PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE’S BRIEF VALIDATES KEEPING SUBSTATION OPEN; SAYS POST
OFFICE’S DECISION TO CLOSE IS “SERIOUSLY FLAWED”
A recent brief by the federal Public Representative called the U.S.
Post Office’s decision to close the Lafayette substation in Freehold Borough
“seriously flawed,” validating local residents who rely on the facility and want
it to remain open, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande said today.
“The Post Office’s reasons to close Lafayette are unfounded and do
not stand up to any objective scrutiny,” Casagrande, R-Monmouth and Mercer,
said. “Freehold Borough is a pedestrian community and the county seat of
Monmouth County. This facility is vital to many businesses and people who cannot
easily reach the Freehold Township Post Office, which is inaccessible to
pedestrians.
“Congressman Chris Smith has led to effort to keep this office open
and the Public Representative has validated his work,” Casagrande added. “Keep
the substation open.”
The Public Representative also said the Post Office’s “economic
justification is seriously flawed and requires further consideration and
explanation [.] revenues are over 4 times the magnitude of the alleged cost
savings relied upon by the Postal Service. This is not a facility that was
losing money. But for the fact that the trailer was in substandard condition,
this was a viable postal facility.”
“The substation generates revenue four times the amount that the
Postal Service estimates it will save by shutting it down,” Casagrande said.
“It’s clear why the Post Office is failing because they choose to shut down
offices that are actually making money.
“There are plenty of great spaces available for lease in downtown
Freehold Borough would make perfect postal facilities,” Casagrande added. “I
invite Postal officials down to take a look at them.”
By Dan Jacobson, also published in the September 9 edition of the triCityNews
I just can’t help myself.
When there’s an angle to a controversy that no one else will touch, I’ve got to reach out and grab it with both hands.
I just can’t stand it when a media horde goes off hell bent in one direction and misses a big part of a story. Add in a scrum of politicians riding the wave for their own advantage, and I get sucked in that much more.
I just call it like I see it. That’s what I’ve always done as a Publisher. It’s what I’m doing now as an Independent candidate for the State Assembly.
So let’s get the controversy going with the state’s new anti-bullying law, which took effect in our schools on September 1.
Passed overwhelmingly by the state legislature and signed by the Governor, the law is the toughest in the nation to stop bullying. Make no mistake. This is a huge problem.
It’s no longer some bullies in a schoolyard. With Facebook pages, websites and texting, bullying has moved to cyberspace. You could have dozens, if not hundreds, of kids tormenting another child. It’s sick.
So anti-bullying advocates joined with Garden State Equality – the state’s leading gay and lesbian civil rights organization – to get the new law passed. Given that this paper is a big supporter of Garden State Equality, and that the media reports were all glowing, the anti-bullying law sure sounded like a no brainer to me, even if I didn’t know all the details.
Meanwhile, some right-wing Republicans were expressing opposition – I assumed because Garden State Equality was in favor. What a bunch of sick bigots, I thought.
Then a couple weeks ago, I was talking with powerful Republican blogger Art Gallagher of Highlands. Art and I share a libertarian streak on economics, and often agree on policy. As I’m leaving, he says that the anti-bullying law will be a costly mess to implement, and school districts are up in arms over it. An agitated Gallagher claimed it’s a complete overreaction to the problem.
I dismissed his comments as the rantings of a red neck Republican.
Five days later, the New York Times – of all newspapers – runs a front page story reporting that New Jersey schools are struggling with the costs and burdens of implementing the law!
I was shocked.
“I think this has gone well overboard,” Richard G. Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators told the Times. “Now we have to police the community 24 hours a day. Where are the people and the resources to do this?”
The Times article stated that while many parents and educators welcome the new law, others say it “reaches much too far, and complain that they have been given no additional resources to meet its mandates.”
Of course, when all the politicians got up at the press conferences to brag about passing the anti-bullying law, no one – including the mainstream media – told us the other side of the story. Specifically, that the state was providing no money to local school districts to implement it.
Hey, it’s easy to be a hero when someone else is picking up the tab.
