Real Jersey Guys On The Radio
By Art Gallagher
Yesterday there were four real Jersey guys on the radio from 5PM-6PM for what might have been the last LaRossa and Gallagher Radio Show on WIFIAM1460.
I’m not knocking THE Jersey Guys, Casey, Rossi and Bob Ingle on Fridays, formerly of 101.5 FM. I enjoyed their show and listened to it whenever I was on the road in the afternoon. My favorite all time show was Casey screaming, “YOU’RE LOSING VOTES RIGHT NOW” at gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie during the 2009 primary campaign while Christie was trying to finesse an answer to a particularly blunt question.
I think 101.5 was nuts to cancel the show that they themselves promoted as the most successful afternoon radio show in the country. I doubt the petition to get the show back on the air will make any difference, but if you want to be part of it, you can do so here.
As good as the show was, my friend Tommy DeSeno is right. As talented as they are, Casey, Rossi and Ingle are not really Jersey guys. Casey’s from California, Rossi from Brooklyn and Ingle from Georgia. They’re not Jersey guys like the four natives who were on the radio yesterday afternoon, my partner Senator Dick LaRossa born in Trenton on July 1 (Happy Birthday Dick!), Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre, and yours truly.
Straight Talk On The Pension and Health Care Reforms
While our show was not nearly as funny as THE Jersey Guys, it was the most informative and honest report of the pension and benefits reform package anywhere to date, if I do say so myself.
My hat is off to Declan O’Scanlon for coming back on the show for second week in a row knowing that I was not buying the hype of the “landmark” nature of the reforms and for answering our questions frankly.
O’Scanlon is high on the impact the reforms are making compared to what would have happened if the status quo continued. However, with only a little dancing, he did acknowledge that without significant economic growth, New Jersey will be in deep doo doo as the taxpayers increase their state pension contributions by $500 million each year over the next seven years. That doesn’t include the municipal pension contributions that come from property taxes.
Botton line…there is a very real possibility that the pension reforms in particular will lead to large tax increases on the state and local levels and/or draconian spending cuts. O’Scanlon did not dispute that. He argued things would be much worse had the administration and legislature done nothing.
During the second half hour Halfacre was upbeat about 1) the fact that the deal could have been done at all given the historical nature of things in Trenton, and 2) the savings Fair Haven taxpayers will realize from the health care end of the reforms.
The highlight of the show was Halfacre’s explanation of how he and the Fair Haven Council have been able to lower property taxes three years in a row and counting: 1) Saying no, 2) Pissing people off, 3) Standing firm when the pissed off people are yelling at you, 4) Doing all of that and getting reelected.
Here’s a recording of the show:
Why was Tuesday’s show perhaps the last LaRossa and Gallagher Show? Dick and I are thinking of changing the name of the show to The Jersey Guys or The Real Jersey Guys. We’re hoping Millennium Radio will issue and cease and desist letter or maybe even sue us so we can get lots of free publicity and beat out Deminski and Doyle on Tuesday afternoons.
More from my site
NJ 101.5 To Continue Their Tradition of Pretending To Be About New Jersey
LaRossa and Gallagher Radio Show
Will Salary Cuts Plug The Budget Hole?
O’Scanlon Testifies Against “Use Our Kids as Pawns to Enrich Corrupt Companies” Legislation
Mark Your Calender…
LaRossa and Gallagher Show with Guest Host Mike Halfacre..
Halfacre named Executive Director of NJ Beer Wholesalers Association
Halfacre Leaving The Christie Administration
Notes On The Storm
Halfacre Joins Genova Burns
Art, great show! O’Scanlon and Halfacre are bright spots for “real republicans” in Monmouth county. Glad we have them!
Art, please let the fans of your blog site know whenever Mike Halfacre is going to be a guest on your radio show in the future.
