This stinks

And its not just the uncollected trash.

We have all read, heard about and/orexperienced delays in trash collection due to the chronic shortages of workersin the public words department.

It is a situation that has been frustrating for residents and the city administration alike.

West Ward Councilman Zac Chester suggested on Monday that the city utilize the Blackboard Connect robo-call system to notify residents if and when trash collection was going to be late.

It seems like a common sense request to use a system the city pays $50,000 or more a year to use.  -----

Original Message-----
From: Zachary A. Chester [mailto:zac.chester@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 9:55 PM
To: John Seigle
Cc: Zachary Chester
Subject: Trash pick up

Hi John,

Mr. Hutchinson asked that I email him this request.

I would like the city to use the call system to inform residents about the delay in trash pick up when we are unable to pick up due to low staffing. I asked the director and Mr. Harris to do this so the residents know what is going on.

Thank you,

It went from Mr. Hutchinson’s office (via John Seigle…Mr. Hutchinson seems adverse to answering or sending his own emails) to public works director Mollinedo, with copies to mayoral aide Anthony Roberts and Trenton Water Works stock clerk Paul Harris.

(You can read the complete email chain here, starting at the bottom of the document.)

The response that came back from Anthony Roberts was this:

-----Original Message-----

From: Anthony Roberts

Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 1:39 PM

To: John Seigle

Subject: RE: Trash pick up

John: The Mayor said No! to this request!

Anthony C. Roberts, Aide to the Mayor

City of Trenton

Department of Administration

319 E. State Street

Trenton, New Jersey 08608

609-989-3807 - 609-989-4250 FAX

  Note the emphasis indicated by the application of the exclamation mark following the mayor’s one word response.

Now we are the first to admit we feel the Blackboard Connect system has been abused and overused. Certainly, no one wants to be bothered by phone calls touting the opening or re-opening of the failed “Learning Centers”.  We don’t want to be further annoyed by calls touting the waste of tax dollars known as the “Heritage Days Festival.”

This, however, seems like a fairly reasonable use of the system.  A simple phone call informing folks that trash collections will be delayed. A message with instructions on when the trash will be picked up, whether or not to leave it on the curb and for how long seems like something worth communicating to the residents.

Not according to the terse response given to Councilman Chester’s request.

It does make one wonder. Surely the mayor, Mr. Roberts or Mr. Harris are not the only city employees who know how to access and activate the phone system. Per the MOU with the state upon which our transitional aid funding is given, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Mollinedo and other directors can not be summarily dismissed by the Mayor. Not without the approvals of DCA and the governing body.

Maybe it is time for one of these parties to stand up to the petty tyrant and do what is right for the city.

The mayor changed his mind.

Mayoral Aide Anthony Roberts faced off agains five members of City Council last night (Alex Bethea and Kathy McBride were absent) over the proposed Recreation budget for the coming fiscal year.

According to David Foster's reporting in the Trentonian, when the topic of Heritage Days came up, Roberts defended the Mayor's last minute decision to break a previous agreement to cancel the event this year.

"He changed his mind," Roberts said laughing.

 

That is supposed to be a good enough reason to spend $40,000 on a poorly planned, poorly executed and (if the last two years are an example) poorly attended festival?

Any experienced event planner will tell you that is not the way to produce a meaningful, rewarding festival.

If you measure success by the fact that you actually manage to mount an event, then this kind of half-assed approach is probably good enough.

Even though Anthony Roberts has stated otherwise, there doesn’t seem to be any real marketing of the event going unless you want to count the two images posted to the front page of the city of Trenton website. Where’s the information on the lineup of performers? Where is the information about how interested groups or vendors might get involved?

We can’t help wonder though, would this be good enough if the $40,000 was coming directly out of the Mayor, or Mr. Roberts’ personal funds? 

Why is it “OK” then, to proceed haphazardly and irresponsibly with the public’s money?

Because the mayor changed his mind.

 

Not good enough.

The city should be focusing its activities and money on providing the basic services of public safety and a functional infrastructure. If we can’t afford enough staff to make regular garbage collections or mow and maintain our parks, how can we possibly be considering funding festivals and parades?

