August 4, 2006. Harrison's Former Street Department supervisor William "Billy" Tanski's indictment brings to the forefront once again the issue of political corruption in Hudson County. Hudson County has the reputation going back for decades of being a hot bed of corruption. New FBI agents reportedly are trained by reviewing case studies based on Hudson County corruption. What is about Hudson County that lends itself to corrupt political officials? Is it the water we drink? We doubt it. What leads to an atmosphere of corruption is a combination of a lack of a proactive county prosecutor's office, political patronage, voter apathy and a inactive local press (as opposed to a proactive local press).

In the Tansky case, Mayor McDonough stated that the Hudson County Prosecutor's office conducted an investigation as a result of a Harrison Police Department investigation. That statement is hard to swallow. The Harrison Police Department could not have conducted an investigation that led to the indictment because word of the investigation would undoubtedly have gotten out. There is no police officer who could have conducted the investigation which would not have been recognized as a Harrison officer by William "Billy" Tansky. Mr. Tansky knew every police officer in town. He lived and worked for the Town of Harrison for over thirty years.

As far as the Hudson County Prosecutor's office is concerned, when was the last time they investigated and indicted a politician or public official? Take a moment to think about it. Still trying to think of one. No, former Mayor Leo Vartan of Kearny was indicted by the U.S. Attorney General. Former County Executive Robert "Bob" Janiszewski was also indicted by the U.S. Attorney General. If the Hudson County Prosecutor's office actually conducted the Tansky investigation that is a step in the right direction. Our doubts however linger.

With so much apparent political corruption, the Hudson County Prosecutor's office should set up a political corruption unit. A corruption unit manned by individuals who have no ties to Hudson County. Individuals whose only allegiance is to uphold their oath of office. Since the appointment, hiring, and promotion of prosecutors is partially based on political connection the formation of such a unit has languished. It's time it come to fruition.

Political patronage also has something to do with political corruption. Individuals who owe their livelihood to political connections feel an allegiance to those politicians who assisted them in securing their job. They also feel that their job security rides in part on re-electing their political connection. It also causes them to look the other way when something improper or illegal occurs on their watch. Soon what first appeared improper is rationalized as perfectly normal. For those who try to do the right thing, they are harassed, intimidated and discriminated against. Many honest employees leave and find other employment. Others learn quickly not to challenge the administration or you will pay the price. An example of the latter is what occurred with the theft of a reported $30,000 per month in quarters from Harrison's parking meters. How does one man move $30,000 in quarters per month by himself without anyone noticing. The Answer: He simply does not. With certainty, the men and woman of the Street Department must have known but turned a blind eye because they feared that if they spoke they would be retaliation, loss of their livelihood or worse. With a weak county prosecutor's office, employees know to do as a monkey does, "Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil." Under these conditions the corruption flourishes.

Another factor which allows political corruption to flourish is voter apathy. When only a small percentage of the registered voters cast their vote. When only a smaller portion of the population is registered to vote. Those who are interested in continuing the status quo vote and re-elect individuals who have their best interest in mind, not necessarily the best interest of the public. The result continuation of political corruption.

Lastly, Hudson County has had a weak local press. Local papers like the Observer, the Jersey Journal, and its weekly paper the Kearny Journal have traditionally been weak on conducting in depth analysis of political issues. The Star Ledger, a more formidable newspaper, leaves coverage of Hudson County to the Jersey Journal. The Star Ledger and the Jersey Journal are owned by the same parent company. While South Jersey has the Courier Post and Bergen County has the Record, printing stories about items from conflicts of interest to detailed analysis of indictments, the Hudson County press fails to even attempt to cover such issues. We have seen a slight improvement in the past few months with the press coverage but hope for a more active press. Without the Washington Post, Watergate would never had been revealed. If Watergate happened today in Harrison, no local press would cover it and half of the employees in town would say "What's wrong with breaking and entering?" The other half would say, "I'm not getting involved. I'm not losing my job over that." We hold out hope that one day the corruption will be stopped. What could have been done for Harrison's children with an additional $30,000 per month? A lot.