As daTruthSquad listened intently to how Manalapan's peasants will be gouged for more money to pay for da luxury of having da Queen as their mayor, it became clear that we, da peasants, will be paying more on top of last year's 28% tax increase. Even daTruthSquad couldn't believe da ears, until we all read what was a shocking expose in of all places - da local Snoozepaper!
Da best possible analogy of da budget da Queen Mayor introduced is: You just lost your job, your wife just went on disability, you have a child who's going to college, you just wrecked your car so insurance rates will be going up, and da stocks you invested in are having a bad year. So in spite of all of this, let's put a pool in da backyard and take that dream trip to Thailand.
Da good news here is Back Page Barratta did not report on this story for da Snoozepaper. Da better news is, thanks to da intrepid non-biased reporting of Mark Rosman, here are da important points you need to know about da people voted in charge of spending YOUR MONEY!
Manalapan’s 2006 municipal budget: $28.8 million supported through the collection of $11.9 million in local property taxes.
Manalapan’s 2007 municipal budget: $29.7 million supported through the collection of $15.2 million in local property taxes.
Remember, da 2007 budget crafted GOP'er Andy Boy-led 28% tax increase was da reason Manalapan received a 28% tax increase - da biggest single tax increase in town history!
And now, Manalapan’s 2008 municipal budget: $31.6 million supported through the collection of $17.98 million in local property taxes.
These are da facts, and they're not in dispute.
Now here's daQuestions:
1. You have Mayor Roth in an Asbury Park Press story blaming the tax increase on Governor Toll Troll because he sliced less-than-one percent out of Manalapan's budget. However, daTruth is Manalapan's budget increased by nearly $2 million from 2007 to 2008, and what Manalapan lost in state aid was just over $376,000. Da loss of state aid is less than 19% of da total budget increase - why is da budget going up another 81%?
2. As Rosman precisely wrote, "In 2008, the municipal tax rate is projected to rise from 25 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to 28.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. That means the owner of a home assessed at $431,133 will pay $1,225 in municipal taxes in 2008, an increase of $147 from the $1,077 paid in 2007." Why such a huge increase on top of last year's 28% tax increase? Where did last year's tax increase go?
3. If you do da math, you will see without dispute that da burden on Manalapan's taxpayers has increased each year since 2006. In 2006, 41% of da budget was on da shoulders of da taxpayers. In 2007, just over 50% of da budget was shouldered by da taxpayers. Now in 2008, 57% is da tab taxpayers must pick up to fund da Manalapan budget. Why? Where are da real cuts?
4. If you're going to fund lawsuits against da Mosked Man, spending at least $130,000 and probably well more to recoup just $10,500, and $4.5 million on a field that could potentially have health risks plus maintenance fees every year, then maybe da townspeasants should have had da right to vote on it rather than have 3 people make it their political mandate?
5. How long can Manalapan depend on a pizzaria, a diner, a dry cleaner, Value City, and Wegman's to support it's tax base? According to Monmouth County records, Manalapan has one of da worst rations of business ratables to taxpayers in all of Monmouth County! Recently, a news report said Woodbridge receives about $3 million in tax ratables from a business park da size of da proposed Village in Manalapan! FYI - Da Woodbridge budget is about da same as Manalapan's.
Now, here's daTruth:
1. You can blame Governor Toll Troll for a lot of things, and he'd be deserving. But, to blame him and his Trenton minions for Manalapan's tax increase is like blaming da Mosked Man for da Lindbergh baby kidnapping and World War 1. Sure, there are some who can blame him for everything too, but it wasn't Corzine who told Manalapan to spend more than it brings in, and da Mosked man wasn't alive for da Lindbergh baby kidnapping and World War 1.
2. No dispute - there was a 28% tax increase in 2007 and one of its architects was then-Mayor Andy Boy. Why raise taxes so much, only to have anothertax increase on top of it for 2008. Could mismanagement be one possible answer? Spending millions on a new ballfield and hundreds of thousands of dollars on what many have called a political vendetta lawsuit is not money well spent if taxes going up is da result.
