Well I guess you all like my column so very much! Thanks for the support! I'll keep writing then!
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "justifiedright" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > If they appoint me Judge, I will have to give up my column in the > triCityNews. All in favor say "I." ;-) > > > --- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "paulvail1964" <vailpj@> wrote: > > > > Our municipal judge, Mark Apostolou, is due to be reappointed by > the > > city council within a few weeks. I have never been too impressed > by > > this judge's performance and I personally believe that Asbury Park > > can do better. > > > > Judge Apostolou works for seven other cities in the region and > rakes > > in big money. Asbury faces a lot of challenges and I think we > need a > > Judge that can dedicate himself to our city. (see article below) > > > > The Asbury Park Police are busting their humps to make Asbury Park > a > > safer place to live. We need a judge that shares their commitment > to > > this city. > > > > There is a city council meeting this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. I > think > > it would be a good idea if more people would speak to the council > > members about this issue. Asbury Park can do better and must. > > > > If you cannot attend this meeting, I urge you to write or email > the > > city council members and let them know what you think. I would > hate > > to see this judge reappointed before the council can consider > > alternatives. > > > > If anyone has the email address of the different council members, > I > > would appreciate it if someone would post them so that more people > > can make themselves heard. > > > > (By the way this has nothing to do with Stand Up For Asbury!!!) > > > > Paul Vail > > 511 Second > > > > > > Part-time jobs add up to big payouts > > Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/11/06 > > BY NICHOLAS CLUNN > > GANNETT NEW JERSEY > > > > (Excerpt) > > > > Asbury Park City Manager Terrance Reidy said he was surprised when > he > > found out that the city's municipal court judge, Mark Apostolou, > > works in seven other towns and makes a total of $264,000 in > > government salaries. > > > > Apostolou also works as the municipal judge in Bradley Beach, > > Brielle, Deal, Eatontown, Lake Como, Manasquan and Neptune City. > The > > number of Apostolou's jobs, however, didn't change Reidy's high > > opinion of the judge's performance in Asbury Park. > > > > "If the system allows that to happen, and he puts in the time, > then > > God bless him," he said. "It's not like he forgets, "Where am I > > today? In Asbury Park or in Bradley Beach?' " > > > > The Gannett review also found that many of the biggest tackers are > > political players who obtained their appointments as a result of > > close ties with top elected officials. > > > > Sunday, May 8, 2005 > > By NICHOLAS CLUNN > > Gannett New Jersey > > > > Damien G. Murray's salaries from eight municipal judgeships will > > total $268,284 this year - a paycheck that will easily exceed > those > > of the chief justice of the United States, U.S. senators and New > > Jersey's governor. > > > > Murray's collective salary - earned by ruling on drunken-driving > > charges, parking ticket appeals and other matters in Beachwood, > Dover > > Township, Lacey, Lakehurst, Little Egg Harbor Township, Ocean > Gate, > > Seaside Heights and Stafford Township - likely will provide the 55- > > year-old Dover Township resident with a comfortable pension. > > > > If Murray, a municipal court judge since 1981, retires when he > turns > > 60, and if his collective salary this year ends up his highest, he > > will earn an annual pension somewhere around $141,000, among the > most > > lucrative of those enrolled in the state's Public Employee > Retirement > > System. > > Murray's judgeships show how "tacking" can result in huge > pensions. > > Tacking happens when multiple public-salaried jobs are added > together > > to form one huge salary. > > > > Murray - a 55-year-old private-practice lawyer from Dover Township > > and a former Ocean County freeholder - is not alone in this > practice. > > A number of private-practice lawyers in Monmouth and Ocean > counties > > will obtain big pensions through municipal judgeships. > > > > Mark Apostolou, who holds court in eight Monmouth County > > municipalities, would get an annual pension of $130,000 if his > salary > > this year of $264,000 is his highest and if he retires when he > turns > > 60. > > > > Apostolou, a municipal court judge since 1987, works in Asbury > Park, > > Bradley Beach, Brielle, Deal, Eatontown, Lake Como, Manasquan and > > Neptune City. > > Meanwhile, acting Gov. Richard J. Codey is paid $175,000; although > he > > is also state Senate president, he does not accept the salary for > > that post. New Jersey Chief Supreme Court Justice Deborah Poritz > is > > paid $164,250, and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William > Rehnquist > > gets $203,000. U.S senators, meanwhile, are paid $162,100. > > Like New Jersey's pension system, public retirement benefits on > the > > federal level depend on years of service and the average of the > > highest three years of salary. > > Apostolou, 50, of Manasquan, said he couldn't comment on his > combined > > salaries, citing a long-standing Monmouth County policy preventing > > judges from speaking with reporters. > > > > As for Murray, he said the salaries he's paid are justified. > > Municipal judgeships, for one, differ greatly from other jobs at > town > > hall, he said. > > Municipal judges, he said, are financially compelled to work for > > several towns because state conflict-of-interest laws severely > limit > > what they can do in private practice. > > > > "It would be very difficult for someone to be a judge in one or > two > > towns because they have to give up so much other (legal) work," he > > said. "In the long term, they would be losing money." > > > > Murray said he picks up a private legal case here and there, > usually > > as a favor for a friend. He said he didn't become a judge to > sweeten > > his retirement package. > > "If I was in private practice, and I was making more, I'm sure I > > could make my own pension system," he said. "There are literally > > thousands of lawyers in New Jersey that are making more than Judge > > Apostolou and me." > > > > Furthermore, municipal judges are on-call at all times, Murray > said. > > Besides sitting on the bench, they set bail and grant search > > warrants, sometimes during the early morning hours, he said. > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/lOt0.A/hOaOAA/yQLSAA/Y2tolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! 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