Regarding the Senate race, Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray said, “There is certainly more room for a GOP upset in the Senate race than the presidential one here in New Jersey, but it’s a contest that few voters are taking an interest in.”
Asbury Park Mayor Ed Johnson announced that he will not seek a second four year term next May, according to the Asbury Park Sun.
In a letter posted on his website, Johnson thanked Asbury Park residents for the opportunity of serving for the last 13 years as city’s Urban Enterprise Zone, councilman and mayor.
Asbury Park elects all five members of its governing body every four years in non-partisan elections that take place in May. The city has a referendum to study a change in its form of government on the ballot this November.
9:42 PM APP.com and News12 both reported in the last half hour that there is a hazardous materials situation at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
Sheriff Shaun Golden told MMM that the situation looks to be a false alarm. Golden said that no one is sick at the facility and that precautionary test are being performed. So far all tests are negative for any hazardous materials.
Matt Rhoades, Mitt Romney’s campaign manager, says,
President Obama claims his “you didn’t build that” quote has been taken out of context, but as you can see in this video — released by his own campaign — the quote in question is insulting and the context is even worse.
Clearly this President’s whole philosophy on the American Dream is upside down. It’s time to make a change.
Mitt Romney understands success is not the result of government, it is the result of hardworking people who take risks, create dreams, and build lives for themselves and their families.
So if you watch only one video during this election, watch this one. And if you share one video on Facebook, Twitter or email during this election, share this one.
Watch the video, judge President Obama’s mixed-up ideology for yourself, and spread the word:
Stingrays have venomous spines along or near the base of the tail. The muscular whip-like tail can be lashed about quickly in defense. Occasionally beach-goers will accidentally step on stingrays that are partially buried in the sand near the beach resulting in a painful, serious wound in the foot. Although the spines are dosed with venom, wounds are not normally lethal. However, it is still important to get medical attention as soon as possible to avoid any potential infection. Electric rays defend themselves with electrical discharge, although these charges are considered dangerous, there have been no reported human fatalities as a result of electric rays. Physicians in ancient Rome prescribed electric discharge from electric rays as a treatment for many illnesses.
How to avoid being stung by stingrays? Other than getting the hell off of the beach, Bester says, “do the stingray shuffle” and wear shades:
Humans should do the “stingray shuffle” when walking along sandy bottoms close to the beach. The “stingray shuffle” is performed by sliding or shuffling your feet in the sand. This gives any stingrays in the vicinity enough warning that they are able to swim away. Also, polarized glasses will assist in seeing stingrays in shallow waters. If you catch a stingray on a fishing line, be sure to cut the line and release the animal without handling it to avoid any potential injury.
I suppose its good news, from an environmental point of view, that we have sting rays in our Jersey waters. I’m waiting for blowfish to come back before I really celebrate.
Speaks out against Chinese trade practices at Foreign Affairs Committee hearing
At a hearing on Capitol Hill last week, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) blasted the Chinese Government for stealing U.S. jobs through deceitful policies and trading practices. Fake products and components made in China and sold in the U.S. put American consumers at risk, he said. Fake Chinese computer chips have even been found in U.S. defense systems.
“All of us know that economic growth and vigorous exports are vital to American prosperity, and now in these difficult times—economic recovery,” said Smith at a full hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee entitled “Unfair Trading Practices against the U.S.: Intellectual Property Rights Infringement (IPR), Property Expropriation, and Other Barriers.”
“American workers can out-compete anyone in the world, but theft of intellectual property – the patents, copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs, and trade secrets of American companies — robs them of a fair return on their innovation and their work,” Smith added.
This is a sordid story of where America is headed. This true story involves a retired couple that we will call Couple A, and a woman and her boyfriend we will call Couple LZ (you’ll see why in a moment). Couple A lives in New Jersey. They have worked hard their whole lives and done well for themselves; so well that they bought a second home as an investment property also in New Jersey with the intention of eventually retiring to that home. In the meantime, they rented the home to Couple LZ, though it’s not that simple.
You see, when Couple A put the home up for rent, the female partner in Couple LZ responded to the ad and rented the home solely under her name. The woman in Couple LZ is a divorcée with two kids from her dissolved marriage (the oldest is an adult living in Atlanta, GA, with his father) and a third teenaged kid from her boyfriend, with whom she had been with for years to form Couple LZ. Why did she rent the home on her own? Because she had been receiving rent assistance checks from the county government because she is a “single parent” who makes only about $30,000 a year in salary. What she never told the county, or Couple A, was that her boyfriend was living with her and that they refused to marry because their combined salary would’ve made them ineligible for the over $1,000 a month county rent subsidy as he makes about $60,000 a year. Furthermore, the woman had told the county that her oldest son was living with her so she could increase her subsidy (again, he lives in Georgia and is a legal adult).
