5 Facts About Sequestration

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Governor Christie Announces 30 Day Extension Of Deadline To Register For Sandy Assistance

New April 1 Deadline Allows Additional Time for Residents to Register for FEMA Assistance 

Trenton, NJ –The Christie Administration announced today that New Jersey residents impacted by Superstorm Sandy now have until April 1, 2013 to register for individual disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The deadline extension applies for homeowner, renter, and business registration with the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Disaster Loan Assistance, another important step in the disaster relief process to ensure survivors obtain all relief they are eligible for.

“This 30-day extension will help us ensure that anyone who has been affected by Sandy gets the help they need and deserve,” said Governor Christie. “It’s vitally important for people to know that the process of receiving any type of federal disaster assistance – including future grant assistance for homeowners and businesses – begins with registering as a disaster survivor with FEMA and working with a coordinator to determine eligibility for relief. I encourage those who have not yet registered with FEMA and SBA to do so now to get the relief they are entitled to and to ensure their eligibility for any future relief we can offer.”

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Colts Neck Bank Robbery Suspect Caught In Alabama

The man suspected of robbing the Colts Neck branch of the JPMorgan Chase Bank has been apprehended in a Birmingham, Alabama hotel, according to a statement released by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Waleed A. Saleh, 32, of Staten Island, was found Monday at the Sheraton Hotel in Birmingham, Ala. where he was arrested by investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Birmingham Police Department, as part of the joint investigation led by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Colts Neck Township Police Department Detective Richard Zarrillo.

Saleh is charged with first degree Armed Robbery, and the second degree offenses of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. Saleh has waived extradition. Bail has been set at $750,000 with no 10 percent option as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Richard W. English.

The bank robbery occurred around 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2013 when Saleh allegedly walked into the JP Morgan Chase Bank, located at 290 Route 34 in Colts Neck, pointed a firearm at a teller and demanded money. The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the area.

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Scott Brown Hosting Christie Fundraiser

cosmopolitan.com graphic

Former Massachusetts U.S. Senator Scott Brown is hosting a fundraiser on Friday night in Boston for Governor Chris Chrisite’s reelection campaign, according to the Associated Press.

Brown was a model while in law school.  During his reelection campaign, which he lost to Elizabeth Warren, Warren noted that she kept her clothes on while financing her college education. Scott retorted, “Thank God.”

We’re similarly grateful that Christie kept his clothes on while working his way through school.

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CASAGRANDE-MUÑOZ-SIMON-O’SCANLON: STOP PAYING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FOR UNUSED SICK TIME

ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS AGREE WITH GOVERNOR’S CALL  TO

END BIG PAYOUTS FROM PROPERTY TAXPAYERS TO RETIRING  PUBLIC EMPLOYEES

Assembly Republicans Caroline Casagrande, Nancy Muñoz, Donna Simon and  Declan O’Scanlon, who sponsor legislation to end the practice of  paying public employees for unused sick time, were pleased that Governor  Christie remains committed to providing this vital property tax relief that has  been blocked by some Trenton politicians.

            “We have capped property taxes and saved billions by reforming public  employee benefits. It’s time to finish the job and save property taxpayers from  giving big checks to retiring public employees,” Assemblywoman Caroline  Casagrande, R-Monmouth, said. “Anyone who is serious about winning the war  against sky-high property taxes should embrace this common sense  reform.”

            Governor Christie repeated his call for sick pay reform during  yesterday’s budget address as part of the items needed to further improve  New Jersey’s  fiscal health.

            “The historic bipartisan reforms we supported resulted in the slowest  growth of property taxes in 24 years, after a decade of crushing increases,”  Assemblywoman Nancy F. Muñoz, R-Union,  Somerset and  Morris, said. “We can do even better for property taxpayers by enacting a  sensible law that requires the use of sick days for what they  were intended.”

            Assembly Bill 2495, sponsored by 23 Assembly Republicans,  would prohibit payments to public employees for unused sick leave. The  legislation would also prohibit sick leave for those who have been indicted and  require medical documentation for absences of six or more consecutive  days.

