O’Scanlon: Temporary FEMA Housing to be extended for two weeks
Displaced residents should call Assemblyman O’Scanlon’s offfice for help: 732-933-1591
Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long told MMM that the residents of her community that have been sleeping in carsare people who have been put up in hotels by FEMA who are evicted by the hotels on weekends in order to accommodate wedding guests.
“When hotels have weddings or events, people get evicted for the weekend,” Long said via twitter, “I just learned of people sleeping in cars because of this and I’m hopping mad.”
Long said that FEMA’s response has been, “Well, when that happens the people should call us.” Yet, when people do call FEMA’s 800 #, the FEMA employees who answer the phone are dropping the ball or don’t know what to do.
Long said she trying to reach her displaced residents in this situation to coordinate weekend housing through Sea Bright Rising and other charities. “FEMA knows where my people are, I need their help in locating them.”
Union Beach Councilman Charlie Cocuzza told MMM that the same situation is happening to displaced residents of his borough. “The hotels are asking people to leave on Friday and tell them they can come back on Sunday night,” said Cocuzza, “These people are falling through the cracks on weekends.”
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon said that his legislative office has been transformed to a clearing house for temporary housing to match people in need with a roof over their heads. “This should not be happening,” said O’Scanlon, “but too often we’re hearing about it too late. No one should be sleeping in their cars. Anyone, from my district or not, can call my office and we’ll find them a place to stay.”
O’Scanlon’s office said landlords or anyone willing to put up a displaced resident can also contact them. O’Scanlon’s phone # is 732-933-1591.
FEMA temporay housing allowances are set to expire on Saturday the 12th. O’Scanlon told MMM that the program will be extended for two weeks.
In an interview with NJ.com Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long expressed her frustration with a lack of specifics in Governor Christie’s State of the State Address, even though she said she is meeting with state officials and FEMA today.
“We’re glad we’re on the governor’s radar, but the story of the owner of Sea Bright Pizza, Cono Trezza, is emblematic of my entire community,” Long said, citing one of many Sea Bright establishments yet to be back in business. “We want to do the right thing in terms of rebuilding by doing it smarter and by mitigating flood risk. Unfortunately, because of a lack of specificity coming from the state of New Jersey, and a lack of support and money from Washington, D.C., people who want to do the right thing are in limbo. I’m glad that we’re Jersey strong, because we’re going to have to be strong enough to pull ourselves out of this. We’re a 1,500-person town with a $5 million budget that needs help, and we’re not getting help.”
“I would not respond well to somebody who criticized this Republican governor, because [Christie] has been a determined, inspirational leader,” Long said. “But in order for us to rebuild smart from Sandy, we need more than just moral support. We need to know whether or not we’re going to get financial assistance or not. And if the answer is not, that’s fine – we’ll figure it out ourselves.”
Long’s frustration is understandable. Frustration among municipal officials and residents alike is likely to rise in the coming weeks and months as the difficult realities of rebuiding are confronted. Yet, for a mayor to expect the Governor to recite what specific actions will be taken in any given town during a State of the State Address is unrealistic, especially when that Governor highlighted your town during the address and you’ve got a meeting to handle specifics scheduled for the next day.
However, Long’s next line is alarming and should have been the lead to the story:
“Every day that goes by, the resolve of our business owners goes away,” Long added. “I’ve got people sleeping in cars – I could care less about the boardwalk.” (emphasis added)
Why are people sleeping in cars?
A friend of mine whose home in Highlands was flooded by Sandy has been staying with friends, at no cost to the taxpayers, for the last two months during her home clean up and rebuilding. That arrangement stopped working last weekend. My friend visited the FEMA office in Leonardo and was put up in a hotel in a matter of hours. That residents of Sea Bright are sleeping in cars doesn’t make sense. Maybe they are choosing to sleep in their cars. Maybe someone is dropping the ball. Maybe there is red tape. Red tape and dropping the ball is unacceptable.
My friend says that FEMA temporary housing is expiring on the 12th. That could lead to a lot more people sleeping in cars. That’s not acceptable either.
Where is all the money that was raised by concerts being spent? How is the millions that Christie raised privately being spent? Evidently its not being spent on people in Sea Bright and elsewhere who have been displaced and are sleeping in cars.
We can’t have people who are displaced by a natural disaster sleeping in cars because of red tape. Not in Monmouth County. Not in New Jersey. Not in the United States of America.
We’re better than that.
UPDATE: Displaced residents are sleeping in cars because they are being evicted from their hotels on weekends to accommodate wedding guests. Read about it here.
