text:
Just moved and need a washer/dryer as soon as possible. Visited a local appliance store and this set was being offered for $1,499.00. Both are top-loaders.
We have space issue in the laundry room but these will fit and the washer is 4.7 cu. ft. Can't find any info on them. Have had FL in the past. Never used any Samsung appliances. Washer-4.7 cu ft VRT Top load Washer - #WA5451ANW/XAA
Would appreciate any feedback on Samsungs and anyone who has used these units. Jane |
Follow-Up Postings:
The dryer you reference is frontloading, not toploading. The only manufacturer offering a topload dryer on the U.S. market is Fisher & Paykel. Interestingly, Samsung does reference it as a toploading dryer on their web site, but that's clearly an error, the picture shows the door on the front. I'm assuming they mean that it's a matching dryer to their toploading washers. |
Thats weird! I looked at the spec sheet, and it says top loader. Guess that's not a good sign! Do you know anything about these machines? Not so concerned about the dryer as the washer. I don't want to make a big mistake. Thanks for pointing out the error. Jane |
I have a friend that has this set. She is very pleased so far. Nothing but good things to say about them. |
- Posted by fourgr8kids (My Page) on Wed, Aug 29, 12 at 17:09
Sorry, but cannot recommend ANY Samsung TL Washer/Dryer. I have posted on here previously re:this product. I have the WA5471ABPXAA01 washer, which is also a TL. I have had problems from the very beginning, one being spinning the clothes into almost a pulp. After numerous repair visits, latest being replacing the computer, I have just learned to live with it. But now that I am having the terrible smell developing, although I used Afresh, I have decided it is, again, time to call Samsung. My laundry room is adjacent to our bedroom & it is not pleasant, nor healthy, to have that smell drifting into the bedroom. And after spending upwards of $2700 for the set, no one is going to tell me I have to then spend another $8.99 for a 3-pk of freshener for the washer! Fix the problem, already!!! I would not buy a Samsung, under any circumstances. Just research a bit, on this site, or any other for that matter. You will see what I mean. |
Thank you fourgr8kids, your comments have made my decision. I remember your posts regarding Samsung. I thought it was a different machine. Back to square one. I have searched this forum and am so confused by it all. I would prefer a top loader because of space (or lack of it) but do not want to deal with tangling issues. I looked at the Speed Queen, but they are smaller and I need a big drum. I wash comforters, rugs, king sheets, etc. We are living without a washer and dryer since we moved in (1 week) and its been a nightmare. The Appliance store told me they could deliver the Samsungs in one day so I was hoping for better reviews. Thanks again, |
- Posted by appliance-sales-dude (My Page) on Thu, Aug 30, 12 at 2:05
Go for the new top load LG's...the washer is a 4.5 and the dryer I believe is a 7.3 cubic foot machine. LG WT5101 and LG dlgx5102..they come in white and platinum |
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The Global Intelligence Files,
files released so far...
Index pages
by Date of Document
Our Partners
Al Akhbar - Lebanon
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McClatchy - United States
Nawaat - Tunisia
NDR/ARD - Germany
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Philip Dorling - Fairfax media contributor - Australia
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Publico.es - Spain
Rolling Stone - United States
Russian Reporter - Russia
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Taraf - Turkey
The Hindu - India
The Yes Men - Bhopal Activists
Sunday Star-Times - New Zealand
Community resources
courage is contagious
The Global Intelligence Files
On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.
Re: When you were offline (via LivePerson)
Released on 2013-02-13 00:00 GMT
Email-ID | 32526 |
Date | 2010-09-16 06:25:42 |
From | firstname.lastname@example.com |
To | email@example.com |
Licensing, Custom Monitoring and Library Licensing under Enterprise
Services? We are trying to get as much information as we could get before
we make our recommendation to our bosses. Thank you for replying to our
earlier e-mail and we hope to hear from you again.
--- On Wed, 9/15/10, Solomon Foshko <email@example.com> wrote:
From: Solomon Foshko <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Subject: Re: When you were offline (via LivePerson)
To: email@example.com
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 4:36 PM
Thank you for your interest in STRATFOR services. We don't have a
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The primary difference enterprise users have access to are data mining
capabilities of our archives. On the individual side members are able to
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is a 14 day archive limit for contextual information for background
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On Sep 15, 2010, at 2:40 AM, email@example.com wrote:
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While I'm out in Kauai, man, soul searchin'
from Childish Gambino – Pound Cake (Sway In The Morning Freestyle) Lyrics on Genius
Kauai (aka Garden Isle) is the oldest Hawaiian island known, very exclusive. He's probably out there vacationing and reflecting on his actions and trying to find himself.
Possible reference to Soul Surfer, a surfer movie filmed in Kauai
To help improve the quality of the lyrics, visit "Pound Cake (Sway In The Morning Freestyle)" by Childish Gambino Lyrics and leave a suggestion at the bottom of the page


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Contact Us |
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Shop at Insane Irving's for the best casual wear, work wear, and footwear, including one of the largest selections of work shoes in all of New England. You'll be able to find all of the brands you know and trust for your family at prices you'll barely be able to believe. Even better, our selection of brands and inventory is constantly expanding. You never know what you'll find at Insane Irving's from one day to the next!
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Lucas, Stephanie M. MSN, RN, OCN
Adjunct Faculty Duquesne University School of Nursing Pittsburgh, Pa.
The author has disclosed that she has no financial relationships related to this article.
MS. L, 63, ARRIVES in the outpatient chemotherapy clinic for her scheduled treatment. During your assessment, she tells you her back has been aching for the last 2 days. She's been taking acetaminophen at home with no relief. Ms. L was diagnosed with multiple myeloma 10 months ago and a recent bone scan revealed several new lesions. She's been coming to the clinic once a month for chemotherapy.
Ms. L says her back pain woke her up during the night about 2 days ago. She denies any recent falls or trauma. The back pain originates in the lower thoracic region of her spine. She describes it as a constant ache that radiates to both legs and is exacerbated by ambulation or other movement. Ms. L also reports decreased sensation and tingling in both feet. Her gait appears ataxic. On exam, she has 3/5 muscle strength and decreased deep tendon reflexes in both legs. She denies any recent changes in bowel or bladder function.
