Magazzu’s Government
With the ouster of Steve Wymbs from the Cumberland County Improvement Authority, we are now hearing the “true” story of the CCIA. It will be spun in Freeholder Director Lou Magazzu’s favor.
Today’s article certainly shows that to be the case.
At its close, Magazzu asked commissioners to reconsider a $23 million plan to expand the CCIA landfill on Jesse Bridge Road. He questioned the need for it, given slipping tonnage, and the authority’s ability to pay the debt.
Commissioners approved that project only last summer. The $23 million cost would be paid for through bonds.
Responding, Commissioner Joseph Veight said the authority’s previous administration did not give the board the information it should have had prior to voting on the project. Rainear replaced Steve Wymbs, who took a buyout last year while under pressure to agree to a new contract. Most of the board also has been recently replaced.
The spin is in high gear.
But this is Magazzu’s government. A dump should not be a multi-million dollar grant-issuing machine. It should be a location that collects trash. When government gets involved and has a dump floating debt to fund political favors, that is when a dump leaves its mission.
In New Jersey, the way to get around the public having any say in public debt is to authorize authorities and agencies to have bond writing abilities.
What does a dump have to do with the stage? Well, it recently gave $1 million to the Levoy Theatre in Millville. Lauren Van Embden, Lou Magazzu’s runningmate (and now Millville prosecutor), heads the theatre. And with no say from the citizens of Cumberland County, Magazzu was able to funnel the $1 million from the dump to her project. Two months later he gets to blame the poor financial health of the CCIA on the former director and act as though he is cleaning up political corruption.
Bah!
This is on Magazzu. Why should a dump be funding anything? It’s because the freeholders want control of money without our oversight. This is not how government should run. Hold Lou Maggazu accountable.
Also blogged on this date . . .
- No Said - 2009
- McCain and Dr. Juan Hernandez - 2008
- Cache-A-Maniacs Questions - 2008
- The Cranberry - 2008
- The Old Dam - 2008
- Another NJ Tax Assessed - 2007
- Vanity - 2006
- Wide Right - 1991
- Stray Cats - 1984
Tags: CCIA, Cumberland, government, Levoy Theatre, Magazzu, New Jersey, Politics, Van Embden
By watcher
on 27 January 2010 @ 11:00
Magazzu had nothing to do with the Levoy. The money went from the dump to Millville for a road project many months earlier. The dump did the same thing in all of the cities. They always did these things under Wymbs. Millville transferred it to the Levoy. Magazzu wasn’t in favor of the deal and almost stopped it. Ask anyone. Quick, Look !!! there is a ghost behind that door ~!
By watcher
on 27 January 2010 @ 11:03
Maybe RD needs to “investigate” a little deeper, like maybe reading the CCIA published reports of the dozens of projects they fund EVERY YEAR rather than make shit up that is totally flawed. Maybe the news is that RD is so lost and alone he can’t enjoy the reality of anything that isn’t manufactured by his myopic view of reality.
Translation: RDO is a loser.
By blabla
on 27 January 2010 @ 13:07
Hey shit for brains, the CCIA is in the business of making grants and loans like this. All these are recent recipients:
Adullam Baptist Covenant Church
Animal Friends Foundation
Bayshore Discovery Project
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland County
Boys and Girls Club of Vineland
Bridgeton High School Foundation Inc.
Cumberland County Federation of Sportsmen
Devereux New Jersey
Friends of Bridgeton Library
Friends of Vineland Crew
Hopewell Crest School Science and Technology Foundation
Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research House/Rutgers
Laurel Lake Property Owners Association
Millville Army Airfield Museum
Millville Housing Authority
Millville Volunteer Fire Department
Natural Lands Trust
NJ Audubon Society
Petway PPSA
Rev. Francis P. Araneo Knights of Columbus (Vineland Veterans Home)
South Jersey Healthcare Foundation
Southeast Gateway and Temple Vision
Southern NJ Council of the Boy Scouts of America
The Bostwick Lake Commission
Thomas Wallace Middle School PTO
VDID/Main Street Vineland
Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
Woodland Country Day School
The money goes to the local economy, which is exactly what we need these days.
