Sunday, May 31, 2015

Lodi politicians reinvent themselves…but they don’t take personal responsibility.






Nearly two decades ago, Mike Nardino settled to pay back $177,317 in illicit profits from insider trading.


Defendants Anthony Capricuso and Michael Nardino settled the case, without admitting or denying the allegations of the Commission's complaint, by consenting to entry of final judgments that permanently enjoin them from violating Exchange Act Sections 10(b) and 14(e) and Rules 10b-5 and 14e-3, and that order them to disgorge illicit trading profits of $301,447 and $177,317, respectively, plus prejudgment interest. Based on their demonstrated inability to pay, the disgorgement obligations of both Capricuso and Nardino were waived and no civil monetary penalties were imposed against them.




Then he demonstrated his inability to pay by taking his name off of everything, including his house.


The Lodi politicians don’t take personal responsibility for things today (Drug Alliance funding, unethical BOE votes, etc…) because they got away with so much in the past. 

Saturday, May 30, 2015

"Mark Anthony Printing", Garibaldi Ave.





Throughout the year, "Mark Anthony Printing" is all over the Lodi bills for NO BID printing jobs.  


An R-1 report dated May 15th still shows no printing costs for "United's" one mailer (the one they actually claim as a campaign mailer as opposed to a Borough newsletter).  They only list a "postage fee" paid to "Mark Anthony Printing".

If "Mark Anthony Printing" made an in-kind contribution (printing costs) to the politicians that give him NO BID Borough work throughout the year, that has to be reported.  


Those printing costs better not be appearing on Borough bills disguised as something else (just like a lot of food bills lately).


The political machine's perennial campaign treasurer Jerry Manzetti should be on top of these issues.  


Jerry Manzetti also happens to be the Treasurer of the Lodi Boys and Girls Club. 

Friday, May 29, 2015

New Lodi blog has a really interesting post today.



Someone other than myself started a new Lodi blog and it has a really interesting post today.  It includes information that I have completely overlooked.

I bookmarked this site.   I look forward to more interesting things to come.

Link to site:

http://lodinjprimafaci.blogspot.com/

Ad in Yesterday's Record (Sports Section)



If Joe or Jane down the street called the Borough Hall and asked to run their private  soccer or football camp at Kennedy Park this summer, what would they be told?


What arrangement did "lunabaseball" make with the Borough?

BOE Agenda is finally available for the May 27th meeting...







Link to agenda:


https://www.scribd.com/doc/267080782/BOE-Agenda-5-27-15


Towards the bottom of agenda, you can read about the completion of Quatrone's merit bonus goals.


You can also read about two newly created "Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction" positions.  One is going to Jaime Ciofalo, the President of the Lodi Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors.   Mike Nardino and Joe Licata are two very highly paid employees of the club.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Unfortunately, I cannot post the agenda to tonight’s BOE meeting.





On May 17th, I emailed Mr. Capizzi an OPRA request seeking a real agenda for tonight’s Board of Education meeting.  I thought a week and a few days was enough time.  I sent a reminder email yesterday.


Almost every district posts a detailed agenda on-line prior to their meetings.  This is nothing new.  They have been doing it for over ten years.


But the Lodi Board of Education still doesn’t post any agendas online and they won’t even provide a real agenda at their meetings.  And even when an OPRA request is submitted over a week in advance, they still won’t provide an agenda. 


It would be easier for Mr. Capizzi to post agendas on-line than having to respond to my OPRA requests.  I am going to post them on-line anyway.


I guess, technically, Mr. Capizzi has until tomorrow to provide the agenda to tonight’s meeting.  With Memorial Day, tomorrow would be the seventh business day (deadline under the Open Public Records Act).

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Licata, Nardino, the Mayor, and Council violated the law for years with drug alliance funding.






As Lodi Drug Alliance funds were being funneled to Joe Licata, this administration not only violated State statutes for Municipal Alliance funding, they also violated the Open Public Meetings Act.


They violated the law for years.  I brought this to their attention three years ago.  They lied time and time again when questioned at public meetings. 


Just this past October, Mike Nardino said he won’t use public notices for meetings and he won’t keep minutes.  He didn’t even know who was on the committee responsible for spending the thousands each year.  He felt that all the money should automatically go to him and Licata at the Boys and Girls Club and they should spend it however they like.  They liked spending it on “consulting fees” for Joe Licata.






Alan Spiniello said he was delivering a report on whether the Drug Alliance was in compliance at the April 14th Executive Meeting which was held upstairs in Tony Luna’s office.  He refused to discuss his report at any regular meetings.  The Borough withheld the minutes from that meeting on its website.  They hid the controversy well before the election.


I had to OPRA the minutes.  The minutes for that meeting are provided below.  It would be interesting to know what was discussed in “Closed session” right before item #14.





Mike Nardino and Joe Licata violated the public's trust.  Neither should have any part on the new Lodi Drug Alliance.  It is very disappointing that this Mayor and Council named the Nardino as the chairperson. 


The Mayor and Council have to pass a resolution appointing Nardino and the other 12 members. They can't just casually name some people upstairs in Luna's office.


The Alliance should not include anyone hooked up with Nardino and Licata at the BOE, the Lodi Boys and Girls Club, or Lodi Cares.  Laws are broken and funds are misspent because too many people are on the take.  They cannot be objective.