taking place,” Marks said. The recent outpouring of public support through red and white “Support Our Hospital” lawn signs and on every level of government, from Mayor John DiDonato to county, state and federal legislators, has also given the hospital encouragement. Marks said he appreciated the support. “It’s been very significant. I’ve been made very optimistic by the support of the mayor and the public. The best way to support the hospital is through using it,” Marks said. It is important for Kessler Memorial Hospital to know what its role is in the extremely competitive healthcare market. Marks defined that role as a “community hospital.” “We’re a community hospital. There are certain services that are allotted to a community hospital. We’re best known for our emergency room, but we also give quality care throughout the hospital. Even through all the problems, the hospital has performed to the highest level. I’ve used the hospital, and my children have used it. I’d rather be in a smaller hospital than a larger hospital. The staff is personable and caring. It’s unbelievable, the level of caring and compassion the staff here has for the patients they take care of and the jobs they do,” Marks said. Currently, the hospital is still seeking a partner for an affiliation. In previous years, the board was criticized for not merging with another, larger hospital network. Marks was on the board the last time such an affiliation was discussed, in the late 1990s with AtlantiCare. Some sources said the board was concerned about relinquishing control of the hospital to a larger entity. “When you talk about control, I think it’s more about being concerned that if you ‘buddied up’ with another hospital, would it [Kessler] remain a hospital? Was it a legitimate concern? I think so . . . There was a real concern about whether or not this would remain a hospital. The question was what it was going to be,” Marks said. Marks cited several reasons for the hospital’s current fiscal woes. He said there had been issues with management, and that financial resources had been used up to keep the hospital going. Marks said the hospital was operating every year at a loss, and there were several bad financial years as well as problems with billing. “We were providing services that weren’t profitable,” Marks said. The administration at the hospital was changed, and a new billing system was implemented. “We have to find our way through this. And to do that, we have to become financially viable,” Marks said. While financial problems still persist, the hospital continues to draw people, many of whom have their first introduction to Kessler Memorial Hospital through treatment at the hospital’s emergency room. “What feeds this hospital is the emergency room and the emergency care it provides. It’s a major feeder for in-patient care,” Marks said. People should not be concerned about using the hospital, Marks said. “People should be confident to come here. A lot of people don’t look at the infection rates. There are things that can happen in larger hospitals,” Marks said. Marks touted the staff of the hospital, including the doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and physical therapists. “We’ve got some good doctors here, some good cardiac groups,” Marks said. Kessler Memorial Hospital is 43 years old this year. Marks said he understands that he is part of a kind of tradition and legacy at the health care facility. “People worked very hard and worked for many, many years at getting this place established and having it operate in the community,” Marks said.

I PASSIONATELY HATE THE IDEA OF BEING WITH IT, I THINK AN ARTIST HAS ALWAYS TO BE OUT OF STEP WITH HIS TIME (Orson Welles)

Subject: 'bad ass': hey Larry, Just wanted to tell you that I think you're pretty bad ass! I read your blog often, because I like to know what's going on in Mullica. You are one of a kind and speaking up for what you believe in and saying what's on your mind, in your own style is what makes me like you. Thanks for keeping it real. In this world, all the fake smiles, politeness and bullsh*t lies politicians want you to believe is enough to make me sick. I at least know I can count on you to give the facts straight up. Thanks, Keri

WIT IS THE ONLY WALL BETWEEN US AND THE DARK (Mark van Doren)

Subject: Foolish Walls: Larry I am relieved after reading that the U.S. military is constructing a 3-mile-long concrete wall to control a resistive Sunni Arab district. With the billions being spent on the war, I feel reassured that the money is being spent on such practical matters as mortar and cement instead of intangible innovation and meaningless mediation. Finally, we are focusing on a practical means of securing unity and peace for Iraq. But a suggestion for military strategy and intelligence personnel is to build the wall just a few feet higher so all hope for unifying Iraq is blocked out. The ironies of the Iraq "war of liberation" grow more pointed daily. It seems that our way of liberating Iraqis is to build concrete walls to separate them from each other. Why is it that when I read this story, the first thing that leapt to my mind was Germany walling off the Jewish Warsaw ghetto during World War II? Wall off all of the Sunnis into one area of the city where they are easier to exterminate? Once upon a time, even the idea that our leaders would come up with something that horrible was unthinkable. But now? I just don't know. Maybe they really would go that far. I say, "Mr. Bush, tear down this wall." RDS

I AM NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM. I AM A REPUBLICAN (Dan Quayle)

Subject: Clueless: Larry, the voting public has been clueless. How else could George W. Bush have been elected president twice? Why else would people have bought into the absurd belief that we were doing the right thing in Iraq, that it was actually part of the war on terror, that victory was indeed at hand the day Bush declared it on the deck of that aircraft carrier? Who but the truly clueless would have given up the rights of citizenship in the interest of thwarting the boogeyman? How informed could a person be to accept the idea that the White House accidentally lost thousands of e-mails pertaining to the ongoing investigation of Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales? That's the good news — we don't buy any of it anymore. We are finally beginning to get a clue. Micahel V

RESPONSE: HUH? Seventy percent of the people who define themselves as 'Republicans' still support Bush...and in Congress almost all of America's elected Republicans like loyal tribal troglodytes continue to vote with the President. Including our own Congressman frank THE HYPOCRITE lobiondo.

WHAT WE'RE SAYING TODAY IS THAT YOU'RE EITHER PART OF TH SOLUTION OR YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM (Eldridge Cleaver)

Subject: Corzine Ticket: Larry, I tip my hat to you!!! Not only should the Governor be charged with not wearing a seat belt, the taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for his medical care either because if he was wearing a seat belt his injury may have been less. The State Trooper driving him should be issued tickets and disciplined as well. You know if you and I were going down the Parkway at 91 mph and a Trooper spotted us what the outcome would have been. The State Police policy that they need to speed in order to keep the Governor safe is a crock of sh*t. When people see a speeding vehicle like the governor’s motorcade, it tends to draw attention. If the Governors vehicle would have been traveling at a normal rate of speed no one would have even know who was in the vehicle let alone care. It was the Governors vehicle who caused the whole accident in the first place. After all, if the State Police could have pinned the whole thing on the guy from Little Egg Harbor they most certainly would have. Keep up the good work. Ed Mawhinney 1011 5th Ave Devonshire, NJ 08215

FOR PRYING INTO ANY HUMAN AFFAIRS, NONE ARE EQUAL TO THOSE WHOM IT DOES NOT CONCERN (Victor Hugo)

UPDATE ON STORM FLOODING IN MULLICA & DANGERS (?) AT ELWOOD CELL TOWER

GadFly has been notified by the Mullica Emergency Management Coordinator, Detective James Thompson that he has confirmed that an unregistered dam broke during the recent storm that was near the Camden and Burlington County line on Jackson road and Medford road. It is believed that this circumstance contributed to the storm damage along the Mullica River down stream from the Pleasant Mills dam.

The green box outside the fencing at the Elwood Cell Tower was according to Mullica’s Building Inspector placed there by the electric company and needed no permits as it serves the electrical needs of the underground electric lines to the Elwood Sprint cell tower.

