Remember back in September when Frank Pallone held a press conference in Keyport to announce the $400 million he was bringing home to the bayshore with the Coastal Jobs Creation Act? The Asbury Park Press covered it as if it were a done deal and Pallone was a hero.
In August Pallone told the NY Post’s Ken Moran that the bill would fund New Jersey’s recreational fishing registry, thereby preventing fisherman to have to pay a federal fee of $15-25 per year to fish in saltwater off New Jersey.
Well, here we are in December and there has been no movement on Pallone’s bill since July, two months before his press conference that impressed the Neptune Nudniks so much.
But the federal fee is coming, unless the New Jersey Senate passes S-1122, the companion version of which has already been passed by the Assembly, according to an Asbury Park Press piece that failed to mention the Pallone connection.
S1122, which is sponsored by Senators Jennifer Beck and Jeff Van Drew, would require the NJ DEP to set up a free state registery for recreational fisherman and to apply for “exempted state designation” so that NJ fisherman would not have to participate in or pay for the federal program. S1122 also allows the state to impose a state saltwater recreational fishing license, which is currently prohibited.
According the the NJ Recreational Fishing Alliance, the bill has strong bi-partisan support, but Senator Robert Smith, D-Middlesex, Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee won’t release the bill for a vote by the full Senate because the DEP does not want to create the state registery.
RFA makes their case for the bill, including an ecomomic impact analysis here.
Proceeds to benefit local food bank of the winner’s choice
Matawan Mayor Paul Buccellato and Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre announced today that they, along with the council members in both boroughs, have engaged in a friendly wager on the upcoming Central Jersey Group 2 high school football championship game between the Matawan Huskies and the Rumson-Fair Haven Bulldogs.
The Mayors and Councils of the two municipalities have agreed that the losers of the wager will donate $200 worth of food to the foodbank of the winner’s choice.
The game will take place Saturday December 4th at 3pm at Kean University.
“In the spirit of friendly competition, I asked Mayor Bucellato to join me in this friendly wager and I’m glad he accepted,” said Halfacre. “Due to the difficult economic conditions, food banks are being hit with a double whammy: less people donating and more people who need help. If we can have some fun with this and at the same time raise awareness and make a nice donation, I think it’s a win for everyone.”
Buccellato agreed, stating “that economy has had an impact on numerous families in the area” and the two municipalities wanted to do something that would benefit the community. “There is a critical need among the local and regional food banks as they are experiencing unprecedented food shortages,” Buccellato said. “We believe that we can help this need and at the same time support our football teams.”
If Rumson-Fair Haven wins, the Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties will receive a donation of food. In Matawan wins, the donation will go to the St. Mark’s Food Kitchen at Trinity Episcopal Church in Matawan.
Anyone wishing to make a donation of food to the Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean can call 732-918-2600 or email [email protected]. Donations to St. Mark’s Food Kitchen can be arranged by calling 732-591-9210 or emailing [email protected].
Like many of you, I had hoped for victory in our two local Congressional races on November 2nd. I thought that we had captured lightning in a bottle, with the Tea Party carrying Anna to success over Frank Pallone and Scott’s millions carrying him to success over Rush Holt. Like many of you, I was sorely disappointed.
However, that disappointment has now been replaced by bewilderment.
Who are these people?
It all started on Election Night, when Anna announced the creation of not one, not two, but three new Political Action Committees. Really, three PACs? How will she raise money for three new PACs? What purpose will they serve? That same night, her Campaign Manager told a reporter for the Two River Times, owned by Diane Gooch, that Anna was running again “Whether your boss plans on running or not”. This comment has sparked a “cold War” between Anna’s camp and Diane’s camp. Just plain dumb.
But perhaps it really started with Anna prior to Election Night, during the waning days of the campaign, when she alienated many of Anna’s Army by cozying up to the establishment hacks that began courting her only when it looked like she had a chance. Some thought she had abandoned the Tea Party supporters that had put her in the position to have a chance. There was talk of the Tea Party supporters “crashing” the stage when she claimed victory and had only establishment types on stage with her.
Meanwhile, back in Highlands, the Borough that has had “Little Government” for a few years, is in a fiscal nosedive. A massive budget deficit, layoffs, and talk of simply giving up and merging with Middletown or Atlantic Highlands are issues that have been left in the bag being held by the new Mayor. Is it any wonder that her hometown broke for Pallone?
