That’s not fiction, and that’s not all. That’s da facts as claimed by Manalapan Mayor Andy Boy, and da meter is still running!
And let’s not forget a possible credibility issue.
Da legal case being watched around da world, “Da Township of Manalapan vs Da Mosked Man” took a bizarre turn when da town gave out a contract to clean up da contaminated soil at da Dreyer Patch, also known as Manalapan’s version of Love Canal.
Will it cost $1,000,000 to clean up?
Maybe $500,000? Possibly $250,000? Only $150,000?
Well, sit down for this one – because da Manalapan Township Committee just gave out a contract for da soil “remediation” cleanup - $15,000!
No, that’s not a typo.
$15,000 is da cost, and a company called TTI Environmental of Moorestown, NJ got the contract, according to Back Page Barratta at da Snoozepaper.
Recently, Manalapan Mayor Andy Boy made a statement to da Snoozepaper saying, ” While Mr. Moskovitz's allegations are a humorous diversion from the very serious and disgraceful facts that his alleged malpractice has cost the taxpayers of Manalapan in excess of $100,000…..”
So, da taxpayers have spent “in excess of $100,000” on a case that is still not even one-tenth through da discovery process, and da cost of da cleanup is only $15,000?
Did anyone see da latest commercial…..
Cost to taxpayer for clean up contaminated soil: $15,000
Cost to taxpayers for legal bills: $100,000 and steadily climbing
Making taxpayers pay for a First Amendment case as a political vendetta: PRICELESS!
Yes, taxpayers, you are footing an over $100,000 bill for a $15,000 contaminated soil cleanup, and da legal bills will soon be jumping exponentially!
Now da town engineer has also been racking up bills. CME engineer Greg Valesi told da Snoozepaper, according to Back Page, “Valesi also said the cleanup consisted of two separate aspects; one is the soil contamination in the immediate vicinity of the Dreyer home - contamination that was caused by an underground heating oil tank that leaked heating oil into the soil - as well as historic pesticide contamination that was found in an isolated patch of an adjoining former farm field.”
His bill for that work – and da meter is still running for da taxpayers – over $60,000 according to da Snoozepaper.
Questions immediately come to mind:
1. Why is da actual soil cleanup cost less than ¼ da costs that Valesi has racked up?
2. Why in da world is nobody on da Township Committee complaining that they wanted to buy Manalapan’s version of Love Canal and da Mosked Man gave da town an “out, and they don’t want to use it?
3. Why did, as da Snoozer report on September 12 that Manalapan Administrator Tara Lovrich bond for $50,000 for a $15,000 job?
4. Why, in da now famous “Rosman Editorial” did Valesi believe that figure to be as high as $115,000? Was he planning for a $15,000 cleanup and $100,000 for his “engineering fees?”
Where’s Chris Christie when you need him?
Now, fast forward to Friday when “Da Township of Manalapan vs Da Mosked Man” goes to court. On da docket is not da issue of da land-deal-gone-bad. Da question taxpayers will be paying for is, can we please stick a fork in da First Amendment and say “it’s done.”
Da Manalapan Legal Dream Team will face Da Mosked Man and attorneys for da Electronic Frontier Foundation regarding da blogger known as daTruthSquad. Da issue of da case for da Manalapan Legal Dream Team is one of credibility. They believe da Mosked Man apparently has none. Da question is, which side has da credibility issue?
Credibility Issue 1: Dream Team Special Attorney McCarthy injects daTruthSquad into da land-deal-gone-bad.
On August 3, Dream Team lawyer Daniel McCarthy, representing and paid for by Manalapan entered his “Certification and Exhibits.” Here’s what he says:
Page 3: “Da blog is entitled ‘daTruthSquad’ and appears to have been written by defendant.”
It is followed by 20 pages of copies of daTruthSquad blog. What does a blog have to do with a land-deal-gone-bad real estate malpractice lawsuit?
Credibility Issue 2: Dream Team Special Attorney McCarthy catches “daTruthSquad-itis.”
Also on August 3, Dream Teamer McCarthy lays out his case, not about da land, but about da blog!
Page 11: “Defendant has also discussed the various aspects of this matter on his Internet blog, ‘daTruthSquad…..”
Page 12: “Regarding defendant’s Internet blog, ‘datruthSquad…..”
