Greg’s List: Things to Do in Monmouth County This Weekend, March 29-31, 2019

By Greg Kelly

Friday, March 29

• Garden State Film Festival ’19 (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO
• Dane Cook at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• “The Producers: A Mel Brooks Musical” (Spring Lake) – MORE INFO
• Above & Beyond: Medal of Honor Exhibit at NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial (Holmdel) – MORE INFO
• Girl Scout Cookies Sale at Monmouth Mall (Eatontown) – MORE INFO
• Life is a Dream by Holmdel Theatre Company – MORE INFO
• Songs & Stories: James Dalton & Friends at Monmouth U. (WLB) – MORE INFO

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Arnone Report: Monmouth County Spending $43.8 million less than in 2010

By Tom Arnone, Monmouth County Freeholder Director

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

Happy Spring!

Last week the 2019 Monmouth County budget was approved during the March 18^th meeting of the Board of Chosen Freeholders. The adopted budget is $449.6 million, for comparison, in 2010 the County Budget peaked at $493.4 million, before its steady descent to $449.6 million in 2019, a decrease of $43.8 million.

In 2010 the County spent $173.6 million on salaries and wages, and in 2018 the county spent $166.8 million.  That amounts to a $6.8 million reduction in payroll spending while providing salary increases to our employees in each of those years, and maintaining services. This can be credited to an aggressive approach to vacancies and the provision of services including job consolidation, shared services, and outsourcing.

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Marijuana Legalization Stalled In Trenton

Senate President Steve Sweeney announced that the proposed legislation to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey does not have the 21 votes need to pass in the Senate and will not be put to a vote today as planned.

BREAKING: No pot today. pic.twitter.com/T28UGcEpXm

— Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) March 25, 2019

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New Jersey is a Sanctuary State Effective Today

The Murphy Administration’s directive that New Jersey Police and Corrections Officers thwart and/or refuse to cooperate with the enforcement of federal immigration laws took effect today, according to a NJ.com report.

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced the sanctuary policies in November:

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Facebook tweets that they are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible

We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble accessing the Facebook family of apps. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

— Facebook (@facebook) March 13, 2019

We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble accessing the Facebook family of apps. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

— Facebook (@facebook) March 13, 2019

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A Gas Tax Musing

Rosalie Avin

In 2016, Chris Christie raised our gas taxes 23 cents on the gallon. It was “HUGE” and not in the President Trump, positive way. The people of New Jersey were angered once again by Christie’s brazen disregard for the middle class. He had shown his apathy by playing with the pensions of state employees including teachers and the police. He flaunted it by refusing to negotiate contracts in a timely fashion. The one reason this tax was accepted was the governor’s promise that the money would be directed towards infrastructure.  Our roads, tunnels and bridges were in disrepair therefore the taxpayer would finance the renewal.

Christie did not keep his word. As I drove on major routes like the Garden State, I often wondered, “Where did that money go?”

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Welle not likely to run for local or state office

Josh Welle using free Wifi at Panera Bread in Ocean Township last month

In a podcast published last week, former congressional candidate Josh Welle said that if he runs for election again it will likely be for a national office and that it would likely be in 4-6 years.

Last December after he became the 20th Democrat to lose to Congressman Chris Smith, Welle told NJGlobe that he was considering a run for State Assembly  in the 13th district to replace retiring Assemblywoman Amy Handlin.

Monmouth County Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger received the GOP endorsement for Handlin’s seat at a convention in Freehold yesterday.  Democrats are set to endorse their candidates next Saturday.  Welle’s name is not in the mix for Assembly, according to a Democrat who doesn’t want to be known for talking to MMM. Read the rest of this entry »

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Geller to keynote Monmouth GOP convention

Adam Geller, President of National Research and one of President Donald Trump’s pollsters, told MMM that he will share insights into the national political environment heading into the 2020 presidential election, as well as insights into the impact of the Monmouth GOP makes beyond our county borders, when speaks to the annual Monmouth County Republican Nominating Convention on Saturday morning at iPlayAmerica in Freehold Township.

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YMCA honors Congressman Chris Smith

The New Jersey YMCA State Alliance and other NJ branches of the Young Men’s Christian Association, joined the national organization in honoring Congressman Chris Smith on Wednesday morning in Washington during their YMCA Champions Breakfast on Capitol Hill.

Smith was named a Congressional Champion for, among other things, his efforts to restore the ability of middle class taxpayers to deduct charitable contributions from their federal income taxes.

H.R. 651, a bill authored by Smith and introduced in January, would allow taxpayers to deduct 100% of their charitable deductions from their federal income taxes, even if they opt to use the standard deduction instead of itemizing their deductions. Read the rest of this entry »

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Greg’s List: Things to Do in Monmouth County This Weekend, March 8-10, 2019

By Greg Kelly

Friday, March 8

• Mamma Mia at Axelrod PAC (Deal) – MORE INFO
• The Source by NJ Repertory Company (Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• “All Shook Up” by CBA’s Pegasus Productions (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• Girl Scout Cookies Sale at Monmouth Mall (Eatontown) – MORE INFO
• “Nunsense” at Jersey Shore Arts Center (Ocean Grove) – MORE INFO
• “Steel Magnolias” at Monmouth U. (WLB) – MORE INFO
• “Crazy for You” by Middletown High School – MORE INFO

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