Introducing Phil Orphanidis, a new generation of leadership for Essex County

Note: If you're a West Orange voter who got here searching for information on Mr. Orphanidis, please see the Updates at the end of this post.

One of the cool things about writing this blog is that I get to meet a lot of interesting people. While covering Cedar Grove Deputy Mayor Joe Chiusolo's unsuccessful bid for a seat on the county Freeholder board I was introduced to an energetic and personable young man named Phil Orphanidis. Phil's only 26 but he's already a rising star in Essex County and New Jersey Republican circles.

Last month Phil got in touch with me to follow up on my "Where's Lenny?" post. Len Luciano said he'd be an advocate for Essex County taxpayers, then promptly fell in lockstep with Joe D. Phil Orphanidis took it upon himself to go where Lenny feared to tread; he's now a fixture at Freeholder meetings, standing up for lower taxes and smaller government.

Intrigued, I followed up with Phil, to discuss his role as our self-appointed taxpayer advocate.

Why are you a taxpayer watchdog?

Chris, I love Essex County and I want this county to remain a great place where anyone can come and start a family or create a business and thrive. So the reason why I'm performing this civic duty as taxpayer watchdog is because I want this county to stay great. On a monthly basis I get up in front of the Freeholder Board and tell them that enough is enough and that they need to hold the line on property taxes so that Essex County residents can afford to live here in the future.

How do you see County Government's role in the lives of every day NJ residents?

Chris, I believe County government could and should have a bigger role than local government. I think county government here in Essex could achieve a lot of cost savings by merging municipal services into county government so that local taxpayers reap the benefits.

What one thing would you change about County Government?

I would hold property taxes to 0% increases for 5 years, cut our county debt in half over a 10 year period, and eventually cut property taxes. That's the type of aggressive reform that would bring home values up in Essex County.

Do you believe County Government provides us with value for our tax dollar?

I believe that it could, but the Freeholder Board's main concerns are not always in line with the concerns of Essex County taxpayers. I want reform that helps Essex County taxpayers who work hard to make a living, not the donor class in Essex County or across the state who are the recipients of these taxpayer dollars.

What are your thoughts on consolidation of municipalities and school districts?

I'm a proponent of this. I think Essex County would see huge cost savings in the long run.

What role do you envision for the Freeholder Board, and how does the current board stack up to your ideals?

I would like a more competitive Freeholder Board than the one we have at the moment. I like debate but I don't think enough of that takes place with this current Freeholder Board, so if I had my way I think I would like something more balanced. Currently, we have no balance on the Board so of course the system isn't working correctly and what you get is higher spending, higher debt, and higher taxes.

Joe DiVincenzo and his sycophantic Freeholder Board need a breath of fresh air. Essex County could use more young men (and women) like Phil, willing to invest the time and energy to get involved with the nuts and bolts of government, because when you look under the hood it's a mess. Fresh ideas and bold solutions must be found, but the County Democratic Machine exists to preserve the status quo.

Hold their feet to the fire Phil. My daughter is only 10, and the last thing she needs is to be saddled with decades of debt left behind from Joe D's vainglorious patronage machine.

UPDATE 20 Jan 2016 10:33:
Just a quick update on Phil, because he's "maturing," or something.

Phil now works full-time for Democrat Steve Fulop, doling out tax breaks to Jersey City developers. Oh, Phil campaigned for Fulop too, and has said he plans to support Fulop's gubernatorial ambitions.

Phil also campaigned for Democrat Ras Baraka for mayor of Newark.

Phil is now a fan of Democrat Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo. He praised Joe D for wasting taxpayer dollars on McLoone's Boathouse restaurant. So much for holding the Freeholders' feet to the fire.

Phil has recently been posting on Facebook about how much he "trusts" Bernie Sanders and how he "gets" Bernie's supporters.

And now Phil is busy pushing gun control.

So he may still be a "rising star," but Phil's a RINO. That is, if he even calls himself a Republican anymore.

UPDATE 09 Feb 2016 10:32:
A new wrinkle.

Phil defriended and blocked me on Facebook because I dared to ask him some questions about his "evolving" political views. I'm not sure how a guy running for office (he wants to be a West Orange councilman) expects to be immune from hard questions, but hey, Phil's got the Steve Fulop playbook or something as his guide and he's on a mission.

For the record, I wanted to know how a guy who champions tax breaks for Jersey City developers can turn around and condemn tax breaks for West Orange developers.

I also wanted to know how a guy with an MBA from Rutgers could come out in favor of Bernie Sanders' idiotic college loan interest rate scheme (mortgage interest rates are lower than college loan interest rates and That's Just Not Fair!) because surely Rutgers taught him about collateral and risk management, right?

So if you're a West Orange voter and Phil comes knocking on your door, could you please try asking him those questions for me? Hilarity may ensue.

Posted at 14:56 by Chris Wysocki   [/gop]   Comments | Perm Link |
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