Monmouth County property owners have until tomorrow, January 9, 2013 to notify the Monmouth County Board of Taxation of “material damage” caused by Superstorm Sandy and to receive a reduction in their property tax assessment for 2013.
The Tax Board has been surveying properties in heavily damaged areas and already reduced assessments without owners’ notification. I checked on a properties in Highlands and Keansburg this morning. The assessment on the Highlands property had been reduced by 30% and the Keansburg property by 15%.
If your property was materially damaged by Sandy, call the Tax Board at 732-431-7401 or submit your property information here online.
Senate President says Christie prayed for Hurricane Sandy to strike. FDU poll indicates New Jersey voters don’t think much of Sweeney.
Photo credit: nomblog.com
Senate President Steve Sweeney said at a press conference today that Governor Chris Christie “prayed a lot and got lucky” that Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, thereby enabling the governor to gloss over the problems that were facing the state prior to the storm, according to a report on NJ.com.
“His jobs package is a hurricane,” said Sweeny,”I guess he prayed a lot and got lucky that a storm came.”
Sweeney, along with Senators Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) and Nina Gill (D-Essex) were speaking to the press prior to the Christie’s State of the State address which will be delivered tomorrow. Sweeney immediately apologised for the “prayed a lot and got lucky” line, but went on to say that he expected the Governor to “try to convince everyone the sun is shining when it’s raining,” when he addresses the legislature tomorrow.
Evidently, most of New Jersey voters think the sun is shining and Sweeney is all wet.
In an FDU Public Mind Poll released today, 61% of New Jersey voters, including 55% of Democrats and 56% of Independents think the state is heading in the right direction. 26% think the state is on the wrong track and 13% are unsure.
Of the 700 voters surveyed, 73% approve of the job that Christie is doing.
FDU polled hypothetical match ups for the coming gubernatorial race between Christie, former Acting Governor Dick Codey, Senator Barbara Buono and Sweeney.
Codey, the best known of the Democrats scored best, losing to Christie 59%-26%. 55% of those surveyed were familiar with Codey, who served out Jim McGreevey’s term as governor from November 2004 until Jon Corzine took office in January of 2006. Of those who know of Codey, 56% think favorably about him while 18% have an unfavorable impression.
44% have heard of Sweeney, but of those only 25% like him. 39% of those who have heard of Sweeney think unfavorably about him.
The poll is so bad for Sweeney that Barbara Buono beat him. Only 28% of the voters polled are familiar with Buono, yet she scored better against Christie than Sweeney did. Christie beat Buono 64%-21% with 15% undecided. Sweeney coundn’t break 20%, losing to the Governor by an embarrassing 65%-19% with 16% unsure.
Congressman Frank Pallone is on television more than U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) now-a-days, not because of his outrage that House Speaker John Boehner delayed the vote of the Superstom Sandy relief package, but because he needs to raise his profile in the minds of New Jersey voters.
Since Newark Mayor Cory Booker dropped out of the gubernatorial race and announced his intentions to explore seeking the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Frank Lautenberg in 2014, Pallone has been letting Democratic power brokers that he too want’s Lautenberg’s job and he has been on TV every chance he can get. Pallone has long coveted a U. S. Senate seat, but has never had the fortitude to risk his seat in the House to run for it. Governor Jon Corzine passed over Pallone in favor of Bob Menendez in 2006 for the appointment to fill the Seante vacancy created by Corzine’s election as governor and Lautenberg came out of retirement to take over Bob Toricelli’s spot on the ballot in 2002 after Pallone passed or was passed over, depending on which version of the story you believe.
Pallone is acting like he is willing to make a race of it against Booker for the 2014 Democratic nomination for Senate. Given Booker’s star power, social media savvy and resulting name recognition, Pallone has an uphill battle. Booker works twitter better than any other politician with his clothes on. In order to match Booker’s name recognition, Pallone would need a crisis to go on TV about every week. Either that or he needs to start running into burning buildings and living on food stamps. Or, he can run in a statewide race in an election he is not expected to win to raise his name ID and as prelude to the race he wants to win.
In his inaugural address upon becoming mayor of Middletown yesterday, Dr. Gerry Scharfenberger, PhD, announced that the Township will be rolling out a “Buy Middletown Property Tax Benefit Card” program that will enable resident to save a percentage of the amount they spend at participating businesses on their property taxes.”This is a win/win all around,” said Scharfenberger, “businesses benefit from increased sales volume and foot traffic, taxpayers benefit in that they have a simple, effective way to lower their property taxes, and the town benefits by stimulating the local economy. We also feel that this program will make Middletown more attractive to businesses looking to open in the area.”
