Bon Jovi's Sandy donation stirs up another storm

[rocktivity]

Last edited Thu Dec 13, 2018, 09:13 PM - Edit history (11)

USA Today.com: After superstorm Sandy, the...Sea Bright New Jersey...fire department and first aid squad's two ambulances were rendered inoperable from the flood... "(Jon Bon Jovi) said, 'Read, I'll buy you an ambulance,'" Read Murphy, the borough's emergency management coordinator recalled...The rock star sent the fire department a check for $119,000...What had town officials confused was that they were never told officially about Bon Jovi's donation, even after the taxpayers bought a new ambulance...

Instead of buying a second new ambulance, Murphy — who's on the board(s) of the fire department and first aid squad, both nonprofit entities separate from the borough — said the organizations decided instead to refurbish a damaged ambulance, and then use the rest of the money to purchase a SUV for use by the emergency management coordinator...Murphy said the vehicle "stays in my possession," and he drives it for emergency management business and on fire and first aid calls. He said he sometimes uses the vehicle to go to dinner within town.

Murphy said replacing that ambulance with a new one would have cost $140,000, while the rebuild cost $82,000..."We got two ambulances for the price of one, which is the way I'm looking at it"...(T)he Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance Program...reimburses municipalities for assets such as ambulances lost in the storm...Mimi Box, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation's executive director... said... (i)f the ambulance could be replaced with programs like that, the original donation could be used for other purposes in town...

(T)he first aid squad...planned to cut an $82,000 check this week...The insurance claim is now in court..."They were very generous to us," Murphy said, speaking of Bon Jovi. "Nothing was bought without their permission...There were no shenanigans..." Murphy also is a former councilman who resigned this month in an unrelated dispute.

No shenanigans, Mr. Murphy? I counted FOUR shenanigans! And if everything was on the up and up, why did you end up cutting a check? And why didn't you tell a city council THAT YOU WERE A MEMBER OF about the donation?


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P.S. Jon Bon Jovi also donated a million dollars to the Sandy charity Chris Christie's wife ran, which might be mentioned during Christie's federal investigation.

[Hoppy]

1. That's another question..

where did the money for Christie's wife's charity go?

[rocktivity]

2. To community groups... eventually...

Last edited Wed Apr 17, 2024, 10:07 AM - Edit history (3)

Took just a few months to raise $32M, took nearly 18 months to disburse it -- minus any accrued interest.

New Jersey First Lady's Sandy Relief Fund Under Fire for Delayed Grants


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P.S. One of the donors was the United Arab Emirates Embassy -- is that even legal?

[rocktivity]

3. Why "nonprofit entities separate from the borough" may not be a good idea

Last edited Tue Jul 29, 2014, 11:03 PM - Edit history (3)

"...(Jon Bon Jovi) said, 'Read, I'll buy you an ambulance...'"

...The rock star sent the fire department a check for $119,000...

...Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation's executive director... said...(i)f the ambulance could be replaced with programs like (FEMA), the original donation could be used for other purposes in town...

...(T)he fire department and first aid squad (are) both nonprofit entities separate from the borough...

(T)he first aid squad...planned to cut an $82,000 check this week...

The check was made out to the fire department, and the Soul Foundation said that any money that wasn't needed for ambulance replacement was for the city to spend? So why is only $82K going to the city council, and why is it coming out of the first aid squad's budget? And even if the $31K that was spent on the SUV qualified as "other purposes in town," that leaves $6K unaccounted for -- where did that go?


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[mwatcher70]

4. HAHAHA LIES

FD never had an ambulance.
Mr. Murphy was a town official and he was notified.
Its no coincidence the the check was for 119,000.00 and the Ambulance the Boro purchased was 119,000.00. Had Mr. Murphy tuned that check over to the Boro as it should have been, he would not have been able to munipulate the funds for his un-needed SUV..

Once again the tax payers get screwed

Mr. Murphy, How many times have you been out of state in that vehicle?

[rocktivity]

5. BOTH ambulances belonged to the first said squad?

Then WHY make out the check to the fire department at all? More important, was Mr. Murphy the HEAD of the Sea Bright City Council? Did he have MORE authority than the other five members?


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P.S. Welcome to DU, and be sure to visit our New Jersey County Check and Christie Crime Digest threads.

[mwatcher70]

6. HAHAHA

It is my understanding Mr. Murphy instructed the Foundation to make the check out to the FD and not the Boro. Had it been made out to the Boro he would not have been able to swindle an SUV out of the deal

[rocktivity]

7. A little more on C. Read Murphy

Last edited Sat Aug 2, 2014, 09:34 PM - Edit history (2)

Red Bank Green: A month after coming in tied for second in the Sea Bright Republican primary, incumbent Councilman Read Murphy has resigned...He said friction with the rest of the council over both his “unilateral” approach to serving and his request to be hired as the town’s beach manager had taken the “fun” out of the job...

(H)e said he was used to an old-school style of local government, in which he described himself as acting first, and “then go tell the council about it...The council’s getting pissed off at me because I still act unilaterally, and they want everything by the book,” he said...

Sounds like the typical small-town petty tyrant who finally pushed his envelopes too far, got caught red-handed, and had to jump before he was pushed.


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