Christie To Announce Personnel Changes

Governor Chris Christie will hold his first Statehouse press conference since being reelected at 1:45 this afternoon.  According to the announcement from his press office, he will be announcing personnel changes in his administration and taking questions from the press corps.

View the press conference live here:

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The Auditor: Christie to help Lonegan retire campaign debt, Buono loses Metuchen and more

The Auditor: Christie to help Lonegan retire campaign debt, Buono loses Metuchen and more (via NJ.com)

Gov. Chris Christie isn’t done helping Steve Lonegan, the former Republican U.S. Senate candidate. The Auditor is told that Christie — who endorsed Lonegan, his former rival, and held one fundraiser for him during his unsuccessful campaign against…

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Black Friday Political Roundtable on NJ TV

With Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal and Republican strategist Steve Some.

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Rebirth for The Philippines

Desperately-needed food, water, clothing and other supplies are being rushed to Typhoon Haiyan survivors in the Philippines.  But as weeks turn into months, perhaps what the hundreds of thousands left homeless will need most is hope. 

Superstorm Sandy survivors are uniquely positioned to give that hope, since they understand what it is like to see your community devastated in the blink of an eye.  By writing a simple letter sharing concern and encouragement and mailing it to “Rebirth for the Philippines,” schools, churches, scout troops and other organizations as well as individuals can let the Filipino people know they are not forgotten.  Children who can’t write can draw pictures.  What is important is to do something to brighten the lives of the survivors and reassure them that they are not alone.

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Smith Announces $3.8 Million in Sandy Recovery Reimbursements

Congressman Chris Smith and Monmouth County Shaun Golden prepared to survey Hurricane Sandy damage. file photo

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ4) announced that FEMA will be reimbursing the Borough of Belmar and the South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority (SMRSA) 90%, instead of the standard 75%, of the cost of repairs to infrastructure damaged by Superstorm Sandy.  Belmar is slated to receive $1.74 million for repairs to marina buildings, bridges, docks and other facilities, in addition to the $9 million already granted for their boardwalk replacement.  SMRSA will receive $2.083 million to relocate and replace a pump station.

“As someone who has been going to Belmar since I was a young boy, I can easily envision how these improvements will change the Belmar waterfront which was nearly unrecognizable to me when I first saw it days after Superstorm Sandy hit,” said Smith.  “Boardwalks and marina facilities are the critical for many Jersey Shore towns and rebuilding them and restoring them is essential to recovery.”

The Belmar grant will help fund nine construction sites, four of which are completed and the others underway.

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, Thanksgiving weekend edition

SPONSORED BY SEASTREAK

By Greg Kelly

Saturday, November 30

• Holiday Arts & Crafts Marketplace at Monmouth Park (Oceanport) – MORE INFO

• Middlemen at NJ Repertory Company (Long Branch) – MORE INFO

• AAUW Used Book Sale (Middletown) – MORE INFO

• Holiday & Craft Shop at Poricy Park (Middletown) – MORE INFO

• Holiday Weekend Wine Trail at Four JG’s (Colts Neck) – MORE INFO

• 12 Days of Christmas Scavenger Hunt (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Chrise’s Dare to Dream 5k (Freehold Twp) – MORE INFO

• Spring Lake Christmas Celebration Kick-off – MORE INFO

• How to Use the eLibrary (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• A Shop Around The Corner at First Ave. Playhouse (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO

• After-Thanksgiving Sale at Jersey Shore Premium Outlets (Tinton Falls) – MORE INFO

• Ocean Grove Shop Small Business Saturday – MORE INFO

• Asbury Fresh Winter Pop-up Market – MORE INFO

• Holiday Craft Market & Book Fair (Avon) – MORE INFO

• Turkey Derby XXXX at Wall Speedway – MORE INFO

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Marlboro Teen Is Reunited With Parents

Karwan family photo via News12’s facebook page.

