PMUA law firm steps on own udder

Larry the cow says it is not wise to step on
one's own udder. (Image, Gentoo Linux Wiki.)

Mcmanimon & Scotland, the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority (PMUA) corporate counsel since its inception, was in the news recently for stepping on its own udder.

In dairy farming, it is considered bad form for a milch cow to step on its own udder. First of all, it annoys the cow, and secondly it hurts milk production.

Seems members of the firm, also long-time bond counsel for the City of Paterson, made $500 contributions to the campaign of mayor "Joey" Torres -- which is above the $300 ceiling in the city's pay-to-play ordinance (see story here).

When an RFP was issued for the bond counsel contract, McManimon & Scotland's submission was deemed incomplete because the required certification that it had not violated the local pay-to-play ordinance was not included. That led to the discovery of the contribution faux pas.

So, for this year, McManimon & Scotland will have to sit out being Paterson's bond counsel and forego the $33,000 contract.

Fortunately, the firm hasn't had the same sort of problem in Plainfield because it does no business with the city government, only the PMUA, which is an "independent" authority. Contributions to Assemblyman Jerry Green, who, as Green always reminds us "runs this mother...", would not count against the firm in its relations with the PMUA.

At least not up until now, when there is a new board clearly more willing to look into these matters.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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