Highlands, April 1- Former Highlands Mayor Anna Little is preparing to run for State Senate or Assembly, depending on the configuration of the new legislative map that will be announced on Sunday in Trenton.
“This is not about me,” said Little, “the people, born and unborn, are asking me to do this.”
Should Highlands remain in a district with Wall and Asbury Park, Little will jump into the fray between Senator Sean Kean and Republican publisher Dan Jacobson. “I can’t tell you how many people have called me since the news that Jacobson was running. It is bad enough that no body knows where Kean stands on LIFE and that the gay marriage bill was a “tough decision” for him. The prospect of an unholy man like Dan Jacobson in the Senate is truly frightening. The people have asked me to prevent that from happening.”
Little’s chief strategist, Larry Vote Cirignano, said that some proposed maps have Highlands in a district largely comprised of the Bayshore, long considered Little’s base. “In that scenario, Anna will run for Assembly,” said Vote, “that’s Joe Kyrillos’ Senate seat. Kyrillos has been a good friend to Anna, he’s like part of the Army. I don’t like Joe much, but Anna said she would not run against him.”
What about the incumbent Assembly members in that district? Cirignano was not concerned, “Old Bridge and Sam Thompson could be moved to another district, in which case there would be a vacancy. If Little Silver and Declan O’Scanlon are part of the district, Anna would be the top vote getter in a three way primary between O’Scanlon and Amy Handlin.”
Little said that her election to the State Legislature would not stop her quest to unseat Congressman Frank Provolone, “You don’t understand, the people want me to do this. It’s all part of the plan. It will be easier to raise money to defeat Pallone if I’m holding state office. Besides, I really need the legislative salary and the people want me to have it.”
Cirignano said fund raising was not a concern. “We’re waging a campaign to get 3 million people, born and unborn, to contribute $25 each to Anna’s Ambition, our new 501 CRAZEE.”
Senator Sean Kean could have a bigger problem than Dan Jacobson in his quest for renomination to the State Senate.
According to a report on Politickernj the proposed legislative map favored by the Democrats on the redistricting commission puts Kean of Wall Township in the same district as Senator Robert Singer of Lakewood.
Without knowing the composition of the entire proposed district assessing each senator’s prospects in a head to head primary would be purely speculative. However Singer would start with a decided advantage based upon the size of the two senators’ home towns. Lakewood has 12,636 registered Republicans. 3813 Lakewood Republicans voted in the 2009 primary and 873 voted in the 2007 primary. Wall has 6,171 Republicans. 2507 voted in the 2009 primary, 457 in 2007.
Neither Kean nor Singer are favorites of Governor Christie. Kean was uninvited from Christie’s Monmouth County press conference after the December blizzard. Until recently, Singer was a “double dipper,” serving both in the Senate and on the Lakewood Township Committee.
As the horse trading escalates in New Brunswick through Sunday, trading Kean or Singer for a more competive district elsewhere in the state, perhaps moving Atlantic City into an Ocean County dominated district, thereby putting Senator Jim Whelan’s Democratic seat at risk could be considered a good trade by the Christie loyalists on the commission.
Politickernj and The Star Ledger have both reported that the final map will be adopted on Sunday at noon.
Bayshore Tea Party Group to Lead Demonstration to End Partisan Gerrymandering
Together with groups and voters from around the State, BTPG will gather in New Brunswick
Middletown, NJ – As reports leak out about the usual “Soprano State” dealings in New Brunswick- incumbents attempting to persuade the Apportionment Commission to protect their jobs and “their” districts-the Bayshore Tea Party Group together with other concerned groups and voters from around the State will gather at Monument Park in New Brunswick to demand an end to partisan Gerrymandering in New Jersey
Where: Monument Square
317 George St.
New Brunswick, NJ
When: 7 PM, Wednesday March 30, 2011
Since having released a map of unimpeachable Constitutionality on March 25, 2011-one wholly devoid of illicit considerations such as the protection of incumbent legislators-“The People’s Map” has received widespread and bipartisan praise from scholars such as Monmouth University’s Patrick Murray as well as from individual Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters. The support from such disparate political viewpoints represents a statewide disgust with the practice of politicians selecting their voters rather than voters electing their representatives.
That practice is Gerrymandering and it must stop.
Members of the Bayshore Tea Party Group and other concerned citizens will hold a constant demonstration from tonight at 7PM until the Commission votes on the map that will bind New Jersey for the next 10 years.
All groups and individuals concerned with the odious process of Gerrymandering and with the intentional dilution of their vote on the altar of protecting incumbent politicians are invited and encouraged to attend.
It’s time the voters of New Jersey stood up and demanded an end to partisan Gerrymandering. That time is now.
Please visit our website at www.bayshoreteaparty.org for information on how you can become involved with the effort to restore American Exceptionalism and fix our broken government.
