Te’o and the left

Editorial cartoons are sponsored by New Markets Realty, 146 Maple Ave, Red Bank. 732-741-8211. Jim Giannell, President

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How to stop mass shootings

Hat tip to Jim Gearhart, NJ 101.5

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Montclair State President Overturns Fat Joke Suspension

Joseph Aziz can continue his graduate studies at Montclair State University.   The school’s president, Susan Cole, caved to media pressure generated by the civil rights group, The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and revoked Aziz’s suspension for making fat jokes on YouTube and facebook about the girlfriend of a fellow student who heckled conservative activist Steve Lonegan during a presentation at the school last September.  The heckler who called Lonegan a racist and an American fascist while interrupting his presentation was never disciplined.

The YouTube video of the fat heckler was set to private within an hour of MMM asking the University for the identity of the heckler and if the heckler had also been disciplined.

Aziz declined to tell MMM the name of the heckler or the heckler’s girlfriend.

Cole revoked Aziz’s suspension in a letter dated Thursday after consulting with the University’s attorney.

“While Montclair State never should have issued its unconstitutional gag order in the first place, we commend President Cole for acting swiftly to end the situation once it became public,” said FIRE Senior Vice President Robert Shibley. “Since this unwarranted suspension prevented Mr. Aziz from attending any classes, we expect that Montclair State will make accommodations to ensure that he can get into the classes he needs as soon as possible. We also expect that the university will make sure that this unjust punishment does not appear on his records.”

Shibley offered to work with Cole on revising other University policies that violate students’s rights of free expression.

“Montclair State briefly tried to justify its decision by appealing to New Jersey’s anti-bullying law, but Aziz’s comments did not constitute bullying under the law’s definition of the term. Even if they had, Aziz’s speech still would have been protected by the First Amendment, which supersedes state law,” said FIRE’s Shibley. “While Montclair State recognized its error this time, several of the university’s policies could still be used to silence student speech in the future. FIRE would be pleased to work with President Cole to revise those policies to comply with the First Amendment, by which all public universities are legally and morally bound.”

Cole should take Shibley up on his offer.  She should also make sure the University’s code of conduct is not used as a weapon against students who do not subscribe to her administration’s political agenda.

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House Republicans Seem To Be Coming To Their Senses

Republicans in Congress have decided to put their own personal finances, and those of their Democratic colleagues in both the House and Senate, at risk, rather than to risk a global economic meltdown if the Democrats don’t get serious about reigning in our government’s runaway spending.

The New York Times is reporting that House Republicans have agreed to raise the debt ceiling for three months, with a requirement that both chambers of Congress pass a budget in that time and engage in deficit reduction negotiations.   Rather than drive the nation over a “fiscal cliff” or risk the government defaulting on its debt, the Boehner Brigade’s debt ceiling bill will include a provision that federal lawmakers not get paid if the Senate does not produce a budget.

Senate Majority Leader Harry’s Reid’s office issued a statement that sounded like they might go along.  Reid’s Senate has not passed a budget in four years.

Finally!  Washington Republicans have stopped drinking stupid juice!

Whoever came up with such a common sense idea of punishing the Congress for not doing its job rather than risking the global economy deserves a Nobel Prize.

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More Strange Justice: A Warning to Public Servants

By Art Gallagher

Last November I wrote Strange Justice, a piece about my observations of the criminal sentencings of former Brookdale Community Community College President Peter Burnham and former Eatontown Detective Philip Emanulle.

Both men were charged with Official Misconduct. Burnham pled guilty to the Official Misconduct Charge and to Theft.  He charged $24,000 on the college’s credit cards for personal expenses over an eight year period and used a $20,000 federal grant for his son’s tuition at Monmouth University for personal use after Brookdale had already paid the tuition. In addition to Official Misconduct, Emanuelle was charged with Sexual Assault, Criminal Coercion and Tampering with Evidence.  The Sexual Assault and Official Misconduct charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Emanuelle pled guilty to Coercion and Tampering.  Emanulle got five years probation.  Burnham was sentenced to five years in prison with the stipulation that he serve at least two years before he is eligible for release.

