Wednesday, October 4th, 2006
Former Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) , Curtis Bashaw, wants to build a casino in Atlantic City. We first reported that to you in June. The apparent conflict of interest stinks of shadiness.
Today, the Courier-Post highlighted the ethical issue that Bashaw finds himself in.
The former director of the state agency that doles out casino taxes to redevelopment projects now wants to build his own gambling hall — well before the two-year “cooling off” period dictated by state ethics rules has lapsed.
The waiting period is there to prevent state employees from cashing in on their work at taxpayer expense.
Bashaw was in a position to develop land in and around Atlantic City. If he were permitted to turn right around and build a casino, one might question why the CRDA did not develop the land that such a casino was to be built on. That is why Bashaw is required by law to wait two years before entangling himself in the casino industry.
Bashaw did not wait. Just a mere nine months after leaving his post, it was reported he was working on a deal. Even now, it has been but a year. I’m asking, “Why didn’t the CRDA develop this land?” Could it be that Bashaw sat on this land for his own private interests?
The public has a right to know.
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | 1 Comment »
Saturday, September 30th, 2006
We’re suppose to believe that Senator Bob Menendez, already under investigation for kickbacks from millions he lobbied for on behalf of his renter, didn’t know that his personal friend Donald Scarinci strongarmed Oscar Sandoval into hiring a doctor “preferred by Menendez or risk losing $1 million in contracts with Hudson County.”
Certainly what you see is Donald Scarinci speaking without Bob Menendez’s knowledge or approval.
Matt Miller, Menendez spokesman
Interestingly, the online version of this article does not display all of what was in the printed copy of the paper Friday.
Yesterday, he [Menendez] achieved further distance from his friend when the senator’s daughter, Alicia, resigned from Scarinci’s law firm. Alicia Menendez, a recent Harvard Law School graduate, quit after learning of the tape.
“She felt that given everything, it was appropriate to no longer work there,” Miller said.
But, Menendez said yesterday he remains a close friend of Scarinci.
Menendez’s daughter shows enough class to distance herself from Scarinci, but her father, an unelected senator, who is trying to win his first statewide election cannot. Sure, Scarinci left the payroll of the Menendez campaign, but he’s seedy enough to remain friends with.
This, dear reader, is your U.S. senator. This is the man who wants you to vote for him on 7 November.
He’s being investigated by the federal government. His close friend is on tape pressuring a psychiatrist to hire another friend stating that Menendez would consider it a favor. And now he wants to still socialize with his friend and not call him on the carpet for the heap of trouble he supposedly brought to the embattled senator.
This does not pass the sniff test. Anyone who had done that to me would be publicly rebuked. Boss Bob, however, does no such thing.
Even Governor Corzine is trying to get Scarinci away. The Press of Atlantic City reported today that Corzine
would strongly encourage the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to cease doing business with this individual.
Still, Boss Bob wants Scarinci as a friend.
Surely, there is someone who can lead us better than this.
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | No Comments »
Sunday, September 18th, 2005
Outgoing Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) executive director, Curtis Bashaw, gets his projects approved far more quickly than everyone else. The Asbury Park Press (APP) reports today that Bashaw’s projects have flown through Cape May’s planning boards while everyone else’s projects take their time.
Bashaw’s Driftwood condominium project was completed in a mere nine months.
“He did it in nine months,” Johnston said. “That is unheard of. For most people in Cape May, it takes three years to get past the planning board.”
The APP correctly highlights the millions of dollars Cape May has received during Bashaw’s 19-month tenure at CRDA.
the state agency has approved millions of dollars for CRDA-funded projects in the city of Cape May.
The APP is running a second Bashaw story today. In addition to the favortism Bashaw receives from the Cape May planning board, Bashaw has some interesting partners in his Sandpiper project. The Sandpiper is a hotel in Cape May that Bashaw’s investment group is rennovating into condominiums. Jamie Fox, former chief of staff to governor McGreevey, who was deposited in a patronage job with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is one of Bashaw’s partners.
As is Sandy Keziah. Keziah’s firm was hired by the CRDA to conduct a survey about converting hotels to condominiums for $270,000. Keziah was already an investor in the project by the time the survey was done. How objective is that?
And while Bashaw is resigning from CRDA at the end of the month, he will remain chairman of the Jersey Shore Tourism Corporation. This CRDA-funded group has no government oversight. Will Bashaw continue to be able to funnel cash to those who control his projects?
Where is Mr. Corzine? The would-be governor has promised to rid New Jersey of this type of patronage. It would sure be nice of him to swat this arrangement down.
Then there is eCache’s favorite Republican chairman, David Von Savage. If you are not familiar with my troubles with Mr. Von Savage, have a read through this post from last year. eCache has previously outlined the problems Bashaw’s reign has had. It appears that he has truly cashed in his influence for personal gain. This is yet another McGreevey-appointee whose work is mired in corruption.
Posted in New Jersey | No Comments »
Sunday, September 11th, 2005
featured in Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers #24 Former Casino Reinvestment Developmet Authority (CRDA) executive director Curtis Bashaw quit as chairman and director of the Jersey Shore Alliance.
It looks as though political pressure finally was applied. As we pointed out in this piece last month, the patronage that this job held was too much to ask taxpayers. It appears others agreed.Stephen Nagiewicz, the new head of the Jersey Shore Alliance says that Bashaw “was aware of the ethics restrictions placed on certain New Jersey officials when they leave state governmen,” as reported by the
Courier Post on Saturday. Nagiewicz said:
you can’t work some place and approve funding for an organization and then step in unless you have gotten approval from a lot of people. I think he was just looking at the interest of the (nonprofit) organization. I think that he was probably smart enough to check with the state ethics panel. When it comes to being fined for something like that, you certainly have to sit up and take notice.
So, only when the state Executive Commission on Ethical Standards indicated he could be fined that Bashaw saw the problem this position caused. Not once during Bashaw’s tenure at CRDA did he think that the non-profit he established with $600,000 of money he controlled that he decided he would head was problematic. This is the type of leadership the state has had at the helm for too long.
This is the knd of outrage the Jon Corzine-Carla Katz dealings inspire.
Posted in New Jersey | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 6th, 2005
Casino Redevelopment Authority executive director, Curtis Bashaw will resign at the end of the month.
Hallelujah!
Posted in New Jersey | No Comments »
