Christie’s overall approval rating is 63%, according to Patrick Murray, the director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. The governor’s ratings are slightly stronger among registered voters, 65% of whom approve of his job performance. 86% of Republicans, 64% of Independents and 52% of give Christie high marks.
On the stump, Christie has been promoting how he has reduced the size of government in New Jersey since taking office. “There’s over 5000 fewer employees in state government today than when I took office, and over 20,000 fewer government employees across the state,” Christie says in a campaign video, “We promised to make government smaller, we’ve made government smaller.” Despite these facts, 54% of public workers approve of Christie’s job performance compared to 37% who do not.
Since Superstorm Sandy, there has been virtually no “gender gap” in Christie’s approval ratings as measured by the Monmouth Poll. In a poll released on September 27, 2012, one month before Sandy, men approved of Christie’s performance by a 61%-31% margin. Women approved by only 6 points, 47%-41%. In Murray’s first post Sandy poll on Christie, in December, the gender gap closed. 68% of men and 66% of women approved in December. The trend continued in the February poll with 69% of men and 70% of women approving of the governor. In today’s poll, the gender gap exceeded the statistical margin of error for the first time since Sandy, with the surprising result that women approve of Christie more than men do. Women approve by a 65%-26% margin and men approve by 61%-27%.
If Murray polled a head to head match up between Christie and the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, State Senator Barbara Buono, he did not report the results today. He did report that 59% of registered voters think that Christie deserves a second term.
Monmouth County Sheriff’s Patrol At Seastreak’s Highlands Ferry Terminal. April 15, 2013. Photo by Art Gallagher. Click for full view.
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said that his Law Enforcement Division, the Office of Emergency Management and homeland security personnel are on heightened alert as a precaution in response to the bombing at the Boston Marathon this afternoon.
There is no known specific threat in Monmouth County.
“We routinely patrol transit hubs like the ferry terminals and train stations, as well as they shopping malls, ” Golden said, “when an incident like what happened in Boston today occurs, we take additional precautions. We’ll be monitoring state and federal communications and be on heightened alert at least through tomorrow. We have emergency response assets deployed throughout the county.”
Sheriff’s Office personnel will be meeting with the police departments of the communities that are hosting the May 5 New Jersey Marathon at the Shore to review security protocols, Golden added,
LD 13:Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Little Silver, Marlboro, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Rumson, Sea Bright, Union Beach
The idea that State Senator Joe Kyrillos and Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon could be defeated by their Tea Party challengers, Leigh-Ann Bellew for Senate and Edna Walsh and Stephen Boracchia for Assembly, in the June 4 primary is unthinkable, even laughable, to many Monmouth County Republicans.
But recent history and a look at the numbers indicate that an upset with statewide consequences could very well be in the making if the challenge is not taken seriously.
With only nominal competition in the governor’s race, voter turnout in the Republican primary on June 4 is likely to be very low. Therein lies the danger for the incumbents. Even “good Republicans” rarely vote in primaries. Even fewer if there is no perceived competition.
There are 34,216 registered Republicans in the 13th district. In the 2011 primary, the last time the legislature was on the ballot, only 2,274 Republicans voted. The challengers know that.
“You’re very nice, Senator, seriously,” Matthews said to end the interview to Buono’s disapproving smirk.
Matthews spent the first two thirds of the segment setting Governor Chris Christie up as impossible to beat in November. A “Dawn Quixote” graphic, inferring that Buono’s quest to defeat Christie in November is an Impossible Dream, displayed for the entire interview.
State Sen Barbara Buono and US Sen Bob Mendendez. Photo: Barbara Buono/facebook
Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor will be a guest on Hardball with Chris Matthews this evening at 5:45.
A Democrat who does not want to be known for talking to a Republican blogger told MMM that Buono receives tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions every time she goes on MSNBC.
Bayshore Tea Party Group Co-Founders Bob Gordon and Barbara Gonzalez took to their Asbury Park Press blog yesterday to attempt to explain why they are challenging the 13th Legislative District and County Republican incumbents. In this post I’ll attempt to explain their explanation with the benefit of having spoken to them and having attended the meeting where they introduced most of their candidates. If I get any of it wrong, I suspect they will correct me in the comments.
