Lakewood's Voice

ELECTION CAMPAIGN FRAUD

2007-12-26T13:13:00.001-05:00

Headline Archives

ELECTION FRAUD Don’t Commit a Campaign Crime

12/18/07

Last Friday, a California man named Gladwin Gill admitting to making nearly $67,000 in illegal contributions to several political campaigns from 2003 to 2005, including the elections of the U.S. President, two U.S. Senators, and a U.S. Representative.
Now, following an investigation by our Los Angeles office, he faces up to five years in jail and a potential fine of up to $670,000.
Gill’s crime involved what’s called “conduit contributions.” And with the 2008 election season already heating up, it’s something you should be aware of so that you don’t fall prey to this scheme either at home or at the office.
Here’s how a “conduit contribution” works. Person A wants to give a lot of money to Candidate X. But federal law puts a ceiling on how much one person can contribute to a candidate. To get around the law, Person A goes to Friend B or Employee C or Associate D and says, “Hey, if you give me the money for Candidate X, I’ll pass along your check and then reimburse you out of my own pocket or from corporate funds.” The friend, employee, or associate effectively becomes a “conduit” for the real contributor, thus the name.
In Gill’s case, he solicited donations from employees at his company—and from friends and family members—naming them as the contributors and paying them from corporate funds later.
The law is clear: Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, making campaign contributions in the name of another person or otherwise concealing the true source of the funds is a felony if the contribution exceeds $2,000. In fact, both the person soliciting the contribution and the person who agrees to be reimbursed for it could be investigated. Even if neither is aware of the law.
Don’t let it happen to you. To avoid becoming a “conduit” for these illegal schemes, keep the following in mind:
Don’t agree to be reimbursed for a campaign contribution by anyone else—including your employer. “Making a contribution through your employer isn’t necessarily illegal,” says Special Agent Vikki Medrano from our Los Angeles Division. “However, accepting reimbursement for your contribution is. An offer to reimburse you out of corporate or private funds should raise a red flag.”
Be especially careful at work, where deceptive tactics may be used. For example, your employer may try to make an informal agreement to reimburse you and your fellow employees for campaign contributions, assuring you that the process is both legitimate and routine. Or your employer may take a more aggressive stance, effectively coercing you and your colleagues to make campaign contributions by telling you—either explicitly or implicitly—that there will be negative consequences if you don’t.
Be aware of individual contribution limits. If you’re unsure of what amount you can legally contribute to a political campaign, check the Federal Election Commission's website.
Report any suspected election fraud to the FBI. We have dedicated election-fraud agents in each of our 56 field offices. If you suspect that your employer or any other individual or organization is collecting contributions illegally, contact your local FBI field office.
Resources: - Gill press release - FBI Public Corruption website
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THUG ATTACKS LAKEWOOD REBBIE

2007-10-10T14:50:00.001-04:00

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&id=5700095

VOS IZ NEIAS: (Yiddish: "What's News")
The Voice of the New York Orthodox Jewish Community. Today's Neias is Tomorrows News. If you don't see it here, it's not Neias.Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Lakewood, NJ - Police Release Sketch of Lakewood Attack Suspect.
Lakewood, NJ - Police have released a composite sketch of the man being sought in the attack on a third-grade Orthodox school teacher Tuesday night.The investigation into the attack of Mordechai Moskowitz, 53, of Lakewood, is being conducted by Lakewood Police Detectives Greg Staffordsmith and Steve Wexler,
along with Investigator Carlos Trujillo-Tovar from the Ocean County Prosecutors Office. Police are asking the public to call if they have any information or saw anything out of the ordinary about 8 p.m. Tuesday on Princeton Avenue, Isnardi said.Anyone with information is asked to call the Lakewood Police Detective Bureau at (732) 363-0200 and ask for Wexler at ext. 5344 or Staffordsmith ext. 5341. [app]
posted by Shlomah Shamos @ 10/10/2007 07:45:00 PM

Lakewood police investigate baseball bat attack on Orthodox man
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/10/07-BY MARGARET F. BONAFIDE Post Comment

LAKEWOOD — Police are investigating what prompted an apparent unprovoked baseball bat attack which critically injured an Orthodox resident about 8 p.m. Tuesday, said Detective Lt. Joseph Isnardi.

Police Officer Summer Cunliffe responded to the call Tuesday and found a man in his 50s bleeding profusely from the head, in what was an apparent beating with a baseball bat, Isnardi said. The attack happened on Princeton Avenue, between 12th and Carey streets.

Police found a bloodied baseball bat at the scene and it has been taken into evidence, Isnardi said.Isnardi said the man's identity is not being released because he has family members who have not been notified of the attack and he is in critical condition at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Hatzollah and Lakewood First Aid responded with paramedics and transported the victim to the trauma unit.Police established a crime scene and Detectives Steve Wexler and Greg StaffordSmith investigated the incident.

Police are asking the public to call if they have any information or saw anything out of the ordinary about that time on Princeton Avenue, Isnardi said."We don't have anything,'' Isnardi said. "The guy was just walking down the street with no hint of a robbery or anything. It is unexplained at this point.''Anyone with any information should call the Lakewood Police Detective Bureau and ask for Wexler or StaffordSmith at (732) 363-0200.

"U" TURN ON DOUBLE YELLOW

2007-09-16T21:34:00.000-04:00

Monday, September 03, 2007

"U"-TURN ON DOUBLE YELLOW [NJ DOT RULING]

Dear Mr. Shain:

Thank you for your Internet communication requesting information from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). I appreciate the opportunity to address your concern.

The description of a double yellow line that is in the MUTCD is as follows:

Two-direction no-passing zone markings consisting of two normal solid yellow lines where crossing the centerline markings for passing is prohibited for traffic traveling in either direction.

The centerline markings on undivided two-way roadways with four or more lanes for moving motor vehicle traffic always available shall be the two-direction no-passing zone markings consisting of two normal solid yellow lines.By definition the double yellow line only prohibits PASSING and not turning.

Unless there is a sign that specifically prohibits making a u-turn or a sign the prohibits either the right or left turn, the pavement markings alone do not prohibit these movements.

I hope you find this information helpful. Again, thank you for taking the time to contact NJDOT.

Sincerely,

Kris Kolluri, Commissioner

Howell Voters reject Howell Twp School budget- Township forced to cut millions $$$ from Budget, Lakewood cuts only nickel & dime items.

2007-06-19T10:26:00.001-04:00

http://tritown.gmnews.com/news/2007/0614/Front_Page/004.html

And now for Lakewood;

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING-Editorial by Joyce Blay-Posted June 13, 2007

Taking a cue from the Lakewood Board of Education, members of the Lakewood Township Committee avoided public comment at the June 7 budget hearing.

In the recent past, members of the board of education often evaded public criticism of their financial management of tax dollars by going back into executive session for hours until members of the public tired of waiting and left. Members of the board of education also asked board attorney Michael Inzelbuch to research legal precedent, at taxpayer expense, that enabled them to refuse to answer comments by members of the public.

Last week, it was the township committee's turn to avoid their constituents.

At the April 26 introduction of the 2007 municipal budget, Mayor Raymond Coles announced that a public hearing of the municipal budget would be held June 7 at 5 p.m. so he could attend his daughter's 8th grade graduation from Holy Family School.

Coles could have telephoned in his vote on the budget or the committee could have scheduled an emergency meeting on a day and time when it was convenient for other residents and township taxpayers to also attend the hearing. Ironically, the day and time convenient for Coles was not convenient for Committeeman Menashe Miller, who did not attend the June 7 meeting and did not call in his vote.

Miller did not return a request for comment the following week.

Last year and this year, committeemen did not vote on a resolution to establish the cost of hiring school budget consultant Frank Marlow, as they did in years past. The change deprived taxpayers and residents of a public forum to discuss the defeated school budget.

Township Attorney Steven Secare told NJ News & Views last year that Marlow was not hired by resolution based on a provision of the state Pay to Play law. Marlow told a reporter he was not a political contributor to any Lakewood candidates or parties.

Committeeman Robert Singer, who is also a state senator, corrected Secare in a May 2007 interview. Singer said the committee's decision not to vote on a resolution to hire Marlow was made under the Open Public Meetings Act. The Open Public Meetings Act permits the governing body to award some professional contracts without putting them out to bid - including the position of township attorney.

In 2006, Lakewood taxpayers paid $366,135.30 for the township's legal services, which were budgeted at $441,534. This year, the township has budgeted $457,410 for legal services provided by Secare and other attorneys hired by the township.