The Bayshore Tea Party Group Headquarters is located at 275 Rt. 35N in Middletown, NJ. Please contact [email protected] or call 732-842-6652 for more information.
Former Assemblyman and triCityNews publisher Dan Jacobson has switched his party affiliation to Republican. Jacobson is preparing to challenge Senator Sean Kean in the Republican primary should he and Kean reside in the same district when the new map is introduced.
Monmouth County GOP Vice Chair Diane Gooch, while not commenting on the prospect of Jacobson challenging Kean, said she was thrilled that Jacobson has joined the GOP. “I always knew he was a closet Republican,” said Gooch, “I’m thrilled that he has finally had his epiphany and joined the right side.”
Jacobson has frequently espoused his affection for Gooch in his paper. Diane was genuinely surprised by the news of Dan’s conversion when informed of it by MMM. She had nothing to do with it.
The stakes are apparently very high as the Legislative Reapportionment Commission works almost around the clock this week to settle on a map that could determine the partisan control of the New Jersey State Legislature for the next 10 years.
The 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans on the commission are working to convince the 11th “Independent” member or the commission, Dr. Alan Rosenthal, PhD of Rutgers to choose their proposed map. Rosenthal is said to be trying to either forge a compromise map or will choose one. Politickernj is reporting that Rosenthal is using the Democratic map as his foundation.
But who are the stakes high for?
Ultimately the stakes are high for all New Jersey residents, as what is decided this week will inevitably impact the quality of all of our lives over the next decade. But are most New Jersey residents even paying attention?
Are the commissioners in New Brunswick working so hard this week for the good of the people of the State, or are they fighting for power, control and the money that comes along with it. Certainly there are commissioners that have pure motives. I’d like to think that they are Republicans. Surely my Democratic readers hope the same of their side.
The Bayshore Tea Party Group has proposed a map that meets all the requirements set out in the Constitution. Turns out that, as a side benefit that proposed map also increases the competitiveness of the districts, and likely would increase minority representation, according to Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray’s analysis of the map.
So why are they working so hard in New Brunswick? Why can’t both sides and Rosenthal just embrace the BTPG’s Constitutional “People’s Map?”
It turns out that there are “principles” not found in the State or U.S Constitutions driving the efforts. Perhaps I should say principals rather than principles. The principle principals are incumbents. The districts belong to them. The office’s they hold are theirs, not the people’s. That’s how it is in practice.
Even Rosenthal buys into incumbent protection. He puts it in noble sounding academic jargon, espousing the “continuity of representation” and the value of crafting a map that is “minimally disruptive.”
Continuous for who? Minimally disruptive to who? Rosenthal’s rhetoric and scholarly writings make it sound as if “continuity of representation” and “minimal disruption” are of value to the electorate. But are they?
It seems to me that most people are oblivious to what legislative districts they live in and relatively few know who their representatives are.
I don’t have empiracle data to back that hunch up, so I called Patrick Murray. He said that he is unaware of recent polling data of residents awareness of their districts or their legislators, but that he shares my hunch.
So I took to the streets. Main Street in Belford actually, to find some data. This is what I found:
Watch the video. Some of it is pretty funny. While not as scientific as one of Murray’s polls, I doubt the results would change with a larger statistical sample and with interviews throughout the state. Decades of miserably low turnout in legislative elections are statistically significant enough to conclude that most people are not paying attention to the legislature, and don’t know who their legislators are.
Maybe a Constitutional, non-gerrymandered map would change that. Maybe people would pay attention and vote if their vote mattered.
Sure, I feel for my friends in the legislature who would be maximally disrupted by the adoption of the BTPG’s map. But the offices they hold and the districts they represent don’t belong to them.
There won’t be real change in Trenton, the city won’t be turned upside down, unless there is a legislative map adopted that does not take into account the residency of incumbents.
The Republicans on the commission should embrace the BTPG’s map and invite Rosenthal to join them.
Governor Chris Christie has spent the day with Republican members of the of the Redistricting Commission, according to a report published on Politickernj.
The commission, 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans and 11th member Dr. Alan Rosenthan of Rutgers have been holed upped at the Heldrich Hotel in News Brunswick today. Democrats and Republicans have been meeting with Rosenthal separately throughout the day, making their respective cases for the new legislative map’s configuration.
Spring Lake Councilman Gary Rich won the Monmouth GOP nomination for Freeholder this morning.
The MC GOP selection committee comprised of municipal chairs, county and state elected officials and former elected officials selected Rich on a very close ballot.
Rich received 25 votes, followed by 23 votes for Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas and 22 votes for Wall Committeeman George Newberry. Howell Mayor Bob Walsh withdrew from the race prior to polling. Walsh still received one vote.
