Jack Hummel came out wth this story first.
Animal lovers have been waiting for the second shoe to drop after it was announced the county library and the 4-H program could not longer be funded.
The county library announcement brought out such a torrent of complaints that Freeholder Lou Magazzu championed a plan to save it.
To a lesser extent, but especially among the children that benefit from it, the 4-H program also received cries of disbelief.
Cumberland County did not have to fund the new, state-of-the-art multi-million dollar shelter that stands on North Delsea Drive.
The SPCA, itself, did that by selling 33 acres of land it owned at Sherman Avenue and Orchard Road, the site of the old shelter.
Even at the rundown previous shelter, the county SPCA received high marks from the state for its role in preventing animal cruelty and adopting out stray cats and dogs.
The county has five libraries, and Lou Magazzu can still find reason to fight to keep the redundant county library open. But the county can’t help the SPCA towards filling 2.5% of its annual budget?
If Lou would voluntarily relinquish his taxpayer funded health benefits, most of that $25,000 would be covered.Five of our freeholders voluntarily have refused to take this very expensive perk.However, apparently Magazzu and Jannarone feel that there has to be a resolution passed before they can act like leaders and voluntarily forfeit their own taxpayer paid freebies.
The SPCA provides an important number of services, and is almost entirely self-sufficient, raising its own money. The animal abuse investigative services they provide are invaluable . The clinics and other services are offered affordably. It is a first class organization, with a solid reputation. If the Freeholders think Bev Greco is going to go down without a fight, they are sadly mistaken.
Magazzu Watch 
Is the Director Bev Greco any relation to Republican County chair Bob Greco?
Not that I know of.
Bev Greco is the daughter of the late Morris Greco from Stow Creek, owner and operator of Greco’s Market on Church Street in Bridgeton (it closed in the 1990s). Robert Greco’s wife, Carla, is the current manager of the Vineland DMV office. And there are some politics here. Under Corzine, the Vineland office was slated for closing. Then manager (and Democrat) James Forcinito protested and was removed from this position, with the manager of the Bridgeton DMV office, Douglas Van Sant taking over both offices. When Christie took office, Carla Greco was appointed manager and the Bridgeton office was proposed for closing (it is now closed).
Jane Jannarone will be the hero and restore the funding. I remember reading an open letter in the DJ a few months ago when JJ had comments about Domestic Violence. One of her supporters stated JJ is a fervent supporter of the CCSPCA and a lover of animals. After all, it is election year. There is money to be had for the county. The Freeholder Board should explore the option of getting health benefits from the NJ State Health Benefits Plan. This county would have saved over $1.5 million – that’s right folks, $1.5 million over two years. But….this is the sacred cow. George E. Norcross is the Chair of Conner Strong, the provider of health insurance benefits to the county, is deeply entrenched with the Camden-Cumberland democrat machine. Don’t let the Freeholder members give you the crap about State Health Benefit premiums rising – they all raise their premiums. SHBP provides better coverage for less money. The City of Millville just switched to SHBP and saved substantial money. I cannot understand why the UAW has not looked into SHBP for their members and help to save money – someone there is falling asleep at the switch or someone has been a snowbird for too long. Me thinks they are all entangled in the same dirty sheets.
maybe savings from the Vineland Developmental Center could be used to support the County Library. Then we could use the library to house the homeless displaced residents. Then we can privatize the Library and sell it for 10% of its actual worth.
How shady is this? Magazzu representing Jannarone in her divorce.
Click to access a4911-09.pdf
Bev Greco received multi-millions on the old run down property(so called shelter) as it was a huge worth right off 55 and the new hospital which is why the great new building on delasea dr in Vineland! 85% of your proceeds goes to advertising all the pitt bulls and thats a known fact,ask to see there books! which are a huge income as well,yet they don’t go after those breeders as there the ones paying there bills! Look for yourself on all the pitt’s up for adoptions there are 99% of them and she Bev Greco complaint CCSPCA complaint authorizes illegal investigations that turn into lawsuits and lawyer fee’s that she probably uses your donation proceeds on (opinion)with unauthorized investigators that are cruelty cases themselves like Kelly Serbeck! A hoarder of over 150 dogs while dead in there crates loaded with maggots says her own husband! Urine and Feces’s saturate entire home that ruined it! you can see complaint here.http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/org10700.jsp she is now there animal cruelty investigator????? Also they have no jurisdiction over equines and that you can ask the state agriculture and ask the principle veterinarian himself! Dr Sebastian Reist DVM 609-292-3965 these are the people you call if you have a equine concern, He has been after the ccspca complaints now for years due to there failures of notifications to him who have the education to follow up on,since they have NO CLUE!
This Letter to the Editor was in the Local Newspaper over the Weekend:
County SPCA must change deadly ways
The Cumberland County SPCA is continuing its progressive journey into other counties of South Jersey, according to the minutes of its December 2011 volunteer meeting. The following comments were written into the minutes: “We would especially like to extend our reach to Camden/Gloucester County.” It would like to “introduce the CCSPCA to the rest of South Jersey!”
Why would a shelter that bills itself as the county’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals continue this course of action? Gloucester and Camden already have county-operated shelters of their own.
Maybe I am being cynical, but I can’t help feel that the need to do this parallels with its continued quest for more out-of-county municipal contracts in order to increase its intake of animals. As I stated a few months ago, euthanasia (killing) is big money in the animal business. A shelter loses money on just about every adoption.
Forgive me if my next statement sounds raw, but the cost of a syringe, a dose of concentrated pentobarbital, a body bag and landfill disposal costs are much cheaper than housing an animal. This is the practice of what goes on right here in Cumberland County every week.
Has the CCSPCA finally brought their euthanasia rate for Cumberland County intake of animals to zero?
I have not seen the statistics for 2011, but I would bet the ranch they are as high as ever. Unless it is by some miracle at zero, I see no sensible purpose (other than to seek more dollars) to expand services outside of Cumberland County.
If you do not agree with my statements, then continue as you please and keep giving those donations and tax dollars (via municipal contracts) to the CCSPCA, which is, in my opinion, a glorified extermination facility. If you want change, you do not need to be a trustee or an employee. Next time you receive its newsletter with that donation envelope tucked neatly inside, mail it back empty with a note stating you will not give another dime until it changes its ways. Do not buy into their old cliché of there is no other option.
The Cape May County Animal shelter, up to a couple years ago, was killing its animals at a horrific rate. Around 80 percent of intakes were being put down.
A new manager and assistant manager were hired and they completely revamped the shelter’s operations and they have not euthanized one animal due to a lack of space since the new management. Only very sick or highly aggressive dogs have been put down. It completely endorses the Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return program and works very closely with non-profit animal groups in that county, such as the Animal Alliance of Cape May County.
Feral cats are spayed/neutered/vaccinated and placed in their Barn Buddy program. They do not go straight to the execution table.
I would like to conclude with some CCSPCA financial statistics. According to its tax return for 2009, its total revenue for that year was $986,164. Of that amount, $499,194 went to salaries and wages. Personally speaking, if 50 percent of my donation dollars were going to salaries and not more towards the care of animals, I would give some serious consideration before I pulled out my checkbook again.
Lastly, the IRS requires nonprofits to state their mission on their tax returns. CCSPCA stated, “provide refuge for animals.”
In my opinion, this is an erroneous statement as long as the majority of its intakes leave through the back door in body bags, instead of leaving through the front door.
Lewis Vinci
Buena Vista Township
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