Secare did not request an increase in the $170 per hour fee he is paid under his new contract, which NJ News & Views requested under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).

Taxpayers will pay a great deal more for the school district's legal services during 2007-8; despite two consecutive school budget defeats last year and this year, members of the board of education voted to approve an increase in the hourly rate billed by board attorney Michael Inzelbuch. Inzelbuch billed taxpayers $175 per hour during the 2006-7 school year. For the new school year, he is billing taxpayers $200 per hour for his services.

On May 9, the board of education held an 8 a.m. meeting to approve the increase in Inzelbuch's contract, which no member of the public attended. One month later, the committee's 5 p.m. budget meeting generated almost as low a turnout.

Seven people attended the June 7 budget hearing: Joanne LaRocca and her adult son, Joe LaRocca; husband and wife John and Pat DeFillipis of Toms River, who own a Lakewood business, and Eileen Faggiola of North Carolina, the sister of Mrs. DeFillipis; Lakewood resident David Drukaroff, who is employed by the township as an Inspections Clerk; and Fairways resident William Hobday.

According to information provided by the township manager's office, total appropriations of $59,988,600.31 in 2006 rose $2.9 million to $62,912,009.05 in 2007.

Total non-tax revenue, including surplus, dropped $1.3 million from $28,971,655.51 in 2006 to $27,642,648.10 in 2007.

The 2006 tax levy of $31,016,934.80 will increase by $4.3 million to $35,269,360.95 in 2007. As a result, the municipal tax rate per $100 of assessed property value will increase by 4.4 cents from the 2006 rate of 41.1 cents to the 2007 rate of 45.5 cents.

The 2007 net valuation taxable is $7,735,617,454.

Township information stated that a property owner with a home assessed at $300,000 would pay $1,365 in municipal taxes in 2007.

Areas of increased expenditures included insurance, utility cost, salaries, pensions, trash disposal costs, debt service, fuel and reserve for uncollected taxes. The township has set aside $5,469,096.70 as reserve for uncollected taxes. The 2007 Municipal Budget Summary of Current Fund Section estimates that 95.65 percent of property taxes will be collected.
Media reports of the April 26 committee meeting, in which the 2007 municipal budget was introduced, quoted Coles referring to the 2006 rate of tax collection as "abnormally" low, requiring a larger tax increase in 2007.

Lakewood Tax Collector Patricia Tomassini told NJ News & Views the following month that the township usually averages a 97-98 percent tax collection rate.

Drukaroff was the first member of the audience to discuss the budget during the June 7 public hearing. He cited an article recently published in the Asbury Park Press that reported Lakewood's rising municipal taxes. Drukaroff commented on public reaction to the report.
Drukaroff also referenced recent contract negotiations involving his union, AFSME Local 3790, which represents township municipal workers.

In an April interview, Drukaroff told NJ News & Views that the rank and file of AFSME Local 3790 ratified the new contract by a vote of 42-14.
The 4-year contract, retroactive to January 1, 2007, gives the union a 3.35 percent salary increase the first year it takes effect. Employees that earn less than $30,000 per year will receive an additional $250 as a one-time payment. In 2008, union members will receive a 3.50 percent raise. Employees earning under $30,000 per year will receive a one-time payment of $225. In 2009, union members will receive a 3.65 percent raise. Employees earning under $30,000 per year will receive a one-time payment of $200. In 2010, union members will receive a 3.75 percent raise. Employees earning under $30,000 per year will receive a one-time payment of $200.

Committeemen discussed the contract during the April 12 committee meeting before voting to approve it by resolution.

Committeeman Charles Cunliffe praised Township Manager Frank Edwards, despite his failure to negotiate a new contract requiring union members to make a monetary contribution toward their health benefits. Cunliffe asserted that such an agreement would have enabled the township to reduce the escalating cost of health insurance, which the state had requested the committee try to cap.

Cunliffe voted not to approve the contract. Deputy Mayor Marc (Meir) Lichtenstein said he was reluctantly voting yes. Mayor Raymond Coles and Committee Menashe Miller also voted yes. Committeeman Robert Singer was absent from the meeting.

Drukaroff told NJ News & Views why his union refused to pay anything towards their health benefits. He said union negotiators said during negotiations that their membership would only consider contributing toward health and dental benefits if management and elected officials did the same.

"Of course, they lost interest after that," Drukaroff said.
According to the township manager's office, part-time salaries of committeemen will increase from $19,710 in 2006 to $21,538 in 2007. The 2006 mayor's salary of $22,210 will increase to $23,098 in 2007. However, committeemen's health benefit packages double the cost of most of those salaries.

Chief Financial Officer William Riker told NJ News & Views on June 12 that the township pays $2,050 per month and $24,600 per year for Lichtenstein's health benefits.

Lichtenstein is self-employed as a principal of MSL Management, a firm he co-owns with his wife, Sara.
Riker said the township pays $1,818 per month and $21,816 per year for Committeeman Menashe Miller's health benefits.
Miller is employed as a United States Air Force chaplain.
Riker said the township pays the same amount for health benefits for Committeeman Robert Singer and Mayor Raymond Coles. Each man receives health benefits that cost $2,048 per month and $24,576 per year.

Coles is self-employed as a co-owner of Tek-Net, a company that repairs medical equipment.
Singer is state senator. He is also employed as a vice president of Kimball Medical Center.
Committeeman Charles Cunliffe, employed as a refrigeration products sales engineer for Sporlan Valve Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, generates the lowest cost in health care benefits. Riker said the township pays $135 per month and $1,620 per year for his health insurance.

During the June 7 budget hearing, Drukaroff suggested the township committee form an advisory committee to recommend technology that would provide more efficient methods of delivering municipal services if the cost of labor was too expensive. The following week, Drukaroff told NJ News & Views he did not think an advisory committee's recommendations would result in lower municipal taxes. He said that even if the township utilized technology in place of employees, the cost of other services would continue to increase. Drukaroff said taxpayers expecting to see their tax bills go down were unrealistic in their expectations.
"You can't get something for nothing," Drukaroff said on June 7.

Joanne LaRocca, the next speaker, disagreed. She said other property owners were receiving lower tax bills through abatements she was too late to apply for due to illness.
"I am a property tax payer," she said. "I've never objected to my taxes. (However), I heard I could file for an abatement, (but) was told I was too late."

Committeemen and Secare corrected LaRocca and her son, who also referred to property tax assessment appeals as abatements.

All Lakewood property owners are entitled to appeal their tax assessment each year. The 2007 deadline for filing an appeal was April 1, according to the Lakewood Tax Assessor's Office.
LaRocca blamed developers for the revaluation that was completed in January 2006, but was not reflected in some property owners' increased taxes until July 2006.

Municipal and county officials have said in past interviews that both new construction and the passage of time create the need to reassess property values so that each property owner is paying his or her fair share of taxes.

Abatement programs approved by the township committee provide graduated exemptions on new construction of commercial property. The abatements reduce the tax obligations of commercial property owners over a 5-year schedule.

The first year of the abatement, the property owner is not liable for payment of any property taxes on the building, but must pay all property taxes owed on the land. Each successive year of the abatement, the building is taxed at an additional 20 percent of the total taxes owed. After the fifth year of the abatement, the property owner begins paying 100 percent of local taxes owed on the building as well as the land.

Riker told a reporter that 25 commercial properties were receiving a tax abatement in 2007, according to information provided by Tax Assessor Linda Solakian. The cost to taxpayers is reflected in the 2007 municipal budget.

In 2006, abatements that were not broken out by tax abatement year generated a total of $384,041.71 in miscellaneous revenues. The amount was greater than the anticipated 2006 tax abatement revenues of $323,408.29. In 2007, the township anticipates $324,344.96 in tax abated revenues.

Tax revenue that is lost to township coffers through the abatement program could be estimated at several times that amount, depending on whether the property owner is in the second, third, fourth or fifth year of the abatement schedule.

Under provisions of the state Constitution, the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) permits qualified municipalities to grant tax abatement of real property taxes for new construction. In 1971, Lakewood adopted a revised ordinance permitting tax abatements.
Riker disputed previous assertions by some township officials who have said in past interviews that only commercial properties are eligible to apply for a tax abatement. Whether residential or commercial property owners receive the abatements, the township can no longer afford to give them away.

At the June 7 committee meeting, committeemen approved on second reading an ordinance granting a tax abatement to SES Holdings LLC. During a public hearing on the ordinance, resident Joe LaRocca asked the committee who had applied for the tax abatement. Coles said that to his knowledge, Commerce Bank owned the property.
Township documents state otherwise.