The Bayshore Tea Party Group Redistricting Committe, Middletown, submitted what they are calling “the only truly Constitutional Map released thus far in New Jersey’s decennial foray into map making” to Dr Alan Rosenthal, PhD, the 11th and tie breaking member of the State Redistricting Commission.
In his cover letter to Rosenthal, BTPG Redistricting Committee Chairman Sean Spinello, Esq., said that the group “set out to produce a non-gerrymandered map that protects the all-inclusive and singular most important community of interest – the franchised voters of the State of New Jersey.”
Without consideration for partisanship, incumbency or socio-economics, the group’s map was constructed based upon the Constitution requirements of population equality, contiguity, compactness, and keeping districts wholly within individual counties where possible and where not possible, splitting districts into as few counties as possible.
In a statement posted on the BTPG website, Patrick Murray of Monmouth University Polling Institute said,
“Except for what appears to be an inadvertent split of Egg Harbor Township between Districts 1 and 2 (which will requiring some re-tooling) the map’s parameters are solid. It also maintains and perhaps enhances minority representation (basically as well as the map proposed by the minority coalition!) and provides for real competition for control of the next legislature. Of course, it is unkind to incumbents, and thus contrary to what Rosenthal has laid out as his priorities. On the whole, a map worth adding to the discussion.
The map is unkind to incumbents. In Monmouth County, Senators Joe Kyrillos (Middletown) and Jennifer Beck (Red Bank) are both in a new 13th district comprised of Bayshore and Two River towns. Old Bridge is moved, along with incumbent Assemblyman Sam Thompson, from the current 13th to an all Middlesex County 19th. Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (Little Silver) would join Assemblywoman Amy Handlin as incumbents in the lower house.
The current 11th district would remain largely intact, adding Manasquan and Oceanport, and be renamed the 12th. Incumbents, Senator Sean Kean and Assembly members Dave Rible and Mary Pat Angelini would be unaffected.
The new 11th district would be comprised on Colts Neck, Farmingdale, Howell and Tinton Falls of Monmouth County and the Ocean County towns of Jackson and Lakewood. Senator Robert Singer (Lakewood) would be the incumbent with Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (Colts Neck). There would be a vacant Assembly seat in this district.
The town by town key of the BTPG “People’s Map” can be found here.
The Redistricting Commission is required to release the new map on April 3.
Former Assemblyman and trCityNews publisher Dan Jacobson, a Democrat, says he’s seriously considering a challenge to Senator Sean Kean in the Republican primary and that it is this blog’s fault that he’s considering it.
Good. I’ll take responsibility for that.
This blog has never been about preaching to the choir, even though as Governor Christie says, preaching to the choir makes them sing better. Democrats and Independents have always been welcome here. I’m proud to have the only conservative blog with a link on Blue Jersey‘s blog roll. I’m proud when morons on the right who can’t count call me Arlen or a RINO. I’m proud that Kathy Baratta can’t stay away, sprays some insults in the comments every now and then before going back to her little websites to rant about me. If I’m not tweaking or out and out angering members of the mainstream media and members of the political establishment, on both sides of the isle, I’m not doing my job.
I think it is weird when friends, acquaintances or readers I don’t know personally tell me, often apologetically, that they don’t agree with me, but that they respect me and still enjoy the site. I think it is weird that the guy I ran against for council in Highlands years ago still takes it personally that I had the audacity to do so. I think personal animosity and vitriol over differences of opinions is weird. I think it is weird that Democrats and Republicans alike are offended that Democratic Chairman Vic Scudiery’s companies advertise on this site. It’s sad that people can’t understand how Vic and I can be both friends and political adversaries. It’s not sad for Vic or I. It’s sad that so many people will only relate to people they agree with on everything and that differences of opinion can threaten a releationship. It is weird that agreeing to disagree is a big deal. It is almost as if differences of opinion is the new racism in terms of how we thoughtlessly separate ourselves from each other.
I’m especially proud that MMM is Dan Jacobson’s favorite blog and that he has chosen to participate here. Dan and I have roughly the same size readerships. His might be a bit larger than mine, but mine is more committed. While we come at it from different angles, with different styles and mediums, Dan and I both seek to wake people up, challenge the status quo, shape opinion and influence action.
But enough about I why I publish Dan’s work here and why those of you who only relate to people you see eye to eye with are ripping yourselves off. Let’s talk politics and piss some people off.
First, when it comes right down to it, I don’t think Dan will challenge Kean in the primary. He’s too much of kitten. Kitten, kitten, kitten! He wouldn’t even call Sean Kean and talk to him. Even though it is painless to do so. You leave a message and Sean doesn’t call back. What’s so hard about that? Dan’s such a kitten that I wonder if really ever called former Red Bank Mayor Ed McKenna. For years Dan complained that McKenna wouldn’t return his calls.