Multiple myeloma can cause skeletal destruction from the formation of osteolytic lesions. These lesions can invade the epidural space or cause a pathologic fracture. Either of these complications will compress the spinal cord.
Based on the history and physical assessment findings, Ms. L is likely experiencing malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC). Notify the healthcare provider at once; a delay in diagnosis or treatment can lead to severe neurologic impairment such as paraplegia.
Ms. L is transferred to the ED for further evaluation. She's sent for an emergency magnetic resonance imaging of the spine for a definitive diagnosis of MSCC. If spinal cord compression is identified, she'll receive dexamethasone to reduce spinal cord edema and help control pain. Initial pain management with an I.V. or oral opioid is also a high priority to alleviate discomfort associated with cord compression. She's immediately sent to radiation oncology for external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) to control the spinal cord lesion and preserve neurologic function.
Monitor Ms. L's pain intensity level and neurologic status including motor, sensory, and bowel and bladder function every 4 hours to detect changes suggesting complications from MSCC, including paresis. Depending on her response to EBRT, a neurosurgeon may be consulted for a laminectomy.
Permanent neurologic and sensory deficits may remain as a result of spinal cord damage. Collaboration with physical and occupational therapy can help Ms. L with residual motor deficits. Ensure that fall prevention strategies are in place. Teach her to promptly report any episodes of back pain, numbness or tingling, or changes in bowel or bladder function. When she's discharged home, refer her to social services or local support groups and ensure that family members or neighbors will be able to assist her in the event of another cord compression or other emergency.
© 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
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For Mayor Palmer, this lop-sided, David & Goliath battle taught an important lesson, saying "It [the vote] also shows that money in and of itself isn't always the deciding factor when you have people in a grassroots way involved in the issue."
That's a frightening statement for those many involved in politics. Money, NOT the deciding factor??? A couple of citizens with $13,000 beating big corporations spending $1.2 Million? In the world created by the "Citizens United" decision, where corporate money has been given status as First Amendment protected speech, that is a heretical notion that cannot be allowed to stand!
This may be the main reason that since the 2010 failure of the Trenton sale, the main action on the issue of municipal water ownership in New Jersey has taken place mostly out of public view, in the New Jersey Statehouse.
Legislation has been written, and it has worked its way through the legislature to forestall future grassroots efforts, and make it much more difficult – if not outright impossible – for citizen opposition leading to voter referenda over water utility sales and privatization in Trenton and elsewhere in New Jersey.
If it becomes much more difficult for voters to force a public referendum, that will level the playing field for those companies and interests who covet public assets but whose massive reserves of cash can no longer be depended on to deliver their desired results inside voting booths.
Governor Christie has on his desk (and will surely sign) the 2014 "Water Infrastructure Protection Act" (A3628/S2412), passed overwhelmingly in December by large bi-partisan majorities of the Legislature (our local Senator and Assembly members thankfully voted against it). In the words of the official legislative statement accompanying the bill, this new law "authorizes municipalities to long-term lease or sell their water assets, without any referendum, if an emergent condition exists" [Emphasis mine - KM]. The full text of the bill can be found here.
If a municipality states that an emergency exists with the existing water service, a process can begin that can lead in very short order to a local council vote and state approval and certification to authorize a sale or long-term lease, with minimal public input other than one open hearing. A public effort in opposition would have only a very short time, [EDITED] only 20 days after such certification, to circulate a petition to gain enough signatures – 15% of the number of voters from the preceding state election – to force a referendum.
"Emergency" is broadly defined within the law. Long-term violations or deficiencies in water quality count as emergencies. So does long-term neglect to properly maintain, repair and upgrade facilities and equipment. It's not hard to think of situations where cash-strapped towns could,hypothetically, starve a water works of investment, maintenance and manpower for years, saving some money in the process, then claim that the inevitable breakdowns have created an emergency that only a private buyer with deep pockets could fix.
It's not hard at all, is it?
If Trenton's voters had not decisively defeated that million dollar effort four years ago, I seriously doubt that the Water Infrastructure Protection Act would not today be sitting on the Governor's desk awaiting signature. David beat Goliath, so the effort shifted to try to ensure David wouldn't get another shot in the future.
Despite the mismanagement of the last few years, I still believe the Trenton Water Works is a valuable public asset, and should remain so. I consider the new state law as little other than a legislated attempt to make the democratic process more difficult for regular citizens, and easier for those who might seek to acquire public assets, at bargain prices, for private gain. This law just makes it easier to steal public water.
I don't know how this may play in the rest of the state. But here in Trenton, the memory of the 2009-2010 water sale is still fresh. I would hope that any administration and council contemplating a quick and easy asset sale to provide a future short-term budget fix might keep in mind the 80-20 drubbing that the last proposal received, and choose to avoid a repeat of 2010.
It happened once. It could happen again.
]]>George, said his father, do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry-tree yonder in the garden? This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm [...]]]>
George, said his father, do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry-tree yonder in the garden? This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth, he bravely cried out, "I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet."–Run to my arms, you dearest boy, cried his father in transports, run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son, is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold.
21st Century Version, Trenton, NJ:
Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson presided over the official lighting of the city's Christmas tree on the front steps of City Hall Friday evening.
The 35-foot Norway spruce did not travel far to become the City Hall's official tree. It was cut down from Franklin Park and brought to City Hall on Nov. 18, said city spokesman Michael Walker.
Earlier this year the city reached out to residents in search of someone willing to donate an acceptable tree to the city, but the search was ultimately unsuccessful, so they turned to the city's parks for a tree tall enough to fit the bill, Walker said.
For the second year running, the City of Trenton seems to have had problems with its official City Hall Christmas tree. And although in the grand scheme of things Trentonian this may be a fairly small matter, I offer it as a cautionary example of the damage that continues to be done – in our name – by those who govern this town.
Last Holiday Season, if you recall, in the last discontented winter of the Mack Administration, it looked for a while that a cash-strapped Trenton would do without a tree to grace the front steps on the State Street entrance of City Hall. However the Administration, blessed by City Council, used $450 in Federal Community Development funds to purchase a nice, 20-foot Norway spruce.