On June 8, NJ News & Views made an OPRA request to view abatement documents for the 3,700-square-foot masonry building that will be used as a bank. Among the papers were short-term and long-term lease agreements signed in 2006 between Commerce Bank, which will be the tenant, and developers Samantha Weitzen, Elihu Weinstein, and Simcha Shain, then a member of the Lakewood Board of Education.

Shain and Weinstein are investors and developers of many other commercial and residential properties in town that are either already built or approved for construction. Last month, Shain received a continuance of a tax abatement on a property the previous owner was still receiving at the time of sale.

Tax abatements are corporate welfare the township can no longer afford to give away, especially with a reduced number of property owners paying their taxes. The committee enacted a tax abatement program to stimulate needed urban renewal in Lakewood back in 1971.
Times change.

Giving away something for nothing will no longer stimulate business in Lakewood. Despite the incentives of the township Urban Enterprise Zone program (UEZ), businesses are leaving Lakewood. Last year, Walgreen's and Community Surgical moved out of their storefronts in Seagull Square, a shopping center owned by investors Shain and Weinstein. The businesses moved to a new location less than a mile away in Toms River.

Under terms of a 2001 contract, the committee gave a 35 year tax exemption to the Cedarbridge Urban Renewal Development Corporation (CDC), the construction division of Beth Medrash Govoha, a non-profit rabbinical college. The CDC was contracted to build 100,000 square feet of office space per year in a 201-acre corporate park located in the UEZ. To date, the CDC has built nothing in the corporate park other than roads. Those roads lead nowhere.
Last month, Tax Collector Patricia Tomassini told NJ News & Views that Lakewood has a higher number of tax exempt properties than many area townships. Giving away tax abatements only makes the problem worse and her job that much harder.

CRIME AND NO PUNISHMENT IN LAKEWOOD

2006-10-24T08:39:00.001-04:00

Editorial by Joyce Blay- Posted October 15, 2006

Half a year ago, the first story posted on NJ News & Views reported that a Lakewood developer was building an addition to his office on township land and that the township was doing nothing about it.

Nothing has changed since March.

Developer Raphael (Ralph) Zucker, whose 2-story office/retail building is located at 911 East County Line Road, is still building an addition on the former location of Twin Oaks Drive.

It is nearly completed.

In 2002, the Lakewood Planning Board approved another developer's application to move Twin Oaks Drive, which is a township roadway off East County Line Road.

The planning board dedicated the triangular portion where Twin Oaks Drive was formerly located as deed-restricted, green open space. The land was and still is owned by the township, according to information available in the Office of the Lakewood Tax Assessor.

After the road was moved, residents told NJ News & Views that Zucker paved it over and used it as a parking lot.

In 2004, Zucker applied to the township for permission to construct a building addition on the land. One of the documents Zucker submitted with the application indicated he was the owner of the township land, even though he told NJ News & Views in March he was not.

Township employees in both zoning and planning said applicants are not asked to provide documents proving ownership when applying to be heard by either board.

On a tape of the September 28 committee meeting, resident Gerri Ballwanz said she had researched ownership of the property and that the deed stated it belonged to the township.

"Evidently, you are the owner of this property," Ballwanz told committeemen.

Township Attorney Steven Secare responded to her comment.

"I'm in negotiations with the builder's attorney on a price," Secare told her.

Secare said he was not going to bore Ballwanz with details of the negotiations, even though Ballwanz said she wanted to hear them. Secare referred to the township, which is the current owner of the land, as the prior owner. He also said that Zucker had not offered an acceptable price for the land, but did not disclose the offer price.

"I have threatened them with quiet title action," Secare told Ballwanz.

Wikipedia, an Internet encyclopedia, defines quiet title action as a lawsuit filed in a court having jurisdiction over land disputes. The complaint is based on the assumption that title to the property is ambiguous. Wikipedia lists fraudulent conveyance as one such basis for a complaint.

If Zucker unknowingly paid a third party for township land, a quiet title action might be appropriate. However, Zucker knowingly took possession of public land and did not pay the township a dime for it. Worse, he asked the township for permission to build on public land and public officials granted his request.

A reporter for NJ News & Views contacted Secare several days after the meeting. The reporter left a message for Secare asking if the township intended to file a criminal complaint against Zucker, who filed a false statement of ownership with the zoning board in 2004.

Secare did not return the reporter's call.

The reporter contacted Deputy Mayor Raymond Coles over a week ago to ask the committeeman the same question. The reporter also asked why the governing body would entertain the sale of open space township land without first discussing it in public.

"We're involved with negotiations (to sell township land) all the time," Coles said. "We have our professionals look at it all the time. If we can put it back on the tax rolls, that's what we try to do."

Coles said the committee, not the planning board, was the only governing body that could encumber township property. He did not remember the committee designating any township land for open space in recent years.

None of the ordinances the committee passed in 2002 and 2003 dedicated the former portion of Twin Oaks Drive for open space.

Coles said that if the zoning board did not verify ownership of the land on which Zucker applied to build the addition to his office, it was not intentional.

"Somebody in the zoning office screwed up by not checking the information," Coles said. "If somebody made a mistake, we need to rectify it. If somebody did something criminal (they have to be prosecuted)."

When asked when that would happen, Coles defended Zucker.

"I'm sure since it's Ralph Zucker, everyone is upset by it," Coles said. "If it were anyone else other than an Orthodox, it would be all right."

According to planning board meeting minutes from 2002, it was Orthodox residents of The Villas, a development Zucker built behind his office, who requested that the former location of Twin Oaks Drive be dedicated to open space.

New homes in The Villas are advertised at a starting price of more than half a million dollars each.

Coles compared Zucker's taking of public land to expand his building with the recent discovery that a predominantly black cemetery had accidentally buried its dead on adjacent township land.

Husband and wife Moses and Minna Shvarzblat, who own a furniture store on Clifton Avenue and a furniture warehouse next to Greenwood Cemetery, which fronts Cedar Bridge Avenue, are building a luxury residential and commercial development on the former township land.

"When they started clearing the land, they found the cemetery had over-expanded," Coles said. "They didn't tell the cemetery to remove bodies. No one is upset about the dead (being buried on township property), but because someone built on a township road, they're upset."

Ballwanz is not just upset. She told Secare at the committee meeting she wanted Zucker punished for his actions.

"I hope there will be fines and the price will be quite hefty," Ballwanz said on the tape. "For (Zucker) to thumb his nose at us is outrageous."

NJ News & Views agrees.

Committeemen Marc (Meir) Lichtenstein, this year's Mayor of Lakewood, and Menashe Miller are running for re-election. Miller, a Republican, is a member of the planning board. Lichtenstein's Democratic running mate, Michael Sernotti, is chairman of the zoning board.

None of the candidates have spoken out against Zucker's deception. No complaint was filed with the county prosecutor's office.

Public officials share the guilt of those they permit to break the law.

A VERY UNPUBLIC DISCUSSION OF LAKEWOOD'S MASTER PLAN

2006-10-24T08:35:00.001-04:00

Editorial by Joyce Blay- Posted October 3, 2006

It has been a week since a mayor's advisory committee presented its' recommendations to update Lakewood's Master Plan, but residents still can't read them on the township Web site.

The recommendations were presented at the September 26 meeting of the Lakewood Planning Board.

No public forum was held.

At the end of the meeting, members of the advisory committee and the planning board agreed to post the recommendations as a .PDF document on the Lakewood Township Web site.

As of October 3, the document had still not been posted.

On October 24 at 6 p.m., the planning board will hold a public hearing on the advisory committee's recommendations. That date is now three weeks away instead of one month.

There was no time left at all to let residents know that one of the advisory committee's recommendations to update the Master Plan was scheduled to be discussed by the Lakewood Development Corporation (LDC) at its' October 3 meeting.

In the 79-page draft document provided at the planning board meeting to NJ News & Views, but not the public, the advisory committee recommended that the former Jamesway on Route 9 north be improved as a gateway to Lakewood. In July, LDC Executive Director Russell Corby shelved the same proposal following board and public opposition.

One week after the advisory committee recommended that the project be incorporated into the town's Master Plan, the LDC agenda included the item for discussion.

LDC board members Mitch Dolobowsky, Michael D'Elia, James Waters, Abraham Muller, Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg and Ada Gonzalez voted to ask the township committee to have the planning board assess improvement of the Jamesway and other privately-owned properties in the area. LDC board member Lynn Celli voted no.

