Corzine, Katz, Corruption
There’s more to the Carla Katz affair. Governor Corzine not only forgave the house loan to the tune of $600,000 (including gift taxes) to Katz. One wonders where Katz raised the finds to add a 3200 sq. foot addition to that house. Then Katz purchased for $1.1 million condo in Hoboken in the same building where Corzine lives. Recall, Katz earns a little over $100,000 as a union boss.
The one agent for the company Katz created to purchase the Hoboken condo named for a communist is Barry Szaferman. Szaferman works for a law firm that employs David Beckett. Beckett is the man Corzine hired to negotiate with Katz’s union. This one smells badly.
Now comes graduate school. Katz attends Seton Hall on a full scholarship. That seems a bit odd considering her spending habits. It turns out that right before and right after her application to Seton Hall was submitted, Govrnor Corzine donated $1 million dollars to the school. Corzine denies any quid pro quo to the donations. That may be, but it is awfully fishy. So much so that Archbishop John Myers who sits on Seton Hall’s board has launched an investigation.
Not only has Corzine donated money to the school, some of it is targeted specifically for the program Katz is enrolled in.
Even more telling to the ethics of Corzine and Katz are their choices. Corzine is trying remain mum on these issues (which will cost him dearly), but he suggested that he also paid for tuition for Katz’s children. Tuition? New Jersey public schools generally do not charge tuition. Okay, so Katz has decided to send her children to private school . . . in Pennsylvania! So, the governor of New Jersey is financing out-of-state private education. That is backing the public school program that accounts for half of the state’s budget. That is not leadership, dear reader. Hmmm . . . given Corzine’s decision, I suspect we will see a voucher program on the table pretty soon.
Katz for her part is adding a 3200 sq. foot addition to the house Corzine purchased for her. I know I could not afford such an addition. But it seems that Katz, union boss to 9000 state workers, is using non-union labor for the job. Precious. I suspect that her union will not back her next time her position comes up.
This is how politics work in New Jersey.
Also blogged on this date . . .
- Only in New Jersey - 2008
- Blogroll - 2006
- New SCC Chief Bails on Embattled Agency - 2006
- Inspector General Well Worth the Expense - 2005
- CSN&Y in Tampa - 2000
- Arlo Guthrie - 1987