Four years ago a young software engineer from Long Branch decided to serve his country and attempt to right the wrongs of Washington by running for Congress against Frank Pallone.
Jim was shunned by the Monmouth GOP back in 2008. He wasn’t allowed into the nominating convention that awarded the 6th district line to Bob McLeod and the U.S. Senate line to Andrew Unanue.
Hogan lost the primary to McLeod. Rather than go away angry, or stay around angry, Hogan volunteered for McLeod’s futile effort to unseat Pallone. He started a blog, became the ideal county committee member, and volunteered his time, talent, good humor and good nature to Monmouth County and Long Branch GOPs.
Sadly for America, but happily for his family and employer, Hogan has regained his mind and lost his motivation to change the world. He announced today that he is closing his blog and will not seek another term on the county committee from Long Branch.
I wish my friend well. He knows he is always welcome to contribute here. He has his own access to MMM. I look forward to the day when something moves him to write and he surprises me with a post that makes me laugh while exposing an infuriating circumstance of government malfeasance.
Godspeed my friend. Make money. Enjoy your family. Enjoy your life.
And I’ve been meaning to tell you, you’re not really that ugly.
By Ernesto Cullari, also published in the March 15, 2012 edition of the triCityNews
I was 4 years old when my grandfather bought me my first bike. It was fire engine red. During the summer of ‘76 he taught me how to ride that bike and it was with joy and fear that I sought to balance myself on two wheels for the very first time. With one hand on the handlebars and one hand on the back of the seat he would push me, until finally one day he just let me go. I remember feeling thrilled and terrified at the sensation of freedom, it was like sleeping in the dark for the first time with the night-light out. Facing the unknown emboldened me. There are certain joys that we can only know as children: the bonds built with grandparents, triumphs over first fears and the feeling that you come from a uniquely special place, like America.
My grandfather was from the Philippines and during that summer of BBQ’s and fireworks and drive in movie theaters, he often shared with me his joy, his genuine gratitude and happiness with being an American. He didn’t proselytize to me in words. He simply told me what the American Bicentennial was about and the rest of his love for America he shared with me through his actions. He took me everywhere with him.
He often helped Filipino families that had just arrived in America to find work and to network with others that had been here longer and I tagged along with him as he made his rounds in the Filipino communities of East Orange, Union and Piscataway.
My grandfather was not a rich man, by any means, but he owned a home, he owned a car that he bought in cash and he bought and sold various businesses and modest rental properties. He was living the American dream out loud and he allowed me to share the joys of that dream with him.
With that said, I do not recognize the country that we live in today. It bares a striking resemblance to the America that I grew up in, but it is not the same. We live in a time where patriotism must be muted, where faith in God is subject to the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services and where starting a business, no matter how small, requires reams of compliance paperwork, an attorney and several hundred dollars.
John Stossel recently reported that if a child wanted to open up a lemonade stand on the sidewalk that they would have to comply with the following: register with the county clerk as the sole proprietor, apply to the IRS for an Employer Identification Number, Complete 15 hour Food Protection Course, allow three to five weeks for delivery of Food Protection Certificate, Apply for a Temporary Food Service Establishment Permit, buy a portable fire extinguisher, receive a Health Inspection and the list goes on. Government is no longer for the people it is against the people, because it is no longer by the people.
Today government is run by career politicians that make their living not just off a government paycheck, but rather off the inside knowledge that they possess as legislators. The myth exists that because legislators live in the communities that they were elected in that they will legislate in the best interest of their community. Nothing could be further from the truth. Today’s member of Congress makes market decisions that outpace the best market analysts. As a result, the rest of us are struggling to keep our heads over water, we have fallen victim to the greed of a collusive relationship that exists between select corporations and legislators that bend the law to fatten their pocket books. The most corrupt do so behind our backs, while the portfolios of their spouses grow and grow they remain overtly modest.
I desire to live out the freedom that I inherited from my grandfather, I yearn for the days when the shadow of government does not eclipse my dreams, I will worship my God in the way that my soul alone is persuaded and I will fight to make sure that when I am a father that my children inherit these same blessings. It is for these reasons that I announce my intention to represent the Republican Party and the citizens of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties in the race for Congress for the Sixth Congressional District. I am running for Congress and the unknown emboldens me. God-willing we will triumph over our oppressors.
Ernesto Cullari is a candidate for the Republican nomination to Congress from New Jersey’s 6th district
William Brown, the Rutgers-Camden law student who got into it with Governor Christie at a town hall meeting last week and was called an idiot by the Guv, has cleaned himself up and apologized.
