Chris Smith Leads On Preventing Taxpayer Funded Abortions

From Congressman Smith’s website:

Government funding for abortion and legislative plans to stop it were the topics of a bipartisan press conference today by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), co-chairs of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, and Rep. Joe Pitts, Chairman of the Health Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce and the Values Action Team.

    Specifically, the lawmakers focused on two bills introduced today prohibiting government funding for abortion—the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” which will be introduced as H.R. 3, and the “Protect Life Act.”

    Congressman Smith (NJ-04) said of the bills: “Today with the full and unequivocal support of Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor, more than 150 Members of Congress have joined us to introduce the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act—a government wide prohibition on taxpayer subsidization for abortion and conscience protections with durable remedies.  President Obama has said he wants abortion to be rare.To Mr. Obama I say, ‘here is a bill for you.’  Even the Guttmacher Institute, the former research arm of Planned Parenthood, confirms that taxpayer funding bans are a proven abortion reduction method.  According to Guttmacher, studies show that when abortion is not publically funded, abortions in the covered population are reduced by roughly 25 percent.” Click here for Cong. Smith’s statement.

The “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” will eliminate the need for numerous, separate, annual abortion funding prohibitions (called riders) and ensure that no other program or agency is exempt from this important safeguard. The bill also codifies the conscience clause known as Hyde-Weldon.

    The “Protect Life Act” will amend the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA) to ensure there is no funding for abortion or abortion coverage.  The law currently does not include a comprehensive prohibition on such funding.  Instead the bill contains accounting gimmicks that explicitly allow funding for abortion coverage.  The Obama Executive Order reiterates those accounting gimmicks.  Without the “Protect Life Act,” PPACA will become the largest expansion of abortion funding since Roe v. Wade.

• Tweet

Oceanport Task Force Contiunes Fight For Horse Racing

VLT’s, slot machines, or an all out gaming casino in the Meadowlands is the only way to protect horse racing in New Jersey

Oceanport Councilman Joe Irace delivered the following report regarding the borough’s Monmouth Park Task Force at this evenings council meeting:

On Monday January 10th our Monmouth Park Task Force met to discuss the future of Monmouth Park as it pertains to the recent Hanson Report Part 2.  Our Task Force meeting was attended by a varied cross section of members including two former New Jersey State Senators, a horse veterinarian, thoroughbred owners, and concerned Oceanport residents.  The meeting was very specific and our participants quite vocal and knowledgeable.  Our Task Force once again maintained the position that VLT’s, slot machines, or an all out gaming casino in the Meadowlands is the only way to protect horse racing in New Jersey.  All the surrounding states of New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland now have some form of gaming at their race tracks.  This uneven playing field enables our competitors to lure New Jersey horseman out of State with larger purses and better quality horse racing.

Knowing the current legislative posture in New Jersey and knowing that gaming is not coming to the Meadowlands this year, our Task Force was once again proactive in seeking solutions to get us through 2011 and beyond.  Among the suggestions were: working with Monmouth Park to seek alternative revenue streams such as a boardwalk type facility in the picnic area, upscale restaurants, concerts, retail boutiques and perhaps even a hotel.  Anything to make Monmouth Park more desirable as an asset to the State, not just for horse racing, but as a destination place in the heart of the Jersey Shore.

The Task Force continues to ask for the actual financials of Monmouth Park, not of the full New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, of which Monmouth Park belongs.  Are the numbers the State uses correct when they say the facility loses $6 million?  We do not think so and would like to see the empirical evidence.

We continue to be concerned with the possible veto of a bipartisan bill approved in the New Jersey Senate and Assembly that would enable horse racing to not only survive, but to thrive.  It is important to remember that horse racing contributes 7,000 jobs, $110 million in federal, state and local taxes, and 57,000 acres of working agricultural landscape and open space to New Jersey.

Our Governing Body and our Task Force will continue to lobby our elected officials on behalf of Monmouth Park.  It is important not only to Oceanport and Monmouth County, but to the state of New Jersey as well.

• Tweet

Hey Trenton – Keep Your Arse Off My Bicycle!

By Tommy DeSeno
Growing up in Asbury Park, having a bicycle stolen was a fairly common event.  Sometimes you’d get it back.  The kid who stole it was just joy riding and would leave it somewhere for you to find it again.
 
But then there were those other thieves – the ones who took your bike and sold it on some sort of bicycle black market the police would always claim the knew about but could never crack.  What bothered me most about those times was the money – the money I wouldn’t get back for the bike that was stolen, and the money I would have to spend on the replacement bike I would have to buy.
 
Thanks to Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker, (D – Essex) I’m getting that “someone stole my bicycle” feeling again.
 
Tucker has introduced Bill A3657, which I hope our Governor will veto with libertarian flair should it reach his desk.
 
