Moody’s Affirms Middletown’s Bond Rating

Moody’s Investors Services has affirmed its AA2 rating on Middletown Township’s $67 million general obligation bonds.

In a statement issued on Friday, March 23, the rating agency said,

“The Aa2 rating reflects the township’s sizable tax base, low debt profile, and sufficient liquidity and reserve levels. The affirmation also considers the township’s narrow fund balance of $2.14 million (or 3.5% of revenues) in fiscal 2010. The primary driver of the $3.70 million fund balance drawdown was due to an influx of negative tax appeal judgments following the 2009 revaluation, which resulted in $1.3 million impact on fund balance. Additionally, decreased state aid and increased health care and retroactive labor salary expenditures further pressured operations. However, in fiscal 2011, new management responsively conducted a reassessment of assessed valuation and reduced the budget by 5.8%. The unaudited year-end fund balance for fiscal 2011 is estimated to be $5.87 million (or roughly 9.2% of revenues). Moody’s expects the township to improve and maintain liquidity and Current Fund balance to reported unaudited figures. Inability to achieve such levels, will result in negative rating credit pressure.”

Moody’s recognised the Township’s prudent management, low debt level with rapid amortization and sizeable tax base with high levels of resident income. 

Mayor Tony Fiore said that he was very pleased by the rating agency’s opinion.  “At a time when many municipalities, including some of our neighbors, are seeing their credit ratings reduced, I am pleased that Moody’s recognised the prudent decisions that our administration has implemented during these most challenging economic times.”

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Cullari not deterred by GOP Split in Congressional District 6, New Jersey

East Brunswick, NJ –   On March 16, the Monmouth County GOP selected Ernesto Cullari as their choice to defeat Frank Pallone.  Saturday, March 24, the Middlesex GOP voted Anna Little to take their line, making it clear they had no intentions of keeping the party in district 6 united during the most trying election cycle of our time.  

As of two weeks ago, Little was fiercely running for US Senate against Joe Kyrillos.  She campaigned by asking for donations and signatures from supporters.   Knowing her obvious failure, Little then decided to run against newcomer Ernesto Cullari.  Her decision came just days after Cullari’s announcement.

In 2010, Little was defeated by over 10% by incumbent Democrat, Frank Pallone. 

“It’s a shame we are dealing with a split line in District 6.  With the ballot having Obama on top this year, it would have been better for the Middlesex GOP to unite through the primary.  On Tuesday, June 5th the voters in both counties will decide which Republican they want to represent them against Frank Pallone.  After Anna Little’s approximate 10% loss in 2010, and failed U.S. Senate run, I think the choice will be clear to them.  Ernesto Cullari is focused on one thing; beating Frank Pallone in November and returning the position to the constituency of district 6”, said, Charles Measley, Campaign Manager.

“My team and I are undeterred that the Middlesex County GOP did not vote in our favor, but this in no way means we will back down.  Monmouth County GOP has put their trust in me to defeat Frank Pallone in November and that is what I intend to do.”  Congressional Candidate, Ernesto Cullari.  

Ernesto Cullari is a businessman, medical professional, and columnist for local newspapers. Ernesto is prepared to take the fight to Jersey’s most corrupt politician and the author of “Obama-Care”, Frank Pallone. 

For more information on Cullari for Congress you can find us on facebook at facebook.com/cullariforcongress and on twitter at twitter.com/ernestocullari or visit our website at www.CullariforCongress.com.

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Little Wins Big At Middlesex GOP Convention

East Brunswick- Former Highlands Mayor Anna Little easily defeated Ernesto Cullari for the Middlesex GOP endorsement for Congress from New Jersey’s 6 district.  The final tally was 149 to 48.  The convention was held at East Brunswick High School.

Cullari was awarded the Monmouth County GOP endorsement on March 16.   The nomination will be decided by Republicans at the polls on June 5th.  The primary victor will take on Congressman Frank Pallone in the November 6 general election.

The convention unanimously endorsed State Senator Joe Kyrillos for U.S. Senator.  Assemblywoman Donna Simon was endorsed in the special election for State Assembly from the 16th legislative district.

In a three way race for two Freeholder nominations, former Superior Court Judge Roger Daley was the big winner with 319 votes.  Daley has twice previously served on the Middlesex County Freeholder Board.   Edison businessman Sam Khan won the second Freeholder nomination over North Brunswick financial consultant Carlo DiLalla.

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Senate Democrats Demand That Christie Appoint One Of Their Own To Supreme Court

Democrats in the New Jersey State Senate are upping the ante in their unprecedented exercise of legislative power over judicial appointments.

In the wake of their rejection of Phillip Kwon’s nomination to the State Supreme Court, the Democrats are now demanding that Governor Chris Christie nominate a Democrat to the Court.

“The governor may be entitled to his own nominees for cabinet posts, but we will not allow him to pack the Supreme Court,” Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said. “The governor must work with us to put together a balanced tandem of candidates for the court. The Senate will not consider anything less.”

NJ.com reports that Sweeney’s spokesman Derek Roseman said that Sweeney was telling Christie to nominate a Democrat.

