November 20, 2009
Hon. Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.
Essex County Executive
Hall of Records, Room 405
465 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Newark, NJ, 07102
Re: Nonexistent Government Review Task Force Final Report
Dear Mr. DiVincenzo:
As you are aware, CWA Local 1081 has submitted the three attached respective OPRA (Open Public Records Act) requests to your administration in order to obtain all records of the Government Review Task Force you appointed in February 2005:
- CWA Local 1081 sent you the attached missive of October 22, 2009 requesting “all documents within the Administration’s possession regarding the reported fact that on Wednesday, February 2, 2005 you announced the creation of an ad hoc Government Review Task Force to study how county, municipalities and school boards can work together to control costs”. In response, we received from your administration the attached copies of the “Meeting Summary” of nineteen (19) meetings of the Government Review Task Force that were held between March 22, 2005 and September 7, 2006. We did not, however, receive an answer to our appeal that “Inasmuch as the task force was to have included at least one volunteer representing Labor, CWA Local 1081 requests your administration inform our Union which of your following appointees is purported to” have served in that capacity.
- CWA Local 1081 then sent you the attached missive of November 6, 2009 asserting that “Considering the considerable consequence Mr. Shapiro and you credited to the charge you gave the Government Review Task Force, CWA Local 1081 would prefer to believe it must have been an oversight your administration failed to provide our Union a copy of the task force’s final report. We respectfully request anew you expeditiously now do so.” In response, your administration provided the attached reply, “Please be advised that a copy of the Final Report that you reference in your OPRA request was never provided because the document in question was never produced by the Government Review Task Force.”
- CWA Local 1081 then sent you the attached missive of November 17, 2009 requesting the following: “1. The draft report submitted to your administration by the Task Force; 2. The reports submitted to your administration by the subcommittees of the Task Force, such as the Welfare subcommittee chaired by the renowned Richard Roper; 3. All expenses incurred by the Task Force, including its subcommittees, as a result of its having met a total of nineteen (19) times between March 22, 2005 and September 7, 2006.”
Your administration provided the attached response, “please be advised that I am in receipt of a Draft document titled Essex County Government Review Task Force - Benefits of Shared Services for item 1 - The draft report submitted to your administration by the Task Force. As for item 2 - The reports submitted to your administration by the subcommittees of the Task Force, such as the Welfare subcommittee chaired by the renowned Richard Roper - there were no reports submitted to the administration by the subcommittees of the Task Force. Item 3 - All expenses incurred by the Task Force, including its subcommittees, as a result of its having met a total of nineteen (19) times between March 22, 2005 and September 7, 2006 - Paul Hopkins and Anthony Abbaleo have confirmed that there were no expenses incurred by the Task Force.”
Having made several attempts to contact him via email, former Essex County Executive and Government Review Task Force Chairperson Peter Shapiro appeared to have fallen upon his sword for your administration when finally responding to CWA Local 1081, “You were inquiring on the final report of the Essex County Task Force. I am embarrassed to admit that the final report was never completed. We worked hard, and came up with some interim conclusions, but I never finished pulling it together. It’s my fault entirely, and has no bearing on the good intentions of the other task force members, and particularly of the DiVincenzo administration, which showed nothing but good faith and open-mindedness on any area of inquiry.”
While Mr. Shapiro’s fealty is creditable, CWA Local 1081 nonetheless must insist you provide the residents of Essex County, as well as the County’s dedicated and hard working employees whom have been without successor contracts for nearly two years, why you did not insist upon the Government Review Task Force producing and providing you a final report. For, had you done so, perhaps some of the report’s suggestions might have better fiscally prepared Essex County for the worldwide financial meltdown now particularly plaguing the State of New Jersey and reportedly a number of its local governments.
As your administration now embarks upon its 2010 budgetary deliberations, your rapid rejoinder to our Union’s sincere supplication is reverentially requested.
Yours truly,
David H. Weiner, President, CWA Local 1081