Family feud in Phoebusville

It can't be fun living in Phoebusville these days.  While Assemblywoman Gail Phoebus claims to find the Hank Williams Jr. band banner "disgusting" she gained a dissenting opinion from a member of her very immediate family, who apparently approved of a photo of Jill and Parker Space standing next to it at a Hank Williams Jr. concert enough to "Like" it on Facebook.

The outgoing Assemblywoman is apparently conducting her own "revenge tour" this week.  First she trashed her former running mate (Parker Space) and her former campaign treasurer (Jill Space), then she sat down to dictate a full-length blog attack on the Space family and her one-time love object, Wee Willy.  It's a very small world indeed. 

Jill and Parker Space are only the latest to suffer from the bad-karma that surrounds Phoebus' political projects.  Her first running mate lost a race she was expected to win (but Phoebus won), her first campaign treasurer's son married her daughter and it ended badly, she helped start this blog and the editor promptly died, everyone she served with on the Freeholder Board have seen their careers destroyed, and Sussex County's most experienced civil servants quit after serving under her for less than one term.  An insatiable gossip she dimed friends on the SCCC board and ruined their careers and falsely accused staff of wrongdoing.  She left the Freeholder board in the midst of a huge crisis which is still unresolved and joined the Legislature where she promptly gossiped her way out of office -- while accomplishing nothing while a member.  Bad karma all around.  And now she is about to risk her business in an upcoming legal battle.

A big part of the blog post was a lecture by Phoebus on the dangers of alcohol.  To anyone who knows her, this is nothing new.  Gail Phoebus always lectures people about alcohol or, more often, gossips about people and their supposed "addictions."  Of course, she holds no medical or psychological training with which to base such claims.  It's just gossip.  Fun.

Phoebus has claimed that, having been "clean and sober" for some years now herself, she "knows the signs."  We think it's just an excuse for what is, in our opinion, her current addiction: Gossip.

In politics, Gail Phoebus has been a ruinous storm belching clouds of noxious gossip.  It is best for all involved that she be allowed to retire gracefully into the West, instead of staying stuck in the law courts out East.

Politician Phoebus lies about firing staff

"...your services are no longer required.  Your position... is hereby terminated, effective immediately."  (Gail Phoebus to her employees)

Happy Thanksgiving!  Merry Christmas!

That's the terse, one paragraph letter Assemblyperson Gail Phoebus sent to the career civil servants at her legislative office staff just before Thanksgiving last November.  Phoebus fired them all and in their place, she hired a personal friend with no legislative qualifications and a questionable background in the skills needed to handle constituent services.

Since firing them, she has compounded her action by telling lies about it.  First, she tried to justify it by accusing them of wrong-doing.  When this didn't work, she claimed that the office had been shut on orders from the Office of Legislative Services (OLS).  OLS issued a statement refuting Phoebus' lie.  And now Phoebus is telling people that the firings never happened at all.

At a recent Republican club meeting in Warren County, Phoebus' new staffer (her lunch-buddy, Kim Seelagy) told those present that nobody was fired and Phoebus nodded in agreement.  Seelagy's very presence at the meeting is a testament to the employee's firing because she is being paid with the money that should have gone to them.

To settle this matter, Watchdog is publishing Assemblyperson Gail Phoebus' letter to her employees:

From: "Gail Phoebus" <gphoeb@gmail.com>
To: 
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2016 4:57:51 PM
Subject: Termination of Employment

Please read the attached letter.

Thank you,
Gail

So there you have it.  In black and white.  We have half-a-mind to mail it to every voter in the 24th District.  We haven't seen this kind of indifference to the humanity of employees since Leona Helmsley -- the Queen of Mean! 

Phoebus refused to meet with her employees before firing them, did not provide a reason for their firing, and did not give them notice face-to-face.  The firings did not provide for the customary two-week notice.  But this is nothing new for Phoebus.

Watchdog was recently asked to publish the story of five area residents who formerly worked for Assemblyperson Gail Phoebus at the country club she owns.  The former employees of the Farmstead Golf and Country Club contacted Watchdog.  One employee identified herself and forwarded a statement and the letter of dismissal from Farmstead.  This is an excerpt from that statement:

The former employees believed that their ages played a role in their firing.  They believe that the legislator's actions "speaks to her character."  Referring to Phoebus' firing of her legislative staff before Thanksgiving and to the further attempts to destroy their reputations and ability to earn an income to provide for their families, the statement notes that "this behavior with Gail Phoebus is nothing new.  She has been treating people badly for quite some time."

Not content with just firing people, she has attempted to destroy the reputations of those who served her loyally. That is very base behavior and it is not very nice.