During his press conference following the Senate Judiciary Committee’s rejection of Kwon, Christie revealed that he had complied with Sweeney’s demand of diversity in his appointment of Kwon, the first Korean-American ever nominated, and Bruce Harris, an Africa-American who is the first openly homosexual nominee.

Reshaping the Supreme Court into a less activist body that does not legislate from the bench was a hallmark promise of Christie’s gubernatorial campaign.  During his first two years in office, Christie has been openly critical of the Court and unabashed about his commitment to change it.

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Corzine’s got some ‘splainin to do

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O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave

Brookdale Community College is prosecuting an 18 year old African-American student for stealing a cup of ice.

Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School is a “no hugging zone.”

A Minnesota man was strip searched, jailed and then subject to a month of electronic monitoring for failing to put siding on his house.

After almost a year of fighting, Fair Haven gave a property owner permission to cut down his own tree.

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Christie on Dems Rejection of Kwon to Supreme Court

Governor Chris Christie will be addressing the press corp regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s rejection of his nomination of Phillip Kwon to the NJ Supreme Court momentarily.

Watch it here:

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Senate Judiciary Committee Rejects Kwon’s Supreme Court Nomination

The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Phillip Kwon’s nomination to be an Associate Justice of the State Supreme Court.

The committee voted 7-6 against Governor Christie’s nominee.  Democratic Senator Brian Stack of Hudson County joined five Republicans in voting for the nomination.

Michael Aron of NJTV said that this is the first time in history that the Judiciary Committee has not approved a governor’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

At issue for the Democrats voting against the nomination was Kwon’s family finances, his political affiliation and his work in the Christie administration’s Attorney General’s office.

The nomination of Chatham Mayor Bruce Harris was not heard today.

Republican members of the committee, called the Democrats’ rejection of Kwon a politically motivated “indefensible character assassination.” In a joint statement Senators Gerald Cardinale, Kevin O’Toole, Joe Kyrillos, Christopher Bateman and Michael J. Doherty said,

Today, Democratic Senators on the Judiciary Committee rejected an exceptionally well-qualified Supreme Court nominee for no good reason whatsoever.  From the moment Mr. Kwon was nominated, the Majority engaged in a campaign of intensely personal character assassination centering around issues that were completely immaterial to his fitness to serve on the court.

The Majority’s entire line of questioning and basis for rejecting his nomination centered on events that had absolutely nothing to do with Phil Kwon.

In short, Phil Kwon was railroaded out of sheer partisan animosity toward the governor.  Theirs was a rejection seeking a reason.  Faced with a nominee whom there was no rational basis to reject, the Majority decided to create one based on the actions of others for which he bears no legal, ethical, or personal responsibility.

If the Majority thinks that its own political ends are what matters in this process, they are mistaken.  The only thing that matters is the public’s right to Supreme Court justices that are well qualified, fair, and nominated by a Governor to whom the voters gave this awesome responsibility.

Their petty actions today are a disgrace to the legislature and the people we serve.

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Just a Little Duplicity

Anna Little continues to claim support that she doesn’t have for her fledgling efforts to get on the ballot as candidate for federal office this fall.

In an email blast this morning, Little claimed she would be marching in the Highlands St. Patrick’s parade on Saturday with the Bayshore Tea Party Group.    BTPG is not marching in the parade and has not endorsed Little’s quest for the GOP nomination for Congress from the 6th District.  Little was forced to issue a retraction email and post on her facebook page.

Earlier this week, Little claimed she had the support of GOP leaders for congressional candidacy, despite the fact that she lost the Monmouth GOP endorsement to Ernesto Cullari on Friday March 16th.

Last December, Little listed endorsements she received during her 2010 congressional run on her U.S. Senate campaign website, as if they were endorsements for her ill fated Senate bid against Joe Kyrillos.

If the Middlesex County GOP endorses Little at the convention on Saturday morning, the Republican nomination for Congress in the 6th district against Frank Pallone will be split in the June primary, with Cullari the endorsed GOP candidate on Monmouth County ballots and Little the endorsed candidate on Middlesex County ballots. 

Little has the support of Middlesex County Chairman, Senator Sam Thompson, and is expected to prevail on Saturday.

Thompson and the Middlesex GOP should consider themselves forewarned.  Those who know Little best have decided not to endorse her candidacy.   The reasons listed above are just the tip of the iceberg.

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Senator Brian T. Kennedy, 1934-2012, R.I.P

Former State Senator Brian T. Kennedy passed away yesterday after a short illness.  He was 77 years old.

A West Point graduate, Kennedy practiced law for 45 years and served New Jersey in both the State Assembly and Senate.  He served in the Assembly from 1971-1973 and from 1975 -1977  and in the Senate from 1977-1983 before being defeated by Long Branch Councilman Frank Pallone.

Kennedy ran for Congress against the late Representative James J. Howard in 1984 and 1986.  He was a primary candidate for U.S. Senate in 1994, losing the GOP nomination to Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytian.

Kennedy’s last run for office was in 2000 against Congressman Pallone.  He briefly considered entering the 2008 race for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination after Anne Eastabrook withdrew for health reasons.

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