I didn't think that this wasn't a very productive use of a Federal grant, and suggested that members of Council should each pitch in a few bucks, instead. In the spirit of the Holidays, you know? Take a little of the burden off the taxpayer, you know? To put my money where my mouth was, I along with a few other Trentonians got the ball rolling by sending a few donations to the City.
The ball didn't roll very far, as it turned out. To my knowledge not one member of Council made any effort to match our donations. In fact, one member actually got indignant at the very suggestion. Anyway, last year's Christmas spirit was made possible by a generous grant of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ho, Ho, Ho!
This year, for its first Christmas, the Jackson Administration wanted to make sure they had a tree for City Hall. The Times quoted City Spokesperson Michael Walker as saying they looked for someone to donate a tree. That wasn't successful, so they just cut one down from the city's Franklin Park. With some ornaments, some lights, presto! Christmas spirit! The tree Lighting made for a nice photo opportunity, and the pictures that ran in the paper are awful pretty.
But now, the holiday season is over. After standing for a month, the tree started coming down yesterday. WPVI-6 got some footage and soundbites from the city crew working in the frigid temperatures we've been having. The nice photos will now go into a photo morgue and city archives. The tree will be off to an unknown fate, probably involving a wood chipper and the word "mulch." About the only thing that will live on past this one month is the stump in the ground where a beautiful, living, healthy 35-foot publicly-owned piece of our outdoor heritage used to thrive.
A Christmas tree is a thing of beauty for a short while, but a stump is forever.
That's why most people – at least the ones who live in houses on their own lot or property – end up buying their natural Christmas trees from vendors who get their trees from tree farms. Cutting down a tree on one's own property isn't something that can be sustained for very long, after all. Most people can easily grasp that fact. The City of Trenton can't.
City trees, on public park property, should not be seen as a resource that can be harvested for purposes as fleeting or as temporary as a single holiday season. Call me naive, but I don't think that Franklin Park, or any city Park, should be looked at as a tree farm.
Oddly enough, the Trenton City Code thinks the very same thing. Trenton's City Ordinances has a lot to say about trees in this town, those that grown on private property as well as those that grow on Public Property. Chapter 287, in fact, is all about Trees. One of the things that our Ordinances insist upon is that trees on public property cannot be easily removed. Language in Section 4B, speaking about trees on Public Property, states that "no tree shall be removed prior to the posting of a notice that a public hearing may be requested to determine whether removal of the tree is necessary to protect the health, safety, or welfare of the residents of the City. [Emphasis mine - KM]" There's other language that's relevant, but that's the key section.
The intent of the city's laws is clear: trees are valuable, they are protected, and they are definitely not to be harvested for any reason but risk of imminent danger to the City's residents. For sure, no exception is carved out to allow for use as an "official" Christmas tree.
The city Ordinance is serious about this. It provides that violations of its terms can result in pretty serious punishment. Namely, one or more of the following: a fine of up to $2,000; up to 90 days in the County Jail; and/or up to 90 days of Community Service.
Serious stuff. Definitely not, "Ho, Ho, Ho." Very "No, No, No!"
So, how did the City choose to raid one of its own parks to cull a hardy Trenton survivor to provide a mere 4 weeks of Comfort & Joy?
I don't know.
I tried to find out. I filed an Open Public Records Act request on December 8 to get information on the process that was used to select the tree. I specifically asked for documentation showing that the city complied with the requirements of Chapter 287. Like the parts mentioning "posting of a notice," "hearings," determining whether the proposed removal is "necessary to protect" Trentonians.
The City's response came, after some delay, on New Year's Eve. Perhaps I should not have buried the lede until now, but I am sure you won't be surprised to read that the response I got from the City was – Nothing. Nada. Zip.
The City cannot tell me, or more likely will not tell me, how this tree was selected or harvested. The City can't or won't tell me who was approached to donate for the tree, as Mr. Walker told the press. The City can't even tell me who donated to last year's tree. Hello! I can show you my canceled check!!
If you are reading this, you likely: a) are not surprised I got blown off by the City; b) are pretty sure the City did not follow any of the laws regarding Public Property and are attempting to cover up possible liability by one or more persons to avoid possible punishment; and c) do not regard assets and resources belonging to the citizens of Trenton as subject to being casually used, consumed, harvested, destroyed.
And this brings me back to the story of Mr. Washington as told (possibly apocryphally) by Parson Weems., When the young George committed violence against a valuable cherry tree, he 'fessed up to his father. His father was prouder of the honesty and courageousness shown by his son when he took responsibility for his actions, than he was of the offense itself. This fable has come down to us for more than two centuries, as a lesson about the character of the man called Father of the Nation.
Contrast that, for a moment, with the Administration of the City of Trenton. The City was presented with a request for information, with an unstated but implied suggestion that the festive Holiday Spruce adorning the exterior of City Hall perhaps perhaps may have, in fact, been procured in violation of City laws. Information that we are entitled to have.
Instead of volunteering whatever information and documents it has, even if that information may reveal mistakes or deliberate wrongdoing, The City is clamming up. "We know nothing, we have nothing, we did nothing wrong."
So, what does that tell you about the character of these guys?
Happy New Year!
]]>Dear Mayor Jackson:
For much of the last three months, I have been mostly cautiously optimistic that your new administration is making a promising start to unwinding the massive damage to the City of Trenton and its local government sustained over the last four years. You've started to rehabilitate the City's reputation. It has [...]]]>
Dear Mayor Jackson:
For much of the last three months, I have been mostly cautiously optimistic that your new administration is making a promising start to unwinding the massive damage to the City of Trenton and its local government sustained over the last four years. You've started to rehabilitate the City's reputation. It has a long, long way to go, but I've generally feel encouraged.
However, amid the many positive signs of progress – the mostly drama-free appointment of department directors and senior staff, early success in winning key grants to help restore the town's public safety departments, a transition report that lays out an ambitious agenda for your team, mending relationships with Trenton's neighbors in the County and the State – I still find too many frequent nagging indications that much of the Same Old Business As Usual is back in effect. These are troubling to me, and threaten to undermine a lot of your early progress. Specifically, I refer to the ongoing leftover baggage from your campaign finances that I have been bothered with for months.