If the governing body has to fret about the cost of accepting a grant that would help rehire a dozen police officers because it would mean raising taxes, how can we even consider having “end of year” parties or summer concerts?

It is not the purpose of the city to entertain the citizens. It is not for the city to provide activities. 

Yes, fund the pools. Give some money to the various sports leagues, but not their complete operating budget and only under closely monitored agreements.

The rest is just bread and circuses.

It is long past time for the city of Trenton to cut out the frivolous expenses and focus its meager and dwindling financial resources on what really matters.

Meanwhile, about that bust

None of what you are about to read will come as a surprise to you. It certainly didn’t to us.

Ever since word began trickling out last November that Anthony Roberts and company had concocted a plan to place a bust of President Obama in city hall, we’ve been questioning the process used to fund the bust and the motives behind it.

There was already a bust of a president, John F. Kennedy, in the city hall atrium. The bust was in city hall before the annex was built. This made us curious about the how’s and wherefore’s and why’s of that bust.

 



Probably the first question to come to mind is what is the JFK bust made of?

We weren’t sure. We thought maybe metal but then we looked at it again and thought, “Maybe stone.” The impression of stone comes from the softer, rounder edges of the sculpture compared to the sharper edges of the Obama figure. Regardless, even a novice can tell just by looking that the JFK bust has more heft. Not only is it larger in dimensions than the new arrival, it just radiates a sense of mass, a sense of substance.

Next, we wondered how it came to be in its niche in city hall.

That wasn’t tough. After President Kennedy was slain memorials sprang up everywhere. Schools, airports, roads and public buildings were named after him. Busts and portraits were installed in public edifices everywhere.

Who paid for the bust of JFK?

Good question. Something deep down inside told us the bust was NOT purchased by the city fathers. Surely some group came forward with the idea of raising the money and purchasing the bust and donating it to the city.

Thanks to Wendy Nardi and the resources in the Trentoniana Collection at the Trenton Free Public Library, here’s what we were able to learn.

According to an article in the Trenton Evening Times, SundayOctober 3, 1965:

 

The Mercer County Barracks NO 1895, Veterans of World War I, are attempting to raise money to purchase a bronze bust of the late President John F. Kennedy.

The veterans chapter wants to donate the bust to the city for display on a granite pedestal in the entrance of the new City Hall Annex.

“Until the new building is constructed it could be displayed at the entrance of City Hall,” said Robert E. Germond, post commander.

Germond explained that the bust would cost approximately $2,300 and that his organization would need all the help it can get to purchase the memorial.

The article goes on to name members of the committee and where contributions could be sent. There is even a commitment to donate any monies raised in excess of the actual cost to the Kennedy Library Foundation.

Three months later, on January 5, 1966, the Times ran another small story that fund raising was in full swing. (The article can be found as part of the same file on the link above)

Finally, on August 15, 1967, the bust of JFK was dedicated. In an article from Sunday, August 13 of that year we learn who the artist was and more. (Page three of the document linked above)

The artist was Anthony Cristofaro, who worked with Mayor’s Assistant Robert Carmignani and Superintendent, Division of Public Property, Joseph McManimon in selecting a permanent site.

Apparently, Mr. Cristofaro was well known enough in the area to not have to be described any further in the article. This was proven with a little more research.

Anthony M. Cristofaro was a native of Italy who came to America when he was 23. He worked as a sculptor and in a quarry before making his way to Trenton where he founded the Liberty Monument Company.

Mr. Cristofaro shared his love of art and talent for sculpting with the community. Besides is commissioned work, he taught sculptingin his studio and, free of charge, to boys at the Junior League’s InternationalInstitute.

At least some of his work was cast at the renowned Roman Bronze Works in New York. This facility was favored by artists such as Frederick Remington and firms like Tiffany and Company.

So, what does this all mean?