I’d love to call in and ask Mike Halfacre what his position on legalized abortion is “this week.” God knows, Halfacre seems to change his position on abortion depending on who is asking the question. Some weeks he is “restrictive choice”; some weeks he believes life begins at conception. I guess, in Halfacre’s eyes, deciding when and if unborn children should be defended depends on how the political winds are blowing that particular day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu8YHhXVf0w&feature=related
Great show Art! I also like the name, “Real Jersey Guy on the Radio”.
Truth —
You’ve been away for a while. Welcome back.
I promoted Mike’s appearance yesterday morning. Look for show promos Monday afternoons or Tuesday mornings.
Now, go back and read your last post before you disappeared for a while. You said you loved Halfacre now because he’s on the right side your most important issue now.
He came to his position however he did. Not the way you did or I did. But he’s there, same place as you. Stop hounding him about that and get back to the love.
When Mike Halfacre was running for Congress, he spent a lot of time criticizing Scott Sipprelle for the money Sipprelle contributed to various Democratic candidates. Halfacre often suggested that a Republican that gives money to liberal Democrats (e.g., Chuck Schumer, Frank Pallone, etc.) was not a Republican worthy of much respect.
What Mike Halfacre often fails to mention is that he took campaign contributions from Diane Gooch and/or her husband, a couple that often gives money to liberal Democrats. I’d love to ask Mike Halfacre if he he will hold Diane Gooch and/or her husband to the same standard that he held Scott Sipprelle to? I’d love to ask Mike Halfacre if he will criticize the contributions that the Gooches gave to liberal Democrats like Frank Pallone or Chuck Schumer?
I haven’t listened to your last show yet, Art, but I am willing to lay odds that you didn’t question Mike Halfacre, a sponsor of this blog site, any difficult questions. I’m betting that you certainly didn’t ask any questions that shed light on the nature of Mike Halfacre’s character — or, more accurately, the lack thereof.
Great show, great guest speakers!!!
MT-
I didn’t have to ask Halfacre about his character as it was unmistakeably apparent as he discribed standing up to special interests and saying “NO” to increased spending.
How do you justify being a fan of this site given that Halfacre and Diane Gooch are both advertisers?
There is a big difference between a candidate donating to the other party and a candidate accepting donations from someone who also gave to the other party. Is there now a litmus test? Must every candidate require an FEC disclosure form from every donor before accepting a donation? Get real.
Run, Mike, Run!!
We miss you!
Mike Halfacre didn’t stand up to Scott Sipprelle. Halfacre, true to his character, backed down without a fight.
Halfacre certainly didn’t fight against new spending when it came time to give raises to the members of the Fair Haven Police Department. Halfacre rolled over and gave them raises — again, without a fight.
You ought to ask Halfacre about all the part-time, government jobs that he has had over the years. You ought to ask him how those part-time jobs will influence the state pension that he will one day receive. You better believe that the reason Halfacre gives the PBA whatever they want is because he is absoluetly beholden to them. If he isn’t on good terms with the PBA, he won’t get their blessing when he seeks to remain a municipal prosecutor in Rumson and elsewhere.
So after two terms as Mayor, the best the anti-halfacres come up with are :
He is now pro-life;
He accepts campaign donations;
He did the right thing for the GOP in avoiding an ugly primary which, in hindsight, he could have won;
He acts as a prosecutor, and yes, shockingly, gets paid for it.
Give me a break. We should have more politicians like him.
I think the weird thing is, Halfacre isn’t running for anything, just doing the job he’s been elected to do, and people are still attacking him.
Seems he is perceived as a threat to somebody.
Hmmmmmm
Halfacre backed down like a prison bitch. He quit rather than fight Scott Sipprelle. That is the nature of his character.
Halfacre made a mistake. He has admitted repeatedly he screwed up.
We all know he would be in congress right now if the GOP “establishment” backed him. But our “leaders” like Sam Thompson, Joe Oxley, Joe Kyrillos, Steve McHenry and Pete Carton went for the money. Got them lots of cash, but still no congressman. They lined their own pockets.
Run Mike Run!
Yes!!!!
Who cares! Run Mike Run!!!!