Michael Karwan, the missing autistic teenage who was located in Cleveland, Ohio last night, has been reunited with his parents, according to a statement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Grammiccioni.

Grammiccioni said that Karwan, 19, was reported missing from his parents’ home on Tuesday, Nov. 19, sparking an intensive search of the region that spread into upstate New York. Over the next week, Karwan traveled by bus from Monmouth County to Manhattan and from New York via Philadelphia and Pittsburgh before arriving in Cleveland, Ohio. Upon his arrival in Cleveland on Saturday, Karwan attempted to check-in to an overcrowded men’s shelter run by Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries (LMM), but was referred to the Volunteers of America (VoA) shelter.

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Hornik For Governor?

Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik. Photo via facebook.

When the news broke that Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik was eyeing a run for governor,  he asked for MoreMonmouthMusings’ endorsement.

So here goes: MoreMonmouthMusings hereby endorses Mayor Jonathan Hornik for the Democratic nomination for governor in the next gubernatorial election, whenever that is.

Much of the political news out of the League of Municipalities Convention in Atlantic City last week centered around the developing race between State Senate President Steve Sweeney and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop. Almost as an afterthought, PolitickerNJ reported, yesterday, that Hornik wanted his name added to the gubernatorial mix.

PolitickerNJ.com spied veteran Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik at the cocktail  parties and meet-and-greets in Atlantic City last week and as Democrats prepare  for Senate President Steve Sweeney versus Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Hornik  said he wanted to add his own name to the gubernatorial sweepstakes.

“I would definitely not rule out running in 2017 or before,” said Hornik. “I  love being mayor of Marlboro, and I am running again in two years, but I think  we have a story to tell.”

Hornik won re-election in 2011 with nearly 70% of the vote.

This year, Incumbent Republican Gov. Chris Christie won 75% of the vote in  Marlboro while Hornik’s Democrats went 3-0 in local contests.

Just weeks from Governor Chris Christie’s reelection, the race for the next Democratic gubernatorial nomination has already started because Christie’s presidential prospects could result in a Special Election for Governor in 2015 or 2016.  Should Christie resign as governor to become a full-time presidential candidate, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno would become governor. There would be a special gubernatorial election for the remainder of Christie’s term as part of the next general election, unless the resignation happens within 60 days of the next election.

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I’m Conservative and I’m Pro Immigration

By Michael Laffey

            I will put my Conservative credentials up against just about anyone.  The first President I voted for was Ronald Reagan.  I was a founder of the Conservative Student Union on my College Campus.  As a lawyer I have given countless pro-bono hours to conservative legal causes and worked on the campaigns of some of the most conservative politicians this state has seen.  As a result I tend to get a little testy when somebody tells me I am not conservative enough because I am pro- immigration and support immigration reform. The truth of the matter is that pro- immigration is the conservative stance.  Whether a position is conservative or not depends not on what Rush Limbaugh says but on whether it adheres to bedrock conservative principles.

            For instance, we believe in a government of limited powers enumerated in the Constitution.  Nowhere does the constitution explicitly give Congress the right to regulate immigration.  You can find the power to regulate immigration only if you infer it from other enumerated powers in the Constitution such as the Naturalization clause or the Commerce clause.  Of course we have all seen what happens when liberals “infer” powers from the Constitution.

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Update: Internet Gambling Bugs Getting Fixed Fast

Kathleen Sebelious should hire The Borgata’s techies to fix HealthCare.gov.

Since talking with Raj early this afternoon, the $45 that went missing in cyberspace when I got booted from a blackjack game at BorgataCasino.com because the system thought I had left New Jersey is back in my account.  I played for another 20 minutes this afternoon and netted $5.00

Not a bad day.  I put up $20 and now I have an account with Borgata with $80 in it.  My only problem is that I have to drive to Atlantic City to get the money.

Hopefully the techies will come up with a way for me to have the money transferred back to me as easily as I deposited it by tomorrow.

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