The bill would require bicycles to be registered with a bill of sale like cars, and have a form of license plate displayed.  Every 2 years you’d have to pay another $10 to re-register your bicycle (there are 6 in my house) and if you didn’t register your bicycle, you’d face a $100 fine and revocation of your bicycle registration privileges.
 
Good grief.
 
Bicycles, at least for enthusiasts, are symbols of freedom and self-improvement.  To Democrat Tucker, it’s a chance for the government to collect revenue.
 
Bicycles are poorer folks means of transportation for the very reason that they are poor and can’t have a car.  To tax them is to reach way down to the lowest incomes to raise money for the government.  More proof that Democrats aren’t friends of the poor that will be ignored by the lame-stream liberal media.
 
Maybe we should have known this was coming.  Climate-change bullies have been trying to get us to ditch our cars and ride more bicycles for years.  Could taxes and fees on bicycles by Democrats have been far behind? 
 
Tucker will argue that the registration will help recover stolen bicycles.  Sure – because thieves are so dumb they won’t think to remove the registration tag.
 
I’d rather go out hunting for my stolen bike after it’s gone than pay a fee for a service that’s never going to work.

• Tweet

Fiore named Middletown Mayor at annual reorganization meeting

Senator Joe Kyrillos administers the Oath of Office to Middletown Mayor Tony Fiore

By Elyse Jankowski

Anthony P. Fiore was sworn in as Middletown Township’s Mayor Sunday in the annual reorganization meeting at town hall.

More than 100 residents, family and friends attended the ceremony that included the reappointments of various township officials, including the township attorney and general special council.

The meeting began with the swearing in of committee member and outgoing mayor Gerard P. Scharfenberger and new committee member Kevin Settembrino. The election of mayor was awarded to Anthony P. Fiore. Committee member Pam Brightbill was sworn in as Deputy Mayor. Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. administered the oaths of office.

Middletown’s Fire Chief and Deputy Chief were also sworn in: Michael Chenoweth and Andrew Spears of the Middletown Fire Department.

Middletown Mayor Tony Fiore administers the Oath of Office to Fire Chief Michael Chenoweth

His fellow council members elected former Deputy Mayor Fiore, a Republican who began to serve on the township committee in 2009, unanimously to the mayoralty.

During his remarks, Mayor Fiore outlined goals for 2011, which include “continuing to put Middletown first” by complying with the 2% property tax cap and calling for township-wide property reassessments.

“Many of the decisions we make will be difficult and some unpopular,” he noted.

Fiore addressed rising health insurance costs, which he plans to tackle by working together with his “great, well-rounded committee.” He also stated that “shared services will be crucial” in the year ahead.

Fiore will maintain support for Middletown’s Recycle2$ave program, which challenges the community to reduce their carbon footprint and save tax dollars. In addition, he looks forward to Ideal Beach improvements and the Port of Belford Project, both of which strive to improve the economic and physical viability of Middletown’s”hidden gem” on the bayshore.

Fiore’s closing remark spoke to the importance of service – “What truly makes Middletown a great place to live is the service of our volunteers.”

Deputy Mayor Brightbill’s address mirrored Fiore’s objectives.

“One of the most important attributes of any elected official is someone who knows and understands you,” she said. “I’m confident we can find ways to continue to make Middletown great without using taxpayer dollars.”

Brightbill plans to “continue being a liaison with Middletown’s great volunteers.”

New Committeeman Settembrino echoed the council’s intentions and intends to “maintain taxes and generate new ways for non-tax revenue.”

In outgoing Mayor Scharfenberer’s remarks, he addressed the issue of snow removal that was no doubt on everyone’s minds in the wake of last Monday’s blizzard.

“I know frustrations were extremely high,” he said. “We look at this as a teachable moment.”

Scharfenberger has been appointed to Governor Christie’s administration as Director of the Office for Planning Advocacy, formerly the Office of Smart Growth. Reflecting on his time as mayor, Scharfenberger noted, “2010 will be remembered as the most difficult economic year” but assured that “the Christie administration has made tremendous strides” in the effort to consolidate services. Scharfenberger plans to “return New Jersey to greatness” with Christie.

The members of the 2011 Middletown Township Committee are Mayor Anthony P. Fiore, Deputy Mayor Pamela M. Brightbill, and Committeemen Steve Massell, Gerard P. Scharfenberger and Kevin Settembrino.

MMM Correspondent Elyse Jankowski

• Tweet

Governor Chris Christie Takes Action to Ensure that New Jersey Communities Receive All Possible Aid for Storm Expenses

Governor Chris Christie signs his letter to President Obama requesting FEMA disaster relief this moring at the Monmouth County Hall of Records. Assembly Members Mary Pat Angelini, Caroline Casagrande and Dave Rible, background.

