Hogan Strikes a Nerve
PBA #314 President Joe Tuohy has jumped into the fray over the PBA charges against Assemblyman Dave Rible over at Jim Hogan’s blog.
Tuohy disputes some of the figures Jim used in his post and says he supports the PBA action against Rible.
Police unions complaining like this is really unseemly. Even with the recent reforms, New Jersey police officers have an extremely enviable deal.
I admit…I’m envious! A high school buddy of mine retired from a NJ police force a little over a year ago. His take home pay from his pension is $20 per month less than he was taking home when he was going to work every day! I wish I had a deal like that at 52 years old. If my friend lives to be 82 he’ll collect over $2.5 million. That doesn’t count the cost of his health care.
Even with the recent reforms, I’m concerned about the economic sustainability of such a system.
Worse, we’re laying off police officers in high crime areas while we are paying able bodied men and women not to “protect and serve.” That is why, “people are going to die,” as Senate President Steve Sweeney said. They’re not going to die because of Governor Christie’s budget cuts.
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State Unfunded Pension Liabilities Exceed $1 Trillion
Sure Bet: State Pensions Are Like Winning the Lottery 
How To End Double Dipping
Save the Date, Saturday, May 23, 2014
N.J. paying fees to firm employing Mary Pat Christie, report says
Override of Christie pension veto fails in N.J. Senate
WHAT IF WE ASKED A PUBLIC QUESTION AND NOBODY CARED.
James, James, James. From your “understanding” Dave (Rible) applied and attempted to opt out of the disability program so he could return to work. State lawyers and doctors prevented him from doing so. James, please tell me what “understanding” you have, and who gave it to you.
Mark Laverkgist, creator of NewJersey.Watchdog.Org, posted on his site an OPRA request he received from the Treasury Department/Division of Pensions and Benefits, that no such information exists. Could you kindly post the proof and documentation that you have?
Your other friend Jenny Beck sponsored a bill against “double-dipping,” the kind like double-dipping Jim (Sage) would be barred from in future employment. Personally, I have mixed feelings about that. When knowledge, skills and experience from a previous job are essential–I don’t see nothing wrong with that. Like me, most double-dippers waive their health insurance coverage and are barred from collecting a pension because they have to be re-enrolled into their original pension system.
As for your other friend Kim Guadagno, there is compelling and overwhelming evidence of fraud, permitting a high ranking Sheriff’s official to circumvent pension laws enabling him to collect a pension and a county salary. You NEVER said it was wrong what Kim did. You have NEVER said it was wrong that Jenny kept silent on this matter and lied in the News Transcript that the investigation into this matter is over–IT IS NOT!! It is currently being reviewed for criminality with the attorney general’s office and being reviewed by the Division of Pensions and Benefits for possible action.
You said it was OK for Dave Rible to double dip because as you say in your blog, until the laws change, he’s the best man for the job.
Well guess what, I am the best man for my job!! You never asked, so now I will tell you so.
Your hypocrisy, tunnel vision, and never missing an opportunity for a photo-op with these hypocrites, is truly disturbing. Now I see why you garnered only 16% percent of the vote in your primary bid.
I have been a Republican much longer than you–by virtue of age–however, I call it as it is. It’s apparent through your rantings here and in your own blog, you do not like authority figures, and you do not like authority period.
Take off your jaded glasses, and see the hypocrisy for what it is. I do believe your getting infected with it.
From your friend,
Double-dippin Jim
If you are really really quiet, you can hear the tiny violins playing sad music for Officer Tuohy and Jim Sage.
I truly believe Mr. Hogan is the attack dog for Senator Beck against Jim Sage.
I was at the Manalapan library when Ms. Beck didn’t know what to say when he asked her very poignant questions. Mr. Sage is always on the money holding politicians feets to the fire.
My son’s girlfriend is an acquaintance of one of Ms. Beck’s staffers. Mr. Sage seems to be a huge concern in that office as to a possible obstruction to her reelection bid. she knows that Sage has been in contact with several unions drying up any possible election contributuions that may be made to her bid for office. I have read her accusations against sage in the papers–damn, to be so obsessed over one person. gimme a break Ms. Beck.
Mr. Sage you certainly must consider sheriff or something. If you lived in Freehold you would have my vote for school board–no one ran last april.