3. In 2006, 41% of da budget is paid by Manalapan taxpayers. In 2007, it increases to 50%. In 2008, it's 57%. It shows without dispute in only da last 3 years - da Manalapan taxpayer has shouldered an additional 50% of da burden! Where has da Township Committee been in trying to find new sources of revenue? Why has there been delay, delay, delay in a Village project that 6 politicians don't want but da peasants are demanding? Unless new ratables are brought in soon, expect to pay even higher local taxes with increases each year.
4. One can be given da impression Township officials have no clue how to balance a checkbook. You say there's less money, so you spend millions on a football field? What Manalapan seems to be doing in effect is taking their $10 in their checkbook and spending $18. They can do that, because when da bank calls and ays you're overdrawn, they simply get da money from YOU!
5. One word - RATABLES! Manalapan has none. You need to go shopping, you go to Freehold. You need groceries, you go to Marlboro. Route 9 is a traffic nightmare because people are traveling through Manalapan to the towns that have what they need. Manalapan's tranquil country roads are jammed with traffic heading to other towns so Manalapan residents can do their shopping. Da way Manalapan's town leaders seem to want it, if you need a slice of pizza, you can get it in town. If you need anything else, get in your car, burn gas and time, and go to Marlboro or Freehold to spend your tax dollars and help keep their property taxes down.
DaTruth is, it's actually shocking that a prosecutor hasn't looked into how Manalapan's government is run. You have a lawsuit in which one sitting committeeman is a DEFENDANT and he continues to vote for da lawsuit to continue on your tax dollars. You have a mayor who blames someone else for her husband saying "Because I Hate Italians" and doesn't blame him, blames Corzine for Manalapan's tax increase, except it amounts to 1% of da budget and she won't tell you that. Outside of Mr. Gennaro and Mrs. Cohen, there is no voice for da people, and unfortunately, that does not create a majority.
Speaking of which, Deputy Mayor Susan Cohen did something at da last meeting every Manalapan resident should be proud of -- she asked of her fellow committeepeople to give up their free health benefits that cost da town about $100,000 or more every year. Where did da resistance come from to quash her idea to save Manalapan's peasants money? Mayor Roth, who owns her own business; Cash Klauber, a partner in a law firm; and Andy Boy, who owns his own business and huge Manalapan farm!
Special interests are keeping da Village from being built. Shared services aren't happening fast enough as promised by candidates who won election. Morristown & Bayonne have major solar power initiatives in place - promised & delivered. Manalapan politicians like Cash Klauber & da Queen Mayor made promises - but obviously not kept. And Manalapan residents pay da price.
And, unless things change, you can clearly expect to pay higher taxes not just this year, but for years to come as those who control da town will remain in power for another 3 years at least. Da Queen mayor was against da tax decrease in 2005, and voted against da one in 2006. Andy Boy helped craft da cuts in 2005 & 2006, then helped craft da largest tax increase in town history. Cash Klauber, while on da committee has never voted to lower taxes. Just imagine how much higher your taxes will skyrocket with this "axis of taxes" in place.
And that's daTruth.
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28 comments:
We really wish you'd get your facts straight. Manalapan's tax increase is in line with every other town. No news here. And last year there was no 28% tax increase as you claim. The News Transcript never mentioned that in their story.
The 28% increase was the tax levy comparison year to year. Roughly 11million up to 15 million. It was not a reference to the rate itself.
the tax rate increased 5 cents last year to 25 cents. Thats an increase of 25%. So the writer was wrong by 3%. Before Lucas and Roth took over, that 3% was the entire tax rate. Now it's the tiny difference between the levy increase and the tax rate increase. Yep, that's "getting the job done" all right. Now, on top of a 25% tax increase, Michelle wants to give us a 14% increase. So that you understand how ridiculous Michelle's tax increases are, the highest tax increase EVER by the republicans in Manalapan was 6%. In two years, she and her ethically challenged puppet, Lucas, will have given us an increase of 42%. That's pretty close to doubling our taxes in just two years. Funny how she has no problem piling on our taxes, but she and Lucas both go nuts if you suggest that they shouldn't be billing the taxpayers 15,000 each for their health insurance on top of their 7,000 "salary" for a part time "volunteer" job. Roth, Lucas and corruption. Perfect together.