LOYALTY TO PETRIFIED OPINION NEVER YET BROKE A CHAIN OR FREED A HUMAN SOUL (Mark Twain)

Subject: Incompetence trumped by loyalty; and we all lose: Larry, the failure of Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales to step down only echoes an attitude that's been popularized by our president. Gonzales is answerable, in his opinion, only to the president. George W. Bush in word and deed is answerable only to himself. Anyone who witnessed Gonzales' performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee could only imagine that, at the end of the day, he would be forced by conscience or consensus to resign. But so far his resignation has not been forthcoming. Why? Because the only voice he responds to is that of our commander in chief, who was, somehow, satisfied by his testimony. If the country's top cop is not sensitive to his moral failure, ethical compromise or craven leadership, how can we expect law enforcement to resonate with the force necessary to be effective? MM

MULLICA TOWN MEETING ON TV

The Tuesday, April 24th Mullica Town meeting will be broadcast by Comcast on Saturday April 28th at 5 or 6 P.M. on channel 77 or 78. At this meeting the taking credit for the recent steve THE SCOFFLAW waszen Mullica Municipal Court settlement (Order) is an orgy of self congratulation that conveniently leaves out all Democrats in the efforts in the battle against the garbage rail transfer station and ignores or seeks to justiy the unnecessary give back to THE SCOFFLAW waszen of tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

Note, the project was dead with the Federal Court Temporary Injunction that required approval for the Mullica site to go through the Pinelands. The Pinelands would never have given approval. Thus the forgiveness of tens of thousands of dollars in fines by Mullica offica DUMB (Republican and yes, one idiot Democrat) was only the latest indication that the residents of Mullica are badly served by five of the dumbest elected officials in the State.

I'VE SEEN MANY POLITICIANS PARALYZED IN THE LEGS AS MYSELF, BUT I'VE SEEN MORE OF THEM WHO WERE PARALYZED IN THE HEAD (George Wallace)

Subject: Local gadfly says police should issue Corzine a ticket: Hey Larry- You missed the bigger issue of police immunity by not issuing a complaint against the police officer who was illegally driving at a very high rate of speed, probably 100 MPH, which was the direct cause of the accident. We’ve had three deaths in southern NJ recently due to this same reason of police being permitted to regularly ignore our vehicular laws. It looks like this more important issue will be swept under the rug once again.

Governor target of seat belt lawsuit: By ELAINE ROSE Staff Writer, The Press; A Municipal Court judge will review a complaint that a citizen filed against Gov. Jon S. Corzine for not wearing a seat belt when he was injured in an April 12 crash on the Garden State Parkway, the court administrator said Thursday. Larry Angel, of Mullica Township, long known for attending public meetings and being a gadfly to local officials, filed the complaint against the governor earlier this week in Municipal Court. The crash occurred on a section of the parkway in Galloway Township. Judge Christopher Brown will review the complaint before a court session Tuesday morning, court Administrator Roseann Lugg said. If he can't find probable cause to issue the ticket to the governor based on Angel's complaint, a public hearing will be scheduled. State law requires drivers and front-seat passengers to wear a seat belt while riding in vehicles, with a $46 fine for violators. State Police have said the governor was not strapped in when the accident occurred and an investigation revealed the SUV driven by a state trooper was traveling at 91 mph a few seconds before the accident. Corzine, 60, was seriously injured in the crash and is still recovering at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. Angel said Thursday evening that he has no vendetta against the governor. He voted for Corzine for both U.S. Senate and for governor, and would vote for him again. But he decided to file the seat-belt complaint because the 30-day time limit for issuing the summons is ticking away. “It just seemed to me that the perception in the street was the governor was being treated differently than you or I would be in the same situation,” Angel said. “The ideal is justice is blind and doesn't peek to see how big your wallet is.” Tom Shea, Corzine's chief of staff, has said the governor deserves to be ticketed if he was not wearing a seat belt. Meanwhile, State Police are conducting their own investigation into the accident. “No determination has been made at this point,” Lt. Gerald Lewis said Thursday.

RESPONSE: Clearly there is an issue regarding excessive and unnecessary speed. Respectfully, it seems premature at this juncture to sign a Complaint. The evidence that the Governor was not wearing a seat belt was clear and it seemed there was not going to be a citation. The issue of excessive speed may yet be addressed by government...may, being the operative word. Sometimes doing the right thing once, forces those in a position of responsibility to act where before they would have swept something under the rug.

I also wanted to note that while I have been an 'idiot' most of life...a surprise episode of Bells Paulsy...turned me into a 'drooling idiot' on TV.

Subject: SEAT BELT SUMMONS: Imagine my surprise this morning when I picked up my local newspaper in North Jersey and there was LARRY ANGEL'S picture on the front page. Keep up the Good Work, Larry.

RESPONSE: If I inhale -- my head will burst.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE ADULTS GONE

Subject: A lesson in your apology: Editorial | Letter to South Korea; Dear South Korea: Please stop apologizing. It is not your fault. Don't get us wrong. It is touching and impressive how you, as a nation, seem crestfallen over the trail of death left on an American college campus by an immigrant from your land. You have held candlelight vigils at our embassy and your president has expressed shock - three times, so far. But, really, the suspect came to America as a child. He was raised here. Maybe we should be apologizing to you for not taking better care of him. Or maybe the ugly twists that the human spirit can take are just unfathomable. We are dismayed that you worry about a misdirected backlash against your citizens who have emigrated here. Most of us would like to think America is better than that. But we also recall that, after 9/11, some ignorant people attacked Sikh Americans in the preposterous belief that their turbans marked them as members of al-Qaeda. Obviously we need to work on our behavior and international image. So we accept your apologies, unnecessary as they are - as lessons in grace and humanity. The best thing we could do in response is to learn from what your conduct teaches. Sometimes, we Americans have a hard time owning up to the stupid and shameful things we really have done collectively: holding slaves, profiling minorities on highways, outsourcing torture. Sometimes, as with the Japanese Americans interned during World War II, we get around to saying we're sorry. More often, we don't. Our political and corporate leaders also tend to make a sorry mess of saying sorry. Frankly, a lot of their regrets are insincere exercises in PR, intended not to heal a bad situation but to get bad news off the talk shows as quickly as possible. Rarely does anyone here resign in shame, unlike in other cultures, including yours. We're young, still learning. So, thank you for the fine example you set.

THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE, AND TOO FEW HUMAN BEINGS (Robert Zend)

MULLICA SCHOOL REDUCES STAFF

With the ongoing pattern of a surprising shrinking enrollment over the last several years, the Mullica School Board and administration acted at its April 23rd meeting to reduce the number of employees. Three teachers and two teachers aides positions were eliminated. The enrollment of the Primary and Middle Mullica Schools which at one time was pushing toward one thousand students is as of the end of March -- 736 students.

