Watch Corbett blow this. It will continue to tighten and when October comes, Onorato plays the Asher card and wins.

[...] pa2010:Corbett leads Gov Race by 7 2)   Lancaster New Era: Corbett courts seniors at town hall meeting 3)  Wilkes Barre Times [...]

Corbett should go underground until September because everytime he opens his mouth he messes up…not a particularly effective campaigner or debater…Onorato will run circles around him

Less than four months until election day and Danny Boy has yet to hit 40% in Democrat Pennsylvania. He’ll be lucky to get 45% in November.

July 9, 2010

Richard Brown

General Counsel

Delaware River Port Authority

One Port Center

2 Riverside Drive
Camden, NJ 08101

Dear Dick:

Your lack of responsiveness to my multiple, repeated requests for information has eroded my patience. The memo today issued by Sen. Matheussen shed light on some of my longstanding issues, but only served to increase my level of frustration and prompt me to write this letter.

In a face to face meeting two weeks ago in the Pennsylvania Caucus session, you promised me answers to my questions. You disrespected me in my role as a DRPA Commissioner and failed to deliver on your promise. Imagine, then, my shock to see you interviewed for a recent NJN investigative story on the DRPA in which you provided a news reporter with answers and a copy of the DRPA Management Report that I had requested numerous times, but still have not received. Your evasive on-camera performance offended me personally and was an embarrassment to the DRPA. The interview revealed your political paralysis and utter inability to fulfill the obligations of your position. Accordingly, I will be asking for your immediate resignation at the next DRPA board meeting.

On numerous occasions, I requested information about the Human Resources Department of the DRPA, specifically the policies and procedures the department uses to hire new employees, including their geographic location, their position and commensurate salary, who hired them and when, and the length of time the job was posted. I also asked for any written policies, procedures, board minutes, inter-office memos, or other documents regarding the hiring practices and testing process of applicants for DRPA positions. I’m still waiting for that correspondence. I have also asked you repeatedly for the DRPA’s written policy regarding outside employment for DRPA employees. I finally received it today, although not from you but rather from Sen. Matheussen in a crisis communications response to the NJN investigative story.

On another issue, you’ll recall that we DRPA Commissioners were told that Chief Borelli was terminated because he was featuring DRPA vendors as guests on his radio show. I later learned that DRPA executives routinely appeared on Borelli’s radio show. That is an indefensible double standard. Less than two months ago, Sen. Matheussen told me that the Borelli issue was done and there was no evidence of criminal activity. I asked you for copies of all correspondence between the DRPA and Borelli from the outset of the investigation until present. Once again, I am still waiting for that correspondence.

The DRPA recently posted a job opening for an experienced grant writer. I understand that qualified DRPA employees applied for the position. Somehow, the DRPA opted to completely rewrite the original job posting to favor a politically connected New Jersey woman with no grant-writing experience whatsoever. In the illogical, politically wired world of the DRPA, she, of course, was awarded the contract, which included a salary greater than that originally posted for the position. Meanwhile, qualified, loyal DRPA employees were passed over.

My repeated requests for information on the termination of John Lawless are well-documented. His termination and immediate, police escort from the building seemed especially heavy-handed. There are persistent, strong allegations that Lawless’ E-Z Pass was being used by someone else in the building. Why have we Commissioners not been updated on these issues and allegations? I understand that the case is now in litigation, but I have asked you numerous times in the past for more information on this situation and still have not received it. In the meantime, it has come to my attention that another DRPA employee was caught stealing petty cash and was terminated. Yet, because he’s politically connected, he was immediately rehired by the DRPA in another position. The inconsistencies in the DRPA’s Human Resources policies and practices are baffling.

Furthermore, Sen. Matheussen assured me and my fellow Pennsylvania Commissioners that there would be no salary increases for DRPA directors in deference to the ongoing economic recession, yet you admitted on camera in the NJN story that you’d recently had your $9,000 annual car allowance rolled into your salary, thereby increasing your DRPA pension. It is unconscionable that anyone would use semantics to justify an abuse of the system.

There are many other instances in which I’ve demanded answers and have been repeatedly stonewalled by you. I asked for information about the DRPA’s insurance policies, including the “True Up” commission provision, which I believe is unethical and probably illegal. I specifically asked for any and all written legal opinions on the controversial “True Up” provision and still have not received any correspondence or answers.

I asked about selling some DRPA-owned land to improve our fiscal position. No answers. I asked about sub-leasing one of the DRPA’s 12 under-utilized floors to generate revenue or creating a “think tank” on one floor to help guide our future projects and investments. No answers. I asked for information on who was provided with E-Z pass transponders – and hit a raw nerve.

I also asked for a copy of the Philadelphia Police report and the DRPA Police report on the death of DRPA Police Officer Christopher Milito, a good man whom I met on many occasions. I have questions about that evening’s DRPA police detail, assignments, staffing, etc. I have received numerous requests for information from the Pennsylvania State FOP and Philadelphia police officers about Cpl. Milito’s death. I have nothing to tell them since I have received no information from you.

Ironically, on those handful of occasions in which the DRPA responded to and acted upon my suggestions – whether it was sub-leasing the billboards,

or selling wall wraps, signage on cars, etc. – the ideas turned into positives for the DRPA. These positive developments have been all too rare, unfortunately.

I cannot overlook or forgive the fact that you provided answers and a copy of the DRPA Management Report to a reporter while continuing to deny me – a DRPA Commissioner – the same information I’ve been requesting for months. Your stonewalling tactics border on conspiracy.

Understand this: I ask all of these questions because I care about the port. My family emigrated from Ireland and made their home and their livelihood on Philadelphia ‘s waterfront. I was at the forefront of the efforts to secure dredging and the Southport project. Of the many boards I have served on over the years, I have never taken a dime for myself. I choose to serve on the DRPA board and other boards because I care deeply about the future of our region.

I have many other serious concerns about DRPA partisanship, leadership, and the overall direction of the Authority, including the lack of transparency in too many facets of our operations. Rest assured that I will no longer tolerate any further delays or excuses regarding my legitimate requests for answers.

Whether it’s malicious intent or gross incompetence on your part or the part of DRPA leadership is immaterial at this point. Those who are unwilling or incapable of fulfilling the important functions of their DRPA positions should be relieved of their jobs. The taxpayers of Pennsylvania and New Jersey deserve better and I intend to make sure they receive it.

Sincerely,

John J. Dougherty

Commissioner

Cc: All DRPA Commissioners

Governor Edward Rendell

Governor Chris Christie

State Rep. Bill Keller

Sen. Donald Norcross

Can someone please silence the DRPA dude? It is getting really annoying really quickly.

Onorato has issues if he cannot get above 40 percent in Pennsylvania where the Democrats have a million plus registration advantage.

Additionally, Onorato is in deep trouble if his SEPA numbers do not improve substantially. Corbett winning by 10 in the suburban counties will kill Onorato awful early.

I don’t think the “name recognition card” can be continued to be played by dems on this race. After how many ads Onorato put out in the primary, he shouldn’t be below 40%.

Hey Dougherty Put a Sock in it, and stop wasting valuable space of PA2010, Blowhard, Boooo Ah Choo

With a fresh statewide wine under his belt and the simmering discontent and anti liberal/democrat buzz 7 points in the early summer tells me Corbett has a glass jaw.
If the dems get a jobs policy theme that has a chance of helping the middle class- Pa will go dem (again).
The snarky stuff about the unemployed comp seemed to reveal a dark and callous side that seems to be old school republican conservatism pre- Reagan that Limbaugh and Beck are playing to.
Very creepy stuff.
I had thought better of him