FORT MONMOUTH TO HOST NEW VETERANS PROGRAM

            As Fort Monmouth begins its rebirth and enters its redevelopment phase, there is good news for veterans in need. Soldier On, a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies to provide veterans shelter and support, has support of its own among staff of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, (FMERA).

            The wide-ranging Soldier On, already successful in Massachusetts and Virginia, was brought to FMERA by Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry, FMERA’s Veteran’s Sub-Committee Chairperson and a voting member of the authority as the representative of the Freeholders. A long-time advocate for veterans’ issues, who has been fighting to keep the Veteran’s Administration Hospital open at the fort, Mrs. Burry researched the program, contacted its President and CEO, Jack Downing, and arranged a meeting between herself, Mr. Downing and FMERA members in October. In November, those who attended the presentation called Soldier On, “awe-inspiring” and, “a tremendously exciting opportunity.” The program must go through the established bid process, but FMERA staff recommended taking the next step to make it a reality at Fort Monmouth.

            “The FMERA staff is 100% committed to this,” said Mr. Bruce Steadman, FMERA Executive Director, in expressing his endorsement of the program. “At Mr. Downing’s presentation, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. We want to explore the success he has had with Soldier On. I can’t think of a more important thing to have at Fort Monmouth.” Soldier On has been assisting veterans since 1994. In addition to providing equity-based permanent housing, the program is focused on helping veterans with such things as food, health care, mental health counseling, job assessment, training and placement assistance, as well as treatment and recovery for addiction.

            “Soldier On is tailor-made for Fort Monmouth, where there are a large number of veterans who could take advantage of and would benefit from such a program,” Freeholder Burry said. “It is a perfect fit and the facilities are already there and available. Veterans are three times more likely to experience homelessness than the rest of society. There are 275,000 homeless veterans in our country today. Their fight doesn’t end when they get home.” A short, informative and moving film on the program was shown during the November 10 FMERA meeting at the Eatontown municipal building.

            Mrs. Burry said that the program’s focus is on single veterans. Soldier On has received 75% federal funding at its other locations. Mr. Downing recently toured Fort Monmouth with FMERA members, identifying existing buildings where the program might be housed, as well as which facilities for it could undergo rehabilitation, said Freeholder Lillian Burry, who is also a member of FMERA’s Real Estate Sub-Committee. The next step, she said, is for FMERA members to make a site visit to the program’s Pittsfield, Massachusetts location.

            Freeholder Burry’s aim is to continue to serve the thousands of veterans already associated with the fort, as well as dedicate a portion of the site to the needs of younger and returning veterans. She believes that together with the proposed expanded veteran’s clinic and the Vet2Vet intervention program she is also working to bring to the fort, Soldier On will create a state-of-the-art full service veterans hub at Fort Monmouth; continuing it’s role as a centralized location where all veterans can turn for assistance and support. Mr. Downing has agreed to direct and help set up the program, working closely with the FMERA staff.

            “We assist veterans with both picking up the pieces of their lives and filling in the gaps that public agencies do not address,” Mr. Downing said. “At our core, Soldier On is about integrity: The integrity of veteran residents, the integrity of staff, and the integrity of our commitment to work tirelessly to improve the lives of veterans in the community at large.”

            The program currently operates a 165-bed shelter in two buildings leased from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leeds, Massachusetts, and the Berkshire Veterans Residence, a transitional living facility. These facilities are managed by formerly homeless veterans; an approach that ensures that those served are empowered and take a role in creating and maintaining their own living environment. The organization’s website is www.wesoldieron.org. 

            “Soldier On’s premise is that ownership is most important,” Freeholder Burry said. “Mr. Downing has such a grasp of it all. He really understands. Fellow veterans manage and serve their peers and there will be a property manager on site.”

            Freeholder Burry has been involved in working on the future of Fort Monmouth for over six years; first as a member of the of the original Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority, (FMERPA) and now on FMERA. She was appointed to both bodies by two sitting governors and unanimously approved by her fellow freeholders, who acknowledged that with her background, knowledge and passion for veteran’s issues, she is the best person for the job.