As usual, your 'story' is factually innacurate. The lawsuit against bye bye stu will cost the town no where near $130,000. The cost of the artificial turf field over a comparable grass field is about $400,000. The actual cost of the turf field is about $850,000. The $4.5 million is for the entire phase of the rec center expansion, which includes other uses. With only 8% of the entire town voting during the last school board election, does it really make sense to have have the rec center expansion put to a vote? I think not. The health benefits are a little more than $7,000 per year, for a total of approx. $37,000 for the 5 TC members, not $100,000. Cohen is covered by a plan from her employer. Since the other TC members are self employed, the cost of their health insurance would come out of their pocket. Accordingly, it is self serving for Cohen to make her demand since it doesn't affect her. But what else would I expect from Da Lack of Truth Squad but half truths and innuendos?
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805300462
"More than 75 percent of the budget increase was due to additional pension costs, utility expenses, insurance premiums and recycling taxes as well as an increase in the reserve for uncollected taxes to protect the township's revenue stream, Addario said."
Want to continue blaming Roth, Lucas and Klauber? Go ahead...but the facts don't support your claim.
"Special interests are keeping da Village from being built...."? Interesting. The papers reported that (a) the developer fought to get variances for far more square footage than the property was zoned for, (b) the developer sued the town under COAH to force the inclusion of residential, which the property isn't zoned for, and (c) the property failed state traffic studies. But you can refer to this as "special interests" if it makes you happy. You just aren't accurate.
Oh Larry, you're such a clown. Andrew already was quoted in the press months ago that the lawsuit already cost the township over 100,000. And in fact, a review of the bill lists show that. We'll leave aside the fact that the lawsuit SHOULDN'T HAVE COST THE TAXPAYERS a cent because it's a political vendetta by Roth and Lucas against an attorney that did exactly what the court ordered the township to do BEFORE he was even the township attorney. We'll leave aside the fact that no one is buying the nonsense that the lawsuit is to protect the taxpayers because if Michelle wanted to protect the taxpayers she would have sued the attorney responsible for getting the order in the first place, or she would have sued the homeowners, which state law allows the township to do. So spare us your obsession with Stu. It's not a successful strategy. Ask Shapiro. Ask McEnery. Ask a dozen others dumb enough to think that would be successful. Anyway, you've already paid your "expert" a political hack who wouldn't know the first thing about litigation $10,000. You've paid Casagrande to monitor the case (it's right there in her bills that Roth and Lucas approved even after it was brought out in public). You've been paying "disbursements" to Weeks, the guy who wasn't going to charge the township anything. You've been paying McCarthy, who wasn't even supposed to be involved in this case (hey, he's got to make up those contributions to Roth and Lucas somehow, doesn't he?). In addition, you've already paid Valesi $60,000 in engineering fees for the 10,000 cleanup to try to build up "damages" in the case. You'll never collect them, because you can't win the case, but you've already spent that money.People in the business have pointed out that engineering costs for a cleanup of this nature are usually about $2,500. Now lets talk about the "special interests" fighting the village center. It's common knowledge that Felon John Lynch wanted to build a mall three miles down the road and needed the democrats in Manalapan (including Lucas) to stop the village center here or his project wouldn't work. That's why Andrew, who was so in favor of the project in 2005 that he went with Brunelli in Brunelli's SUV to Trenton to fight for the project, came out against the project when he became a democrat. That's why Michelle Roth who was so in favor of the project in 2004 that she had a secret meeting with Brunelli in town hall in August 2004 before coming out against the project when Lynch had his plans set to go. That sounds like "special interests" to me. As for the budget increases, the paper was only reporting the party line. That doesn't make it true. The tax increases are due solely to mismanagement, the changing of the guard for political reasons giving us administrators and professionals ill equipped for the positions, a failure to curb spending, and Michelle's insistence on spending money for capital improvements like a woman on Cocaine in Nordstrom. Any other bs you want to hand us?