Burnham is in State Prison now.  A mutual friend tells me prison has not been easy for Burnham.  That is an understatement.   It hasn’t been easy for his family either.  Burnham had already lost his job and pension.  What was unexpected by his family is that he also lost his Social Security Benefits as a result of his conviction.

On January 8, Marlboro resident Mark Trawinski was sentenced to five months in prison for tax evasion.  Between 2002 and 2008, Trawinski didn’t pay the employment taxes withheld from his employees wages or the business’s employment taxes. He beat the government for $713,759 and used the money in part to purchase a $1 million home in Florida that he tried to hide from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the IRS.   In addition to his five months in prison, after Trawinski is released this spring he will be confined to his home for five months and he will undergo three years of supervised release.  He must also pay back the $713,759 to the IRS.

Why is Burnham doing two years hard time for stealing $44,000 while Emanulle got off with probation for Sexual Assault and and Trawinski got five months  for stealing $713,759?  Official Misconduct.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Solutions Pregnancy & Health Center Educator Receives Sexual Risk Avoidance Designation

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Governor Christie’s Press Conference: NJ SAFE Task Force

Governor Chris Christie held a press conference this afternoon to announce the formation of the New Jersey SAFE Task Force which he has established to address violence control in the State.

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Mazzola Met With Bennett Before Switching Partys

Mayor Jon Hornik was present at the meeting

Carol Mazzola, right, with Selika Josiah Gore and Kim Guadagno during their 2009 campaign. facebook photo

Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola met with Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett prior to announcing her to run for reelection as a Democrat this fall.  Mayor Jon Hornik was present at the meeting which took place in Freehold.

Mazzola told MoreMonmouthMusings that she met with Bennett out of respect for the chairman for whom she has great admiration.  She said that Bennett attempted to pursuade her not to switch partys, but that her mind was already made upInflatable Slide.

The councilwoman, who is seeking her second term on the Marlboro Council, said she’s been struggling with the decision for many months.  “In the end, I know I made the right decision for myself and for the citizens of Marlboro,” she said, “win lose or draw, I know I did the right thing.”

Bennett has not returned MMM’s call for comment.

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Norcross Endorses Buono For Governor

Camden Democratic Boss and King of the World George Norcross joined Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin “Pro-Buono” Gopal in endorsing State Senator Barbara Buono as the Democratic nominee for governor.

Norcross did not feel snubbed that he was left off Gopal’s list of endorsees released on Tuesday.

Norcross told PolitickerNJ that Buono is “a high quality candidate, and in the absence of anyone else, the party ought to  rally around her and move forward.” He said he applauds Buono for getting into the gubernatorial race when no one else has.   Can you feel the love?

While Gopal praised Buono’s guts in his endorsement on Tuesday, Norcross had choice words for the lack of guts of Senator and former Acting Governor Richard Codey.  Codey has not announced his gubernatorial candidacy, but many Democrats expect that he will jump into the race soon.

“I’ve never had any confidence in Dick Codey’s courage and I don’t expect  that to change,” Norcross said.  “I think he likes to have people say ‘run  Dick run’ and I think at the end of this period we will look back and say ‘this  looks like the Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers fiasco that played out over four  cycles and the party will be in a position where we don’t have a standard bearer  and aren’t in a position to compete in the election this year.”

Norcross compared Codey to the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz and said his  gubernatorial aspirations amount to nothing more than a “theatrical  presentation.”

Codey took Norcross’s bash as a school yard challenge.  The anti-bully lobby would be proud.

“I had the guts to take him on and I’ve been doing it since 1993,” Codey said in  response.  “He’s done a good job of trying to wreck this party so he can  run everything in concert with the governor.  As he said very famously, no  matter who runs, I win.  That’s the attitude we have to change.”.

Despite the lack of an announcement, News12 reported Wednesday night that Codey is a candidate.  The former Acting Governor sounded very much like a candidate on the cable new station, discussing how Governor Christie could be beat and how he would defeat him.

Norcross’s endorsement of Buono is a good indication that his protege, Senate President Steve, “The Kitten” Sweeney will not be a candidate for governor.

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