Contributions to your campaign from the ICE PAC Political Action Committee and its close association with the Long Marmero law firm raised questions of conflicts of interest and violations of the spirit if not the letter of the city's Pay-to-Play (P2P) Ordinance in the first weeks of your administration.
The donation to your campaign was specifically cited by the Executive Director of the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) in his call to strengthen New Jersey's statewide P2P legislation. In his August 14 article in PolitickerNJ.com, ELEC's Jeff Brindle sees the need for new legislation to "offset some of the increasing influence of independent groups over our electoral system…[and] help to dispel the confusion that often reigns at the local level of politics as evidenced by the situation in Trenton."
So, to outside but knowledgeable observers we still have a "situation in Trenton!" And unfortunately, for the many signs of forward movement, there is still some leftover baggage from your campaign that, unless corrected, will continue to suggest we will have a "situation" here for some time to come.
Baggage such as we read in today's Trenton Times. In Jenna Pizzi's story about the reconstitution and first meeting of the "Mayor's Economic Advisory Council," Ms. Pizzi reports that one of the members of this Council is former Senator Robert Torricelli. Mr. Torricelli generously contributed to your mayoral campaign. There is nothing wrong with that by itself.
But Mr. Torricelli's total contributions exceed the legal minimum allowed under state ELEC law. Unless and until your campaign returns the excess amount – $1,000 – I do not believe it is appropriate for Mr. Torricelli to sit on your Council or any public body of the City of Trenton.
This should not be news to you. I wrote in this space back in April that Mr. Torricelli had, under his own name as well as that of his Woodrose Development LLC, donated to your campaign a total of $3,600, whereas the legal maximum permitted is only $2,600. I wrote on April 22, "Since the maximum donation allowable from any one individual for a campaign is $2600, Mr. Torricelli has exceeded the legal maximum by $1000. Mr. Jackson now has to refund an excess of $1000."
I reported those numbers based on disclosures made by your campaign's own ELEC reporting, should there be any doubt of the accuracy of that number.
However, from April 22 to today, as evidenced by your subsequent filings with ELEC, your campaign has failed to return the excess contribution as state law would require. You have not even acknowledged a problem with the excess contribution.
I don't know why you have not yet done so. But if, as I would hope and expect, you want to focus on the early positive steps you and your Administration have been taking, you should swiftly take action which would help to get rid of much of the baggage carried over from your campaign.
Continuing to ignore this problem – as you have since April – you may risk clouding the productive things you are doing, and help perpetuate a feeling that despite the publicly visible forward motion there is still a "situation in Trenton" under the surface.
Whenever you do things like hold on to that excess money and let Mr. Torricelli sit on your Council, you do a disservice to Trenton's citizens, and allow a perception that the bad old ethically suspect days are not all behind us.
I don't want that. I can't believe you want that either.
Kevin Moriarty
]]>A resolution to grant a $20,000 contract for legal services to the law firm of Long Marmero & Associates LLP has been pulled from tonight's session of Trenton's City Council, due to serious allegations of ethical violations [...]]]>
A resolution to grant a $20,000 contract for legal services to the law firm of Long Marmero & Associates LLP has been pulled from tonight's session of Trenton's City Council, due to serious allegations of ethical violations on the part of the firm, allegations filed by the Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE) of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Those allegations are serious enough that I can't see the City moving forward with this contract proposal. That deal is Dead on Arrival.
The Administration pulled the resolution from tonight's Council agenda after New Jersey blogger John Paff yesterday brought to light the complaint filed against the firm by the state on February 19 of this year. This filing alleges that a non-attorney administrator working for the firm spent over a 3-year period (2009-2012) nearly $200,000 of client trust account funds – funds which by law must be used only for client-related purposes – to pay other expenses for the firm. This included nearly $70,000 to cover bank account overdrafts (which is pretty remarkable!), a $27,000 payment to firm name partner Douglas Long, and $35K to cover a company payroll.
The firm responded in May with a formal brief filed with the state Supreme Court's Ethics Committee in May, and the next step will be a hearing on the matter by the Committee. As of this morning, I have no knowledge that one has been scheduled.
In a separate statement reported this morning by Jenna Pizzi in her article for the Trenton Times, Mr. Marmero tried to minimize the severity of these charges, describing them as "several instances of bookkeeping in the past that did not meet technical requirements."
Despite Mr. Marmero's attempt to dismiss this as a "bookkeeping" problem, this is all serious stuff, which could lead to several sanctions against the firm, up to and including disbarment. A quick perusal of disciplinary actions taken by the OAE over the last several years readily demonstrates that. Mr. Marmero is whistling past the graveyard if he thinks that repeated trust account violations over three years are just failures to meet "technical requirements."
The City absolutely correctly concluded that a law firm currently tainted as it is by these charges should not represent the City of Trenton in any new legal matters, and was justified in pulling the resolution. I applaud that action by the City's Law Department.
It is now up to Mayor Jackson to take the next logical step. During his campaign this Spring, Mr. Jackson's election fund accepted a February 25 donation of $8,200 made by "ICE PAC," a political action committee formally known as "Initiate Civic Empowerment," an entity very closely – in my mind, too closely – associated with Long Marmero. Albert Marmero, the firm's other name partner, was Treasurer of the PAC for several years, yielding that position to another Long marmero employee. The address for the PAC is the same as the firm. Based on the available evidence, ICE PAC exists primarily as the political action arm of the Long Marmero firm.
The payment to Mr. Jackson – the maximum allowed by State Law – was made less than one week after the OAE filed its complaint. Although no Long Marmero firm funds were included in the contribution, the close association of the law firm's principals and employees with the PAC surely taints it. He should return the PAC money.
