Governor Christie Press Briefing in Somerset

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A letter to Sandy survivors

By Kathleen Koch

Welcome to the survivors’ club.  Whether you lost your belongings, your car, your home, a loved one or your entire neighborhood, you are not a victim and don’t let anyone label you that way.  You are not helpless.  You will get through this.

In the disaster zone, your brain won’t want to process what your eyes are seeing. You will see, hear and smell things you never thought you would.  It will feel like you’re in a dream or on a movie set, because this simply can’t be the place where you lived.

You will feel like an ant trying to move a mountain.  Don’t be paralyzed into inaction by the enormity of the task ahead of you.  It can be done.  Just keep moving.  Any forward progress, even in baby steps, is good.

Salvage what you can.  The smallest items will be precious reminders of the past. But recognize what is beyond repair and as painful as it is, throw it out.  If you can’t, have someone else do it for you.

Don’t punish yourself or those you love because you (or they) did not store your family photos in the attic, move the car, save your vital papers, evacuate, buy flood insurance.  What’s done is done.   Let it go.

You are on autopilot now.  Your adrenaline is pumping as you figure out where to live, find food, buy gasoline.  You will get used to standing in lines.  Use that time to bond with others who are on the same journey.  Anger and frustration help no one.

Respect the rules of a disaster zone.  Don’t cut in line.  Defer to the young and the old who are most vulnerable at these times.  Just because property is sitting in the middle of a street or dangling from a tree branch does not mean it’s free for the taking.  It belongs to someone.  Stack salvageable items where neighbors can see them and potentially reclaim their lost property.

“How’s your house?” will become the new greeting when you see friends and neighbors.  You will have a new way of marking time — pre-Sandy and post-Sandy. The definition of the word “home” will expand to include a shelter, a couch, a garage, a friend’s basement.

Disasters are great equalizers.  They reveal people’s true nature — for better or for worse.  You will find out who your real friends are and what love really means. Incredible acts of kindness will come from unexpected quarters.  Beware of the few who seek to profit from the misery of others.

Feel the pain.  Cry if you need to.  Hug each other.  Share what you have.  Know that you are not alone, because volunteers by the thousands are on their way. Their selfless generosity will renew your faith in your fellow man.

Your instinct will be to rebuild an exact replica of what was, down to the last brick, board and beam.  Consider carefully whether that is wise or even possible.  Seek out ways to prevent future damage by rebuilding higher, smarter, stronger and further from the water.  See this as an opportunity.

Accept the new normal.  The past is just that.  You can cherish the place you and your neighbors once called home where it will always exist — in your collective memories.

Kathleen Koch is a former CNN correspondent who covered Hurricane Katrina and wrote Rising from Katrina: How My Mississippi Hometown Lost It  All and Found What Mattered.

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Chris Smith is New Jersey’s only GOP Congressman to break 60%

Congressman Chris Smith easily defeated his Democratic challenger, Brian Froelich of Spring Lake, to earn his 17th term in the House of Representative.  Smith new 4th district includes most of Monmouth County and parts of Ocean and Mercer County.

With 68% of the vote, Smith is the only Republican in the New Jersey delegation to break 60%.

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MONMOUTH DEMOCRATS WIN MAJOR LOCAL RACES

Press Release

The Monmouth County Democratic Organization swept races across the county yesterday! U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. for a big 65% district-wide victory! Congressman Pallone also comfortably carried the Monmouth County portion of the district with over 55% of the vote. President Obama and Senator Menendez nearly matched Governor Romney and Senator Kyrillos vote by vote in what analysts had predicted earlier in the year would be a Republican blowout in Monmouth. They were wrong! Monmouth County Democrats delivered over 125,000 votes for President Obama, the 6th highest amount of votes in the state of all 21 counties. Turnout for the election was at an impressive 58% of registered voters despite half the county still not having power and with thousands of people still displaced from their homes.

Monmouth County Democrats scored major municipal wins, defeating 7 incumbent Republicans. NO Democratic incumbents were defeated. Monmouth Dems scored major wins in the Bayshore this year, with wins in Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, Hazlet, Keyport and Matawan, setting up a strong foundation in the Bayshore for future years. Here are some of our major wins

In Atlantic Highlands, Roy Dellosso and Bob Sutton were re-elected, topping two Republican challengers by over 350 votes.