• When the notion to memorialize the late President Kennedy was conceived, a plan was developed.
• A committee outside of the sphere of local government was created.
• Fund raising was conducted publicly with notices in the local press.
• A local artist was chosen to execute the work.
• The bust is cast in bronze. Really.
• The placement of the bust was worked out in coordination with the facilities people in city government.

 

It means things were done right; correctly; openly.

We can’t say that about the Obama bust now, can we.

And we’re not surprised.

 

NOTE: According to one CPI calculator we found, that $2,300 in 1965 would have the purchasing power of $16,800 today. Understandable considering the cost of bronze (which is mostly copper), the size of the bust, the size of the pedestal, etc. 

 

 

Obama bust just another scam

Psst! Wanna know a secret?

You know that bronze bust of President Obama in city hall? The one that has generated all that controversy?

Well guess what? It isn't bronze.

Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive.is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive.

Bronze, an ancient alloy in use since the 4th millenium BCE, continues into modern times as one of the materials of choice for monumental statuary.

Our bust, referred to on the city website, in the press release announcing the bust's unveiling and in the title to the YouTube video recording of the unveiling ceremony as "bronze" is not. It is made of cast resin.

In an email dated February 24, 2012 to Anthony Roberts from Mitch Horstmann of the Saint Louis Sculpture Foundry, Mr. Horstmann plainly states his quote of $4,700 is for a bust "cast in resin and finished with a faux bronze patina."

Now, it is true that cast polyester resin sculptures are less expensive to produce. However to call it "bronze" is misleading.

How many more misstatements have Mr. Roberts and/or Mayor Tony Mack made about the process the "President Barrack Obama Bust Committee" used to order, pay for and install this piece of plastic?

Nothing was delivered

Nothing was delivered
And I tell this truth to you,
Not out of spite or anger
But simply because it's true.

Now, I hope you won't object to this,

Giving back all of what you owe,
The fewer words you have to waste on this,
The sooner you can go.

That pretty much sums up last night's city council meeting.

The anticipated appearance of secretary to the mayor Anthony Roberts to answer questions about the President Obama bust didn't happen.

It seems as though (per Council President Holly-Ward) Mr. Roberts never acknowledged the council's invitation to appear. Nor did Roberts acknowledge the Business Administrator's inquiries about whether he would appear.

And then the secretary to the mayor "called off sick."

Nothing is better, nothing is best,

Take care of yourself and get plenty of rest.

No opportunity to explain how contributions were solicited; how the foundry (in St. Louis) was chosen; who gave the secretary to the mayor the authority to approve a purchase order for the base. 

Nothing was delivered

But I can't say I sympathize
With what your fate is going to be,
Yes, for telling all those lies.

The other big draw tonight was the introduction of a (revised) ordinance to reduce the mayor's salary.

Now you must provide some answers

For what you sold has not been received,
And the sooner you come up with them,
The sooner you can leave.

 

As you will recall, the last attempt was stymied when East Ward Councilwoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, who voted in favor of the ordinance the first time, voted against it at second reading and against an override of the mayor's veto.

Reynolds-Jackson's arguments were a mishmash of things and she kept saying it needed to be reworked to clarify the language. She cited state Senator Shirley Turner's public comments AND introduction of a motion to amend the NJ constitution to call for the suspension of pay for indicted officials.

Although the East Ward representative never came forward with any revisions of her own, the ordinance was reworked to reflect her concerns and directly quotes Senator Turner.  Reynolds-Jackson still voted against the new version.

Nothing is better, nothing is best,

Take heed of this and get plenty rest. (Now you know)

The regular business of council was the review and adoption of the items on tonight's docket.

The purpose of docket review is to go over the items before the governing body. That is the time when questions are asked, explanations given (by the administration) so that the council members understand what they are acting on and why it is before them.

It has been a hallmark of the Mack administration, through all of the BA's, the short tenure of the Chief of Staff, and the various and sundry acting department heads, that there is seldom anyone present to offer explanations or illuminations to council on docket items. Without proper back up and/or explanations, there is no reason for council to act. This is how things are let go until the last possible moment. Or later.

This is how the city runs out of toilet paper.