Mr. Jackson should also return $2,600 he received from the Bridgeton Democratic Organization in February. This organization made the contribution to the Jackson campaign mere days after receiving a donation in the exact same amount from ICE PAC. Since the finances of the Bridgeton group are murky – having failed to submit required quarterly reporting to the state's Election Law Enforcement Commission since 2008 – it is impossible to feel comfortable about this donation as well. I noted last month that the timing and sequence of donations from ICE PAC to Bridgeton to Jackson seemed too convenient to be coincidental. And that was before yesterday's revelation of the state ethics complaint.
Both of these transactions have looked strange to me since April. The murkiness and the aroma have only increased since then. It's not going to look any better any time soon. The Jackson Administration made a good move yesterday to cut ties with the Long Marmero firm. The Jackson Campaign needs to make a clean break as well. These two donations need to be returned ASAP.
I've repeatedly criticized Mr. Jackson and his campaign for this and other problems that the candidate, now Mayor, stubbornly refused to address. Despite some encouraging action and rhetoric coming out of City Hall from the still new Administration and its friends in county, state and federal government, incidents like these will cloud the Administration's efforts if they continue to linger and are ignored until revelations like yesterday's come into the light.
I also frequently quote Mr. Jackson's own words on these matters, because they are true on their own, and because Mr. Jackson publicly and clearly set a high bar for his expectations for himself in office, and all those of his administration.
In March of this year, in the midst of the mayoral campaign, Candidate Jackson wrote, "[T]he next mayor has to lead by example. Municipal government is only as strong, ethical and transparent as its leader. The mayor must make it clear to every employee working for the city and its independent agencies that there is zero tolerance for corruption, personal enrichment or dishonesty."
Mr. Jackson has an opportunity today to lead by example. He needs to show us what zero tolerance means to him.
He needs to return these two tainted donations.
]]>The opinion piece was written and submitted [...]]]>
The opinion piece was written and submitted before last night's news that the proposed legal services contract with the Long Marmero & Associates law firm, as well as another proposal from the firm of Eric M. Bernstein & Associates, have been withdrawn from consideration at tonight's City Council meeting, at the request of the NJ Department of Community Services (DCA). DCA asked to review the two contracts, likely as a result of the questions that have been raised about the relationship between Long Marmero and the ICE PAC Political Action Committee.
ICE PAC earlier this year made a donation to the Eric Jackson campaign on February 20 this year, Check #1056 in the amount of $8,200, the maximum allowable under state law. The Treasurer of ICE PAC is Albert Marmero, a name partner of the firm. The PAC's address is the same as the Long Marmero firm. Eric Bernstein has been a contributor to ICE PAC for the last three years, according to records filed by the Committee with the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Mr. Marmero and David Minchello, Trenton's Law Director, deny that these matters violate Trenton's city ordinance, and are perfectly legal due to provisions in the city's law that are effectively loopholes.
Still, DCA asked to review the situation, suspending these two proposed legal contracts, while allowing others tonight to be considered by Council. Director Minchello doesn't see this move as a roadblock. In today's Trenton Times article by Jenna Pizzi, Mr. Minchello is quoted as saying, "'We hope to receive the approval of the DCA'… The additional review, he said, is 'just in an abundance of caution.'"
Mr. Minchello should be prepared to wait a while for the result of that review. It's likely to involve some investigation by ELEC on a couple of other ICE PAC-related transactions involving the Jackson campaign.
Back in April, in a piece discussing what I considered to be several puzzling items in Mr. Jackson's campaign finances, I noticed a contribution from the "Bridgeton Democratic Organization" to Jackson's campaign, in the amount of $2,600, on February 25 of this year, as can be seen on the Jackson ELEC report for the first three months of this year, filed on April 14 and available here.
I didn't have a clue then, and still don't, about what interest a municipal Democratic Committee in Cumberland County would possibly have in Trenton's non-partisan mayoral election that would lead them to make such a large donation.
At the time I wrote that, I couldn't look any further into that transaction, both because ICE PAC had not filed any of the legally-required reports with ELEC since 2012, and the Bridgeton Democratic Organization had not filed any ELEC reports since 2008.
One June 3, though, ICE PAC filed all their late reports with ELEC, one day after I wrote another column about the connections between the PAC and Long Marmero. On the report for the first quarter of 2014, which can be seen here, the $8,200 contribution to Eric Jackson on February 20is disclosed on Page 14.
As is, remarkably, a February 20 contribution, Check # 1057 in the amount of $2,600 to… the Bridgeton Democratic Organization.
The notation for that contribution, appearing right next to that to Jackson, is "Primary, Cumberland." It's impossible to cross-check that with the financial records of the Bridgeton Organization because, as I have mentioned, they haven't filed any reports with the state since 2008.
Can it be coincidental that on the very same day that ICE PAC writes Check #1056 – for the maximum legal amount – to Jackson for Mayor, ICE PAC writes another check – #1057 – to the Bridgeton Democrats for $2600; and that organization sends a donation – in the exact same amount - to the Jackson campaign, five days later?
Sure, it might be a coincidence.
But this kind of "coincidence" payment from a contributor to a Trenton Mayoral campaign using a PAC as the conduit is what got Cooper Levenson in trouble in 2010, when that law firm – up for a legal contract with the Mack Administration – donated $7,200 to the "Partners for Progress" PAC, and that PAC made a contribution in the identical amount to Tony Mack's campaign.
Since the Bridgeton group hasn't filed any reports in a half dozen years, this will not be easily or quickly resolved.
With the records that are publicly available as of today, a picture is being drawn which strongly suggests that, apart from whatever the determination is made about ICE PAC and Long Marmero's compliance with Trenton's Pay-to-Play law, ICE PAC may have wheeled a separate contribution to the Jackson campaign that would have illegally exceeded the maximum amount allowable under New Jersey election law.
]]>Politicians elected by their fellow citizens to improve the quality of life for their constituents too often end up taking advantage of their office for personal gain.
Taxpayers who believe [...]]]>
Politicians elected by their fellow citizens to improve the quality of life for their constituents too often end up taking advantage of their office for personal gain.
Taxpayers who believe their hard-earned money is going toward improving schools, roads and public safety instead learn that it is being spent to line the pockets of the connected few.
It does not have to be this way.