WHATEVER LIMITS US, WE CALL FATE (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Subject: Mullica Twp. Officials ponder fate of Gertrude Lauer School building: by Ben Meritt, Hammonton News; It is affectionately call “The Little Red Schoolhouse.” Generations of township residents have passed through it doors, but now school officials are pondering the fate of one of the township’s true but aging treasures. The Gertrude Lauer School on Darmstadt Avenue has been vacant since last June and its days as an educational facility, at least for the Mullica Township School District, appear to be over, according to Mullica Superintendent of Schools Richard Goldberg. The building has most recently been used as a pre-school for neighboring Egg Harbor City, Goldberg said, but school officials returned the pre-school program to its district last September. “We haven’t used the school in three years and, at this point, it doesn’t look like Egg Harbor City is going to use it either. They are back using their own facilities,” Goldberg said last week. Mullica has seen a steady decline in enrollment in recent years, Goldberg said, and there is plenty of space thanks to the remodeled and expanded Elwood School. Built in 1910, the Gertrude Lauer School, which was named after a local schoolteacher, was originally known as the Agricultural School. The school has a strong sentimental value in the community, something that school officials are well aware of. “That’s the whole thing. We know there’s a sentimental value to that piece of property here and this building,” said district business administrator Betty Edwards. “The board really wants input from the community.” Goldberg said the public is welcome to submit ideas for the use of the Lauer School, which sites on a 1.7 acre lot in a residential area about a mile off the White Horse Pike. “There are no simple solutions,” Goldberg said. Currently, the district is spending $6,000 a year for insurance and security for the building. Estimates are in the $50,000 range to refurbish the structure and bring it to compliance with current disability and other codes, school officials said. Goldberg said there is no timetable, per say, to reach a decision on the school’s future. “There’s not a big rush but there is a financial clock ticking,” Goldberg said. One of the first suggestions for the structure was renovating it into a home, Goldberg said. One of the fist suggestions for the structure was renovating it into a home, Goldberg said. “We’re hoping to get some more ideas. Somebody cold come in and use it as a dance studio,” Goldberg said. “A storage facility. The township might want it.” “We take into consideration anything the community suggests,” added Edwards. Residents may submit their comments to Superintendent Richard Goldberg, Mullica Township Schools, 500 Elwood Road, Elwood, NJ 08217.

RESPONSE: At the April 23rd Mullica School Board meeting the input was described as; 1 exercise place, 1 public library, 1 sell it, 1 use for latchkey, 1 sports center, 1 bible study, 7 Historical/Cultural Center, 11 Senior Center.

The discussion then sought to determine if the Township might have some interest in buying the Lauer School (say for dollar) and using it for the community. Committee person Janet Forman who was at this School Board meeting indicated that this was an idea that was worthy of exploration and she would take the idea back to the other members of the governing body.

At the Town Meeting on the following night the matter was raised by Ms. Forman and THE CORRUTP MULLICA 5 AKA IDIOTS R US seemed to express interest in exploring options. After the meeting some members of the Mullica Volunteer Rescue Squad floated the idea of that location as an option for building a bay for their ambulances. One would hope that idea would die quickly as Mullica is one of only three towns out of 23 in Atlantic County to have a volunteer ambulance squad...and the reality of the difficulty of staffing seems to make the move to a paid squad only a matter of time.

WE ARE ALL TATTOOED IN OUR CRADLES WITH THE BELIEFS OF OUR TRIBE; THE RECORD MAY SEEM SUPERFICIAL, BUT IT IS INDELIBLE. YO CANNOT EDUCATE A MAN WHOLLY OUT OF SUPERSTITIOUS FEARS WHICH WERE IMPLANTED IN HIS IMAGINATION, NO MATTER HOW UTTERLY HIS REASON MAY REJECT THEM (Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.)

Subject: What he really said: The President and his lackeys have been trying to spin Senator Reid’s description of the Iraqi campaign as being a failure as not supporting the troops or the war. This is his original statement- Reid, April 19th: "Conditions in Iraq get worse by the day. Now we find ourselves policing another nation's civil war. We are less secure from the many threats to our national security than we were when the war began. As long as we follow the President's path in Iraq, the war is lost. "But there is still a chance to change course and we must change course. No one wants us to succeed in the Middle East more than I do. But there must be a change of course. Our brave men and women overseas have passed every test with flying colors. They have earned our pride and our praise. More important, they deserve a strategy worthy of their sacrifice."

RESPONSE: Despite the best efforts of Republicans to ‘spin’ four years of lies and missteps by President Bush and their apparent willingness to place Neanderthal Party loyalty likes members of some primitive tribe over the reality on the ground...more and more Americans want the troops brought home. At some point the ‘boy who cried Wolf’ syndrome regarding illusions of ‘progress’ have lost any sense of credibility ... except to the most blind ... my Party can do no wrong Republicans. The United Nations release of the evaluation of the ‘surge’ strategy for the first three months of 2007 finds it to have failed to date with death numbers actually having overall increased in Iraq. And as for Americans killed, ...the total for the last four months is larger than any other such period since the Bush War started. How much more of this kind of Bush 'progress' our brave soldiers can stand is scary.

IN THE GREAT ENTERPRISE OF MAKING DEMOCRACY WORKABLE WE ARE ALL PARTNERS (Charles Evans Hughes)

Subject: Buck(l)ing the system: (from the buzz column of The Press.) Larry Angel, a terror to rural Mullica elected officials, recently set his aim higher. In the latest episode, he said Galloway Township police and municipal court officials turned him away when he tried to sign a seat belt complaint against New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine. The ticket would result in a $46 fine for a guilty party. It does not require a court appearance. Corzine was badly injured April 12 when a car he was riding in crashed on the Garden State Parkway in Galloway Township. It is believed his injuries were worse because he didn’t wear a seat belt. “As a democrat who voted for Corzine for the Senate and then for governor, I still feel he is culpable in not wearing his seat belt,” Angel wrote in an e-mail to The Press of Atlantic City. He called it “an arrogant abuse of his position of power.” He said he believes most people think a ticket would have been written to lesser person long before. Angel concluded, “We all make bad decisions at times ... The test of adulthood is owning them, one would hope.”

RESPONSE: GadFly notes that the police have discretion in terms of deciding whether to write a traffic summons in all cases...with the exception of DWI...however, the State is not served when the perception is that those in positions of power are treated advantageously by law enforcement. Laws are ‘of the people and by the people’ and we all have the Constitutional right when one feels that the laws are not being addressed fairly, to sign Complaints.

The statue of Justice is blindfolded as a symbol that laws are enforced impartially...that Lady Justice does not peek, to see how thick one’s wallet is or the color of one’s skin. Given the minor nature of the fine for not wearing a seat belt the State Police do a disservice to us all in not citing the Governor...as such inaction allows the perception of special treatment. It is further noted that the following day a seat belt ticket was signed by larry THE MISANTHROPIC PEDANTIC S.O.B. angel with the cooperation of Galloway officials.

