PRIDE Corruption: Violation of Election Laws...

Update:  We are now in June and PRIDE still has not disclosed any of its campaign contributors.  One month from now, PRIDE will be handing out NO BID contracts to its campaign contributors.  PRIDE will be making up new patronage jobs for its campaign contributors.  Joe Leto is currently voting on contracts as a BOE member (likely going to his campaign contributors being they are chosen by a Luna without any competitive process).  The public has the right to know who contributed to PRIDE and what they are getting in return.  It's the law.

As of May 12th , Lodi PRIDE mailed out 5 town wide flyers (estimated at $5,000 each).  PRIDE’s signs likely surpassed $10,000.  PRIDE had two full page ads in the Community News (thousands of dollars).  PRIDE inundated mailboxes with boastful letters (thousands of dollars).  PRIDE spent thousands of dollars on palm cards and handouts.  PRIDE admitted paying from its campaign account  to have Lodi teacher Joe Romeo display a PRIDE campaign poster in the Lodi High School cafetaria during a school event. 

Yet, PRIDE’s last ELEC report filed on April 30^th states the campaign  received a total of $14,520.  They claim the candidates loaned the campaign $7,800 and some unnamed contributor(s) gave $6,720. PRIDE reports it only spent $6,126. Clearly, PRIDE is concealing where its dirty money is coming from and where it is going. PRIDE is in clear violation of New Jersey Election Law.

PRIDE is among the worst pay-to-play abusers in the state.  Lodi taxpayers overpay hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for “professional services” when NO BID contracts are awarded to PRIDE campaign contributors.  PRIDE has a clear motive to conceal contributions from those currently ripping off the town.

PRIDE’s very own “puppet master” Tony Luna receives payments from the Main St. developer.  PRIDE has a clear motive to conceal money coming from any businesses or employees associated with JMP.

PRIDE is hooked up with the strip joints.  PRIDE has a clear motive to conceal money coming in from the real life Sopranos.

PRIDE is not a group of regular citizens.  They don’t fund their own campaigns.  Therefore, when they hide their money sources and expenditures, it is a serious problem.


Post Date May 12, 2019

Paramus violated election law today with a Record Advertisment featuring the mayor who is a candidate on Tuesday's ballot...

The advertisement is for “Paramus Affordable Housing Offices”.  Mayor LaBarbiera, who is a candidate for re-election in Tuesday's elections, is featured throughout the write up.

Within 90 days of an election, tax dollars cannot be used to feature candidates even if it’s for a borough newsletter or advertisement of services.

This is a clear violation.

I dealt with the subject in 2015 with Lodi.

I forced the Lodi mayor and council to use their campaign funds to pay for a borough newsletter they sent out shortly before their last council election.

Initially they billed the Lodi tax payers for a borough newsletter used to promote themselves before an election.  The cost was $7,052.25.

Some past posts on the subject:

https://lodioverhaul.blogspot.com/search?q=lodi+update+violation

Mike Nardino and “Children First” board members gave Frank Quatrone $154,648 in bonuses on top of his outrageous salary.

For six consecutive years, Quatrone received $25,108 bonuses.  Quatrone’s salary was already the maximum allowed under the law.

The bonuses were listed as “merit goals” but none were merit based.  None were tied to job performance.  Among the merit goals:  some “walk throughs” of the schools, placing numbered stickers above outside doors, and hiring consultants. 

Either Quatrone or Ciofalo wrote the goals.  The board puppets rubber-stamped the payments.

Nardino didn’t understand the goals.  He didn’t understand what was required for payment. 

Goals had to be set before the start of a school year.  Quatrone was required to update the board on the fulfillment of the goals throughout the year. 

At the end of the 2017 school year, Frank Quatrone  was questioned about not meeting 2 of the 5 listed goals (hibservention had glitches, observations of other districts for best academic practices and social-emotional practices never took place).

On May 24, 2017, Frank Quatrone emailed board members with substitutes for the goals that he never met.  This was a clear violation.  Goals had to be set before the school year began, not after Quatrone’s payment was already approved.

This was Mike Nardino’s response to Quatrone’s email:

“Good idea Frank, well done.”

Nardino didn’t have a clue.  He took the hard earned money of Lodi taxpayers and just gave it away.

Paying bonuses for goals not attained is just another example of Lodi CORRUPTION.