LETTER: Actions speak louder than freeholders’ words

This letter appeared in the Asbury Park Press over the weekend:

In seeing campaign signs for freeholders Lillian Burry and Gary Rich, I noticed their disingenuous slogan “Proven Leaders.”

When actions were taken on the freeholder board in 2009 to establish a county ethics board for addressing residents’ complaints, Burry opposed it in favor of self-policing.
She led the pack during some of Brookdale Community College’s darkest days. Year after year, Burry rubber-stamped funding requests with no questions asked.

During the first freeholder meeting after I left office in 2012, Rich seconded a motion in which the all-Republican board unanimously passed a resolution rescinding the county’s toughened pay-to-play laws. They wasted no time weakening the rules for political campaign contributions.

When a vote was taken in 2011 to approve a sitting mayor’s recently purchased 97-acre parcel of land for a taxpayer-funded open space grant, I was the lone freeholder to vote no. In 2013, both Burry and Rich voted to allocate $1.2 million to this mayor, Andrew Lucas of Manalapan, in exchange for preserving it as a farm (after he hosted a fundraiser for their previous campaign).

Later, an investigation by federal officials resulted in a jury trial handing down an 11-count conviction of Lucas based on illegal activities in acquiring the funding for the property. This year, Burry and Rich supported a resolution stating that public officials cannot participate in this publicly funded program. Really?

The residents of Monmouth County deserve proven leaders more than self-serving platitudes. Actions speak louder than words. On Nov. 4, reject the incumbents and vote for Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo for freeholder.

Amy A. Mallet
Former Monmouth County freeholder

APP LETTER: Elect Luttrell & Grillo Freeholders

Here's a letter to the editor that appeared in the Asbury Park Press the other day from a fiscally conservative Republican calling for the support of two Democrats running for the Monmouth County Freeholder positions:

I’m proud to be a consistent, fiscally conservative Republican. I work hard and feel that I know best how my money should be spent. That’s why this election, I will not be voting for the Republican incumbents running for freeholder. The reason is that they betrayed my trust.

Freeholders Lillian Burry and Gary Rich gave $1.2 million of our money to former Republican Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas as part of his “farmland deal.” Now Lucas is going to jail on 11 federal convictions.

A week ago, Rich said the freeholders deserve a raise. Fair enough, but that they should “get paid 5 times as much” is a bit much for me.

This is why I’m voting for two Democrats: Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo for freeholder this year. I’m happy to vote for two successful business owners. When you are responsible for the financial well-being of both your family and your employees, you can’t be anything but a fiscal watchdog.

I feel that Grillo and his runningmate will make sure our tax dollars are not wasted on sweetheart farm deals.

I’m voting for Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo for Monmouth County freeholder and county residents should too. On Nov. 4, let’s remind our elected officials that they work for us or they’re fired.

Joe Pepe
Asbury Park

Letter: Lillian Burry is M.I.A. at FMERA Meetings

I received the following letter today and thought I'd share it:

(Lillian Burry MIA at FMERA meetings)

As I sat in the back row of this past Wednesday evening's FMERA (Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority) monthly meeting, it occurred to me that once again incumbent Freeholder Lillian Burry who is County Freeholder appointee on the board, was absent from yet another meeting.

I was shocked to discover that Freeholder Burry has not attended five out of the last six monthly FMERA meetings. In fact, she has missed the last three meetings in a row.

Those are more missed meetings than the three Mayors of Fort Monmouth's host towns (Eatontown, Tinton Falls and Oceanport) have missed COMBINED in 2014! I was even more dismayed to learn that rather than doing the job she is elected and paid to do, this month she instead was attending a political fundraiser for herself, starring TV personality Geraldo Rivera!

If Ms. Burry can not fulfill her obligations as the Freeholder representative to the FMERA Board, she should resign the position immediately.

As a resident of Eatontown, which is one of the three host towns, attendance at FMERA meetings is serious business. As it is, it’s hard for me to see any progress on my town's portion of Fort Monmouth - no new jobs, no tax ratables and nothing under contract. Then, to have Ms. Burry (who is asking for your vote this November) not even show up is a disgrace.

Zero accomplishments in Eatontown's section of Fort Monmouth and a Freeholder that does not show up at FMERA meetings in order to attend a political fundraiser - that's why I am voting for Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo for Freeholder this year.