ON ACCOUNT OF BEING A DEMOCRACY AND RUN BY THE PEOPLE, WE ARE THE ONLY NATION IN THE WORLD THAT HAS TO KEEP A GOVERNMENT FOUR YEARS, NO MATTER WHAT IT DOES (Will Rogers)

Subject: It stinks from the head: Larry, President Bush has reiterated his support for Gonzales following the attorney general's testimony in the Senate. I'm not sure what the president was watching, but it couldn't have been what I saw. As repeated by Republicans and Democrats, it would be best if Gonzales resigned. It is one thing to support a friend, but it is a whole other thing when that support leads to the denigration of the United States. It is clear that Bush is incapable of recognizing reality. Sadly, Middle America's lack of indignation stems from a failure to discern what line, exactly, has been crossed and who has crossed it. The nature of the problem is niggling. Yes, the president is empowered to remove appointees at his sole discretion; this ensures that U.S. attorneys are ultimately held accountable to the people. This demand for accountability, however, reflects a much more deeply held American democratic ideal — that the law is impartial, that justice is blind. Gonzales crossed a line by attempting to steer the law in favor of a more politically focused justice. Americans should voice their resentment lest they lose ownership of their laws in the mere guise of accountability. Gonzales serves to remind us that we no longer live in a democracy but in a monarchy. But more important, that fish stinks from the head. KF

SOMETIMES WITH SECRET PRIDE I SIGH,
TO THINK HOW TOLERANT AM I;
THEN WONDER WHICH IS REALLY MINE:
TOLERANCE, OR A RUBBER SPINE (Ogden Nash)

Subject: RE: ANNETTE REGISTER LARRY THERE HAS TO BE A STORY HERE. YOU POST AN ACCIDENT THREE MONTHS AFTER IT HAPPENS AND IT INVOLVES A MULLICA POLICE OFFICER’S WIFE. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED THE END OF JANUARY AND WAS POSTED HERE IN MID APRIL. WAS THIS AN ATTEMPTED COVERUP OR WHAT? CURIOUS IN HAMMONTON

RESPONSE: GadFly became aware of the accident via an anonymous email that contained the request that the email not be posted ... as FYI. It raised some other issues as well. There were two witnesses to the accident and I believe Ms. Posner is pleading innocent on the ticket that placed the blame for going through a red light on her. “COVERUP OR WHAT” ...each of us is free to draw their own conclusions, but the Mullica Police in terms of providing information for GadFly over the years have been most cooperative.

BEWARE LEST YOU LOSE THE SUBSTANCE BY GRASPING AT THE SHADOW (Aesop)

Subject: Dibabbo Revisted: Gadfly, The DiBabbo case shows it pays to break the law in Mullica. Why should a homeowner voluntarily comply with our building laws? You're better off just taking a chance that if you get caught, you'll get off cheaper than if you do the right thing. Perhaps Mr. DiBabbo should seek a position with the Mullica Police, where breaking the law and violating the public's trust puts you on the fast track to a promotion. Can't believe that people are allowed to get away with this 1. bulls@!t.


Subject: Dibabbo/Sandman/Gabris: It is so interesting how the Forman/Schlues are brought into this discussion, and how you politically twist the hiring of Sandman to the towing contract. My opinion, off base on this one. The guy that Gabris shoved through zoning (no he didn't meet the requirements for another tow and impound yard in Mullica..Before being approved a judge made him give up a couple of the uses on the property)(p.s. There is a court order that declares that as soon as he complied with zoning he could obtain a towing license)that's what all the hub bub was about.Gabris said the yard was OK..and the judge didnt. And after being on Mullicas towers list a couple of months....he drops off.(YOU NEVER WROTE WHY HE WAS ASKED TO GIVE UP HIS EXPENSIVE TOWING CONTRACT AND LICENSE AFTER ALL THE EXPENSE OF GOING TO COURT!!!!)Politically speaking, if this was Forman/Schlue, you would have written a book on what was going on there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, the other new tower was a democrat, and politics being what it is, and this being YOUR website, people have to understand that what is written by you will always have that certain slant....with just a few items left out..enough to try to disparage people YOU dislike personally. I understand that fact..your readers I hope will keep that in the back of their minds. Thank you for the opportunity to express my views. A concerned citizen for the truth in Mullica.

RESPONSE: I would respectfully posit the notion that the ‘slant’ of GadFly has always been owned and all opinions are posted here and no one is cut off from their opinion or commentary as oft happens at Town meetings under the control of Mullica Republicans. GadFly has no problem noting that when control was in the hands of Mullica Democrats the practice of cutting people’s right to express an opposing opinion off before they were finished at town meetings was the practice too. Power corrupting all parties and at some level the roll here is to point that out.

As a purported ‘concerned citizen for the truth in Mullica’ you might garner more credibility if you acknowledged the fact that THE TRUTH is often somewhere in between the two posited political spins on the facts. The benefit of an open forum ... so often cut off at Town meetings where too much is decided in the back room ... affords the public the opportunity to access which 'spin' should receive more weight in the market of competing ideas. There is an honest attempt here to be factually correct and the interpretation of those facts is opinion slanted by where one is often in the political spectrum.

Your language is slanted as well and clearly you have some insights into the issues and perhaps an agenda too. I have not seen a Court Order, but accept that it exists as the one case did go to Court and as you note the party interested in becoming a town tower did acquiesce to abandoning a dwelling usage on the property. And again, after some time, he did abandon the desire to be on the Mullica Towing roster for reasons not fully clear to me. Having said that, there was an earlier application and approval to be on the towing roster from Quality Auto that Republicans rejected holding to the unsustained legal concept that being a junk yard or auto repair operation and seeking to join the towing roster in some way represented a secondary use and needed an additional approval process. This was perceived by many as an effort to protect Republican towers Schlue and glen THE AUTO INSURANCE FRAUD KING forman and yes, is my perception.

And there is a contextual history here of immoral and wrongful acts being protected and hidden that you conveniently leave out ...facts of documented police findings of overcharges by THE AUTO INSURANCE FRAUD KING forman and the recommendation to no longer allow him on the towing roster as a result of several such police investigation findings. We all selectively remember the facts and more often than not that is less malicious than you wish to make it. The glaring difference, or so it seems to me, is you repeatedly seem unable to own your repeated inaccuracies or omissions.

In the context of the perceived role here of ...however foolishly to address corruption and abuse of power wherever it exists, GadFly notes the recent signing of Complaint against Democrat Jon Corzine for his failure to wear a seat-belt. For too many people allegiance to political Party takes ownership over allegiance to ethics, integrity and honesty...and we are all the loser ... most especially the principles in the Party or persons we support.

And the other exception I wish to note to your posting, is your false assumption that I don’t like people with whom I disagree with here. The offense is taken at their actions and/or positions on an issue, not as you represent a personal dislike. I have no problem stating that I sincerely like you as a person, although at times we may disagree...and that disagreement may be verbally intense and ugly at a moment in time...but it is about an issue, or a spin on an issue, ...and maybe it is because I am not looking for ‘perfection’ and expect human beings to be flawed, and thus am able to not inherently dislike those with whom I disagree with. Sorry, there is no aspiration here, to your level of ‘perfection.’

I would also note, I don’t believe there was a twisting of the Sandman contract to the towing issue. I found Mr. Sandman to be basically struggling to perform the job in an ethical manner...it was the concept of a four year contract that I take exception to and would like to think that would have been the case were the same offered to Mr. Gabris.

I note further that the unwillingness of Republicans to debate openly the issues here is one suspects clear to readers and speaks to the integrity of their ideas. Further, there is very little reluctance to critique Democrats by GadFly...it just that Republicans seem to be in control at this moment in time. My hope would be that if after the next election Democrats take control here...that you will see and acknowledge the same level of vitriol and disdain for their stupidity and short comings.