And if we can’t get the full story on the anti-bullying law, imagine how screwed we get on legislation with much less noble purposes. Unfortunately, no politician was willing to expose themselves politically as having reservations on the anti-bullying law. It’s like questioning Mom and Apple Pie.
Of course, the media is too dumb to pick up on the concerns, with the exceptions of the New York Times after the fact and local Republican blogger Art Gallagher, a most improbable combination indeed. (Check out the Times article on-line entitled “Bullying Law Puts New Jersey Schools on Spot” on August 30.)
Let me be clear: I still believe the anti-bullying law is a good thing. There’s a broad public benefit – a real chance to incorporate an ethic against bullying into our culture. This is not a bullshit piece of legislation. But there should have been an honest effort to pay for it. That would have exposed the bill to more rigorous analysis, and increased the chances that any parts not cost-beneficial would have been dropped. And it would not have left local school districts, already burdened with budget cuts, to pay the tab.
Before the New York Times article, I would have said I’m for the anti-bullying law, based on who was advocating for it, as well as the severity of the problem it attacks. As one sponsor recently said, “How could anyone be against this?”
But this is a great example of how not everything is exactly what it seems in government. Look, I’d rather not go down to Trenton and be the crank who always votes no on politically popular legislation that everyone else supports.
Yet I can see that happening. I absolutely refuse to sit there and lie with a straight face. If I see bill after bill come by me to make politicians heroes – while handing the tab to someone else to pay – I’d probably start voting no on every one.
Don’t know if I’d have been at that stage with the anti-bullying law. At the least, I would have offered amendments on ways to pay for it – and get the legislature on record as literally passing the buck. Maybe doing that enough times on enough bills would get the media to take notice.
Not taking responsibility to pay for what we spend has got to stop, no matter how noble the cause. It’s bullshit. If something like the anti-bullying law is that important – and it is – then give the local school districts the money to pay for it. But perhaps that would have doomed the law. How quaint. How hypocritical.
Bleeding heart liberals and red neck Republicans can all unite on what I’m saying. After all, not taking fiscal responsibility is what causes taxes to go up. And when the money inevitably runs out, it’s the truly vulnerable who always get screwed — they don’t have the votes, the campaign contributions or the media clout to protect themselves.
So remember this column the next time you see politicians doing what they do best: looking like heroes at a press conference.
All the New Jersey media is abuzz over the leaked audio and transcript of a talk that Governor Chris Christie delivered to a secret meeting of GOP mega-donors organized by the Koch brothers in Colorado on June 26. The meeting was so secret that Christie did not disclose to the press, as is customary, that he was leaving the state and transferring power to the Lt. Governor.
What has everyone in a tizzy is a story that Christie told the group about how he saved Sheila Oliver’s speakership during the landmark pension and benefit bill negotiations:
And Thursday night it came time for the Assembly. And they started to caucus at 11:00 in the morning. They were supposed to start voting at 1:00. It got to be 5:30 and they were still in the caucus room. And the reports I was getting out of there were not positive about what was going on to my friend the Speaker. She was takin’ a beating at the hands of her own party. At 5:30 she called me and she said to me, “Governor, I don’t know how this is going to play out, but I’m going to, I want to post the bill but I think when I go on the floor, my own party’s going to take a run at me to remove me as Speaker. So I can’t post the bill.” She said, “I think the only way I survive is if the 33 Republicans in the chamber will agree to vote for me for Speaker. Can you work it out?” [scattered laughter] So I said, “Give me five minutes.” [laughter]
So I went down to the Republican Assembly caucus room. I stood at the front of the room and I said, “Ladies and gentleman, it’s a historic day today. You’re going to get an opportunity to cast two historic votes.” [laughter] “The first one, of course, is about pension and benefit reform and I know that everybody in this room supports it. The second one is a little more unusual.” [laughter] I said, “Probably for the only time in my governorship I’m going to actually ask you to vote for a Democrat. I said Sheila Oliver is under siege. And she wants to do the right thing. And we cannot be slaves to party or partisanship. She is right on this issue and she is with us on this issue. So if they take a run at her on the floor, I need all of you to vote for her for Speaker.” I had these men and women look back at me like, “What?” [scattered laughter] And I said to ’em, “We were sent here to lead. Not to preen and posture, posture and pose. To lead. A public office to lead. We need to do this. So raise your hands. Are you with me or aren’t you?” All 33 of them raised their hands and said they were with me.
