The Press
Watch
By DON P.
HURLEY
Contributing
Editor
HarryHurley.com
April 17,
2005
With regard to The Press
Editorial of April 17, 2005, entitled "Audit? What
Audit? Only in A.C., I have offered the actual
editorial as it appeared in today's edition of The Press of Atlantic City. I
have also offered a detailed analysis of many of the relevant facts and truths
that The Press has intentionally omitted.
I have chosen to answer
their specious editorial point for point. I have numbered them for point of
reference, however it reads exactly as written in today's Press. So,
you will read a particular issue or item in bold print, (taken directly from
today's Press editorial), and than in italics will be a full and more complete
breakdown of the real issues involving this matter of the recent
Mitchell/Titus Review for the City of Atlantic City from
me.
April 17, 2005
AUDIT? WHAT AUDIT?
Only in A.C.
1. Well, just like virtually every audit ever done of
city government in Atlantic City, a long-suppressed audit commissioned by the
Casino Association of New Jersey in December 2002 found that City Hall has far
more workers than it needs.
[DPH: Interesting to note that The Press
never had any such concerns for 12 years when their favorite Mayor, (Jim
Whelan), was in charge of hiring and firing. On September 6, 1998, the same
Press Editorial writers, (all still employed and writing today's editorial by
the way), wrote a ludicrous editorial entitled "Whelan's Reinvention of
Government Right". Now, what this was code for in The Press, was Whelan's
plan to create 40-50 new high-level city employees for his cronies and
contributors, at an assigned salary of more than 50,000 dollars per year, plus
fringe benefits worth between 10,000-15,000 dollars per year, per employee.
(Please keep in mind these are 1998 dollars we are speaking
about.)
Also,
the citizens of Atlantic City had just elected a Mayor to serve them for 4
years, (in the month of May back then), and neither Whelan nor The Press
ever once mentioned the plan to add 40-50 additional high-level employees to the
city's payroll. If this was such a "bold and courageous plan", (as The Press had
the gall to describe this patronage rip-off by Whelan), then why didn't The
Press or Whelan ever communicate with the public before they had the opportunity
to judge Whelan and his "plan" before they voted? Wouldn't that have really
been "bold and courageous"?
Wouldn't
it also have been honest (and informative) for today's editorial to inform
the readers that it was Mayor Langford, (then Councilman Langford) who
protected the citizens and led the charge against this tax-payer rip-off
plan of Jim Whelan. And, in the end, some employees were added to the rolls, but
no where near the 40-50 employees that Whelan attempted to stick to the people
of Atlantic City.]
2. Taxpayers could save $25.4 million a year if the city eliminated 200 unnecessary jobs and made a number of other changes recommended in the audit, which was completed in May 2003.
[DPH: The Press has, once again, intentionally ignored
the fact that Jim Whelan added more than 100 of the 200 jobs that The Press
now contends are unnecessary. Also The Press neglects to tell its readers that
Mayor Langford, in just the past 3 1/2 years, has eliminated at least 80 jobs
from the city pay rolls, through responsible policy changes.
If you
do the math, The Press contends there are 200 un-needed jobs on the rolls,
and Whelan created at least 100 of them. Without Whelan's bad management,
not including his scheme which would have added up to 50 more
jobs (which The Press always supported by the way), and with the
results of Mayor Langford already eliminating at least 80 jobs, that would
leave a target mark at only 20 supposed un-needed jobs.
This would have to be considered at least "not bad", for
less than one term served by Mayor Langford. Yet, The Press has never once
credited Langford for good leadership and fiscal responsibility. In fact, to the
contrary, they have attempted to propagate a falsehood that Langford has "added
employees to the city rolls".]
3. But sadly, the fact that city government in Atlantic City is overstaffed is not the most interesting thing about this audit. That's old news. And although the current administration has acted on some of the audit's recommendations, wholesale changes in how the city operates are unlikely. The unfortunate truth is that elections are won in Atlantic City by running City Hall as an employment agency for city residents - to a degree that far exceeds the baseline patronage in so many other cities.
[DPH: This is patently false! Mayor Langford and his
administration has used many creative methods, including early retirement
initiatives and successful collective bargaining methods, to name a few, in
order to decrease the burden to the taxpayers. Langford's truly bold and
innovative management of Atlantic City, has taken a city that he inherited
that was described in a state of 'Fiscal Instability", in the same
report that The Press is mentioning today, to a situation of "fiscal stability".