Tonight, yet again, there was no one present to answer any questions that the governing body might have. No one, that is, except for Superintendent of the Sewer Authority Joe McIntyre.

Three items were pulled from the docket because there was no one present to answer questions. Three items that will be postponed until...?

Nothing was delivered

And it's up to you to say
Just what you had in mind
When you made ev'rybody pay.

One of the items pulled was a change order to an existing contract with Hatch Mott MacDonald.  HMD is listed as a contributor to the Obama bust. There are two other companies currently doing business with the city that are listed as contributors.

Councilman Zac Chester raised the question of whether these donations towards the bust violate the city's Pay-to-Play ordinance. He had asked this last month and had not received an answer. Tonight he was told by attorney Peter Cohen that the matter had not yet been reviewed.

No, nothing was delivered,

Yes, 'n' someone must explain
That as long as it takes to do this
Then that's how long that you'll remain.
 
The question was put to us earlier, "Just what did council accomplish last night?"

As with so many meetings over the past two and a half years, the bare minimum was done.

Nothing is better, nothing is best,

Take heed of this and get plenty rest.

Fact check

Towards the end of yesterday’s public session, the CO of the office of mayor stated that the city has decreased the amount of money given to the Trenton Downtown Association to carry out its mission.

The CO, yet again, does not know what he is talking about. The principle funding source for the TDA is the special tax assessment levied upon all properties within the district. The money is collected by the city and turned over to the TDA.

The CO’s statement can be heard in Part Four of the video posted on the Times website, starting at about 5:11 and running to about 5:38. The key statement comes right about the time Anthony Roberts' phone rings.

Here’s a transcription of what he says during that segment, with emphasis on the part about reducing the amount TDA receives.

“We’re trying to work with TDA now to do some of our tree lightings and Christmas enhancements and ornaments and things of that nature. Um. So. Yeah. We need to do that. They’ve been. Um. Working with less. We’ve decreased the amount that we generally give to them. And we, we know they are doing the best they can with limited resources.”

The city simply cannot reduce the amount of money given to TDA out of the special assessment collected specifically for that purpose.

We verified with Christian Martin, the executive director of the TDA, that the city hasn’t reduced the funding.

Mr. Martin did add that TDA has stepped up and is “doing more in the sense that we are cutting grass and weeds, maintaining public spaces, managing waste inside and outside our district. We had to do this because the city completely stopped working on that front.”

So there you have it. The city has not reduced the funding given to TDA.

The city has reduced services that it previously provided.

What say you to those facts, Mr. Mack?

The little man with the outsized ego

Mayor Tony Mack was arrested Monday on federal charges of conspiracy. He was arrested along with his brother, Ralphiel, and JoJo Giorgianni.

That is old news.

While Trentonians breath a little sigh of relief that something, finally, is being done about the inept and allegedly corrupt Mack administration, the saga has not ended.

We say that because the arrest was just the first step in the process of bringing Tony and Ralphiel and
JoJo to justice. Next comes the grand jury and (expected, but not guaranteed) indictments. Then, months later, a trial.

In the mean time, Tony Mack is still the sitting Mayor. He still has the authority and power granted him under state law.

And that brings us to the point of this post.

Tony Mack, as reported in today's Times, has no intention of stepping aside and letting someone else run the city while he deals with his legal issues.

Tony Mack, no matter how much we want to think otherwise, is still "in charge."

We cannot forget or overlook that. We must continue to scrutinize everything that is done; every penny that is spent; and whether or not proper process and procedure is being followed.
T
here are still thousands of dollars of expenditures out of the Recreation budget that were not properly explained, contracted for or approved by council.

We still don't know whether radio station WIMG ever aired a single commercial for the $12,000 the city paid them last June.

We still don't know what Herb Ames and the Capital Region Minority Chamber of Commerce did with the $12,000 the city contributed to it in two installments over the past year.

What we do know is that Mayor Tony Mack is not any more likely to change his way of doing business than confidant and aide Anthony Roberts is likely to change his taste for garish, striped suits.

Take for just one, small example city Purchase Order #12-00211.