And so I went back to my office, I got on the phone and I called the Speaker, and I said, “You just got 33 new votes.” And she said, “Well, you just got yourself a bill.” And she went on the floor, she led the debate, another two and a half hours of debate. They never took a run at her. It was the Minority Leader who suddenly went over to the Majority Leader of the Assembly, it was the guy who was gonna take a run at her, and said, “By the way, we’ve got her back, so don’t try it.” [very scattered chuckles] They didn’t. They opened up the board, they cast the votes, by then 46 to 32, with 33 Republicans and 13 Democrats, we passed health and pension reform that will save the taxpayers of New Jersey over the next 30 years at least 132 billion dollars. [audience: “wows”, whistles, applause]
When I get back to New Jersey tomorrow morning, we will sign the bill on Tuesday and make it law and it will become effective July 1st. And that’s what we were sent to do to govern.
At a press conference in Atlantic City today, Christie confirmed he delivered the speech and he issued a correction. He said there were 32 in Assembly members in the Republican caucus room, not 33 as he said in Colorado. The Star Ledger quotes Christie today saying he was “proud” that he helped protect Oliver’s speakership. He said that the story shows that “Republicans put policy over politics,” according to the Ledger.
“The assertions that Gov. Christie has made, they are outright lies. Outright lies. I am beginning to wonder if Gov. Christie is mentally deranged,” Oliver said. “At no time did I ever, ever pick up the telephone, call Gov. Christie and ask him to quote ‘save my leadership.’ ” The governor was engaged in a chest-thumping vaudeville entertainment session in front of the Republican donors, she said. “I don’t expect to call him at all,” she said. “I think it’s disgraceful.”
Now the Democratic leaders of both houses of the New Jersey legislature have called Christie a liar. In January Senate President Stephen Sweeney refuted Christie’s claim that he was in direct contact with Sweeney during the December blizzard while Sweeney was Acting Governor.
Sweeney famously called Christie a “rotten prick” in July after Christie used the line item veto to balance the budget. Today Oliver called Christie “mentally deranged.” Christie calls these people his friends.
Multiple people who were in the Republican caucus room spoke to MMM on the condition of anonymity. They confirmed Christie’s version of the story, sort of. Let’s just say that while 32 hands went up, not all of them had five fingers raised.
The caucus knew that Oliver was under siege. They expected Majority Leader Joe Cryan to try to replace her in order to prevent the pension and benefits reform bill from being posted.
No one could confirm Christie’s account of Minority Leader Alex DeCroce going over to Cryan and telling him, “By the way, we’ve got her back, so don’t try it.” If it happened, it may have been a bluff.
Several of the more conservative members of the caucus were very concerned about casting a vote for Oliver as speaker. “Such a vote will follow me for the rest of my career, if I have a career,” one Assembly member said, according to a source who was in the room.
“There are two factions if the Republican caucus,” said the source, “those who are concerned about primary challenges from Tea Partiers and those from the more moderate districts who are concerned about winning the general election. The conservatives were worried about having to vote for Oliver.”
There is some truth to Oliver’s carefully worded response to the leaked tapes. Christie’s speech was entertainment. As Assemlbyman Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex) told the Ledger, this was “a red meat speech.”
As those who have followed Christie on the stump know, the Governor is a great story teller, in the tradition of great Irish story tellers.
Great stories and tales get better every time they are told by a master. While the underlying truth remains, the details get embellished and the story gets “better.” It makes a point better, is more moving or entertaining. Anyone who has attended three or more of Christie’s town hall meetings knows Christie is a great story teller.
Marilyn Schlossbach is withdrawing as a candidate for Assembly in the 11th legislative district.