The Press knew this as they wrote the editorial and never
communicated to the public that Jim Whelan left a horrible
financial mess for the citizens of Atlantic City and for Mayor Langford to
clean up. And, in this same report, it is clearly articulated that by virtue of
Langford's leadership and good, sound fiscal policies, the city of Atlantic City
has returned to a situation of "fiscal stability". This is evidenced by the
third year of tax decreases consecutively. Shouldn't this have been worthy of
mention in a real, balanced Press editorial today?]
4. Why? Because a unique set of circumstances makes Atlantic City unlike virtually any place else.
[DPH: Why...Because The Press is desirous of putting
another Whelan ally in office, who will give them another free office at
taxpayers expense to spin their lies and half-truths right from within the
spaces of city hall in Atlantic City.
By the way, The Press has never acknowledged if they have
repaid the citizens of Atlantic City for the free office that they ripped
off from them all of those years. Wouldn't this be a good time for
them to prove that they made reimbursement or intend to finally make
the taxpayers whole again?]
5. The casino industry pays 80 percent of the property taxes collected in the city. Casino executives cannot run for office or makes donations to candidates who promise to run things more efficiently. They can't threaten to close up shop and move to another town. And most of the casino industry's employees live - and vote - elsewhere.
[DPH: IF The Press truly feels this way, than why didn't they
support, then Councilman Lorenzo Langford back in 1997, when the entire
political network was coming after him for being a public official and working
as a high-ranking executive in the casino industry?
Because, the truth is, they wanted Langford out of office
then, at any cost, just as they want him out of office at any cost today.
So, in reality, The Press saw Langford out of his job in the Casino industry
and helped bring it about. And, to make matters worse, when Langford
received another job within the city of Atlantic City, The Press worked with Jim
Whelan and the career political network of our area to steal that job
away from him, as well.
The truth, facts, or consistency have no bearing where The
Press of Atlantic City and it's political agenda is concerned] The Press
even acts like they admire and respect Craig Callaway today? Think about
it?]
6. That leaves City Hall with lots of money to spend and, relatively speaking, only a handful of people to answer to about how it is spent.
[DPH: When did The Press ever
hold Jim Whelan accountable for his runaway budgets, millions of dollars in
recklessly created lawsuits. They never held him accountable for the
malicious firing of a real Director of Revenue and Finance, Arthur Bunting,
(who today has helped Mayor Langford restore fiscal integrity to Atlantic
City).
This is evidenced by the
Mitchell & Titus Review, Moody's Investors, the NY Stock Exchange and all
Bond Ratings issued since Langford's policies have taken hold in the city of
Atlantic City. All of these entities whom are high again on the financial
condition and developmental opportunities in Atlantic City. They have further
described Atlantic City as, "On the move again"!
Why has The Press never recognized
any of these real accomplishments by Mayor Langford? This is the same Press of
AC that called Jim Whelan bold, innovative and courageous for concocting a
scheme to try and rip-off the taxpayers in order to give 40-50 high paying
jobs to his friends, and political cronies at a cost of
millions.]
7. Which brings us to what is interesting about this audit. Back in 2002, a 24-cent increase in the tax rate got the casino industry's attention. The industry was facing a tax increase of approximately $15 million and decided to speak up - and fund an audit.
[DPH: Here's one of the
biggest falsehoods of all. The Press knows, (because they have the
Mitchell/Titus Review in hand and referred to it in their editorial), but they
refused to inform their readers that Mayor Langford "inherited a condition
of "fiscal instability" from Jim Whelan.
They also refuse to inform the
readers that their new-found friend, Craig Callaway and allies on city council,
were intentionally making mischief with the Mayor's budgets, in hopes of
obstructing the return to fiscal responsibility, for their own political
purposes. In spite of these obstructive tactics, Mayor Langford restored a gold
bond rating and brought back fiscal solvency to Atlantic City. The Press may not
love Langford...but Wall Street and the Atlantic City taxpayers
do.]
8. But the Casino Association apparently lost its nerve after the audit was completed. It never released the audit. The Atlantic City Regional Chamber of Commerce, a partner in the project, did not release the audit. And - surprise! - the city government did not release the audit.