Skylands group backs Phoebus' pro-transgender bill

Something calling itself the Skylands Patriot tea party group put out a bizarre and rambling attack last evening on Governor Christie and by extension, President Trump.  Why?  Apparently the Governor and the President are too conservative for them on social issues.

We understand that a minority of tea party members are more libertine than libertarian, and that the Occupy Movement is probably where they really belong.  For our part, we applaud the positions of Governor Christie and President Trump on values issues like support for the Right-to-Life and the Second Amendment.   

The Skylands group launched their attack in response to news coverage about Assemblyperson Gail Phoebus' vote to establish a Transgender Equality Task Force.  In a vote on Monday, Phoebus put herself on record as supporting A-4567.  This legislation is sponsored by liberal Democrats Valerie Huttle, Tim Eustace, and Nancy Pinkin.  Here's what it would do (taken directly from the official OLS Bill Statement):

This bill, as amended, establishes the Transgender Equality Task Force, which is charged with assessing the legal and societal barriers to equality for transgender individuals in the State, and providing recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor on how to ensure equality and improve the lives of transgender individuals, with particular attention to the following areas: healthcare, long term care, education, higher education, housing, employment, and criminal justice.

     The bill provides that the task force shall consist of 17 members as follows: a representative of the Department of Banking and Insurance whose duties or expertise includes insurance and banking services and policies as applied to transgender individuals; a representative of the Department of Human Services whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by minority populations to the department’s services or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of departmental programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Department of Health whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by minority populations to clinically appropriate healthcare services or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of healthcare programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Department of Education whose duties or expertise includes protecting the rights of minority students or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of educational programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education whose duties or expertise includes protecting the rights of minority students in the higher education system or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of higher educational programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Division of Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals to the department’s services or eliminating discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in the delivery of the division’s programs, policies, or initiatives; and a representative of the Department of Children and Families whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth to the department’s services or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of departmental programs, policies, or initiatives with regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth; a representative of the Department of Corrections whose duties or expertise includes protecting the safety of minority populations or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of departmental programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by minority populations to the department’s services or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of departmental programs, policies, or initiatives; two public members to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one of whom shall be a physician who specializes in transgender health issues, and one of whom shall be a transgender individual; two public members to be appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be a  parent or guardian of a transgender individual, and one of whom shall be an attorney specializing in transgender rights; one public member to be appointed by the Governor, who shall be a representative of a social service agency that provides services and supports to transgender individuals; a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union; a representative of  Garden State Equality; and a representative of The Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey.

     The bill provides that the task force is to organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members, but not later than the 30th day following the appointment of its members, and that the task force is to select a chairperson from among its members.  The bill permits the task force to hold meetings at the times and places it may designate, and provides that a majority of the authorized members of the task force shall constitute a quorum. The bill also provides that the task force may conduct business without a quorum, but may only vote on a recommendation when a quorum is present. Pursuant to the bill, the task force is entitled to receive assistance and services from any State, county, or municipal department, board, commission, or agency, as it may require, and as may be available to it for its purposes, and The Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety is to provide professional and clerical staff to the task force, as necessary to effectuate the purposes of the bill.   

     The bill requires that the task force prepare and submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature, outlining its recommendations for advancing transgender equality in the State, not later than six months after its initial meeting. 

A-4567 ensures that the opinions of people with traditional or religious points of view are totally shut out -- along with the views of eminent researchers, medical professionals, scientists, psychiatrists, therapists, and experts in the field of child psychology.  This legislation is designed, in advance, to achieve an intended radical, far-left outcome. 

So get ready to pay more in health care costs after those transgender mandates are recommended and then voted into law by the Democrats who control both chambers of the Legislature.  Get ready to pay higher insurance premiums.

Here's Phoebus' vote (SOURCE:  New Jersey Legislature):

A4567 Aca (1R) Establishes Transgender Equality Task Force. 
2nd Reading in the Assembly

Vainieri Huttle, Valerie © - Yes	Tucker, Cleopatra G. (V) - Yes	Howarth, Joe - Yes
Jones, Patricia Egan - Yes	McKnight, Angela V. - Yes	Phoebus, Gail - Yes

Sadly, we can expect more of this from Phoebus.  This is what happens when a legislator who ran as a conservative falls under the spell of liberal lawyers who donate to Barack Obama.  What you get are votes worthy of Barack Obama.

Phoebus votes to create Transgender Task Force

As President Ronald Reagan used to say:   "Personnel is Policy."