The program will start after it passes legal review.
Upon taking the helm of Middletown, Scharfenberger lavished praise on outgoing Mayor Tony Fiore:
“No amount of hyperbole can capture the spectacular job done by Tony Fiore these past two years as mayor. Anyone who sits in this chair knows the enormous responsibility you take on. Mayor Fiore was strong-willed, outspoken and a tireless fighter on Middletown’s behalf, regardless of the issue. His leadership during Superstorm Sandy and its aftermath was phenomenal and made all the difference to Middletown coming through the disaster as well as it did.
Under his watch, the Middletown Township Committee was able to save the swim club at no cost to the taxpayers, bring a world class ice rink to town, institute single stream recycling, which doubled the number of pickups while saving hundreds of thousands of dollars, renew Middletown Day with 100% private donations, and secure significant increases in employee benefit contributions, saving hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars, just to name a few.
As I have said in the past, anyone who says this is a part time position is sadly mistaken, and Mayor Fiore is living proof of a person who devoted himself 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the job. As a fellow member of the committee feel fortunate to have him as a friend and colleague and grateful for what he has taught me about leadership and dedication to public service.”
Fiore remains a member of the Township Committee.
Scharfenberger’s prepared remarks can be downloaded here.
State Senator Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) wants former Acting Governor Dick Codey to stop Starship Christie from conquering the dark side of Trenton this November.
Codey for Governor? Christie’s style has vaulted his popularity, but Codey has style also. Christie’s feisty style has overshadowed his support for Romney and his policies that would cut taxes on the wealthy while putting added burdens on everyone else. Honk if you like Codey for Governor. Now that Corey Booker has chosen not to run, Codey is our Obi Wan Kenobi.
Codey, a senator representing parts of Morris and Essex Counties served as governor after Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.
Codey has yet to declare his candidacy for the Democratic nomination to challenge Christie. Recent media reports say that Codey is weighing his options and is 50-50 about running. State Senator Barbara Buono (Middlesex) is the only announced Democratic candidate so far.
In addition to Codey, Senate President Steve Sweeney(Gloucester) is considering a run. Our friends at SaveJersey.com report that an unknown organization is conducting a push poll for Sweeney in South Jersey.
In an anonymously sourced reported posted last evening, Roll Call says that Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ6) is “all but certain” to seek the U. S. Senate seat currently held by Frank Lautenberg in 2014 should the 88 year old senator retire.
Despite his over two decades in Congress, Pallone has an uphill battle against Newark Mayor Cory Booker and perhaps Senate President Steve “The Kitten” Sweeney for the Democratic nominationn for Senate. Booker announced before Christmas that he wouldn’t challenge Governor Christie in this years gubernatorial campaign and that he was exploring a run for Lautenberg’s seat.
In a column posted at InTheLobby Carl Golden, Governors Kean and Whitman’s spokesperson, said that Pallone “is destined to be a bridesmaid once again.”
Governor’s campaign not saying if they will accept taxpayer funding
Governor Christie’s reelection campaign announced today that they’ve raised $2.1 million since Christie announced he would seek a second term on November 26.
“Governor Christie’s campaign continues to gain momentum because New Jerseyans believe in his decisive leadership,” said campaign strategist Mike DuHaime. “This unprecedented financial support in such a short time demonstrates the overwhelming support from residents across the Garden State. Governor Christie has made tough choices to achieve real progress on meaningful reforms for all New Jerseyans. Whether it’s cutting taxes, improving education or pension and benefit reform, Governor Christie has fought for a middle-class reform agenda that protects taxpayers and reins in the cost of government.”
Yesterday, State Senator Barbara Buono, the only declared candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor, announced that she raised $250,000 since she declared he candidacy on December 11. Buono said she intends to raise enough money to qualifiy for taxpayer matching funds for her campaign.
DuHaime told MMM that with the $2.1 million raised, Christie’s campaign has almost maxed out on what they could raise and accept matching funds. He declined to say if the Governor would participate in the matching funds program. “Great question. No announcement today,” said DuHaime.
Christie did accept matching funds during his 2009 campaign against Governor Jon Corzine.
Congressman Frank Pallone is on television more than U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) now-a-days, not because of his outrage that House Speaker John Boehner delayed the vote of the Superstom Sandy relief package, but because he needs to raise his profile in the minds of New Jersey voters.
State Senator Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) wants former Acting Governor Dick Codey to stop Starship Christie from conquering the dark side of Trenton this November.