I am confident that Luttrell and Grillo will attend the required meetings and fight for the jobs we desperately need from Fort Monmouth's redevelopment efforts in all three towns.

Bob English
Eatontown

Democratic Candidates For Freeholder Go After "The Terrible Trio" In New TV Spot That Begins Airing Today

Monmouth County Democratic Freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo, are going up on Television today. They are fighting to get the message out to the over 630,000 residents of Monmouth County about how ineffective Republican incumbents Lillian Burry and Gary Rich are. Their TV spot will be running for 2 weeks on Verizon Fios, Comcast and Cablevision through major channels in their targeted demographics.

Watch the video HERE

APP Editorial: Freeholders bear some blame for Lucas fiasco

If you have been keeping tabs on the Andrew Lucas land deal, the Asbury Park Press published a very important editorial today, which blames Freeholder Director Lillian Burry, Deputy Freeholder Director Gary Rich and the all-Republican Freeholder Board for the land deal between Manalapan's Republican former Mayor, Andrew Lucas and Monmouth County. Last week Lucas was just found guilty on all 11 counts for illegally obtaining the property.

This is what Democratic candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo have been campaigning on for months, this editorial collaborates what they have been saying all along and is important for their campaign.  The good ol' boy network that has been running the County for years needs to be stopped and ethical behavior by those we elect needs to be reinstated.

From the APP:

Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas was convicted last week of falsifying tax returns and fraudulently obtaining funds to purchase a piece of property that netted him nearly $1.2 million in farmland preservation taxpayer money. 

Andrew Lucas

The convictions, for wire fraud, loan application fraud, making false statements to the Internal Revenue Service, aggravated identity theft, obstruction of a grand jury investigation and falsification could land him in jail for decades when he is sentenced in January.

While officials at the county and local level were quick to distance themselves from Lucas, the whole fiasco could have been avoided if the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders had long ago barred elected and appointed officials from participating in the farmland preservation program. In classic “closing the barn door after the horses have left” fashion, the freeholders did not get around to that until April.

The farmland preservation funding Lucas received for his 97-acre Diamond Developers at Burke Farm sparked controversy as some politicians rightly insisted he should not have applied for the money while he was a sitting officeholder in Manalapan.

After purchasing the farm, Lucas applied for and received $694,800 from the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, $277,920 from Monmouth County’s open space fund, and $185,280 from Manalapan. Under the deal, Lucas was allowed to keep the farm but gave up any right to develop 96 of its 97 acres. While Lucas faces jail, Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, who championed the deal from the beginning, now finds herself backpedaling at breakneck speed.

Burry said last week that the “guilty verdict against Andrew Lucas ... has nothing to do with the freeholders, the county or the farmland preservation program.” Lucas, she said, stands alone in that it was he who falsified the tax returns and fraudulently obtained funds to purchase the property.

Burry was not alone in acting as cheerleader for the deal. Manalapan Mayor Jordan Maskowitz and Committeewoman Susan Cohen also supported it from the beginning.
We are not buying Burry’s self-absolution....

Continue reading

Former Mayor Lucas Found Guilty in Land Deal; Democrats Call To Reinstate Ethics Board

Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas was found guilty on all 11 federal charges against him earlier today in his scheme that bilked Manalapan, Monmouth County and state residents of nearly $1.2 million of farmland preservation funds.  Lucas is now facing a long jail sentence in a federal penitentiary.

"A jury in federal court here has found former Manalapan mayor Andrew Lucas guilty of all charges in an indictment surrounding a questionable land deal that netted him nearly $1.2 million in taxpayer money.

The jury reached the verdict Thursday following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson.

Lucas, 37, remains free on a $500,000 bond, pending sentencing on Jan. 20, 2015, when he could face decades in federal prison..." - Asbury Park Press, 9/18/14

It should be noted that incumbent Freeholder candidates Lillian Burry and Gary Rich voted in favor of giving Lucas nearly $278K of Monmouth County open space funds. It's because of this and other alleged improprieties by the currently all Republican Monmouth County Freeholders Board that  Democrats are calling for the reinstatement of the short-lived Monmouth County Ethics Board.