Page 14: “In violation of this order, defendant posted in his Internet blog….”
Page 20: “Defendant has also discussed the various aspects of this matter on his Internet blog, ‘daTruthSquad.”
Page 20: “Defendant tells his side of da story. In Da Truth or Da Consequences, defendant states that by commenting in da newspaper articles, da Mosked man used da Snoozer to his advantage.”
Credibility Issue 3: Dream Team Special Attorney McCarthy heads up-river without a paddle.
Da EFF has documented 18 different instances in a 54-page taxpayer-paid-for legal document that Dream Teamer McCarthy claims da Mosked man is daTruthSquad!
Credibility Issue 4: Dream Team Attorney Week’s plays “Flip-Flop”
On December 4, Dream Team member Len Garza of da Weeks law firm found new-and-improved ways of tripping over his own legal feet.
“It appears da poster may be da defendant in this litigation…”
http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/manalapan/lettersrogatorybrief-120407_0.pdf
On the December 12 Certification, da Dream Team attorney again claims da Mosked man is daTruthSquad.
“it will be confirmed that da defendant has made knowing misrepresentations to the court regarding his involvement with daTruthSquad blog.”
Then, there’s daTruthSquad’s favorite quote of da Dream Team.
“We argue, however, that any reasonable observer could look at daTruthSquad blog and draw da plausible conclusion that Mr. Moskovitz could indeed be da poster. For example, on daTruthSquad blog, da poster refers to himself as da Mosked man…..”
So, what this Dream Teamer is saying is, “da poster refers to himself,” and at da same time, “Mr. Moskovitz could be da poster.”
DaTruth is, da Manalapan Legal Dream Team continues to make claims that da Mosked man is daTruthSquad, but there’s only one little thing missing from their argument – EVIDENCE!
For da sake of argument, fictional lawyer DaTruthSquad can claim one of da five members of da Manalapan Township Committee is a Cocker Spaniel. Now, daTruthSquad must prove da point, so “lawyer daTruthSquad” subpoenas each members complete medical record from birth to today, demanding all illnesses ever had, doctors notes, etc. You see, knowing every detail of their medical history is important to lawyer daTruthSquad’s case.
Now, as we all know, no member of da Manalapan Township Committee is a dog, but you get da point. In order to make da claims da Manalapan Legal Dream Team does you need evidence. Belief is not evidence, nor is a claim or accusation.
What does this mean to you? Their claim basically states anyone can be daTruthSquad.
Maybe someone should buy da members of da Manalapan Legal Dream Team one of those “I am daTruthSquad” T-shirts?
And, da inherently dangerous point here is, if da Manalapan Legal Dream Team is successful, then any politician who doesn't like a comment made by anyone, including those anonymous, can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money to seek your identity - based solely on who they "think" you might be.
Dangerous indeed - and that's daTruth.
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15 comments:
Friday is a monumental day and one that can change history.
I am old school and believe that right wins out over wrong and that the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution will be prevail.
It is time that this sad situation in manalapan ends. $100,000 and more is too much to spend on something that only costs $15,000 to fix. This is shameful and I believe the state attorney general should investigate the Manalapan Township government for their political motivated actions at taxpayer expense.
Keep up the good work Squad!
Over $100,000 to fix a $15,000 problem. I'm glad I don't live anywhere near Manalapan, New Jersey. That town is pathetic. You guys must pay the highest property taxes in your state.
AND YOU DESERVE NOTHING LESS!
DO they think we are stupid? I know that Mrs. Roth placed an ad during her campaign asking the public if they were stupid? So does she now think we really are? If I had to clean up an underground storage tank and remediate the soil around it, would it cost me Citizen X of Manalapan 100K, 15 K for clean up and 85K for an engineer? I don't know about you but I would have to take a second mortgage or a home equity line to pay that amount. But since I checked out some companies that do the clean up for underground tanks and surrounding soil. I presented them with the same facts as the Dreyer house. The answer was 14K! Yes that's right 14K!! But here in Manalapan the township got the job done for the rock bottom price of 100K!! So can you tell me why our tax dollars are being spent on a clean up that would cost you or me 14K? I think it is time the Attorney General came in to Manalapan. I have had enough.
You said it. $100,000 just for legal bills and this has only started. That proves beyond a doubt this is nothing more than a political agenda by politicians who have no problems spending other people's money.
