THE NEW YEAR has started as an eye-popping year for the residents of Bergen County, who have been burdened by escalating county taxes over the past decade.
Recent revelations about county government agencies and their spending are an indictment of the malfeasance at One Bergen Plaza. That is perhaps more horrifying than the conviction of two Bergen County officials last year. The malfeasance reeks of the arrogance with which Democrats have managed to run the county to benefit a select few.
Two newly-elected Republicans took their oaths of office Wednesday evening to become the first members of their party to serve on the Bergen County Freeholder Board in three years.
Republicans Robert Hermansen, of Mahwah, and John Driscoll, of Paramus, both said that their first priority will be to push for stricter laws on pay-to-play and the bidding of public contracts.
BOB YUDIN is right. This week, the chairman of the Bergen County Republican Organization called on incoming state Attorney General Paula Dow to investigate the Bergen County Improvement Authority.
Yudin was responding to Tuesday's in-depth report in The Record on the Improvement Authority's loan program.
The county touted its Municipal Banc as an easy way for municipalities to get cash fast. It was almost instant credit — not a good thing for taxpayers living in small towns, some run by people cozy with the same county officials pushing the fast loans. Municipalities could borrow money without specifying what they needed to purchase. Several towns borrowed money they did not use. Meanwhile, they had to make payments on the unneeded loans. The debt mounted like uncollected trash.
CHAIRMAN SAYS HE WILL ASK NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL TO EXAMINE THE ACTIONS OF THE BCIA
Record Article Raises Questions About Shadowy Agency
December 29, 2009
Thom Ammirato 973-403-7836