Keep up the great work.
” From my understanding, Dave [Rible] applied for, and tried to get out of the disability program so he could return to work …” — James Hogan
LOL! Put down the pipe, Hogan, and spare us your fictional, fairytale “understandings.”
I sure hope the cops catch the guy that forced Dave Rible at gunpoint to receive that disability pension that he applied for. I think it’s just terrible that Assemblyman Rible has been forced — again, against his will — from contributing to charity the money that he receives from his disability pension. I’m sure Assemblyman Rible is just dying to give that disability money to a worthwhile charity — at least, that is, while he works in the NJ Legislature. [Sarcasm off]
Assemblyman David Rible Scams State Board for Disability
Touhy, you are an overpaid and under-worked loudmouth. You are also full of shit. NOW you mention David Rible’s disability pension? For years David Rible has been collecting that disability pension and for years neither you or the PBA had anything to say about it. Why do you suppose that is? Why do you suppose you are suddenly interested in writing about the races that Rible runs?
Art – demeaning the profession of a police officer is dangerous, similar to what this governor has done with teachers.
We need reforms but why demonize law enforcement professionals?
A police officer puts on that uniform every day to protect each and every one of us – their lives are in potentially dangerous situations every day.
How much danger do you have leasing trucks or do I have making t-shirts and selling newspaper advertisements.
Reforms are needed but i have no problem with those who risk their lives every day getting a good pension and getting good benefits for their family members who have to live every day with what their spouses do.
Your attacks and others against police officers are disgusting. If your envious of your friend, then you should have joined a police academy and put your life on the line each and every day like he did.
Vin-
You really surprise and disappoint me. I did not think you would turn into a disingenuous pandering politician so quickly.
There is no way to reasonably interpret what I have written here as demeaning of police officers. You’re off base.
Given our friendship I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you are having a bad day. I hope you don’t prove me wrong about that.
Art you are my friend, and its not pandering and its not personal, i just don’t like pension attacks on police officers. They deserve special treatment for the profession they belong in. I think Jim Hogan and you are way off base in the language used to even be comparing police officers to other professions.
Whats next? US Military? They are government employees also – should we start going after their benefits?
[…] Hogan Strikes a Nerve […]
Wow, where to begin… Thanks Art!
Mozart, I can’t hear anything, are you sure anyone is playing?
Jim Sage… first, I suggest you quit your new government job immediately, a much better job is available. You should become the Police Captain in Long Branch. You see, he’s an amateur, he’s accusing poor little ol’ me, a lowly private sector noone, of fraud, suggesting I’m going to forge those references because they are being mailed to my residence, and in fact has declared me guilty of fraud already. You’ve topped him, by accusing Dave Rible, a little Assemblyman, Jen Beck, a slightly bigger Senator, and Kim Guadagno, the big Lt Gov, of fraud, and like Captain Horrack, because you’ve made an accusation, you’ve determined their guilt already, bravo Captain Sage, you’re certainly the most qualified, and congrats on the new gig.
As for authority figures, you’re right. As a conservative Republican, I have a problem with the size and scope of our nanny state, overbearing government. I thought you pretend to be a conservative Republcian Jim, you should understand that the power possessed by our government is far beyond it’s intended bounds, far beyond what any of us conservatives stand for. Or do you agree that the local police should make up the laws as they go along? I’m sorry if Rible and/or Beck’s legislation hits close to home for you, hopefully what is best for the state’s private sector workers and taxpayers doesn’t get in the way of your income and inability to obtain private sector employment, where you’d see the benefits public workers receives, at the expense of taxpayers, are sickening.
To the Anonymous Coward, good to see you’d support a double-dipper, who uses accusations as proof of guilt, for a Constitutional law enforcement position in Sheriff, says a lot. I suspect you have no problem with Dave Rible double-dipping since you have no problem with Jim Sage double-dipping? Or is that just more hypocrisy here from the Sage camp?
