HAMMONTON BLOG

Date: 02:16 PM Mar 23, 2010

Hammonton First and the Case of the Missing $11 million Surplus

Date: 02:38 PM Mar 23, 2010

Hey when Kessler closed and people lost their jobs and the rich got richer no one cared. Now the town is doing the same people are losing their jobs and the rich are still getting richer and still no one cares. I just don't understand why they had to spend 12 million dollars on a new town hall and all new furniture if their intention was to layoff all town employees. What a waste of money. They should have kept the old town hall. Or maybe Stockton will move into the new town hall? The Mayor said he wants all employees to take a 10% pay cut does this really apply to the ones making over 75g's a year or just the low paid employees? HF keeps cutting at the bottom instead of the top which makes no sense. Why did HF let employees retire with less than 25 years of service but still got their full pension and life time benefits??? I thought they were against all that? Another question why did the camera move to the window when everyone got up and walked out after the layoff talk?? What are they hiding???? What don't they want the people to see??? If this is want the people want then give it to them - they deserve it!

Date: 09:53 AM Mar 24, 2010

All we keep hearing Mayor and Council say is to sacrifice and keep sacrificing! Well let's see what has Mayor and Council sacrificed. When the sewer moratorium was lifted our Mayor Steve went crazy building houses and developments across town. On top of that he took $200,000 worth of taxpayer owned dirt from the airport. Did he worry about the burden it would create on our schools and town services? NO! The town buys all their insurance (taxpayers money) from Councilman, Mickey Pullia's company but does Mickey pay his taxes? NO! Councilwomen, Jean Lewis is the head of the financial aid dept. for Stockton State College which is funded by taxpayers - she receives a very large salary over $100,000 a year plus free health care benefits, pension etc. etc. is she taking a pay cut or getting laid off? NO! Councilman Jerry Barberio got involved with politics and got a good paying job with the county receives a good wage and health care benefits, pension, etc. funded by taxpayers - is he taking a pay cut or getting laid off? NO! Solicitor Brian Howell a few years ago was given a $10,000 a year increase in addition to a hourly rate increase, and a pension, funded by taxpayers - is he taking a pay cut? NO! All Mayor and Council members receive a yearly salary from the town funded by taxpayers. Are they taking a reduced salary or giving up their salary since they already have plenty of money? NO! So I ask Mayor and Council....WHAT ARE YOU SACRIFICING TO HELP THE STRUGGLING TAXPAYERS??????????

Date: 11:49 AM Mar 24, 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK7dKf2C-5E

Remember the "good ol' days"...it seems time has proved how the Hammonton Challenge was just anothe HF stunt.

Too bad we can't pay our bills with stunts.

Date: 04:25 PM Mar 24, 2010

Anonymous wrote:

All we keep hearing Mayor and Council say is to sacrifice and keep sacrificing! Well let's see what has Mayor and Council sacrificed. When the sewer moratorium was lifted our Mayor Steve went crazy building houses and developments across town. On top of that he took $200,000 worth of taxpayer owned dirt from the airport. Did he worry about the burden it would create on our schools and town services? NO! The town buys all their insurance (taxpayers money) from Councilman, Mickey Pullia's company but does Mickey pay his taxes? NO! Councilwomen, Jean Lewis is the head of the financial aid dept. for Stockton State College which is funded by taxpayers - she receives a very large salary over $100,000 a year plus free health care benefits, pension etc. etc. is she taking a pay cut or getting laid off? NO! Councilman Jerry Barberio got involved with politics and got a good paying job with the county receives a good wage and health care benefits, pension, etc. funded by taxpayers - is he taking a pay cut or getting laid off? NO! Solicitor Brian Howell a few years ago was given a $10,000 a year increase in addition to a hourly rate increase, and a pension, funded by taxpayers - is he taking a pay cut? NO! All Mayor and Council members receive a yearly salary from the town funded by taxpayers. Are they taking a reduced salary or giving up their salary since they already have plenty of money? NO! So I ask Mayor and Council....WHAT ARE YOU SACRIFICING TO HELP THE STRUGGLING TAXPAYERS??????????

I'm still waiting to hear what HF is going to sacrifice, especially since they are collecting multiple salaries and benefits that are all made up of struggling taxpayer dollars. Come on I'm waiting........

Date: 06:04 PM Mar 24, 2010

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

All we keep hearing Mayor and Council say is to sacrifice and keep sacrificing! Well let's see what has Mayor and Council sacrificed. When the sewer moratorium was lifted our Mayor Steve went crazy building houses and developments across town. On top of that he took $200,000 worth of taxpayer owned dirt from the airport. Did he worry about the burden it would create on our schools and town services? NO! The town buys all their insurance (taxpayers money) from Councilman, Mickey Pullia's company but does Mickey pay his taxes? NO! Councilwomen, Jean Lewis is the head of the financial aid dept. for Stockton State College which is funded by taxpayers - she receives a very large salary over $100,000 a year plus free health care benefits, pension etc. etc. is she taking a pay cut or getting laid off? NO! Councilman Jerry Barberio got involved with politics and got a good paying job with the county receives a good wage and health care benefits, pension, etc. funded by taxpayers - is he taking a pay cut or getting laid off? NO! Solicitor Brian Howell a few years ago was given a $10,000 a year increase in addition to a hourly rate increase, and a pension, funded by taxpayers - is he taking a pay cut? NO! All Mayor and Council members receive a yearly salary from the town funded by taxpayers. Are they taking a reduced salary or giving up their salary since they already have plenty of money? NO! So I ask Mayor and Council....WHAT ARE YOU SACRIFICING TO HELP THE STRUGGLING TAXPAYERS??????????

I'm still waiting to hear what HF is going to sacrifice, especially since they are collecting multiple salaries and benefits that are all made up of struggling taxpayer dollars. Come on I'm waiting........

The council does deserve credit for leading and taking a 25% pay reduction. A 10% across the board reduction in salaries over $50,000 would help balance the budget this year.

Date: 08:09 PM Mar 24, 2010

Mayor and council deserve credit for taking a pay cut? When did that happen they never said anything about that. Are you just making that up? They should give up their entire salary from the town since most of them are already getting paid by their other employers with taxpayer money and since they all have money anyway and could manage fine without the extra money. Let's see how greedy they really are and how much THEY really care about the taxpayer. Also, they asked the employees to take a 10% pay cut. They should do that and get rid of the high paid employees before their pension gets bigger and they get free lifetime benefits.