Alternative Energy scam reported on American Greed

To give our readers an idea of just how easy it is for an "alternative" energy scam to cheat taxpayers, take a look at this episode of American Greed.

The Crabb-Bilik whisper campaign

In 2004, a newcomer named Steve Oroho ran for Freeholder against the county insiders and upended the sitting establishment.  They ran the usual gossip campaign against him.  Gossip is big in Sussex County where campaigns for public office are often conducted along the lines of an election for king and queen of a high school prom.

In 2004, the whisper campaign of malignant gossip spread around dirt on Steve Oroho.  They tried to say that he was "stupid" -- ignoring the fact that Oroho had been the Senior Financial Officer at a Fortune 500 company.  Then they tried class warfare and made him out to be a wealthy elitist in a top hat (like the man off the Monopoly board) when, in fact, he was the hard working son of middle class Irish-American parents. 

Gossip and lies, lies and gossip.  That's the way of the Sussex County whisper campaign.

Franklin Borough and Hardyston Township are the latest victims of the Sussex County whisper campaign.  In 2004, they heard all the lies about Steve Oroho. This year, they are being subjected to a different set of lies.

Freeholder Phil Crabb has been working the fire houses on behalf of Marie Bilik and the solar bailout.  Now that the County's top bureaucrats have all called it quits, Crabb wants to make sure that the solar bailout stays in place.  Crabb wants to make sure that consultants like Stephen Pearlman and Gabel Associates keep stuffing their pockets with the property tax dollars of Sussex County taxpayers.

Crabb wants to make sure that the Wall Streeters who made millions screwing up the project don't have to worry about being held accountable, because Crabb signed a statement saying that they wouldn't.  Crabb wants to make sure that the gag order (what he calls a "non-disparagement clause") is enforced, so that these Wall Street predators can go on and pitch their business to the next suckers and nobody will be the wiser.

Crabb needs Bilik because he needs to protect his friends.

Update on Monday, May 4, 2015 at 12:21PM by Sussex County Watchdog

This is the actual photo of the settlement/bailout that Crabb signed on behalf of Sussex County 

How the whisper campaign costs taxpayers

County politics in Sussex County was once a village.  It was more than close knit, it was closed.  This presented a problem for reformers.  In closed societies, people tend to overlook the corrupt practices of others, so as not to rock the boat.  Go along to get along.

The problem with this is that corruption ends up costing everyone who pays taxes -- everyone that is except the people making money off the corruption.

In closed societies like this anyone who identifies or even talks about problems is considered "impolite".  Steve Oroho was impolite in 2004 and especially so in 2007.  Parker Space was impolite in 2010 and Gail Phoebus in 2012.  Space, Phoebus, and George Graham have been very impolite this year, because they asked that a deal that was sold to the Freeholder Board with false promises be investigated and that those who made money by ripping-off Sussex County taxpayers be held to account.

Reform is Rude in Sussex County.  At least as far as the county's political  class is concerned.  The fact that all of those mentioned above romped to victory (some by big upsets) indicates that most residents of Sussex County do not share the same opinions as the county's political class.

When he was United States Attorney, Chris Christie used to talk about the "corruption tax".  This was the extra-cost to taxpayers that came from the single-bid wired for a political insider or from hiring someone "connected" instead of someone competent.

Because it is such a closed society, county politics in Sussex County was once largely controlled by an exclusive group whose business was politics.  That is how they made their money.  Turnout at elections was low and campaigns were conducted mouth to mouth, whisper to whisper, for in politics here it is rare for people to be straight with you.  To your face it is all smiles, behind your back, it's the whispers.

And then along came Steve Oroho.  He hired a consultant who worked with him to expand the number of residents who participated in politics.  Turnout at elections went up and the mouth to mouth campaign counted for less.  No longer could you get over on someone by pretending to like him while helping his opponent, because it didn't matter as much.

Steve Oroho opened the door to allow new people to participate and voter turnout went up.  It also let the fresh air of reform in. It became safer to speak the truth and identify bad practices.