This purchase order in the amount of $170.00 is made out to Trenton Photographers and Video. It is for 4, 8x10 Color Portraits of the Mayor, in a step-up mat and frame.  The bill was paid out of account number 01- 10 -1000 -299 which is the budget line for the Mayor's Office, Other expenses.

Again, the amount, $170.00, is not terribly significant. The purchase is, however, indicative of how our Mayor's tiny little brain and out sized ego works.

While the documents don't state it specifically the fact that there are four of these portraits suggests that they might be destined to hang, one each, in the Mayor's Learning Centers.

The timing of the purchase is interesting. The invoice was placed May 31, 2012, the requisition and PO are dated July 16, 2012.

The order was apparently placed late in FY2012 at the same time that the first three Learning Centers were being opened and the fourth was being worked on and while questions were being raised about the Mayor's free spending ways.

The purchase was completed and paid for out of FY2013, a new budget year. Coincidentally, the requisition and PO were dated just two days prior to the FBI providing a surprise wake-up call to the Mack residence in the early morning hours of July 18.

There is another interesting bit about the requisition and PO.  Both are signed by Anthony Roberts.

Normally, wouldn't one party complete the requisition and another sign off on the PO? You know, just to provide a little bit of control over spending?
And under what power, what position, what title is Mayoral Aide Anthony Roberts authorized to sign city purchase orders? He hasn't been the "acting" BA since Mr. Hutchinson came on board in mid-April.

Certainly the dollar cost of this purchase is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. It remains symbolic of the Mayor's belief that he is above the law and that the meager resources of our beleaguered city are there to serve him, not the other way around.

How many other purchases have been requisitioned and/or approved by Anthony Roberts with no proper authorization beyond "the Mayor wants it?"

How much in tax dollars and state aid has been wasted merely to stroke the overreaching ego of our inept and ineffective Mayor?

Things will not improve until Tony Mack is no longer Mayor of the City of Trenton. And the sooner that happens, the better.

The morning news...and more

The Trentonian’s front page is screaming about the fact that one of Mayor Tony Mack’s properties is on the current tax sale list.

It is a shame.  Public officials should set a better example.

But what is a larger shame is that this Hampton avenue property has sat vacant and burned out for years with nothing being done. The city has never moved to forced Mack to fix up the building or tear it down. Never mind that he is now the mayor and CEO of the city. What does this say about Trenton’s ability to operate effectively as a city?

The Trentonian article mentions a few other names that appear on the tax list: Raphiel Mack, the mayor’s brother, for one. Jo Jo Giorgianni, a Mack confidante and supporter, for another.

What wasn’t mentioned was that Bayville Holdings, the owner/developer of the Broad Street Bank building, is also on the list. They owe $15,992.65 a combination of their payments in lieu of taxes and their assessment for being in the Trenton Downtown special improvement district. 

Bayville, you will recall, financed their extensive and expensive renovation of Trenton’s first skyscraper in part with state funding that resulted in an income cap for prospective renters of the buildings apartments. This meant that what could have, should have been a pricey, desirable urban enclave turned into just another high rise filled with subsidized tenants.  At the same time, the developer twisted the city’s arm to get a lengthy PILOT on the property taxes.  Payments they apparently aren’t making anyway.

Good deal (NOT!) that the Palmer administration stuck us with. 

The Times has an interesting story by Alex Zdan about Mercer Countytaking back control of the TMAC grant from the city because of non-compliance with the terms of the funding agreement.

The TMAC grant is state money passed through the county to municipalities to fund alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs for children.  Since the Mack administration took over, there has been the typical lack of attention to conforming to the terms of the grant agreement. The monies have been used, at least in part, to pay friends of the administration, like Lisa Whitaker, with no reported work product being shown.

In April, the city convened the required steering committee in a last ditch effort to retain control over the funding but the county was not impressed.  In this morning’s article, Zdan states that the county will select the program providers, taking the decision away from the city.

Interestingly, the article also states that Joyce Kersey was named the coordinator for the grant.  This is a paid position. It begs the question: if the county is now running the grant, why is it paying, through the city, someone to coordinate the program?

