Governor Chris Christie will deliver his annual budget address to the legislature at 2pm this afternoon. The address can be viewed via livestream provided by NJTV here:
“A Choice of Attitude” is the theme of Governor Chris Christie’s FY 2015 budget address.
Christie will argue that state government spending as proposed in his budget is $2.2 billion lower than the fiscal 2008 state budget, save for the $2.25 billion pension payment budget for this year. He will call further pension reforms, arguing that the massive obligation to state employees prevents the government from spending on education, university research, energy, the environment and infrastructure. He will argue that pensions and entitlements must be reformed in order to prevent a looming crisis.
Christie says new taxes are not an option.
Excerpts of Christie’s address as released by the Governor’s office is below:
A 5th Balanced Budget Without Raising Taxes That Makes The Largest Pension Payment Ever
Ernesto Cullari of Asbury Park said that if he can raise $30,000 in thirty days he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge Congressman Frank Pallone at the Monmouth and Middlesex Republican nominating conventions on March 22.
The conservative Justified Right columnist for the triCityNews was the Monmouth GOP endorsed candidate in the 2012 6th district primary which he lost for former Highlands Mayor Anna Little who was tabbed by the Middlesex GOP.
Cullari said that he had hoped that Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden had run against Pallone. “Shaun is a great elected official and public servant. He was the candidate who could really have taken it to Pallone, ” Cullari said, “now that Shaun has said he is not running, I am taking a serious look at doing it. If I can raise $1000 per day for a month, I’m in.”
“I want to fight for my county. I’m too old for military service, but I would run against Pallone as if I were protecting our freedom, because I believe that ultimately that is what is a stake given what is going on in Washington.”
Cullari said he would file a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission this week and start calling his supporters for donations.
Kevin Motkya’s facebook profile picture. Photo altered to hide the identity of the child.
A tip made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children lead to the arrest of a 22 year old Howell Township man on Monday, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Kevin Motkya was arrested by detectives from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office on charges of manufacturing and distributing child pornography as well as the sexual assault of a toddler.
Motkya is charged with one count of second degree Sexual Assault, one count of third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for engaging in sexual conduct that would impair or debauch the morals of a child; one count of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for causing a child to engage in a prohibited sexual act knowing or intending it would be photographed or filmed; one count of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for manufacturing child pornography; two counts of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for distribution of child pornography; and one count of third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for possession of child pornography.
Motyka is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on $700,000 bail with no option to post 10 percent, and the added condition he not return to his home if he is released on bail, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen.
Several computers and computer-related items were seized from Motyka’s home.<
The investigation is active and ongoing, and anyone with information related to this case is urged to call the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-553-7443.
Former Howell Mayor Joe DiBella issued the following statement this morning:
Over the past week I have received numerous calls and inquires related to my challenging Frank Pallone for the 6th Congressional District seat. I’d like to first thank the many people who called and encouraged me to challenge Congressman Pallone. The outpouring of support and encouragement was sincerely appreciated and I put considerable time into evaluating a run for Congress.
As I have said repeatedly, Sheriff Shawn Golden would have be an exceptional candidate to challenge Frank Pallone. Sheriff Golden is an accomplished public servant with a proven capacity to lead and a common-sense approach to government that is desperately needed in Washington, DC. I was disappointed to learn Sherri Golden opted not to run but respect and understand his decision. I would only have sought the Republican nomination in the event Sherriff Golden declined to run.
Having thought about my own potential candidacy and having discussed the issue with my wife and children, I have notified Chairman Bennett that I have decided against running for Congress and seeking the nomination at this time. While intrigued with the possibility of running for Congress and especially against the tax-and-spend liberal Frank Pallone, the timing is simply not right for my family and I at this time.
I do believe that the Republican party in Monmouth and Middlesex will come together and that the organizations will have a strong candidate to challenge and ultimately unseat Frank Pallone. Simply put, Pallone is out of touch and out of step with the people of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. His tax-and-spend approach has contributed to a weakened economy and a growing national unemployment rate. Plus, as one of the main architects of the patient protection and affordable care act he has participated in a historic assault on the American heath care system that 4 years after its passage has left patients less protected and health insurance more unaffordable than ever.
I stand ready to work with our party in helping to defeat Frank Pallone and return responsible Republican representation to the 6th district. I hope to have an opportunity to serve in the future.
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden told MMM that he will not be a candidate for Congress this year.
Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett has been urging Golden to take on Congressman Frank Pallone due to the sheriff’s strong record of accomplishment and his popularity at the polls.