A quorum was established a half hour after the scheduled meeting time.

Dolobowsky is a member of the planning board, but did not abstain from voting.

Dolobowsky had other conflicts of interest, as did Weisberg and Gonzalez, who did not abstain either.

Weisberg is chairman of the LDC board. He is also Director of the Community Services Corporation, which is funded through the LDC Job Link program, and Gonzalez is his employee.

Last month, the state renewed Job Link funding after LDC Executive Director Russell Corby submitted a corrective action plan that was supposed to address Weisberg's conflicts of interest.

Weisberg and Dolobowsky are both members of the advisory committee. So is Rabbi Aaron Kotler, Director of Beth Medrash Govoha, a Lakewood rabbinical college that has owned the Jamesway since purchasing it in 2000.

Kotler did not file the required financial disclosure as a member of the advisory committee.

Weisberg and Kotler are also members of a political interest group, the Vaad. The Vaad's endorsements usually determine which candidate gets elected to public office in Lakewood.

It is a conflict of interest for Weisberg, a member of a political interest group, or Gonzalez, his employee, to ask committeemen that rely on the Vaad's endorsement to refer a pork barrel project for assessment by another government board on which Dolobowsky is a member. All three should have abstained on the LDC vote, but did not.

In February, LDC board members approved an expenditure of $35,200 for the professional assessment to improve private property with public funds. Now Corby wants the planning board to reassess the project at further public expense.

Waters told NJ News & Views on October 5 that he was unaware the planning board was considering a Master Plan recommendation to improve the Jamesway area before voting with the majority on the LDC.

Not only has the township failed to provide the public with timely information critical to their participation in government, the process by which the information was formulated was flawed.

According to NJSA 40A:9-22.3e, all members of the advisory committee are required to file a financial disclosure. A spokesman for the state Department of Community Affairs said that individuals who failed to file the disclosure could be subject to fines or disciplinary action if a complaint of ethics violation is filed against them. While some advisory committee members have filed financial disclosures in accordance with other public positions they hold, the rest have not.

The Master Plan provides a blueprint for the direction that residents would like to see the town developed over the next six years. That direction should also include the concerns of residents that do not have a voice on the Master Plan Advisory Committee, which met in closed session in a public building.

Residents that attended the last meeting said they were asked to leave, but refused. Residents also said that some members of the advisory committee were not the persons appointed to the panel. Residents said no attendance was taken at the meetings either.

Benjamin Heinemann, the head of the Vaad, was one of the presenters at the planning board meeting last month.

Heinemann did not file a financial disclosure as a member of the advisory committee.

Heinemann said members were unanimous in their vote for 33 of the 37 recommendations. How can he say that with certainty if no attendance was taken and all members appointed to the advisory committee did not attend all meetings?

A better way of disseminating the advisory committee's recommendations would have been in public meetings that included a public forum. The planning board secretary is a member of the advisory committee and should have been asked to take meeting minutes that would be available to the public as well.

Meetings could and should have been broadcast on the town's public access cable television station and also Webcast over the Internet. There is no excuse for shutting out the public from a public discussion.

Heinemann said that advisory committee discussions were held over a period of nine months. That time period is not long enough if the process that led to the recommendations was flawed or biased. The appointed members of the advisory committee should return to the drawing board or the township could be returning to court.
note: Meir Hertz was appointed by the curren Mayor (Meir Lichtenstein) yehuda Shain

CORRUPTION AGAIN-LAKEWOOD MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE

2006-09-08T08:53:00.001-04:00

BY JOHN VANDIVER
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

LAKEWOOD — Property owners in a largely undeveloped southwest section of the township learned recently that they can build much more on their land than was allowed just a few years ago.

Thus, the phone calls from property owners — some angry, some sensing an opportunity to cash in — have been pouring in all week to the office of Township Committeeman Charles Cunliffe.

"It's been nonstop," said Cunliffe.

But it's also all a big mistake, he said Thursday.

When the Township Committee voted about a year ago to approve a new zoning map, there was a mix-up, Cunliffe said.

The area off Cross Street near the Jackson boundary, a more rural part of town, had been zoned to require 2-acre building lots. The new zoning reduced the minimum lot size to 1 acre. The result: Land value there has more than doubled, Cunliffe said.

"I've been asking the committee to fix it. I was personally assured by the mayor it would be corrected during the master plan revision. It's a huge chunk of land," Cunliffe said.

Now it seems the Master Plan Advisory Committee is poised to recommend the less restrictive zoning that never should have been allowed in the first place, Cunliffe said.

Conflicts of interest?

During the Township Committee meeting Thursday night, Cunliffe said some advisory committee members stand to gain if the zoning is retained. He then called on members of the advisory group to disclose all their financial ties and conflicts connected to the area. "These people are major landowners and developers. That's a conflict of interest," said Cunliffe, talking before the meeting.

He declined to identify which of the advisory committee's 28 members, appointed by the Township Committee, may have a conflict.

"You assume people are going to do the right thing," Cunliffe said.

The zoning mix-up came about because the color-coded zoning map included the change in lot sizes but that change was omitted from the text of the proposal, according to Planning Board Administrator Kevin Kielt.

The omission of the change from the text was the reason the change was inadvertently approved, Cunliffe said.

However, Cunliffe blamed private firms hired to draft the master plan for the omission, and said he believes the mistake was intentional, though he declined to name whom he believes were involved.

"People will assume incorrectly we (Township Committee) were part of the scheme," said Cunliffe.

More than 30 property owners are affected by the mistake, Cunliffe estimated.

Pros, cons

About half the telephone calls Cunliffe has received in the past week have been from people urging him to support the more lucrative zoning, he said. The other half are fearful of overdevelopment.

Bill Hobday, an advisory committee member, expressed concern during the Township Committee meeting about the conduct of some of the volunteer advisers. Hobday said information about the advisory committee's meetings had been leaked to residents in the area, violating the panel's policy to keep its deliberations confidential.

"It's something that must be addressed," Hobday told Township Committee members.

The advisory committee makes its recommendations to the Planning Board, which has the authority to approve the plan. But zoning changes must be approved by the Township Committee.

When the advisory committee met Wednesday, the atmosphere was tense, according to Hobday. "It was not one of our nicest committee meetings," he said.

Cunliffe said the township committee learned of its mistake soon after approving the zoning changes last year but opted against amending the plan immediately. It would be easier and more economical to fix the problem during the master plan revision process, which is now nearing its conclusion, members determined.

Every six years, municipalities are required to update their master plans, which function as road maps to guide development.

The advisory committee responsible for drafting the 2006 master plan has been meeting since April. The group has various subcommittees examining different aspects of the plan, from downtown issues to educational matters and potential rezonings.

The advisory committee meets again Sept. 20. The master plan could be considered by the Planning Board as early as Sept. 26 with a public hearing to be held soon after.

In the end, it is the township committee which has the final say on rezoning matters.

"I know where my vote is," Cunliffe said.

John Vandiver: (732) 557-5739 or jvandiver@app.com

TAX COURT APPEALS

2006-07-31T11:36:00.000-04:00

TAX COURT APPEALS
NOTE: In Tax Court appeals all 1-4 family properties are defined as “Small-Claims”.
In “small-claims” cases the discovery or “Interrogatories” from the Municipality to the tax-payer are very limited in scope.
Rule 8:6-1 (a) 5 state “shall be limited to
1- inspection of subject premises,
2- a closing statement, if within 3 years of assign date,
3- cost of improvements if within 3 years,
4- income & expense of income producing property”

The Municipality is NOT entitled to anything else without a Court order.

Seperation of Church & State??

2006-05-05T10:50:00.000-04:00

A MATTER OF FAITH
Lakewood stages 55th National Day of Prayer service
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 05/5/06BY RICHARD QUINNTOMS RIVER BUREAU LAKEWOOD — The Rev. Sandra Gonzalez of Spirit-Filled Life Ministries needed only one guest to join her in Town Square on Thursday night.
He showed, so the rest took care of itself.
It didn't matter that a local businessman was disappointed after the mayor learned the law allows prayer warriors to proselytize even if the speakers who propel their words are powered by electricity paid for by taxpayers.

[It didn't matter that the businessman went to the Lakewood police watch commander to complain about the noise, use of Taxpayers electricity, and proselytizing to convert all the Jews.

