Freeholders Want Ocean County Resident on State Utilities Board
Vicari still angry of JCP&L's response to Hurricane Irene
Republicans and Democrats disagree on whether Ocean County would be better served by its utility companies if someone who lives in the county was appointed to the state Board of Public Utilities.
“There’s no point to doing this. It’s political,’’ said Democrat Michele Rosen, who is running for a seat on the freeholder board.
The Republicans who are freeholders voted unanimously, again, to ask the governor to name a county resident to the board that regulates utilities. Similar resolutions passed over the last eight years have produced no results.
Rosen said there is no vacancy on the BPU and the freeholders are free to attend any of that agency’s meetings and make their pleas for action.
Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari pointed to the massive improvements to Garden State Parkway interchanges in Ocean County while Joseph Buckelew of Lakewood was chairman of the New Jersey Highway Authority as proof of the value of having a county resident serving at a state agency.
The resolution solution sprang to life again in the wake of Hurricane Irene and what the freeholders call the lack of response to electric customers left without power by Jersey Central Power and Light Company.
Vicari continued to put the heat on the utility company Wednesday, saying he has been 21 days without contact from JCP&L’s CEO.
Jackson Township Engineer Daniel Burke needed no prodding to blast JCP&L, claiming the utility is blocking efforts to put up 750 solar street lights among the thousands in that community.
He said a $464,500 federal grant may be lost because Jackson officials and those from JCP&L cannot agree on the cost of installing the lights. The impasse has gone on for 23 months.
Burke said they can be purchased and installed for $650 each. JCP&L wants between $2,000 and $3,000 and insists their workers install them, he said.
“JCP&L has stonewalled us,’’ he charged. “JCP&L worked diligently to run out the clock,’’ so the grant would be withdrawn. Burke said replacing conventional lights with those he has been advocating would save Jackson taxpayers about $100,000 a year on their energy bill.
He asked the freeholders to support Jackson’s effort.
“Put it in writing. We’ll support you,’’ said Vicari.
William Gumper of Holiday City at Berkeley was pessimistic about the outcome.
“We can’t even get the street lights fixed around here,’’ he said.
Mac
9:30 am on Sunday, September 25, 2011
After 30-odd years as a Freeloader, Vicari can't understand how the JCP&L CEO can be unaccountable to him for 21 days in addressing Vicari's agenda. Meanwhile, the CEO is asking, "Who's Vicari, and why can't customer service help him?" Joe, I wouldn't waste my time on JCP&L if I were you. Better you concentrate on a position on the state board of utilities. You're going to need something to keep padding your pension after the voters send you a message in a few weeks that your excess baggage has become too expensive to keep subsidizing. By the way Joe, how many days do you have to work on the board of utilities before you can retire from the board, thus collecting full retirement benefits for 30 or 40 years of accumulated service while you are still working the same job you just retired from at full pay and benefits? You know, kind of like the two jobs you're doing that with now. Just tap your handler on the shoulder and have him suggest to the big boy he bankrolls that it would be a nice touch to expand the number of seats on the board. It's not like you guys don't do that every day somewhere. And Joe, if you do get on the board of utilities, I still won’t hold your breath for that call from the JCP&L CEO.
Mac
10:42 am on Sunday, September 25, 2011
I probably didn’t endear myself to you in my last comment Joe, so let me try to make it up to you a little bit with this suggestion. Promoting the fact that Buckelew brought home the bacon when he was running the Parkway may not be the best way to promote your need for another job and pension enhancement. The Parkway saw many improvements in Ocean during his brief reign, for sure, and most of them complimented the local good ole boys’ ability to order new yachts. Meanwhile, the peasants, you know, the residents, got freshly paved roadways direct to all the new toll booths at the new and old exits that came with the improvements. Paying Parkway tolls doesn’t always bring out the best in voters. Personally, it’s an area I won’t touch. There are enough people mad at you already for bilking them out of a few hundred thousand, soon to be in the millions, for retiring from two positions you’re still being paid your salary to perform. Then there are those unemployed slackers that are too lazy to look for work because you claim they’re getting rich on an average of $400 a week in benefits you dole out to them. Even for you, that was a dumb statement. The closest association to $400 that you understand is that it’s about the same amount as your weekly lunch bill. Good luck in the election Joe. I hope these tips help.