Is Ms. Kersey, who was recently singled out as the individual Mayor Mack used to inform two school board members that he was rescinding their appointments (which, it turns out, he can’t do), yet another “Friend of Tony’s” grabbing a few extra taxpayer bucks for no real reason?

Not reported in the article was another little tidbit we heard re: the TMAC steering committee meeting. One Ms. Linda Gundy was chosen to chair this committee to steer the program that the county has now taken control of.  As ridiculous as that sounds, it gets better.

Ms. Gundy is a friend and supporter of Tony Mack.  She was listed in TMAC grant documents asbeing a “concerned citizen” that was appointed to the steering committee. (It should be noted that many people who were named on this list weren't even aware of it until Anthony Roberts convened that April meeting. It should also be noted that Ms. Kersey's name is not on this list.)

Ms. Gundy may very well be concerned, but she is also on the city payroll.

Since January, Ms. Gundy has been employed by the TrentonWater Works.  Prior to that, she was listed on documents as “an intern” in the recreation department.  She was paid as an independent contractorfrom September of 2011 until she was placed, full time, at TWW.  Interestingly, in August and September of2011, Ms. Gundy was also listed and paid as a “seasonal employee” of theTWW. 

This means that during September of last year, she was a city employee and a paid city consultant. This would appear to violate state law, not that the Mack administration has ever appeared to be concerned about following such law.

Being a friend of Tony Mack’s sure has its advantages.  

It’s not my fault. I didn’t cause it.

That was the punch line to an old George Carlin routine that poked fun at the trend of denying responsibility for anything bad.

It has become the theme song of the Tony Mack administration.

The Times’ Matt Fair wrote a story about the city being out of compliance with the Section III requirements for local work force participation in CDBG funded projects. In that story is the following quote: 

“These grants were in place when we took office,” acting business administrator Anthony Roberts said in an e-mail last night. “We will continue to make corrections to irresponsible proposals submitted by the Palmer administration just as we have with many other ill-advised projects.”

The key phrases in the Roberts defense: “in place when we took office” and “irresponsible proposals submitted by the Palmer administration.”

The reality is slightly different.

At his very first Town Hall meeting as Mayor, Tony Mack told a rapt and attentive audience at the North 25 housing complex all about his grand plans to refurbish several parks.  Astute watchers of Trenton politics knew that the funding was in place for years and at risk of being lost if action wasn’t taken. The only thing the Mack administration did was put the wheels into motion.

So…if that was the case, which administration is responsible for seeing that the contracts are let according to the Federal rules? The Palmer administration, who applied for, received and then sat on the money or the Mack administration that actually signed the contracts?

Nobody with any sense would argue that Palmer did no wrong. But after almost two years “in charge”, Tony Mack’s finger pointing has gotten tiresome.

Similarly, in stories published in both the Times and theTrentonian, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has put the city of Trenton on notice that it is in violation of the state’s Open Public Meetings Act. In a letter sent to Municipal Clerk Leona Baylor, the prosecutor cites the fact that the city is behind in approving and posting city council meeting minutes as required by law.

Both papers report the reasons given for being behind are that the clerk’s office is short-staffed, the workload because of OPRA requests from citizens takes priority, and…wait for it…they were behind when I got here.

In Matt Fair’s Times article, Municipal Clerk Leona Baylor is quoted as saying:

“The minutes have always been behind. They’ve never been current. They were behind when I first got there.”

The city website posts meeting agendas going back to 2006. There are a little more than a dozen meeting minutes that appear to be missing from between Jan 1, 2006 and Dec 31, 2009.  From Jan 1, 2010 the minutes start appearing less frequently. Interestingly enough, when the Mack administration took over on July 1, 2010, meeting minutes were approved pretty consistently for the first four months or so. Then there was a steep drop off of minutes being approved.

So, yes, Ms. Baylor, a problem existed prior to your arrival and prior to the Mack administration. The problem went away for a short time and then came back with a vengeance.

