In rare moment of clarity, Republican Party Boss confirms he doesn’t know what the word ‘transparency’ means 

After Al Gaburo hurls bumbling press release, many see Trump tactics at play 

(BERNARDSVILLE) – “Huh?” 

That was the sentiment shared across the political landscape this Tuesday, as the bizarre press release issued by Somerset County Republican Chairman Al Gaburo quickly spread throughout the battleground county.  “Al’s usually much sharper than this,” stated Peg Schaffer, Chairwoman of the Somerset County Democratic Committee. “This strange and convoluted criticism of Shanel Robinson is rooted merely in the fact that she sits on the same governing body with someone upon whom a local press outlet did a story.” 

“That’s it?” asked the Chairwoman, incredulously.  

The release, which went out in response to a story by the Franklin Reporter and Advocate concerning a Franklin Councilman’s handling of a local monument, veered quickly away from any discernable relevance by implying there were missing emails that needed to be found, and ended with the Republican Chairman mocking Ms. Robinson’s repeated calls for increased transparency in government. “Al, my friend,” continued Schaffer. “Let me help you out. Taxpayers desperately need increased transparency in Somerset County, and here’s how we accomplish that without peddling wild conspiracy theories: 

• Move the meetings of the Board of Chosen Freeholders later into the evenings and rotate them throughout the county to make it more convenient for residents to attend. It’s tough enough for residents to endure poor road conditions and travel congestion throughout Somerset County, but to also balance work and family responsibilities in order to attend a Freeholder meeting – some of which start at 4:30 in the afternoon – is too much. 
• Come clean with voters about the Natirar deal that saddled us with debt and left taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars, while wealthy developers continue to reap record profits. 
• Live stream government meetings to promote transparency and encourage participation.   

“These are not new ideas,” continued Schaffer. “These are not even really novel ideas. These are inherently basic to government officials interested in providing transparency in how they conduct themselves and spend the $230 million in taxes they collect from us. Anything short of adopting these reforms is a sad attempt to avoid that responsibility.” 

As an aside, several readers found Mr. Gaburo’s implication of ‘missing emails’ eerily reminiscent of Donald Trump’s campaign tactic in 2016. “The only thing missing in that release was a call for Russia to help find them,” joked Schaffer.