Gopal Beating Beck Was No Upset. It Was Gerrymandering and Camden Colonialism

By Tommy DeSeno

Election night we listened to pundit after pundit (some admitting they know little about the 11^th District) proclaim Vin Gopal’s victory over Senator Jen Beck was an “upset.”  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Every indicia of prognostication said Vin Gopal was the favorite, and it starts with the previous census.

I’ve lamented for some time that voting in “districted elections” is like not voting at all.  After each census, 10 political big shots, 5 from each party, meet in a hotel room and draw crazy lines that allow them to divvy up the state between the two parties.  Democrats having an advantage in this state, their “map” wins, by an 11^th man tiebreaker.  This is followed by us sheep doing our civic duty and voting even though the pols already stacked the demographic deck.  The winning party acts like it was political prowess that won them the election, when in fact the day was won in the hotel room where the map is drawn every 10 years.  This system is an inhibitor of democracy. Read the rest of this entry »

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Greg’s List: Things to Do in Monmouth County This Weekend, November 17-19, 2017

By Greg Kelly

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Friday, November 17

• Library Fall Book Sale (Shrewsbury) – MORE INFO
• Seussical at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• Sherlock Holmes by RFH Tower Players (Rumson) – MORE INFO
• Mutual Philanthropy by NJ Repertory Company (Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• The Importance of Being Earnest at TRT (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• “Hair” at Monmouth University (West Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• Our Town at Navesink Arts Center (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO

Read the rest of this entry »

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Tony Perry Sworn In As Middletown Township Committeeman

Tony Perry, 27, was unanimously selected by the Middletown Township Committee to fill the vacancy created by Stephen Massell’s resignation as the first order of business of the Committee’s meeting last night at Town Hall.

Senator Joe Kyrillos issued the Oath of Office to the millennial Committeeman as his wife, Allanah held the Bible, and his parents, Scott and Colleen, stood with support and pride. Read the rest of this entry »

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Senator Sam Thompson invited to White House conference on State & Local Government Tax Reform

Senator Sam Thompson (R-LD12) has been invited to the White House.

The senator from Old Bridge who has been hailed as a leader in the fight for tax reform by Americans for Prosperity and the National Federal of Small Businesses, will attend a White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs discussion on State and Local Government Tax Reform and Economic Competitiveness on Thursday afternoon, November 16, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by MMM. Read the rest of this entry »

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Freeholder John Curley hires high powered attorney

Freeholder John P. Curley

Monmouth County Freeholder John Curley has hired Angelo Genova, Co-founding partner and Chairman of the powerful law firm GenovaBurns, to represent him in an unspecified matter that Curley apparently wants to keep from becoming public.

Genova sent MMM publisher Art Gallagher the following email at 8:21 p.m. on November 9, 2017: Read the rest of this entry »

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Kyrillos is appointed to the board of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ

Governor Chris Christie appointed Senator Joe Kyrillos to the board of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s largest health insurance company, yesterday.

Kyrillos did not seek reelection to the State Senate this year and will retire from the legislature in January. Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon was elected on Tuesday to fill the 13th district’s seat in the upper chamber.

Horizon insures approximately 3.8 million New Jersey residents, according to its 2016 annual report.  The company had $12 billion in revenue in 2016 and $85 million in net income.

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Greg’s List: Things to Do in Monmouth County This Weekend, November 10-12, 2017

By Greg Kelly

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Friday, November 10

• Seussical at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• College Women’s Basketball: Monmouth U. vs. Sacred Heart (WLB) – MORE INFO
• College Men’s Basketball: Monmouth U. vs. Bucknell (WLB) – MORE INFO
• “Hair” at Monmouth University (West Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• Improvedy: Spontaneous Comedy at Monmouth U. (WLB) – MORE INFO
• Jersey Shore Restaurant Week (Monmouth County) – MORE INFO
• Mutual Philanthropy by NJ Repertory Company (Long Branch) – MORE INFO

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Dems Pick Up Key Seats in Legislature, GOP Takes Several Tight Races

Senate President Steve Sweeney fought off a surprisingly tough challenge from his Republican opponent, funded by NJEA money. New Jersey voters went to the polls yesterday and turned their attention to all 120 seats in the Legislature, ending a busy election season that was rife with special interest spending, political attack ads and controversial mailers, as… Read the rest of this entry »

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Handlin and DiMaso win in LD 13

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, Freeholder Serena DiMaso and Hazlet Mayor Sue Kilely

Assemlywoman Amy Handlin and Freeholder Serena DiMaso will be representing the 13th legisltive district in Trenton.

NJTV inaccurately reported that DiMaso lost.  She won.  Stop texting her condolences and stop calling me to ask what happen.  DiMaso won!

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Braswell and Ryan Win in Highlands

Ken Braswell and Rosemary Ryan have won the two Borough Council seats on the ballot in Highlands.

The unofficial machine tally in the non-partisan election is Ryan 683, Braswell 558.  Greg Wells got 406 votes, former Mayor Frank Nolan 274 and John Colbeg 108

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