Scott Sipprelle on the other hand, has now found someone besides Jamestown Associates and demographics to blame for his loss. He has been sourced as the writer of a letter sent to Mercer County GOP Chair Roy Wesley advising of a “no confidence” vote by the Mercer County Committee. (Let’s get one thing straight: Roy Wesley may very well be an incompetent Chairman. But that’s not the point)
You may recall that last Spring, Roy Wesley was the only one of five County Chairs that came out prior to any conventions and endorsed Scott Sipprelle over his opponents. Dale Florio in Somerset, Henry Kuhl in Hunterdon, Joe Leo in Middlesex and Joe Oxley in Monmouth all at least pretended to be neutral. It was only Roy Wesley, Chair in Mercer that publicly stuck his neck out for his hometown candidate.
How is he thanked? By Scott Sipprelle authoring a letter and airing Mercer County GOP dirty laundry all over the Trentonian and Politickernj. The letter clearly lays out an undercurrent of fault for Scott Sipprelle’s embarrassment in Mercer County. What the letter doesn’t mention is whether Roy Wesley was responsible for the decision to have Scott spend the last two weeks of the campaign defending himself from Rush Holt’s use of the property tax issue, instead of attacking Holt, or whether Roy Wesley was responsible for the “How do you pronounce my name” media campaign, or whether Roy Wesley was the one who told Scott to spend significant time and resources in Trenton, when he should have been increasing his lead in the suburbs.
Who are these people?
Is Scott Sipprelle a self-made millionaire with loyal Republican convictions? Or is he an ungrateful child who blames others for his short-comings?
Is Anna Little a Tea Party darling with all the right moves? Or is she an at-best average Mayor who believes her own press releases?
Posted: December 1st, 2010 | Author:Art Gallagher | Filed under:TSA | Tags:4th amendment underwear, TSA | Comments Off on Here’s a stocking stuffer for your flying friends and family
The following are excerpts of his prepared remarks:
Excerpted Remarks of Governor Chris Christie
to the Foundation for Excellence in Education
November 30, 2010
…
I know this…I would not be standing here today if it wasn’t for the fact that my parents had the opportunity to send me to the public schools that gave me the best possible education I could have.
In each one of us, there is a certain God-given ability, but that God-given ability will only take us so far.
We need someone to nurture it and draw it out of us. We see this happening today in the best schools, in the best homes and with the best teachers and parents.
But it also has to happen each and every day in what are now the worst schools by nurturing children who do not come from the best homes. We have to draw out and empower parents. And we have to demand that the teachers, the principals and the administrators put these children first.
Not themselves.
If we do not do this…If we do not change what is happening in our mediocre and poor performing schools, then we are failing our children. And continuing to play the blame game and to make excuses only makes the adults feel better.
It does nothing for our children.
…
I’m going to fight as hard as I can against those who believe that what we’re fighting for is the status quo.
Because it is not acceptable to let a teacher who can’t teach stay in the classroom. It is not acceptable that a child who is neglected in one of our schools must just accept it because of their zip code. It is not acceptable that parents who can’t afford to send their children to a private school, or aren’t lucky enough to draw a good lottery number, have no choice but to be resigned to the fact that the difference between a successful future for their child and prison has already been predetermined.
No parent should ever have to stand up in that awful moment, with their child’s future on the line, and be powerless to change the outcome. It is the terrible complacency of those who defend the status quo, those who accept these choices and circumstances for our children, that we must stand against.
This is the fight. It is not a Democratic fight. It is not a Republican fight.
This is a fight where Republicans and Democrats can stand united. One where President Obama, Mayor Booker, Bill Gates and I can all stand in agreement.
It is a fight for our children.
And yes, sometimes the fight will be angry. Sometimes the fight will be loud. Sometimes the fight will draw tears. And still, sometimes the fight will require embrace.
There is nothing more important to the future of our country than this fight, because this is the fight that will define all of the other fights. This is why we all must have the stomach and the strength to take it on.
…
We cannot let this moment pass us by. We cannot let the enthusiasm and the intensity with which our leaders have been discussing education reform diminish.
…
Failure is not an option. Which is why I would rather lose an election and lose my career, rather than look back and realize that I did not do enough, or that I put myself and my career ahead of the future lives of the children of New Jersey.
