The actual record of Mayor Jim Phillips and his “Team Old Bridge” on protecting open space and fighting overdevelopment doesn’t add up to the numbers that they are presenting to Old Bridge residents in their campaign literature.
The campaign literature of Jim Phillips, Ed Testino and Patrick Gillespie conveniently fails to detail their plan to sell 500 acres of township-owned property to developers. Their literature also doesn’t mention all the vacant land that Mayor Phillips and “Team Old Bridge” has auctioned off to the highest bidder during Mayor Phillips’ tenure. What do we use next year after all these one-shot budgetary fixes are not available? When I add up all of Mayor Phillips’ initiatives, I come up with a negative record on protecting open space and fighting overdevelopment.
I know that the numbers that “Team Old Bridge” is trying to sell to the residents are not a mistake because they are certainly good at counting – just look at all the paychecks and fringe benefits they receive from all their government jobs.
Jim Phillips is probably laughing all the way to the bank, counting the money from his three government jobs. Ed Testino is a quadruple-dipper with four government jobs, and Pat Gillespie is a double-dipper with two publicly funded jobs. And let’s not forget the township attorney, Jerome Convery – he was brought onboard by Mayor Phillips at the start of his term. He’s a double-dipper, making a very nice double salary with benefits.
It’s simply amazing to me that the taxpayers of New Jersey continue to allow this type of fiscal shenanigans that we all pay for. And while not illegal, the actions of some clearly border on how to twist the system to best benefit themselves instead of the taxpayers they represent. How our elected and appointed politicians and the other multiple-public jobholders work more than one full-time job is beyond me. Yet every other day we read about another one feeding at the public trough. I, like many other taxpayers, work a full-time job, and it doesn’t end at 40 hours. Also, my benefits don’t come anywhere near what the public officials here in Old Bridge get. And I know if I were working two full-time jobs at the same time, I would get fired from one of them.
I believe that Jim, Ed, Pat and Jerome are probably nice guys and would be great to socialize with, but I don’t want my buddies running the town. I want professionals who work for a fair wage for hours worked and are working for Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer and not for themselves and their buddies.
We need a change in Old Bridge. We need tax relief, new ideas and a new direction. To obtain that change, I’m supporting Councilman Richard Greene for mayor. I’m also supporting Brian Cahill and Owen Henry for Township Council.
Data on all public employees is available to everyone at www.thnt.com. Follow the DataUniverse link at the bottom right. The information comes from the state retirement system.
Dan Ostrowski
Old Bridge