Schaer: Passaic deserves honest government

From Wikipedia.com: The phrase "Pot calling the kettle black" is an idiom, used to accuse another speaker of hypocrisy, in that the speaker disparages the subject in a way that could equally be applied to him or her...

After reading this opportunist ramble from Gary S. Schaer, it was the above idiom that first came to mind. How, with a straight face, can Councilman Schaer demand "honest government" for Passaic residents when he himself is equally as dishonest as the above indicted. First, Councilman Schaer is a "double-dipper", that is, as a councilman and an assemblyman, he "dips" twice into our state's pension system. Furthermore, when the state legislature voted against future dual-office holding by state politicians, Councilman/Assemblyman Schaer himself abstained. So where our state legislature, via the people of this state, believe dual-office holding to be a conflict of interest and not in the best interest of our state's residents, Mr. Schaer believes otherwise... honest?

In addition, a few weeks back, assembly-candidate Carmen Pio Costa exposed the shady wrangling of Councilman/Assemblyman Schaer related to the "Health Care Benefits" vote, where Schaer's now and just recent former legislative aide, who also happens to be a councilwoman, abstained from the vote that was to reduce the years-served requirement for lifetime health care benefits for the served and their spouse from 25 years to 15 years. Mr. Schaer's at-the-time legislative aide, also a councilwoman, was quoted in the Herald News as "not understanding the resolution"; such was the reason she proffered for abstaining. Hmmn, Schaer's at-the-time legislative aid, also a councilwoman, not understanding a resolution that would only work to fatten her boss, Schaer's, pockets? Not surprisingly, after Pio Costa's exposure, the councilwoman, along with the rest of the council, voted to rescind the resolution... and she resigned from her legislative aide position to Mr. Schaer.

Passaic's residents, and indeed all of our state's residents, deserve "honest government"; and it is an affront to all of us when men like Schaer and all the cronies like him stand up and demand "honest government" when their own governance is anything but.

The city of Passaic is in turmoil. Rivera has been an embarassment for years but the Democratic Party turned a blind eye to it because of the vote he delivered in general elections for the district as well as the county. If Schaer becomes the mayor, would he have too relinquish his seat in the General Assembly under this phony dual-job holding law or is he forever exempt from this travesty? An interesting question since in fact he could assume the office of mayor should Rivera resign.

With the dual office ban going into effect in 2008 but grandfathered for already existing dual office holders, could Schaer try to force RIveria out as Mayor and then become mayor before the end of the year?