First South Jersey Democrat Elected Official to Endorse Christie
Photo Credit: Borough of Chesilhurst
(Chesilhurst, NJ) – Another validation of Governor Chris Christie’s bipartisan leadership over the last three years was on display today when Chesilhurst Mayor Michael Blunt became the third Democrat Mayor in New Jersey to formally endorse the Governor’s re-election in November. Blunt, who began his service on Borough Council in 2002 and elected Mayor in 2007, was also elected as a New Jersey Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina last year. To date, eleven elected Democrats from around New Jersey have officially endorsed Governor Christie.
“As a long-time Democrat and proud Obama supporter, endorsing a Republican candidate is not something that comes naturally. But it’s an honor to stand here today with a Governor who has demonstrated real leadership by putting aside partisan politics to move New Jersey forward, particularly after Superstorm Sandy,” said Blunt, who also sits on the Board of Directors for the National Conference of Black Mayors. “Chesilhurst residents have the same concerns as others across the state, from job creation to property taxes, and thanks to Governor Christie’s bipartisan approach New Jersey is seeing record job growth and a tax cap that will help families afford to stay in their homes. With that record, I’m happy to offer my support.”
Manalapan Mayor Susan Cohen posted the following message on facebook at 2:25 ths afternoon:
From the Manalapan Police and the Town Committee
At 11:11 am today March 13, 2013 the Manalapan Township Police were dispatched to the Manalapan High School in reference to a terroristic threat made via Twitter. A male juvenile student of the school sent a Twitter message which contained threats made by him that he intended to bring a firearm to the school and “go hunting”.
The school officials were made aware of the Tweets and immediately put the school into a stationary lockdown and contacted the police. The school officials were able to identify the student who sent the tweets and isolated him without incident. The juvenile was detained and checked by school security and found not to be in possession of any weapons. His belongings and locker were also checked and found not to have any weapons contained therein. This student was arrested on scene and juvenile charges will be signed against him for terroristic threats and false public alarm.
Eileen Kean has withdrawn as a candidate for the New Jersey Republican State Committee from Monmouth County, leaving incumbent Committeewoman Christine Hanlon unopposed for the party’s nomination on March 23 in Colts Neck.
In a statement emailed to members of the Monmouth County Republican Committee, Kean called for party unity and then endorsed Howell GOP Chairman John Costigan for the male slot on the committee. Costigan and Middletown GOP Chairman Peter Carton are competing to replace Monmouth GOP Chairman John Bennett on the Republican State Committee.
After much deliberation, I have made the decision to withdraw my name as a candidate for State Committee and support our incumbent State Committeewoman Christine Hanlon for re-election. I believe this is in the best interest of the Monmouth County Republican Party and will continue the unification efforts of Chairman Bennett. I welcome the opportunity to serve and know that there will be future opportunities for me to contribute to the Monmouth County GOP.
I believe our Party is heading in the right direction under the leadership of John Bennett. Personal agendas need to be put aside and unifying the party is paramount. Thank you for your consideration and please join with me in supporting Christine Hanlon for re-election as Monmouth County’s State Committeewoman and John Costigan as Monmouth County’s State Committeeman.
The hopes of Middlesex and Monmouth County mayors, freeholders and legislators hoping to move to Washington in early 2015 as the newly elected representive of the 6th Congressional district were set back a bit this morning by a new FDU Public Mind Poll that shows Newark Mayor Cory Booker dominating the Democratic field to replace Senator Frank Lautenberg.
Congressman Frank Pallone has been considered Booker’s main competition for the 2014 Democratic U.S. Senate nomination among the media and political establishment. However, 12th District Congressman Rush Holt has almost twice the support among self identified Democrats than Pallone does, according the FDU survey.
FDU surveyed its respondents cable news viewing habits, polling the trustworthiness of CNN, FoxNews and MSNBC. Given Holt’s surprising showing, they should have surveyed how many of their respondents are Jeopardy fans. Holt is famous for being a five time Jeopardy winner and beating IBM’s supercomputer, “Watson,” on the TV trivia game show.
Booker leads the Democratic U.S. Senate field with 50% support. Pallone got only 4% and Holt 7%. 32% of the respondents are unsure and are probably Wheel of Fortune fans.
Frank Pallone aged 30 years
Unless Booker becomes incapacitated running into fire, shoveling snow, or leaping a tall building in a single bound, Pallone is likely to remain in the House of Representatives until he’s Launtenberg’s age.
Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal, Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik, former Edison Mayor Jun Choi and Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman best hopes for becoming a congressman is if Gerald Rivera manages to beat Booker next year in the general election and then Pallone beating Rivera in 2020. But that is not much of a hope, as FDU says Booker will beat Geraldo 52%-21%.
TRENTON–Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced today that more than 1,500guns were turned in by Monmouth County residents during a state-sponsored gun buyback event held at churches in Asbury Park and Keansburg this past weekend.
According to Chiesa, county residents turned in a total of 1,581 guns – including 15 assault weapons –during the two-day buyback held at the Shiloh Community Fellowship Ministry in Asbury Park and the Saint Ann Catholic Church in Keansburg.
The number of guns obtained in Monmouth County brings to 7,092 the total number of firearms collected so far as a result of four state-led gun buybacks. A buyback held in Camden County last December yielded 1,137 guns, and a buyback in Mercer County in January brought in another 2,604 firearms. A February buyback held in Essex County resulted in the collection of another 1,770 guns.
Attorney General Chiesa said this past weekend’s strong turn-out by Monmouth County residents demonstrates continued support of the State-led buyback initiative by citizens concerned about gun violence and eager to help rid their communities of dangerous firearms.
What New Jersey Residents Need To Know About The Christie Administration’s Proposed First Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action Plan
“This plan puts into motion the specific actions we’ve been designing to get relief out as quickly as possible to our Sandy-impacted homeowners and businesses – to reconstruct, rehabilitate and elevate homes, and to get over hurdles for our small businesses to get up and running again. These programs have been carefully, but quickly designed to fill the unmet needs faced by our residents to rebuild in a safer, more enduring way, to strengthen our impacted local economies going into this summer, and to help preserve the unique character of our shore communities as we’ve known them. With this first round of funding, we will also begin an aggressive marketing effort to let people both in the region and across the country know that New Jersey is rebounding and that the Jersey Shore will be open for business this summer.”
– Governor Chris Christie
The Christie Administration today unveiled its proposed Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action Plan, which outlines how the State plans to utilize $1,829,520,000 in federal funding. This is the first phase of Community Development Block Grant funds provided to New Jersey by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Additional CDBG recovery funds are expected in the coming months. With this first phase of funding, the Christie Administration is focusing primarily on helping homeowners, renters, businesses and communities impacted by Superstorm Sandy.
A Barnegat women was arrested last week after exposing her breasts to security cameras.
Wendy Tucker, 56, got out of her car and flipped her middle fingers at security cameras before lifting her blouse and exposing her breasts to the cameras, according to the Asbury Park Press. The cameras were being monitored by police dispatchers.
Tucker was arrested on the strength of a no-bail warrant issued in Atlantic County. She was additionally charged with lewdness. She is being held at the Atlantic County Jail.
The Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department declined to say what the underlying charge for the no-bail warrant is. The Barnegat Police have yet to respond to the same inquiry.
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon said that Tucker’s actions were not exactly what he had in mind when he encouraged New Jersey motorists to protest red light cameras.
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon has been doggedly fighting for New Jersey motorists who have been getting ripped off red light cameras for months. Yesterday, O’Scanlon issued a scathing statement opposing a proposed settlement in the class action law suit against American Traffic Solutions, the Arizona company that installs and operates the red light rip offs.
U.S. District Court Judge Peter Sheridan held a hearing on the proposed settlement that would refund an average of $6 to motorist who were ticketed $85-$140 by cameras that were not properly calibrated.
“We have unequivocal, documented proof that the standard used to set yellow light times didn’t abide by the law – resulting in a huge percentage of the tickets issued as a result of these cameras to be undeserved” said O’Scanlon. “We have equally irrefutable evidence that the supposed yellow-light-timing recertification process was a sham blatantly designed from the start to justify perpetuating the status quo – rather than treat motorists fairly under the law.”
“First NJ motorists were cheated by their own state government when the DOT implemented the pilot program and didn’t follow the law, then they were screwed again in the phony yellow light recertification fiasco. They continue to be screwed by the camera companies and the local governments which collude to steal from them.” said O’Scanlon. “This settlement sells them down the river one more time – and amounts to nothing more than a get-rich-quick scheme for the attorneys involved. The beleaguered motorists of NJ have been abandoned or outright attacked by their government at every level, and relentlessly victimized by the predatory camera companies. Hopefully Judge Sheridan will take a stand and NJ Motorists will be able to count on one branch of government willing to give them a small victory.”