In Belmar, Councilwoman Jennifer Nicolay won nearly 60% of the vote, trouncing her Republican challenger.

In Eatontown, incumbent Councilman Anthony Talerico was top vote-getter by nearly 1,000 votes defeating his Republican challenger. In addition, Janice Kroposky comfortably defeated Republican incumbent Kevin Gonzalez to win the second seat. Welcome to the Eatontown governing body, Councilwoman-Elect Kroposky!

In Farmingdale, 4 Democrats faced 4 Republicans in a showdown for the Western Monmouth community. Democrats Richard Geffken and newcomer Carly Immen defeated their Republican opponents to win 2 of the seats. Democrat Jan Zientek currently trails by just 5 votes behind his Republican challenger for the 3rd seat. Absentee ballots and Provisionals still need to be counted and Monmouth County Democrats’ attorneys are weighing a re-count for Jan’s seat. Still, winning these 2 seats is a huge breakthrough in a town where Republican voter registration outnumbers Democrats 2 to 1.

In Freehold Borough, Democratic newcomer Ron Griffiths outsed Republican incumbent John Newman while Democratic incumbent Sharon Shutzer was re-elected.

In Hazlet, Democrats Jim DiNardo and Barbara Ronchetti beat Republican incumbent Mayor David Tinker and Committeeman Jim Brady to take a 3-2 majority of the Hazlet governing body, a big win for the Bayshore community.

In Highlands, Democratic Councilman Kevin Redmond was re-elected and Democrat Tara Ryan was elected, winning a Republican held seat.

In Keyport, Democratic Councilman Ken McPeek was re-elected and Sophia Lamberson was elected. Councilwoman-Elect Lamberson will take the seat of Council President Christian Bolte who did not seek re-election. The duo beat their GOP challengers by more than 500 votes.

In Matawan, Democratic newcomer Kim Daly was elected to the Borough Council defeating incumbent councilman Andrew Lopez. Democrat Nicholas Nellegar was narrowly defeated for the 2nd seat by just 80 votes. Monmouth County Democrats Attorneys are currently reviewing absentee ballots and provisionals but Democrats have broken the all GOP stronghold in Matawan.

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Christie Announces Hurricane Recovery Assistance For New Jersey Businesses

Trenton, NJ –To support the recovery of New Jersey’s businesses and protect the overall economic interests of our state in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno have announced a series of business assistance services for those affected by the storm.  Among these vital services are those related to financial support, information on temporary space, and technical assistance for impacted businesses.  Information for all services may be easily accessed through New Jersey’s Business Action Center (BAC) by calling 1-866-534-7789 or through the state’s business portal at www.newjerseybusiness.gov, the“one-stop” shop for business resources. Agents are also available to assist callers that speak Spanish.

“In response to this natural disaster, New Jersey has coordinated a range of multi-agency resources to assist impacted businesses and ensure they are operational quickly,” said Lt. Governor Guadagno. “Providing a thorough and inter-departmental business recovery assistance program is another demonstration of our support for our business community and their workers. The Business Action Center can help businesses tap into a variety of resources that will help them begin to recover from this catastrophic storm.”

The business recovery assistance services are designed to support businesses and workers who may be temporarily unable to perform their jobs due to the storm.  These services include:

• Guarantees of up to $500,000 for     commercial lines of credit to businesses that need access to cash to     improve their damaged property while awaiting insurance proceeds, with all     related New Jersey Economic Development Authority fees waived.
• Grant awards for businesses to     assist with on-the-job training costs for new workers hired specifically     to assist in disaster-related activities, such as landscaping and tree     removal, construction, insurance claims, building supplies sales,     materials transport, utility work, call and claims centers staffing, and     infrastructure clearing and repair.
• Availability of the Business     Resource Centers at any of the currently operational local One-Stop Career     Centers across the state as temporary hubs for businesses to access     telephone and internet services as well as for job seekers and     displaced workers seeking workforce development and unemployment     assistance – Temporary Hubs     for Affected Business to Access Telephones and Internet Services
• The availability of Disaster     Unemployment Benefits to provide income security for those displaced     workers suffering temporary storm-related job loss.
• Dispatch of Rapid Response team     members to identified Disaster Recovery Centers to assist displaced     workers.
• Availability of services throughNew Jersey Youth Corps to assist non-profit, public and governmental     entities in a variety of ways for disaster relief and clean-up.

