Because They Are Liars. That's Why.

From a City of Trenton Press Release, dated September 24, 2012, titled “Trenton’s Recreation Department Moves Forward”:

“Lastly, we are pleased to announce that the department has updated its account and control procedures in order to better monitor spending and revenue.” [Emphasis mine – KM]

From the  Trentonian, June 11, 2013:

In a testy budget hearing Monday night, officials questioned mayoral aide Anthony Roberts why the June 29 and 30 event was scheduled after Mayor Mack gave his word at a meeting that the Heritage Days Festival would be cancelled this year.

“He changed his mind,” Roberts said laughing.

This type of rhetoric only added fuel to the fire.

“Mr. Roberts please, you’re being offensive,” Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson responded. “We’re talking about a budget, we’re not talking about the mayor changing his mind.” [Emphasis mine – KM]

So much for all those “account and control procedures!” If these financial “controls” can be overruled by a person under indictment for extortion, then they don’t exactly control much, do they?

City Council heard a budget presentation the other evening from Fuckup Without Portfolio Anthony Roberts, who explained and defended the Administration’s program requests for the Department of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture covering the upcoming Fiscal Year beginning July 1.

I won’t review that presentation here. There are excellent accounts on both the From the Front Stoop blog, and the Trenton Times, as well as David Foster’s Trentonian piece, quoted above.

I will just add two observations. Notably missing from the City’s budget request, and apparently from discussion the other night (at least as reported by the two city newspapers) was any mention of a funding request for the Mayor’s Zombie Library Learning Centers. In the September 2012 press release defending the Administration’s spending priorities, the Indicted Occupant of Trenton’s Mayor’s Office specifically mentioned the request for support for the four neighborhood zombie libraries.  They did not come up for discussion on Tuesday night, nor is there any mention of them on the latest Press Release, issued last night, defending this year’s program requests.

Odd, that. Is the funding request for these zombies being made from another department? Has it been quietly dropped as an Administration priority? Or is it just buried elsewhere in the city’s budget request, hidden away despite all those spiffy updated account and control procedures? Hmmm?

And second, despite all the attention given the Department of Recreation, and how supposedly important its programs are to this Administration, we have never seen a Director appointed to head the department, not even on an “Acting” basis. The Indicted Occupant has always assumed personal responsibility for the Recreation Portfolio for himself, and has periodically relied on associates such as FWP Roberts and Trenton Water Works employee Paul Harris to handle much of the day-to-day work, as long as it hasn’t been, let’s say, day-and-date sensitive.

The IO went as far last year as to proclaim that “The Buck Stops Here!” when it came to his responsibility for Recreation. In that August 30 2012 document, the IO also emphasized as he did in the September 24 release all of the new controls and procedures for the Department, touting “[C]hanges that will produce a more accountable and transparent process.”

But accountability and transparency fly out the window when the IO can just “change his mind” and indulge his every whim.

It is crazy that City Council continues to give the benefit of the doubt to the IO, Anthony Roberts and the rest of them. Time and time again, the Administration, in public statement, press release or written document, makes a great show of financial rectitude  and responsibility. Only to then go ahead and do what they want, in defiance of City Council, the State or whomever.

It makes no sense for the City to fund Heritage Days yet again this year. Council specifically declined to authorize the Festival in the FY 2013 budget, but the Mayor is going ahead anyway. Despite the fact that whatever revenues were generated from last year’s Festival have never been satisfactorily accounted for, here we go again.

Would Trenton’s Fire Department hire an accused arsonist? Would the Police Department hire an accused thief? Why is the City of Trenton allowing Tony Mack to produce Heritage Days and handle the revenue?

It is totally baffling to me how Tony Mack and Anthony Roberts continue to be entrusted with any part of the Recreation Department. I don’t know why City Council or the State Department of Community Affairs haven’t insisted on appointing a permanent and qualified Director to run the Recreation Department and take it out of the hands of those guys.

Tony Mack and Anthony Roberts can’t be trusted with this Department any longer.

Because They Are Liars. That’s Why.