Gas thefts at the City Yard?

From time to time, I get emails alleging that politically connected individuals are filling up on the public dime at the City Yard's gas pump.

How can anyone be sure?

Are such practices an annoyance? A crime?

Comes word today (see the Ledger here and the Herald News here) that AG Anne Milgram definitely thinks stealing gas is a crime. And she's not happy public employees used gas cards to fill their personal vehicles. In fact, they may get jail time -- for a few gallons. Hmmm.

Perhaps Plainfield's City Council should ask Mayor Robinson-Briggs' administration to make public the information about WHO exactly is allowed to fill up vehicles at the City Yard, whether or not tabs are kept on individual users, and what methods and systems are in place to prevent gas theft.

Now that you, dear reader, are paying about $4/gallon, the time may have come to look into these allegations.

Should the City set up a spycam? Adopt a swipecard technology that would identify filler-uppers? Adopt the PMUA method of contracting with a gas station, thereby identifying every user and fill-up?

Or maybe we should get former Councilor Bob Ferraro on the case.

This is just the kind of story he used to like pursuing.

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• Ledger: "12 public workers stole gasoline, NJ attorney general says"
• Herald News: "State: Workers bought gas with taxpayers' money"
  

-- Dan Damon

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