When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…

Former Democratic Senate, Assembly and Freeholder candidate Lenny Inzerillo and Democratic Gubernatorial candidate posing with pizza this evening at a Middletown Democratic fundraiser. facebook photo

• Tweet

O’Scanlon Endorsed By NRA PAC

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon has been endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund for the June 4th Republican primary in the 13th legislative district.

In an email to their members in the 13th district, NRA-PV said,

“Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon is rated “A” by the NRA-PVF and has been a proven Second Amendment supporter throughout his tenure in the state legislature.  He has been vocal in his support of your Second Amendment rights and has stood strong against anti-gun lawmakers pushing their radical agenda in Trenton.  Declan O’Scanlon has stood by gun owners in New Jersey by consistently voting against onerous gun proposals, including sweeping ammunition bans, magazine capacity restrictions, one-gun-a-month limitation, and more.

On Election Day, remember your gun rights are at stake and Vote Freedom First by voting to reelect Declan O’Scanlon for Assemblyman in District 13.”

O’Scanlon welcomed the endorsement as a confirmation of his conservative credentials by “one of the most effective advocacy groups in the nation.”

“This is confirmation that my opponents have be lying about my record and confirmation that my opponents have no integrity,”O’Scanlon said, “The NRA knows enough to say away from my opponents,

“As the only candidate endorsed by the NRA-PV in the district, I enthusiastically endorse Senator Joe Kyrillos and Assemblywoman Amy Handlin.”

Barbara Gonzalez, co-founder of the Bayshore Tea Party Group which is supporting O’Scanlon’s opponents in the primary did not respond to a request for comment.

UPDATE

Gonzalez responded to MMM late last evening, declining to comment. “Nope….your blog has become trashy.  Just….nope,” she wrote.

• Tweet

Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, May 31-June 2, 2013 #STTS

SPONSORED BY SEASTREAK

By Greg Kelly

Friday, May 31

• Natural Horsemanship Demonstration (Middletown) – MORE INFO

• Monmouth County Beaches Guide 2013 – MORE INFO

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

• Red Bank Riverfest Food & Music Festival – MORE INFO

• Jon Rakestraw Concert (Belmar) – MORE INFO

• Requiem by Monmouth Civic Chorus (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• The Stars of Rock ‘n’ Roll at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Paint the Town Pink 2013 – MORE INFO

• Toyota Summernationals at Raceway Park (Englishtown) – MORE INFO

• Ballroom, Latin, Swing & Salsa Dancing (Sea Girt) – MORE INFO

• Tom Keifer at The Stone Pony (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO

*     *     *

Saturday, June 1

• Red Bank Riverfest Food & Music Festival – MORE INFO

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

The other GOP candidate for governor

By Seth Grossman

Gov. Christie is not yet running for reelection against state Sen. Barbara Buono (D., Middlesex). He is not officially the Republican party nominee until he defeats his GOP opponent in the June 4 primary election. That opponent is me.

With such a small percentage of voters taking part in primary elections, one vote carries more weight than in November general elections. That’s why primary challenges terrify the insiders who dominate the Democratic and Republican parties with big campaign contributions.

I am running for governor against Christie because I am far more qualified to shrink the size and cost of government, to cut taxes, business, and insurance costs, and to rebuild the New Jersey economy.

Growing up in Atlantic City, I heard stories of how the town thrived during the Depression because people who lost their jobs started new businesses. They never could have been successful if they were burdened with all the regulations and need for lawyers, consultants, permits, and political “access” that are par for the course for starting a business today.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Buono to Obama: “Hello Mr. President, I’m Barbara Buono”

Today was another disastrous day for Barbara ‘Dawn Quixote’ Buono.

The presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee’s campaign announced this morning that the candidate would have a private meeting with President Obama in Asbury Park.  They later retracted the statement when news broke that Buono was one of about thirty people to meet the president in Asbury Park’s Convention Hall prior to Obama delivering his public remarks.

When Obama met Buono, he did not know who she was, according to a source who was in the room.  “Barbara had to introduce herself to the president,” the source told MMM.

“A senior admin official says that Barbara Buono, a Democrat running for NJ  governor, was part of a group of approximately 30 state and local officials who met briefly with Obama before his speech in Asbury Park today. There were both  Democrats and Republicans among the state/local electeds present. There was a  photo line but no separate meeting,” according to a pool report from Obama’s  trip.

• Tweet

Thank you, Mr. President! #STTS

By Art Gallagher

Many of my conservative friends and colleagues are panning President Obama’s  and Governor Christie’s visit to Asbury Park and Point Pleasant Beach as lacking substance.  Some say the presidential visit amounts to Christie assisting Obama in changing the subject away from the scandals the Administration is embroiled in; the IRS, James Rosen, AP, Benghazi.

My friends, you have partisan blinders on.

Last week the Washington Post published an article about regular Jersey Shore vacationers heading to Delaware and North Carolina beaches for their summer vacations, because they think New Jersey is not ready for them this year.

Obama’s remarks today were part sales pitch for the Jersey Shore and part pep talk for those of us who are still fighting and weary, seven months after Superstorm Sandy, to recover.  Both the sales pitch and the pep talk were badly needed.

Obama’s visit and remarks will dominate the news cycle for the next 24 hours, or so, give or take.  The message he delivered to the world today will bring vacationers and their money to the Jersey Shore.  The impact will save businesses, create jobs and help make everything All Right.