I don't live in Manalapan (thank God) but I feel for anyone who does. Those people are getting so ripped off it scares me that politicians can get away with it.
FYI - I love this blog. Whoever the writer or writers really know how to lay out a case. You sound like an attorney.
I read about your blog on THNT site in Linden. I thought the only corrupt politicians were in Newark, Jersey City and here.
I was wrong. I think your politicians are worse.
I like your blog.
No one said the LEGAL FEES for this lawsuit are over $100K, The quote was, as DaTruthSquad said, "... alleged malpractice has cost the taxpayers of Manalapan in excess of $100,000…..” But, in the next paragraph DaTruthSquad puts a spin on it and misleads the reader by saying the excess of $100,000 was spent on the "case".
Don't confuse the legal fees with the cleanup fees. While I agree that 100K is a lot to clean up an oil tank, it is best to keep the facts straight!
The NT did a story on this. It has some quotes from Valesi to explain why the CLEANUP COST is so high. Again, even if you disagree with the cost it is important to realize this has nothing to do with legal costs.
I still think the town is wasting our money with this lawsuit, and still think it is all bullshit politics and vendettas, and usually agree with the conclusions presented by DaTruthSquad. But, this time the information is being twisted to mislead the reader.
actually, if you read Valesi's comments, even with his engineering costs and everything else he talks about (which don't really have anything to do with cleanup or the supposed basis for the lawsuit, because a lot of the costs are for the oil tank removal, which the township knew it would have to do when it agreed to the settlement in 2004) that still only comes to about $60,000. So Andrew could only have gotten to $100,000 by adding in legal fees. Of course, maybe Andrew is including the closing costs for his house in Freehold where he lives while serving as Manalapan's mayor. Isn't that a crime?
daTruth Squad is brillant! Since my post on the nj.commie site was deleted, can anyway answer why attorneys connected to the Union County Democratic Machine were hired for this case? And why does it take 4 taxpayer funded lawyers to handle one case?
Actually, there is no distortion from how Iz read this blog. Datruthsquad repeated exactly what Mayor Andy Boy said, being the case has cost Manalapan in excess of $100,000. That includes legal bills to date, and remember, if Moskovitz loses, then 1/3 goes to Weeks meaning Manalapan may have to pony up more costs down the road to cover that.
And yes, I too had a posting take off NJ.commie, so i will just post here instead.
Question. Will you PLEEEEEEZZZZ bring back the Baconhead!!!! That was my favorite.
Hey Manalapan Dream Team.
Your nightmare begins Friday.
Hope you brought a good pair of Depends because bladder control will be a concern when you face REAL lawyers in a REAL court.
Your story has reached us here in Northern California. A local blogger posted the story about the upcoming hearing.
I wish you all of the best, and I hope you are allowed to continue to blog without fear of your rights being taken away.
The Humboldt Herald was our local blog that brought this to our attention. I know the blogger who operates the Herald wants to see you prevail.
Best Wishes, and I will be one of many out here waiting for the results of the hearing.
-boy
I saw your story on Slashdot. Good luck in your upcoming trial. Filthy politicians should not have the right to silence a critic. I'm glad you stood up to these foolish people. There's no way you can lose because the First Amendment guarantees you this priviledge.
Good luck Squad.
I'm glad I don't live in Manalapan, New Jersey.
Question: When will your political leaders sell your town to North Korea? I would think your political leaders would fit right in there.
Question: When you meet the mayor, do you have to call him/her Comrade?
This is getting old, and you are nothing more than a walking, talking, blog writting advertisement for Stu Moskovitz. Now Stu's friends, if they had my number, would call me up (like they have tried to do in the past) and threaten me with a lawsuit. But I'm thinking, how can they do that? If he is hiding behind the recent ruling about first amendment rights, then he can't request my identity right? Well, guess what? If, like people are telling me he is trying, well that's not right. I know, because I have been told by several people that he has tried to find the identity of people who speak out against him. Yes, I have embedded sources as well. Hmmmm, I say, shame on you for pretending to be a hero, when you are really the same thing you claim is wrong with Manalapan. So, here on a site that has had it's posters first amendment rights upheld, I will say to you all. Stu, just go away. Go live in say, Pawtucket, MA, the state the Red Sox live in. Go sue and create havoc in that town. LEAVE MY TOWN ALONE!
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