Vin who? Go run a campaign. Why demonize law enforcement professionals? Because when they don’t act professionally, when they don’t uphold the law as written but rather interpret the law and make up the law as they go, they demonize themselves. When they cry poverty while earning twice the salary of the average private sector employee, while paying pennies compared their private sector counterparts, they aren’t serving the public, they are robbing the public. Don’t like that you’re life is on the line as a cop? As Kelly said, show me who put a gun to these people’s heads and forced them to become officers, they knew what they were getting into when they went to the academy. And yes, no one forced our volunteer armed services members to join either, yet.
And yes, Vin, I AM in danger every day. Several gangs are active in NJ, they present a danger to me daily, but the local police are busy hiding in the bushes running radar to catch my grandmother doing 70 in a 65, or making up the laws, instead of enforcing the laws. Busy chatting with the girls on the boardwalk until I walk by with dog at which point I must be the biggest criminal in the world, or a good way to show those girls how powerful they are by forcing me to walk on the other side of the road, or in the road, where I am in danger.
I am in danger from polluted water in the local river, in your own town. In fact, the signs have been there for *6 YEARS* now and explicitly state the DANGER… “DANGER / POLLUTER WATER / AVOID CONTACT”, July 2006. And the police have done nothing to make sure I’m not exposed to that danger. I have no benefits, at the cheap rates of the police, should I contact that water, and be exposed to Danger.
I am in danger of the police making up new laws that say their accusations of guilt are good enough, and you call them professionals, support this, and want people to vote for you? Go run a campaign on that line Vin, “I support arbitrary law enforcement”.
I stand by what I’ve said. The reforms that Rible, Christie and the rest of our representatives have passed is not only historic and landmark, but the greatest thing happening these days for private sector workers and taxpayers. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m not thrilled with Jen Beck’s 2A position or her marriage position. I’m not thrilled that Dave double-dips. But both of them, overall, are doing things that make my life as a taxpayer better, and make public workers share the burden of their own expense.
Vin,
Only whacky third party candidates comment on websites.
Also, you sound as if you are offering reverence toward police. Save that for God.
I owe cops a salary. I don’t owe them pensions that are longer than their careers.
Public pensions need to reflect what the rest of us do in the private sector, and not a penny more.
Vin-
You and I are two of the few politicos that are able to relate personally and professionally across the aisle. I accept that your comments are not personal.
However, in all due respect and friendship, if you are not pandering to the police unions, you are coming very very close to doing so.
The US Military? I think they, especially those who serve in combat, should receive better benefits than they do.
Police officers deserve our respect, gratitude and appreciation. They have mine. The should be treated differently than others.
However, with life expectancies extending longer for all, we can’t sustain retirement systems that were designed when life expectancies were much shorter. That is not “demeaning” or “disgusting.” It is math.
Retiring shoud not be the equivalent of hitting the lottery with a payout of $86K per year for 30 years. Paying a man or woman an $86K per year pension during their prime earning years goes beyond “special treatment.”
Pay them more upon reaching the age of 65 or 70, unless there is a real disablitity in their 40’s and 50’s. Create a system with graduated payments…30% while still in prime earning years, growing to 100% or more after retirement. I don’t have the answer. There are lots of ways to skin the cat. The current system, even as reformed is not sustainable long term.
What is really disgusting is that we have a system that allows union leaders to determine how many police officers are on the streets of Newark, Camden and our other cities. Especially in this economy, there are unemployed and under employed men and women who would accept jobs policing the streets of those cities for 60% of what police officers earn now, but the unions and the laws their lap dogs created will not allow that to happen. So people will die.
Hey Tommy….
A month ago you said elected officials would be commenting here if I stopped anonymous commenting.
Well, I didn’t, yet today I have elected officials and candidates commenting.
Don’t rain on my parade just because you didn’t get your way!
James your getting me a little concerned here. I’m starting to see an emerging profile that’s troublesome. Are you angry?? I have never accused Dave Rible of anything. You are the one that said from your understanding, Dave attempted to opt out of the disability program. I say to you (AGAIN) show me the proof. Mark Laverkist from Watchdog, showed his proof that their are no records that Dave attempted to opt out of the disability program.
As for your friend Jenny–their is plenty of proof–of which I have shown in the past of her hypocrisy and lies. Lies pertaining to me. She has said iI threatened her employees for six years. Who in their right might would allow their employees to be subjected to that kind of garbage. Why not police intervention?? I will tell you (AGAIN) it NEVER happened!!!