Trenton, NJ – 

To help New Jersey municipalities and counties recover costs from this week’s severe winter snowstorm, Governor Chris Christie today signed a letter to President Barack Obama seeking a major disaster declaration to secure federal funding and ensure New Jersey communities most affected by the storm receive all possible resources to address extraordinary and unforeseen costs from the snow emergency.

“My pledge is to do all we can to help our municipalities and counties in the aftermath of the blizzard, to clean up and to ease the storm’s financial impact,” Governor Christie said.  “I want New Jersey to be in the best possible position to receive disaster aid through a prompt application to the federal government and FEMA.

”In the face of such a ferocious and unusual winter storm, our Department of Transportation, State Police and other agencies mounted an effective response, maximized resources and worked tirelessly for days. The eastern municipalities and counties most impacted also did the best they could under very difficult circumstances. There are always concerns about how things could have gone better, but the fact is this was a rare and unanticipated force of nature that hit our state, and we owe our thanks to all those who worked tirelessly to get us through it.”

Also today, Governor Christie announced the distribution of more than $11.18 million in FEMA disaster aid from successful applications following major storms earlier this year.  Distribution of payments to municipalities and counties began yesterday and will continue through Monday.  Payment amounts to some of the hardest hit counties from those storms include, for example, $386,344 to Camden County, $308,936 to Burlington County, $291,612 to Gloucester County, $284,561 to Atlantic County, $278,638 to Cumberland County and $278,091 to Salem County.  Payments for amounts ranging from thousands of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars will go to dozens of other municipalities and counties.

In his letter to President Obama, the Governor noted that storm conditions in 13 counties exceed the standards set to qualify for federal disaster assistance.  The qualifying counties are Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset and Union.  New Jersey, through data being collected by the State Police Office of Emergency Management, will provide additional supporting information following the completion of a Preliminary Damage Assessment pursuant to FEMA’s Snow Assistance Policy.

The snowfall, which began the morning after Christmas, broke many of the historic records established and maintained by the National Weather Service and National Climatic Data Center, as described in an attachment to the Governor’s letter.

“In light of these severe conditions, federal assistance is critical to properly and fairly mitigate the financial impact of this major snowstorm on State and local budgets, which are both currently under tremendous pressure due to severe economic conditions,” Governor Christie wrote in his letter to the President.

Governor Christie urged counties and municipalities to prepare damage and cost assessments as quickly as possible to move the aid application process along as expeditiously as possible. 

• Tweet

Hazlet Democrats Excluded Duly Elected Committee Members From Participating

This just in from Frank Cotton of the Monmouth Tea Party Coalition:

Did they break the law?

I need everyone who can to go to the www.app.com look up my profile frankcott and respond to this:

Three  members of a local tea party group  (Monmouth County Tea Party Coalition) did write-ins in June for democratic county committee chairs. The people were Bill Lawton,  a gentleman (anonymous) and a woman (anonymous) for district 13. As of today, none of these 3 have been allowed to participate in democratic meetings, leaving them out of important events like the recent November elections.
Bill Lawton was notified of winning but the man and woman were not notified . Afterwards Bill spoke with Joe Marks,  the democratic township committee man, and Joe Marks responded that he didn’t want Bill or the others on the committee because 

“you are not friends of the democratic party”.  This remark shows how the democrats in Hazlet are about getting their own like minded people and don’t respect the democratic process and voice of the people, not unlike our national democratic leaders.
Mr. Marks, why  haven’t included these write-ins in the  democratic meetings? Don’t you understand our constitutional rights, apparently not?

Frank Cotton of the Monmouth County Tea Party Coalition is now making inquires to the county board of elections and sees to have the state question the alleged actions of the local democrats. Meanswhile Hazlet, Aberdeen and and towns will soon find themselves under democratic leadership and proababy become high taxed, limited rights, congested and social welfare havens like the northern counties due to the alleged corruption and like minds of these democratic leaders. We have seen healthcare, cap and trade, and all kinds of deception at the national level by democrats, we don’t need that nonesense here in monmouth county.

Furthermore today, Frank Cotton asked the democratic county committee at http://www.monmouthdems.org/mcdc/Pages/Contact.htm the following question:

“I would like to know why Bill Lawton and Cindy Butler, write-ins for the country committee, are being excluded from your organization? Please respond to them directly so we can all participate in our democratic process. “

• Tweet

Governor Christie Signs Key Reform Agenda Legislation to Transform System on Long-Overdue Arbitration Reform

Trenton, NJ – Fulfilling a critical element of his Reform Agenda, Governor Chris Christie today signed comprehensive arbitration reform legislation as part of a wider set of far-reaching reforms designed to curb property tax costs for hard-working New Jerseyans.  The measure is the result of a bipartisan agreement reached on December 9 with legislative leadership to change the long-overdue interest arbitration reform process by providing municipalities with the tools they need to rein in property tax costs and live within their means.

