Sunday, June 18, 2006
Zulima to corrupt pols: Keep your freedom and your pension
New Jersey's attorney general, Zulima Farber, doesn't think that elected officials who are caught with their hands in the till, the kitty or the cookie jar should be subject to mandatory jail time and forfeiture of their pensions. From the Courier Post:
How will New Jersey ever stop the incredible amount of public corruption that plagues the state, its counties, cities and towns if it does not punish those who violate the public trust with severe penalties. Elected and appointed officials need to know that if they are caught in any sort of corruption scandal that they will face criminal penlaties of the highest order. That means jail, fines and forfeiture of pensions.
Ms. Farber (and Governor Corzine), its time to stop protecting the criminals at the expense of the taxpayer.
Previous Zulima:
Zulima, girl, what were you thinking?
Again, Zulima?
I tend to agree with Senator John Adler, D-Camden, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who is all for the jail time and pension forfeitures: "Crime is a crime."Corrupt politicians, those unsavory symbols of New Jersey who have tarnished its national reputation, should not necessarily have to go to jail or lose a pension, the state's top law enforcement officer said Thursday.
"I oppose mandatory sentences," including jail time, said state Attorney General Zulima Farber at a Senate committee hearing. "I would oppose forfeiture."
The forfeiture would mean the loss of a pension by a politician or other public employee who had gone bad.
Farber, whose opposition to mandatory sentences is well-known, said it would be unfair, for example, to deny the pension of a 30-year government veteran who was corrupt in year 31.
How will New Jersey ever stop the incredible amount of public corruption that plagues the state, its counties, cities and towns if it does not punish those who violate the public trust with severe penalties. Elected and appointed officials need to know that if they are caught in any sort of corruption scandal that they will face criminal penlaties of the highest order. That means jail, fines and forfeiture of pensions.
Ms. Farber (and Governor Corzine), its time to stop protecting the criminals at the expense of the taxpayer.
Previous Zulima:
Zulima, girl, what were you thinking?
Again, Zulima?