Mundane problems deserve mayor's attention, too

It always makes me chuckle to see Marlboro Mayor Robert Kleinberg boasting of his corruption busting. It really only amounts to opening file cabinets for the feds, perhaps with a single bound.

It is a shame he can't instead brag about easing congestion or satisfying our affordable housing obligation to prevent the builders from running wild over what's left of town, but alas these issues are best left to mere mortals.

There is plenty to keep a crime fighter busy here in Marlboro. Political appointments given to major donors, back-room dealings with builders [and] plum contracts awarded to law firms willing to hire operatives. And then there is all that other stuff that happened before Mayor Kleinberg showed up!

On the night of reorganization, after our great celebration of ethical reform, after (U.S. Attorney) Christopher Chris-tie finished his presentation where he waxed eloquent about the virtues of honest government, pointing to the great integrity of the late President Ford, the mayor and Township Council moved on to business.

It was then we threw the spirit of the speech out the window and we quickly renewed the contract with a law firm who had hired the person who was campaign manager for all our elected officials, this to go with his new job as Fair Haven's municipal prosecutor. He was a good campaign manager.

I just fail to see the difference between accepting a discounted addition from a grateful builder that results in an indictment or securing a job for my buddy from a grateful law firm, that results in a photo op with a U.S. Attorney, other than the results.

We have a business administrator who suggested rewriting a bid with different specs since the low bid was from a vendor out of favor with the administration.

I won't be harsh, that might be college level work, she has no degree and didn't need one ... the Kleinberg team simply removed that requirement from the job description to make the job fit their candidate.

No. Mr. Mayor, you are no crime fighter, but you do bring to mind Barney Fife.

Paul Schlaflin

Marlboro