ELEC Reporting Lacks Transparency

NJ ELEC needs to improve its service to the citizens of New Jersey

By Harold V. Kane

Harold V. Kane

The print and electronic media have, since last September, shone a spotlight on the Middlesex County Democrats fundraising activities. The Democrats established a number of Political Action Committees designed to subvert the 2006 changes to the NJ election finance laws. The question arises-why did they think that they could get away with it, when all contributions are reported to the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission. One answer could be because of a flaw in the ELEC computer program. The ELEC program is, at best, difficult to use. However once persons making queries understands how the programs work, then they also determine that all contributions and expenditures are there, somewhere. Even the administrators/treasurers for the Democrat PACs dutifully complied with the reporting requirements.

The ELEC reporting program offers a category of “Simple Search by Contributor”. When a user clicks on this category a page opens that states: “The Simple Search will search the campaign finance database for a contributor to campaigns, Political Party Committees, Legislative Leadership Committees and Political Action Committees.” Except that it doesn’t!

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Joseph T. Oxley: Rest In Peace

Joseph T. Oxley

Joseph T. Oxley, father of Monmouth County Republican Chairman Joseph W. Oxley, passed away last evening at 10:18 after a long battle with cancer. He was born on July 31, 1930.

Oxley, with his beloved wife of 57 years, Ruth, who passed on February 20th, contributed to the lives of countless Monmouth County children over a 52 year span as the owners of the Monmouth Day Camp in Middletown.

Joseph was an educator. A Long Branch High School graduate,  he received his B.S. degree in Education from Lebanon Valley College and his M.Ed from Rutgers.  He was a teacher and a coach at Fort Lee High School and at Raritan High School.  He started the football program at Raritan and is a member of the school’s Hall of Fame.

He was a graduate of the aquatic school at Camp Mahopac, New York and was a Red Cross instructor in swimming, life saving and first aid.

Joseph was inducted into the Lebanon Valley College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.  He was also enshrined in the Long Branch High School Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his 5 children, 4 sons and a daughter, their spouses, and 12 grandchildren.

UPDATE

Vistation will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2PM-4pm, 7PM -9PM and on Weds, May 9, 2PM-4PM and 7PM-9PM at the John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindal Ave, Middletown.

A Funeral Liturgy will be offered on Thursday, May 10, 10:30 am at St. Mary’s Chapel, 26 Leonardville Rd, Middletown.  Burial will follow at Mt. Olive Cemetery, Middletown.

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Garden State Equality Claims They’re Close To Marriage Equality Overide

Could Gay Marriage Be An Issue In The U.S. Senate Race?

In an email to his membership this afternoon, Garden State Equality President Steven Goldstein claimed that the New Jersey State Legislature is close to overriding Governor Chris Christie’s veto of the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemptions Act:

This has already been the most productive year in our organization’s history.  We passed marriage equality through both houses of the legislature, and quickly followed that up with the passage and signing into law of a new school bullying bill.  In recent weeks, we’ve been laying the groundwork to achieve marriage equality through an override of Governor Christie’s veto.  Since the legislature voted to pass marriage equality in February, we’ve won over another couple of legislators to our side.   If you signed up to form an Override Club of your friends and neighbors in your legislative district to help us strategize and organize for marriage equality locally, we’ll be calling you soon.

Friends, we are closer to seeing marriage equality become law in New Jersey than we ever thought would be possible under a Governor opposed to marriage equality.  I swear to God, if someone would have told me a couple of years ago – when we all assumed we’d have to wait until another Governor to win – that we could be this unbelievably close this soon, frankly I’d have told them they were crazy.  Our momentum is stunning.  Our dream is in our grasp.  And we have you to thank.  You never stopped believing.  Together, we have never let up.

“It’s not happening,” said a GSE sympathiser who asked not to be identified, “Steve must be trying to gin up his troops or raise money.  An override is less likely now than it was in February.”

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Victim of MF Global Fraud Joins Senator Kyrillos in Asking Menendez to Recuse Himself from MF Global Investigation

Family practitioners John and Alieta Eck lost $200,000 in non-investment MF Global account

Middletown, April 4… Today, Piscataway family practitioners, Drs. John and Alieta Eck, joined Senator Kyrillos in asking U.S. Senator Bob Menendez to recuse himself from the Senate Banking Committee’s investigation into the collapse of MF Global. The Doctors Eck had $200,000 in a non-investment account that was completely wiped out as a result of the company’s collapse. They have not received any repayment of their money from MF Global.

“My wife and I were devastated when money that we though was safe was taken from us with no explanation. We were counting on this money for our retirement, and now we many never see it again. We stand firmly with Senator Kyrillos in asking Bob Menendez to step aside from the MF Global investigation proceedings. The fact that Menendez failed to even mention the CEO Jon Corzine by name demonstrates that he is putting his personal relationship with Corzine ahead of the investors of MF global and the people of New Jersey. This requires a fair and comprehensive investigation, not a political whitewash.”

