Featured Patronage Arch Villian - Paul Swibinski and the case of the $100,000 coloring book

The PBA has hired Paul Swibinski to handle their PR in order to fight the "Zimmer Police Layoffs" and that is their right in my opinion however ill advised it may be tactically. However, I find it ironic that Paul Swibinski and the Union is lobbing the patronage label at Mayor Zimmer when according to civic observer Bill Brennan he brings in over $300,000 a year in public service contracts. See my article on Bill Brennan dissecting Paul Swibinski here:

http://thehobokenjournal.blogspot.com/2010/08/ki-champthe-new-jerse...

If that wasn't bad enough a little Internet search has revealed Paul Swibinski once charged a Municipal Authority $105,000 for a coloring book and a newsletter according to PolitickerNJ.com. The coloring book was named after a children's character "Messy Marvin". For those who are not faint of heart you should look that term up on urbandictionary.com to get another meaning of the term.



Below is the link to the Politicker NJ.com article:

http://www.politickernj.com/weinberg-and-ferriero-blast-each-other-...

Weinberg also criticized a $105,000 expenditure on coloring books and newsletters designed by a Democratic political consultant* who has a contract with the authority.

“The Messy Marvin Coloring Book” was one of the prime examples Weinberg and her running mates, Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, used to show wasteful spending by the so-called shadow governments.

“That is the only body of work that was turned over to us,” said Weinberg. “$105,000 for a coloring book for school children who might want to learn more about being messy and one newsletter, also for school kids.”

*The political consultant was Paul Swibinski of Vision Media. Below is his rebuttal in the article:

Representatives from the Democratic firm criticized by Weinberg also fought back today. Vision Media Marketing founder Paul Swibinski said that any money his firm earned relating to the coloring book was paid as part of his normal consulting fees. Also, $20,000 of the money paid to Vision Media was used for the news letter’s printing expenses.

“It is grossly inaccurate to imply that the PVSC paid $100,000 for the coloring book and that newsletter,” said Swibinski.

My statement: I don't care what anyone else thinks but no way no how should any municipal entity be spending money on a coloring book that has no educational value. It is the fault of the entity for giving Paul Swibinski the contract but I can ascertain one thing from this whole fiasco, Paul Swibinski certainly does not represent the tax payer based on his antics. Why then did the PBA hire this political spin meister? We know it isn't to lower our taxes or reform our government. Feel free to chime in below on this lousy waste of taxpayer money and the sheister behind it currently handling the PBA's PR war against Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

Go to http://Hobokenjournal.com for more information on topics such as this.