So she rents the home for 3 years, collecting tens of thousands of dollars of tax-funded dollars in rent subsidy.
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal released the following statement yesterday afternoon after former Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham pled guilty to theft by deception and official misconduct:
“Earlier today, Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham pled guilty of stealing tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money. The web of corruption surrounding this case is just another example of Monmouth County Republican cronies profiting at the taxpayers’ expense.”
“Mr. Burnham, along with Brookdale Community College’s then Board President Howard Birsdall and Brookdale’s Board Attorney John Cantalupo were all close allies and major political supporters of the Republican Party establishment here in Monmouth County. Mr. Cantalupo served as Freeholder Lillian Burry’s close confidant and official Campaign Treasurer in her 2005 and 2008 Freeholder campaigns. In this same time period, Mr. Cantalupo negotiated the terms of Peter Burnham’s lavish Brookdale contracts. This represents a clear conflict of interest, given that Mr. Cantalupo was Freeholder Burry’s right hand man. Perhaps this is why Freeholder Burry sat silently on the sidelines as the truth about Mr. Burnhams theft was being exposed.”
“As a result of the Republican-controlled Freeholder Board’s lack of oversight, student tuition increased at Brookdale Community College while their college president profited immensely. This is what happens when a chief advisor for the Republican Freeholders is negotiating salary contracts on behalf of a College President that is funded by these same Republican Freeholders. It is time for Monmouth County taxpayers to unite against the Good Ol’ Boys Network here in Monmouth County”
Never mind the 1% to 99% rhetoric that has worked its way into our lexicon since the Occupy movement moved into Zuccotti Park. With yesterday’s 3-2 decision that judges are exempt from New Jersey’s pension and health benefits reform, our State’s judiciary have declared themselves the .005%. They are the truly elite. The 400 of New Jersey’s 8.8 million citizens. They don’t have to share in the sacrifice.
As Governor Christie said in Atlantic City yesterday,
“What we did, the administration and the Legislature, was demand that everybody in public employment pay their fair share for the benefits they’re going to get like people in the private sector do every day. And I cannot believe that we’re going to permit one small sector of folks (to be exempt), who consider themselves special, and who by the way granted themselves this special treatment themselves. That doesn’t make any sense to me.’’
“If you’re a police officer, or a fire fighter, or a teacher in this state, and you’re paying more for your health benefits and your pension, I’ve got a feeling you’re pretty frosted if it turns out that a group of judges decides for the whole group of judges that they don’t have to pay their fair share.’’
Christie told NJ 101.5’s audience on his monthly Ask the Governor show last night that if the legislature puts a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot this fall, he will campaign for it. That will be the easiest campaign in the history of the world. There will likely be 3.9 million New Jerseyans voting on November 6. There are about 400 judges. If all of the judges got all of their family members and friends to vote against the Constitutional Amendment, would that add up to even 10,000 votes? I don’t think so.
As Senator Joe Kyrillos said yesterday, “Judicial independence does not mean judicial supremacy and exceptionalism.” If the legislature acts by August 6, and it looks as though they will, the people of New Jersey will be sending the Judicial branch an overwhelming reminder that they work for us. In America, even in New Jersey, the people are Sovereign. “All political power is inherent in the people.”
Even though there is not much time, the legislature should consider recommending other changes to Article VI, Section VI of the State Constitution to the people, since we’ll be making changes to the clause anyway.
Is seven years too long before a Judge is reviewed and reconfirmed? How about 3 or 4 years? Is tenure after 7 years, if reconfirmed, until mandatory retirement at age 70 still appropriate? How about a review and reconfirmation every 4, 5, or 7 years until retirement. When the retirement age of 70 for judges was affirmed by Constitutional Amendment in 1978, the average life expectancy in the United States was 73.5. Now, the average life expectancy is 78. Why not increase the mandatory retirement age to 75 or 80? How about establishing a voluntary retirement age before being eligible to collect a pension at 70. Those would create some pension savings.
The Judiciary has given the Legislature an opportunity to make substantive adjustments to the .005%’s superiority and exceptionalism.
As Governor Christie told a Town Hall meeting audience in Garfield on May 2, it is extraordinarily difficult to hold judges accountable in New Jersey. Now would be a good time to make some changes.
If you agree, contact your legislators and the governor. Pass this column on and ask others to do the same. Time is short.