            “Bringing governments’ workplace policies in line with those in the  private sector should be a no-brainer,” Assemblywoman Donna Simon, R-Hunterdon,  Somerset, Mercer  and Middlesex, said. “In the public sector, the taxpayer is the boss and we can  improve the bottom line for both property taxpayers and our state’s finances  with this logical reform.”

            A few recent examples have highlighted how much money unused sick time  costs property taxpayers:

• $2.2   million to 15 retiring Atlantic City employees this   month
• $306,000amount former West New York mayoral aide claims she’s   owed
• $150,000 to Hackensack Police   Chief

“Governor Christie has proposed a budget with the highest  level of school aid and largest debt payment in state history, while we have  achieved the smallest property tax growth in state history,” Assembly Republican  Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth, said. “Governments throughout  New Jersey  could deliver even more for taxpayers if Democrats in the Legislature agreed to  work with us to eliminate these grotesque payments that have no practical  purpose other than personal profit.”

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O’SCANLON ASKS LOCAL RESIDENTS TO DONATE UNNEEDED FURNITURE

Non-profit to collect furniture for those affected by  Sandy

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon today announced that a local  non-profit, Love INC, has been awarded $50,000 in gift cards for furniture  through the Robin Hood Foundation to help in the Bayshore area. Additionally,  Love INC’s used furniture store “Furnished With Love” located in Long Branch will be having a sale of high quality used  furniture on Saturday, March 2 and Sunday March 3 in the Highlands at Our Lady Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church  from 10 AM to 3PM.. The Assemblyman asked that local residents donate any  furniture that is in good shape.

“This is  another step in stabilizing this area that has suffered so much,” said O’Scanlon  (Love INC’s chairman). “Now that families are being stabilized with  reconstruction the next step is making them livable by meeting their very basic  furniture needs. We all recall the masses of debris on the curbside of many  homes with the devastation being particularly immense up and down the Bayshore  area. Love INC has been in existence for 18 years helping families in Monmouth County and continues to make a mark where  it’s needed the most.”

Carolyn Eyerman, the executive director also added “that  in 2012 over $20,000 worth of free furniture was given to qualified and screened  clients in Monmouth County.”

Brand new mattresses and box springs as well as new bunk  beds are also available with free delivery to all Bayshore residents with  purchases made on March 2nd and 3rd. Love INC’s role in the community is not  only to provide furniture, but acts as a community clearinghouse for local area  churches to help with a variety of needs from rent assistance, elder care, used  cars for transportation, free haircuts and haul out services.

“I really hope that our neighbors fortunate enough to  make it through the storm unscathed will reach into their hearts to help out  those who may have lost everything,” O’Scanlon stated. “Let’s be honest, we all  have some extra furniture that’s just taking up space – this way, not only will  it get used, but it will go to a family who really needs it.”

Furniture donations are especially needed right now with  the needs so overwhelming. Free pickup and tax receipts issued from “Furnished  with Love” trucks. Please call 732-222-1923 and find out how you can help. For  those looking to contact Love INC directly, please call 732-542-7012.

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Christie Town Hall Meeting in Montville

The best things about being governor (serious and fun)

Why Montville resident’s taxes went up 12% in 2012

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CPAC Snubs Are Bad Policy

Gov. Christie & Gay Conservatives Should Be Allowed to Plead Their Cases at Annual Conservative Conference

By Matt Ronney, Save Jersey

Back in 2004, Save Jerseyans, your Blogger-in-Chief was an undergraduate at Washington, D.C.’s Catholic University of America when a couple other friends and I interned at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

It was an amazing experience for a wide-eyed young conservative nerd to interact with so many distinguished politicians, media personalities and career activists in one place.

It was also a very different time in the Republican Party, and I discovered a healthy level of intellectual diversity on display from the right-of-center CPAC attendees. Libertarians, neocons, paleocons, fiscal conservatives and social conservatives from across the country mixed, drank, shared  cabs, and downed hot dogs while discussing equally hot races in long book signing queques.

The common thread among the CPAC patrons? A healthy disdain for large, active, expensive and intrusive federal governance.

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Christie: I am no fan of the Affordable Care Act….However it is now the law of the land…

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Christie: I believe New Jerseyans Are Overtaxed

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