Next week Congress will be back in session and the investigations will continue.  Right now, I’m more interested in the people who are making their vacation plans this week and in my neighbors who are on the verge of giving up, this week.

Thank you, Mr. President.

• Tweet

Obama Praises Christie

The Asbury Park Press is reporting the White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that President Obama thinks Governor Chris Christie has done and excellent job rebuilding the Jersey shoreline.

PolitickerNJ reports that the president will meet privately with Christie’s presumed reelection opponent, State Senator Barbara Buono, in Asbury Park’s Convention Hall prior to speaking publically.

• Tweet

More Hypocrisy, Ignorance and Incompetence from Peters, Bayshore Tea Party Backed Primary Slate

‘Queen’ Barbara Gonzalez of The Bayshore Tea Party Group via facebook. Click for larger view

“There will be no double dipping when I am Sheriff,” Dan Peters, the Bayshore Tea Party backed candidate for sheriff said when he introduced himself to the group back in early April, and the last time he talked to MMM in person or on the phone.  Peters was referring to retired police officers working for the Sheriff’s Office, while also collecting a pension.

After repeated attempts to question Peters, MMM was finally successful in engaging the candidate on facebook a couple of weeks ago.  We asked him, given that he is collecting a disability police pension himself, if he would be working for free if elected Sheriff or if he would be giving up his pension.

Peters responded that he would implement a system whereby retired officers salaries are reduced by the amount of their pensions.  This would be a significant savings for the taxpayers, he said.

Not a bad idea, if he could pull it off.  But how could he?   He couldn’t.  Why would a retired police officer take a job with a $90,000 salary, for example, but only get paid $8000 if his/her $82,000 pension off set his salary?  He/she wouldn’t, especially if a similar job where both a pension and salary could be collected was available in another county.  Peters proposal would only result in Monmouth County losing out on the best talent.

For Peters idea (if it is indeed his idea) to work, would require statewide pension reform.  It would require legislation to be passed in both house of the legislature and to be signed into law by the governor.

Well, it turns out there is legislation pending in both the Assembly and Senate now that would accomplish the goal.   Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, who is also being challenged by the Bayshore Tea Party Group backed slate of candidates, is one of the primary sponsors of the bill.

Other Monmouth County legislators sponsoring the bill are Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande as primary sponsor and Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini as cosponsor.  Senator Jennifer Beck is a primary sponsor in the Senate.

• Tweet

Peters: If you think things are great in Monmouth County, DON’T VOTE–STAY HOME

Dan Peters: if you’re happy and you know it, don’t vote!

If you think Monmouth County is a great place to live, Bayshore Tea Party backed Sheriff Candidate Dan Peters doesn’t want you to vote in the primary on June 4, a week from today.

In a bizarre blog post on Middletown Patch, Peters, a former Middlesex County police officer collecting a disability pension and a former salesman for a red light camera company, said,

“If you think things are great here in Monmouth County then don’t vote — stay home. If you KNOW things can be better and want better vote for line 3. We are tea party approved!”

Voter suppression is the new credo of the Tea Party?

Peters is making his third attempt to direct the Sheriff’s Office, since he moved to Monmouth County. He withdrew his 2007 candidacy because he did not qualify under the three year residency requirement. Maybe the next time he runs, the Black Panthers will support him.

Peters said that the “sheriff’s department” (it is actually called the “Sheriff’s Office”) has not had a change in leadership in 25 years.

“The sheriff’s department has had the same leadership for over twenty five years. As a matter of fact until recently there has not been a Sheriff in Monmouth County that had any police or public safety experience. In that time there has been no change in its direction or vision.”

When he withdrew his 2007 candidacy due to not meeting the residency requirement, Peters called the “department” a “premier law enforcement agency.”

Our vision is clear for safety and security here in Monmouth County and enabling the Sheriffs Department to continue being a premier law enforcement agency.

In fact, Monmouth County has had four sheriffs in the last 33 years. William Lanzaro was elected in 1980 and served through 1995 after being defeated by Joe Oxley in the Republican primary.  Oxley, a former prosecutor, declined to seek a fifth term in 2007 as a protest over the direction then Monmouth GOP Chairman Adam Puharic was leading the Party. Oxley went on to replace Puharic as chairman a year later.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Where’s the fleece? #STTS

Photo: Ocean City Patch

Thanksgiving like weather did not keep thousands of people from flocking to the Jersey Shore for the Memorial Day Weekend summer kickoff.

A rapidly slimming Governor Chris Christie braved the cold and dressed for the calendar and cameras.  From the looks of the OceanCityPatch photos, there was no lack of warmth for Christie coming from the swarming crowd.

It took 45 minutes for Christie to move from the boardwalk ramp at Eighth Street three doors down to Manco & Manco Pizza through a mosh pit of well-wishers hoping to shake hands or rub elbows with the rising Republican star. Even outside the swarm of onlookers around Eighth Street, the boardwalk was jammed with visitors on the sunny but brisk first day of the holiday weekend.

Christie crept along to the popular pizza store to greet co-owner Chuck Bangle and a host of Ocean City officials and community leaders in a staged photo-op.

Christie’s visit included no speech to the public and no comment on issues related to the storm — just an opportunity for the governor to meet and greet shore residents and visitors.

As a crowd waited for the governor’s arrival, his staff announced that Christie would walk from Eighth Street past Gillian’s Wonderland Pier to Sixth Street. But after about an hour and a half, Christie had not made it to Seventh Street.

Photo:OceanCity Patch

No one complained about beach badges.

• Tweet