Bennett: McEnery-Graziano Letter Raises Legitimate Issue. Says Golden Went Negative

Golden: “I’m not going into the weeds with with John… Let’s talk about the future of our Party”

Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett said that the letter released to MMM by the municipal party chairmen of Manalapan and Freehold Township raising ethical concerns about Shaun Golden serving as both County Sheriff and the GOP County Chairman was not a negative attack on Golden.  Rather, Bennett said, “They raised an legitimate issue that could very well impact that Party and the Freeholders. We may be giving the Democrats an issue that we don’t need to give them.”

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Memorial Day: What it is really about

Moving words from President Ronald Reagan

And a MMM annual tradition, An Americal Hero a tribute to Monmouth County’s  Cpl Bud Thorne and the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge.

• Tweet

Christie and Doherty Kick Off Summer in Belmar

• Tweet

Golden Cites NJ Court Case Affirming Sheriffs’ Right To Hold Party Office In Rebuke Of McEnery and Graziano

Shaun Golden

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden issued a strong rebuke to Manalpan GOP Chairman Steve McEnery and Freehold Township Republican Chairman Anthony Graziano for violating President Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment with a false and malicious smear that he characterized as “a clear act of desperation.”

Responding to a letter McEnery and Graziano released to MMM this morning in which the chairmen raised ethical questions about the prospect of Golden serving as Sheriff and Monmouth Republican Chairman simultaniously, Golden cited the 1978 Appellate Division decision in Lanzo v.DeMarino wherein the Court ruled that there is no conflict in the duties of a County Sheriff and a municipal chairman in a letter to both men.  Golden’s letter can be found here.

Golden called upon his opponent in the Chairman’s race, incumbent John O. Bennett III, to implore his supporters, “as I have mine, to keep it positive and publicly disavow this personal negative and incorrect attack.”

Golden wrote:

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Christie and Guadagno to kick off summer season in Monmouth County on Friday

Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, left, and Governor Chris Christie, on the Belmar boardwalk in 2011.

Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will be celebrating the beginning of the summer season on the Jersey Shore with multiple visits in Monmouth County on Friday..

Christie has a busy morning.  He’s scheduled to co-host the Boomer and Carton Sports Radio Talk Show at 8am and be on hand for the ceremonial opening of the Belmar Boardwalk at 9:30.

In the afternoon, Christie cuts the ribbon on Asbury Park’s new boardwalk at 1:30 and then heads to Ocean County to walk the Seaside Heights boardwalk at 3:30.

Guadagno will address the 89th Annual New Jersey State FFA Convention at Monmouth University’s Pollack Theater at 9 am.  Anyone who knows what the FFA is, without using google or another search engine, gets a free subscription to Greg’s List.  Members of the FFA and the Lt. Gov’s staff are not eligible to win.

Guadagno will visit the Keansburg Amusement Park at noon.  She then heads to Burlington County for a Memorial Day Flag Placement Ceremony at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery in Williamstown.

• Tweet

Manalapan and Freehold Township GOP Chairs Raise Ethical Questions About Golden Serving As Sheriff and GOP County Chairman Simultaniously

Golden welcomes Ethics Debate with Bennett

Freehold Township GOP Chairman Anthony Graziano

The municipal Republican Chairmen of Manalapan and Freehold have raise ethical questions about the prospect of Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden serving as both Sheriff an d as the Chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Organization.

In a letter addressed to County Committee Members and sent to MMM, Steve McEnery, Chair of the Manalapan GOP and Anthony Graziano, Chair of the Freehold Township Republicans, raise questions about Golden’s ability to comply with New Jersey’s Local Governments Ethics Law, NJ 40A:9-22.5, unless he has received an advisory opinion from the Local Finance Board in the Department of Community Affairs.  The letter can be viewed here.

The chairmen challenged Golden to release the advisory opinion demonstrating the permissibility of him serving in both offices or explain to County Committee Members why he did not engage in simple due diligence if he did not receive such an opinion.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Wall Elected Officials Back Golden

Shaun Golden

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden has picked up the endorsements of the elected officials from a third large municipality in his quest to replace John O. Bennett III as the Chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Organization.

Mayor Clint Hoffman, Deputy Mayor George Newberry and Township Committee Members Ann Marie Conte, Jeff Foster and Todd Luttman, the entire governing body of Wall Township, signed a letter on Wall Township Republican Organization letterhead and addressed to Monmouth County Republicans today, strongly endorsing Golden for Chairman.  Their letter can be found here.

The Wall governing body joins the elected officials of Middletown and Howell in supporting Golden.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Christie to announce judicial nominations this afternoon

Governor Chris Christie has called a press conference for 2:30 this afternoon to announce his new judicial nominations.

The Star Ledger reported this morning that the governor would re-nominate Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, giving Rabner tenure, and nominate Superior Court Judge Lee Solomon to the Supreme Court.  In a deal struck with Senate President Sweeney, there a remaining vacancy on the Supreme Court would continue to be filled on a temporary basis by Rabner’s choice, Judge Mary Catherine Cuff.

Christie’s press conference can be viewed live here:

• Tweet

Governor Christie’s Remarks On Cutting Pension Payments To Balance The Budget

Governor Christie: I have made the decision that we are not going to blindside our students, we are not going to blindside our seniors, our higher education institutions or those who rely on the safety net the state provides to balance the budget with only six weeks left in the fiscal year. So you have to make choices and we are making them. We’re choosing to be responsible in terms of the way we fund these critical priorities that matter to the people of the state. And we are choosing not put at risk those programs that I mentioned and those services that the people of the state rely upon, especially on such extraordinarily short notice. I’d love to give people tax relief. I’d love to also be able to fund programs that are priorities and that matter a great deal to me and to the people of this state. But until we decide to be adults and deal with the problem we know we have we’re not going to be able to do that. And so today I’m doing what I need to do to fulfill my constitutional obligation to balance a budget. Today I’m going to pledge to make the payments that we need to make to not dig the hole any deeper. But in a time when we’re confronted with this type of challenge I cannot also pay for all the sins of my predecessors, and so we’re going to do this now. We’re going to continue to try to get better as we move forward but you’re going to continue to hear from me and you will hear from me soon with specifics on the way we need to change the pension and the health benefit system. I’ve been saying over the course of the last number of months that come Fiscal Year ’16 New Jersey is going to be paying more for health benefit costs for retirees than we pay for active employees. If there is any greater symbol for how untenable the system has become I don’t know what it is. And so we need to deal with this problem and we need to deal with it directly. I will fix the problems that have been foist upon us today. But I’m going to need cooperation from the Legislature and elected officials across the state to deal with this problem going forward.

• Tweet

Thar she blows! Whale spotted off Sea Bright

John Scheinder spotted a whale not far off the beach in Sea Bright. Thanks for sharing John!

• Tweet