In yet another unbelievable act of arrogance, the Board of the Delaware River Port Authority last week rescinded a reform that had been pushed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. 

The Board’s action once again permitted free bridge trips for DRPA employees commuting to work.

Not unexpectedly, Christie vetoed that action, and the ensuing headlines made the Governor out to be a conquering hero --- not altogether an untrue assessment. 

Possibly wary of Christie’s wrath, the New Jersey Board members issued a mea culpa, saying that if they had the chance to vote again, they wouldn’t allow the free trips.

In fact, the Jersey Boys went so far as to state, “…we are prepared to move the remaining reforms proposed by the Governor, and in the future be ever cognizant of putting the interests of our customers first.

A nice gesture, if it is to be believed.

Unfortunately, based on the track record of corruption and conflicts, that’s a stretch.  Instead, it seems like the classic DRPA Two-Step: say one thing, but do another.

But we won’t have to wait long to find out how serious both Christie and the Board are at reforming the DRPA, given the latest bombshell revelations which broke after last week’s Board Meeting.

In their classic style, the Authority’s Big Three ---CEO John Matheussen, Chairman John Estey and Vice Chairman Jeff Nash --- once again emphatically demonstrated that there are two sets of rules: one for themselves, and another for everybody else.

Veto notwithstanding, the major question still remains: will the Business As Usual leadership continue to rule the DRPA, or will Christie follow through on his promise to clean house?

Mike Joyce: A Paid No-Show

Mike Joyce, you may recall, is the disgraced former Chief Public Safety Officer at the DRPA.  He resigned after it was revealed that he gave another executive’s EZ PASS --- with its 100 free trips ---- to his daughter so she could avoid tolls while commuting to private high school.

Just days after the July 27 resignation announcement, Estey told Fox 29 News, “Mike Joyce made a mistake and I think he paid the price for that mistake.”  In the same interview, Nash said, “…(Joyce) realized he took advantage of a situation that he should not have. He was under increasing fire, he was a director of public safety at a very high salary, (and) he needed to step away."

Well said, gentlemen!

And step away he did.

Of course, what the DRPA brain trust didn’t tell us was that Joyce’s resignation was effective TWO MONTHS into the future --- “with a date in September,” in the words of Estey.

Oh, and in addition to still collecting a paycheck (he was making $180,000), there’s one more thing.

He didn’t have to come to work.

That’s right. In the midst of the so-called “Era of Reform” at the DRPA, we had an executive collecting full pay while sitting at home --- all completely sanctioned by Estey, Nash and Matheussen.

Estey’s laughable rationale?  Joyce “was an officer of the Board….he could only be removed by action of the Board.”

Wow.  So in other words, an executive can resign, but until the Board either accepts the resignation or terminates the position, he still gets paid for not showing up.

And we’re not talking chump change.

From July 27 to August 18, Joyce received almost $11,000.  Had the Board not eliminated his position at the August 18 Board meeting, and assuming Joyce would have been on the payroll through mid- September, he would have pocketed almost $25,000!

Yep.  That’s the DRPA.  Spare no expense, as long as it’s OPM --- Other People’s Money. 

Namely the tollpayers’.

Zero-Tolerance For Alcohol, Except For DRPA Leaders

The official Alcohol Policy of the DRPA mandates an “Alcohol-Free Workplace,” with the Port Authority having “a vital interest in maintaining an alcohol-free environment for its employees and the public.”

Therefore, the DRPA  “absolutely” prohibits “the use, possession, sale, distribution or being under the influence of alcohol while on Authority premises or while conducting Authority business.”

Translation:  if you’re an employee in possession of alcohol while on DRPA property, you’re history.

Unless, of course, you happen to be Port Authority leadership, where the rules don’t apply to you.

Leadership like… Jeff Nash.

You see, for years, Nash has been throwing lavish, open-bar soirees on the top floor of the DRPA building on New Year’s Eve to watch fireworks over the river.

It’s a practice, he says, that’s gone on “for generations.” 

Interesting how much DRPA history the Vice Chairman knows, but somehow, this big-time Cozen O’Connor lawyer and elected Camden County Freeholder wasn’t aware of the prominently displayed policy.

In his words, “If there is (a zero tolerance alcohol policy), I’m not aware of it.”

Of course not.

Just as comical, though, is Estey’s response, in another FOX 29 interview:

“I do know that we have a zero tolerance policy.”

But asked about his knowledge of Nash’s alcohol-fueled parties, he predictably said, “I didn’t know that.  No….that’s interesting…I don’t know enough about the policy…but I’d like to go back and understand the policy before I come to any conclusions.”

One has to question what this high-powered lawyer (Estey is a partner at Ballard Spahr --- yes, that Ballard Spahr) intends to find after “investigating” a black and white alcohol policy.