THE CRUELEST LIES ARE OFTEN TOLD IN SILENCE (Robert Louis Stevenson)

Subject: Who Stole the Party? Larry although some may be surprised by your comments on what the GOP used to stand for, others can recall a Republican Party that for generations opposed military adventurism and foreign entanglements. Reared in a rock-ribbed Republican family in a solidly Republican town in northern New England, I approached my father for a signature allowing me to enlist in the Army in 1965. My dad had served in the South Pacific in World War II, but his answer was quick and unequivocal: "Like hell I'll let you sign up for another Democratic foreign war!" B

RESPONSE: Respectfully, this morass...is a Republican War...it is based on the lies of Republicans and Republican supporters and campaign contributors are getting rich while some of our best our being killed and maimed.

A GOOD POLITICIAN IS QUITE AS UNTHINKABLE AS AN HONEST BURGLAR (H. L. Mencken)

TWO BURGLARY ARRESTS IN MULLICA

Burglaries at Mike’s Junk Yard of various auto parts were caught on tape which has led to the arrest and charges of burglary being filed against Chris Jones (born 1983) of Mullica and Ryan Patterson (born 1982) of Hammonton.

A THING LONG EXPECTED TAKES THE FORM OF THE UNEXPECTED WHEN AT LAST IT COMES (Mark Twain)

FROM THE MULLICA POLICE BLOTTER

On Wednesday, April 18th around 5:30 A.M. a vehicle driven by Frank Seney (born 1963) of Mullica was traveling on Moss Mill Road near Colombia Road when it hit a deer.

On Wednesday, April 18th around 8 P.M. a vehicle driven by James Demaio (born 1971) of Mullica was traveling on Weekstown Road near Indian Cabin Road when it hit a deer.

Drivers should be aware that this time of year with vegetation not yet out in the forest, deer often come out to the roadway where the grass has tenderly sprouted on the sides of the road to feed and can thus be a hazard to motorists.

YOU CAN GO A LONG WAY WITH A SMILE. YOU CAN GO A LOT FARTHER WITH A SMILE AND A GUN (Al Capone)

Subject: Re: Gun Culture Posting, Take the Guns! The increasing incidence of school shootings is in direct correlation to the easy access of firearms and a republican led government that promotes violence. This phenomenon can be witnessed here at home and in the Bush War overseas. Most Americans embrace the 2nd amendment and own guns for fear of our government. "What will our out of control government do next?," is often the question. Larry, we could combat senseless gun violence by starting right here at home. We need to have our local government set the precedent by disarming our police force. Unarmed cops will set an excellent example for the public to follow. People will begin to lose the fear of bigbrother/Government/Cops etc. and wouldn't feel the need to own guns. Gun sales would drastically fall and thus safer streets, safer schools, and a safer America. Get rid of the need for guns and you will have less gun violence. It has worked in England, why not here? Larry, all these cops do is write tickets and they can't even get that right. They need pens with ink not guns. Really, when was the last time Mullica had a police involved shooting? When would be poacher Jimbo Wild blasted a mechanical deer? Larry, why can't our local government set the precedent and start the disarmament of America right here in Mullica?

IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A MAJORITY TO PREVAIL, BUT RATHER AN IRATE, TIRELESS MINORITY KEEN TO SET BRUSH FIRES IN PEOPLE'S MINDS (Samuel Adams)

Subject: Re: Peaceful Majority: Larry- I wasn’t aware that the Nazis leaders and their followers all were that keen on supporting the troops either, except for their patriotic lip service. Does the word Stalingrad ring a bell?

RESPONSE: Invading a foreign country places the invaders inevitably in the position of outsiders and nationalistic fervor can easily be played upon against the invading force. And of course a two front war with supply lines stretched is another historical parallel that the Repugs missed...but, 'they will greet us as liberators' was a failure to understand cultural differences and greed for war profits took over and now we are too deep into the quagmire for people who don’t make mistakes to own the errors of their ways...so more of our brave soldiers will die and be maimed as Republicans seek to blame Democrats for not supporting the troops...who they have so badly served. HUH?

TIS AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NO MINDS (Malaclypse the Younger)

ANOTHER (WORSE) MONICA SCANDAL

Perhaps because sex sells better than almost anything, it is not surprising that the Republican ‘Monica’ scandal seems to have had such a short shelf life for the media. The Republican ‘Monica’ being Ms. Gooding ...a product of the Christian Taliban, Pat Robertson’s Regent University (providing ‘Christian leadership to change the world”). This Republican ‘Moncia,’ as a Bushie employee in this Justice Department has indicated she will not testify to the truth before Congress regarding the machinations of the Gonzales Justice department to ‘blow’ off the Constitution ...she refuses to testify as it may incriminate her, or her bosses in some criminal act.

Being a good Christian in the mold of mentor Robertson ...who had called for the assassination of the elected leader of Venezuela and blamed the 9/11 massacre on god’s punishing America for its embrace of the gay and lesbian life style ...good Christian, Monica Goodings in her perverted view of the Creator apparently felt lying to Congress under oath might be judged harshly at the time of salvation...and of course like ‘Scooter’ ...one goes to jail for such illegal acts. Surprisingly, there is a learning curve in the Bush administration ...better to claim a faulty memory, ...over and over again.

Friedrich Nietzche posited that ‘god was dead’ and it does seem that the pseudo Christian leadership of this administration sees the deity sadly comatose regarding immoral acts a la the legal opinions and justifications from Monica’s employer ... approval of torture, secret out of country prisons to hold humans without any recourse to courts for years, wire taping with no Court oversight, ‘signing statements’ that allow Bush to imperially ignore sections of duly passed Congressional laws which he has signed into law and voiding (blowing) the Constitutional guaranteed unalienable right to habeas-corpus by the Creator ...these were somehow less of a bother, given the educational background from her alma mater for Republican Monica.

IslamicFascist – ChristianFascist ...and the difference is... As Nietzche noted; HE WHO FIGHTS WITH MONSTERS MIGHT TAKE CARE LEST HE THEREBY BECOME A MONSTER. AND IF YOU GAZE FOR LONG INTO AN ABYSS, THE ABYSS GAZES ALSO INTO YOU. The evil ‘monster’ of blowing the Constitutional checks and balances that have made our country the envy of the world, seems out of the abyss...and dwelling in the Oval Office.

A LITTLE LEARNING IS A DANGEROUS THING BUT A LOT OF IGNORANCE IS JUST AS BAD (Bob Edwards)

A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT IN MULLICA – WAITING TO HAPPEN ?

Pictured below is a high voltage electrical box with markings warning the public to stay away from that for some bizarre reason is outside the fenced in area of the Sprint Elwood Cell tower on Moss Mill Road. Its presence had been pointed out at a Mullica Town Meeting two weeks ago by Elwood resident Francis Paulsgraph during public discussion.

GadFly’s subsequent conversation with Mullica’s Building Inspector, Bob Lemon resulted in the information that no such box existed outside the protective fenced in area. HUH? The below picture has been shown to Committeeperson Janet Forman and Code Enforcement Officer Tom Sandman.