As for the Solomon Dwek campaign contributions: Jenny proposed legislation for government agencies to be transparent. Yet she refuses my request to show proof that she “donated” the funds to charity. Ooops, more hypocrisy!! Did she return the funds?? This election, rest assured, will get interesting as time marches on towards November.
I am getting tired of asking you questions and you seem to either not answer them or go round and round. Perhaps you should run for politics–you would make a great politician. Ooops, again: I forgot; you did try and were soundly rejected.
Tommy – i like Art thats why i comment 🙂
For you Sage supporters. The reason so many republicans do not give Sage allegations any credibility is because he is one of those guys who has become a crusader for one reason only.
Because he didn’t get something he wanted.
Sage is not the first. His type crops up periodically. They don’t get a perk or a position they want so they take their revenge by becoming a hypocritical gadfly.
They then become like the little boy who cried wolf.
Not a Sage supporter or a Hogan supporter..but c’mon. I have been following Hogan and Sage bash each other for quite some time. When is Hogan finally going to answer Sage????? I am still waiting. In a county that had Republican controlled corruption cases i.e. Operation Bid Rig, phase 1, phase 2, phase 3–Brookdale, Sheriff’s Department–Parks Department–are there more????
Hogan…your a loon!!! Why art gives you space o n his blog is beyond me!
Sage..stop wasting your time with Hogan–you said it..it is going round and round and round. He obviously has no answers just these crazy rants about guns–I think you hit this one right!!!
Captain Sage, I’m sorry to disappoint you by not being angry, which I’m sure is a determination you made through all of those years of training and experience, and since you accuse me of such, I’m sure you believe I’m guilty of such, it seems to be the police officer way. I would, however, suggest that maybe you pickup and read the book by John Derbyshire, “We Are Doomed: Reclaiming Conservative Pessimism” if you can step away from posting the same link to the same tired old non-sense day after day. While I don’t engage in “Happy Talk”, I’m certainly a VERY happy person, and not a minute goes by without me smiling and loving life.
You’ve seen the proof, you just don’t want to believe it, because, as TR said, you are a hypocritical gadfly who didn’t get the job you wanted and doesn’t think the public has paid you enough. But, for the record, again, here is more than enough proof. Unless of course you want to accuse Dave of being a liar in that letter, which again, I’d understand would mean he is guilty of lying in your book. I’ll believe that since no one has found him guilty of lying, he must be telling the truth.
After surgery, I engaged in months of intense physical therapy in the hopes that I would be allowed to return to my job. Unfortunately, despite my fervent desire to return to work, the doctors decided that I was physically unable to perform a job that could require me to chase or restrain violent criminals–possibly in life-or-death situations that could involve fellow police officers or even innocent bystanders. That is when they gave me the devastating news that, because of my permanent disability, I could not return to being a police officer.
…
It is important to note that this decision was not based solely on the recommendation of my orthopedic surgeon. In fact, this determination was made by two independent doctors who were appointed by the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System Pension Board as well as an independent Medical Review Board which was also appointed by the Police and Firemen’s Pension Board.
I’d guess, but certainly since you’re the professional detective here looking for proof here you’ll confirm, that it’s the same PBA/Joe Tuohy/union bullies crying to Dave today who probably pushed really hard to make sure Dave got his disability pension rather than continue to work. You, Captain Sage, just don’t care about proof.
As for “Jenny”, “why not police intervention?”, it sounds like there was police intervention, don’t you claim most days that she personally sent the police to your house? Again, I haven’t seen what you call “proof”, I’ve only seen what the rest of the world calls, “accusations”. You (rightly) cried about Wasser, Wasser was removed, I’ve asked you before, and you don’t answer, what more do you think a State Senator, Jen Beck, could have done, as a State Senator, on a local BOE issue? There was a problem, problem was resolved, Wasser is long gone, but since Jen Beck didn’t give you hugs and kisses, or you didn’t get a Sheriff’s job for your efforts or something, that wasn’t good enough for you.
I’m tired of showing you the same proof and reading you whine about the same accusations over and over. You say the AG is investigating these things, I’m sure if there was glaring proof, we’d of heard so since the years have gone by, but at this point, there are only YOUR allegations and YOUR accusations, and no proof or guilty verdicts. I will say, if your accusations are PROVEN true, I’d be FURIOUS with these people, but in the Freedom Loving County I live in, we are innocent until PROVEN guilty, not innocent until accused, by Jim Sage, of being guilty. Again, you do believe in freedom right?