“I would love to see Shaun Golden run for Congress, ” Bennett said earlier this month, ‘Not only is he popular and a demonstrated vote getter, he has an outstanding record with a documented ability to get things done.”
Golden said that it is just not the right time for him to take on a congressional campaign.
Former Howell Mayor Joe DiBella said last week that he “would love to run against Pallone” if Golden doesn’t. Bennett told MMM that he received a message from DiBella expressing his interest. DiBella has not returned several phone calls inquiring about his candidacy from MMM this week.
If Governor Chris Christie’s presidential prospects have been damaged by the Bridgegate scandal and associated investigations, you wouldn’t know it by the amount of television cameras at the Town Hall Meeting in Port Monmouth this morning. Middletown officials estimate the crowd was about 500 people. There was easily 50 members of the media including reporters, photographers and videographers.
There was no swagger from the Governor today. No fist pumps, no snazzy introductory video, no in your face insults to hostile questioners. Christie dodged the only hostile question he heard. The Youtube moment came not from an idiot or thin skinned reporter, but from a three year old girl who said her house is still broken.
Bridgegate, the controversy over the September lane closures at the George Washington Bridge that has spurred investigations by the U.S. Attorney and a Special Legislative Committee never came up. The people who came to today’s meeting would gladly trade places with the Bergen County residents who were inconvenienced by traffic jams for four days. They been without their homes for 16 months.
New Jersey’s Comptroller issued a scathing report yesterday alleging that Newark’s Watershed Director stole millions of dollars during the Booker Administration.
The report included an referral to the Attorney General for a criminal investigation and was sharply critical of Cory Booker, the former Newark Mayor who is now a U.S. Senator, completing the term of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg.
Not a peep out of Murray Sabrin, Brian Goldberg, Rich Pezzullo or any of the other candidates for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate whose names I don’t know.
Joe Kyrillos stepped up about HUD prolonging the agony for New Jersey residents with the strongest statement I’ve heard from him in the eight years I’ve been covering New Jersey politics. How about someone who is actually running for office this year stepping up and getting from free media?
Can we get a Republican who wants to be on the ballot this year grow some balls please?
“My message to the federal government, get the resources where they are needed as fast as possible, as hard as possible and for the duration. Because the recovery process, obviously in a place like New Jersey is going to take a significant amount of time….
I told the mayors and the governors, if they are getting no for an answer somewhere in the federal government, they can call me personally at the White House.” ~ President Barack Obama, October 30, 2012
“On October 29 last year the job changed for me. It’s no longer a job, it’s a mission.
You see a mission is something that is different from a job. A mission is sacred. It’s a sacred trust that was thrust on me, and you, on October 29 of last year.
And that mission is to make sure that everyone, everyone in New Jersey that was affected by Sandy to return to normalcy in their lives.
I will not let anyone, anything, any governmental entity, or any force get in between me and the completion of my mission.” ~ Governor Chris Christie, November 5, 2013
Welcome back to Monmouth County, Governor Christie. We’ve been waiting for you.
State Senator Joe Kyrillos came out swinging this afternoon regarding the news that the Department of Housing and Urban Development denied the Christie Administration’s request to allow victims of Superstorm Sandy to continue to rebuild their homes while they are applying for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) grants.
Kyrillos implored HUD officials and New Jersey’s congressional delegation to do whatever is necessary to allow Sandy devastated residents to rebuild their lives.
“It’s ridiculous, to say the least, that the people of New Jersey are being denied access to grant money because they are trying to rebuild their lives after the worst storm ever,” Kyrillos said. “The people of my district and the surrounding areas were some of the hardest hit and their federal government should not be hindering their recovery. Our home owners should be able to rebuild as they apply for grant money and I urge our congressional delegation to get to work immediately”
Senator Kyrillos added that the people deserve a reasonable return on their federal tax dollars in the form of Sandy grants.
“A lot of good has come out of the $1.83 billion in initial aid to New Jerseyans, but the reality is that more resources are needed for this state to recover from nearly $37 billion in damages,” Kyrillos said. “New York has received about $4 billion more, so the time is now for HUD officials and our congressmen to turn their eyes to our state.”
The Associated Press reported today that HUD denied a Christie Administration request to waive a rule that all reconstruction work must stop when a property owner applies for RREM grants. The federal government wants be sure that historical structures are protected and that the properties are rebuilt to the new elevation standards. No work that is completed prior to a HUD approval of the plans will be reimbursed with RREM grants, even if the work complies with the standards.
