Of Monmouth Freeholder Candidates, Only Curley Would Stick Property Taxpayers With His Medical Bills

Disgraced Freeholder John P. Curley

The Democrat and Republican candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder each said they would not accept County funded health insurance if elected to the part time position next month.

Republican candidates, Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger and Hazlet Deputy Mayor Sue Kiley, have long opposed part-time elected officials exploiting the taxpayers by taking excessive benefits.   Democrat candidates Larry Luttrell and Amber Gesslein each told MMM that would not accept taxpayer funded health benefits if they are elected.

The Independent candidate, disgraced Freeholder John P. Curley, has been sticking Monmouth County property taxpayers with the cost of his medical care for most of the last two years and he opposed a recent resolution against the practice.

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Democrats in the running for Handlin’s Assembly seat

Josh Welle and Amber Gesslein could run for the Dem nominations for Assembly in LD 13 next year.

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin’s announcement that she will not seek reelection next year inevitably creates speculation on who will run to replace her. While party leaders on both sides of the aisle would rather their troops stay focused on the election coming up next month, the jockeying has started given how infrequently a vacancy occurs in the 13th district.

Democrats, who normally lose badly in the district will likely have a contest for the two Assembly nominations next year, given Handlin’s vacancy and Serena DiMaso serving her freshman term.  DiMaso put something of a target on her back with the Dems when she made a robocall criticizing LD 11 Assemblymembers Eric Hougtaling and Joann Downey for voting for Governor Murphy’s tax increases.  Houghtaling and Downey responded to DiMaso’s robocall with an ethics complaint.

With the Assembly on top of the ballot next year, Dems will likely be motivated and funded, even in LD 13.

Potential Democrat Candidates for LD 13 Assembly in 2019 who are running for other offices this year:

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Assemblywoman Handlin will not seek reelection

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin of the 13th legislative district will not seek another term in Trenton next year.

Handlin told NorthJersey.com that she is serving her last term in the legislature and NewJerseyGlobe that she will not seek reelection.  Handlin has not yet responded to MMM’s call or email.

A Monmouth County freeholder from 1990-2005, Handlin was elected to the Assembly in 2005 after defeating incumbent Assemblyman Joe Azzolina a 13th district Republican primary.  She served one term on the Middletown Township Committee from 1987 till 1990.

Throughout her political career, Handlin has been known as a ethics watchdog and consumer advocate.

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Welle blames company’s status, past due taxes on business agent

Agent disputes Welle campaign’s excuse

Welle the Weasel attacks MMM owner Art Gallagher

Josh Welle declined to answer MMM’s questions about his company, Severn Pacific Inc, when we got him on the phone this morning and again when we met him in Red Bank this afternoon.  However, his company issued a statement to NewJerseyGlobe which blamed the company’s external business agent, Harvard Business Services of Lewes, Delaware, for failing to dissolve the company during the summer of 2017.

Per NewJerseyGlobe:

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Welle’s company pays back taxes Candidate refuses to disclose where the money came from

Josh Welle can run, but he can’t hide

Developing story…

By Art Gallagher

Josh Welle has been avoiding our phone calls, until this morning, but still won’t say what’s happening with the company he is apparently CEO of, Severn Pacific Inc.

Apparently prompted by our article on Tuesday reporting that the company he said was dissolved still exists and owes the State of Delaware $130,000, Severn Pacific Inc is, as of this morning, a corporation in good standing in Delaware with ZERO taxes now due. Read the rest of this entry »

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Quinnipiac Poll has Menendez up 11

Senator Bob Menendez is leading GOP nominee Bob Hugin by 11 points, 53-42% in a Quinnipiac University Poll  of likely New Jersey voters released this afternoon.

The 1,058 New Jersey likely voters has a margin of error of +/- 4.1 .

Only 5% said they are undecided, but 13% said they could change their mind between now and the time they vote.

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FDU Poll: Hugin-Menendez Locked In Statistical Dead Heat

Bob Hugin, center, with former Atlantic Highlands Mayor Mike Harmon, right and Travis Harmon. Sept 11, 2018

For the second time this week, a NJ university poll said New Jersey U.S. Senate race is a dead heat.

In the Battle of the Bobs, Senator Menendez leads GOP nominee Bob Hugin by 6% among likely voters in the FDU Poll released this morning.

“However, it’s important to note that once the margin of error is taken into account, the election remains anyone’s game.”

On Monday, a Stockton University Poll put Menendez up 2%, also within the margin of error.

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Welle’s Company Owes $130,000 In Delinquent Taxes

Josh Welle thanked Sen Menendez for his mentorship during the Dem Convention in Atlantic City last month

The technology company that Josh Welle co-founded in 2015 still exists and it owes $130,424.14 in delinquent taxes to the State of Delaware, according to public records obtained on Monday by MMM.

Welle is the Democrat nominee for congress in New Jersey’s 4th district.

The candidate reported that his company, Severn Pacific Inc., was dissolved in his Financial Disclosure Statement filed with the Clerk House of Representatives on March 11, 2018, the day after MMM reported that he was delinquent in filing that report. His FDS says he was the CEO of the company.

During a candidates’ forum in February, while he was competing for the Democrat nomination for Congress in CD-4, Welle told the Democrat activists present that his company was dissolved and that no one owns it.

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Hugin & Menendez in statistical dead heat: Stockton Poll

Bob Hugin speaking with Middletown Republicans. photo by Art Gallagher

Bob Hugin, the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate and Senator Bob Menendez are statistically tied with five weeks to go before the polls close on November 6, according to a Stockton University Poll released this morning.

Menendez leads Hugin 45-43% with Libertarian spoiler Murray Sabrin registering 3%. Other candidates and undecided voters total 8 percent.  The poll’s margin of error is +/- 4.25 percentage points.

“Today’s poll is no surprise. Since launching my campaign, I’ve made over 400 campaign stops and met thousands of voters throughout the state,” said Hugin. “Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, voters want a Senator who will put New Jersey first and represent them with honor and integrity. That’s why a growing number of Democrats are publicly endorsing my campaign.”

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Monmouth GOP releases video promoting Sue Kiley for Freeholder

The Monmouth County Republican Organization launched a social media based video campaign this morning promoting Hazlet Deputy Mayor Sue Kiley’s candidacy for Monmouth County Freeholder. Read the rest of this entry »

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