A Sigh of Relief in Sea Isle City

Hear that unusual sound in Sea Isle City? It’s not the roar of a nor’easter. It’s a collective sigh of relief from the long-suffering citizens at the long-overdue recommendation to dismiss Police Chief William Kennedy.
Some hearts may go out to the Kennedys for some of their problems for which they are not responsible and for some of the personal incidents that have tested their patience.
But in many ways, the chief has been a disaster and many have wondered why it took so long to take action,
He has been a divisive force in Sea Isle City, which has enough dissension without him. It’s a tribute to the majority of the department — there are exceptions —that it has been able to function as well as it has despite the constant distractions connected to the chief.
The county Prosecutor’s decision to monitor the department temporarily makes sense, and does not reflect on the department.
I have no idea why it took so long for city officials to bring in an independent investigator, except that one usually proceeds cautiously where police chiefs are concerned. Many have a bag of a town’s dirty laundry in their closets.
The chief can be expected to fight every inch of the way. Let’s get it over with.


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Three weeks ago, I reported here on the Bush administration’s attempt to withhold its White House visitor logs from the public. A federal judge has ruled they are public information. The White House is expected to appeal.

Take a Break

My experience tells me — and boy do I have experience — that most people do the least discretionary reading at this time of the year.
Everyone is much too busy with the trappings of Christmas, from baking to buying. I wouldn’t dream of adding to your burden with weighty — or light — thoughts in this week’s blog.
So go do what you have to. But come back in subsequent weeks when the topics will run the gamut from state aid to schools to do drunks lie to who is Cape May County’s worst mayor?
Have a blessed Christmas.

The $5-Million Campaign with the 46 Percent Turnout

The Nov. 6 election numbers are in, and guess what?
This county led the state in two — count ‘em, two — areas.
No one will be surprised to learn that the campaign of Democrat Jeff Van Drew and his running mates, Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam, raised more than $1.1 million in its final week, more than any other legislative slate, and that put their total to $3 5 million, a record for Cape May County.
The Republicans raised about $1.5 million.
The Van Drew campaign trailed the Democratic slate in Monmouth County where $5 million was raised and all three Dems lost.
Statewide, a record $68.8 million was spent on the legislative races.
Now the other area where this county shined, if that’s the right word: Turnout.
Statewide, 32 percent of 4.8 million voters went to the polls, lowest since 1999 when it was 31 percent.
Lowest percentage vote: Hudson with 19 percent.
Highest — ta da — Cape May with 46 percent.
A correlation between dollars and turnout and who won? What do you think?

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Incidentally, three weeks ago, I wrote about charges against U.S. State Department Inspector General Howard J. Krongard to do with his investigation of Blackwater. He has resigned, effective Jan. 15.

Jack Abramoff and the Bush Administration

You remember Jack Abramoff, don’t you? Who could forget his oh-so-appropriate black hat?
The lobbyist is serving six years on a criminal case out of Florida, but hasn’t been sentenced yet on a number of other charges to do with influence-peddling in Washington: mail fraud, conspiracy, tax evasion.
Among a dozen so far convicted after the Justice Department probe of Abramoff: former Rep. Bob Ney, Ohio Republican, and David Safavian, former chief of staff of the General Services Administration.
There’s a new — very new — wrinkle in the Bush Administration’s efforts to keep from revealing any additional details on the White House visits of Abramoff.
Last year, the administration agreed to produce records sought by by the conservative watchdog group, Judicial Watch and another group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics.
But last week, the administration filed a new argument that said identifying the visits of Abramoff could reveal the methods “used by the Secret Service to carry out its protective function.”
The Secret Service says records created while conducting extensive background checks on certain visitors to the White House could make it possible for some to figure out Secret Service activities.
You couldn’t make this up.
So far, the White House has released information about seven Abramoff visits.
This new defense makes it clear there were more.
“I don’t know him,” President Bush has said of Abramoff. “I’ve never sat down with him and had a discussion with the guy.”
Abramoff has said they’ve met “almost a dozen” times and “joked...about a bunch of things.”
This whole thing is a joke. And the laugh’s on us.