Whether complying with OPRA requests or completing the meeting minutes in a timely manner is a burden or not, it is the law. And it is the duty of the clerk's office to follow the law.

We all recognize the failings of previous administrations and some of them cannot be corrected now. But that is not an excuse for failing to follow federal grant guidelines, state statute or common sense. 

After almost two years at city hall, there is no one to point fingers at except those who are on the job today.

Let them go. NOW!

There is something seriously wrong with the brain trust that is running things at city hall.

Just look at these recent examples from the never ending stream of questionable actions and antics exhibited by Mayor Tony Mack and crew:

• The Mayor creates a “Commission on International Business Affairs” via Executive Order that no one, especially city council knows about. When questioned about his authority to unilaterally create this body, Mayor Mack claims to have issued a follow up Executive Order changing the commission to an advisory committee.  No one has seen this document and wouldn’t you expect the administration, through the Business Administrator, to make sure that members of city council would at least receive a copy.
• Embattled city employee and AFSCME union local president Dave Tallone has continually been paid sick time, holiday pay, and longevity pay since November of 2011 when the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office notified him of charges of impersonation, etc.  The pay continued because of an “administrative error” according to reports in the Trentonian. Acting Business Administrator Anthony Roberts “took immediate action” to stop the paychecks. 
• Acting Director of Inspections, Cleveland Thompson “may” be brought up on disciplinary charges in the near future.  The situation reportedly involves an incident between Thompson and Acting Business Administrator Roberts.      
• And then there is the confusion surrounding the plan (or the myth) of the city selling the parking meters and such to the independent Trenton Parking Authority for the $500k that would cover the latest supplement to the Marriott Hotel operating budget.  The figure was included in the recently proposed budget amendments that council voted down, but the Mack administration is claiming no knowledge of and no intent to strike such a deal.  The spokesperson, Lauren Ira, won’t comment and the Acting BA is also silent on this.

If you need a reason (or four) to support city council’s measure to strike the funding from the city budget that pays for the likes of Mr. Roberts and Ms. Ira, look no further.

Apparently, Crime* does pay

You remember back in November when the story broke that long time City of Trenton employee and AFSCME local president Dave Tallone was charged by the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office with fraudulently obtaining city contracts, right?

You don't?

Then read Lisa Coryell's article from the Times, November 11, 2011.

And you remember when, on the heel of those charges, the City of Trenton issued a release stating that Mr. Tallone was to be suspended immediately without pay?  If not, here's the press release on the city website.
 Well, what if we told you that Mr. Tallone has not missed a day of pay in the past two plus months?

We didn't either. that is not until we checked his payroll records and discovered that Mr. Tallone has been collecting "sick pay", "holiday pay" and, of course, his "longevity pay" ever since his alleged suspension. 

Seems as though Mr. Tallone was never technically suspended. Sources are saying the city, in the persons of acting Business Administrator Anthony Roberts and/or acting Public Works Director Harold Hall, never provided Mr. Tallone with the required Loudermill hearing and notice of suspension.  There doesn't seem to be any reason to not have provided this "due process" to Mr. Tallone. He didn't even have to be present for them to hold a hearing and draft a notice to send to him.

The city just didn't seem to do it in the 30 days allotted.  So now Mr. Tallone enjoys a taxpayer paid vacation while awaiting the disposition of his case.

Was this by design or default?  Maybe Mr. Bocchini or the new state Attorney General should seek answers to that question.

UPDATE: The Trentonian has posted a story on line here wherein highyl paid contract labor attorney for the city Steve Glickman claims that Tallone's charges were not serious enough to allow suspension without pay.  Glickman goes on to explain that Tallone could be suspended with pay, but that would be like giving him a "paid vacation." 

Mr. Glickman, what is Mr. Tallone getting now but paid for not doing anything?  Sounds like a paid vacation to us.
*We use the term "Crime" here to make the reference to the old saw that crime doesn't pay. We fully recognize that Mr. Tallone was only charged with criminal acts and as yet has not been found guilty of any crime.  Innocent until proven guilty and all that.