COMMISSIONERS AGAINST CORRUPTION: "EAST ORANGE SUPPORT LINE B ON TUESDAY!"

In response to recent, unjust, slanderous,  and isolated attacks on Councilmember Andrea McPhatter (see attached pics) printed on mailers with a return address of “The East Orange City Council 2015 @1533 Halsted St., E Orange, NJ, 07018” , three commissioners refute the contents of the distributed flyers as described below.

“Councilwoman McPhatter did not stand up for the Water Commissioners, she stood up for justice.”

                            – Commissioners Against Corruption

2. Ex-Top Official of East Orange Water Agency Gets 3 Years in Prison (12.10.14 NJ.com). –

Response from The Commissioners Against Corruption: TRUE.

Mr. Mowell was sentenced to a 3 year term because he failed to abide by the laws he was charged to uphold. Neither Councilwoman McPhatter nor any Commissioners had anything to do with Mr. Mowell’s actions. She stood up for justice for the Commissioners because they executed their duties as such.

3. State: Utility Hid Chemicals In Drinking Water, Should Pay $400k Fine (Star Ledger 3.6.13). –

Response from The Commissioners Against Corruption: FALSE

DEP reduced the $400K fine and had to decide if the remaining fine amount would go towards the building of the Air Stripping Facility targeted for summer 2016, which will bring 99% clean water to the communities and over $6,000,000 annual revenue to the Commission.  This is an initiative that was pioneered by the former Commissioners in 2013.

4. EOWC Delinquency Costs Taxpayers (Patch 4.16.13) –

Response from The Commissioners Against Corruption: FALSE and MISLEADING

June 28, 2014 http://essexnewsdaily.com/news/eastorange/36908 Both President Councilwoman Quilla Talmadge and Councilman Lonnie Hughes denounced the mayor’s attack on the water commissioners stating that “EOWC HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY’s BUDGET! THEY ARE SEPARATE FROM THE CITY!”

5. “Since a criminal investigation into concealing pollutant testing results ended in the arrest of two administrators at the agency early last year, millions of dollars of debt and serious infrastructure problems have been uncovered, [Mayor Lester Taylor] said.” (NJ.com 7.23.14).

Response from The Commissioners Against Corruption: FALSE and MISLEADING

All debt was a result of millions of dollars taken by the City from EOWC’s budget. 21 cities in NJ have infrastructure issues http://www.njfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Agenda-for-Change.pdf. However, a Resolution was passed by EOWC, City Council, and the Mayor to execute a strategic plan to correct the issues and create a multimillion dollar revenue stream for the commission.

6. Council Member Andrea McPhatter says the Commissioners were not guilty of the allegations they were accused of.” (NJTV News, 12.17.14) –

Response from The Commissioners Against Corruption: TRUE.

The Commissioners were not guilty. In FACT, during the closed session vote from the 8 present Councilmembers at the 12.10.14 hearing (Jacquelyn Johnson did not attend the hearings; Tyshammie Cooper on vacation), there was a 7-1 vote on 4 counts and an 8-0 vote on the 5th charge!

7. Remember East Orange’s negligent water commissioners? Andrea McPhatter was their biggest defender. –

Response from The Commissioners Against Corruption: FALSE

Councilwoman McPhatter did not stand up for the Commissioners, she stood up for justice. And so did 7 other Councilmembers during the vote against Mayor Taylor’s allegations.

8. After the city’s water was poisoned, McPhatter still wanted to keep the water commissioners on the job. –

Response from The Commissioners Against Corruption: FALSE. The water was never poisoned. TRUE.

Councilwoman McPhatter along with 7 other Councilmembers voted against all 5 of the Mayor’s charges and found them unsubstantiated.

9.   Despite the commissioners’ record of outrageous mismanagement – allowing East Orange’s water to be some of the most polluted in the state, Council Member Andrea McPhatter voted to keep them on the job – and even voted to pay them for months lost due to suspension. –

Response from The Commissioners Against Corruption: FALSE and MISLEADING

McPhatter, along with 7 other Councilmembers voted to reinstate the Commissioners. McPhatter sought and fought for justice. As public officials (police, fire, city administrators, etc.), Commissioners are automatically reimbursed for legal costs and for false allegations made against them.

10.  Whose side is Council Member Andrea McPhatter on? Not East Orange’s families. –

Response from The Commissioners Against Corruption: FALSE.

McPhatter is clearly on East Orange’s families’ side which is demonstrated by her impeccable and irrefutable record of service in our community. There is no better way to serve others than to exemplify servant leadership and stand up for justice.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.