So let’s make it simple for John:

There is a zero-tolerance policy at the DRPA.  No means no. Therefore, any employees consuming alcohol at Nash’s parties are in violation of that policy.

As far as making a “conclusion” as to whether there were DRPA employees present, let’s turn to Mr. Nash for that answer.  He said that the parties were, “…for people who were employees here or for executives.”

Seems pretty clear cut. 

And what of the mammoth liability that Nash placed on the taxpayers, since jury awards stemming from any accident related to a Nash-alcohol party could be astronomical?

Not to worry.  It’s OPM!

But here’s the $64,000 question: What happens now? 

Will Nash be asked to immediately vacate his position?  Will executives in attendance be sanctioned or fired?  And if so, will they still collect pay until their positions are eliminated --- just like Mike?

The DRPA: In The Liquor Business!

Speaking of alcohol, it was revealed that the Port Authority also has a liquor license. According to a DRPA spokesman, the license was purchased for a business venture (that failed), but the Authority, “considers it a good business decision to keep the license.”

Which makes sense, since the DRPA is involved in absolutely everything --- except balancing its checkbook and safely maintaining four bridges and a short rail line.

So since 1999 --- to the tune of $40,000 billed to the toll payers --- the Port Authority has held a liquor license that it has never used.

About the only thing that could top that would have been Nash buying the alcohol for his parties --- from the DRPA! 

And what does our knowledgeable Chairman Estey say about the license:  “That’s the first I’m hearing of that….it’s another interesting piece of information. Thank you.”  (You have to admit…this makes for great television.)

Questioned on whether he would push to sell the license, Estey wouldn’t say.

Since the third time’s the charm, let’s ask one more time.

Why won’t they immediately sell the license?

Because  --- altogether now --- it’s Other People’s Money. 

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Despite monumental press coverage of the DRPA’s never-ending scandals, and elected officials from both sides of the river continuing to call for real reform, many are wondering how and why the current leadership is still in power.

It’s a fair question, since the ones who have been caught in the cookie jar --- over and over --- are the same ones now tasked with guarding the cookies.

That’s like putting the CEO of Enron in charge of reforming the company’s corporate abuses.

But somehow, despite its abysmal record, the DRPA’s leadership has been given a free pass.

So what can Christie do to clean up the DRPA once and for all?

Simple.  Be Chris Christie.

The Governor needs to remember what brought him to power: the willingness to take on anybody and everybody who stands in the way of progress and fair play. 

Few leaders have the courage to oppose the entrenched Business-As-Usual crowd, so when someone comes along with the guts to take action, he immediately wins the respect of the electorate.

So here’s a winning strategy to clean house:

1) Use his office as a bully pulpit and demand that the Board’s leadership be changed. Not in a month, and not in a week.  Immediately. The list of Leadership’s failures is so long and compelling that the story sells itself. 

2) Tell the Port Authority Board that he intends to veto every single item it passes until the Big Three either resign or are removed.

3) Perhaps most important, Christie needs to get much more personally involved in reforming the Authority.  He cannot mandate changes from afar, but must do so in a hands-on manner.  That means attending the Board meetings himself, asking the tough questions, and going on the offensive as only he can. 

No one, not even the Big Three, can withstand the pressure Chris Christie can exert, should he choose to do so.

This is, perhaps, the defining moment for Chris Christie.

Will he finish what he promised to do, or will the DRPA simply wait him out, confident that they are the ones calling the shots?

The chess matched has resumed.  And it’s Governor Christie’s move.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com
Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."
Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on the Philadelphia-area talk radio show, Political Talk (WCHE 1520), and makes numerous other television and radio appearances, most notably on FOX 29.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Has New Jersey Governor Chris Christie just driven his successful Administration off a bridge?

Not yet, but he’s nearing the edge.

By not taking the bull by the horns and doing the right thing about the mega-corrupt Delaware River Port Authority --- press to have CEO John Matheussen immediately fired --- his credibility has started to plummet.

Christie’s performance --- or lack thereof --- last week at the DRPA headquarters left many scratching their heads, wondering if insider back-room political deals finally got to him, or if he was operating in a seat-of-the-pants, rudderless manner.

Either way, Christie needs to right his ship quickly if he is to remain the national model for successful governors.

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Last Thursday morning, Christie called a hastily arranged press conference to vent his frustration over the DRPA’s lack of reform.  Within minutes, media outlets on both sides of the river were reporting that Christie was en route to Camden to fire Matheussen.

With the Port Authority’s incompetence and deceit on public display like never before, and with Matheussen fully immersed in the very conflicts that need reforming, ousting the CEO would be the only move Christie could make, right?

Wrong.

