Christie Administration Announces Federal Supplemental Social Services Block Grant To Assist Superstorm Sandy Victims

Funds Will Reinforce Social Services Programs and Continue to Assist New Jerseyans’ Personal Recovery Efforts

Trenton, NJ – The Christie Administration today announced that it received authorization to spend $209 million of a supplemental social services block grant (SSBG) from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families on services provided to victims of Superstorm Sandy. The funding is allocated to the Department of Human Services (DHS) and shared with the Departments of Health (DOH) and Children and Families (DCF) for eligible expenditures.

“The physical rebuilding of structures and the removal of debris are just one part of New Jersey’s efforts to recover from Superstorm Sandy,” said Governor Chris Christie. “Another stage of that recovery is the healing process, which many of our impacted residents have been undergoing over the last eight months through social services programs available to them. New Jersey will use these grant funds to reinforce our social services infrastructure so that we can continue to support Sandy survivors’ ongoing personal recovery efforts.”

The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act provided about $500 million to five states for expenses related to recovery and rebuilding. New Jersey received almost half of the total allotment. SSBG funds are designed to address necessary expenses resulting from Superstorm Sandy, including social, health, and behavioral health services, as well as the repair, renovation and rebuilding of health care, child care and other social services facilities.

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Both GOP Candidates Favor Marriage Equality

The two candidates competing for the Republican nomination to complete the late U. S. Senator Frank Lautenberg’s term favor same sex marriage being legal.

Reacting to the U. S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan said,

“Today’s decision is the unfortunate result of an activist, liberal court that has little respect for the Constitution and our nation’s founding principles. While I believe government should not be in the business of marriage, it is not the Supreme Court’s responsibility to make that decision. Laws should be made by legislatures, not by unelected judges. To do so is a usurpation of our democratic tradition at the heart of this country’s founding.”

I wonder if Lonegan would have called the decision “unfortunate” if the Court ruled that the government should not be in the business of marriage.

UPDATE  A few readers have mentioned that Lonegan’s statement does not make it clear that he favors marriage equality.  Here it is: While I believe government should not be in the business of marriage ….

If government doesn’t regulate marriage and who can get married, than same sex couples can be married.

Dr. Alieta Eck said,

“While I personally believe that traditional marriage is an important institution to defend, the Supreme Court was correct in rejecting a federal attempt to define it. Marriage is a religious institution. There was a time when the general consensus agreed with organized religion, but those times have passed. We must never abandon the Constitution in guarding equal protection and free association under the law.”

The four candidates competing for the Democratic Senate nomination, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Congressman Frank Pallone, Congressman Rush Holt and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver also support marriage equality.

The Democratic and Republican nominations for Senate will be decided in special primaries to be held on August 13.  The new senator will be elected in a special election to be held on October 16.

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Watch Carefully For Rip Currents Today

From the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office:

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ABC, Cops in Shops, Preventing Underage Drinking

As Revelers Return to Jersey Shore, Cops in Shops back for 17th Year

Division of Alcohol Beverage Control graphic

BELMAR – With the business of summer getting back to usual at  the Jersey Shore, the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control today joined with other  state, county and local officials to announce the summer kickoff of its  successful “Cops in Shops” enforcement initiative.

Under  the program, local police officers work undercover in participating retail  locations. Law enforcement officials either pose as store employees or are positioned  outside the establishment to apprehend adults who attempt to purchase alcohol  for underage drinkers. Cops in Shops is a program designed by the Century  Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by distillers. The New  Jersey Cops in Shops program is recognized nationally as a successful program.

“Hurricane Sandy did some damage, but we are proud to be back here at the Shore,” said Division  of Alcoholic Beverage Control Director Michael Halfacre. “Given the incredible  progress this area has made in the last eight months, people are again flocking  to their favorite spots along the Jersey Shore. They’re back, which means we’re back.”

“Attitudes among some adults and young people about the dangers of  underage drinking can range from indifferent to dismissive, making our job that  much more challenging. But that’s a challenge we embrace at the ABC because we  are committed to preserving the physical and emotional health of the young people in New Jersey,”  he said.

This  summer, 28 Shore police departments are participating in the program, with approximately $61,000 in funding provided by the Division of Highway Traffic  Safety.

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Bobby Can’t Voo Doo Like Drew Do Voo Doo

Keyport Thursdays Kicks Off With 2000+ Visitors At Stronger Than The Storm Throwdown

With over 2000 Superstorm Sandy survivors cheering him on, Drew Araneo had the home field advantage in the Voo Doo Shrimp Throw Down against celebrity chef Bobby Flay as the Keyport Bayshore Business Cooperative kicked off their Keyport Thursdays promotion with a big assist from the State of New Jersey’s Stronger Than The Storm campaign.

