Bridge commission over troubled waters
A longtime spokesman and lobbyist for the Burlington County Bridge Commission, Robert Stears, admitted Friday that he billed the commission hundreds of thousands of dollars for work not performed, and he pleaded guilty to income tax evasion for not reporting that money.
First, I have to ask: Why does a Bridge Commission - responsible for two bridges - need a spokesman and a lobbyist? Why does the state need bridge commissions at all? Why can't whatever they do be folded into the state transportation department?
Stears submitted "overstated and inflated hours," stealing more than $300,000 from taxpayers in '97, '98 and '99, then more than $500,000 in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Even greed has inflation. He then underpaid his federal income tax by more than $100,000 in 2002 and didn't file any returns in five other years.
This only came to light when a Democratic leader in the Republican-controlled county saw the lobbyist/spokesman's work product and his contracts. His fellow commissioners and the freeholders talked about how shocked they were. C'mon. How could anybody not notice $800,000 in six years?
Of course Stears gave the now-familiar-to-New-Jerseyans claptrap speech about making a mistake: "Over the past few years, I have made some bad choices." No kidding. He faces jail time and could be fined up to $250,000. Why not the $800,000 he billed the taxpayers, plus a hefty interest rate?
First, I have to ask: Why does a Bridge Commission - responsible for two bridges - need a spokesman and a lobbyist? Why does the state need bridge commissions at all? Why can't whatever they do be folded into the state transportation department?
Stears submitted "overstated and inflated hours," stealing more than $300,000 from taxpayers in '97, '98 and '99, then more than $500,000 in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Even greed has inflation. He then underpaid his federal income tax by more than $100,000 in 2002 and didn't file any returns in five other years.
This only came to light when a Democratic leader in the Republican-controlled county saw the lobbyist/spokesman's work product and his contracts. His fellow commissioners and the freeholders talked about how shocked they were. C'mon. How could anybody not notice $800,000 in six years?
Of course Stears gave the now-familiar-to-New-Jerseyans claptrap speech about making a mistake: "Over the past few years, I have made some bad choices." No kidding. He faces jail time and could be fined up to $250,000. Why not the $800,000 he billed the taxpayers, plus a hefty interest rate?
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