It didn't matter that the watch commander said it's perfectly allright to procelytize & use Township electricity, "if you don't like it-speak to your Mayor-Meir".
It didn't matter that the service toggled back and forth between English and Spanish, a public sign of respect to the masses of Latino immigrants who have flooded Lakewood in recent years and comprised more than half of the worshippers Thursday night.
It didn't matter that the evangelical service — celebrated so loudly it could be heard several blocks away — drew momentary glares from passers-by who wanted to know what those people were doing.
It didn't matter because He showed up.
"As long as it's me and God," Gonzalez said. "It's not about numbers. It's about your faithfulness and obedience to the call."
The rest was important to her, but without God, it doesn't matter.

State may release 600G for Lakewood UEZ

2006-05-03T18:18:00.000-04:00

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 05/3/06BY RICHARD QUINNTOMS RIVER BUREAU LAKEWOOD —
The state may decide this month to release nearly $600,000 in funding for the township's Urban Enterprise Zone.

The funding freeze, in place since an audit earlier this year discovered some irregularities with a program vendor, could be lifted in the next two weeks, said Russell K. Corby, executive director of the Lakewood Development Corp., which oversees the UEZ.

Corby told board members at this week's LDC meeting that he is confident the money will be released."Within a week or two, we should find out whether it will be reimbursed,'' Corby said.

LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP'S REVENGE ON AGGRIEVED TAXPAYERS

2006-04-28T09:53:00.000-04:00

LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP HAD A REVALUATION DONE ON OF THE PROPERTIES. THERE IS A GREAT INCENTIVE FOR THE TOWN OFFICIALS TO HAVE THE PROPERTIES OVERASSESSED. WHEN THE VALUES ARE INFLATED YOU ARE LEFT WITH A LOWER TAX RATE, BUT YOU ARE PAYING MORE TAX DOLLARS OUT OF YOUR POCKET.

A LOWER TAX RATE BLINDFOLDS THE TAXPAYERS TO THINK THAT THEY WILL PAY LOWER TAXES WHEN THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.

AN INFLATED PROPERTY VALUE TAX BASE GIVES THE MUNICIPALITY A GREATER BORROWING POWER INCLUDING BOND ISSUES. WITH BOND ISSUES THEY CAN OVER SPEND OVER AND ABOVE THE STATE MANDATED CAP RATE.

THE TAX PAYER ALSO ENDS UP PAYING AN UNJUSTIFIED HIGHER COUNTY TAX BURDEN.

STARTING WITH A LOWER TAX RATE MAKES IT THAT MUCH EASIER TO SPEND MORE AND RAISE TAXES WITH LITTLE ANTICIPATED BACK LASH.

THERE WERE FILED OVER 2000 (TWO THOUSAND) APPEALS. THEREFORE LAKEWOOD'S ANTICIPATED HIGHWAY ROBBERY IS IN JEPORADY.

THE SOLUTION BY THE TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS IS TO HARASS (via inspection Department & other Township offices) ALL OF THOSE WHO FILED APPEALS.

THEY ARE ON WAR FOOTING, EVEN GOING SO FAR AS ADVISING THE REVALUATION FIRM NOT TO SIT WITH ANY AGGRIEVED PROPERTY OWNER TO SEE IF A FAIR RESOLUTION IS POSSIBLE (which is the accepted practice at every revalution across the State).

LAKEWOOD TAX RATE $2.00 ???

2006-04-28T05:36:00.000-04:00

BY RICHARD QUINNTOMS RIVER BUREAU
LAKEWOOD — A tax revaluation and a series of tax appeals make it difficult to put this year's municipal budget in context.
Still, nine days after the Board of Education spending plan was trounced at the polls, the Township Committee Thursday unveiled its 2006 municipal budget.
A public hearing will be held next month.
"We are having a tax increase," Mayor Meir Lichtenstein said before the meeting. "It's really hard to figure out."
News of higher taxes is all Malcolm Smith needed to hear.
"That's not exactly pleasing," said Smith, who owns several properties along Route 88.
Yehuda Shain, a Forest Avenue resident, said individuals will pay more under the new budget, a disturbing trend of rising taxes over the past two years.
"It's definitely going to go up," Shain said.
Township Manager Frank Edwards introduced the budget by announcing that it would spend $59,967,650. Lichtenstein said the tax levy is about $31 million.
Edwards also said the tax rate is expected to be 41.2 cents per $100 of assessed property value. On a house assessed at $291,617, the township average, that would be a municipal tax bill of $1,201.
The low rate is deceiving, though.
Lakewood underwent a property revaluation last year. The township's ratable base jumped from $2.9 billion to $7.5 billion, according to tax records. The revaluation makes year-to-year tax comparisons difficult.
"Are we going to spend more than last year?" Lichtenstein asked prior to the meeting. "Yes. But is it more taxes than last year? We don't know. We have to wait for everything to shake out."
The lack of solid budget information is believed to be one reason the $108 million school budget was defeated by voters. Residents, however, do not get to vote on the municipal budget.
They can speak at a public hearing on the budget, scheduled for May 25. The budget will likely be adopted that night.
Further complicating this year's budget process is a slew of tax appeals filed following the revaluation. Lichtenstein said there were more than 100 appeals, and the final budget may change when they are resolved.
Committee members did not comment on the budget when it was introduced. Committeeman Charles Cunliffe did ask that a budget summary be posted on the township Web site as quickly as possible.
Committeeman Robert W. Singer voted against the budget, although he did not say why.
Lichtenstein cautioned residents not to get too upset at the budget until more details are resolved before the May 25 public hearing. Right now, he said, there are still questions about taxes he can't answer.
"We don't know," the mayor added. "We're so in limbo."

$$$$$$ Lakewood's Master plan Committee $$$$$$$$

2006-03-09T12:30:00.000-05:00

As we look at the list of members on Lakewood's Master Plan Committee we seriously question the possibility of a conflict of interest of some of the members on the list. Note; Yes I, Yehuda Shain did apply to be a member & was not chosen.

At least some of the Members on Lakewood's Master Plan Committee are wheelers in the Real Estate market and therefore should raise a red flag as it would have the look of the possibility of "insider trading".

I don't know the resume or affiliations of many on the list nonetheless some names struck me.

Adam Buckwald I think is in construction & deals in Real Estate, Mitch Dolobowsky works for Ralph Zucker Somerset Development, There also listed an owner of an Engineering firm that is listed as an owner or partner in a number of Real Estate properties, A few Attorneys that are involved heavily with developers are listed, Ben Heineman, Aaron Kotler, Moshe Weisberg, all Vaad members, Bruce Stern Atty with Madison Title, Elliot Zaks a Real Estate dealer, Ralph Zucker of Somerset Devolpment, Charles Silberberg A real estate owner & developer, and Committeeman Charles Cunliffe asked that he forgot to include Meier Hertz a wheeler in Real Estate.

I think that a requirement should be all to fill out a form that would list all of their affiliations and if there "may-be" a conflict of interest, otherwise it doesn't sit right.

When will Lakewood have a Civillian Police Review Board?

2006-03-04T23:46:00.000-05:00

Where is Lakewood's CIVILLIAN POLICE REVIEW BOARD?

The Lakewood Civillian Police Review Board has been coming up over the past few years, but never implemented "yet" WHY NOT?

Every time there is a public incident re police brutality there is an outcry of the need of a Civillian Police Review Board.
There are countless episodes in Lakewood that were not publicized that would have been better served with a Civillian Police review board.
Most all of the complaints filed with the Police Internal Affairs gets buried under the carpet, to the point that no one even bothers to file complaints with the Lakewood Police Internal Afairs.

The VAAD is attempting to cover up on the desperate need of a Civillian Police Reviw Board by making a public forum with the Police Director "to voice any problems you have with the Lakewood Police" WHAT A SHAM!!"

If any one intends to fall for it & attend the Public Forum, you should ask over and over ONE QUESTION ONLY!WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A CIVILLIAN POLICE REVIEW BOARD," NOT IF-BUT WHEN."

Lakewood's revaluation figures are out of touch with reality

2006-02-27T17:14:00.000-05:00

Lakewood's reassessment is out of touch with reality!

Feb 27, 2:00 PM (ET)By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

(AP) Chart shows new-home sales for the past 13 months, seasonally adjusted.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The backlog of unsold new homes reached a record level last month, as sales slipped despite the warmest January in more than 100 years.
The Commerce Department reported Monday that sales of new single-family homes dropped by 5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.233 million units last month.
That was the slowest pace since January 2005 and left the number of unsold homes at a record high of 528,000.
Analysts viewed the new data as further evidence that the nation's red-hot housing market, which hit record sales levels for five straight years, has definitely started to cool.