you forgot one more piece of bs that Lucas has been spreading. The health benefits are $70,000 for the township committeepeople. That's 15,000 each. That 15,000 was the amount of money Roth and Lucas took away from the symphony last year causing us to lose our world class conductor. Apparently to Roth and Lucas, siphoning money from the taxpayers to line their own pockets is far more important than Manalapan's symphony orchestra serving the entire community.
Speaking of self-serving morons, has everyone seen the letter signed by McEnery and Donaghue? Who's Donaghue. That's McEnery's daughter, being paid full time by the party. The republican party is having a tough time raising money to fund campaigns, but she's siphoning off money to line her own pockets. Do you think her letter would have more credibility if she served as a volunteer like all of the rest of us?
Health benefits are 14,000 per committee member and the stipend is about 7,000 per member.
14,000 x 4 (minus Cohen) is 56,000 for health benefits
and 35,000 for the stipends so the total for both is 91,000.
This was on NJ.COM. Since the McEnery/Lucas fringe element of the republican party is going to hide this from you shortly and have it deleted there, I copied it and posted it here:
check out this article in the NY Times. If you liked Pastor Flegel and Reverend Wrigth, you'll LOVE Bill Garcia. In the article you'll find out that Bill Garcia hasn't lived in Manalapan even one year yet and already he wants to run it. You'll find out about his religious/political site (remember the separation of church and state that used to be important to us?). You'll find out that he has every intention of having his religious views dominate what he does on the Township Commmittee. The article doesn't tell us, of course, about his running mate Ryan "I just want to run for office and collect titles, not actually serve a full term after I'm elected" Green.
http://njchristiansforhuckabee.wordpress.com/2008/01/06/sundays-ny-times-metro-section/
I imagine the Truth Squad will be apologizing soon for its "Rothed again" column where supposedly the town didn't pay their bills to Verizon. A story will be in the APP on Sunday. I'm sure there will be an apology because Truth Squad is always so fair-minded.
While we are on the subject of "fair". This last column was so full of mistatements and half truths I don't know where to begin. However I'll try:
"A pizzeria, A diner, a dry cleaner" Well that's not true. Anyone believe that there is only one pizzeria and one dry cleaner in Manalapan? OOps. One lie.
"Where did last year's tax increases go?" Are you serious? It is there for all to see. Where you think it went? What are you saying exactly. That somebody stole it? Oops a deliberate half truthed politcal statement.
"one word ratables- Manalapan has none." Uh oh. Another lie.
Maybe it is time you stopped calling yourself the Truth Squad.
"A pizzeria, A diner, a dry cleaner" Well that's not true. Anyone believe that there is only one pizzeria and one dry cleaner in Manalapan? OOps. One lie.
Not exactly. There's also a nail salon and a diner. Freehold has the infrastructure Manalapan can only dream of. Wit htheir ratables people with the exact same size house in Freehold pay thousands less in taxes. Marlboro has been building up Route 9 and other places for the same reason.
"Where did last year's tax increases go?" Are you serious? It is there for all to see. Where you think it went? What are you saying exactly. That somebody stole it? Oops a deliberate half truthed politcal statement.
Maybe I read a different blog, but in the one I read there was never any reference of anyone stealing any money. Just mismanagement, and I happen to agree with that since my taxes also went throug hthe roof.
"one word ratables- Manalapan has none." Uh oh. Another lie.
I have to admit I was curious about this statement too, so I checked the Monmouth County website and then Googled, and I found a tax chart from the Star Ledger. It placed Manalapan in the lower 10% in the state for towns with a low amount of ratables. This would mean if Manalapan isn't the worst for ratables, it's close to it.