DON'T LOOK FOR MORE HONOR THAN YOUR LEARNING MERITS (Jewish Proverb)

MULLICA MIDDLE SCHOOL HONORED

(From The Press 4/23) education news: Four area schools are among 69 statewide that will be recognized this week as 2006 Just for the Kids New JERSEY Benchmark Schools. The schools have been identified by the Just for the Kids Web site for attaining high rates of achievement or making dramatic improvement on state tests. North Main Street School in Pleasantville and Folsom School will be recognized for improvement, and Absegami High School in Galloway Township and Mullica Township Middle School will be recognized for achievement. The schools will be honored at an event Wednesday sponsored by Business Coalition for Educational Excellence at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and Washington Mutual. More information is available at: www.just.just4kids.org)

NONVIOLENCE IS A POWERFUL AND JUST WEAPON...WHICH CUTS WITHOUT WOUNDING...IT IS A SWORD THAT HEALS (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Subject: Stop Now: Larry it's a wonder it has taken Democrats this long to start coming out with the unvarnished truth of how they really feel about the Iraq war. Because they obviously know that we have already been defeated, the more pressing question is why not take the soldiers out right now instead of insisting on a withdrawal date months down the road, knowing full well — that more time spent there will only mean more American lives lost? I'm glad Reid finally admitted what most of us already know — that the Iraq war is lost. Republicans have challenged the Democrats, saying that if Democrats really believe the war is lost, then they should cut off funding now. I agree. Why should we spend another $100 billion and waste more lives on a lost cause? Why should we put it off so that the next president has to clean up Bush's mess? The way I see it, Bush should consider himself lucky that the Democrats are offering some money with a timetable. I think if Bush vetoes the bill, then that should be the end of funding. This is Bush's war. We should lose it while he is still president. Marc

THE WAR IS NOT MEANT TO BE WON, IT IS MEANT TO BE CONTINUOUS. HIERARCHICAL SOCIETY IS ONLY POSSIBLE ON THE BASIS OF POVERTY AND IGNORANCE. THIS NEW VERSION IS THE PAST AND NO DIFFERENT PAST CAN EVER HAVE EXISTED. IN PRINCIPLE THE WAR EFFORT IS ALWAYS PLANNED TO KEEP SOCIETY ON THE BRINK OF STARVATION. THE WAR IS WAGED BY THE RULING GROUP AGAINST ITS OWN SUBJECTS AND ITS OBJECT IS NOT THE VICTORY OVER EITHER EURASIA OR EAST ASIA, BUT TO KEEP THE VERY STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY INTACT (George Orwell)

WASZEN CASE IN DOLLAR TERMS A COSTLY ‘WIN(?)’ FOR MULLICA

At the April 17th Mullica Municipal Court settlement agreement we had masquerading as a ‘VICTORY’ with nauseating praise being heaped on THE SCOFFLAW by Mullica prosecutor, jimmy THE ETHICALLY CHALLENGED curcio for the benefit done for Mullica residents via the clean up of the property on the Pike, what seemed more a sell-out and ‘VICTORY’ for steve THE SCOFFLAW waszen. Sort of the cherry on the sundae for the Waszen campaign $1,800 campaign contribution one assumes.

The Court was told that payments of $55,000 had been made, but that $10,000 of that was for Contempt on a much earlier Court Ordered payment schedule...nothing to do with the $80,000 accrued late payment penalty which was ignored and started running on January 26th 2007. That meant that having paid $45,000 on the $184,000 fine, the remaining due would be $139,000 ....Judge Broome’s math being okay here. THE SHYSTER maguire indicated that there had been an agreement in return for the agreed upon easement separating the property in perpetuity from the rail line, to reduce th fine by $49,700. HUH? Understand that the County had represented after negotiating the easement that its value was $29,000, but THE SHYSTER was willing to add another $20,000 to that ... perhaps in trade for future campaign contributions to the County Republican Party.

As Mullica and the County were splitting the fine fifty/fifty, THE SHYSTER maguire now sought to give away more of Township’s share as he indicated that from the Mullica side another $8,329 would be reduced from the outstanding Mullica share of the fine. (For overpayment of property taxes) HUH? In executive sessions THE SHYSTER maguire had advised THE CORRUPT MULLICA 5 AKA IDIOTS R US to not fight to receive the entire fine amount with the incredible falsehood that if THE IDIOTS pushed for the entire fine Mullica could end up with the garbage rail transfer station in Mullica. HUH? Note, the County position was to demand the entire fine. How Mullica offica DUMB bought this illogical Waszen favoring position by Mullica’s whore solicitor ...given the strength of the wording of the Federal Court Temporary Injunction that required the proposed garbage rail transfer station get Pinelands approvals, was incomprehensible. IDIOTS is way too kind a sobriquet for all five of these living proof that brain death is not fatal, morons.

Ah, but the giveaways to THE SCOFFLAW waszen were not over yet, out of no where, well, some where in the dark back room of corruption, Judge Broom proposed that if all the fine payments ($10,000 the 15th of every other month) were made making the last payment due on May 15, 2008, that the $10,000 contempt payment made in 2005 be applied and THE SCOFFLAW waszen would not have to make the last payment. HUH? Remember we had just witnessed eighty days of no payment of fines by THE SCOFFLAW waszen with impunity and no penalty for this clear contempt of the Mullica Court.

This five away was so ridiculous, that even THE GIRLY MAN SHYSTER maguire seemed caught off balance as he noted that he would have to get approval from THE IDIOTS R US crew before agreeing to this unexpected idiotic suggestion by Judge Broome. But given the record does any thoughtful person who has followed this Pyrrhic victory fools dance doubt the course of action by THE MORONS running Mullica. Of course, does any fool out there who has followed the myriad examples of ignored Court Orders with no penalty expect THE SCOFFLAW waszen to pay on time. Broome is obviously too ignorant to comprehend the fool he had allowed himself to be made of by THE SCOFFLAW waszen over and over again. DUH!!!

I AIMED AT THE PUBLIC'S HEART, AND BY ACCIDENT I HIT IT IN THE STOMACH (Upton Sinclair)

FROM THE MULLICA POLICE BLOTTER

On Tuesday, April 10th around 5:15 P.M. a vehicle driven by Susan Grzyb (born 1947) of Little Egg Harbor was headed west on Nesco Road when a vehicle driven by Kimberly Clark (born 1967) of Morisville Pa traveling the other way (east) on Nesco Road crossed the dividing line forcing Ms Grzyb off the road and into a tree. Ms. Clark was cited.

On Saturday, April 14th around 6:30 A.M. a vehicle driven by Garry Laiygodw (born 1940) of Egg Harbor City was traveling west on the White Horse Pike in the right lane when it was side swiped by a vehicle in the fast lane that was traveling at a high rate of speed. That vehilcle was never caught.