(AP) In a file photo signs point the way to new homes for sale in the west hills of Portland, Ore.,..."The decline in new home sales in January makes it clear that there is some real softening in the housing market, said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors.
The 5 percent decline was bigger than expected, dashing hopes that the milder-than-normal January would help to bolster demand. The warm weather had pushed up the level of construction starts last month by 14.5 percent, the fastest rate in three decades.
But the new report showed that with sales lagging, the increase in building activity left a total of 528,000 new homes still for sale at the end of the month, a nine-year high.
Even with the softening in sales, prices were up in January with the median price climbing to $238,100, up 4 percent from December, but below the all-time high of $243,900 set in October.
For the past few years, home prices have been surging at double-digit rates, gains that analysts said will likely slow now that sales are softening and inventories of unsold-homes are rising.

(AP) Chart shows the Index of Leading Economic Indicators seasonally adjusted, for the past 13 months....Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, predicted "real downward pressure on prices over the next few months."
David Seiders, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, said surveys showed that the number of builders who are throwing in various amenities for free in order to move homes has risen to 41 percent.
Seiders predicted that home price gains, which were running around 12 percent last year, will slow to about 6 percent this year.
He said a lot of this year's change will reflect less speculative investor activity and more sales spurred by people desiring to live in the homes. "Hopefully, that is all that is developing here," Seiders said.
Some economists are worried that with the inventory of unsold homes rising, there could be significant downward pressure on home prices, triggering a chain-reaction similar to the bursting of the stock market bubble in 2000, a development that contributed to the 2001 recession.

(AP) Chart shows Producer Price Index for the past 18 months. But new Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress earlier this month that for now he was looking for a moderate slowdown in the housing industry, not a crash.
The 5 percent January drop in sales followed a revised 3.8 percent increase in December and was the biggest setback since a 7 percent drop in November.
The biggest decline in sales was a 14.9 percent decrease in sales in the Northeast, which followed an even bigger 23 percent plunge in sales in December. Sales in the Midwest were down 10.8 percent after having risen by 21.2 percent in December.
In the South, sales fell by 10.3 percent in January, following a 1.2 percent gain in December.
Bucking the national trend, sales in the West posted an 11.3 percent increase in January after a 6.3 percent gain in December.
Mortgage rates have been rising gradually with the 30-year mortgage now at 6.26 percent, according to the latest Freddie Mac (FRE) survey. Many analysts believe 30-year mortgages will rise to between 6.5 percent to 7 percent by the end of this year.
They think that increase will be enough to trim sales of both new and existing homes and slow the double-digit gains in prices seen in recent years. The National Association of Realtors reported earlier this month that a record 72 metropolitan areas saw double-digit gains in home prices in the final three months of 2005 compared with price levels at the end of 2004.
---
New home sales: http://www.census.gov/newhomesales

Sign petition to widen Route 9 through Dover Twp

2006-02-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

Please click on link below and sign petition to widen Route South through Dover Township
http://www.widen9now.com/

Mayor Lichtenstein's stated agenda

2006-02-15T19:51:00.000-05:00

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 02/15/06BY RICHARD QUINNTOMS RIVER BUREAU LAKEWOOD —

Mayor Meir Lichtenstein, in his first extensive public comments since taking over the township's top post, has announced a platform of initiatives for 2006.

Lichtenstein, in an hour-long interview at his municipal building office this week, said his first priority is to find an amicable solution to the day laborer quandary downtown.A property manager who understands when merchants complain how the men -- many of whom are illegal immigrants -- deter business, Lichtenstein said the township must also find a way to treat the men with dignity and respect.

Other initiatives for the year include:Instilling more public confidence in the township's embattled police department, which has weathered several allegations of police brutality in the past few years.

Working with the Board of Education to lobby state officials to increase education funding to Lakewood. The funding inequity hurts taxpayers, Lichtenstein said, adding the township may be able to help the district attain more funding.

Holding meetings of township department heads so employees can better work together to address residents complaints. The first of these meetings already has been held.

LAKEWOOD AIRPORT LAND SALE???

2006-02-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

Lakewood Airport alleged sale of land?? Can any one confirm or provide more information RE: The Lakewood Airport recent alleged back door sale of some of the land, without full public knowledge etc.?

Some claim that there is back door talk about a 100 year lease for commercial devolpment. There was no public bids or anything of the sort.

Lakewood's picture perfect snow removal program

2006-01-26T11:37:00.000-05:00

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/25/06
WHAT'S THE ISSUE? Snow plowing. A resident complained at last week's Township Committee meeting that the Public Works Department could do a better job plowing streets after winter storms. Officials defended the township, citing the difficulties of snow removal and the housing boom in Lakewood over the past decade that has added to the department's workload.

WHAT DOES THE TOWN SAY? John Franklin, Lakewood's public works director, said his workers do as much as they can to plow every street quickly. The township, though, has to focus first on main thoroughfares — such as Clifton Avenue, Pine Street and portions of Squankum Road — to clear the downtown and help traffic move."Nobody is ever happy when there's snow on the ground," Franklin said.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Committeeman Charles Cunliffe said residents could help themselves by removing vehicles, garbage cans and other obstacles from the street so plows can go "curb to curb." When residents leave obstacles, plows can not clear the entire street."There are streets you can clean up real well," Cunliffe said. "There are some streets you cannot.

"WHAT'S NEXT? Although this winter has been light on snow to date, Mayor Meir Lichtenstein commended Franklin for the job he does in keeping up with snowstorms, even as new housing developments continually add new streets each year."The town is growing very quickly," Lichtenstein said. "John is doing his best to keep up.
End of APP article:

Yehuda Shain's take on the snow removal:
Lakewood's snow removal system is picture perfect "in the summer".They love to get it down to the blacktop of the pavement, as long as it is on a time & half or double pay weekend day.I have observed Lakewood plows with the blade up going over streets that need plowing etc.I have also observed the Lakewood plows just last Sunday's snow after the sun prety much melted down they tried to scrape the living daylights out of the pavement.Don't complain, they have it down to the dollar exactly hom much it cost lakewwod per mile to clean the snow.

Why the Lakewood Public Works is constantly in need of NEW equipment, is mind bongling. How much mileage is put on to their equipment when it's used only locally? Sure, New equipment is beautiful impresive, but we are talking about tax-payer's dollars.

While we are on tax payer's dollars, why doesn't the Police department have the Public Works or their own set up for repairs & maintence of the Police vehicles and other Township vehicles. I don't know the exact count.

LAKEWOOD'S POLICE "NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM"

2006-01-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

Lakewood's Police department newly anticipated computer system (we doubt) will solve many of the ongoing Police department problems.

It's all too common to see 2-3 police cars parked along side each other in a parking lot for a half hour or more. Any reason they can't be patrolling the different crime areas of the Township?

Any reason that they can't be out checking for the many street lights that are not working thereby causing a safety hazard. In the agreement that Lakewood Township has with the Utility Company, it is the RESPONSIBILITY of Lakewood Police to report the light outages.

Mind you All of Lakewood Police cars have GPS units, it must be that nobody is checking them on a constant basis. "IS THE NEW COMPUTER GOING TO HELP?"

There are wrongfully issued summonses by the police for different violations e.g. parking tickets when the sign posted & the Lakewood Ordinance permit it. "WILL THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM SOLVE THAT?"

Summonses are issued for hitchhiking, when the pedestrian is in fact NOT hitchhiking and is also in full compliance of the applicable NJ Statute. IS THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM GOING TO SOLVE THAT ONE?

Summonses issued for parking too close to a fire hydrant, I produced a tape measure to the Officer while he is writing the summons, that the vehicle is parked 100% legally, "I'm sorry I already wrote the ticket". It took 4 trips to the Court (over 7 hours waisted) to resolve the issue, there was no dismissal of the officer even though he issued a citation even though he KNEW it was FALSE! WOULD THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM SOLVE THAT?

There are many more of these type of episodes which we'll leave for another date.

Let's have a Police Civillian Review Board, perhaps that will change something, at least it will make the Citizens feel that it doesn't get shoved under the carpet.

Safety & Quality of Life isn't Lakewood's concern

2006-01-24T22:39:00.000-05:00

MAYOR LICHTENSTEIN
AND TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Singer, Coles, Cunliffe & Miller
January 24, 2006

Dear Mayor & Township Committeemen;

I would like to bring to your attention a few items that I was going to address at the January 19th Township meeting, but I gave away my 4 minute slot for an issue that I felt should take precedence-Sorry that others didn’t sense the urgency.

