This week with Kate & Gina: Why support a stalker?

This is the first in a weekly installment on the comings and doings of that humorless team of Mrs. Grundy and the New Age Church Lady... our own Kate Matteson and Gina Trish. 

Now Kate & Gina are still sore that they lost the last election.  So sore that they haven't shut up about.  Even after those fool Democrats gave Kate the consolation prize of being executive director of the Sussex Democrat Committee, she still whined.  Never mind that she didn't care enough to vote most years.  

Kate & Gina's latest attack is on county Republicans for their support of conservative Republican Steve Lonegan for Congress.  Kate & Gina hate a guy like Lonegan because he believes in traditional -- as opposed to Wiccan -- values.  And he supports the Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment (which Kate & Gina said they did too -- when they were running in 2017 --but have since flip-flopped). 

Apparently Kate & Gina want to repeal the Second Amendment and, if you read what they believe are grounds for barring someone from elective office, the First Amendment as well.  Talk about making a fashion statement!

In their latest hypocrisy, Kate & Gina questioned the "unethical situations" of a certain Republican candidate -- forgetting that they have supported some pretty scurrilous people through their silence and willing accommodation.  Remember this guy...

Kate & Gina want to serve with Raj Mukherji.  They want to join the Democrat Assembly Caucus and support his work.  Why?  Because Kate & Gina put party loyalty before human decency. 

Kate & Gina have accused the Sussex GOP of having "no standard for the candidates they back" -- but what does it say for their "standards" when they refuse to call out a guy like Raj Mukherji?  Whatever you do, don’t call them feminists.

"Dishonest Kate" Matteson attacks Sparta grandmom

Wealthy liberal Kate "Dishonest Kate" Matteson continued her malicious campaign of unadulterated horse manure yesterday, when she personally attacked senior citizen Ailish Hambel of Sparta.  Hambel, who emigrated from Ireland, raised a family in Sussex County, and built a well-regarded business in Sparta, has spent her life in service to the people of her home town.  Hambel has worked with charities throughout Sussex County.

After reading a false attack made by "Dishonest Kate" Matteson, Hambel responded with a letter sent to the same newspapers in which Matteson's attack appeared.  Matteson angrily responded with another attack -- only this time, she targeted Hambel personally.

In her response to Hambel, "Dishonest Kate" Matteson misleads the public by claiming that her Republican opponents "applied" for the endorsement of the NJEA.  In fact, they simply filled out a questionnaire -- a courtesy that they afford to groups, even when they disagree with them on the issues.  Unlike Matteson, a "faux revolutionary" and wannabe "social justice warrior," her Republican opponents don't hate people just because they disagree with them.  Take Parker Space, for example.  He doesn't show up to a fire asking if the burning building is owned by a Democrat or a Republican, he puts it out!  Same way when someone needs help.  Political ideology doesn't enter into it.  Human beings are more important than politics.

The fact is that the NJEA has never endorsed the Republican legislators in Sussex County.  They wouldn't even endorse them when nobody was running against them.  They would rather endorse dead air than the Sussex GOP. 

And that's because the Republican legislators in Sussex County oppose higher property taxes and know that the NJEA's position in favor of removing the 2 percent property tax cap on local government will cause a huge leap in property taxes.  The facts show this:  Under the administrations of Democrats Jim McGreevey and Jon Corzine, property taxes rose an average of 6.1 percent a year -- triple the rate of inflation.  Since the cap, property taxes have gone up an average of just 2.1 percent a year.

"Dishonest Kate" Matteson wants you to believe that the NJEA hands out its endorsement to people who oppose them.  Sure  they do... 

No, they don't.  The NJEA endorses those who line up and kiss its ring.  Period.  If you are endorsed by the NJEA, then you are on-board for their agenda -- and a big part of that agenda is getting rid of the 2-percent cap that has been keeping property tax increases to a barely tolerable minimal.  Removing it will be a very painful experience for Sussex County taxpayers.

"Dishonest Kate" Matteson has a decision to make:  Stand with the working people who pay property taxes... or stand with the NJEA.

Get back to us when you've made up your mind.

How popular was the sale of the Homestead?

In his campaign for re-election in June, Freeholder Phil Crabb highlighted his role in the sale of the Homestead -- the county nursing home -- to a private business.  His campaign literature referenced it, as did he in his public appearances.

Unfortunately for Freeholder Crabb, that message worked against him with Republican Party primary voters.  We got hold of some polling numbers on the subject which indicate a lot of hostility to the sale.  In fact, the decision by the all Republican Freeholder Board to sell the Homestead plunged the favorability of the Freeholder Board down into the 40 percent range -- among Republicans.

To make matters worse for the Sussex GOP and its all-Republican Board, those who support the sale are generally lukewarm about it, while those who oppose the sale do so much more passionately.  So the campaign team of Freeholder Crabb was actually driving up turnout against its candidate by highlighting the sale of the Homestead in Crabb's literature. 

This could account for Crabb's somewhat anemic showing against a candidate who had given up campaigning and spent no money on lawn signs, campaign literature, direct mail, or radio advertising.  In contrast, Freeholder Crabb's campaign spent lavishly on lawn signs, literature, direct mail, robo-calls, and radio ads -- and had the support of the GOP establishment and its elected officials.

What effect this will have on the General Election between incumbent Crabb and challenger Bill Weightman is anyone's guess.  It will depend on how it is used and if Freeholder Crabb continues to run on the issue.  