"Maybe it is time you stopped calling yourself the Truth Squad."
Personally, the reason I read this site is because I don't trust what I read in the Transcript. I also don't expect the facts to be perfect. You don't even get perfect from the New York Times. But it's better than average and always a good read.
Here's 3 reasons I read this blog:
1. I don't have to pick it up off my wet lawn, so its convenient.
2. 2 words - Kathy Barratta.
3. I've learned more about Manalapan and politics from this blog than I ever would from reading the newspapers here. Also, beating the town in court in that lawsuit gave this blog all the credibility it will ever need. It stood up to the bullies and won.
This will get deleted soon so here it is:
2913.1. Bill did you really?
by DickensCider, 5/31/08 22:37 ET
Re: Who is Bill Garcia by trevanian, 5/31/08
I want to know if this so called "Christian" agreed to the word insurgents being used against his opponents. In this time in history that word is inflammatory and is offensive. I read the APP and Johnson is right. It is like calling him a suicide bomber killing soldiers. I would be p-ssed to!
Mr. Garcia, you should ask God for forgiveness and call Butch and Steve and apologize!
This is what McEnry always does to his candidates. He leads them down the path of immorality!
Doesn't Jesus say treat others like you want to be treated? Would you like to be called the same things? I trust you can rationalize all you want, but when you are in church tomorrow praying to Jesus, ask him again WWJD! You would be surprised what he says about this.
The best thing about this blog is the freedom of speech. On nj.com, if someone disagrees with you the post gets deleted. At least here we can all make points and say what we want to say without fear of some politician getting upset.
Thanks datruthsquad for giving us freedom of speech.
Changing Times Too
There is no story in the APP about the bills today. Roth's minion was wrong.
It appears that Mayor Roth has her minions monitoring this post 24 hours a day counter arguing anything negative said against her. A bit sad don't you think? If her proven track record of "getting the job done" as her recent ad proclaims she wouldn't be so worried. But let's look at her record. She has raised taxes 2 years in a row, has brought in NO NEW RATABLES, has fought viciously against the Village, the only new potential rateable in town, has embarassingly not come up with any new revenue ideas, but has spent 6 million dollars in capital improvements in 2 years for the REC. She allocated less than 1 Million for deperately needed infrastructure repairs this year. We already pay over 2.7 Million dollars for our debt services in our township budget for the bonds that have already been approved, add to that the latest 4.9 million which is not even spoken or included in the budget! With this new bond expense we can project an additional million dollars to that already whopping 2.6 million for a total of 3.6 million dollars inpayments due! Where is the money coming from for those payments?
Guess what there is no revenue from he REC to pay for this. Who pays? You and me the taxpayers. In my home we don't borrow money for for things wecan't afford to pay back. But....not in Manalapan's Mayors adminsitration, she spends and spends and then goes to the public for their checkbooks to pay the bills she created. Nice management, spend other peoples money on projects that do not generate any revenue.
The 365K the state cut from the money this town was to receive is peanuts, and was not the reason for our taxes going through the roof, it was ROTH.
Poor Don Holland what has he gotten him self into running with ROTH?!
Don't worry Changing Times. The story the Roth minion claimed and promised was coming today will actually be in the Snoozer. I'm sure they're rewriting the Roth press release on this matter as we speak.
Hey Changing Times. Looks like you were completely wrong about the Mayor. Looks like it wasn't her fault. Looks like you are the most pathetic piece of junk on the planet.
You have a lot of nerve talking about the Mayor's fiscal responsibilities and her actions. I know that your financial house is not exactly in order. By the way, when can we expect the next Sherrif's Sale on your property. What does that make 3? Public records are a bitch aren't they? How much do you still owe on that house? You've only been living there for how many years? Shouldn't your payments be going down by now? Talk about spending money like a crack addict at Nordstroms.
Verizon explains service cutoff:
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806020360
Now let's see Da Fraud Squad fess up to its mistake.