At the County Building (& perhaps at other similar situations) the Handicap spots should be marked “Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM”. (during business hours)

1- Muster Zone- I think that the contractors who are looking for the “day-laborers” come from 5:30 AM to 9:00 AM. That time frame shouldn’t disturb the downtown businesses. Perhaps the parking lot on the south side of Main St between Clifton & Madison Ave can be utilized. I understand that the owner of that lot may agree for that limited use 5:30-9:00AM. I think that Mr. Golub’s points were as important as the individual from Freehold, NJ whom you did ask for his phone number in order to further discuss his ideas about a muster zone.

2- By making a “No Stopping” on Clifton Ave you are penalizing the Business owners and their patrons as well. If we have a problem with the Day-laborers don’t penalize everyone else instead.

3- We have a problem of immigrants in some parts of town, so we hire inspectors to go after “some” property owners who have broken twigs, etc., under the guise of “Quality of life”.

4- We have a big parking problem in many areas of town, so it was suggested (over a year ago) that for safety, quality of life & additional parking spaces we should have 5th Street through 9th Street, from Forest Avenue to Lakewood Avenue designated as 1 way streets, plus to widen 9th Street and make angle parking-So what did the Township fathers do? THEY BANNED ALL PARKING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 9TH STREET AND DID NOT INSTITUTE THE 1 WAY STREETS!!!???????????

5- We have been requesting (for over a year) the Township to upgrade safety and quality of life issues and it is literally at a standstill. One item is the street lamps that are not working, YES THAT IS a SAFETY HAZARD AND a QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE more important than many of the other “so-called” quality of life issues. Mind you these items are the obligation of your Municipal departments. The police Department is supposed to check on the outages and report them to JCP&L and to the Township Manager. The Township Manager should wait 30 days and deduct the cost of the outages till he is notified that the street lights are repaired.

6- The other Safety and quality of life issue is “the STOP / YIELD SIGNS” that aren’t in compliance with NJDOT (New Jersey Dept. of Transportation) nor with Federal MUTCD (Manual for uniform traffic control devices). The Township is aware of this for over a year that I have written to them & brought it up at public meetings to no avail. What justification is there to write on police reports or to issue summonses for violating a STOP-SIGN when legally there isn’t one in compliance. Can you justify taking, or rather, stealing money from those drivers and causing their insurance premiums to increase?

7- Another issue which is a safety and quality of life issue is the lack of the proper placement of the “NO TURN ON RED” which should be placed near the light itself. The signs must be of reflective material or illuminated.(PER NJDOT & MUTCD)

8- It is about time we have an independent Civilian Police review board. We have had too many issues over the years that the current ineffective Police internal affairs doesn’t handle properly. Besides the numerous cases where the witnesses weren’t even interviewed, police officers writing reports with facts that aren’t correct, issuing summonses based upon false information etc., and Police internal affairs doesn’t deal with the issues in an acceptable manner. A new computer system etc is not going to help the Internal Affairs unit in the slightest. We must look at setting up a civilian Police review board sooner rather than later.

9- I think that a number of traffic lights can be made to operate as a flashing light during the hours of 1:00AM to 5:30AM.

I don’t think we need these newly hired personnel for the “so-called” quality of life issues, and there is plenty of fat to be cut out of the budget to lower some of the tax burden.

The new revaluation should be put into effect for 2007 instead of 2006; it will alleviate many of the problems that we have to face otherwise.

I have doubts as to what are the real goals that the Town fathers are trying to institute. I don’t think they are consistent in quality of life issues, safety issues, parking problems & their solutions, immigrants, etc.

I have made a Web-site where I will post items of concern to Lakewood residents to keep abreast and to comment and you’ll be able to keep abreast also http://www.voiceoflakewood.blogspot.com/

Thank you,

Yehuda Shain

Lakewood needs "Civillian Police Review Board"

2006-01-20T09:02:00.000-05:00

High-tech upgrades part of police HQ makeover
New leader hopes to phase in changes
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/20/06BY RICHARD QUINNTOMS RIVER BUREAU
LAKEWOOD — A police report shows five patrol cars pulled up to the basketball court next to the Lakewood Community Center one Saturday night in June, all responding to a single call about a clash of boys wanting to play basketball.

The incident sparked tensions — which turned into accusations of ethnic favoritism — because the cops asked a group of minority boys to leave after a group of Orthodox Jewish boys showed they had a permit for the court.
Peters said the police overreaction could have been avoided, and now he's proposing a way to do it.
Having assumed the department's top post last summer, Peters has introduced a series of physical and technological changes to the department. The total cost could be more than $1 million but could be phased in.
Updating a host of software programs, including dispatch, records management, officer accountability and Internal Affairs.

Which ideas are implemented and when may depend on a consultant's report, expected around month's end, that will give the department a strategic plan for technology upgrades.
"Bottom line here is to take the department up to the level of best practices," Peters said. "I don't do anything halfway. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it all the way."
Peters said he also hopes the initiatives will prove to an often skeptical public — which in recent years has witnessed a police brutality trial that ended with acquittals, abuse-of-power allegations and a recent investigation into ticket-fixing that found no criminal wrongdoing — that the department is working to better itself.
"I would hope that's how they see it," Peters said this week. "We're using every means available to us to address the concerns."
Taxes are a concern
Word of the new ideas drew cautious praise from residents.
"If it will help, good. The only thing I am afraid of is: Will it cost the taxpayer more money?" asked Adrienne Neal, 44, a recreation aide at Lakewood Community Center. "We have enough problems with property taxes."
Sam DeCapua, a township resident who repairs and installs telecommunications equipment, said he also worries about taxes but supports using updated technology to help the department better protect the town.
"Take back the town from the thugs," said DeCapua, 42, who would support the improvements if they could be paid for without local tax money. "At least they're showing they want to get something done."
Peters said it's too early to know how the plans would be funded. He said he will seek grants, possibly from Homeland Security programs, to offset the costs.
Deputy Mayor Raymond G. Coles said the ambitious plans are the kinds of reform the committee expected when it hired Peters, a retired State Police major who told Coles the technology will help determine proper staffing levels.
"When he tells me I need to look at things, study it and make evaluations, I believe the result of that is something we can take to the bank," Coles said.
"Reverse 911" system
The results, if Peters implements all of his plans, should improve the force.
The new dispatch and records systems, for example, would allow Peters to study how different officers respond to nearly identical calls.
The new Internal Affairs software would make it easier for supervisors to determine if certain officers have more problems than others, although resident Yehuda Shain continues to push for a civilian review board to handle internal investigations.
"(Civilians) know how to look at a case," Shain said, adding he has no confidence in the department objectively investigating its own officers. "They can look at the issue without any cover-up and say, "Who was wrong on this case?' "
A new "Reverse 911" system — which already has been approved and will be installed in the next six months — will be able to notify residents of emergencies and other events.
Lt. William Addison, a 34-year officer in Lakewood, said the new ideas, if implemented, would mark a return to prominence for Lakewood, which he said was once respected for its use of technology.
"We've lost that over the years, for whatever reason," Addison said. "We're getting back to that now. We're going to be No. 1 again."
Richard Quinn: (732) 557-5739 or rquinn@app.com

WHY ADDOPT A PAY FOR PLAY ORDINANCE?

2006-01-18T20:16:00.000-05:00

http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=880439

LAKEWOOD'S REVALUATION

2006-01-18T10:07:00.000-05:00

MAYOR LICHTENSTEIN
AND TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Singer, Coles, Cunliffe & Miller
January 16th, 2006

RE: Lakewood’s Real Estate Revaluation.

Dear Mayor & Committee members,

There are numerous errors in the methods and conclusions of the Realty Appraisal that was done for Lakewood Township properties.

They were not familiar enough with the current zoning ordinance which resulted in wrong valuations to be placed on properties, some too high and others too low.

They were also unaware of the different markets in Lakewood Township even within the same condominium development which resulted in wrong assessments to be placed.

They were not sufficiently in tune to the current market conditions which was on the way down at the time of the revaluation’s effective date of I believe October 1st, 2005.

It would be shameful after all of the dollars spent & we still don’t have affair nor correct revaluation of the Lakewood properties.

Very likely this may result in a very large number of appeals to be filed which may put a question mark on the validity of the revaluation.

May I suggest that the Revaluation should be put into effect for the year 2007, and during the course of 2006 we “tweak” those properties that need adjustments. We may have to bring in another appraiser to work along with the reval Co. & the Assessor to tweak those numbers.

Note: This has been done in other Municipalities e.g. Rutherford among others.