Is the bra size of Khadafi’s nurse and the fact that no one knows his routine like she does really a matter of national security? Is anyone really surprised that Saudi Arabian leaders want the U.S. to neutralize Iran? Better us than the Israelis they probably think.
Kohlmayer said,
The cables show something many have always known — that most so-called leaders and politicians are liars, schemers, crooks, egomaniacs, and incompetents.
Unfortunately, the above characterization applies also to this country’s government elites. The documents reveal these people’s duplicity and the fact that they cannot protect even their own internal data. But what would you expect of Hillary Clinton’s State Department? Would you expect it to be a well-oiled machine filled with people of high ability and integrity? But let’s not be unfair to Hillary Clinton. Government rarely does anything right. One wonders only why so many people still believe in it.
Yes, it is unfortunate that our leaders and politician are liars, schemers, crooks, egomaniacs and incompetents. I didn’t need WikiLeaks to dump cables full of gossip to tell me that. But I’m from New Jersey.
I could be proved wrong, but I don’t think this story has the legs the media elite thinks it does or that it is as earth shattering as the government elites apparently think it is.
It’s interesting to learn that our diplomats are keeping dossiers on their counterparts. Maybe it is Jersey cynic in me, but I assume the counterparts in the diplomatic community are doing the same thing to our diplomats and leaders and have been for years. Don’t you think that Russia, France or Israel had a file on Bill Clinton’s proclivities before Ken Starr’s grand jury found out about them?
Glenn Beck said the WikiLeaks don’t contain any new information, but that they are contributing to the perfect storm of anarchy and chaos that will cause the collapse of the free world. If there is nothing new, why anarchy and chaos? I need to put my tin foil cap on to understand the rest of what Beck said.
So far we are fortunate that the material that WikiLeaks has released is nothing new. It’s more entertaining than Jon Corzine’s email exchanges with Carla Katz. What is distressing is that Jon and Carla’s email was more secure than our state secrets. What is distressing is that our government can shut down websites that are selling counterfeit goods but can’t protect its electronic communications from a private in Baghdad pretending to listen to Lady Gaga.
The WikiLeaks cable dump will not be Obama’s Katrina. The cable dump is not a “game changer” favoring the GOP in the 2012 Presidential election, nor should it be. This issue will blow over before Christmas. The GOP should keep focused on the economy, the size of government and taxes and spending.
Posted: November 30th, 2010 | Author:Art Gallagher | Filed under:WikiLeaks | Tags:WikiLeaks | Comments Off on Is WikiLeaks Obama’s Katrinia?
If Hillary Clinton leaves the Obama administration, would she challenge the President in a 2012 primary, like Ted Kennedy challenged Jimmy Carter in 1980?
A credible primary challenge would increase significantly increase the odds that Obama is a one term President.
Sandy Hook Partners, LLC has been evicted from the three buildings it retained control over after its MasterLease with the National Park Service to rehabilitate Fort Hancock was terminated. The former park headquarters, the theater and the chapel were subject to the separate lease that Sandy Hook Parnters defaulted on in October.
The park service changed the locks on the buildings on November 24, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.
Sandy Hook Partners was chosen from a pool of 20 applicants to rehabilitate Fort Hancock in 2001. There plan faced strong opposition from the late Judith Stanley Coleman who formed Save Sandy Hookto oppose the private redevelopment of the fort. The Sandy Hook Partners master lease was terminated last year when the firm failed to secure financing for their plan after six extensions to the agreement.
Congressman Frank Pallone supported private redevelopment before joining the opposition. He and Congressman Rush Holt are now urging the Park Service to lease the 36 rundown buildings to non-profits on a building by building basis and not as part of an overall rehabilitation effort.
That won’t work either. If Fort Hancock is to remain a historic landmark and open to the public, federal funding is the only viable option to restore the buildings. Pallone did not have the clout to make that happen during the Clinton administration nor during the first two years of the Obama administration. Not only is it unlikely that he can get funding for it now that he is soon to be a minority member of Congress, he’s not even trying.
In the meantime the buildings continue to deteriorate. It is very likely that they will continue to decline, unless Pallone can prevail on Senators Robert Menendez and/or Frank Lautenberg to secure funding for rehabilitation.
As the Park Service seeks public input on the future of the fort, they should also consider turning it over to the military….either the adjoining Coast Guard station or to the Earle Naval Weapons Station.