Larry, you really should consider Prozac. Didn't you make enough of a fool of yourself with the "I hate Italians" thing?
Changing Time Too
Thank you for showing me the caliber of person that you are defending Mayor Roth. You are so grossly mistaken as to who I am.
However you exposed the truth about yourself. You have great anger. Mayor Roth is responsible to manage the money of the town, the taxpayers money, my money, of which I contribute to in my tax bill. My opinion is she has not done a good job. You obviously feel the need to attack those who don't agree with you. The facts speak for themselves in this proposed budget. My taxes are going up and I am not happy and neither are my friends.
I wonder if Larry has figured out yet that every time he posts, it gives us all a chance to remind people of what a low life slug he is, and how getting rid of Michelle rids Manalapan of this filth, too. I figure that every time he posts he costs the Queen (Michelle, not Andrew) twenty to twenty-five votes.
Don't forget to vote tomorrow for the candidates Steve McEnery had the gaul to call "insurgents."
Since McEnery's candidates apparently have no concept of the Christial ethic and have been silent about their party bosses mailing they must be OK with it, so for that I will be voting for Butch Budai & Steve Johnson, the real Republican candidates.
2921.1.2.1.1.1. I'm just wondering
by AuntieEm180, 6/2/08 23:34 ET
Re: Question for Butch... by attherinks, 6/2/08
if the Roth/Lucas bozo the clown show will ever say anything that's actually true. Spin is one thing. You guys just lie your rears off. Like Andrew saying he wasn't living in Freehold. John Giunco stood before the planning board and presented the plan in full. It met every zoning requirement. It needed no variances. That's how they got the preliminary approval. Then Michelle and her puppet Lazar concocted a plan to "preserve" 50 acres of this private property to kill the project that Manalapan desperately needed to fix the roads so there would be NO traffic jams caused by the housing boom there, to provide commercial ratables so that we wouldn't have Michelle's 46% tax increase in two years, and so that we would have commercial services for the 4,000 homes being built under Michelle's watch. The developer DID do what he was supposed to. Roth, Shapiro and Lucas screwed the township and its residents to protect felon John Lynch. Those are the facts, not your nonsense. Now the developer has lost upscale commercial ratables that would have gone in there and, to recoup his investment, he is simply going to build a strip mall. Thanks Michelle. Getting the job done.
Citizens for Tax Relief
isn't that McEnry's PAC? Tax Relief? His boy Andy raised our taxes the highest ever! The treasurer of that PAC is his daughter Kristin, no not the sour puss one but the one married to the Englishtown cop.
Just to bring everyone up to speed. The split in the Rep party started 4 years ago when McEnry screwed Joey D from the TC nomination. One by one long time Republicans have been turning against McEnry. It's now down to a few old time loyalist who are afraid to lose their Republican County Committee seats. McEnry & Lucas keep recruiting new people, who eventually realize what they are doing & leave. The split widen drastically last year when Susan Cohen decided she would not be told what to do or say. She broke off from McEnry & Lucas. Butch stepped forward and announced that he would be her campaign manager. They were running their own campaign for Susan. As you saw Lucas didn't like this and attacked Susan every chance he could last year. The same way that Roth attacks Genarro. In the end, it was Butch and Stu that won the election for both Republicans. Butch with the campaign and persuading the Dems from Covered Bridge not to vote at all locally. Stu for defending Shapiro's father in the suit by his son. A son suing his father? How sad? But in the end it was Joey D that had the biggest impact last year. He took many Dem votes . So McEnry as you can see EVERYTHING comes back in full circle. Puharic is gone. So is your sour puss daughters job. Just save some face and announce that you're too busy playing with your grandchildren to be municipal chair. Go away, Manalapan doesn't want you!
I voted today. Good luck Butch & Steve. Where can nayone find out results tonight?
The Monmouth County Election website is showing just how badly Butch and Steve are getting bitch slapped: http://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/ElectionResults/Election%20Result.htm
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