“It is with great regret that I must withdraw my candidacy for Assembly. My efforts at this time must be focused on the health of my business, and protecting the jobs it has created,” said Schlossbach in a statement issued by 11th district Democratic campaign.
Campaign Manager Vlad Gutman told MMM, “the hurricane hit Marilyn’s businesses hard. She has determined that she must focus on their recovery and that it is not appropriate for her to be a candidate at this time.”
The Democrats biggest challenge in replacing her may be getting a quorum of 11th district county committee members to attend nominating convention.
Gutman was confident that a new candidate would be nominated but declined to name any publicly.
Red Bank Councilman Michael Dupont, also a member of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said that he would not be a candidate, “No, not at this time. I have a young family, a 15 year old and twins that will be five in December.”
Dan Jacobson, a former Democratic member of the Assembly now running as an Independent, said that he would not accept the Democratic nomination.
“With all due respect to my friends in the Democratic party, no,” said Jacobson
U.S. District Court Judge Noel Hillman upheld Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno’s decision to keep former Olympic champion Carl Lewis off the general election ballot in NJ’s 8th legislative district. Lewis is the Democratic nominee for State Senate.
Guadagno, in her capacity as Secretary of State, ruled that he does not meet New Jersey’s residency requirement to run for the legislature.
Members of the Highlands Fire Department will be transporting a piece of the World Trade Center from JFK Airport to the World Trade Center site and then on to Highlands tomorrow, according to Councilwoman and former Fire Chief Rebecca Kane.
Kane said that the Port Authority approved the HFD’s application for a piece of the WTC to be permanently memorialized at their firehouse with a mural and lighting on June 27th.
The steel will arrive at Veteran’s Park in Highlands tomorrow, September 7, at approximately 6PM. Highlands will have a formal memorial service at the park on Sunday September 11 at 4:30PM.
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon will be our guest for the full hour today on the LaRossa and Gallagher: Real Jersey Guys On The Radio Show. The show, sponsored by Repatriot Radio, will air on WIFI AM 1460 and here on the Internet from 5PM-6PM.
O’Scanlon will be discussing JCP&L, their response to Hurricane Irene and how the government will be addressing that response now that the power has been turned on, after a long week, for the electric utility’s customers. He will also be addressing the recent dispute with Morris Bailey and the NJSEA that threatens the long term viability of Monmouth Park. The track was in O’Scanlon’s 12th legislative district and is now in his new 13th legislative district.
During the second half hour of the show we will open a conversation into the question: “What is an appropriate conservative response to social problems?” or “How do we contribute to those less fortunate than ourselves and reduce the size of government?”
O’Scanlon was instrumental in having charitable organizations donate food to many communities during the power outages that followed Hurricane Irene, without spending government money. In addition to his policy and political leadership, he is a quiet leader in many charitable endeavors.
O’Scanlon is reluctant to talk publicly about his charitable works. He has agreed to do so in the hopes increasing the awareness and action among conservatives.
“So many people just don’t get it,” said O’Scanlon of his fellow political leaders, “Otherwise brilliant people seem to have a ‘Let them eat cake’ way of thinking.”
You are welcome to participate in our conversation with O’Scanlon by calling into the show at 609-447-0236.
Morris Bailey has sent the NJ Sport and Exposition Authority a letter declaring his memorandum of understanding for a five year lease agreement of Monmouth Park null and void, according to the Star Ledger.
Bailey, a real estate developer and the owner of Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, has been running the track since June 24 under the memorandum of understanding while waiting to receive the formal lease.
At issue is a $4,000,000 loan from the NJ Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association to support the track’s purses at $400,000 per day. That money has already been used. Without at formal lease, Bailey is not accepting the loan.
The Ledger quoted a spokesperson for the NJSEA as saying they considered Bailey’s letter a negotiating ploy.
Purses could be drastically reduced this fall and the 2012 racing dates could be at risk, according to the Ledger.
Oceanport Councilman Joe Irace was caught off guard by this development. “This is not good news! We were told that the Monmouth Park deal was signed, sealed and delivered.” Monmouth Park is Oceanport’s largest taxpayer.
