Gray and Gorman are campaigning hard

In contrast to their opponents' anemic  campaign style, Republican Freeholder candidates David Gray and Kathleen Gorman dropped a solid piece of direct mail this week.  Styling themselves "outsider conservatives" is a smart move -- open to controversy -- but smart given the reticence of the other side to even bother itself with a retort.  Their slogan of "a fresh conservative perspective" is spot on and could only be improved by underlining the word "fresh," while their three-point "conservative plan" to "cut taxes, reduce the size of government," and "protect property rights" is succinct and understandable.  We might add that it is not too early to put the date of the election -- June 7th -- on your literature.  Overall, a job very well done!

As for the other side, Watchdog thinks the incumbent is listening too much to a county bond counsel's advice -- who is probably part of the same crew behind Gray and Gorman.  All this points to an underhanded deal to screw Hopatcong Mayor Sylvia Petillo and her husband, SCMUA chief Ron Petillo.  The Petillo family are long-time stalwarts of the GOP in Sussex County, who have generously given to the party and to Republican candidates, both their time and money.

In years past, nobody would have even considered doing dirty a family that has given so much to nearly everyone involved in the county GOP, but the solar scam, the bailout, the ongoing criminal investigations, and especially the county investigation, has changed all that.  Now money is flowing into the county from new sources with a very different agenda.  Even the Space family has hedged its bets. 

Looks like Sussex County is all grown-up and joining the ranks of counties dominated by the likes of John Inglesino.  That's nothing to cheer about.

Email links solar and Gray-Gorman

An email sent on Monday from a website affiliated with the Freeholder campaign of David Gray and Kathleen Gorman used the address of an attorney from Hillsborough, Somerset County.  The attorney, Frank Whittlesey, works for the Somerset County Freeholder Board and is affiliated with that county's improvement authority -- the same agency connected with the solar deal that has cost Sussex County taxpayer's millions. 

Watchdog investigated this story and it seems that about the same time attorney David Gray asked longtime Sussex County consultant Bill Winkler to work for him, attorney Whittlesey also reached out to Winkler, at the direction of unnamed interests, to work digging up dirt on Freeholder George Graham and Hopatcong Mayor Sylvia Petillo.  Winkler turned down working for Gray and whoever sent Whittlesey and has been on the receiving end of a very public campaign of personal harassment since.

Winkler told Watchdog that he was contacted by the New Jersey Herald and, at their request, released a series of recorded messages from Whittlesey left on his voice mail.  The messages, we are told, make explicit references to "the Sussex matter." 

David Gray is a Morris County attorney who lives in Sussex County.  He reportedly has ties to former Morris Freeholder and solar player John Inglesino. Whittlesey is another out-of-county attorney connected to politicians who supported solar.  Why are Morris and Somerset County insiders so interested in deciding the make-up of the next Sussex County Freeholder Board?

FYI:  Inglesino, also an attorney, received national attention when he represented a teen-aged girl who sued her parents so that she could live at Inglesino's house as an "adult."

The story was extensively covered in the media.  Here is a article from the Star-Ledger and you can access others from the newspaper's website.  Read it yourself.

http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2014/03/nj_teen_rachel_canning_sues_parents_morris_county.html