HERGET, APP BACK TO SIDING WITH THE GOP
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Publication
January 29, 2007
POC: Joe Caliendo
Chairman, Middletown Democrats
8 Daniel Drive, Middletown, NJ 07748
Cell: 732-299-6470/Email: joe_caliendo@yahoo.com
Web site: http://www.democratscalling.blogspot.com
HERGET, APP BACK TO SIDING WITH THE GOP
MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP (MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ): Asbury Park Press reporter Alison Herget published an article in the Bayshore Reporter on January 25, 2007 entitled “Motor vehicle agency opens new office in Hazlet.”
In that article, Ms. Herget was decidedly biased against Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor Scudiery, Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo said.
While Mr. Scudiery owns Airport Plaza, where the motor vehicle agency recently opened, there has never been any finding from any governmental agency or elected official that there was any influence used by Mr. Scudiery as part of this deal. Caliendo said, “All this deal has done is saved taxpayers statewide money. Despite the Asbury Park Press making claims to the contrary, the fact is that Vic Scudiery’s plaza is just a better site for the agency and that is why the state Treasury Department made the deal. There’s also the fact that the state will spend a lot less money for relocation to his plaza also.”
Caliendo said that is it his opinion that Ms. Herget is biased toward the Monmouth County Republican Organization. “That was made clear last election when, in Middletown, the Republican chairman had unobstructed access to her while I would not even get a call on stories about the Democratic Party involving me personally. This is despite the fact I gave her all my numbers and my e-mail address. Everything has been one-side with her and with the Press, in favor of county and local Republicans. Democrats don’t get a say even when stories are about them to any degree like Republicans do. I think this is about clear partisanship.”
Caliendo said that prejudice in APP reporting is evident. “The paper even went so far as to have a reporter, Bob Jordan, work on the Scudiery storyline who had a relative with an axe to grind with county Democrats and especially Victor Scudiery,” Caliendo said. “How is that ethical, and how is that supposed to be anything like ‘best practices’ in journalism? That’s a conflict of interest.”
Caliendo added, “When it comes to Ms. Herget, she has never written a good word about any Democrat in her career. When it comes to the story she wrote in the Reporter, she was more than happy to use ‘facts’ presented by Bob Jordan. But those ‘facts’ of Mr. Jordan’s have yet to accurately give either the floor space or the accurate rent the DMV is going to pay. Likewise there is nothing by way of even intelligent speculation that anything was wrong with the Airport Plaza deal. To the contrary, all digging into this situation has proved there was no inappropriate conduct by Mr. Scudiery at all. This is about some kind of ridiculous vendetta. Someone has a grudge over in the APP, whether it is Mr. Jordan, Ms. Herget or the powers that be over in the APP. But it sure isn’t any kind of straight reporting that is going on.”
For more information, call Caliendo at (732) 299-6470.
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For Immediate Publication
January 29, 2007
POC: Joe Caliendo
Chairman, Middletown Democrats
8 Daniel Drive, Middletown, NJ 07748
Cell: 732-299-6470/Email: joe_caliendo@yahoo.com
Web site: http://www.democratscalling.blogspot.com
HERGET, APP BACK TO SIDING WITH THE GOP
MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP (MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ): Asbury Park Press reporter Alison Herget published an article in the Bayshore Reporter on January 25, 2007 entitled “Motor vehicle agency opens new office in Hazlet.”
In that article, Ms. Herget was decidedly biased against Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor Scudiery, Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo said.
While Mr. Scudiery owns Airport Plaza, where the motor vehicle agency recently opened, there has never been any finding from any governmental agency or elected official that there was any influence used by Mr. Scudiery as part of this deal. Caliendo said, “All this deal has done is saved taxpayers statewide money. Despite the Asbury Park Press making claims to the contrary, the fact is that Vic Scudiery’s plaza is just a better site for the agency and that is why the state Treasury Department made the deal. There’s also the fact that the state will spend a lot less money for relocation to his plaza also.”
Caliendo said that is it his opinion that Ms. Herget is biased toward the Monmouth County Republican Organization. “That was made clear last election when, in Middletown, the Republican chairman had unobstructed access to her while I would not even get a call on stories about the Democratic Party involving me personally. This is despite the fact I gave her all my numbers and my e-mail address. Everything has been one-side with her and with the Press, in favor of county and local Republicans. Democrats don’t get a say even when stories are about them to any degree like Republicans do. I think this is about clear partisanship.”
Caliendo said that prejudice in APP reporting is evident. “The paper even went so far as to have a reporter, Bob Jordan, work on the Scudiery storyline who had a relative with an axe to grind with county Democrats and especially Victor Scudiery,” Caliendo said. “How is that ethical, and how is that supposed to be anything like ‘best practices’ in journalism? That’s a conflict of interest.”
Caliendo added, “When it comes to Ms. Herget, she has never written a good word about any Democrat in her career. When it comes to the story she wrote in the Reporter, she was more than happy to use ‘facts’ presented by Bob Jordan. But those ‘facts’ of Mr. Jordan’s have yet to accurately give either the floor space or the accurate rent the DMV is going to pay. Likewise there is nothing by way of even intelligent speculation that anything was wrong with the Airport Plaza deal. To the contrary, all digging into this situation has proved there was no inappropriate conduct by Mr. Scudiery at all. This is about some kind of ridiculous vendetta. Someone has a grudge over in the APP, whether it is Mr. Jordan, Ms. Herget or the powers that be over in the APP. But it sure isn’t any kind of straight reporting that is going on.”
For more information, call Caliendo at (732) 299-6470.
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