Another wrinkle that could be used to disadvantage the incumbent is Sentosa Care LLC, the private company that was allowed to buy the Homestead from the county. This was the subject of a very interesting story by the old Sussex GOP Watchdog:

http://sussexgopwatchdog.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/welcome-to-the-neighborhood-look-who-is-running-the-homestead

In a 2012 letter to the editor, published by the Herald, a Newton resident added to this argument:

The company Sentosa Care of Woodmere, N.Y., has made the highest bid for the purchase of the Homestead. The website sentosacare.com lists 17 Sentosa Care affiliated care facilities. The websitewww.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare rates long-term facilities using several criteria. The Sentosa Care facilities received aggregate ratings as follows:

8 much below average -- 47 percent

3 below average -- 18 percent

1 average -- 6 percent

5 above average -- 29 percent

As 65 percent of the current Sentosa Care facilities were rated by Medicare as below average (most much below average), this should be considered when the bid is reviewed. The Homestead's employees and volunteers provided quality care to Sussex County residents for many years. The successor owner should have a track record of providing the same high quality of care.

In a questionnaire regarding the sale of the Homestead and obtained by us, County Administrator John Eskilson could not fully answer this question:  "What cost savings did the county achieve as a result of the sale?"

Aside from tax revenue to the county of approximately $45,000 per year, Eskilson could not enumerate the benefits because "some of the cost savings associated with the privatization of staff to not kick in for two years due to a number of factors."

The results of Freeholder Crabb's June 3rd primary election suggest that the residents of Sussex County are still not fully sold on the idea and benefits of the sale of the county's Homestead nursing home.  Whether this becomes an issue in the November election only time will tell.

Memo to Freeholder Director Rich Vohden and Deputy Director Dennis Mudrick

Gentlemen.  We all know that you are big supporters of your colleague, Phil Crabb.

You know him.  You vote with him.  You attend political cocktails and wine & cheese parties with him.  Talk to him.  Talk to him about following the law.

Get him to file his D-1 form.

As his leaders on the Freeholder Board, you are responsible for him.

Watchdog spoke with a very helpful state employee down in Trenton yesterday.  She works with the compliance section of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJELEC).

She said that Freeholder Crabb had failed to file his D-1 form and was in violation of state election law.

The law isn't tough to understand.  It can be found on Page 10 of NJELEC's Compliance Manual for Candidates (published in 2013):

No later than ten days after establishing a candidate committee, the candidate shall file the “Single Candidate Committee Certificate of Organization and Designation of Campaign Treasurer and Depository” (Form D-1). If any of the information contained on Form D-1 changes, the candidate must file an amended Form D-1 no later than three days after the change. If the candidate appoints a deputy treasurer or designates an additional depository, the “Designation of Deputy Treasurer and/or Additional Depository” (Form DX) must be filed with the Commission within five days of the designation or appointment. If any information contained on Form DX changes, an amendment to Form DX must be filed within ten days of the occurrence of the change.

Freeholder Phil Crabb has been collecting money for his re-election campaign since his secret kick-off event down in the Mulvihill's wine cellar at Crystal Springs.  That was December of last year.  He should have filed his D-1 six months ago.

Allow Watchdog to make it easy for you.  You can print a D-1 from here:

http://www.elec.state.nj.us/pdffiles/forms/compliance/d1.pdf

One great benefit about filing his D-1 is that Freeholder Crabb's campaign treasurer could become certified by attending a free campaign treasurer certification program provided by NJELEC.  Maybe Freeholder Crabb wouldn't break the law so much if he complied with this.

So how about it Freeholder Director Vohden?  How about it Deputy Director Mudrick? 

And when or if Freeholder Crabb does file his D-1, remember that the law requires him to file a copy with the Sussex County Clerk's office in Newton.  That's so Sussex County residents won't have to travel down to Trenton.  It's a courtesy.  It's also the law.

Transparency is the start of the next American revolution.

Crabb: Sussex County doesn't deserve transparency

It's the law.  New Jersey election law is administered by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJELEC).  On Page 38 of NJELEC's Compliance Manual for Candidates (published in 2013), every candidate for county office is given notice that he or she is mandated to do the following:

"File a copy of every election fund report (reports filed at the 29-day and 11-day period and 20-day post-election period, along with quarterly reports) with the county clerk in the county where the candidate(s) seek(s) office."

Unfortunately for the taxpayers and citizens of Sussex County, Freeholder Phil Crabb couldn't be bothered with filing with the county clerk. 

We've already seen that in 2011 Crabb was years behind filing his campaign finance reports and that since 2011 he has been consistently late in filing his reports.  But that only covers what he is obliged by law to file in Trenton, with NJELEC.  As far as following the law and filing with the county clerk in Sussex County, Crabb has pretty much ignored that.

And that's a problem, because Sussex County residents shouldn't have to drive two hours each way to Trenton to get a legal copy of what their elected representatives have been up to.  It should be available from their County Clerk, in Newton.  It should be available not only as a courtesy to the taxpayers of Sussex County, it should be available because that is the law.

Ever hear of the movie Casino Jack?  It is based on the true story of lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

 It makes the case for citizens to be curious about who is giving their elected officials money and why.  That goes for Sussex County as it goes for the rest of America.

Since getting out of prison Jack Abramoff has cleaned up his act and now offers straight advice from someone who knows why business people, vendors, and other interest groups invest in political campaigns.

People need to know who is giving politicians money.  They should know.  It is their right to know.  It is the law.  But Phil Crabb doesn't think so.