JJOKE Commissioner resignations

I've decided that the fault at JJOKE rests squarely with it's commissioners and there appointing authorities.

Now don't misunderstand, the staff bears a huge portion of the blame but staffers who owe there jobs to the second floor or their Uncles who are commissioners or a friend who may be married to a commissioner etc etc can not be expected to be independent.  Lets be realistic they may want to punish state employees who have stock holdings in companies they are investigating (or not investigating because of the conflict), they may want to punish state employees for failing to disclose those stock holdings, they may want to punish state employees that accept free rides in fancy corporate jets from disqualified sources, they may want to punish state employees for getting off the fancy jet and jumping into limos provided gratis by disqualified sources, they may want to punish state employees for fundraising from family members of those they are investigating, they may want to investigate the state democratic party for being an unregistered lobbyist.

But they won't until there commissioners tell them to, or someone on the 2nd floor does.  That's just reality.  I've heard it over and over when I ask staff members why no action on these type of complaints "you are preaching to the choir".

If that's the case it's time to switch churches.

But I digress,  it is not staffs fault, they could do more, much more, but they are insecure and incompetent.

No it's the commissioners fault.

And the recent decision by the commission to state on the record that they are not subject to the open meetings law even when they hold a public meeting is just another example, a minor one but illustrative of how things work at JJOKE.  I wonder how many commissioners actually read the statute before they went along with Monica's Stamm's flawed legal analysis? (It was Monica's birthday and that lovely cake waiting for the commission in the break room would make a perfect place to plant a recording device, by the way how did the cake taste?)

But I digress yet again.  Since it is so difficult to tell the commissioners apart and I have no way of knowing who actually is attending meetings remotely I've made up a simple reference sheet to identify them.

I've decided they fall into 5 categories.

Category 1 - the insiders, these are the select few that receive orders from the 2nd floor and are in the know.  These are the commissioners that look the most embarrassed when they have to try to defend the indefensible with a straight face.  I put Horwitz, Lavine and Arroyo in this category.  Now Arroyo may only be a fringe player as he has been cagey enough to avoid going to meetings.  Why cagey? because it is this type of commissioner that will have to lawyer up quick if anyone ever investigates how things work at JJOKE and better to not be seen at the scene of the crime..

Category 2 - the sheep, these are the followers.  They do not care enough about their reputations to take an active role in what goes on.  They might show up at a meeting but all they do is raise their hands to vote yes.  Go along get along and when the subpoenas start flying they will have many a sleepless night trying to figure out what they did and why.  I put Hormozi, Knox, Romeo, Rath, Covullo and DeArcy in this category

Category 3 - the clowns, the entertaining ones. They are sheep unless directed otherwise by Shelly but they are immensely entertaining to watch.  I put Roth in this category, she is a headline act.  Anyone that has watched her stand up performance would have to agree she has that annoying kvetching Jewish grandmother at thanksgiving thing down perfect.  I've turned her "I can't hear you" line into my ringtone.  Marvin Jacobs falls into this category for his shear brilliance in finding ways to miss the point of what he should be arguing about and still managing to annoy and frustrate Horowitz.  And a very nice man by the way a real mensch.  Lastly is the new guy Casteleiro,  Anyone that looks that much like Gary Busey and is a New Jersey lawyer on a New York ethics commission is priceless.  If there is ever an investigation, these are the commissioners the 2nd floor will try to deflect guilt upon, "Shelly's puppets" I can hear it now and you know what? they won't be wrong.

Category 4 - the polite ones.  They are the ones with real substance and an ability to force change but they are too polite to speak out in public and attack the rest.  Weismann and Renzi could have done so much more if they just would have the courage to voice their opinions in public and force change.  But they are too cautious or polite or wimpy whatever the reason, they bear a goodly bit of the blame for JCOPE becoming JJOKE in my opinion.  Nothing is sadder than wasted opportunity.

Category 5 - the smart ones.  At this point any JJOKE commissioner that has resigned falls into this category.  In the long run they sleep better, their reputations are restored and they don't have to hire criminal defense lawyers.

Something tells me a Category 5 storm is on the way.