...Pants on Fire

Though Chris Christie has called the practice "pension abuse," the AP is reporting that one of his top political advisers and fundraisers, John Inglesino, has a state job for $3,000 -- the minimum needed to remain in New Jersey's pension system.

He got the job from State Sen. Joe Pennacchio the day after his term as freeholder ended, when he would have no longer been earning credit towards a pension. It also happens that Inglesino's firm got one of Christie's no-bid contracts while he was US Attorney.

Christie had an interview scheduled with the AP yesterday, but he "abruptly canceled" it after the news broke.

Now State Senator Joe Vitale (see below for the press release he issued today) is asking Christie to call for the release of any documents that demonstrate the work Inglesino has done. "We all deserve to see exactly what this “political adviser” did in his state taxpayer funded job that allowed him to pad his pension."

This was Christie's take on pension padding a few months back: "The pension abuse is terrible,'' Christie said in a March interview on New Jersey 101.5. "I mean, let's face it. Part-time employees, people making $5,000 on somebody's staff being eligible for a pension? Being eligible for health benefits. On our dime? I would end it.''

These are his close friends. If he wants to end the pension abuse, he can start with them.

Links:
AP: Christie campaign adviser on N.J. state pension rolls
AP: Christie ducks questions on adviser's pension

For what it's worth, it wouldn't be the first time Christie's words don't match his actions.

Jersey Joe has trouble with brother in Brooklyn

Not since Ralph Kramden's last scheme with Ed Norton, has a guy got in to this much trouble in Brooklyn.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn with my brothers, and I will tell you it is one tough town for Republicans. Back in the day, the Brooklyn September primary was the election, and not a Republican could get elected. NY does their primary in the fall, rather than in June---a shorter campaign season, but a longer primary hall. Six of one, half dozen of the other, I guess.

So, it is not surprising that the “leader”in the Republican primary for the NJ Senate race---Joe Pennacchio--- has some problems with his Brooklyn boys. Funny, how each candidate---Zimmer [who could not get his own county’s endorsement] and Sabrin [who has ticked off a good majority of the county organizations] each call themselves the “leader”. The Republicans all have that hard ‘spin’ to the right.

It seems that according to a report by the Star Ledger, Pennacchio and his brother owned an old run down apartment building in Brooklyn in Coney Island. Yes, there are plenty of run down apartment buildings in Coney Island, but this one is special: Jersey Joe failed to report the building as an asset as required by law on his mandatory financial-disclosure report. Oops, watch that first drop on the Cyclone, Joe. It’s a doozy.

Pennacchio reportedly made $285,000 when he sold the property just a few months ago. That’s a lot of Nathan’s Famous Coney Island Hot Dogs. However, Joe did not list the dough in documents filed last week with the U.S. Senate. He did file an amendment to last week to correct the error.

According to the Star Ledger, Jersey Joe said “that he regrets ever getting involved with the Coney Island property because it has been nothing but trouble during the last 20 years.”

Ouch, sounds like he's really dissing the Lords of Flatbush.

One good thing out of all of this: Jersey Joe will most certainly be able to save the ten buck toll on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge—because he won’t be going back to Brooklyn very soon.

On the short end of the stick

I ran in to Hunterdon County Republican Chairman Henry Kuhl the other day, and we started chatting, as we will from time to time, about the 7th Congressional District race. The Republican have not been short of candidates there---there are seven –count’em---seven, at this time. Senator Leonard Lance seems to lead the pack, if there can be a leader in a pack of seven.

However, the Republicans have had a tougher time getting candidates in the race for United States Senate. Folks have been coming and going so quickly in that race. And some, like Andy Unanue, was gone before he came.

So, former Congressman Dick Zimmer was recruited to get in to the race. Zimmer lives in Delaware Township in Hunterdon County.

The last time Zimmer ran, he lost in a squeaker to Rush Holt in 2000. Before that, he lost the Senate race to Robert Torricelli in 1996. So, the last time he won a race --any race—he ran for Congress for the 3rd time against an unknown Democratic candidate, Joe Youssouf whom he beat by more than two to one. That was in 1994.

So, one would think that Zimmer could easily get the all-important-party line in his home county. Not a chance. The Hunterdon Republicans already endorsed Joe Pennacchio, giving him the line. But Kuhl called a meeting and reposed the question.

Last week both Pennacchio and Zimmer went before a special meeting of the Hunterdon County Republican Committee, to re-give the line to Zimmer. Problem was, Zimmer lost 34-30. So, Pennacchio won the line twice.

Chairman Kuhl’s answer: “He did not get his people there.” Certainly one would think that Zimmer knows more people than Pennacchio in Hunterdon. But, apparently, they were all ‘busy’ that night.

Zimmer has a long way to go to November, if he cannot win in his own county. He still must beat Prof. Murray Sabin and Joe "Nationalist Agenda" Pennacchio.