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Right now the County Executive is pounding the table, opposing any merger regardless of the merits. Our common-sense proposal is being unjustly rejected. We took 9 months to craft this plan and the Executive made up her mind in 9 seconds. Bergen County residents should be incensed with any politician who opposes saving the taxpayers between $90 and $200 million.
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RESPONSE: Donovan’s chief of staff, Jeanne Baratta, told CLIFFVIEW PILOT: “The County Executive will have plenty to say about this when it is presented to her. As of today, we have not been given this plan from the Freeholder Board. Yes, we have seen it in various news sources, but this is not the way county business is conducted.
“David Ganz, or shall I refer to him as ‘freeholder #1′ as in the Ferriero indictment, must be nostalgic for the ‘good ol’ days.’ I can’t think of any other reason why he, Voss, Zur and Tanelli would unveil this scheme at the Democrat Political Headquarters (the Enterprise, as described in the Ferriero indictment).
“The Democrats talk of transparency in government,” Baratta said. “If this was a true and honest attempt at a government initiative, why wasn’t it unveiled at the Freeholder meeting, when the public could have asked questions?
“The obvious answer is that this is a political initiative,” she said, “and the County Executive will not play politics with the county’s public safety.”
SEE: The complete Bergen County police consolidation plan — with highlights
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Some Republican Freeholders today have no problem trying to take credit for the Democratic plan claiming it as their own. This wins the Bergen County Chutzpah Award. Even better is that 4 weeks ago Freeholder John Mitchell acknowledged to the Bergen County Record that ‘the Republicans have no specifics to outline so far’ in their own plan.
As to the charge that the Republicans 2012 plan should have been approved, no thanks. That plan was irresponsible in abolishing the County Police, which could have cost the County millions in revenue. Our plan is sound, responsible fiscal policy, with between $90 and $200 million in savings delivered to the Bergen County tax-payers.
Our plan was developed through extensive research and over 50 meetings with public and law enforcement officials. We conferred with staff and advisors, but any allegations of violating the sunshine law are nothing more than table pounding in an attempt to distract and muddle the core issue.
We look forward to presenting this plan at the next Freeholder Meeting and having a vigorous conversation on the plan’s merits.
BY: Bergen Democrat Freeholders Steve Tanelli, David Ganz, Tracy Zur, Joan Voss
PHOTOS, TOP: Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan, Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino, Bergen County Police Chief Brian Higgins, Bergen Democrat Freeholders Steve Tanelli, David Ganz, Tracy Zur, Joan Voss
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