Brick's bad boy

He's got to be kidding. Former longtime Brick Public Works Director and admitted crook John H. "Jack" Nydam wants a piece of his pension pie.

State pension board members will sit down on June 18 in Trenton to determine if Nydam has met the provisions of the "honorable service" statute that would entitle him to pension benefits.

He has not. This is a hearing that shouldn't even be taking place.

Jack Nydam is the man who once faced up to 90 years in prison. He was originally indicted twice, for a total of 11 charges in a public corruption investigation by state and federal authorities.

Jack Nydam took bribes from more than one person more than one time. He shamelessly funneled work or business to the people he accepted bribes from.

Then Jack decided to save his skin. When authorities were on to what he was doing, he worked out a sweet deal with them by agreeing to participate in a corruption investigation that eventually led to the resignation of former longtime Democratic Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli.

Nydam eventually pleaded guilty to official misconduct, theft and witness tampering. And four-term mayor Scarpelli now sits in federal prison in Fort Dix, serving an 18-month sentence for accepting bribes. Nydam should be sharing the cell with him.

Both the defense and the prosecution have said Scarpelli could not have been brought down without Nydam's help.

That may be right. But Nydam has already gotten off way too easy with a sentence of a laughable five years of probation and no fine. At the very least, he should have been forced to pay back his bribe money.

The state's "honorable services" statute is pretty clear on what needs to be considered if pension or retirement benefits are forfeited.

"The receipt of a public pension or document is hereby expressly conditioned upon the rendering of honorable service by a public officer or employee."

Well, that lets Jack out.

Township Council President Ruthanne Scaturro had the appropriate response earlier this week when she was first told of the pension hearing.

"How dare he?" she said. It's a question all Brick residents should be asking