Thursday, March 01, 2012

March 1, 2012 MUC Nominates George McGuffin, Jo Ervin, Joel Hice as 14th Slate of Candidates for MUC Board

The Morristown Utilities Commission (MUC) held its regular meeting on February 23 at 8 AM.  Included on the agenda was selection of a 14th slate of candidates for the MUC Board seat currently held by George McGuffin who has served over 34 years on the Board.

McGuffin's term expired July 31, 2011, but he is serving as a "holdover" until someone is officially appointed to the seat. McGuffin himself wants to be that someone, and he has refused to step aside for a new appointee.

McGuffin is at the head of the table and sounds a little sarcastic as he introduces the "resolution that we all know by heart, the fourteenth time" that we have to submit three people for consideration as a Board member.  McGuffin briefly has trouble remembering the name of the 13th and last rejectee (Chris Horne) but one of the Board members helps out.

Max Biery then nominates McGuffin, Isaacs, and Joel Hice. Biery forgot that the Isaacs (both Steve and Jerry) were booted by LeBel and Company months ago. Lynn Elkins says it's "Jo Ervin." After some discussion, Biery confirms that his motion is to nominate George McGuffin, Jo Ervin, and Joel Hice. McGuffin says the list will go to the Mayor for the next meeting.

It's an odd situation.  The MUC Board selects qualified people and then says nothing when (City Councilman) LeBel and Company automatically reject every (non-McGuffin) MUC candidate including bankers, contractors, businessmen, physical therapists, CPAs, plant managers, former city councilmen, etc.

It's all a little game of MUC going through the motions of selecting "qualified" people and then abandoning that person and hoping that that person, if it's not George McGuffin, is rejected by the Council.

It's odd that "news"man Bob Moore has never put a quote from one of the many rejectees in the "news"paper.  Not even one of those statements that "so-and-so was contacted but had no comment."

Was the rejectee concerned about the rejection? Did the rejectee approach a member of the MUC Board about serving on the Board? Did a Board member contact the rejectee and ask if his name could be put on the MUC-candidate list before the nomination was made?  Did a Board member tell the rejectee that if he was nominated by the Mayor, he wouldn't be approved?

It's odd that "news"man Bob Moore has never put a quote from an MUC Board member in the "news"paper.  Not even a mention that he tried to contact a Board member for comment.

Is the Board shocked and concerned at the continuous rejection of THEIR candidates, or is the Board a part of the game and content and pleased to see each non-McGuffin candidate rejected?

The 14th list of candidates--selected by MUC--is at the City Center.  LeBel and Company are sticking by George, and George is sticking by LeBel and Company. No one else matters.

On the far left in the video are the five MUC Board members (from L-R):  Lynn Elkins, Max Biery, Gene Jolley, Harold Nichols, and Chairman George McGuffin.

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