As New Jersey's capital city, Trenton must be a beacon to the rest of the state based on our diversity, the strength of our residents and the industry of our neighbors.
The next mayor of Trenton will not only have to clean up the mess left to him or her, but will have to restore the faith and trust Trentonians have rightly lost in their municipal government…
I should have written all of the above in quotes. By not doing so, you might have imagined that I wrote this.
Sorry about any misunderstanding!
These words are actually from Candidate Eric Jackson, published as an op-ed in the Trenton Times, waaaaaay back in March when he was telling voters that this city needed a leader with "zero tolerance for corruption," and that he was that leader.
Re-reading the op-ed, I keep looking for an asterisk after "zero tolerance," but I can't find it. Because this morning, it sure does look like the intent of Mr. Jackson's bold declaration is that "zero tolerance" sure means "zero tolerance, *(unless there is a legal loophole the size of Texas available)."
Yesterday, I pointed out that the folks who run a Political Action Committee (PAC) that wrote a check for $8200 to Eric Jackson's mayoral campaign in February – including the same guy who probably signed the check – were in line to get a $20,000 legal services contract from the City of Trenton, through their law firm. To me, this seemed like a pretty clear-cut violation of the City's Pay-to-Play Ordinance (P2P), posing a conflict of interest that to me would require under the terms of that law refusal of the contract by our City Council.
Actually, in a way the guy who signed the check agrees with me. "I think it is a perceived conflict," Albert Marmero told Jenna Pizzi of the Times in today's article. Mr. Marmero is the Treasurer of the "Initiate Civic Empowerment" PAC (ICE PAC), as well as a name partner of the law firm Long Marmero & Associates, up for a new $20,000 contract with the City.
But, according to Marmero, it's only the perception of a conflict or violation, not a real one. Since none of the law firm's actual funds went into the PAC during a time period that would fall under our city's P2P law, it is entirely legal for his law firm to be eligible for this new contract.
Trenton's new Law Director, David Minchello, himself a personal contributor to Mr. Jackson's campaign, agrees. As does Heather Taylor, a spokesperson for the Citizens Campaign, the organization who provided the language for the P2P ordinance that was presented to, and approved by, Trenton's voters in 2006. In the Times article today, Ms. Taylor characterizes the circumstance under which this kind of arrangement can be considered legal a "loophole" in the law. A loophole attributable to the fact that "Since the ordinance was passed in 2006, the scope and range of PACs in the state's political landscape has changed," according to Ms. Taylor as reported in the Times.
Taylor and Citizens Campaign hold out a "solution" to this situation, offering "new legislation is available to citizens or elected officials who want to propose an update to the law."
Closing this loophole would be a good thing. Because it is madness to me that individuals who wear one hat to operate a PAC, and who select recipients for what can be sizable contributions – $8,200 in the case of Eric Jackson, the maximum permitted by NJ state law – and who sign checks for those sizable contributions can also be eligible for contracts from those recipients when wearing another corporate hat, at the same address no less!
That's not the situation that I foresaw when I voted for this law in 2006. I can't imagine other voters had the same situation in mind, either.
So where do we go from here? With everyone acknowledging this situation is due to a loophole, we can seek to tighten it up. Trenton's City Council can take this up and easily amend the law, using Citizens Campaign's new model language as a starting point. If Council fails to do so, citizens can do what we did in 2006, and get a new, tighter law on the books.
In fact, it might be better if we as citizens do it ourselves, and not rely on Council or the Administration to do what's right. Because, as citizens, we must take ownership of our government and not leave it up to others to do.
I forgot to use quotations again!! That part about "as citizens, we must take ownership of our government and not leave it up to others to do?" That was Eric Jackson again, from his March op-ed.
Oh. By the way, elsewhere in that same op-ed, he described "some immediate steps Trenton's next mayor can take on Day One to help restore the public trust;" namely, "I believe the first act of business must be to create the position of independent inspector general." [Emphasis mine - KM]
I didn't think much of the idea at the time (still don't;), but hey! it was Mr. Jackson's idea. We are now on Day 36, not Day One. Still no Inspector General, hmmm??
Candidate Jackson also favored "preserving strong anti-pay-to-play regulations."
Here's the perfect opportunity to strengthen them, Mayor Jackson!
What do you say? Up for it?
]]>There haven't been a great deal of concrete actions taken, nor expressions of any new policies the Administration will pursue. But no one minds that for now. The Mayor says "We are laying the groundwork for a lot of things to come soon." He is, quite appropriately, somewhat cautious in his approach during his first weeks in office. Trenton's government is pretty much at rock bottom after four years of absolute hell.
One of the voices raised to support the new mayor and his team, quoted ion Ms. Pizzi's article, is William Guhl, whose long and distinguished career in NJ municipal and state government lends his words a lot of credibility. He thinks that the new administration has already achieved a great success: "Certainly what the new mayor has done with his appointments and his demeanor and his commitment is restore confidence in the city administration."
Confidence in the city's administration. We need that desperately in Trenton, and I am heartily glad that we are making progress in earning that confidence back.
In the context of this sense of initial accomplishment, and in the atmosphere of all this good will and good wishes, that I have to say I find it unfortunate that there is still some baggage from the mayor's campaign that threatens to dull some of the luster of the mayor's new administration.
Last week, in another Times article by Jenna Pizzi, she reported a couple of questionable new campaign finance items revealed in the mayor's post-election reporting filed with the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). These items include what was noticed by Ms. Pizzi as contributions apparently exceeding the legal limit from a Newark law firm to Mr. Jackson; and what appeared to be either a duplicate contribution from the NJ Education Association, which would also exceed the legal limit, or what may have been a clerical error on the part of the Jackson campaign treasurer in recording a duplicate entry for the same legal contribution. As of the date of Ms. Pizzi's article, it was not entirely clear which was the case. Upon being notified by The Times of these problems, a campaign spokesperson told Ms. Pizzi it would "amend the report" to ELEC if necessary.