In addition, BAC’s Business Call Center is also the one-stop resource for more information on how to get businesses back up and running.  The Call Center staff can assist with the following services:

• Arranging business facility inspections for buildings suffering major flood damage, as such conditions require structural integrity inspections before utility service can be restored.  These inspections are handled in local code enforcement offices and by local code enforcement officials.   Anticipating an enormous increase in such work, the Department of Community Affairs has mobilized all qualified personnel to assist local governments in this effort.
• Advocating for businesses seeking information from local utilities to restore electric, phone, gas and water services.
• Advocating with insurance carriers to file and expedite claims.
• Providing information on how to qualify for federal recovery assistance, and
• Connecting businesses to the other county and local business services and to the services offered by the Small Business Administration and Small Business Development Centers that include assistance with insurance claims, as well as loans and business plan revisions.

Since October 28, 2012, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) has staffed a Private Sector Desk at the Regional Intelligence Operations Center (ROIC), which has served as the primary point of contact for critical private sector industries leading up to, during and after Hurricane Sandy.  OHSP staff operating the Private Sector Desk at the ROIC can be reached at 609-963-6810.

For further information about best practices in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, please visit www.ready.nj.gov for continual updates.

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An election night of GOP disaster – and the emergence of John Boehner

By Alan J. Steinberg

In a negative sense, the Republican Party accomplished the impossible last night.  In a year of economic stagnation and anemic job growth, the GOP failed to win the White House against an incumbent president who had begun the campaign with a negative approval rating.   At the beginning of 2012, most pundits expected the GOP to regain control of the U.S. Senate; instead, the Republicans appear to have incurred a net loss of two seats.

The reelection victory of incumbent President  Barack Obama was primarily a matter of demographics.  In my PolitickerNJ column of August 5, 2012, I described this demographic factor as follows:

 

“Obama’s larger electoral vote base is largely a function of what I define as demographic political inelasticity, namely the tendency of certain demographic groups to vote overwhelmingly for one party or the other, regardless of the condition of the economy.  Specifically, the Democrats have maintained the loyalty of African-American, Puerto Rican, Mexican-American, and single women voters, regardless of the current economic doldrums….”

One could also add voters under 25 to the list of these Obama demographic constituencies.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Voluntary Evacuation in Highlands

The Borough of Highlands has announced a voluntary evacuation of its storm torn downtown area due to the oncoming nor’easter, via reverse 9-11.

Tidal flodding is expected.

Residents in need of shelter should move the to Henry Hudson Regional High School.

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Mandatory Evacuation of Northern Middletown

Middletown OEM and Mayor Tony Fiore have ordered a mandatory evacuation of North Middletown, Port Monmouth, Belford, and Leonardo, due to the oncoming nor’easter, effective 3PM today, November 7.

Fiore said that the evacucation is due to expected tidal flooding and as a precaution because of the severe structural damage caused to the many homes in the area Hurricane Sandy last week.

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There is no emergency evacuation of Atlantic Highlands

Atlantic Highland Police Chief Jerry Vasto announced via reverse 9-11 call this morning that the borough in not subject to a mandatory evacuation due to the coming nor’easter, contrary to news reports.

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Pallone wins easily in CD6

Congressman Frank Pallone defeated Anna Little by 32% in their 6th congressional district rematch, earning a 13th term in the House of Representatives.

148,251 votes were cast for Pallone district wide compared to 75,519 for Little.

Pallone won all four voting districts in Highlands, Little’s home where she served as mayor from 2008-2010.

In the Monmouth County portion of the district Pallone won the voting machine tally by 41,462-33,202.   These numbers do not yet reflect the thousands of paper ballots that were cast in the Middletown Township portion of the district where the machines malfunctioned. Additionally, v0ters who received email and fax ballots by 5PM on election day have until 8PM Friday to deliver  those ballots to the Board of Elections.

In Middlesex County, Pallone earned 71% of the vote, 100,040 of the 141,502 machine ballots cast.

The likelihood of Little overcoming that lead with provisional, paper and emergency ballots is nil.

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