Thank you,

Yehuda Shain

Lakewood moving forward

2006-01-17T19:22:00.000-05:00

MAYOR LICHTENSTEIN
AND TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Singer, Coles, Cunliffe & Miller
January 9, 2006

RE: Sign placement conformance & light signals.

Dear Mayor & Committee members,

Please be advised as I have previously written & stated publicly that some of the signs & lights are not in conformance with the MUTCD & NJDOT regulations.

All of the Stop & Yield in residential & commercial areas must be a minimum of 7 feet to the bottom of the sign.

In rural areas it must be a minimum of 5 feet to the bottom of the sign, unless there is pedestrian traffic then it must be 7 feet to the bottom of the sign.

The above was brought to the Township’s attention over a year ago and until that time that all of the signs are brought into compliance there shouldn’t be enforcement of something that doesn’t comply with the relevant regulations.

Please notify the proper authorities in the Police Department & the Municipal Court that we shouldn’t be enforcing these signs that aren’t in compliance.

The “NO TURN ON RED” is to be “installed near the appropriate signal head”.
Please have the Municipal signs placed in their correct position, and notify the County & State to place their “No turn on red” installed near the signal head.

The required time interval for a yellow is from 3-6 seconds according to the MUTCD which was adopted by the NJDOT. The 3 second interval would be for the slower range of speeds 25-35 MPH and the longer interval up to 6 seconds would be for the higher speeds of 55-65 MPH.

Some of the yellow lights are set too short (less than 3 seconds) which is a dangerous situation & summonses are issued which shouldn’t be issued.

The other Traffic & safety issue that is long in waiting is making the streets from 6th Street to 9th Street between Forest Ave & Lakewood Ave into one-way streets, which would alleviate congestion, increase safety & Parking.

Thank you,

Yehuda Shain

A Proposed Lakewood Ordinance

2006-01-16T17:51:00.000-05:00

January 18th Trenton: In a 22-minute speech some described as "challenging" and "aspiring," Corzine laid out a vision for his administration that included few details but several promises — including a "historic effort to end the toxic mix of politics, money and public business at every level of New Jersey government."Republicans took that as a sign the new governor will work to outlaw pay-to-play — the awarding of government contracts to political donors. http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=192884

We would like to see Lakewood pass the following Ordinance:

LAKEWOOD -PUBLIC CONTRACTING REFORM

Be It Enacted by the Lakewood Township, County of Ocean, State of New Jersey:
Whereas, professional business entities are exempt from public bidding requirements, and
Whereas, it has become common for professional business entities to make substantial political contributions to the election campaigns of the local government elected officers who are ultimately responsible for awarding professional service contracts or other contracts or agreements which are not subject to public bidding; and

Whereas, substantial local political contributions from professionals receiving discretionary contracts from the elected officials who receive such contributions raise reasonable concerns of the part of taxpayers as to their trust in the process of local government, if not the quality or cost of services received, and

Whereas, pursuant to NJSA 40A: 11-5 and NJSA 40:48-2, municipalities have the right to establish rules and procedures for contracting with professional business entities,
Now therefore, be it resolved, that the policy of Lakewood Township will be to set maximum amounts professional business entities may contribute politically beyond which they become ineligible to receive a public professional service contract from Lakewood Township.

SECTION 1
Prohibition on Awarding Public Contracts to Certain Contributors
(a) Any other provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the municipality or any of its purchasing agents or agencies or those of its independent authorities, as the case may be, shall not enter into an agreement or otherwise contract to procure services, including banking services/relationships or insurance coverage services, from any professional business entity, if that entity has solicited or made any contribution of money, or pledge of a contribution, including in-kind contributions, to a campaign committee of any Lakewood Township candidate or holder of the public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract, or to any Lakewood township or Ocean County party committee, or to any political action committee (PAC) that is organized for the primary purpose of promoting or supporting Lakewood Township municipal candidates or municipal officeholders in excess of the thresholds specified in subsection (d) within one calendar year immediately preceding the date of the contract or agreement.
(b) No professional business entity which enters into negotiations for, or agrees to, any contract or agreement with the municipality or any department or agency thereof or of its independent authorities for the rendition of professional, banking or insurance coverage services or any other no-bid consultants shall knowingly solicit or make any contribution of money, or pledge of a contribution, including in-kind contributions, to any Lakewood Township candidate or holder of the public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract, or to any Lakewood Township or Ocean County party committee, or to any PAC that is organized for the primary purpose of promoting or supporting Lakewood Township municipal candidates or municipal officeholders between the time of first communications between that business entity and the Township regarding a specific professional services agreement and the later of the termination of negotiations or the completion of the contract or agreement.
(c) For purposes of this ordinance, a “professional business entity” seeking a public contract means an individual including the individual's spouse, if any, and any child living at home; person; firm; corporation; professional corporation; partnership; organization; or association. The definition of a business entity includes all principals who own 10% or more of the equity in the corporation or business trust, partners, and officers in the aggregate employed by the entity as well as any subsidiaries directly controlled by the business entity.
(d) Any individual meeting the definition of “professional business entity” under this section may annually contribute a maximum of $400 each for any purpose to any candidate, for mayor or council, or $500 to the Lakewood Township or Ocean County party committee, or to a PAC referenced in this ordinance, without violating subsection (a) of this section. However, any group of individuals meeting the definition of “professional business entity” under this section, including such principals, partners, and officers of the entity in the aggregate, may not annually contribute for any purpose in excess of $1,500 to all Lakewood Township candidates and officeholders with ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract, and all Lakewood Township or Ocean County political parties and PACs referenced in this ordinance combined, without violating subsection (a) of this section.
(e) For purposes of this section, the office that is considered to have ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract shall be:
(1) The Lakewood Township Council, if the contract requires approval or appropriation from the Council.
(2) The Mayor of Lakewood Township, if the contract requires approval of the Mayor, or if a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is appointed by the Mayor.

SECTION 2
Contributions Made Prior to the Effective Date
No contribution of money or any other thing of value, including in-kind contributions, made by a professional business entity to any municipal candidate for Mayor or Council, or municipal or county party committee or PAC referenced in this ordinance shall be deemed a violation of this section, nor shall an agreement for property, goods, or services, of any kind whatsoever, be disqualified thereby, if that contribution was made by the professional business entity prior to the effective date of this section.

SECTION 3
Contribution Statement by Professional Business Entity
(a) Prior to awarding any contract or agreement to procure services, including banking or insurance coverage services, with any professional business entity, the township or any of its purchasing agents or agencies, as the case may be, shall receive a sworn statement from the professional business entity made under penalty of perjury that the bidder or offer or has not made a contribution in violation of Section 1 of this Act;
(b) The professional business entity shall have a continuing duty to report any violations of this Act that may occur during the negotiation or duration of a contract. The certification required under this subsection shall be made prior to entry into the contract or agreement with the township and shall be in addition to any other certifications that may be required by any other provision of law.

SECTION 4
Return of Excess Contributions
A professional business entity or township candidate or officeholder or municipal or county party committee or PAC referenced in this ordinance may cure a violation of Section 1 of this Act, if, within 30 days after the general election, the professional business entity notifies the Township Council in writing and seeks and receives reimbursement of a contribution from the township candidate or municipal or county political party or PAC referenced in this ordinance.
SECTION 5
Penalty
(a) All Lakewood Township professional service agreements shall provide that it shall be a breach of the terms of the government contract for a professional business entity as defined in Section 1 (c) to violate section 1 (b) or to knowingly conceal or misrepresent contributions given or received, or to make or solicit contributions through intermediaries for the purpose of concealing or misrepresenting the source of the contribution.

(b) Any professional business entity as defined in Section 1(c) and (d) who knowingly fails to reveal a contribution made in violation of this Act, or who knowingly makes or solicits contributions through intermediaries for the purpose of concealing or misrepresenting the source of the contribution, shall be disqualified from eligibility for future Lakewood Township contracts for a period of four calendar years from the date of the violation.

SECTION 6
Severability
If any provision of this law, or the application of any such provision to any person or circumstances, shall be held invalid, the remainder of this law to the extent it can be given effect, or the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby, and to this extent the provisions of this law are severable.

SECTION 7
Effective Date
This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2006.

What is Lakewood's voice?

2006-01-16T17:40:00.000-05:00

The Voice of Lakewood is intended to keep Lakewood residents abreast of issues that we feel are important for them to know & perhaps voice their opinions for or against.

2006-01-15T20:13:00.000-05:00

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