Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

Harry Peek: Poster Boy of Government Handouts

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Careful eCache readers will remember the run-in I had with Harry Peek on the telephone last June. Good ol’ Harry is back in the news.

Harry Peek was appointed to the Cumberland County Board of Elections in 1969 by the governor of New Jersey.

For the part-time post, the nephew of former Millville Mayor Rulon Peek was given a salary and was offered a health benefits package.

Forty years later, Peek still serves on the county board of elections as chairman.

He receives a $15,287 salary and continues to receive health benefits paid for by the county, which the over 70-year-old man relies on to help pay for his prostate cancer treatment.

A part-timer for 40 years, Mr. Peek is one of those who Freeholder Director Lou Magazzu claims has a $20,000 health benefits package. It’s not like running the Board of Elections is a full-time job. Joe DeMarco, also a paid Board of Elections official and the proprietor of the DeMarco-Luisi Funeral Home, spends quite a bit of time in Florida at his home in The Villages.

Why does DeMarco receive health benefits? His wife was a longtime employee of a school district. Her benefits should have covered her husband. Is this a double-dipping affair?

How well served are the voters of Cumberland County served by Mr. Peek? He is pulling down ~$35,000 of county money. I believe that is higher than the median income in the county. Obviously, these guys are only working a little bit as each election comes up.

And shoot, even then, voters are not served by Mr. Peek’s reign since he wants to stifle enthusiasm in the electoral process.

Why do we pay citizens to sit on this board? I will gladly volunteer to serve for no salary and no health benefits. Is anyone else willing to pledge his service to the county gratis?

Waterloo

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

James Carville, the ragin’ cajun, has laid down the gauntlet for President Obama; if Obama can’t get healthcare reform passed, Carville says it will be his Waterloo.



Waterloo, the battle that ended Napoleon’s reign. Carville, a partisan for sure, but one who is supposedly on President Obama’s side of the issues, has clearly stated what the importance of healthcare really is . . . and it is not about the constituents.



Obama’s Reconciliation

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Words . . . just words . . .



Serving the Public

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Perhaps I am idealistic, but I assume those who run for elected office do so because they desire to serve the public. Perhaps there is a talent or a skill one feels he can share with his community.

Yes, elected office is altruistic.

Apparently, not everyone feels that way. Cumberland County Freeholder Jane Jannarone is quoted by Matt Dunn today as saying,

“The freeholders haven’t gotten a raise since 1974,” she said. “If the county no longer offered benefits to part-time workers and the real estate market continues the way it has been, would I run again? I don’t know.”

Such sentiment makes this constituent wonder what Ms. Jannarone’s impetus to represent us actually is. Is it to serve us or herself?

She isn’t alone in that either. Another Cumberland County freeholder, Joe Pepitone said:

As an elected official, (health benefits) are what goes along with the freeholder package, so to speak.

There you have it, fellow Cumberland County taxpayers. Your elected officials at work . . . for themselves.

Politically Bent: Consistency

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010