Commandant Christie Lifts Travel Ban South of I-195

Governor Chris Christie announced via twitter that the statewide travel ban for the blizzard that wasn’t will be lifted for areas south of I-195 effective at 7am.

Seastreak announced that it will provide ferry service to New York City from Highlands (which is north of I-195) at 8am.

• Tweet

Blizzard Cancelled, Travel Ban Still In Effect

The National Weather Service cancelled the blizzard warning for New Jersey at 3:51 this morning. A winter storm warning remains in effect.

The travel ban in New Jersey ordered by the Christie Administration has not been lifted as of 5:55 am.  NJ Transit is closed.  Seastreak crews are standing by to resume ferry service for Monmouth County commuters once the travel restriction has been lifted.

Meteorologist Gary Szatkowski of the National Weather Service in Mt Holly issued an apology to decision makers, politicians and the general public via twitter at about 1 am.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Christie Administration Imposes Travel Ban In NJ effective 11pm until further notice

Col. Joseph R. Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police and Director of Emergency Management has signed a directive prohibiting vehicular traffic on all roads in New Jersey effective at 11 Pm this evening, January 26, 2015.  A copy of the directive which includes exemptions from government personnel, public utility vehicles, public and private plow trucks  and healthcare workers and patients can be be viewed here .

Governor Chris Christie said via twitter that the ban will be subject to revocation at day break depending on the conditions then.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Nor’Beaster!

• Tweet

3 Former Republicans Vying To Replace LaRocca On Marlboro Township Council

Frank LaRocca resigned his post as a Councilman in Marlboro and his chairmanship of the Marlboro Democratic Committee earlier this month in order to become Keyport’s new Municipal Court Judge.

By NJ law, the vacancy is filled by the Party Committee of the departing office holder’s party nominating three candidates to fill the position.  The governing body then selects one of the three to fill the vacancy until the next election.

The three candidates selected by the Marlboro Democratic Committee were Republicans until they each changed their affiliation to Democrat yesterday.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Casagrande: BPU should act now to force JCP&L to repay overcharges

By Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande

A state administrative law judge has recommended state regulators cut Jersey Central Power & Light’s rates by $107.5 million. It is now time for the Board of Public Utilities to act. JCP&L customers have waited over three years for relief. The BPU should respond quickly and in the best interest of consumers who have been footing the bill.

In 2011, the Division of Rate Counsel voiced concerns that JCP&L was earning excessive profits and not investing in infrastructure improvements. BPU ordered JCP&L to open its books to determine whether its profits were reasonable. The findings proved they were not, which is what the ratepayer advocate and I had been saying all along. BPU staff recommended that JCP&L cut its rates by $169.8 million.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Is Christie headed for a great fall?

By Art Gallagher

Graphic by Robert Hazelrigg. Click on photo for RobertHazelrigg.com

Prominent New Jersey Republicans seem to finally be moving out of Governor Chris Christie’s shadow.

This afternoon The Star Ledger reported that Monmouth County State Senator Joe Kyrillos was among the 15 or so New Jersey Republicans who met with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a top rival of Christie’s for the 2016 GOP Presidential nomination, last week at a dinner hosted by Lawrence E. Bathgate.  Bathgate, an Ocean County attorney, is one of the top Republican fundraisers in the nation.  Also attending the dinner held at the Union Club in Manhattan was Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr, according to The Record’s Charles Stile, who first reported the event.

Such potential defections from the Christie camp were unthinkable just 15 months ago.  Christie’s attempt at ousting Kean as Senate Minority Leader immediately following his 2013 re-election, and the resulting fallout as Kean, Jr’s father, the former Governor, went national in criticizing Christie can explain the younger Kean’s flirtation with the Bush campaign.

But Kyrillos being anything other than solidly in Christie’s corner is big news.  Their relationship was personal before it was political.  Christie introduced Kyrillos to his wife Susan. He swore Christie into his first elected office, Morris County Freeholder. Kyrillos was the Chairman of the Christie for Governor campaign in 2009.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Don’t Count On GOP Legislators Voting To Override Christie’s Port Authority Reform Veto

By Art Gallagher

In his OpEd published this morning, former Kean and Whitman Administration spokesman Carl Golden makes the case why it is safe for New Jersey’s Republican legislators to defy Governor Chris Christie and join the Democratic majority in overriding Christie’s of the Port Authority reform legislation.

The two identical bills that Governors Christie and Cuomo vetoed on the Saturday between Christmas and New Years Day had passed overwhelmingly with bi-partisan support in both houses of the New Jersey and New York legislatures. The bills would have required increased transparency and accountability on the part of Port Authority of NY/NJ.

In vetoing the bills, Christie and Cuomo endorsed reforms proposed by a panel they had appointed and urged both legislatures to adopt them instead.  But as Golden noted in his OpEd, the vetoes have been widely viewed as maintaining the status quo of disfunctionality, wasteful spending and gubernatorial abuse at Port Authority.

In his five years in office, none of Christie’s vetoes have been overridden, even if the original bills passed the legislature with bi-partisan support and by veto proof majorities.  Republican legislators have frequently “flip-flopped” and changed their votes to uphold the Governor’s will.   As Golden explains,

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Joe Grillo is for the birds

Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo, a Democratic candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder last year, has accepted a position as Director of Development at the New Jersey Audubon Society.

Working out of the non-profit’s Bernardsville headquarters, Grillo will be responsible for operations management, supervision of staff members overseeing membership, gift entry and prospect research.  He will collaborate with the VP of Development in designing and implementing a fundraising strategy.

Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal’s blog has not reported whether  Grillo will be commuting over an hour each way to Bernardsville from his current home in Asbury Park or if he will move to the Somerset County town where there are no parking meters. During his campaign for Freeholder last year, Grillo complained that it is impossible to live in downtown Asbury Park without getting parking tickets. Starbuck’s, where Grillo’s wife works as a manager, has a store in Bernardsville.  A shorter commute and free parking may prove compelling to the couple should the job work out for Joe.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Governor Chris Christie’s 2015 State of the State Address

Governor Chris Christie is delivered his State of the State Address this afternoon.

Watch a recording here, including responses from  the Democratic Legislative Leadership towards to end.

• Tweet