DEMOCRATS: WHEN WILL HAINES & ADDIEGO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR BURLCO BRIDGE CORRUPTION?

DEMOCRATS:  WHEN WILL HAINES & ADDIEGO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR BURLCO BRIDGE CORRUPTION? 

Reformers Challenge Two of Their Opponents to Break 10 Month Silence on GOP Corruption  

(MT. LAUREL, NJ) – Senate Candidate and Assemblyman Fran Bodine and Assembly Candidates Tracy Riley and Chris Fifis today challenged two of their Republican opponents to accept responsibility for the corruption that has marred the Burlington County Bridge Commission (the Bridge Commission), requesting they end their 10-months of silence on the issue.   

“Phil Haines has turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the corrupt Burlington County Bridge Commission,” said Bodine.   “Haines is the ultimate county insider who has proven he’s asleep at the switch.”

Frustrated and disgusted with the corruption and insider deals that were being orchestrated by GOP Boss Glenn Paulsen, Bodine made a courageous decision to switch parties and run as a Democrat.

Haines served on the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders (the Board) from 1996 until 1999, the same year he served as freeholder director.  Addiego has served on the Board since 2000 – both terms encompass the time frame for which the Bridge Commission was bilked $2.7 million in taxpayer funds by The Strategy Group, State GOP Boss Tom Wilson’s former firm.

“Sending Haines and Addiego to Trenton would be the equivalent to hiring Bonnie and Clyde as bank tellers,” said Fifis.  “Like Bonnie and Clyde, Haines and Addiego just can’t be trusted with handling our money.”

“The fact that incumbent Addiego will not accept responsibility for the corruption that has stained the reputation of the Bridge Commission demonstrates a total lack of leadership,” said Riley, a working mom who has taken on town hall in Mt. Laurel.  “When will Addiego step-up and admit she was caught flat footed.  The taxpayers deserve an answer.”

“In 2004, I blew the whistle on the Bridge Commission, all while incumbent Addiego sat silently on the freeholder board hoping the issue would pass like a storm in the night,” said Fifis, who initially exposed the Bridge Commission’s corrupt practices during his campaign for freeholder in 2004.  “The taxpayers want to hear from incumbent Addiego on this issue.  Dawn, break your silence and come clean on the Bridge Commission corruption.”

The Burlington County Times Editorial Board opined last year that “ultimate responsibility for the (Bridge) commission rests with the freeholders.”  Unfortunately, Freeholder Addiego has not taken on that responsibility.

“While Bob Stears and Tom Wilson were bilking millions from taxpayers, Freeholder Addiego sat on her hands,” said Riley.  “She should be ashamed of herself.”

“Addiego’s silence demonstrates her unwillingness to challenge the status quo,” said Fifis.  “We’re not just going to challenge the status quo, were going to flip it on its head.”

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