It didn't take long for Assemblyperson Gail Phoebus to go off the rails.  Since firing the conservatives on her staff just before Thanksgiving, her voting record clearly shows their absence. 

On Monday, Phoebus voted to establish a Transgender Equality Task Force.  The legislation, A-4567), is sponsored by liberal Democrats Valerie Huttle, Tim Eustace, and Nancy Pinkin.  Here's what it would do (taken directly from the official OLS Bill Statement):

This bill, as amended, establishes the Transgender Equality Task Force, which is charged with assessing the legal and societal barriers to equality for transgender individuals in the State, and providing recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor on how to ensure equality and improve the lives of transgender individuals, with particular attention to the following areas: healthcare, long term care, education, higher education, housing, employment, and criminal justice.

     The bill provides that the task force shall consist of 17 members as follows: a representative of the Department of Banking and Insurance whose duties or expertise includes insurance and banking services and policies as applied to transgender individuals; a representative of the Department of Human Services whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by minority populations to the department’s services or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of departmental programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Department of Health whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by minority populations to clinically appropriate healthcare services or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of healthcare programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Department of Education whose duties or expertise includes protecting the rights of minority students or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of educational programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education whose duties or expertise includes protecting the rights of minority students in the higher education system or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of higher educational programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Division of Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals to the department’s services or eliminating discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in the delivery of the division’s programs, policies, or initiatives; and a representative of the Department of Children and Families whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth to the department’s services or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of departmental programs, policies, or initiatives with regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth; a representative of the Department of Corrections whose duties or expertise includes protecting the safety of minority populations or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of departmental programs, policies, or initiatives; a representative of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development whose duties or expertise includes expanding access by minority populations to the department’s services or eliminating discrimination in the delivery of departmental programs, policies, or initiatives; two public members to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one of whom shall be a physician who specializes in transgender health issues, and one of whom shall be a transgender individual; two public members to be appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be a  parent or guardian of a transgender individual, and one of whom shall be an attorney specializing in transgender rights; one public member to be appointed by the Governor, who shall be a representative of a social service agency that provides services and supports to transgender individuals; a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union; a representative of  Garden State Equality; and a representative of The Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey.

     The bill provides that the task force is to organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members, but not later than the 30th day following the appointment of its members, and that the task force is to select a chairperson from among its members.  The bill permits the task force to hold meetings at the times and places it may designate, and provides that a majority of the authorized members of the task force shall constitute a quorum. The bill also provides that the task force may conduct business without a quorum, but may only vote on a recommendation when a quorum is present. Pursuant to the bill, the task force is entitled to receive assistance and services from any State, county, or municipal department, board, commission, or agency, as it may require, and as may be available to it for its purposes, and The Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety is to provide professional and clerical staff to the task force, as necessary to effectuate the purposes of the bill.   

     The bill requires that the task force prepare and submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature, outlining its recommendations for advancing transgender equality in the State, not later than six months after its initial meeting. 

A-4567 ensures that the opinions of people with traditional or religious points of view are totally shut out -- along with the views of eminent researchers, medical professionals, scientists, psychiatrists, therapists, and experts in the field of child psychology.  This legislation is designed, in advance, to achieve an intended radical, far-left outcome. 

So get ready to pay more in health care costs after those transgender mandates are recommended and then voted into law by the Democrats who control both chambers of the Legislature.  Get ready to pay higher insurance premiums.

Here's Phoebus' vote (SOURCE:  New Jersey Legislature):

This is what happens when you get rid of conservatives who were Reagan-supporters from even before he was President and replace them with liberal lawyers who donate to Barack Obama.  What you get are votes worthy of Barack Obama.

Phoebus accused of pension-padding by Skylands

The Skylands crew really got their wires crossed over the weekend.  The same guys who put together the Gail Phoebus campaign committee brought up a very negative incident that occurred during Gail Phoebus' tenure as a Sussex County Freeholder.

Calling it a case of "pension-padding," Skylands blasted the awarding of a 3-year contract to then County Counsel Dennis McConnell.  Here's what they had to say about it:

Somebody didn't do their research, because Freeholder Gail Phoebus voted for that contract.  In fact, the vote was unanimous.  So if it was a case of pension-padding, who let it happen?

Is George Graham throwing Gail Phoebus under the bus in order to score points and improve his standing?  A recent poll conducted in Sussex County revealed that voters thought more highly of Freeholder Phil Crabb than they did Freeholder George Graham.  And the Freeholder Board in Sussex County is poorly thought of by Sussex County voters.  This is not the case in neighboring Warren County. 

The findings from the poll will be covered in greater detail later this week.

Stay tuned...