The Jackson campaign had a number of reporting problems with ELEC throughout the entire 2014 election, some of these problems extending back to the mayor's unsuccessful 2010 campaign. As Ms. Pizzi's article reports, these new items indicate that these problems are not yet over for the Jackson campaign. The Times article did not discuss a few other matters that are unresolved in Mr. Jackson's campaign financing that at the very least will cause additional embarrassment to his campaign. One of these unresolved matters is likely to impact official City business.
Back in April, I wrote about a number of contributions to Mr. Jackson's campaign from former US Senator turned real estate investor Robert Torricelli, in his own name as well as his Woodrose Properties LLC that in the aggregate exceeded the legal maximum for such contributions by $1000. Since none of the Jackson campaign's recent ELEC reporting, nor Ms. Pizzi's article last week, indicate that this excess contribution was returned to Mr. Torricelli, one can only assume that this still needs to be addressed by the Jackson campaign.
The other matter involves the Woodbury law firm of Long Marmero & Associates LLP, and a Political Action Committee (PAC) closely associated with the firm, Initiate Civic Empowerment, a/k/a "ICE PAC."
ICE PAC first drew my attention in April, when I noted a contribution from the PAC to Mr. Jackson of $8200, the legal maximum. At the time, I could find no ELEC report from this PAC stating the source of their funding and contributions, which I found troubling. I discussed the PAC again in early June, during the Trenton mayoral runoff, when I saw that the Long Marmero firm was under contract to the City of Trenton as one of many outside law firms working for the City. I suggested that the contribution from ICE PAC, whose Treasurer is Albert Marmero one of the name partners of Long Marmero, might represent a violation of Trenton's municipal Pay-to-Play Ordinance. As it turned out, the work done for Trenton by the law firm was completed prior to the donation made to Mr. Jackson's campaign. So there was no apparent pay-t0-play violation, at that time.
As it turns out, on June 3 – one day after I wrote my column questioning that contract – ICE PAC Treasurer/Long Marmero Treasurer Albert Marmero filed several financial reports with ELEC, including this one for the first quarter of 2014 which reports their contribution to Mr. Jackson's campaign.
As of this week, it looks like we have a new situation. On the Docket for City Council's scheduled session this Thursday August 7, proposed Council Resolution 14-490 calls for a new contract in the amount of $20,000 to be awarded to Long Marmero for "professional legal services regarding general municipal and defense litigation matters" on behalf of the City of Trenton.
By the fact that the closely-associated ICE PAC contributed $8200 to Mayor Jackson's campaign only six months ago, I believe it is clearly the case that Long Marmero cannot be considered currently eligible to provide professional services to the City of Trenton under the terms of its Pay-to-Play Ordinance. Accordingly, Council must decline to grant this contract.
At $20,000, this is not a huge contract by any means. However, the City made a professional judgment on the merits of the firm's professional qualifications that Long Marmero was best suited to provide the specific legal services for which the City would like to hire them, and it may be impossible to do so because of their PAC's support of the mayor's campaign. Remember, it was on these same grounds that Trenton's City Attorney Marc McKithen canceled the Cooper Levenson law firm's contract in 2011.
This puts us now into a situation where the internal conduct of the mayor's campaign is now impacting the conduct of the City's affairs. I expect Council to address this during Thursday's meeting.
One can only hope that this will be an isolated instance as the new administration continues to establish itself, and that there will be no further instances of campaign business complicating city business. Otherwise, the Jackson Administration may find it difficult to continue its "running" pace if it is weighed down by campaign baggage.
]]>At least one voice has been raised to suggest that there are such fools in this city, describing the presence of "detractors [who] hope for monumental or minuscule missteps. Or even failure." Where there is one person saying these things, there are likely others with the same thoughts unspoken.
What a sad, angry and confused sentiment! "Hope for failure?" What could possibly be the benefit of that? Nothing but infinitely more grief, that's what.
No one living in this city today, who has lived through the last several years, could sanely want to see anything but improvement in the city. Neither the Mayor nor Council may be the people we preferred, but that's how elections work. The voters have spoken, at least the ones who showed up to vote.
The new Administration and Council have the support and best wishes of every Trentonian who truly wants the city to prosper. That includes me.
Future successes will surely be acknowledged and applauded, in the hope that they increase in number. However, be certain that problems, too, will surely be acknowledged, in the hope that they be few in number, and quickly contained with minimal damage.
We have the sad example of the last four years to show us the folly of failing to appreciate that, as circumstance warrants, both support and criticism of their government – from Day One – are essential for engaged citizens. Our public officials deserve no less.
Today does represent a new act for Trenton, of a play already well under way. Mayor Jackson and our Council members will hear both cheers and jeers for their actions, as each are earned. I wish them, and all of Us, Good Luck.
]]>[C]oaxing the team across the Ben Franklin Bridge showed New Jersey has what it takes to do attract a marquee sports name and its billionaire owner.
What it takes is simply money, and the state has spent far too much placating businesses that threaten to leave the state. Since 2010, New Jersey's Economic Development Authority has awarded 252 companies more than $4 billion in subsidies — tax breaks and credits. That's more than triple the amount awarded over the previous 13 years.
That expensive and preferential treatment extended to approximately 1 percent of corporations in the state is not paying off as well as it should. A study by the think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) finds the policy to be largely unsuccessful in boosting the state's economy with the value of a job tied to a subsidy award rising to $48,000, "leaving companies on the hook for far fewer jobs on a per-dollar basis than ever before."
The report to which the Times refers, prepared by New Jersey Policy Perspective, provides a great deal of information about the explosive growth of the state's tax incentives and subsidies over the last several years under the Christie Administration. In the decade of the 2000s, the value of incentives granted to corporations totaled about $1.2 Billion. In the current decade, that figure is up to $4 Billion so far, and that's for barely more than 4 years!
This total represents tax revenue lost to the state, contributing greatly to the budget crisis the state is experiencing. To make up, in great measure, for the tax giveaways to a mere 1% of the state's companies, the Christie Administration has resorted to deep cuts in the state's budget such as the huge reduction announced last month in the state's pension payments for public employees.