Yesterday, Senator Kyrillos, called on Menendez to recuse himself from the Senate Banking Committee investigation, citing a conflict of interest.

“Recent press accounts and Menendez’s own actions during investigatory hearings are making it seem as if he is trying to protect the man who appointed him to the Senate. As a Senate committee with direct oversight of the MF Global regulators, it is Menendez’s duty to put his personal ties aside, and get to the bottom of this. That is why he needs to recuse himself from further proceedings immediately.”

Last week during the hearing, Senator Menendez made it a point to steer the Committee’s investigation away from Corzine’s role in MF Global collapse: See no evil. Hear no evil.

Previously, the Star Ledger’s Auditor shed light on the Menendez duck: “Menendez [is] not keen to question Jon Corzine on MF Global scandal on Senate Banking committee.”

The column continued, saying Menendez doesn’t want to be “questioning the man who handed him his current job.”

WATCH VIDEO: Menendez makes it a point to steer the Committee’s investigation away from Corzine’s role in MF Global collapse: See no evil. Hear no evil.

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Bennett: “I would be interested” in chairmanship

Former Senate President John O. Bennett, III told MMM that he is interested in seeking the Monmouth County GOP Chairmanship.

“I’ve declined many times in the past and I support Joe Oxley as Chairman,” said Bennett, “however if he becomes a judge, I would be interested. ”

Bennett said he would talk it over with his family before moving forward.

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Oxley to be nominated to Superior Court

Photo credit: Scarcini, Hollenbeck

Governor Chris Christie has notified the State Senate of his intention to nominate Monmouth County Republican Chairman Joe Oxley to a seat on the Superior Court.

Gannett’s Michael Symons broke the news yesterday on the Capital Quickies blog.  The nomination was not included in the Governor’s email announcement of appointments and nominations yesterday but appears under Senate nominations on the legislature’s website.  Hat tip to Symons for thorough reporting.

Rumors of Oxley being appointed to the Monmouth County Vicinage were feverish throughout the Monmouth County legal community last November when the State Police was calling Oxley’s associates as part of the background check required before a judicial nomination.

Oxley told MMM at the time that unless the nomination was official, he would seek a third term as Chairman.   It appears to be official and the Monmouth GOP would appear to be heading into a race for a new Chairman on June 12th

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Why does President Obama take so much credit for killing bin Laden?

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Cullari Assails Little’s Record as Mayor

Ernesto Cullari’s primary campaign for the GOP congressional nomination in the 6th district of New Jersey followed this mornings rebuke of Monmouth County Tea Party Coalition leader Frank Cotton with an attack on former Highlands Mayor Anna Little’s conservative credentials.

“A Record of Backdoor Tax Increases,”  is how the Cullari campaign characterised Little’s tenure as mayor from 2008 through 2010, citing  borough ordinances:

So-called TEA (taxed enough already) Party activists and former mayor Anna Little has a strange obsession with taxing residents of the Highlands through back door fees, fines, and license increases during her time as mayor.

 

During the worst recession since the Great Depression mayor Anna Little sneakily increased numerous borough fees, fines, and licenses pushing struggling families and businesses closer to the edge!

Little has not returned a call for comment and her campaign does not have a spokes person.

This is just the beginning, according to a source familiar with the Cullari campaign’s plan for the next month.  Little’s record as mayor, freeholder and the public record of her law practice will all be subject to public scrutiny over the remaining 32 days of the primary campaign.

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Governor Christie to hold town hall meeting in Freehold, Tuesday, May 8

Governor Chris Christie will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, May 8, 11am, at the National Guard Armory, 635 Park Ave (Business Rt 33), in Freehold.

Seating is on a first come, fist served basis and is open to the public.  The doors will open at 10:15 am.

The Governor’s office requests you RSVP here in order that they can best accommodate the demand for seating.

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Bayshore Tea Party Group Announces Endorsements

The Bayshore Tea Party Group announced the following endorsements this afternoon:

GOP CD-6 primary:  Anna Little

GOP CD-7 primary: David Larsen

GOP U.S. Senate primary: Bader Qarmout

The announcement stated simply, “We are proud to announce our support of the above candidates and look forward to working with them in their efforts to represent us.”

Little, the former mayor of Highlands, a former Monmouth County Freeholder and the 2010 GOP nominee in CD-6, is facing off with Asbury Park businessman and triCityNews columnist Ernesto Cullari for the nomination to take on Congressman Frank Pallone in the sixth district which is comprised of coastal northern Monmouth County and much of Middlesex County.  Little received the Republican part endorsement from the Middlesex GOP.  Cullari received the Monmouth GOP endorsement.

Larsen is taking a second primary run at incumbent GOP Congressman Leonard Lance in the 7th district which includes all of Hunterdon County, parts of Morris, Somerset, Warren and Union Counties and Millburn Township in Essex County.  Lance received the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on May 2.

Qarmout is running against State Senator Joe Kyrillos for the nomination to unseat U.S. Senator Bob Menendez.

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