Three More Subpoenas Tied to Special Grants in New Jersey!

I continue to experience daily harassment and obstruction efforts in writing and posting essays at this blog or my msn site. These incidents take place with the full awareness of the authorities in New Jersey, who also must know that it is a federal crime to violate civil rights -- including rights to free and full expression. Why is such conduct permitted to go unpunished? Isn't it "unethical"?

Richard G. Jones, "In New Jersey, 3 More Subpoenas Tied to Special Grants," in The New York Times, March 28, 2007, at p. B2.


"TRENTON, March 27 -- Stepping up their investigation of possible corruption in the New Jersey State House, federal authorities have issued subpoenas to three lawmakers demanding that they explain their ties to organizations that have received $3.4 MILLION in special grants."

"The subpoenas, which were issued Monday, were sent to two Democratic senators, Joseph Coniglio and Nicholas P. Scutari, and a Democratic assemblyman Brian P. Stack."

"The three lawmakers confirmed that they had received the subpoenas and were cooperating with the authorities, but declined to comment on the investigation."

"... The United States attorney, Christopher J. Christie, has been investigating a longstanding practice in which lawmakers include special grants -- known as Christmas tree items -- for pet projects as the legislature prepares to vote on the state's annual operating budget."

"... Mr. Christie's investigation focuses on whether the lawmakers, their friends or families received improper benefits from organizations that received special grants."

"Mr. Scutari's wife, Karolina, works for a nonprofit agency in Elizabeth, Community Access Unlimited, which received about $75,000 in special grants in the past two years. Mr. Stack's wife, Katia, is the head of a child care center, Union City Day Care, that received about $200,000 in special grants in recent years. And Mr. Coniglio had a $60,000-a-year consulting contract with Hackensack University Medical Center, [did he bother to show up?] which has received about $1.6 MILLION in grants in recent years."

Whatever transactions took place behind the scenes, we may never know. No wonder I am prevented from posting this essay at my msn group, at this time. I'll keep trying throughout the day.

"... In an unrelated matter, the Star Ledger [sic.] also reported that Mr. Christie was looking into political donations received by Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, a Democrat from Union County, who is also chairman of the State Democratic Committee."

All of this slimy, money-grubbing politicking and theft (none of these people are African-Americans or "street kids," by the way) adds to the so-called "culture of corruption" and greed in New Jersey, which accounts for so much of the criminality and truly "unethical" conduct in state politics -- much of it at the behest of public officials and other hypocrites, like Superior Court judges. These are the politicians insisting that we get tough on crime, who are often in favor of the death penalty. My question is: "Whose crimes do you want to get tough on?"

Everybody wants to lock up inner city kids, but rarely to jail the politicians in New Jersey who do far worse and are much greater hypocrites. No wonder they are trying to destroy these essays.

When Supreme Court "justices" (irony intended), in a state facing financial crisis, can be so cavalier and insensitive as to whine about how little they are paid ($141,000), while gobbling down dinners at public expense, accepting expensive portraits and tributes -- not to mention the occasional corsage suitable for wearing to the prom -- also at the public's expense, little can be expected from others. This attitude thrives among powerful blowhards as cancer rates soar, thanks to unenforced pollution regulations, while disappearing public funds destroy schools. Furthermore, New Jersey teachers, cops and firefighters are grossly UNDERPAID.

Mob government has produced a situation of disgusting criminality and disparity in government institutions that are ill-served by mediocrities -- like New Jersey's current Supreme Court justices -- or obvious incompetents, like the staff at the Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE). Many legislators are attorneys, whose shenanigans (mysteriously) go unpunished by OAE investigators, who are either paid-off or merely brain dead. Maybe it's a little of both.

New Jersey's Attorney General, the "invisible" Stuart Rabner's response to these events is to "demur."

Call the feds if you can help in any way to put a stop to this filthy corruption. It's your money they're stealing.