[DPH: I am not certain about the loss
of nerve by anyone. But, if The Casino Association and The AC Chamber
of Commerce commissioned an audit; who's responsibility do reasonable people
believe it is to release the findings of the audit? And, further, why
were there not more studies like these done when Jim Whelan was bankrupting
the city coffers? And why wasn't The Press asking these questions about their
pal, Jim Whelan back then.]
9. Now, the Casino Association has no comment on the audit, a copy of which was obtained by Press staff writer Derek Harper. The Chamber of Commerce says it was up to the city to release it. The city says it was up to the chamber.
[DPH: Now, here's a real
whopper by The Press. Anyone willing to be honest knows that Harry Hurley, of
Hurley in the Morning and HarryHurley.com fame, broke this story a week ago. The
truth of the matter, The Press, Derek Harper and anyone associated with The
Press ripped the story off of Hurley's radio program and web site, without
credit to him. (Wouldn't that be a case of unethical journalism practices?
But, yes we are talking about the Atlantic City Press here, are we
not?).
By the way, Derek Harper is the
greatest fiction writer hired by The Press, since Tom Peele. Does anyone
remember Tom Peele? You could attend a meeting or event with more than 300
people in attendance, but if it was not an event or individual that was in
the favor of The Press, it would be described as a "sparse crowd of friends
and supporters." etc.
I do not know or have never met Derek
Harper. But I do know his kind, and his writing makes him a soul mate to
his ruler, Paul Merkowski. And Harper's writing is the most uninteresting
fiction since Peele, for sure.]
10. Only in Atlantic City.
[DPH: Where else, can The Press and the career political
network attempt to grab for power for themselves and their special
interests, to once again, attempt to spread millions of dollars to their cronies
and friends. After all, The Press loves Craig Callaway, and Bob Levy now.
Need I say more?]
11. The Casino Association was on the right track when it commissioned the audit. It's a pity that somewhere along the line a decision was made to suppress the report.
[DPH: Why didn't The Press at
least feign this same sort of upset, when their pal Jim Whelan hid the Penoni
Report, (A Traffic Study), which was actually commissioned by the city of
Atlantic City at a cost of $75,000. When the results of the study did not meet
with Jim Whelan's political agenda, he hid the results of the report until it
was discovered by Harry Hurley on his radio program, "Hurley in the
Morning".
And when an expert study revealed a better way to direct
traffic, in contradiction of Whelan's plot, The Press just accepted the fact
that it was just "too late" to do anything about it. When is it ever "too
late" to battle misconduct and political corruption? The Press never
challenged Whelan once, when he truly suppressed a report that was
commissioned and paid for by Atlantic City. How can The Press attempt to
now suggest that the Langford Administration "suppressed" a review that they did
not even commission?]
12. Who knows? One of these days, a mayor might actually have the nerve to trim those 200 extra jobs from city government.
[DPH: The Press has refused for
3 1/2 years to credit Mayor Langford and his administration for their
outstanding management of the city. Jim Whelan created new lows in collective
bargaining methods, stiffed all of the city employees with a 2-year wage freeze
and went around the state of NJ on a speaking tour to brag about
it.
Mayor Langford has settled with
almost every union, (at least the unions that were sincere in wanting to
settle). Langford offered the most lucrative proposal in the history of
bargaining with Atlantic City's Police and Fire Fighters. And , for the first
time in history, Langford proposed doing it without attorneys on either
side in an effort to resolve the
contract.
13. Of course, any mayor who did would immediately
lose 200 votes.
Through honest, sound collective bargaining practices, the
Langford Administration has provided incentives for countless employees to
retire And, unlike his predecessor, Jim Whelan,Mayor Langford has not re-padded
the city coffers with cronies and friends.
Through responsible attrition, Langford has done more to
control the size and scope of government than any Mayor in Atlantic City
history. So, by doing the right thing, you probably would not have to lose
votes. But even if you did lose votes, wouldn't it still be the right
thing? Why hasn't The Press given Langford credit for these "bold"
initiatives?
The Press knows all of this, but has refused to tell its
readers the truth. I am reminded by a quote that fits perfectly here, so I will
conclude with this:
"But the fact that once established, that "The Press" is
impotent when it abandons itself to falsehoods".- Thomas
Jefferson
Sounds to me as though Jefferson knew a little about Paul
Merkowsi and Derek Harper-Peele and their like.]
Respectfully,
Don