“Today, Trenton is demonstrating what can be done when we work together to find substantive solutions to the issues facing the hard-working taxpayers of our state,” said Governor Christie. “Working with Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, we are delivering meaningful and substantive reform to New Jerseyans, transforming the interest arbitration process and providing a long-term solution that will help local governments keep property taxes down and costs under control.

“Our work, however, is not done, and I urge the legislative leadership to keep the momentum going by acting on other critical pieces of the tool kit of reforms that will ultimately help to keep property taxes low. New Jerseyans can no longer afford inaction and delay which is why the legislature must move on real, comprehensive civil service reform as I have proposed, not a watered-down version,” concluded Governor Christie.

The civil service bill proposed by the legislature falls short by, among other things, not offering municipalities the option to opt-out of the antiquated and burdensome civil service requirements. As proposed by Governor Christie, arbitration and civil service reform get at the root of the problem faced by many local governments struggling to live within their means – ever-expanding operational costs.

Also awaiting legislative action is Governor Christie’s conditional veto of Senate Bill 2220, which would more effectively stop the abuse of sick and vacation benefits and prevent future use of sick days — meant for employees who are sick — as supplemental cash payouts for employees who already have generous pensions. Among improvements to the original bill, the conditional veto would phase out the practice of distributing cash payouts for sick days by prohibiting supplemental compensation for sick days that accumulate after the effective date of the legislation.  It would also suspend supplemental compensation for any employee under indictment for a crime that involves or touches his or her public office and mandate the forfeiture of any supplemental compensation if convicted.  The Governor continues to urge the legislature to act quickly to adopt the substantive changes in the conditional veto.  The news release outlining the Governor’s conditional veto can be found HERE.

The bipartisan agreement signed into law today mirrors Governor Christie’s call for a meaningful cap that matches the tax levy cap of 2.0. This 2 percent cap will be applied to all salary items, such as across the board and cost of living increases, step increment payments and longevity pay. In addition, there will be no additional exceptions for non-salary economic terms moving forward. The agreement also created a prohibition on allowing non-salary economic issues to be arbitrated above the cap, unless already included in an existing contract. This is an important provision because arbitrators will no longer be able to create new cost items in successor contracts.

The Christie Bipartisan Agreement on Interest Arbitration Reform signed today:

·       Provides a meaningful cap of 2 percent on arbitration awards that will be applied to all salary items, such as the cost of across the board and cost of living increases, step increment payments and longevity pay.

·       Has no Exceptions for Additional Non-Salary Economic Terms Moving Forward. The agreement prevents arbitrators from awarding any new economic items moving forward. The agreement creates a prohibition on allowing non-salary economic issues to be arbitrated above the cap, unless already included in an existing contract. All salary items are subject to a maximum 2 percent cap. This is an important provision because arbitrators will no longer be able to create new cost items in successor contracts.

·       Eliminates Accruing Labor Costs By Creating a Fast Track Arbitration Process. The agreement transforms the system by putting in place concrete deadlines to help eliminate delays in the arbitration process, from contract negotiation to the receipt of the actual award. Traditionally, once a contract expires, labor costs continue to mount until a new contact is reached. Enforcing deadlines and speeding up the process will ensure timely implementation of new contracts and the cap on interest arbitration awards. Effective January 1, 2011, there will be a concrete deadline of 45 days from the filing of a request for interest arbitration to the date of award, without any extensions.  All appeals must be decided within 30 days, if arbitrators do not comply with the 45 day deadline, they will be penalized financially.

·       Caps Arbitrator Pay. The agreement will cap arbitrator compensation at $1,000 per day and $7,500 per case. Capping arbitrator pay will further incentivize speedy resolution of arbitration cases.

·       Increases Ethical Standards and Training for Interest Arbitrators.

·       Randomizes the Selection of Interest Arbitrators.

The legislation also creates a Task Force to examine the impact of interest arbitration reform and the effectiveness of the cap on restricting municipal spending. The taskforce will study the impact of the cap on taxes, services, expenditures, public safety, recruitment, retention and professionalism. The Governor will directly appoint four members and two members will be directly appointed by the Senate President and Assembly Speaker. The Task Force will provide its recommendations no later than December 31, 2013.

Since September, Governor Christie has been traveling the state to talk about the importance of enacting a tool kit of reforms to help local government leaders directly address cost drivers and manage within Cap 2.0 without adversely impacting core government services. Hundreds of mayors and local elected officials across political parties have voiced their support for the tool kit, and underscored the tool kit’s importance in helping them manage their local budgets. 

• Tweet