GUNS ARE NEAT LITTLE TINGS, AREN'T THEY? THEY CAN KILL EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT (John Hinckley)

Subject: Re: Gun Culture Posting: Larry every day they try to fill us with fear. "The terrorists are coming over here to get us," they say. And why WOULDN'T the terrorists want to come to Virginia, for example? Why they've got some of the most lax gun laws anywhere, where even a deranged non-citizen can freely buy a high-powered assault weapon. And its not just people from overseas, criminals from all over the eastern seaboard come to Virginia in particular to buy their guns, so they can go commit crimes in other states. The blood had not even dried on the classroom floors of Virginia Tech before the NRA launched its own offensive, in the media and in email blasts, to argue that what we really need to do is turn all our teachers into pistol packing sheriffs, and our colleges into something out of the wild west. There are only two categories of people who oppose any kind of gun regulation, lobbyists for the gun manufactures themselves, and people with personal Rambo fantasies. And the latter are possibly the LAST people who should be armed with deadly force. The fact is that for every private citizen with the skill and JUDGEMENT to effectively intervene against someone else shooting a gun, there are many more Rambos in their own mind who would end up getting even more people killed including themselves. For every gun in a home used for successful defense against an attacker, there are many, many more used in suicides, or killing by accident, or end up stolen. Those are the statistics and they don't lie. You remember Marvin Gaye, don't you? He was killed in a family argument by his own father with a gun he bought for his father's protection. It has never been enough to be a law-abiding citizen to be armed with a lethal weapon. With gun rights come gun responsibilities. You must be trained to use a weapon responsibly. And nobody should be able to purchase such a weapon unless they can first demonstrate this, any more than someone should be allowed to drive a car without at least first passing a driving test, together with an eye exam and a written test. They passed a law in the last Congress that said you were required to attend a special class before you could declare bankruptcy. Why not also to own a gun? It probably would not hurt at all to also have every applicant interviewed by someone trained to spot personality disorders, such as the kind that were so obvious to anyone who knew the mass murderer to be at Virginia Tech. The faculty there had already reported him to local police as a possible lunatic. And yet he was allowed to just walk into a gun store, where other murder weapons had been purchased, and walk out with a gun. There is something very broken about a system that failed to stop this. Having more guns in this country in the hands of people who can't handle them doesn't make us more safe. It makes us all LESS safe. Many of the guns already in the hands of criminals were originally sold legally (though perhaps under the most feeble of laws), and the more our society is awash with guns, the more guns criminals will get, to steal if they have to. The more guns the NRA can sell us, the more they will tell us we need to buy to "protect" ourselves from the ones already sold. What a deadly, murderous racket. What we need are minimum federal standards on licensing requirements before gun purchase, and probably a ban on any gun transfer outside that system. Even in the reddest of the red states you will find few people who think that anybody, including any criminal, should be able to buy a gun with no questions asked. There are some who only want to read the words they like from the Constitution, but our founding fathers intended gun ownership to be "well regulated," which is exactly the situation we do NOT have now. They even let the assault weapons ban expire. The overriding federal problem is that as long as there are loose jurisdictions from state to state, city to city, guns will be oversold where the laws are weak, to make mayhem there, and bring it to everywhere else. And that's exactly what gun manufacturers do in a premeditated way. A relatively small number of outlets do land office business, and are the distribution point for most of the guns that end up being used in crimes. Ever eager to exploit gruesome tragedy for a photo op, president Bush said at their memorial service that the victims were "simply in the wrong place at the wrong time." Yeah, they were in the wrong place all right. They were in a state where an unstable person can get a high powered lethal weapon without any meaningful regulation or oversight. He might well have added that our state and city borders no longer protect us. It's time for us to stop allowing the loud mouthpieces for the gun industry to bully us with threats of violence. The way to start getting guns off the street is to stop putting them ON the street so casually and without forethought. In his farewell rant the latest mass assassin wrote "you caused me to do this," whoever it was he blamed for his own heinous acts. But he neglected to include a thank you to the NRA, for ENABLING him to do what he did, only to be used as their new poster boy for why our entire society should be turned into an armed war zone. What about the 32 innocent people he slaughtered? What happened to their inalienable Constitutional rights? Are you shocked by 32 dead students and teachers? Suppose you heard on the news that the number was 32,000. How would you react to that? More than that many die from gun violence INSIDE this country every year, about highest rate for any country not in the third world or actively at war. Of course we're doing the war thing too. What are we doing so wrong? Ask the gun manufacturers. As you have pointed out Larry it's good business for them . . . never been better. G

Subject: Gun Culture: Culture of Idiocy: Larry, I read with amusement the posting that more guns on the Va Tech campus would have solved the problem. And lest we forget, the Constitution gives us the right to bear arms. I love when pro-gun folks wrap themselves up in the Constitution, failing to address the fact that the document was written before a time of automatic and semi-automatic weapons and the type of assault weapons which are so prolific on the streets today. These are the same "conservatives" who are happy to dispense with our other Constitutional rights, all in the name of national security. Do the police who patrol our streets, in the name of security, think we need more f$%&ing guns out there? It is time for all sane Americans to remove these dunderheads from office before they do any further damage to this great country.

I'M NOT AN AMBULANCE CHASER. I'M USUALLY THERE BEFORE THE AMBULANCE (Melvin Belli)

MULLICA HIDDEN SECRET AMBULANCE REPORT ON AGENDA FOR TUESDAY’S TOWN MEETING

The hidden and secret ambulance report that was finished in August of 2006 and never released to the public has been put on the agenda for the Tuesday, April 24th Town meeting. Back room caucus minutes recently released show that one member of the three person ad hoc committee bill THE GARRULOUS kenndey that drew up this in depth report had repeatedly asked in closed door meeting in September, October and November of 2006 that the secret hidden ambulance report be discussed openly before the pubic. Obviously that never happened.

Perhaps what changed things is that GadFly received anonymously a copy of this report and posted it on the GadFly web site. Now the report which makes the financial and time response case that the extant squad despite its best efforts simply seems unable to provided the needed rescue service to the residents of Mullica. The cost analysis argued strongly in its recommendation for going with a paid squad...the Hammonton Rescue Squad.

It serves no one’s interest to politicize this important issue and one hopes that Tuesday knowledgeable people who want what is best for the community will be able to openly discuss the options and arguments of this important service to our community and it not be viewed from a political point scoring perspective.

THE OBJECT OF PERSECUTION IS PERSECUTION. THE OBJECT OF TORTURE IS TORTURE. THE OBJECT OF POWER IS POWER (George Orwell)

Subject: Time for the bathtube and board: So Alberto R. Gonzales can't recall — which he said more than 50 times. No need to fret. Gonzales himself has approved a method of memory enhancement that just might help him. It requires only a couple of common household items — a bathtub and a board. Gonzales has said that the eight U.S. attorneys were fired because of lapses of judgment and management of their offices. If the same criteria are applied to Gonzales, President Bush should ask for his resignation immediately. Tim

WE TRAINED HARD, BUT IT SEEMED THAT EVERY TIME WE WERE BEGINNING TO FORM UP INTO TEAMS WE WOULD BE REORGANISED. I WAS TO LEARN LATER IN LIFE THAT WE TEND TO MEET ANY NEW SITUATION BY REORGANISING: AND A WONDERFUL METHOD IT CAN BE FOR CREATING THE ILLUSION OF PROGRESS, WHILE PRODUCING CONFUSION, INEFFICIENCY AND DEMORALISATION (Caius Petronius, Roman Consul, 66 A.D.)

Subject: Tonight's Meeting: School Board Reorganization Meeting, Monday 7:30 PM. School Board meeting to start at 7 PM tonight due to the reorganization.