"... Democratic candidates Joe Grillo and Larry Luttrell say the ethics board is needed to prevent recent scandals like the farmland preservation land deal involving former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas and financial improprieties by former Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham.

“The ethics board would be looking at any concerns or ethical issues in county government. It would be a place of redress,” Grillo said. “I think the freeholders owe it to the people we serve.”

Monmouth Democrats have been relentless in trying to pin those scandals and others to their opponents, Republican freeholder incumbents Lillian Burry and Gary Rich...."            - Asbury Park Press,  9/18/14

Monmouth County Freeholders Backtrack on Dirty Lucas Land Deal

For Immediate Release: 


MANALAPAN - The Monmouth County Freeholder Board has backtracked in their recent unanimous vote to exclude elected officials from New Jersey’s farmland preservation programs.

Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and her board have been harshly criticized for releasing $1.2 million in taxpayer money to Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas [R], under the semblance of an Open Space land grant. Mr. Lucas is now under an 11-count indictment because of the $1.2 million deal.

In October of 2011, Lucas hosted a fundraiser for Freeholder Lillian Burry on the very property that was awaiting funding by her and the Republican Freeholders. Freeholder Burry has since been criticized by fellow Freeholders for supporting the release of the funds, which passed on a 3-2 vote. Republican Freeholders Gary Rich and Serena DiMaso voted to release the money to Lucas, while John Curley and Thomas Arnone voted against.

Joe Grillo, candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder, stated “Freeholders Burry and Rich are doing a typical political flip-flop. Eight months ago, they voted for something that was clearly unethical. Now that our money is already gone, they admit what they did should be illegal.”

Candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder Larry Luttrell stated, “By passing this resolution, Freeholder Burry admitted that she was wrong to funnel $1.2 million in taxpayer money to Lucas. We cannot let a career politician like Lillian Burry get away with this.”

Slate Of Candidates Chosen By Monmouth County Dems

The Monmouth County Democrats held their annual candidate nominating convention to select the candidates who receive the Monmouth County Democrats column on the June Primary ballot this morning at the IBEW Local 400 Union Hall in Wall Township.

Those receiving the Monmouth County Democrat's endorsement and line on the June Primary ballot are as follows:

U.S. Senate Candidate:
Cory Booker

U.S. Congressional Candidate NJ-04:
Ruben Scolavino

U.S. Congressional Candidate NJ-06:
Frank Pallone

Candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder:
Larry Luttrell
Joe Grillo


Ruben Scolavino is an attorney from Freehold and was  the Democratic candidate for Monmouth County Sheriff last year who ran unsuccessfully against Sheriff Shaun Golden.

Larry Luttrell is from Holmdel and received the endorsement of the Asbury Park Press last year as he campaigned unsuccessfully for Monmouth County Freeholder.

Joe Grillo is from Asbury Park and until recently was the Executive Director of the Monmouth County Democrats.

Senator Booker and Congress Pallone are the incumbents and will be seeking reelection.

Monmouth Dems Executive Director Announces Asbury Park Council Candidacy

Speaking of profile pieces, there is another one online today worth mentioning if you just happen to a member of the Monmouth County Democrats or happen to live in Asbury Park.

Giuseppe "Joe" Grillo, Executive Director of the Monmouth County Democrats has announced that he will enter into the city’s May 14 non-partisan council race.

It's a very good and informative article, written by Mark Bonamo of NJ.Com, that gets to exactly who Joe, why he decided to move to and raise his family in Asbury Park and what he hopes to accomplish as a member of Asbury Park's town council.

" Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo moved to Asbury Park for one important reason more than six years ago.

" I chose Asbury Park specifically for its diversity, culture, people and creative spark,” Grillo, 36, said. “The place has the promise of a city that is coming back, and coming back strong. Public service is something that sometimes people take for granted. With the explosion of twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings moving into Asbury Park, we need to have a voice on the city council.”

The future of Asbury Park’s civic revival depends in part on its political leadership. Grillo’s official entry last week into the city’s May 14 non-partisan council race, in which all five seats will be filled, is a sign of Asbury Park’s changing face. A downtown resident, Grillo’s challenge will be building a coalition of voters who come from both the city’s more gentrified eastern neighborhoods and its still-struggling West Side...."     Continue

I've known Joe now for a couple of years, he's a really great guy and I wish him well!