11 Comments on “Consider Settling The Burnham Matter”

1. 
   AP Plaza said at 11:37 am on April 16th, 2011:

   Great idea… that way the Freeholder candidates won’t be saddled with this for the rest of the campaign (particularly in light of Lillian’s connections to the players). Quick settlements/resolutions have worked in the past, so they should try to put this to bed as soon as possible.
   You are also right that spending money to prosecute friends is stupid. We should just get the story out of circulation fast.

2. 
   ArtGallagher said at 11:51 am on April 16th, 2011:

   You make a good point AP Plaza. I’m sure Amy and Shea would appreciate spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to recover $48K.

   As I said, if there is more there, and I’ll add, is there is evidence of significant crimes, the matter should be pursued, regardless of the politics involved.

   If what has been uncovered is all there is, it is time to move on before spending $100K to get $48K

3. 
   TR said at 2:49 pm on April 16th, 2011:

   The only thing that will settle this is the resignation of the ENTIRE Board. Not just Birdsall. In fact i am guessing that Elkes exercises the most influence on the Board. he is a long time power broker who usually stays in the background.

4. 
   Middletown Conservative said at 4:12 pm on April 16th, 2011:

   I agree with settling on the expenses. I doubt there is blatant fraud. If there was, I’m sure we would have heard about it. In an audit, you usually find things that can be argued either way in terms of a reimbursable expense. This is a typical exercise when companies want to get rid of an executive.

   The perks this guy received are typical of university/college presidents. I’m surprised people weren’t outraged. Can you imagine what the president of Rutgers is getting?

5. 
   TheDigger said at 4:27 pm on April 16th, 2011:

   I agree, assuming nothing else is uncovered, that it makes economic sense to resolve this ASAP to save taxpayers’ monies. Screw any political considerations – let the chips fall where they may.

   Let’s find out about the salaries and perks granted to every College/University President before we hang just this Board.

   Thank God we have Freeholder Curley looking out for us!

6. 
   CommonSense said at 5:52 pm on April 16th, 2011:

   My question is, why is this going to be an extra cost to the prosecutor if he is already on the county payroll? Isn’t that what we pay him for? To handle things like this? And Art, you make a good point about what Amy and Shea, but Amy has been following John Curley’s lead because A) She doesn’t have a mind of her own and B) Because she too is a headline hog like Curley and she is going to be put in a tough spot. If she agrees with Curley, (her secrete running mate) then how can she attack on wasting money? Never mind the fact it was because of her Yes vote on the 2009 budget caused an excess of 10 million dollars of overtime pay in the Sheriff’s office. Talk about waste

7. 
   Absolutely, said at 6:06 pm on April 16th, 2011:

   get this mess straightened out, asap..all they have to do is follow existing policy and law, and have more than one pair of eyes on all expendatures!..and, a tough audit team, with the results made public, and, sorry, Lillian, unfortunately,you will need a new treasurer.. Amy Mallet is fighting for her life and will beat you to death with his staying, just because of the association- no wrongdoing is necessary with desperate Dems with no issues or ideas, or that rag of a newspaper-all they do is play a very ill-informed, lightly-researched game of ” gotcha,” and inflame already weary and broke voters, merely to keep their pathetic lights on, usually at the GOP freeholders’ expense.. I want to see the GOP come out swinging this year, and stop fading like wilted flowers: they are doing the right things to keep the 4th largest county running, and running very well- people are getting a lot for their money here, which is why people keep moving here-few, if any, have a zero tax increase this year, and we need to stop running away and say so!. if we don’t, we may get one of each in Nov., or lose two, which is unthinkable!

8. Should I stay at community college an extra semester or just transfer out ASAP? » Merit Scholarships said at 8:07 pm on April 19th, 2011:

   […] MoreMonmouthMusings » Blog Archive » Consider Settling The Burnham … […]

9. 
   RussianPilgrim said at 8:38 pm on April 20th, 2011:

   Common Sense,
   I didn’t know that it took one vote to pass a county budget. Did all the Republicans vote “present” or “abstain”?

   Absolutely,
   The biggest issue for the Democrats is how incompetent the Republican freeholders have been and are. The appointments to the Brookdale board and failure to adequately manage the board, which goes back long before Mallet became a freeholder, are just two examples . M. Carton and years of out-of-control legal expenses is a third. Re-hiring Carton is a fourth.

10. 
    Michael A. Carabini said at 3:43 pm on April 24th, 2011:

    Burnham went on more than two dozen business trips in 2010 that cost Brookdale nearly 18 000 in travel costs alone according to credit card bills and receipts obtained by the Asbury Park Press.At least nine of those trips were related to paid consulting work Burnham did for the Philadelphia Public School District that was separate from college business.Brookdale may have been reimbursed for some of the unrelated costs but there are few documents to show that the college got its money back.That kind of record-keeping led to an audit of the college presidents office spending the results of which are expected to be released by the Brookdale board of trustees at its meeting 7 p.m. This total reimbursement is not part of the nearly 18 000 charged.Burnham had a second college-issued credit card a Visa that was rarely used college spokeswoman Avis McMillon said.Burnham held outside consultant jobs in addition to his role as chief of the college including the one with Philadelphia Public Schools and an unpaid position as a commissioner for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education also in Philadelphia.Middle States is a nonprofit agency comprising volunteer educators who evaluate the academic standards and operation of colleges and universities.Burnham served as both a commissioner and chairman of the Middle States Commission between January 2003 and December 2010 when he left the accreditation agency commission spokesman Richard Pokrass said.Eight trips were taken to Philadelphia and Mount Laurel on Middle States business according to the receipts.The position is unpaid but commissioners are reimbursed for expenses incurred while on Middle States business as long as they are submitted with a receipt Pokrass said.Pokrass was unable to provide information on Middle States reimbursements made to Brookdale over the past year.The board had approved a 635 884 annual budget for the presidents office.Aside from Burnhams 216 000 base salary the office budget included salaries for three staffers Louise Horgan executive assistant to the president who receives 123 864 annually Susan Kenney confidential administrative assistant 55 263 and Barbara Brennan confidential assistant to the president 54 907. Lets hope it doesnt blacken Brookdales eye. Curley said he believes that the trustees showed poor judgment by allowing an employee to have free reign over his expense accounts. I dont question their integrity.

11. 
    Ethics said at 11:11 pm on April 25th, 2011:

    We need this issue investigated to restore faith in the system that taxpayers fund.

    Any Board that would allow this to happen, probably wouldn’t notice other areas with similar problems.

    Any Board that would allow a monument like Larrisson Hall to be named after a confirmed crook probably is not watching the store carefully, or making good decisions in general.