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O’Scanlon Bill Increases Penalties For Phoney Robocalls

Wake voters up with a 4am robocall purporting to be your political opponents and you could go to jail for 3-5 years if legislation proposed by Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon becomes law.

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

O’Scanlon and his colleague, Assemblyman Scott Rumana of Wayne, have proposed amending the “Fair Campaign Practices Act,” to provide that no person can direct, order or assist another person to produce, transmit or disseminate any communication that purports to originate from the campaign of a candidate for public office but is actually for the purpose of impeding the campaign of that candidate.  Such activity would become a third degree crime which calls for a 3 to 5 year prison term and a fine of up to $15,000.

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Money Can’t Buy Love For Pallone

Congressman Frank Pallone has the weakest support of the four candidates vying the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, according to a Kean University poll released yesterday, three weeks into the ten week campaign for the nod.

Of the 366 likely Democratic voters Kean surveyed, only 6% say they will vote for Pallone of August 13.  49% say they favor Newark Mayor Cory Booker.  Congressman Rush Holt and State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver each are supported by 9%.  5% favor an other candidate and 22% are unsure.

In a June 10 Quinnipiac poll that did not include Oliver, Pallone came in last with 9% to Booker’s 53% and Holt’s 10%.

Both polls were taken before Pallone asked for and received MoreMonmouthMusings endorsement.

Pallone had $3.7 million in campaign cash as of his March filing with the Federal Election Commission.  Booker had $1.6 million and Holt had $797 thousand.

Steve Lonegan is leading Dr. Alieta Eck, 45%-15% among the 321 Republican voters Kean surveyed.

Governor Christie’s approval rating is 70% and wins reelection over State Senator Barbara Buono by 30 points, according to the Kean poll.

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County This Weekend, June 28-30, 2013

SPONSORED BY SEASTREAK

By Greg Kelly

Friday, June 28

• Colts Neck Country Fair – MORE INFO

• Jersey Shore Greek Festival (Ocean Twp) – MORE INFO

• Happy at NJ Repertory Theatre (Long Branch) – MORE INFO

• Courtney Love at The Stone Pony (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO

• Present Laughter at TRT (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Wall Township Fair – MORE INFO

• Pier Village Sidewalk Sale (Long Branch) – MORE INFO

• Lone Ramblers Country Rock (Belmar) – MORE INFO

• David Byrne & St. Vincent at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Peace, Love & Art! (Middletown) – MORE INFO

• Sport Literature Association Conference at Monmouth U (WLB) – MORE INFO

• Rumson-Fair Haven Run – MORE INFO

• Ice Cream Sundae & Boat Tour (Howell) – MORE INFO

• Seining at the Bayshore (Port Monmouth) – MORE INFO

• Nancy Scharff God & Country Concert (MIddletown) – MORE INFO

• New Jersey State Fair (Meadowlands) – MORE INFO

*     *     *

Saturday, June 29

• Wall Township Fair – MORE INFO

• Summer Flea Market at Allaire Village – MORE INFO

• NY Mets vs. Nationals via Seastreak Ferry (Highlands) – MORE INFO

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Who Makes The Best Vodoo Shrimp? #STTS

Drew Araneo

The Food Network’s Chef Bobby Flay will face off in a Voodoo Shrimp Throw Down against Keyport’s Drew Araneo of Drew’s Bayshore Bistro  Thursday afternoon at Keyport’s Waterfront on American Legion Drive.

The event sponsored by New Jersey Stronger than the Storm and the Keyport Bayfront Business Cooperative starts at 2PM.  The gates open at 1pm.  Bring a chair.

Governor Chris Christie will be on hand to kick off the festivities. The Culinary MC, Billy Harris is the Master of Ceremonies.

Disco Queen Gloria Gaynor will survive as a celebrity judge and never says good bye to good shrimp.  James Oseland, editor-in-chef of Saveur Magazine and former NBA star Darryl Dawkins will also be celebrity judges.

There is no charge to attend the event.

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SCOTUS: Same Sex Marriage Is Legal In California

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled on jurisdictional grounds that the Supreme Court of California had the right to overturn the Proposition 8 referendum to amended the State’s which made same sex marriage illegal.

The effect of the ruling is that same sex marriage is legal in California.

From SCOTUSblog:

Here’s a Plain English take on Hollingsworth v. Perry, the challenge to the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage:  After the two same-sex couples filed their challenge to Proposition 8 in federal court in California, the California government officials who would normally have defended the law in court, declined to do so.  So the proponents of Proposition 8 stepped in to defend the law, and the California Supreme Court (in response to a request by the lower court) ruled that they could do so under state law.  But today the Supreme Court held that the proponents do not have the legal right to defend the law in court.  As a result, it held, the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the intermediate appellate court, has no legal force, and it sent the case back to that court with instructions for it to dismiss the case

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