In fact, you, Jim Sage, sound like Rick Sanchez in this clip, and have a problem with kiddie porn! Show me the proof you don’t have a problem with kiddie porn Jim Sage, I’ve not seen proof that Jim Sage doesn’t have a kiddie porn problem, but I’ve seen accusations. By your own measure, Jim Sage is guilty of kiddie porn until he proves otherwise. Or do kiddie porn accusations against you hold different weight than the accusations you make against others?
BTW – I’ll send Jen Beck a bill for my time today… maybe she’ll donate that Dwek money to the James P. Hogan Is Hungry And Needs Some Dinner Because He Works A Real Private Sector Job All Day While Facing The Dangers Of The World Charity, because according to you she hasn’t donated it yet. ….. (the sending a bill thing is a funny little comment in case you’re too angry to understand the humor, I do this for my own enjoyment and entertainment and out of care and concern for my fellow Freedom Loving Taxpayers Who Face Unjust Dangers every day). Wolf!
“Hey Tommy….”
“A month ago you said elected officials would [not] be commenting here if I stopped anonymous commenting. ”
“Well, I didn’t, yet today I have elected officials and candidates commenting.”
“Don’t rain on my parade just because you didn’t get your way!” — Art Gallagher
Art, I don’t agree with you all the time. That said, I like you. I respect you. More importantly, I am always interested in what you have to say next (“Ching-ching!” Advertisers take note.). I am grateful that you do tolerate, to a great degree, free expression on this site, even obnoxious speech. Art, you’re also funny, smart and charming, even if you are a dumbass. 🙂 Tommy DeSeno is none of these things. He is dumb and he is boring. I’d lay odds that is also jealous of Art Gallagher’s success.
Dear God, is Joe Tuohy the best that the PBA can come up with? He writes and otherwise reasons like a functional illiterate.
Joseph T. Touhy, why are you bitching about Republicans? You ARE a Registered REPUBLICAN. You’ve been a registered Republican since June 7, 2005. Do you doubt me?
Again, Joe Touhy, a born-again Democrat, has been a registered Republican for over six years now. Imagine that — a full of shit cop. Go figure. LOL
Tuohy … typo
Fu-K Dave Rible and the PBA. Fu-K you, Hogan, for defending these scumbags. You & Rible are the problem; you are not part of the solution.
Incidentally, you LIED when you wrote the following:
“From my understanding, Dave [Rible] applied for, and tried to get out of the disability program so he could return to work, State lawyers and doctors prevented him from doing so while also telling him to try to lead a full and healthy life.” — Jim Hogan
Where is your proof ? How, precisely, did you reach your “understanding?”
Bullshit. You lied when you made this claim. Why won’t you admit as much?
Kelly,
Tommy is my friend and a contributor to this site. He is neither dumb, boring or jealous of this sites success. He contributes a great deal to this site.
The same is true of James Hogan….my friend and a contributor to this site’s success.
You’re new here. At least this identity is new here. You are most welcome. Please keep it a bit more civil.
I posted here what Jim Hogan was not willing to post on his site. I suppose that my remarks might seem out of context as a result. (I merely wanted Hogan to know that my remarks would be published “somewhere” whether he wanted those remarks to be seen or not.)
That said, and on an unrelated note, I know that Tommy DeSeno may be your friend. Out of respect for you, I will merely point out the obvious: no one is paying much attention to Tommy DeSeno or his opinions. People ignore Tommy DeSeno for a reason.
Thanks again, Art, for the forum, for the free speech, for all of it.
Thanks again, Art, for the forum, for the free speech, for all of it.
You’re welcome, Kelly. Please don’t give me reason to moderate your comments.
Art, I am sure I will, in the future, give you plenty of reasons to moderate my comments. That said, you’d be foolish to do just that. I certainly hope you won’t censor/ “moderate” my comments.
