Wednesday, November 28, 2007

FORMER ETHICS PANEL BOSS CONFIRMS THE SUSPICIONS OF MANY

On October 24, 2006, the New Jersey Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards held a meeting. It was the panel’s first meeting in almost 18 months. For several hours, the committee members bickered bitterly over who should be the new chairman. They eventually settled on Ray Bramucci and then spent the next hour arguing whether to adopt of the minutes of the previous meeting which was held in May of 2005. The minutes were not adopted, but the panel went on with the meeting anyway.

Bramucci has since stepped down saying he didn’t have the time to chair the panel and act as director of the Rutgers Prudential Business Ethics Center. He is now opening up about his time as chair of the Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards and he’s not painting a pretty picture.

“My experience as chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards was horrendous,” Bramucci now says, adding, “The hatred and personal animosity was unprecedented and it doesn’t have to be this way.” He doesn’t stop there. Bramucci says, “The lack of civility, the lack of personal respect has taken over and everything becomes a campaign issue.”

“There’s this gray area where you’re (legislators) not actually breaking the law, I saw it when I was chairman…..there were things that I didn’t think were very citizen-like but were perfectly legal,” Bramucci says, “I mean, if you can justify somebody having three offices, being a mayor an assistant superintendent of schools and a State Senator, if that’s reasonable….then I don’t know what the word reasonable means….we just can’t get it together because we have too much of a stake in protecting each other’s back among the elected officials.”

7 comments:

Fedupwith scum said...

How sad is it when the politicians have to debate ethics? Not a one of them has any. They feather their nest on the backs of the working people and snob their noses at any reform. Everyone of them should be voted out and get some new and hopefully honest blood in the office and make necessary change. Get Corzine the hell out of there before its too late!

Anonymous said...

It's sad when politicians have to debate what ethics are. Not a one of them has any. The best I can tell is they feather their nest on the backs of hardworking people and snub their noses at the law. Everyone of them should be remove and new uncorrupted representatives should be allowed to actually represent the people of NJ. Get Corzine out of here before he completely destroys NJ.

Anonymous said...

Political Hacks:
Why don't they get rid of all those so called appointed agents making 80,000 to 100,000 a year.A 35 hour work week,and come to the
job knowing NOTHING about the job. Why not promote within . The people of agencys have to teach the Agents ,how to do the job and are overworked terrible. IT IS MAKING THE JOB VERY STRESSFUL, NOT TO MENTION COMBINING THE Driver Testing with agency employees. Driver Testing is treated like a big joke, It used to be part of LAW and PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY!!! Why ? Doing DRIVER LICENSE IS NOT AN EASY JOB,thats why so many young drivers are having accidents today. Their learning and road testing is being jepordized by agency people not knowing the job.
THEY HAVE THIS MAYOR from Mayslanding as the head of operations and he is also Agent at Cardiff Agency. How can this not be wrong ? He came in knowing NOTHING ,now heading a Department getting paid three salaries. Tell me thats not PATRIOTISM. wHEN IS IT GOING TO stop??? Bring some law back into the job. What there doing opens the gates for FRAUD. To be a good Examination Tech ,it takes hard work,keeping up with the current laws ,Knowledge of many things. These agency people don't have a clue .Please someone listen and bring back some diginity to the job. Give Driver Testing people that care,not information clerks. There making a mockery of the law. Someone needs to listen to the people that take there job serious. Since all this political appointment, the State is going down hill. Give the people a chance that has years of experience not these appointed hacks.

Anonymous said...

Ethics went out with the bath water in New Jersey. Implement the RICO act and convict any public servant that violates the public trust. These sissey will run out of the State House in droves, like a wilderbeast stampede!! Staring down the barrel of a mandatory 20 year sentence would motivate some ethical behavior. There is no real concequences currently for violation of ethics, corruption etc...

Anonymous said...

Anyone out there that wants to challenge the MVC about there ethics and the way they are handling the current Agency practices ??? It's your childs life at stake,letting inexperienced clerks intervene in a job that takes a lot of knowledge. Get rid of the Political Hacks and put someone that knows the job, thoroughly. Promote from within. You could save big bucks and every time there is a political change in government, the place would still run with expertise. Ethics ! Let the employees get in a debate with the Goons in Trenton. Save our Driver Testing People. Every Agent has more than one State job. Lets STOP this NEPOTISIM NOW.

Anonymous said...

To the Jan.29th anonymous writer:

Try exposing the public servant.I know of an Agent charged with sexual contact, and it was covered up by the Trenton Democrats.
I know of an Agent that signs Id off for her black friends, but puts other races under a lot of stress and hardship. If you complain, your the one that gets the bad end of the deal. How would you handle a situation like that. It's Fighting a losing battle with the leadership thats in control now. I know First Hand.
Also FEDUPWITHSCUM has the right idea but where do we start ??

Anonymous said...

Backing Obama: How can Richard Codey back a person that won't salute the American Flag ?? I seen Obama on TV and he wouldn't salute the flag or even recite along with the others. He's a Muslim and that won't change. Shame on You Senator Cody !!!!