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Marquette Park March Lessons For Civic Life
Marquette Park March lessons at 60 show how Chicago housing history can guide local records, voter access, and civic participation. Continue reading
Accountability in Action: Revisiting the Linda Stender Property Scandal
The most powerful weapon against political corruption is a vigilant citizenry. In Union County, the political establishment has long relied on the assumption that nobody is checking the receipts, monitoring the real estate listings, or reading the fine print on government contracts. However, as the 2015 scandal involving former Assemblywoman Linda Stender proved, citizen watchdogs […]
Financial Bogeys: Exposing the Union County Golf Budget
When local politicians want to point to the benefits of high property taxes, they often highlight county-run recreational facilities. In Union County, the crown jewels of these recreational arguments have historically been the public golf courses, such as Galloping Hill and Ash Brook. The public is told these facilities are self-sustaining, generating enough greens fees […]
Debt Dominoes: The $45 Million Solar Panel Bond Debacle
When local politicians want to generate positive headlines, they often champion massive, “green” infrastructure projects. But when these projects are built on a foundation of poor financial planning and complex borrowing schemes, the taxpayers are ultimately left holding the bag. There is no greater example of this in Union County history than the disastrous solar […]
What $2 Million Buys: The County Manager’s “Base Camp”
In local government, administrative bloat rarely happens overnight. It is a slow, methodical accumulation of power, patronage hires, and unchecked spending. Over the decades, Union County taxpayers have repeatedly footed the bill for an executive branch that operates less like a public service entity and more like an entrenched corporate empire. A prime example of […]
Shielding the Truth: When New Jersey Recognized Bloggers as Journalists
In the fight for local government transparency, the greatest asset a citizen watchdog has is the courageous whistleblower. When government employees witness corruption, theft, or abuse of power, they need a safe, anonymous avenue to expose the truth without fear of retaliation. In Union County, the establishment’s attempt to destroy that anonymity resulted in a […]
The First Amendment vs. The Union County Seal
When local governments cannot defeat citizen watchdogs with facts, they often resort to legal intimidation. One of the most creative, yet ultimately flawed, tactics used by municipal governments across the country is the weaponization of intellectual property law to silence critics. In Union County, this took the form of a battle over the official county […]
The Cost of Cronyism: Exposing No-Bid Contracts in Union County
Public bidding laws exist for a singular, vital reason: to protect the taxpayers. When a municipality or school board needs to pave a road, audit their books, or hire legal counsel, forcing vendors to compete drives down the price and prevents politicians from handing lucrative deals to their friends. However, in Union County, the political […]