Your site is popular for a reason; people love you. More importantly, they love knowing that any yahoo with an opinion (moi) can, herein, challenge the Monmouth County powers that be. Where the hell else is a working-class slug like me going to be able to challenge Mike Halfacre, Jennifer Beck, Governor-for-3-Days Bennett, etc?
“Moderate?” Don’t you dare, Art. Your site rocks precisely because you don’t “moderate.”
Wow!!! My type of woman!!
And for purposes of full disclosure and transparency–I never met Kelly.
Kelly, you go girl…tell it like it is.
Kelly, as posted previously, my “understanding” comes from this letter http://moremonmouthmusings.blogspot.com/2010/06/dave-rible-addresses-controversy.html from Dave Rible’s office which was written over a year ago, June 2010. Like Jim Sage, for whatever reason, you don’t seem to care about proof of anything and have already made the determination that I, and Dave, are liars.
But to humor you, again, read Dave’s letter, go ahead, it takes two minutes. Dave’s letter indicates that it contains facts right in the second sentence. Based on what are presented as facts, I certainly am not lying when I say that I understand “Dave applied for, and tried to get out of the disability program so he could return to work”. It’s all right there in the letter, statements, as fact, that he went through the process to return to work, and was told he could not. The letter is my proof that facts were displayed to me, a copy of that letter was even mailed to my house, signed and all, I suspect others received the same letter in the mail. My understanding comes from reading those facts, facts generally serve as proof. Dave has not been found guilty, or even charged in any court, of perjury for any stated facts in that letter. Again, in the Freedom Loving Non-Socialist Nation I Live In, we are innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing, not guilty because Captain Sage, or newbie Kelly, makes an accusation. And, you do love freedom right?
It is also curious that you use such foul language and tell the whole world to F-off, and Jim Sage gives you a “you go girl” rather than accuse you, and find you guilty of course, of being “angry”. Just more hypocritical gadfly non-sense. Not that I think you’re angry, I just think you’re rightly pessimistic about everyone, except Jim Sage, and everything, except for Jim Sage’s accusations.
Again, thanks to Dave Rible, Chris Christie and rest of our legislature for finally reforming what was a broken and abusive system and Putting Taxpayers First. Good thing Vin Gopal isn’t in Trenton, sounds like he’d of voted to give the PBA even higher pay and even better benefits on my back and yours. In fact, I hereby Sagely Accuse Vin Gopal of not Putting Taxpayers First!
James Hogan,
Stop putting words in my mouth! I have not accused Dave Rible of anything. It is you I wanted proof from. It is you that had this “understanding” which I don’t know how you established. Dave put in for a disability pension, and based on medical evaluations, was granted a disability pension. The state however neglected to re-evaluate him to determine his fitness for duty. That would make the state culpable.
But to say state doctors prevented Dave from working is a ludicrous claim. Like I said before: show me the proof they did this. A letter from Dave is not the proof I am looking for. You seem to constantly obfuscate facts with fantasy here.
Your anti-cop, anti-authority vitriol is sickening. Your rants about you getting jerked around regarding your much needed weapons permits does in fact make you sound angry–and like I said in an earlier post, your emerging profile is starting to get worrisome.
You claim I unfairly judge people. The proof on NewJerseyWatchdog.org is compelling–so much so, two state investigations are underway, with a possible third (feds) taking place. I am well aware of what is going on in this situation–more so than you.
Ask Jenny why she doesn’t want to be transparent with one of her constituents: me, the very same way she wants governmental agencies to be transparent. After all, we do pay her salary.
I will tell you why– it’s more Beck hypocrisy; do as I say, not as I do.
Her being the only Republican vote in an attempt to override Christie on the Woman’s Healthcare Issue, is another reason to show her the door. As you know the Womans’ Health care issue (what about men?) would permit funding to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is the largest nationwide organization that receives state funding for abortions. I seem to have a little problem with that.
To the Kelly’s of the world,
How dare you suggest that Art shouldn’t moderate a post, especially one with foul language.
It’s HIS site and he can do whatever he d–n well want to.
Beyond Kelly, if Hogan is getting the libs and loons wound up so tight that they start foaming at the mouth, well then; Hogan must be doing something right
Hogan is unable to accept a different opinion than his. He starts calling you names and writes in a very condescending fashion. The only person foaming at the mouth is Jimmy boy–with venom and anger.