Declan O’Scanlon On JCP&L, Monmouth Park And A Conservative Approach To Social Problems

Assemblyman  Declan O’Scanlon visited the Real Jersey Guys On the Radio, Richard LaRossa and your favorite blogger for the third time this summer.

Here it is, in case you missed it:

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9-11 World Trade Center Steel Coming To Highlands

Members of the Highlands Fire Department will be transporting a piece of the World Trade Center from JFK Airport to the World Trade Center site and then on to Highlands tomorrow, according to Councilwoman and former Fire Chief Rebecca Kane.

Kane said that the Port Authority approved the HFD’s application for a piece of the WTC to be permanently memorialized at their firehouse with a mural and lighting on June 27th.

The steel will arrive at Veteran’s Park in Highlands tomorrow, September 7, at approximately 6PM. Highlands will have a formal memorial service at the park on Sunday September 11 at 4:30PM.

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Three Real Jersey Guys On The Radio

By Art Gallagher

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon will be our guest for the full hour today on the LaRossa and Gallagher: Real Jersey Guys On The Radio Show.   The show, sponsored by Repatriot Radio, will air on WIFI AM 1460 and here on the Internet from 5PM-6PM.

O’Scanlon will be discussing JCP&L, their response to Hurricane Irene and how the government will be addressing that response now that the power has been turned on, after a long week, for the electric utility’s customers.  He will also be addressing the recent dispute with Morris Bailey and the NJSEA that threatens the long term viability of Monmouth Park.  The track was in O’Scanlon’s 12th legislative district and is now in his new 13th legislative district.

During the second half hour of the show we will open a conversation into the question: “What is an appropriate conservative response to social problems?” or “How do we contribute to those less fortunate than ourselves and reduce the size of government?”

O’Scanlon was instrumental in having charitable organizations donate food to many communities during the power outages that followed Hurricane Irene, without spending government money.  In addition to his policy and political leadership, he is a quiet leader in many charitable endeavors.

O’Scanlon is reluctant to talk publicly about his charitable works.  He has agreed to do so in the hopes increasing the awareness and action among conservatives.

“So many people just don’t get it,” said O’Scanlon of his fellow political leaders, “Otherwise brilliant people seem to have a ‘Let them eat cake’ way of thinking.”

You are welcome to participate in our conversation with O’Scanlon by calling into the show at 609-447-0236.

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Monmouth Park Privatization At Risk

Morris Bailey has sent the NJ Sport and Exposition Authority a letter declaring his memorandum of understanding for a five year lease agreement of Monmouth Park null and void, according to the Star Ledger.

Bailey, a real estate developer and the owner of Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, has been running the track since June 24 under the memorandum of understanding while waiting to receive the formal lease.

At issue is a $4,000,000 loan from the NJ Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association to support the track’s purses at $400,000 per day.  That money has already been used.  Without at formal lease, Bailey is not accepting the loan.

The Ledger quoted a spokesperson for the NJSEA as saying they considered Bailey’s letter a negotiating ploy.

Purses could be drastically reduced this fall and the 2012 racing dates could be at risk, according to the Ledger.

Oceanport Councilman Joe Irace was caught off guard by this development.  “This is not good news!  We were told that the Monmouth Park deal was signed, sealed and delivered.”  Monmouth Park is Oceanport’s largest taxpayer.

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The Difference Between Democrats And Republicans

That’s the difference between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats latch onto any way to gain power and force their agenda through, like Obamacare. Republicans waste their time over purity of thought and have circular firing squads.

The only reason Republicans get power is because the Democrats screw things up so badly that the voters force a change. Then the Republicans turn on each other and the Democrats are back again like a herpes outbreak.

~Joe, a commenter on Paul Mulshine’s circular firing squad.

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Governor Chris Christie Announces Federal Disaster Aid Has Been Approved for All 21 New Jersey Counties

Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today announced that the federal government has approved New Jersey’s request for disaster assistance for New Jerseyans impacted by Hurricane Irene in all 21 counties.  Individual and public assistance were approved for Burlington, Hudson, Ocean and Union counties, and individual assistance was approved for Mercer county, following the public assistance eligibility granted yesterday.  Every New Jersey county has now been approved for both individual and public assistance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

New Jersey residents and small businesses in all 21 counties are now eligible to apply for different types of federal assistance, including temporary housing, repair, replacement or other needs such as Disaster Unemployment Assistance, and Small Business Administration disaster loans.

