It’s A New Year And Gloucester Township Has Another Controversy Brewing

Photo Source: GTEMS.org

As if it isn’t bad enough that Gloucester Township has an assistant store manager from the Deptford Mall as its communications director, a newly elected school board member with connections to an “adult superstore” and the fact the newly elected school board member didn’t even live in town when he got elected the folks running Camden County’s third largest town just had to add more controversy. It’s like they can’t help themselves.

The latest controversy has to do with the Township’s Emergency Medical Services operation, or a possible lack of an operation. It appears the Township is ditching Gloucester Township EMS Alliance for American Medical Response. To be clear, Gloucester Township EMS Alliance is a non-profit contracted to provide Emergency Medical Services to Gloucester Township.

The issue was raised by a Township resident at a recent council meeting:

In the video above a resident asks about the Township being without ambulance service “for a couple of days.” The folks on the dais explained they were not at the level of service as agreed to in the contract and that services were provided by Virtua. It was also explained council was working towards a resolution.

Considering a lack of Emergency Medical Services could lead to a public safety issue, The Bob & Steve Show did some digging since being contacted about the issue more than a week ago. Here’s what we learned:

Francis Pagurek was the GTEMS Chief until recently. Word is he was fired, “let go,” or forced out. The thing is Pagurek is well-known in the EMS community and has been named “Outstanding EMS Administrator” by the New Jersey Statewide Conference on EMS in the past. In other words, he knows what he’s doing. In fact, Pagurek has saved GTEMS money by doing things like eliminating the weekend “power turck” last year, negotiating with the mayor to allow vehicles to be worked on at public works and he put the employees’ health insurance out to bid and increased the co-pay to save money. Despite all this there were claims the organization was still broke. The claim is when Pagurek asked where all the money he saved the organization was, he was “fired.”

Looking back at the video above it is interesting that the Township resident asking questions about the EMS situation was told they were working on a resolution. It’s interesting because, based on what we’ve been told and confirmed, at the GTEMS Christmas Party held at Villari’s over a week ago Jim Wintrode, the GTEMS Treasurer and Member of the Board of Directors, and Ray Curry, who we’re told is the President of GTEMS, but haven’t confirmed his title, were called away by Mayor David Mayer and told effective Monday American Medical Response (AMR) was taking over the Township’s EMS duties. It has been confirmed that AMR has taken over. Last Friday morning EMS employees were called to Erial station and told AMR was taking over and there would be a 30-day transition and all were welcome to apply.

The obvious question is if people were telling us AMR was taking over EMS in Gloucester Township since last week how is it Council only knew they were working on a resolution? How much did Council know and when did they know it? Also, why was Virtua good enough shirt-term, but long-term plans are for AMR to take over?

There is obviously an issue with transparency in Gloucester Township.

The Bob & Steve Show has received more information on the GTEMS situation we are working to confirm. This means there will likely be more to this story so stay tuned.

$2 Million Cut From Veterans Fund But Murphy Has $2 Million For Illegal Immigrants Legal Defense

A couple of weeks ago on the radio show we had a call-in guest, Bob Garguilo of the Brigantine Elks Veterans Committee, who explained how cuts of up to $2 million to the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs has negatively impacted our veterans.

Garguilo and others volunteer their time to our veterans. One of the bigger outings they have for the veterans is the Army – Navy Game, usually three bus loads of vets. This year, after the first bus arrived, the other two never showed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the second two busses failed to show that Garguilo, the other volunteers and the veterans learned the busses weren’t coming due to budget cuts.

Listen to the interview here:

As was pointed out on the show it is “uncomfortably coincidental” that up to $2 million was cut from our veterans while Governor Phil Murphy can find $2 million for a defense fund for illegal immigrants.

According to the “Analysis Of The New Jersey Budget Department Of Military And Veterans’ Affairs”:

The Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, under the direction of the Adjutant General of New Jersey, is responsible for supporting the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard, administering programs and services for the 371,5181 veterans living in New Jersey, and managing and operating three veterans’ memorial homes: Menlo Park Veterans’ Memorial Home, Paramus Veterans’ Memorial Home, and Vineland Veterans’ Memorial Home. The FY 2019 Governor’s Budget recommends $171.5 million, in total funding for the operation and support of the department, a reduction of 0.8 percent. This total consists of $95.5 million in State funds; $71.1 million in federal funds; and $4.9 million in other funds. Compared to FY 2018, State funds decrease by $1.2 million (-1.24 percent). Federal and other funds decrease by insignificant amounts.

Right there, in black and white, is $1.2 million, but digging deeper it appears it is possible even more was cut:

As displayed above, FY 2018 supplemental appropriations totaling $1 million are projected to be allocated to the homes, divided nearly equally among them. The OLS has received conflicting information as to which of the two language provision serves as the authority for these supplemental appropriations. If the former, then their exclusion from FY 2019 recommended appropriations is consistent with budgetary convention; if the latter, then the impact of the funding decrease may be a reduction in transportation services to residents of the homes.

It appears given two busses didn’t show up at the event, “if the latter, then the impact of the funding decrease may be a reduction in transportation services to residents of the homes” is exactly what happened.

The question has to be asked, why is it that at least $1.2 million and possibly as much as $2 million was cut from our veterans, yet Phil Murphy can find $2.1 million for the legal defense of illegal immigrants?

$2.1 million that could be spent doing good for those who served our country is instead being spent on people who are here illegally. There is something obviously wrong with that!

It is unfortunate that it appears Murphy cares more about illegal immigrants than our veterans. Hopefully, New Jersey’s press doesn’t give the governor a free pass on this issue when he gets back from vacation. Time will tell, but we’re going to stay on top of this.

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Who Will He Blame After This Vacation? He Can't Blame Christie This Time.

Governor Phil Murphy

Christmas is over, so it’s time to get back to work. Unfortunately, it turns out blogging about politics at this time of year is difficult, not much is happening.

Fortunately, Governor Phil Murphy is vacationing in Africa, it’s hard to find a tax to raise while he’s an ocean away and even harder to screw anything else up.

We do, however, remember what happened when he came home from his last vacation. The governor decided to blame former Governor Chris Christie for all the problems with New Jersey Transit. At the same time the management of his professional women’s soccer team was blaming Jersey shore rentals for the shoddy housing provided to the players on his soccer team.

Like his current vacation, the last one was scheduled. And, like the last one, this one is coincidentally well-timed. The last vacation enabled him to weather the storm of controversy surrounding his soccer team. This vacation comes at a time when he is faced with the Katie Brennan controversy.

The difference here is we seriously doubt the press is going to forget the Brennan story like they did the soccer team story. No amount of New Jersey Transit train delays is going to help him weather this storm. Even if we get slammed with a snow storm between now and January 2, when the guv returns, there is no way he’s getting a pass.

What we do wonder is who will Murphy blame for the lack of action he took in dealing with the Brennan situation. He can’t blame Christie for this one. Maybe, he’ll try to blame his staff, but he can’t. Remember, he did reply to Brennan’s email regarding a “sensitive matter” with “Hang in. We’re on it.” That response, at least to us, proves Murphy knew exactly what the “sensitive matter” was that she wrote him about.

We look forward to the governor’s return if for no other reason than to see who Murphy blames for his problems this time. And we will be watching!