As bad as the budget squeeze has been, this massive tax giveaway isn't even benefiting NJ. According to NJPP, the state's economy is still a basket case:
The unprecedented growth in subsidies, however, has so far done little to significantly improve the state's economy. Four and a half years into the surge, New Jersey's economic recovery remains far behind that of its neighboring states and the nation. Just 40 percent of the jobs New Jersey lost in the recession have been recovered (including only 48 percent of private-sector jobs); the state has the highest share of workers who have been unemployed for more than six months; and New Jersey continues to lead the nation in the percentage of homeowners (one in twelve) who are in foreclosure.
The NJPP paper points an accusatory finger at the "Economic Opportunity Act of 2013," passed by the Legislature last year and signed by the Governor, as a major culprit in its words of "opening the floodgates" of NJ subsidies:
[T]he law dramatically expanded the reach of New Jersey's subsidy programs, increased the total subsidy amount any one company could receive, created more generous award amounts than the old programs provided for comparable projects and removed most caps on the subsidies (a $600 million cap is in place on residential redevelopment projects, but none exists for jobs-related subsidies or commercial redevelopment projects).
This major critique of the state's incentives is bad news, then. What's the Trenton angle?
First off, historically when New Jersey gets a cold, Trenton catches pneumonia. Anything which negatively impacts the state as a whole will hurt Trenton even more. The City's economy is much more fragile than the state as a whole, and dependent on state aid to balance its books and provide needed services. When NJPP says "the state has the highest share of workers who have been unemployed for more than six months," you know that the percentage of Trenton's citizens is much, much higher than the rest of Jersey.
Even harsher, though, is the direct impact of the "Economic Opportunity Act of 2013." The proponents of this legislation made a lot of claims about the great benefits of this law, claims that now look more than a little hollow. However, for Trenton and a handful of other towns around the state, the law was guaranteed to have a negative impact on the finances of this town.
Readers of this space will recall that I talked about this impact a few times several months ago. I quoted the official analysis prepared for the Legislature by the NJ Office of Legislative Services that explicitly stated the program "will result in significantly reduced property tax revenues" [Emphasis mine - KM] for Trenton and a handful of other towns, as the City will lose the benefit of local tax revenue from major new commercial development financed from these programs for most of 20 years!
So, to recap. A policy of massive tax gifts and subsidies to corporations that was supposed to boost the fortunes of the state is not helping, as New Jersey badly lags behind the rest of the country in economic recovery.
And this policy is also designed to lose Trenton money. for years to come.
I mention this because our City Council unanimously signed on to this program in December of 2013. Several members of Council expressed serious misgivings then on participating in a program that even at the time looked to be of dubious value to the people and fortunes of this City. This needs to be close to the top of the City's agenda going forward for the next several years. Unless there are revisions to the terms of the City's participation in the programs established in the Economic Opportunity Act of 2013, we could be victimized yet again.
In the 1990's and 2000's Trenton saw a number of big programs and property developments that were supposed to boost the City. But after decades of things like Regional Contribution Agreements, Arenas, Hotels and Stadiums, we can see how all those turned out.
Many of the same individuals who at the time promised many great things for Trenton from these very things – including Doug Palmer, Robert Prunetti and Brian Hughes – are reported to be advising the incoming Jackson Administration during its transition into office next month. Their counsel frankly might not be the best to warn us away from the perils facing Trenton from this new program, based on past experience.
And with corporate beneficiaries of this program such as Robert Torricelli's Woodrose Associates on board as campaign contributors and supporters of Mayor-elect Eric Jackson, there are more than enough players involved who might distract distract the City and its leaders from the best interests of Trenton's citizens and taxpayers.
The Trenton Times and NJPP tell us today that the State is spending Billions of Taxpayer dollars on corporate giveaways of dubious economic value to the State as a whole. For Trenton, these giveaways might be little more than a long confidence game from the State, offering us more of the same snake oil we've been sold for decades, contributing to the City's ongoing misery.
]]>In this segment, Mr. Perez talks about his campaign, including the endorsement given to him by former Trenton School Board President Toby Sanders, about which I wrote on April 6, who is married to Paul Perez's niece. That, and other family connections, [...]]]>
In this segment, Mr. Perez talks about his campaign, including the endorsement given to him by former Trenton School Board President Toby Sanders, about which I wrote on April 6, who is married to Paul Perez's niece. That, and other family connections, are discussed.


text:
Helen Wan is an author, lawyer, and frequent speaker on advancing diversity and inclusion in corporate America. Her first novel, The Partner Track, the story of a young Asian American woman navigating the politics of power at a prestigious corporate law firm, was published by Macmillan in September and has already gone back to press. The Wall Street Journal calls The Partner Track "an engaging and suspenseful debut. The pleasures of this novel lie in character and plot. She dissects the tokens of status in this world in a manner that's reminiscent of Tom Wolfe." The novel was selected as Amherst College's November 2013 Book Club Selection, Real Simple Magazine's December 2013 Book Club Selection, and was also the subject of a recent Washington Post Magazine cover story on Asian Americans and career success.
Wan has also written for The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, and The Huffington Post. In addition, Ms. Wan has practiced corporate law and media law for over fifteen years, most recently as Associate General Counsel at the Time Inc. division of Time Warner Inc. Before that, she was an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and the entertainment law firm Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz P.C. Ms. Wan is now at work on her second book, which will again address themes of race, gender, and class, and their impact on the pursuit of personal and professional success.
Wan was born in California and raised near Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Amherst College and the University of Virginia School of Law. She lives in New York with her husband and young son.
10/22 – Ernst & Young – Senior Success Symposium – Atlanta, GA
10/25 – Sackett Street Reading Series – BookCourt (7 PM) – Brooklyn, NY
10/26 – Flashpoint Literature & Jazz Performance Series – Cornelia Street Cafe (6 PM) – NYC
11/6-11/7 – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Annual Convention – Scottsdale, AZ
11/11 – New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA) – Woodbridge, NJ
2/7/2015 – Harvard Law School – Cambridge, MA
3/26/2015 – Shearman & Sterling LLP/MLA Global – Palo Alto, CA
The Partner Track
A Novel St. Martin's Press
In this riveting debut from Helen Wan, a young attorney must choose between the prestige of partnership and the American Dream that she - and her immigrant parents - have come so close to achieving. |