Public assistance eligibility for all 21 counties allows state, eligible local governments, and certain nonprofit organizations to apply for federal funding on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Irene.

Survivors of Hurricane Irene in every New Jersey county who suffered damage should apply for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency – even if they have insurance or aren’t sure they are eligible. 

Register by phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 for those with hearing or speech impairments. Specialists are standing by at the toll-free numbers seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, until further notice. Help in other languages is available. Or you can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.You can also apply through a web-enabled mobile device or smartphone by visiting m.fema.gov and following the link to “apply online for federal assistance.”

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Governor Chris Christie Announces Federal Disaster Aid Approved for Additional New Jersey Counties

Individual Assistance Extended to Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Middlesex and Salem Counties; Individual and Public Assistance Approved for Camden, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Sussex and Warren Counties; Public Assistance Approved for Mercer County             

Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today announced that the federal government has approved disaster assistance for New Jerseyans impacted by Hurricane Irene in additional counties, providing direct assistance to individuals and households in the aftermath of the historic hurricane. Individuals in a total of 16 New Jersey counties are now eligible for federal disaster relief. Governor Christie previously requested assistance for all 21 New Jersey counties, but damage assessments need to be concluded before individual assistance can be granted to the remaining counties of Burlington, Hudson, Mercer, Ocean and Union.

New Jersey residents and small businesses in the following 16 counties are now eligible for Individual Assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Atlantic, Bergen, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren.

Eligibility allows New Jerseyans to apply for different types of assistance, including temporary housing, repair, replacement or other needs such as Disaster Unemployment Assistance, and Small Business Administration disaster loans.

 All 16 of the counties have also been approved by the federal government as eligible for public assistance, which includes federal funding. Additionally, Mercer County was also approved for public assistance. Funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Irene. Survivors of Hurricane Irene who suffered damage should apply for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency – even if they have insurance or aren’t sure they are eligible. 

Residents of the five counties that have yet to be declared eligible for individual assistance by the federal government are being encouraged to begin the process of registering with FEMA for relief.

Register by phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 for those with hearing or speech impairments. Specialists are standing by at the toll-free numbers seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, until further notice. Help in other languages is available. Or you can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.You can also apply through a web-enabled mobile device or smartphone by visiting m.fema.gov and following the link to “apply online for federal assistance.”

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Monmouth County Qualifies For Diasater Relief

Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre told MMM that Monmouth County will be included in President Obama’s declaration of a major disaster, making the county, its municipalities, businesses and individuals eligible for FEMA disaster relief.

Halfacre received a call Saturday evening from Chris Stark of the Governor’s office with the news which the Governor wanted to get out immediately.

FEMA inspectors canvassed damage throughout the county eariler throughout the day.

In a conference call with the media on Friday, Bill Vogel, FEMA’s Coordinating Officer, said there are two kinds of federal assistance available for major disasters.

Public Assistance is granted to government entities and non- profits for infrastructure repair, including roads, parks and government buildings.  The threshold for Public Assistance is $3.27 per capita per county.  Vogel said that currently there is only money available in this fund for debris removal and emergency repairs until Congress authorizes additional funds. 

Individual Assistance, as the name implies, is funding for citizens and businesses that have suffered disastrous damage.  These monies are fully funded and need no additional Congressional authorization.

Vogel said that all survivors who have suffered damages should register with FEMA by calling 800-621-3361 or on the web at fema.gov.  FEMA and NJ OEM employees that are canvassing the state this weekend will make their cells phones available to survivors to immediately register.

Residents should contact their own insurance companies immediately. FEMA assistance will only pay for damages that are not covered by insurance.

Major Dennis McNulty of NJ OEM said that Disaster Recovery facilities will be established throughout the state and open for business by Tuesday September 6.  The locations of the Disaster Recovery offices will be posted on fema.gov and ready.nj.gov.

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2139 Customers Without Power In Monmouth County

How would you like to be that one family in West Long Branch who has been without power for a week?

West Long Branch appears to have fared pretty well from the storm. When I first started tracking JCP&L’s estimates for customers without power on Tuesday there was only 35 customers without power in West Long Branch.  By Thursday evening West Long Branch was off the list, implying that power had been restored to the entire town.