The Phillie FoxNews affiliate got Brown’s apology on Tuesday. Bob Ingle, Save Jersey, The State Column, Politico and now MMM have covered the apology. The rest of the media outlets which made Christie’s “idiot” remark national news are mum.
The fiscal crisis in New Jersey’s governments and schools will continue through 2017 as a result of a $13 billion revenue shortfall, ($8 billion on the state level, $5 billion on the local, county and school levels combined) according to a report, Facing Our Future, released by the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. (CNJG)
The report says New Jersey will face a gradual cut in government services of 20%. Increased classroom sizes, from 22 to 28, less police officers and the elimination of services all together.
CNJG recommends solutions we have all heard before. Shared services, consolidations, more county government and less municipal government, county administration of schools.
One thing that is not clear from the write-ups. $7 billion of the $8 billion state revenue shortfall will be pension contributions negotiated by Governor Christie and the Democratic legislature in last years “landmark” pension and benefit reform bill.
One solution not recommended in the report….break the government employees unions’ control of our government.
In 2010 the unions said no to give backs. Thus, New Jersey suffered increased class sizes and police layoffs in our cities. Crime continues to rise in Newark and Camden, but our elected officials can’t do anything about that because the unions control how many police officers can be hired given the money available to pay them.
New Jersey pays unemployment benefits to laid off police officers not to patrol the streets of our cities, while the high paid officers who kept their jobs do the best they can. There are less extreme examples of needless service cutbacks throughout the state.
Practically speaking, there is no question that New Jersey’s public employees control the government. Not the people. Not the elected officials.
New Jersey’s fiscal crisis could be solved easily if the law of supply and demand were applied to the labor market for government workers. Until that happens, if it ever happens, we will continue to pay more for less.
It doesn’t matter how we restructure government so long as the employees are in charge.
With the strong support of the County Chairman, Senator Sam Thompson, Anna Little scored a 27-3 victory over newcomer Ernesto Cullari last night with the Middlesex County GOP screening committee .
According to the Middlesex GOP rules, Little will be the recommended candidate at the March 24th convention, by virture of a screening victory of over 2/3.
Charles Measley, Cullari’s campaign coordinator, said that Thompson implored the screening committee members to vote for Little. Thompson is concerned that Little will go back to challenging State Senator Joe Kyrillos in the U.S. Senate race if she does not get the party endorsement for Congress, according to Measley’s account of a conversation he had with the chairman.
The GOP endorsement process moves to Monmouth County tomorrow when the nominating committee will award the party line on the ballot for the June primary. The committee is comprised of all municipal chairs, current and former elected officials on the county and state levels, and former county chairs.
Key supporters of Anna Little’s 2010 congressional run are lining up behind Ernesto Cullari in his bid to win the GOP nomination for the 6th district seat occupied by Congressman Frank Pallone.
Asbury Park businessman Henry Vaccarro, Sr, a member of Little’s 2010 Finance Committee, endorsed Cullari this afternoon. Peter Carroll, the Middlesex County coordinator of Little’s 2010 effort has pledged to play the same role for Cullari should there be a primary. Charles Measley, a 60 hour per week volunteer for Little in 2010 is coordinating Cullari’s current effort.
Bayshore Tea Party Group co-founder Barabara Gonzalez told MMM that she was looking forward to interviewing Cullari when asked for comment on the potential race.
Little’s campaign manager, Larry Cirignano, was not available for comment.
Despite the lack of a formal announcement withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race and entering the CD-6 race, Little is expected before the Middlesex GOP screening committee this evening to ask for their CD-6 endorsement.
Cullari will also be seeking the Middlesex screening committee’s endorsement tonight.
Red Bank— Saying that New Jersey Natural Gas officials are being uncooperative with local officials, Senator Jennifer Beck (R- Monmouth) held a press conference with Mayor Pasquale Menna and Rivercenter Executive Director Nancy Adams to demand NJNG work cooperatively with local officials toward a solution in vetting alternatives to the utility’s planned regulator replacement program.
NJNG plans on replacing 88 natural gas pressure regulators currently located below highly trafficked sidewalks on Front, Broad, and Monmouth Streets, bringing the devices above ground. The company has refused to release details of its decision making process and any alternative locations for the regulators that were considered, despite requests from the Senator and Red Bank officials.
“NJNG is being unresponsive and heavy handed with the Borough of Red Bank,” Beck said. “They have admitted that there are alternatives to the current plan, but will not discuss what those options are or why they were not chosen. You don’t see these devices placed as prominently, or in as great a number, very often in the downtown district of a busy municipality. Why is this solution the only one that works for Red Bank?”
