It seems better than soliciting votes at a cemetery, but it is still illegal.
Linda Baum, the Democratic candidate for Middletown Township Committee was asked told to leave Middletown High School South on Tuesday. Baum was greeting students on their way into school. When school started she entered the building and asked the administration to announce her presence over the intercom and have students come to meet her.
This was not Baum’s first attempt at seeking ineligible voters. Over the summer she campaigned at the River Plaza Elementary School.
Baum did not return MMM’s calls seeking comment. She is challenging Deputy Mayor Steve Massell for a three year term on the committee.
By virtue of the fact that he showed up this time, unlike the Denver debate, President Obama had a much better performance tonight and probably stopped the bleeding.
I thought the president’s most powerful moment was when he was standing for the diplomatic corp while answering the question about Libya. If I didn’t know that Obama was lying blatantly at the moment, he might have even won me over. I was shocked that after two weeks of covering up and lying about the attacks on our people in Libya, while blaming the deaths on a YouTube video, that Obama was actually acting presidential.
Mitt Romney must have been shocked too because he missed a huge opportunity to blast Obama for the lies to America’s face about Libya, both tonight and since September 11. Just as Romney seemed to have his footing for the knock out punch, moderator Candy Crowley interfered, erroneously, on behalf of Obama.
After appealing to his liberal base for the last two months, Obama started to compete with Romney for the center. Romney countered, with less effectiveness than he did in Denver, by reminding America of Obama’s record.
My favorite moment was when Obama said, “when I was president.” I hope that was prophetic.
Expect the momentum that Romney has enjoyed for the last two weeks to slow and for the race to move to a dead heat.
A 4.6 magnitude earthquake occurred near Portland, Maine at 7:12 this evening. It was felt in Monmouth County as a magnitude 2, according to the US Geological Survey.
We felt it in Highlands. The USGS received reports from Middletown as well as Hoboken and Jersey City in Hudson County.
Posted: October 16th, 2012 | Author:Art Gallagher | Filed under:Earthquake | Tags:Earthquake | Comments Off on Did you feel the earthquake?
Anna Little’s 6th district congressional campaign reported $52,151 cash on hand and $96,366 in debt to the Federal Election Commission through the quarter than ended September 30th.
The campaign reported that it raised $203,573 and spent $156,155 in the quarter. Of the $203,573 raised, only $33,689 was itemized by donor. Most of the donors disclosed were from outside of New Jersey. The required employer information is missing for many.
Little’s second quarter report indicated a negative cash balance of over $11,000. The third quarter report, which was filed electronically on October 14, indicates that the campaign had a beginning cash balance of $4,734.
Little was criticized by the FEC in August for failing to disclose donor information, for math that doesn’t add up or jibe between reports and for reporting a negative cash balance but no debt. She was required to amend her three prior reports by October 4th. The prior reports were not amended and the violations apparently continue in the current report.
Of the $156,155 Little said she spent, $2,250 was paid to Constantine Financial Services of Oaktan, VA for compliance consulting. $1,800 was paid to Chris Walen, CPA of Matawan, NJ for accounting services. Rick Trader of Deptford, NJ was paid $1950 for conservative commando radio and Jayson Solino of Ocean, NJ was paid $4000 for a website. Little’s website is linked to a free blogspot site that hosts her press releases.
Other reported expenditures include $1748 paid to Lakeside Manor in Hazlet, NJ for lodging. Lakeside Manor, a catering hall, does not have lodging rooms.
Little is making her second attempt to unseat Congressman Frank Pallone. Pallone is seeking his 13th term in the House of Representatives. For the quarter ended September 30, Pallone raised $1.6 million and spent $1.3 million in campaign funds. He has $3.5 million cash on hand.
Freeholder Director John Curley said yesterday that there is no support on the Freeholder Board to purchase the development rights for Manalapan Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas’ 98 acre farm on Iron Ore Road, despite the fact that the purchase, which was approved by the Board in May of 2011, has been cleared of an ethics violation complaint by the State Department of Community Affairs’ Local Finance Board and was approved by the State Agriculture Development Committee.
“If elected officials want to apply for government money for their properties, they should resign from office,” said Curley, “we should not be using the positions the voters entrusted us with to enrich ourselves.”
“Andrew Lucas has not been forthcoming about the details of his purchase of this property. The freeholders will not approve this purchase.”
Lucas, Manalapan’s former mayor and a former GOP candidate for freeholder, purchased the farm which had been slated for development in March of 2010 for an undisclosed amount. Soon thereafter he started the process of selling the development rights, for $1.152 million, through funding through the State, County and Township. Lucas participated on Township Committee discussions of his application.
The purchase approved by the Freeholder Board in May of 2011 was held up by an ethics complaint filed by former Manalapan Mayor George Spodak. The State Agriculture Developement Committee conditioned its funding on an satisfactory ethics review of the transaction. Local Finance Board Chairman Thomas Neff wrote Lucas last month to inform him that his application had been approved because he consulted with the Manalapan Township Attorney about his application. Neff’s letter also said that the Board would use Lucas’s case to provide clear guidance to future office holders to recuse themselves from applications that they have an interest in.
Spodak is outraged that Neff and the Local Finance Board cleared the ethics of the transaction. “I don’t think they even read my 111 page complaint,” said Spodak. “I sent Neff a letter appealing his decision but have not heard back from him.”
The county monies approved in 2011 for the purchase are no longer available. An article in the Asbury Park Press said that the county is applying for federal money to fund the purchase.
Curly said the the freeholders have not approved any federal grant application and will not approve the purchase.
Earlier yesterday, Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal issued a statement condemning the transaction as an example of Republcian cronyism, “Club Monmouth.” Gopal was critical of Neff’s ties to the Monmouth GOP as evidenced by his $750 to Monmouth GOP Chairman John Bennett’s leadership PAC while Bennett was President of the State Senate. Prior being appointed to his position with the Department of Community Affairs, Neff, an attorney, was an employee of the Republican Senate Caucus.
Informed of Curley’s opposition to the Lucas farm purchase and his representation that the other freeholders, all Republicans, also oppose it, Gopal said, “What has changed since they approved it last year? Only Amy Mallet (then a Democratic freeholder) voted against it in 2011.”
The final debate of the race between U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and State Senator Joe Kyrillos for a 6 year term in the U.S. Senate was taped for television yesterday afternoon. It will air at 9:30 this morning on ABC in Philadelphia and at 11 on ABC in New York. NorthJersey.com reports on the debate here.
Kyrillos will be attending the 14th Dushahra Celebration in Edison this afternoon at 3:50. This morning he makes a South Jersey swing, appearing at the Southern Jersey Jewish Coalition Brunch at the Hotel ML in Mount Laurel at 10:30. At 11:20 he will be attending the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival before heading to Atlantic County for the Smithville Irish Festival at 1:20.
Governor Chris Christie will be campaigning with Kyrillos in Princeton tomorrow, 10:30am at the Princetonian Diner on Route 1.