On Friday one customer from West Long Branch was back on the list.  Maybe that customer’s power had been restored and went out again.  I’m guessing that it never went back on.  That JCP&L missed them.  There is still one West Long Branch customer on the list this morning.

That situation occurred to me.  Not this time, during some other summer outage.  I don’t remember which one, we’ve had at least one every summer, and one every other winter, since I moved to Highlands 10 years ago.  The entire town was without power for, I don’t remember…too long.  The town came back online and my house was still without power for a couple of days or three.

I was fortunate, which is probably why I don’t remember the details that well.  My commercial building in Belford had power.  We have a shower and a kitchen in the building.  We didn’t have to impose on neighbors to shower or store food.  I don’t know what the family in West Long Branch is going through, but I know it sucks to be the only one without power in your community for an extended period of time.

They or the one customer in Ocean Grove, Aberdeen, or Spring Lake Heights will probably be the last ones in Monmouth with the power turned on, as JCP&L finishes working on their “priorities” and then tracks back to the homes they missed the first time around.   There are 8 zip codes with only one customer without power in Monmouth County.  22 zip codes with between 2 and 16 customers without power.

JCP&L sucks.  Their infrastructure is aged and inadequate.  They didn’t respond to Irene like it was an emergency.  They responded like it was one of their “normal” annual power outages that was just bigger than usual.  They lie to their customers.  They lie to the mayors.  They lie to county OEMs. They like to state OEM.  They lie to BPU and they lie to the Govenor’s office.  They lie to their own government affairs representives.

There was a joke floating around facebook that JCP&L got religion….they said they could not control acts of God. They didn’t get religion.  Their preparation showed no fear of this act of God.  In their response they did not act like their customers are His children.

I hope that JCP&L suffers the wrath Chris Christie.

While the situation we have suffered this week is a failure for JCP&L, it is also a failure of government.

For too many decades the Board of Public Utilities has been a bureau of cozy cronyism where senior political hacks or their spouses were sent as a reward for their “service.”  It has been a piggy bank funded by ratepayers to fund experimental and inefficient wind and solar technologies and $80,000,000 off the books slush funds.

For decades BPU has looked the other way while JCP&L, a company owned by out of state utility conglomerates, “created efficiencies” by deferring maintenance and infrastructure upgrades. By reducing the number of New Jersey residents employed by the company.  

Democratic hacks whined when Chris Christie appointed the prosecutor who ran his Trenton U.S. Attorney’s Office as BPU President over McGreevey- Corzine hack Jeanne Fox.  Lee Solomon’s job in Christie’s cabinet got a whole lot more important this week.

Estimated Customers Out For
MONMOUTH County
As of Sep 3, 2011 9:47 AM

Total Out = 2139

By the way, PSEG had only 300 customers without power in their entire service area as of 9PM last night.

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Wyndmoor Condos Get Power At 7:20 AM

Highlands Mayor Frank Nolan at Wyndmoor Condos 12:30 AM September 3

Yesterday afternoon JCP&L Government Affairs Rep Roberta Sheridan told Highlands Mayor Frank Nolan that tonight’s first crew would be dispatched to Highlands at 10PM to restore power to the Wyndmoor Condominiums.

Nolan held a public information meeting for Highlands residents Friday evening.  There were about 100 residents there, 40 from Wyndmoor.  Meals had been provided earlier in the day at the community center.  Too bad showers couldn’t be provided.   Nolan relayed JCP&L’s commitment to a respectful, yet frustrated and skeptical crowd .

At 11:30 a JCP&L rep, Jackie, told Nolan that the crew was in Union Beach heading to Highlands.  Nolan headed to Wyndmoor where he found residents Dick McCormick and Ray Goddard waiting.  McCormick had been waiting since 9:30.

Ray Goddard, Mayor Frank Nolan and Dick McCormick, a 12:15 AM September 3, waiting for JCP&L's crew to arrive at Wyndmoor Condos to restore power for 125 families

Wyndmoor has 125 electrical customers.  At 11:12 PM on Friday, JCP&L posted that only 79 Highlands customers were without power.

Goddard sent me at text at  11:27, “no trucks at Wyndmoor.”

The trucks showed up at 1:17 AM.  The power finally went on at 7:20 AM.

Highlands Mayor Frank Nolan and a JCP&L lineman, 1:30 AM, September 3, 2011

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