Instead, the Governor inexplicably stood with Matheussen, demanding reforms with more teeth and better accountability at the Authority.

The $64,000 question is how he could have done this with a straight face.

Why would the Governor drive all the way to Camden to say…the same exact thing he’s been saying for months?  And how in the world could he renew his faith in Matheussen as the guy to clean up the DRPA cesspool?

One of two scenarios comes to mind:

1) Christie fell victim to political maneuvering, and is compromised in effectively dealing with the DRPA.

This possibility has merit, as the President of the State Senate, Democrat Steve Sweeney, whose labor-leader brother sits on the Port Authority Board, is a staunch defender of Matheussen.

The Jersey Board is stacked with union officials, so perhaps Christie has felt enough heat from his battles with organized labor that he is backing off replacing Matheussen, a union ally.

2) The Governor called the press conference to fire Matheussen but realized that, technically, he doesn’t have that power. The CEO serves at the pleasure of the DRPA board, and Christie can’t replace any News Jersey Board members until their terms expire.

So perhaps Christie switched to Plan B, and attempted to throw more fire under Matheussen’s feet.

Either way, it’s a failure on Christie’s part, with a two-fold result: his reputation as a law-and-order Governor who isn’t scared to take on the entrenched Business-As-Usual crowd takes a hit, and the cronies at the DRPA grow stronger each day they remain in power.

So what could Christie have done?  The same thing he should do now, and as quickly as possible:  use his office as a bully pulpit and demand that the Board remove Matheussen.

It’s simple, and, at least on this issue, easy.

Chris Christie is incredibly popular precisely because people think he’s fighting for them.  He’s called for cuts across the board to reign in government spending, and, despite even his supporters feeling pain, he remains an iconic figure.  Voters certainly don’t agree with him on all his positions, but they respect his leadership and his willingness to tackle the toughest issues ---and politicians --- head-on.

If tomorrow the Governor forcefully called on the Board to boot Matheussen, and implored his neighboring colleague, Ed Rendell, to do the same, it would be very tough to say no to him.

Every press outlet in both states would report his call-to-arms, as well as the laundry list of reasons why Matheussen must go.

And with so many reasons to dump Matheussen, who’s going to oppose Christie?

Gov. Rendell?  He has admitted major mistakes were committed, and numerous conflicts allowed, under Matheussen’s tenure.

The Board?  Doubtful, mainly because this is the same body that has been kept in the dark by Matheussen on so many issues, including:

* DRPA executives using pool cars while having huge car allowances, and Matheussen’s changing story about HIS pool car use;

* The existence (and use) of DRPA credit cards, a full accounting of which the Board, and the public, are still waiting;

* Conflicts involving DRPA Vice Chairman Jeff Nash, in which Matheussen himself signed three contracts to Live Nation --- the company that employs Nash’s wife;

* The changing story of a DRPA bridge manager who took toll money in clear violation of the rules. Matheussen had the individual transferred to the DRPA cruise terminal office, still making six figures a year --- despite there being no cruises. Board Commissioner John Dougherty stated that Matheussen lied to him from the start about the situation, with the CEO originally saying the story had “no basis in fact.”

* The timeline and details surrounding a suspect arrangement of large-dollar commissions paid by the DRPA to insurance companies in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

* Removing John Lawless, a Board employee, from the DRPA building under armed guard in April, and not permitting him to return to work, despite no authority to fire him. So for nearly five months, the toll payers footed the salary for a Board employee who, by Matheussen’s own accord, wasn’t relieved for disciplinary reasons.  Attempts for answers were met with silence.

Not only did Matheussen keep many of his decisions from the Board, but when they did come to light, he failed to provide adequate explanations for his actions.

Bottom line: John Matheussen’s legacy at the DRPA has been one of abject failure, as he presides over a nearly bankrupt agency that can’t even complete its most core mission --- the maintenance and safety of just four bridges and a small train line.

Additionally, he has broken new ground in his rush to make the Authority the most generous piggybank possible for politicians and insiders, while forsaking the people who pay the bills.

Never before has there been an issue where virtually 100% of the public is in agreement. Taxpayers have reached their breaking point with the DRPA, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with non-corrupted politicians, citizen activists, and the media in calling for King John to be flushed away, wiping the slate clean for new leadership.

But each day Gov. Christie doesn’t pound this point home, his enemy becomes stronger.  That chink in his armor will expand until it becomes a gaping hole, and the successful Christie agenda will be in jeopardy of failure.

The opportunity to ram a stake through the heart of Business As Usual comes but once in a lifetime. It’s having the courage to take that action which makes legendary leaders.

Governor Christie, that time is now.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com
Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."
Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on the Philadelphia-area talk radio show, Political Talk (WCHE 1520), and makes numerous other television and radio appearances, most notably on FOX 29.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it