Secondly, Dan’s candidacy would cause a Constitutional crisis. Using his newspaper to promote his candidacy would raise interesting and challenging issues regarding New Jersey’s campaign finance laws. Dan could be required to disclose his advertisers as campaign contributors on his ELEC reports and return ad fees/donations that exceed the limits. Some advertisers have already spent more than the allowable campaign contribution amounts and would have to pull their ads for the remainder of the campaign. Dan is just the guy to take campaign finance laws all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, accept for one thing….he’s too much of a kitten to do it. That and he’s not pissed off enough about Kean’s anti-marriage equality vote to put his paper out of business.
Third, he won’t win. Sure, based upon the 2009 turnout a victory looks to be possible, but all Sean Kean has to do to win is spend a little bit of the SEIU/CWA/NJEA money he has collected on a post card and robo call and he’ll turn out more than enough voters in Wall Township to crush Jacobson district wide. Just because he can, Sean would get lawn signs and a troop of volunteers to distribute them for overkill. Dan might spring for a few signs and ask his paper boy to deliver them to stores that distribute the triCityNews, but the store owners won’t put them up. Now he’s spending money for signs and losing ad dollars.
Still, I hope I’m wrong. I hope Dan is not too much of a kitten, kitten, kitten and that he goes for it. Not because I want my friend to go broke (he’ll have to pay in advance if he wants an ad here!), but because Dan’s readers need to hear his message about goverment employee unions:
For years, I’ve criticized the Democratic Party for being clueless on economic policy. Becoming a subsidiary of the unions destroyed us. We lost our independence, and the ability to shrink the government and reduce taxes when needed. That’s why angry Democrats write in calling me a Republican.
Call me crazy. But if a government employees union has the right to collective bargaining, it’s absurd that they can elect those who sit across the bargaining table. And it’s absurd that they can elect those who enact the rules for that bargaining.
Tell you what: Government employee unions should not be allowed to collect mandatory dues – and then use those dues to elect those running the government that employs them. That gives them way too much power. That’s the root problem right now. It’s why collective bargaining can’t be fair. It’s why everything is out of whack. If these unions want to form their own political action committees and convince members to voluntarily contribute, so be it. That’s democracy. But today’s situation is ridiculous.
When I write stuff like that many of my Democratic readers call me names, just like my idealogical right wing readers do when they don’t agree with me, and dismiss my arguments. Even many of my Republican readers are affraid of that argument, given the power of the unions in NJ. They need to hear from Dan and others too.
Maybe Dan can skirt the ELEC issues by waging a write in campaign. I don’t know, he should ask a lawyer who knows stuff like that.
But the message is important and needs to get out.
The race for the Monmouth GOP nomination for Freeholder is coming down to the wire. The only safe bet at this point is that Howell Mayor Bob Walsh will not be the nominee. A late entry into the race, Walsh has impressed on the stump, but this is not his year. He has a future in county or state politics, if he wants it. Elected in Howell as an Independent, Walsh needs to build support within the Republican party in order to secure a nomination on a higher than municipal level.
The race as it stands now is a nail biter between Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas, Wall Committeeman George Newberry and Spring Lake Councilman Gary Rich. Tonight’s speeches at the Monmouth County Affilitated Club’s candidates night ( Lakeside Manor, Rt 36, Hazlet, 6PM) will be delivered with the hope of closing the few undecided delegates and picking off delegates with “soft” commitments. A gaffe or a home run tonight could determine the nomination. Not that I want to create any pressure for the candidates.
Rich has emerged from the “oh him again” candidate to a tenacious contender. He has earned the respect of many and the admiration of his competitors. His presentation skills are strong. Rank and file Republicans and Tea Party groups both like him. If Rich wins the nomination it will be from the strength of his support from the municipal chairs, especially from the smaller coastal and bayshore towns.
Newberry is a solid guy. Honest, hardworking, dependable. A team player. While not yet comfortable on the county stage, George, if nominated will be a strong candidate in the general election against Democratic incumbent Amy Mallet and Sean Byrnes, if Byrnes is the Democratic nominee. If Byrnes runs for the legislature, Newberry is even stronger in the general.
Lucas is a proven winner in rough and tumble Manalapan politics. He is Lillian Burry’s first choice for a running mate. He has strong support in among chairs in the western part of the county. Andrew has run for Freeholder before, losing to Barbara McMorrow in 2006 when she was a Democrat. The is no shame in losing to McMorrow and losing a countywide race is no longer a disqualification for seeking another shot. Mallet lost an Assembly bid before winning her Freeholder seat and John Curley was successful in his second try for Freeholder.
The Monmouth GOP is fortunate to have such a deep bench of qualified candidates. Each of the four gentlemen pursuing the nomination this year could win the general election and serve with distinction. The close race is an indication of the difficulty of the choice.
The selection committee meets Saturday morning. MMM will have the result first.
By Art Gallagher