There are those who long for the days when they could ostracize anyone who dared blow the whistle on corruption, theft, or malfeasance.   Those days are gone and, though some may try, they will not come back. 

The voters will not allow the county political class to steal their government from them.  They will not be content to "shut up and pay" ever rising taxes so that this "wired" county politico can get a no-show job in order to qualify for a state pension.  They will not "shut up and pay" so that local elected officials can be a sales reps for vendors who demand government use a product that nobody asked for.  This is the past and those who benefitted from these corrupt practices had better get used to it.

Crabb ally who wanted to give Freeholders a raise now threatens newspaper for exposing solar scam

Ann Smulewicz, an ardent and often loud supporter of Freeholder Phil Crabb, is at it again. 

Speaking at the Freeholder's meeting on April 8th, Smulewicz suggested to the Freeholders that they take economic retribution against the New Jersey Herald by no longer posting public notices in the newspaper.  The reason for this outrageous suggestion:  The NJ Herald's coverage of the Freeholder Board's handling of the solar project that is costing Sussex taxpayers millions and of the bailout that will cost taxpayers more.

Smulewicz made her remarks in front of members of the press, including the NJ Herald, as Freeholders Crabb and Vohden smiled, and the county's chief bureaucrat John Eskilson joined them.  Who dumped that thought in her brain? 

So the attempt at covering up the solar scam continues.  Now threats are being made. 

And instead of following the example of Morris County and demanding the resignations of those responsible, Sussex County continues paying them and smiles as their political supporters threaten the members of the media who have exposed them.

At last year's June 27th meeting of the Sussex County Board of Freeholders Smulewicz told the Freeholders that they do not make enough money. 

According to the Alternative Press, Smulewicz said that the "freeholders deserve $100,000 a year."  That's more than four times what they are currently receiving from the taxpayers.  A Sussex County Freeholder currently receives $23,000 a year, with an additional $1,000 for the director.  Freeholder Crabb is the only Board member who receives benefits and a pension, so a salary increase could be especially beneficial to him.

The plan to increase the Freeholders salaries would make Sussex County's Freeholders the most expensive in New Jersey.  Smulewicz defended the idea, telling the Press:  "It's not a part-time job."  In fact, it is a part-time job.  No Freeholder works a 40 hour or even a 20 hour week.  All that is required is attendance at two meetings a month and an occasional additional meeting or two.

Oddly enough, while wanting part-time elected officials to be paid more, Smulewicz wants full-time elected officials to be paid less.  Smulewicz objected to paying the County Clerk and County Surrogate more than $107,000 a year, even though they work documented 40-hour weeks, plus attending meetings after hours.  

One thing is certain, Ann Smulewicz is an enormous fan of Freeholder Phil Crabb.  During this year's February 26th meeting of the Sussex County Board of Freeholders, Smulewicz spoke up and loudly proclaimed her support for Crabb, as the official minutes of the Board attest:  "Ann Smulewicz of Wantage came forward, she said she was pleased that Freeholder Crabb is running for his Freeholder seat again and will work to make sure that he retains the seat."

Should public meetings be turned into venues for campaign endorsement? 

Should Sussex County Freeholders get a $77,000 pay raise each?

Should paying the Sussex County Board of Freeholders go from costing county taxpayers $116,000 a year to $501,000 a year?  Freeholders serve 3-year terms, that's $348,000 vs. over $1.5 million!

Feel free to let us know what you think.

Crabb cover-up: 1800 words, Evaluation Report not mentioned

Giving unprecedented access to its pages, the New Jersey Herald permitted Freeholder Director Phil Crabb to pen an 1,800 word apology in today's edition that presents itself as an explanation of the solar mess, while it slyly attempts to blame Parker Space. 

So let's see, you have a lawyer, a bureaucrat, an accountant, a talk show host, a pharmaceutical salesman, and a union boss... and they want us to believe that the farmer did it.  Really?

Space was one of the Freeholders who voted for the concept in 2011.  He was an Assemblyman when the project went bad and required a taxpayer-funded bailout.  Space opposed the bailout and joined Freeholders Phoebus and Graham in asking the state Attorney General to initiate an investigation.  That investigation has begun.

