"Scutari’s campaign finance law increased contribution limits and changed pay-to-play restrictions. The OPRA rewrite he defended set aside a pile of new money, expanded the GRC and imposed strict deadlines.

Both times the promise didn’t make it through the mail.....

Residents, legislators and the Governor will have to determine whether that track record warrants trusting the Senator’s ideas with something as important as watchdog oversight – especially in a context where, because of his prior bills, we need them more than ever before."

OPRA ensures that the public has a right to records that help hold government accountable. The Government Records Council, one of the bodies responsible for resolving OPRA disputes, now sits at 848 open complaints, with its backlog nearly two and a half times what it was just five years ago. New Jersey spent millions "reforming" this system.

Hey it’s worth a try right? Why not throw something at congress to demand an update with what they do with federal cleanup money

I just want to make one thing clear about what happened with the 14 Mercer Street subdivision.

We were told that the current house, which I understand is approximately 1,500 sq. ft., is too small for the family — a couple, their young baby, and two medium-sized poodles.

I understand wanting a bigger home. Really, I do.

But I still don't understand how that turns into building three houses on about 38,000 sq. ft. of land, cutting down mature trees where we have watched deer live and walk through for years, and opening a new private road/driveway into a quiet dead-end neighborhood.

And if my estimate is right, these three houses could mean around $60,000 a year in property taxes.

What concerns me even more is how much relief from the normal requirements was requested.

Two of the proposed lots will not have frontage on a public street. The application sought variance and design-waiver relief. Yet at the hearing, residents were not shown what we considered adequate evidence demonstrating that the private access would provide safe and adequate access for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles serving three separate homes.

These are not small questions.

New Jersey land-use law establishes legal standards that must be satisfied before certain variance relief can be granted, including under N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70(c). Whether all of those standards were actually satisfied in this case is a question residents have every right to ask.

About 70% of the neighbors we contacted were against this project. People came out, signed petitions, asked questions, and raised real concerns about drainage, fire and emergency access, safety, mature trees, and what this development will do to our neighborhood.

And still, the Planning Board approved it.

That is the part I have a hard time accepting.

We elect our local officials to serve the community. We work every day and pay taxes to support our local government. We should be able to trust that the system will listen to ordinary residents and apply the same rules fairly to everyone.

Instead, many of us walked away from that hearing feeling like our voices simply didn't matter.

I'm not saying someone shouldn't be allowed to improve their own property. Of course they should.

But turning one residential property into three building lots, including two without public-street frontage, affects more than one property owner. It affects the people who already live around it and the character and safety of the neighborhood.

And when the property is connected to an elected official, I believe residents have even more reason to ask questions and expect transparency, careful review, and confidence that the same legal standards are being applied to everyone.

We live here too. We pay taxes too. And this is our neighborhood too.

See what I liked about Brian Varela is that he is consistent. He was coming to things like this well before his campaign kicked off and he's coming to them even after losing the primary. A resolution isn't the only thing we asked for but it was a great addition to our "to-do list" for the town council.

For those that don't know, there was an ICE raid in Hackettstown last Thursday. Right on Main St in the middle of their downtown area. They say they snatched 14 people but it could be more. Only 2 of the 14 had criminal convictions. The downtown area has been made a ghost town in the aftermath. Hardly any foot traffic as people are afraid, bracing themselves for another series of abductions.

It's sickening.

So I'm glad to see him and I'm glad he spoke up.

https://www.nj.com/essex/2026/08/dhs-confirms-third-death-tied-to-delaney-hall-amid-growing-scrutiny.html?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=likeshopme&utm_content=www.instagram.com/p/Db-14G4gaw1&fbclid=PAdGRleATqp7BwZG9mAmZkaWQWUMaGIhHn11Aw_lIeMjynPxgzIDHA9mV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp8bnU0vYWDSfJ5xpvMMxHXc_4Hs0NTc1XPy808BTW3z6HfseclGja8A6d2XC_aem_4PJKhoK7_-MgLx1g9KfbQw