HE HAS BEEN CALLED a MEDIOCRE MAN; BUT THIS IS UNWARRANTED FLATTERY. HE WAS A POLITICIAN OF MONUMENTAL LITTLENESS (Theodore Roosevelt speaking about President John Tyler)

WASZEN CASE IN DOLLAR TERMS A COSTLY ‘WIN(?)’ FOR MULLICA

The seeming ‘final settlement’ terms of the Mullica Municipal Court case against steve THE SCOFFLAW waszen supposedly occurred on Tuesday April 17th with all parties agreeing to a new payment schedule of the remaining fine that will run all the way until May 15th of 2008. As the $10,000 payment is due every other month, starting this May 15th and proceeding on the 15th every other month, the Waszen case will be docketed every other month for the second Court date of the month and that required appearance(?) will be voided if the payment is made. HUH? The original Court Order that set up a payment schedule agreed to by all parties for payment of the $184,000 fine was dated December 6, 2003. It of course was contemptuously ignored by THE SCOFFLAW waszen repeatedly and as the latest Order shows, with NO penalty and in fact a substantive reduction in the dollar amount of the penalty. Ah, yes, there are those campaign contributions to Republicans that ...seem the only logical explanation.

The representative before the Court for Mullica who set out these ridiculous terms was County Republican machine player and Mullica solicitor, $$$ tim THE GIRLY MAN SHYSTER maguire $$$ who repeatedly over the years has boasted about what turns out to be a highly questionable financial denouement for Mullica residents although it has been a big billing pay day for him personally. Any listener to the April 17th proceedings with knowledge of the past several years of contempt by THE SCOFFLAW waszen for previous Mullica Court Orders and other Court Orders in Atlantic County, had to be puzzled by the total ignoring of the record of CONTEMPT for the Law, the COURT, and the law abiding citizens of Mullica that was in the process of being validated and rewarded on April 17th ... it was all done in a Kafkaesque manner of inane platitudes of expectations of compliance and praise that all participants heaped upon one another in an orgy of self serving undeserved praise. HUH?

The most recent late payments and non payments that carried according to the previous amended Court Order a fine starting with a due payment of $10,000 on January 26, 2007 was never made. That means as the late payment accrued at $1,000 for each late day to this Court day it had reached and totaled $80,000 at the time of THE SCOFFLAW’S honoring the Court with his appearance (4/17) (he had repeatedly simply ignored Court docketed appearances ... sending his shill rotating lawyers). So how was this on going contempt of Court addressed on Tuesday April 17, 2007 by Mullica’s sell out solicitor THE SHYSTER maguire...it wasn’t. HUH? (A more detailed account of the give away and travesty will be posted tomorrow.)

ONE SHOULD NEVER ATTRIBUTE TO MALICE THAT WHICH CAN BE EXPLAINED TO SIMPLE STUPIDITY

Subject: Frank Rick Observation Today (4/22)(NYT): He links many of the various White House scandals as parts of a plot to hide the debacle in Iraq. “Like the C.I.A. leak case, each new scandal is filling in a different piece of the elaborate White House scheme to cover up the lies that took us into Iraq and the failures that keep us mired there. As the cover-up unravels and Congress steps up its confrontation over the war’s endgame, our desperate president is reverting to his old fear-mongering habit of invoking 9/11 incessantly in every speech. The more we learn, the more it’s clear that he’s the one with reason to be afraid.”

WE FORFEIT THREE-FOURTHS OF OURSELVES IN ORDER TO BE LIKE OTHER PEOPLE (Arthur Schopenhauer)

Subject: Sandman: Do you see Sandman as a sort of enigma---partisan lackey on the one hand, occasionally doing the right thing on the other? Just wondering how you see it.
I saw that the four Republicans voted to give Sandman a 4-year contract; it's like they share one mind on the issue. Wonder which one gets to use it this week!!!

RESPONSE: Please see posting below for insights into what you describe as the Sandman “enigma.”


Subject: Dibabbo/Sandman comment: I think that it needs to be noted that dibabbo built his home under the watchful eye of Gabris the educated expert...and that he was let go because of those lack of enforcement problems...not specifically dibabbo, but wazen....instead of fretting about what Gabris cost us at dibabbo ( the court determines the fines after the fact , not Sandman, and I believe even the tax assessor can only go back a certain amount of time also) be thankful Sandman was tough with wazen, and that dibabbo was brought into compliance, although I wish Gabris would have been doing his job, not paying your fair share of taxes bothers me too. A Concerned Citizen for Truth in Mullica

RESPONSE: I believe that both Mr. Gabris and Mr. Sandman acting in the capacity of Mullica Code Enforcement Officer gave the job their best effort and struggled to act ethically and effectively in what is basically a thankless job. I note that at times I had loud shouting disagreements with both men...but in the end, both men get from me a modicum of respect for how they have performed on the job as Mullca Code Enforcement Officer.

My posting about the 4 year contract for Mr. Sandman as I am wont to do...went overboard a bit, perhaps. A contract for this position was ludicrous and political reward and against the larger interests of good government in Mullica. That opinion was strengthened by the fact that Mr. Sandman after three years in the position had taken none of the courses required for certification in this position. Having said that, in no way do I question the good intentions of Mr. Sandman to administer the codes in Mullica fairly and impartially.

Both Gabris and Sandman are Republicans and Gabris being a bit more worldly came at some point to see the corruption and desire of some members of THE CORRUPT MULLICA 5 AKA IDIOTS R US to manipulate enforcement politically and receiving support for that from the corrupt Mullica solicitor, $$$ tim THE GIRLY MAN SHYSTER maguire $$$ and this eventually is what led to the Gabris firing. The key issue being the towing contract in Mullica controlled by Gary Shlue and glen THE AUTO INSURANCE KING OF ATLANTIC COUNTY forman. As both Gabris and the Mullica Police Chief approved the towing applications of others and the Republican cabal refused to approve. That is clearly what led to the ousting of Mr. Gabris. Your spin here is political and lacks merit in my opinion.

I believe Mr. Sandman labored diligently, long and hard to address the on going violations over several years by steve THE SCOFFLAW waszen, but on a number of occasions was successfully played by the two County Republican sell-out whore attorneys, THE SHYSTER and jimmy THE ETHICALLY CHALLENGED curcio whose allegiance was not to the interests of Mullica but to the County Republican machine. Gabris simply had a worldly experience that Sandman lacked and thus was an easier mark for manipulation by corrupt County Republican players and his ethics would not allow him to be played easily.

As for the debacle of the Dibabbo matter; to blame Gabris is the most blatant of political manipulation of a lack of omnipotence. My personal conversations with all players in this matter including the tax assessor was that $30,000 in back taxes is what could be proven in Court. That figure came from Mullica officials as the number we could reasonably recoup. I argued several times including at a public Town meeting that the Mullica offica DUMB should go after Dibabbo in Civil Court where the fine was likely to include much more than $30,000 as a jury would most likely assess punitive damages for the malicious acts of Dibabbo to circumvent paying his fair share of property taxes.

At the very least such a tactic might have worked to settle at making Mullica tax payers whole with the agreed payment of the owed $30,000 in back property taxes with an agreement not to sue in Civil Court. But once again, it seems THE ETHICALLY CHALLENGED curcio failed to vigorously represent the interests of the Mullica taxpayers. Whether the Mullica prosecutor is just lazy, or incompetent, or seeking a future campaign contribution is not clear to me...what is clear, is that Mullica taxpayers have been badly served by County Republican whore lawyers, again!!! ...and a four year contract for Republican foot solider Sandman was morally indefensible.