Freeholder Race Heats Up: Vicari Says Opponent Was 'Indicted'
Democrat Michele Rosen claims charge was dismissed two decades ago "after a review showed no evidence that any wrongdoing occurred."
Four days into their campaign for a three-year term on Ocean County’s Board of Freeholders, Republican Joseph H. Vicari claims his opponent once faced a criminal charge for her financial dealings, while she is charging him with quadruple dipping at public expense.
Vicari told Patch.com that Democrat Michele Rosen had been “indicted, admitted to pre-trial intervention, and expunged’’ on an unspecified charge.
Rosen conceded Vicari was partly right. She was indicted in November 1989 on a charge of theft by deception, accused of taking more than $500 from Joseph Yoffee on Nov. 15, 1988.
On April 9, 1990, the charge was dismissed by Superior Court Judge Barbara Ann Villano, with the consent of then Assistant Prosecutor Robert W. Scott. Villano gave the prosecutor the option of representing the case to a grand jury, but that never happened.
Rosen last night accused Vicari of releasing “false information about a bogus charge brought by then-prosecutor James Holzapfel (currently Republican candidate for 10th District Senate) against me more than 20 years ago. The charge was dismissed after a review showed no evidence that any wrongdoing occurred.’’
Vicari made the charge after Rosen accused him of “legal theft’’ for collecting pensions from his freeholder post and as Berkeley Township Superintendent of Schools while still working in those positions.
She said Gov. Chris Christie has been critical of the identical practice involving Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, who is working at that job while also collecting a pension from it.
Rosen had urged Christie to express his views on Tuesday night at a Republican fundraiser in Toms River.
Vicari said the topic never came up.
Rosen claims Vicari is collecting nearly $200,000 as a result of the pensions and health benefits. She added that he cashed in $40,000 worth of sick time in Berkeley Township shortly before Christie slapped a $15,000 cap on those windfalls.
Vicari said he volunteered to return as Berkeley’s superintendent for free because of a “shortage of certified people.’’ That offer is saving teacher jobs, programs, and reduced taxes, he said.
He said he is being paid $48 a day and gets no benefits. His work in the Berkeley schools is on a “short term basis,’’ he said. He’s entitled to the pension from the school job because he paid into that pension fund for 40 years, Vicari said.
He said he opted to take both pensions to protect his wife. That is different from what DiVincenzo is doing in Essex County because “it’s not the same salary,’’ Vicari said.
Rosen’s “finances should be a public record also,’’ he insisted.
Rosen said she agrees with Christie that collecting a pension and salary for the same job is wrong.
“If it’s wrong for Joe 'D' in Essex; it’s wrong for Joe 'V' in Ocean,’’ Rosen said.
Ray
9:31 am on Friday, April 15, 2011
Vicari commented that Rosen had a record expunged for some crime. It is a disorderly person offense to divulge an expunged record. Rosen should look into going to the OC Prosecutor and charging Vicari.
disgusted homeowner
9:31 am on Friday, April 15, 2011
double dipping, triple dipping and now quadruple dipping !!!!!!! Where does it end ??? These folks have no shame concerning their actions at all. Just disgraceful and we the taxpayer foot the bill.............
EmptyWallet
9:47 am on Friday, April 15, 2011
Is there an independent running??? The Dems & Repubs really need to GO!!!!!
Sal Sorce
11:39 am on Friday, April 15, 2011
I cannot believe that both parties have not come up
with a candidate that is snowy white clean?
The issue of double-triple-dipping strikes the hearts and
wallets of every taxpayer in New Jersey.
As a registered Republican since 1969, voted for John Kennedy
as a young voter, left that party when he got Bobby into the fray.
Ocean County parties suffer from the lack of young qualified
candidates, both having used for years, candidates such as
names you all know well? The Freeloaders that occupy a level of
government that is excessive and just a group of folks who
got into these positions for political payback ... yeah I know they
were elected. Voters throughout New Jersey, many fail to vote
in their districts, record show the low turnouts ...
now we have two candidates running for a single office.
One who has fed off of the loop-hole created by the very folks
we have put into state office to represent voters with the hope
things could improve?
Democrat Michele Rosen, is this all you can come up with?
GOP Vicari? What a joke.
Been in New Jersey politics since 1959, it has not improved
in this half century that I have survived Essex County and
Ocean County ...
What would happen if no one voted for either candidate?
Nutty concept, it would not work but the fear of either
getting the votes bothers many of us in Ocean County townships.
Sal Sorce
12:18 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011
Let me pose a "theft by deception" incident in Ocean County.
The person (seller) represents a service in an area of technology.
A contract is developed by the person-seller representing
the tech service. The buyer provides $2,000 up front check
for the entire project that based upon sellers contract
is to be completed in two weeks. During the process the
product or IT service never functioned. NEVER operated
as is should have based upon the understanding and
written contract, an appeal for return of half the fee
was denied, resulted in litigation, both parties presented
their arguments. The OC judge who apparently could
not see that the service no different than an appliance
or product was not delivered; tangible as an IT service. Based upon
the eight week expiration of the two week agreement, the judge
felt the buyer broke the contract by permitting the seller
to continue with the project work, both cases were thrown
out, as the seller had filed a complaint that future work was promised.
Failure to produce and the contractor expected future work?
Ocean County judicial system? Strange, as this was
clearly "theft by deception", and judged by the OC system.
34-cases were heard that morning, many were blown-by and
represented by attorneys ... be sure to have a lawyer in Ocean
County? Not that can assure you of a good result?
Jose Deer
1:02 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011
why is mentioning that Holzapfel is a double dipping hypocrite censored ???.....
Mare
5:44 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011
I've got no use for the cad. My mothers 60th birthday was to be held at Citta's Old Time Tavern. We reserved the porch for the occasion more than six months ahead of time. No calls, no nothing, but that night when the whole family showed up, guess who had taken over the porch with his band of political hooligans for a fund raiser. Now, even after learning it was for the 60th birthday party of a woman, the pig wouldn't even, but my mother a lousy drink! Low class.
Ken Bank
6:54 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011
And let's not forget this is the same parasite who said a few months ago that people out of work and collecting unemployment were over-compensated and had no incentive to look for jobs.
George
6:47 pm on Saturday, April 16, 2011
Shocked they did not ask for a donation to their cause.
Mac
10:16 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011
Wow! Only four days and the mud starts flying. Rosen must be a true threat to the Republican machine again. The last time was when she was honored by them with false charges of a political action non-event, an old and useful tactic readily practiced in this area. Vicara should man-up and admit he took all the political perks simply because he could, and that he had to cash them in so he could beat the deadline for either cashing them in or losing them, not just to protect his wife. Furthermore, he enjoys his freeloader health benefits and perks, so forfeiting benefits at the high school that he can't use by law isn't much of a sacrifice. And the more time he is employed at the high school, regardless of pay, the higher his state pension payments increase. What a sport. It certainly gets around that pesky loss of COLA all the other retirees don’t get. If you keep voting for Vicara, you're going to get back more of what he does best: milking the taxpayers for a third of a century. This election is strictly Vicara vs. Rosen. To me the choice is clear. It’s also time to put a window of opportunity for the taxpayer into this fully closed government that controls our tax money from beginning to end with no accountability outside the Republican inner circle. Rosen offers us a breath of fresh air. Even as a Republican, I’m willing to give Rosen a chance. I already know what I’ll get with Vicara, and I’m tired of bending over for the Republican cause.