DaTruthSquad Embedded Sources Right Again - Manalapan Will Get ANOTHER Tax Increase!

As you may have already read in da Thursday Asbury Park Press, and of course not in da local Snoozepaper, Manalapan, as promised by daTruthSquad weeks ago will be raising taxes - AGAIN!

Manalapan's Queen of Budgets told da Asbury Park Press in a story titled "Manalapan Expected to Raise Tax Rate, "We got smacked with the state aid," said Roth, adding the township lost more than $376,000 in aid this year. "Our gasoline is up by 30 percent, our electric costs are up and we just got word from New Jersey Natural Gas that rates are going up by 7.5 percent for the average homeowners. We signed most of our contracts at a 3.5 percent increase. "There's got to be a give," Roth said, adding the township is fiscally healthy because of tough decisions made last year to eliminate positions and trim $1 million in spending. "We have to balance a budget."

You have to admit da Queen is a consummate politician. She knows how to write a statement, you have to give her that. However, da most interesting statements made by da Queen were da ones she didn't say.

Here's what that statement would look like if da Queen said what she obviously left out.......

"We just got smacked with da state aid. Those damn Trenton politicians cut exactly 1 percent of our entire municipal budget, so that cut, since Manalapan only has a supermarket, diner, and a pizzaria in town that can be considered a ratable will have to come from my peasants - I mean, da townspeople."

"Our gasoline is up 30%, electric costs are up, and all those promises made by Cash Klauber for solar power, well, you know they were political promises so he could get elected, it's not like you're actually supposed to keep those promoses, right? And we signed most of our contracts at a 3.5% increase rate, not the 7.5 we're going to have to pay, so for our complete mismanagement of da budget again for all da people those increases will have to absorbed by my peasants - I mean, da townspeople."

"There's got to be a give, how else can we afford to spend millions of dollars on a ballfield and sue Stu Moskovitz 'For All Da People?'"

"We raised taxes 28% last year, the biggest single increase of taxes in town history. We had no choice. We needed that money to fund the politically connected lawyers and engineers we're using in the "Township of Manalapan vs Da Mosked Man" lawsuit. We've spent well over $100,000 on that so far, but I know it's money well spent so we should be able to get back that $10,000 we spent for the leaky oil tank we knew about yet bought it anyway - and if not, we'll just keep making da taxpayers pay."

Of course, da Queen nor any other township committeeperson never made these quotes, but they do serve da truthful purpose.

Da Queen is claiming we got shafted by da state, but in fact just 1% of da entire 100% of da budget came from that lost state aid.

Da Queen claims, as she told da Press, "What we can control, we've tightened," and "We have to balance a budget."

By daTruthSquad estimates, taxpayers have so far been forced to shell out at least $130,000 on da now-infamous "Township of Manalapan vs Da Mosked Man" lawsuit, which started out as a land-deal-gone-bad lawsuit and morphed into a precedent-setting First Amendment law case -- all at taxpayer expense -- and there's no end in sight as da Gang of Three (hear no evil see no evil, and looking evil) control da votes to continue da lawsuit no matter what da cost to clean up a $10,000 mess.

Speaking of out of control, what about Manalapan's Field of Nightmares, costing da residents millions? Manalapan is bonding over $4 million dollars for this - plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in maintenance every year, so we can only believe that somehow da Queen "tightened" that too. Maybe she's "tightened" da legal expenses on da Mosked Man lawsuit too?

But here's da good news - with that field Manalapan can hold sporting tournaments! Maybe da out-of-towners who come to Manalapan can stay at our hotel? Shop and spend money at our shopping area? Enjoy Manalapan's entertainment?

But wait - Manalapan's "hotel" is located in Freehold. Oops, Manalapan's shopping area is also in Freehold, unless they go to Value City. Oh, and unless they want to take part in Manalapan's "entertainment," they'll be driving down Manalapan roads to the movie theater (Freehold or Marlboro), "Main Street" (Freehold Boro), fine shops (Old Bridge), or mall (Freehold).

However, anybody living in da Queen's kingdom must wonder how Manalapan could have squandered all da money generated by both da revaluation and da 28% tax insult (increase) Manalapanites suffered through last year? Maybe da Mosked Man lawsuit costs more than we all thought?

DaTruth is, Committeepersons Gennaro & Cohen hit da financial nail on da head. Manalapan has no real ratables. According to Monmouth County, Manalapan ranks in da top 5 towns at da BOTTOM of da list of least ratables in da county. More than 88% of Manalapan's budget does not come from ratables, whereas Freehold gets about 40% of its money from ratables! Manalapan residents eat & shop in Freehold and Marlboro and Old Bridge, and clog up Manalapan roads to get to the towns that have the items they need.

By da way, congratulations in order for Woodbridge, NJ which has allowed a company called ProLogis to develop just under 300 acres and put up 5 warehouses. It's estimated those 5 warehouses will bring in roughly $3 million per year in new taxes and ratables. That's Woodbridge's tax dollars at work. Woodbridge is already using da money coming in for town & school enhancements that homeowners won't have to pay for.

In effect, Woodbridge recently built a business "village" on a piece of land in relation to da size of da proposed "Village." Now Woodbridge receives approximately $3 million in tax revenue from that business "village." Oh, and if you're counting, da Woodbridge municipal budget is about da same cost as Manalapan's!

And, even funnier, their school system is putting in an artificial turf field this year too. Da difference is - they're paying for it in cash with their ratables and not bonding so da taxpayers DON'T have to pay for their town improvements!

That, of course brings us to da Village, or as da folks who helped da Queen get elected, da MegaMall. DaTruthSquad has learned that due to all da delays, da Village in fact will have to reinvent itself and could quite possibly revert away from the "Main Street concept" and could potentially become just another strip mall. Maybe that's what da folks who want da Monroe MegaMegaMall and their Manalapan political supporters wanted all along?

So what are da peasants of Manalapan to do? Go to da May 28 meeting at Manalapan Town Hall. Don't be surprised to see candidates Butch Budai & Steve Johnson there. Voice your concerns to da Manalapan Township Committee. Ask Cash Klauber where his solar systems are saving money for da peasants? Ask alleged Manalapan/and or Freehold resident and "DEFENDANT" Committeeman Andy Boy if he as a Republican supports another tax hike like the 28% he helped architect? Ask da Queen if she prefers Grey Poupon, and remind her that she has said on da record that da tax decreases of 2005 & 2006 were to blame for da 28% tax inferno of 2007, so does that mean Andy Boy is to blame since he voted for them and helped craft them?

DaTruth is, you may be hard pressed to get a straight answer, so seek out Butch & Johnson for daTruth - because they know daTruth.

And that's daTruth.