Barnes Saves the Day

This was my most recent post in the Sentinel....I cannot wait for the Choi lobby to respond...

Letters Early Christmas magic in city hall, reader says

The people have spoken! Jun Choi appears to have the mayoral seat by 270 votes. While there is still a potential election challenge by the more qualified Bill Stephens, let’s give the guy in the chicken suit the benefit of the doubt.

Well, that is what I was going to write this week.

But then I learned that Mr. Choi not only wanted $90,000 in a salary plus medical and pension benefits as full-time mayor, he also wanted us to provide $12,500 to his new “transition team” for two weeks of service and for an unspecified period after that.

I quickly multiplied the numbers and realized that the “transition team” was to be paid at a rate of $300,000 a year! So even before Mr. Choi assumed office, he wanted a near $400,000 draw down from the city.

But that never shocked me. I knew all along that Mr. Choi’s intentions were never pure. Heck, why not get paid and spread the wealth while using the fifth-largest city in the state as a stepping stone to a real office.

So what did I do? I watched the Edison council meeting in my finely heated North Edison residence. And it was the best theater free television could ever provide.

But here is what really got my goat: Choi tried to use the pre-Ricigliano Council and lame-duck Mayor Spadoro as an appendage to further his agenda.

And he almost succeeded. Councilman Diehl apparently introduced the $12,500 ordinance, but it was mysteriously not in the usual section. And the entire council remained silent, save one brave soul: Councilman Peter Barnes III.

Barnes asked why the ordinance was not in its usual place. No answer. Barnes then asked who was going to introduce the ordinance. Again, after a prolonged silence, Councilman Tomaro finally spoke up sheepishly to say he and others on the Council supported the ordinance. Barnes then moved to table all Choi-related ordinances until after Councilwoman-elect Ricigliano took office. Sadly, Councilpersons Patel, Kapitan, Diehl, Tomaro, and the newly elected Pizzi voted NOT to table the $12,500 ordinance. Council members looked confused and betrayed that Barnes would have an opinion different from theirs.

The crowd went into a frenzy, with at least one resident expressing his profound disappointment in Pizzi and the naysayers. More questions were asked, and Choi approached the podium, defending his decision.

However, the inexperienced mayor-elect only succeeded in confirming suspicions that the “transition team” would probably be around for nine months, and thus need to be paid approximately $250,000. Once again, furious residents approached the podium and chided the council for even considering the ordinance.

The tide was turning. The bewildered council quickly realized that they were looking really, really, really bad on TV. Suddenly, Councilman Pizzi, who previously refused to table the ordinance, made a motion to deny the $12,500 ordinance. Suddenly, Councilpersons Kapitan, Tomaro and Diehl wanted to examine the ordinance with more caution.

Everyone found their voices again. The $12,500 ordinance was defeated.

For that fleeting moment, the council actually became the counterbalance to the mayor it was supposed to be all these years. It was Christmas magic, albeit a little early.

And we all have Peter and Councilman Massaro to thank. The rest of the waffling council ought to make way for braver souls.

ON ANOTHER NOTE, I found this clever little poem (regarding the above events) posted on www.nj.com by (PolNotPeople). What great talent! Bravo!!

Christmas in Edison - 2005
by PolNotPeople, 11/26/05 10:46 ET

Twas' a month before Christmas and that sly little elf,
Edison's Mayor-Elect Choi, labored to benefit himself.
Not caring a wit how the people might feel,
he sought a huge pay raise through puppet-boy Diehl. A

And putting his thumb to the tip of his nose, he said
"it's done elsewhere and what I say goes."
He thought a $90k salary and free health insurance was easy to meet,
But didn't count on the angst of Councilman Pete.

He wasn't concerned that we might protest,
since he gave up the pay raise and hoped we'd forget the rest.
He wants $300k for his consulting friends, making no-bids a must,
and shamefully tried to cover it as transition with his unearned trust.

But while we take cutbacks or raises quite small,
and one out of a hundred has no job at all,
He continues to fund his coffers to the max,
knowing there's already an 11 cent increase to our property tax.

He says he will work to get taxes down,
but uses his Pay-to-Play friends from out of town.
Of course our taxes will rise more and more,
no-bid contracts is the way Choi re-pays each contributor.
He's using our tax dollars to fund his next campaign,
and hoping our apathy and ignorance will result in his gain.

In this season of giving, Mayor-elect Choi starts out by taking.
We all know it's the people of Edison he is forsaking.
With an election in dispute and Stephens in a bit of a tid,
he's already using our tax dollars for his next office bid.

If in this feeling I'm not alone,
take up your pen or pick up the phone.
Let him know that using our tax dollars this way,
comes at the expense of an assembly seat next election day.

With a budget soon to be full with Jun Choi perks,
the Democrats celebrated and all with big smirks.
And I heard them exclaim with party-boss donations in hand,
Merry Christmas to us, and let the people be scammed!