Dems slam Bark, and GOP fights back

Bark's comment was borderline absurd, especially considering she was the focus of an investigation for her no-show, taxpayer-wasting jobs at BCIT. Ethics are indeed a concern for state voters.

Thus far -- and this isn't spin -- the 8th District Republicans refuse to sign onto a pay-to-play ban or make ethics a key point of their platform (e.g., platform equals whatever Boss Paulsen tells them). Though Bodine isn't being completely honest when he says it was Boss Paulsen's illegal activities and corruption that drove him away from the BurlCo GOP machine, it is a fact that Paulsen drives the contracts and the candidates.

A pay-to-play ban and substantive ethics reform, as offered by Riley in Mt. Laurel and Fifis in Lumberton (gaining him multiple newspaper endorsements because of his vision), is what BurlCo desperately needs. Unfortunately, it's politics as usual with Haines-Addiego-Rudder, all of whom have had their hands in the Paulsen contracts and who readily have made it so "connected" companies get contracts.

The personal attacks and stream-of-consciousness posts don't do your side, and your benefactors, Bark-Paulsen-Stears-Addiego-Rudder (thank goodness his father helped find Bark her no-show jobs!)-Haines, any good.

A massive contrast is that of Bodine, who has a strong record on bringing money to his district and environmental preservation, to Haines, who helped passed out contracts to inside companies while he was a freeholder from 1996-99 and, with Addiego, oversaw and approved of the Strategy Group scandal himself. Why can't Haines-Addiego-Rudder mention pay-to-play or ethics reform, and where do they stand on the BurlCo Bridge Commission's widespread corruption and slush funds?

 Fifis' question is a poignant one, "Is Boss Paulsen keeping them quiet?"

And I love Fifis' apt comparison in this quote: "“Sending Haines and Addiego to Trenton would be the equivalent to hiring Bonnie and Clyde as bank tellers.”  “Like Bonnie and Clyde, Haines and Addiego just can’t be trusted with handling our money.”

Martha Bark talking about ethics is hilarious. Peter Inverso is one of the most respectable politicians in this state, Bark has some brass to say voters have no concern for ethics. It's a good thing she is retiring...and she should just shut up.

The only one throwing personal attacks in this thread has been you. "GOPTROLL"? If the quote "self serving rant" is a personal attack, you need to seriously lighten up.

It is truly amazing to read the rants on this board. For example, Fifis said he wasn't a partner until Feb 2000. Please explain how he could pay off a lien on a building two years before he became a partner? It is no wonder GOP campaigns are failing in Burlington - you have opp researchers like the oc doing such thorough work.

According to the New Jersey Legislature website, Senator Bark and Assemblymen Bodine and Chadzidakis are still maintaining a common legislative office, despite Assemblyman Bodine's change of party. Is that information still accurate?

I pulled in behind Martha Bark at the statehouse one day and with all those jobs she drives a 1998 Olds Intrigue. That thing is definitely a cream puff!

I have every right to question Chris Fifis and the Burlington County Democrat Organization about their lack of leadership and failure to pay taxes just like they did to Dawn Addiego. It is called hypocrisy. So, why don't you grow up and stop telling people to shut up.

GopGal- Who cares what the polls say on October 2nd. I suspect you probably had Gus Tamburro well ahead of Randy Brown in Evesham, and probably had Pete Emmons well ahead of Dave Patriarca in Pemberton, and perhaps Vince Farias well ahead of George Kotch for Surrogate last year. Whether Haines is ahead or not is irrelevant. This is a low turnout election and it comes down to GOTV. There isn't one individual at Burlington GOP HQ who has the first clue how to organize or run GOTV. Haines could be ahead by 60 points and it would mean absolutely nothing with the incompetence at 223 High Street.

Hey, honey. So Chris is not telling the truth somewhere. On the Burlington County Democrat Organization's website, it clearly states (as I showed you in a previous post above) that he became part of the ownership of Ponzio's in 1998. That is from HIS biography, not made up by me or and GOPer. This is the exact quote: "In 1998, Chris joined the family business and ushered in the second generation of Fifis ownership of Ponzio's." Now, I did not major in math in college, but those four numbers sure do look like 1998 to me and not 2000. The lien was placed on the business the same year he - according to his bio - became an owner and it went unpaid for six months or more. So what is he hiding?

It is an issue if you slam another person for the same thing. Duh - it is called hypocrisy. But I guess it is a "do as I say, not as I do" mentality that Democrats live under? And $17k is one large "hiccup" that took half a year to straighten out.