Thursday, February 19, 2009
FEE HIKE FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER IN MULLICA
From today's Press of Atlantic City article it's reported the committee informally agreed, by a 3-2 vote (Forman, Chasey, Kennedy-yes)(Graebener, St. Amour-No) to double the municipality's Public Defender fee from $100 to $200 in order to cover a raise it gave it's public defender last month (The raise for the public defender passed by a 3-1 vote last month with Forman, Chasey and Kennedy voting yes and St. Amour voting No to the raise, Graebener wasn't present at that vote). St. Amour stated it's "penalizing those with the least money" and Forman stated "Aren't all of us taxpayers indigent at this point". Hammonton's fee is $100.00 and Egg Harbor City is $150.00. One can assume this will be brought up and formally voted on at the next committee meeting, this Tuesday 2/24/09. For the full story, click here.
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15 comments:
Most of us don't drive around in a new Mercedes SLK-class roadster and a yacht named "Not Guilty" and call ourselves indigent. This person obviously either has no understanding of or empathy for what it means to be indigent in Mullica or she wouldn't have given such a flip answer to this serious issue.
Hey, that's $200 more than what Kennedy paid for his public defender.
Does Ms. Forman know what the demographics are for Mullica Township? There is more to Mullica than the river dwellers and most in town are having trouble making ends meet.
Kennedy probably would have been able to apply for a public defender in his case and probably would have qualified. Wonder what Folsom charges for their public defender?
If we're all "indigent" as Ms. Forman says, why would she consider raising this fee and not others if everyone is suffering in this poor economy? It seems to me that the poor are always the first to experience financial distress in a recession and this one is no exception. Her statement is contradictory.
I'm glad I don't reside in Mullica. It's truly a major Embarrassment.
I think that what Forman should have said was: "Aren't all of us taxpayers indignant at this point", referring to the current economic crisis. That would have been more the point.
In this economy, we shouldn't be raising any municipal fees on anyone, even the poor.
500 SL , BIG difference
SL 500 starting at $98,500? Guess I can understand why she doesn't mind taking money from poor people.
Ms. Forman has once again exposed herself for the mean, heartless fraud that she is. Doubling a fee that only effects the poor of our community...why to go you heartless bitch! Perhaps you and your police chief pal, the self-righteous Christian wannabe can then swoop in and buy their property for pennies on the dollar. But I am sure God wouldnt want it any other way!
Indigent my ass, thanks for pointing out the price difference between the SLK and the 500 SL, since the SLK starts out at a mere $45,950 and the 500 SL (BIG difference) starts at $98,500, we wouldn’t want to think Ms. Forman was slumming in the lesser class car.
Really shows how out of touch Forman is with the town and constituents.
What qualifications does someone have to meet to be able to have a Public Defender?
The idea that someone could lose their $200 because they didn't qualify doesn't seem fair.
I don't understand why that money isn't refunded if the P.D. isn't used.
I am wondering how many of the 30 cases the Public Defender won for his clients.
I was wondering how many did not have the $100 fee and just threw themselves at the mercy of the court. It seems to me that the higher the fee, the fewer the applicants. One has a right to an attorney in this country, even if one can't afford one...
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