“Let me be clear, safety should be our first priority,” Beck continued. “However, that does not excuse NJNG’s refusal to explain their decision making process.”
Beck and Mayor Menna have written to state Board of Public Utilities Officials asking for their support in delaying the project until an acceptable remedy can be agreed to by all parties and NJNG releases their internal study on alternatives.
“If it is really necessary to disrupt our downtown business district like this, then we need to understand why,” said Mayor Menna. “And if there were alternatives that could have been pursued but were not, we need to understand the reasoning. We should not have to beg to get NJNG officials to be forthcoming with us.”
Red Bank RiverCenter’s Executive Director, Nancy Adams, also expressed concern over the lack of cooperation by company officials. RiverCenter is a non-profit partnership dedicated to promoting revitalization of Red Bank’s downtown business district.
“We have been successful in promoting Red Bank as a destination for businesses, merchants, restaurants, and night life because elected officials, volunteers, and the business community worked together,” Adams stated. “We need NJNG to work with us too.”
Senator Beck said that she will submit legislation at the Senate’s March 15, 2012 voting session that would direct the BPU to require gas utilities planning regulator replacement projects to study less disruptive locations for the devices. The bill also requires the gas utility make public the findings of the study, and to return any disrupted property and infrastructure to its original condition.
“If NJNG refuses to be a good corporate citizen and come to the table, then we must act through the legislative process to force them to consider the needs of this community and others that may find themselves in similar situations,” Beck said. “If there is a more palatable alternative that will provide the same public safety protections, it ought to be presented as an option to local officials.”
Anna Little is not a lock for the Monmouth or Middlesex county Republican endorsements to take on Congressman Frank Pallone in the 6th district.
The news that Little will not challenge State Senator Joe Kyrillos for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination was met by party regulars and leaders with mild relief, followed by angst at the thought of her being on ticket in the coming campaign.
Party leaders are being cautious not to provoke Little back into the Senate race, an unlikely event as she has been uable to collect sufficient petition signatures for the Senate bid, but they would not be disappointed to see her sit this one out all together.
If she runs for Congress, Little has to be considered the front runner for the party endorsements. Yet many of the Monmouth and Middlesex County screening committee are taking a look at Enresto Cullari, the virtually unknown candidate who announced last week.
Seeing no candidates to challenge Pallone, Cullari decided to run last Wednesday and announced his candidacy on Friday as the news of Little’s switch from the Senate race to the Congressional race started to spread throughout the Monmouth and Middlesex GOP.
Cullari is positioning himself as the more disciplined and better financed choice to support Joe Kyrillos and the County slates.
In an email to screening committee members to be followed by mailer, Cullari said:
I believe that I can raise more money, launch a more disciplined offensive against Pallone, bring more positive attention to the Republican ticket and best help Senator Kyrillos carry on Governor Christie’s work for the state of New Jersey.
He attached this introduction letter touting his accomplishments, vision and unique ethnicity…he’s Filipino, Irish, Ecudorian and Africa…which he says poses a threat to the “grossly false assertions” that the Republican Party is “white and homogenous.”
The Middlesex GOP screening committee meets tonight to make its recommendation to the convention which will endorse a candidate on March 24th.
The Monmouth GOP nominating committee meets to award its endorsement on Friday morning, March 16.
President Obama’s attempt to convert his “war onto religious freedom” into a Republican “war on women” seems to be working in New Jersey, but is falling flat nationally according to two polls released this week.
The FDU Public Mind Poll released this morning shows that the President’s approval rating in New Jersey jumped to 51%. In January, only 46% approved of Obama’s performance. Women approve by a 24 point margin, 58%-34%, while men disapprove by 49% to 43%.
In a NYTimes/CBS poll national poll released on Monday, only 41% approved of Obama while 47% disapproved. In February Obama scored a 50% approval rating in the NYTimes/CBS poll. Obama’s support among women declined, “even as the debate raged over birth control insurance coverage.”
Both polls indicated that despite his weak numbers and the electorate’s discontent, that Obama would be relected if the election were today. Voters, including Republicans, are not enthused by the Republican challengers.
Red Bank— Saying that New Jersey Natural Gas officials are being uncooperative with local officials, Senator Jennifer Beck (R- Monmouth) held a press conference with Mayor Pasquale Menna and Rivercenter Executive Director Nancy Adams to demand NJNG work cooperatively with local officials toward a solution in vetting alternatives to the utility’s planned regulator replacement program.