Gordon and Gonzalez would probably object to the characterization that they are challenging the incumbents. They would say they are supporting the challenge, not doing the challenging. Just as senate candidate Leigh-Ann Bellew said she is not the BTPG’s candidate, but anticipates the group’s support. This a linguistic distinction without a practical difference. The challenge is a Tea Party challenge.
Seastreak Wall Street docked at Highlands Connors Terminal. Photo by Art Gallagher. Click on photo for full view.
Vessel that crashed in January will be back in service on Thursday
The Seastreak ferry that crashed into Pier 11 in New York City on January 9 will be back in service bringing Monmouth County commuters to Manhattan tomorrow, according to Seastreak management.
The company informed its passengers via email this morning that that Seastreak Wall Street has been given clearance by the United States Coast Guard to resume operations:
As you may know, the Seastreak Wall Street returned to Highlands, New Jersey a little over two weeks ago to finish repairs and to undergo testing and inspection by the United States Coast Guard. The Wall Street has now successfully completed the extensive inspections by the United States Coast Guard. In addition to Sea trials under the supervision of the US Coast Guard, the company has had the vessel operating and making her normal docks for several days and has confirmed that all systems are operating normally and safely.
On behalf of everyone at Seastreak we would like to acknowledge the support you have shown us over the last several months. We are pleased now to return the Wall Street to service and look forward to continuing to providing safe and reliable service to you our valued customers.
The starboard-side of the boat crashed into the dock at Pier 11 on the morning of January 9. One passenger was seriously injured. 83 passengers and one crew members were treated for minor injuries.
A company spokesperson declined to talk about the cause of the accident, citing a request by the National Transportation Safety Board that they not disclose such information.
Terry Williams, spokesperson for NTSB, told MoreMonmouthMusings that the accident’s cause has yet to be determined. Williams said that NTSB investigations typically take a year or more.
“The world lost a giant yesterday,” said Leigh-Ann Bellew, Republican candidate for State Senate in District 13. “My condolences go out to the family of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She blazed the path for women like me to enter into politics, showing that a strong woman can be an effective leader.”
In a statement released this afternoon, Bellew called for men and women alike to emulate Thatcher’s strong leadership, free market principles and reverence for life.
Public hearings for JCP&L’s proposed rate increase started yesterday in Toms River. The Monmouth County hearing is on April 24 at the Freehold Township Municipal Building.
Assemblywomen Caroline Casagrande (R-11) and Amy Handlin (R-13) have already gathered 1300 constituent signatures on a petition opposing the JCP&L rate increase. The petition will be submitted to the Board of the Public Utilities at the Freehold hearing.
“Our constituents are tired of over promises and underperformances by their electric company and we’re going to make sure their voices are heard until JCP&L pulls the plug on this rate hike,” Handlin, R-Monmouth, said. “JCP&L’s customers have already paid the price by suffering through prolonged outages, so our response to their request is a simple and firm, ‘No.’”
Handlin and Casagrande noted their constituent’s outrage with JCP&L’s poor performance in restoring power and keeping families, businesses and communities informed during prolonged outages – most notably Hurricanes Sandy and Irene. The petition also notes the allegation by the N.J. Division of Rate Counsel that the utility is earning too much profit from New Jersey ratepayers to send back to its parent company in Ohio.
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande
“We can say it once, or we can say it a thousand times, the answer is still, ‘No,’” Casagrande, R-Monmouth, said. “Losing power for extended periods of time is a very difficult and costly burden for families and businesses. We have had more than our share of severe outages because JCP&L refused to invest its corporate profits to update its infrastructure and keep the power on in our communities.”
“The world lost a giant yesterday,” said Leigh-Ann Bellew, Republican candidate for State Senate in District 13. “My condolences go out to the family of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She blazed the path for women like me to enter into politics, showing that a strong woman can be an effective leader.”
