Herald & Lantern / July bz

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Sheriff Blasts GOP Leadership

(From Pagel) Thornton] don't reflect the across-the-board opinion of county officials and the organization," the sheriff maintains "The Cape May County (Republican) Organization got its tail whipped they're just trying to rationalize their loss and I don't want to be part of that rationale " AS THK SHERIFF sees it. the reason the GOP-cndorsed candidate lost is simple - fhe party leadership decided to endorse

said, adding that many bosses actually believe they are smarter than the collective electorate "To them good government and party principles come farther down the line." he'sflid ' Referring to Mr Matalucci. Sheriff Fox acknowledged that as a leader. Cape May county has'one of thk'best: "No leader is worth his salt if he can't get the decisions he wants from his organization " MR. FOX CONTI NED. though, that he

“Blind loyalty to patronage, deals and promises is their only philosophy”

the candidate they wanted rather than going to the grassroots organization and finding out if this was indeed the people's choice "There's less than six people who control the Organization," he said This isn't the first time the organization leadership has endorsed a loser. Mr. Fox continued, noting the same thing happened last year when the party hierarchy threw its support behind the gubernatorial candidacy of Paterson Mayor Pat Kramer ACCORDING TO THE sheriff, the days of rule by party bosses — such as "I am the Law" Frank Hague of Jersey City, "Hap" Farley of Atlantic City and Richard Daley of Chicago — are far from a thing of the^ past. He asserted that important decisions are still made in the "backroom" by a

docs not believe, as he maintains the leader does, that the best way to maintain and strengthen a political organization is thru the old "boss system" of patronage, deals, and promises The sheriff asserted that "a party gains strength by sticking to party principles and listening to the grassroots." Pointing to several statements by county officials in the June 16 Herald article that he believes are "self-serving." the sheriff questioned how Mr. Mdtalucci could possible justify his statement that a conservative can't win a general election in New Jersey "President Reagan took the state by a million and a half votes." noted Mr 'Fox. ) And what about the comment by

“There’s less than ^Ix people

who control the Organization”

handful of political bosses, most of whom have never held elected office Their decisions he said, are then trickled down to the grassroots organization thru local and district leaders. . "Blind loyalty to patronage, deals and promises is their only philosophy." Fox

THREE-MASTED schooner enroute around the Cape, as pictured by Ralph Mogavero aboard his Rosie Plus 4. The craft was part of the Tall Ships brigade.

Freeholder Gerald Thornton / fhinfe she (Mrs Fenwick) was mislabeled by her op ponent as an ultraliberal She's not liberal She's moderate According to sheriff fox Mrs Fenwick was rated hy Americans for Democratic Action — one of the most liberal interest groups in the country — as voting 70 per cent of the time in favor of their view on issues "The people know perfectly well who's liberal and conservative on the issuer and what the issues are." he said.'"Labels aren't going to fool them." The sheriff sees control of party politics — not only in Cape May Couhty, but throughout the country — by a handful of bosses and "backroom" politics as a threat to the democratic system "Unfortunately, people think the day of boss control and backroom politics is oyer," he said ACCORDING TO MR. FOX, "If people really want to defuse the power of bosses. It’s with the ballot box " There's nothing that worries a boss more than people com ing out to the polls, he said, noting the fewer people he has to control, the easier it is for a political boss to get whatever he wants The worst mistake next to not voting is adopting the attitude that it's beneficial for voters to maintain independence and refuse to votein a primary, the sheriff con

STEP Head Hits Utility Testimony

(From Page 1) held on this mammoth request. I cannot believe that simple points and questions are being made extremely complicated. I can only speculate that the Atlantic Electric Co. is hoping that if the case is confusing enough it will win some of its points/' Garretson stated "They are spending days on technical accounting points that even knowledgeable accountants can’t follow, but at the same time can’t answer a simple question "A perfect example is; ‘How much lafid for future use does the company own? When was it purchased 0 Where is it and what is its worth'’’ STEP asked this question through the legal right of discovery "Atlantic Electric^answer." Garretson said, "was a 4.500-atTe tract. They could not or didn't choose to explain when it was purchased, where exactly it is located nor its value "WHEN JAMES LEES, a senior officer for Atlantic Electric, was questioned on tis point, he couldn't answer When pressed on the point of why other lands were being purchased in Cumberland County for future use instead of using these lands, he stated that a study was done by a com mis-' sion of public officials and other representatives which found it not suitable " If this is the case, why is the company still holding these 4.500 acres’’' Garretson asked "In another part of the, hearing Joseph

Brennan, an expert utility consultant has ed his testimony for the company on a barometer group made up of five utilities from Indianapolis, Kentucky. NewMex ico. Texas and the Southwest When asked why these companies had been chosen he stated the major factor was the like size of Atlantic Electric, but he couldn't cite any empirical studies to support this "IT SEEMS THERE IS no place in the company's case for logic Why not com pare companies in our geographic loca tion." Garretson stated "Much testimony centered around the 19 percent rate of return requested by the company to shareholders I am stiU reviewing this testimony, but it is clear that Atlantic Electric is only concerned with a future major stock issue which will be coming out in late '82 or early '83." Garretson explained "I plan to issue further facts concerning4his upon more review of the transcripts and notes "I urge each and every resident who has not written to the Board of Public Utilities to write the BPU. 1100 Raymond Blvd . Newark 07102. and urgently request that this rate hike be denied We need to keep the pressure on the BPU to lopk after the) interest of the ratepayers, and not just tb<? company in this case," Garretson start’d "It is a wry costly effort that STEP has undertaken to have our lawyer at all the evidentiary hearings, so donations are greatly needed and should be sent to S T E P . Box 276. Villas 08251." Garretson concluded

tinued • select a candidate in Novemberjhat many "When people give up the right to par times has already-been pre selected in the ticipatc in a primary, all they cah'do is backrooms," he [said i i ———■

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