In 2008 CCIA debt was under $1 Mil. It is over $25 Mil. today primarily because of Wymbs’ unchecked borrowing and spending.
You talk about elected officials needing oversight. You seem not to get how democracy works. In a representative democracy like ours, the people elect representatives to run the government. When an elected official makes a decision, it is the people making that decision through the person/people they elected to represent them and act on their behalf.
By Robert Owens
on 27 January 2010 @ 16:56
I usually remind posters who make personal attacks of the policy here not to do so. Please heed the policy, dear reader.
You claim Magazzu had nothing to do with funneling money to the Levoy. Yet, Magazzu’s runningmate was the beneficiary of the dump’s money. Magazzu controls the dump. The duck is quacking.
For the record, I do not trust Magazzu whatsoever. I recall the press release this past summer about his stance with the loan to the Levoy. Yet, the money got there.
Then the personal attack. It does nothing to further your claim. It is so easy to dismiss you because of your language. Polite society
does not tolerate abuse. Enough of the etiquette lesson.
A dump should not fund projects around the county. A dump should collect trash. Why does CCIA have cash to dole out as it sees fit?
Who controls CCIA?
As for Mr. blabla, yes, the CCIA doles out money to all those groups. Why? The point of the post, which obviously has attracted those with potty mouths, is that a dump shouldn’t be in the business of funding churches, Big Brothers and Sisters, museums, etc. If these are worthwhile expenditures, vet them through the freeholder board.
Again, why would a dump need to float bonds to pass out the people’s money to these organizations?
Not questioning an elected official on structuring government in such a fashion as to incur debt without the people’s active consent dooms the people.
By Carl
on 30 January 2010 @ 10:33
Bob,
Actually you are off base on this one. Lou did try to scuttle the Levoy behind the scenes. He lied to Lauren, and she naively believed that by running on his ticket she would get the support needed for the Levoy.
Here is my theory – Lou is against the Levoy because he needs the Landis to succeed. Landis was one of the entities that contributed to his NACo slush fund. Landis has no real business plan – it is being built to boost the ego of one of the parties involved and provide his wife with a place to practice her hobby. Levoy has a bona-fide business plan.
Lou is a Vineland boy – hence the support he gets from Vineland R’s that stab the party in the back to make sure Lou gets his way. i won’t name names, but there are more than a handful of turncoats that pretend to be R’s, are committee people, and who actively work to sabotage the party.
You are 100% correct on some of the aspects – Lou is now trying to twist facts and pretend that Wymbs mismanaged and lied about rating. Wymbs did not come up with the ratings – outside audits provided the ratings – Lou knows this and had his boy Rainear come in and cook up a story and then floods the newspapers, all ready to rip Wymbs apart – and the timing is perfect, Lou KNOWS that Wymbs is in California right now and unable to defend himself. Typical Magazzu methodology – attack someone when they are unable to respond – it makes them look guilty by their silence.
By Robert Owens
on 30 January 2010 @ 10:38
And she got that support. The result is that one million CCIA $ landed at the Levoy. Magazzu had nothing to do with it? I do not believe it.
By bobo
on 31 January 2010 @ 10:42
RD is a fraud. He deletes posts that speak against his position. Bad, RD, Very Bad. It’s always more fun to believe you are right than to admit you are wrong. Right?
By Robert Owens
on 31 January 2010 @ 12:21
I am not certain how I am a fraud. I exist. How is that fraudulent?
I have not deleted any posts.
I unpublished one comment from a potty-mouthed commenter who was not here to engage in reasoned discourse (that was a month or so ago).Wait: I didn’t even do that. That comment is still posted. Trolling is better spent elsewhere, imo.Now, do you have anything you would like to sign your name to that pertains to this post? If not, enjoy the snow.
Have a nice day.