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.

Some thoughts on a really stupid letter to the editor

Marie Bilik is a Virginia resident who is moving back to Sussex County to run for Assembly in Sussex, Warren, and Morris counties.  Don't take our word for it, that is what she tells her followers on Facebook.

For some strange reason, Bilik has allowed her campaign manager to blunder into the middle of the solar scam mess.  Worse still, Bilik's campaign manager has taken the side of the county bureaucrats who sold the deal to the Freeholder Board.

The most contentious issue is the "non-disparagement" clause, a gag-order really, that is part of the "settlement" agreement Sussex County negotiated in order to borrow more taxpayers' money to bail out the failed solar project.  The Herald described it this way:  "Under the settlement's non-disparagement clause, the county freeholders are barred from voicing public criticisms of the professionals, consultants and other entities that were involved in the original solar project and in the recently concluded settlement negotiations."

This may serve the interests of Bilik's campaign manager, but it doesn't help the candidacy of Marie Bilik.

Bilik's manager is Wendy Kuser Molner, who was mayor of Hardyston decades ago.  Molner worked for the Corzine administration before becoming a lobbyist for an energy engineering company.

As a member of the administration of Governor Jon Corzine, Molner helped sell projects cooked up by NJ Transit and the NJ Department of Transportation.  You know, those people who want to raise the tax on gasoline to pay for those projects that cost, per mile, twelve times what the rest of the country pays.

Molner is listed as the Vice President of Government Relations on the website of Concord Engineering, an energy engineering company from southern New Jersey that sells to county and local governments.  Concord is affiliated with the NJ Clean Energy Program, which promotes  "renewable sources of energy including solar." 

Concord is also affiliated with the U.S. Green Building Council, among other organizations that promote the use of taxpayer subsidized solar energy.  So let's be clear about who Molner lobbies for.

And yet, in her latest letter to the editor, Molner attempts to mislead voters by claiming that she opposes solar energy.  In fact, Molner is paid to appear at municipal meetings in Sussex County and to lobby on behalf of a program called the Passaic County Energy Cooperative.  This program has an solar component to it.

In her letter, Molner writes that she opposes government energy programs but fails to mention that she gets paid to pitch for one.  The Passaic County Energy Cooperative is the brainchild of the Democrat Freeholders who run Passaic County.  The current program was passed by the Democrat-controlled Freeholder Board in 2013, according to a Concord press release.  So how can Bilik's campaign manager be against something she is paid to market?

 But she doesn't stop there.  Molner goes even further and tries to nail the Bilik campaign's colors to the infamous "non-disparagement clause" that has so outraged all right-thinking voters.  Molner writes:  "Clearly, the 'non-disparage' clause in the settlement is a basic clause in most settlements."

Maybe between private business entities it is, but not between a private business entity and a legislative body.  Sussex County is plowing new ground here in the cause of corporate Fascism.  Tell us when the Congress of the United States has signed such an agreement, or a state legislature?  If it is so usual, produce examples. 

Molner seems to vaguely remember doing so back when she was on local government, but offers nothing concrete.  She writes:  "Moreover, I am sure as a former mayor and councilperson, I voted for similar settlements with this clause without screaming about my First Amendment rights to disparage."  Is that a nutty statement or what?

Molner goes on to further confuse herself by demonstrating that she does not understand  the differing rolls of legislative and executive branches of government.  She even confuses two separately elected offices.  Hard to believe that she once held office.  Did she sleep through her entire term?

So the questions for candidate Marie Bilik, courtesy of her campaign manager, are these: 

(1) Do you support the non-disparagement (aka "gag order") clause that protects the solar scammers from public comment? 

(2) If elected to the state Assembly, would you propose similar non-disparagement clauses between the Legislature and failed corporate vendors.

Not the sharpest tack in the box.

From Chairman Hambel's personal Facebook page.

One "Like" and it's Wendy Molner

Like we said, Wendy Molner runs Ailish Hambel, which makes Wendy Molner the boss of the Sussex GOP. What does that say about the party?

A lobbyist's perspective on the solar scam

Wendy Kuser Molner is an experienced lobbyist.  According to her bio, she has over 15 years of experience.  She worked in "legislative relations" as a member of the Corzine administration. 

As a member of the administration of Governor Jon Corzine, Molner helped sell projects cooked up by NJ Transit and the NJ Department of Transportation.  You know, those people who want to raise the tax on gasoline to pay for those projects that cost, per mile, twelve times what the rest of the country pays.

Molner is listed as the Vice President of Government Relations on the website of Concord Engineering, an energy engineering company from southern New Jersey that sells to county and local governments.  Concord is affiliated with the NJ Clean Energy Program, which promotes  "renewable sources of energy including solar." 

Concord is also affiliated with the U.S. Green Building Council, among other organizations that promote the use of taxpayer subsidized solar energy.  So let's be clear about who Molner lobbies for.

So we were not surprised when this lobbyist wrote a letter to the editor defending the county officials responsible.  These are officials who have pocketed nearly $2 million of taxpayers' money since this solar scam was sold by them to the Freeholders.  Shouldn't we expect more for our money?

And why does a small county like Sussex have one of the highest paid in-house lawyers in the state?  And why is he still allowed to keep a side business? 

While thousands of homes are in foreclosure and families are driven by necessity to the county food bank, these county fat cats continue to extract the property tax dollars from them that should go to keeping their children fed. 

Molner accuses those who are demanding answers of wanting to "stir the political pot".  Unfortunately, it is too late for that.  The pot is well past stirring.  The lobbyists, lawyers, and county officials who cooked this up took a $26 million dump in it.  If they had any honor, they would resign.

Ailish's drinking buddy

The Sussex County Republican Committee does not promote the campaigns of candidates who are challenging Republican incumbents.  That's been the word from Ailish Hambel, Sussex County Republican Chairman.

That's what Chairman Hambel told supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Seth Grossman when they wanted his campaign to oust Governor Chris Christie promoted by the Sussex County Republican Committee. That is the established policy in most county committees, Republican and Democrat, throughout New Jersey.

So why did Ailish Hambel blast out an email that promoted a fundraiser for Assembly candidate Marie Bilik?  As everyone knows, the top two vote getters in the June 2nd Republican primary for Assembly will become the nominees.  That means that Bilik is not running for "the open seat" like she would in a convention, that means she is running against BOTH incumbent Assemblyman Parker Space and candidate for Assembly, Freeholder Gail Phoebus.  The top two vote getters of this likely four-way race, Nathan Orr is the other candidate,  will be the Republican nominees.

So why did Ailish Hambel break her own rules and do a favor for Virginia resident Bilik?  It probably has to do with her close relationship with county lobbyist Wendy Molner, who recruited Bilik to run.  In the leadership vacuum that is the Sussex GOP under Hambel, Molner has used their relationship to try to control events and to maneuver herself as a kind of backroom power-broker.  The fruits of which are becoming obvious.

Also in Bilik's corner is the chief apologist for the solar scam himself, Richie Rich Vohden.  A few weeks ago, the former union operative tried to push his candidate with Christie Republicans in Trenton.  They sent him off with a buzz in his ear. 

There is a lot of backdoor play going around.