As reported in the Herald, the Star-Ledger, the Advertiser, and Sparta Independent, the Express-Times and other media, a document called the Solar Proposal Evaluation Report  was  the sales document used to convince the Sussex County Freeholders that the solar plan was viable.   

Why then -- in his 1,800 word statement in the Herald -- didn't Freeholder Crabb mention the Solar Proposal Evaluation Report even once?

Because Crabb is trying to mislead the Herald's readers.  Because Crabb is attempting to protect the guilty.

Here is what really happened:

How it was sold to the Freeholders

In 2011, the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholder was composed of the following members:  Freeholder Director Rich Zeoli, Deputy Director Sue Zellman, and Freeholder members Phil Crabb, Rich Vohden, and Parker Space.  Vohden and Space were new to the  Board.  On November 14, 2011, the Freeholder Board voted unanimously to take the solar deal offered by SunLight  General.  How did it happen? 

Watchdog has uncovered the document used to sell the deal to the Freeholders, but first, let's look at the committee that was formed to sell the solar scheme.  It was called the Sussex County Evaluation Team and it was composed of the following people/organizations:

- John Eskilson Sussex County Administrator

- Dennis McConnell, Sussex County Attorney

- Bernard Re, Sussex County Treasurer

- Steve Pearlman, a lawyer with Inglesino, Pearlman, Wyciskala & Taylor

- Deb Verderame, a lawyer with Inglesino, Pearlman, Wyciskala & Taylor

- Gerry Genna, Birdsall Services Group

- Tom Brys, Birdsall Services Group

- Douglas Bacher, NW Financial Group

- Heather Litzebauer, NW Financial Group

- Steven Gabel, Gabel Associates

- Richard Preiss, Gabel Associates

- Cadence Bowden, Gabel Associates

This is the committee that recommended to the Freeholder Board that they agree to the solar scheme.  These are the promises they made to the Board: 

"The SunLight/MasTec team possesses high quality management, installation capabilities, and sound solar development experience.  In addition, the SunLight/MasTec proposal provides Sussex benefits in the following key areas:

- It provides substantial direct energy cost savings;

- It provides the Local Units the potential for additional savings through the sharing of revenues from the sale of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) and other environmental benefits;

- Due to SunLight/MasTec's proposed capital investment, which reduces the required size of the Authority bonds, it provides a strong level of protection for Sussex from financial risk;

- It provided additional financial protection for Sussex in the form of a debt service reserve fund; and,

- It includes a restoration security providing for additional Local Unit protection at the end of contract."

The entire process was open to public bid, but only one bidder showed up.  Another showed up late and was disqualified.  Some wanted to redo the bid, but that suggestion was brushed aside.  Only one bidder?

The Aftermath

While Sussex County continues to pay these lobbyists and consultants, neighboring Morris County has taken action. 

Lawyer Pearlman and his firm were asked to resign by Morris County and they complied.  Gabel Associates was also asked to resign and complied.  That is 5 of 12 members of the Sussex County Evaluation Team .

In 2013, Birdsall Services Group pleaded guilty to charges of public corruption  and was ordered to pay $1m in penalties, as well as $2.6 million to settle a civil forfeiture action brought by the attorney general’s office.  Individual cases against seven executives are pending. 

That makes 7 of the 12 members of the Sussex County Evaluation Team.

But while they have suffered sanctions from Morris County or from the New Jersey Attorney General, Sussex County Freeholder Director Phil Crabb continues to be more than happy to do business with these people.

Maybe Sussex County taxpayers should think about recalling some of these Freeholders who continue to do business with the people who ripped off Sussex County?

Watchdog is read by 11,000 residents in Sussex County, either by email or online.  Let us hear from you.  Tell us what you think we should do...

Do you want your tax dollars to continue to pay the Sussex County Evaluation Team members who have been fired by Morris County or who have pled guilty to actions brought by the New Jersey Attorney General?

Let us know:  info@sussexcountywatchdog.com