            After 94 years of service, Fort Monmouth officially closed on September 15 with an inactivation and color casing ceremony. In 2005, Fort Monmouth was selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure, (BRAC), Commission and moved its operations to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The BRAC decision called for the transfer of 4,950 civilian and 450 military positions.

            Signed into law by Governor Chris Christie on August 17, 2010, FMERA was created to provide investment, continuity and economic growth to the communities impacted by the federal government’s decision to close Fort Monmouth. The FMERA replaces the previous Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority and advances that entity’s Reuse and Redevelopment Plan for economic development, growth and planning, with a focus on technology-based industries for the 1,126-acre fort property, which straddles Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls. 

            At its height, Fort Monmouth employed 15,000 people, 5,000 of those civilians. It’s estimated that the fort supported another 22,000 jobs and added $3.2 billion into the state’s annual economy. It is the mission of FMERA to attract a mix of industry, business, recreation and residential stakeholders to create a new future for the former base.

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Cain Staying In The Race

Herman Cain told supporters in Ohio that he is not dropping out of the 2012 GOP presidential nominating race, according to the New York Times:

“The American people are going to raise some Cain in 2012!”

Over a roar of approval from the crowd, he added: “They want you to believe that we can’t do this. They want you to believe that with enough character assassination on me, I will drop out!”

Bayshore Tea Party Group leader Barbara Gonzalez said, “YAY!  I don’t believe Cain did what he’s being accused of, but even if he did, that’s between him and his wife!  We need to save the frickin’ country!”

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Timing Is Everything

The Federal Reserve and other central banks took action today to contain the sovereign debt crisis in Europe.

Stocks and commodity prices soared.

The bankers actions came six weeks too late for Jon Corzine.

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Kingmaker without a portfolio

A strong argument could be made that the path to becoming a Monmouth County Freeholder goes through Red Bank realtor Jim Giannell’s office. 

Since 2005 when he backed Colts Neck Mayor Lillian Burry, Giannell has picked every non-incumbent Freeholder nominee except two.   One exception was Marlboro Councilman Jeff Cantor who replaced Freeholder Anna Little, a Giannell pick, on the ticket in 2007.  Cantor lost a close election to Democrat John D’Amico and then left the Republican party for Jon Hornick’s Democratic organization in Marlboro.  The other exception is John Curley.  Curley was Giannell’s pick over Serena DiMaso in 2008.  Curley narrowly lost to Amy Mallet in the Obama landslide.  In 2009 Giannell backed Kim Spatola, a former Atlantic Highlands councilwoman over Curley.  Curley prevailed at Joe Oxley’s first candidate selection screening and went on to defeat Sean Byrnes of Middletown in the 2009 Christie landslide in Monmouth. 

With the election of Gary Rich earlier this month, 3.5, counting Curley, of five Freeholders owe their offices to Jim Giannell.  If the former Red Bank municipal chairman’s pick in the current race to replace Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton, Howell Mayor Bob Walsh, is elected on January 14, Giannell will have picked all five members of the board.

While the Freeholders may owe their careers to Giannell, there is little, if any, evidence that he is a boss, in the classic New Jersey sense of the word.  Once they take office, the Freeholders go their own way.  Burry is supporting Anne Marie Conte over Walsh in the current race.  Curley and Tom Arnone are staying out of the race for now. 

Here is a list of Giannell’s picks for non-incumbent Freeholders since 2005:

2005: Lillian Burry.  Burry ran with incumbent Bill Barham.  Barham was elected at a Republican convention earlier in 2005 to replace long time Freeholder Director Harry Larrison.  Even in the wake of the Operation Bid Rig scandal which tarnished the Republican brand, Barham and Burry defeated Democrats Barbara McMorrow and Rebecca Aaronson and Independent Brian Unger.  The Republican victory was in large measure do to the Asbury Park Press’s call for voters to bullet vote for Unger.  Back then the APP’s endorsement still had influence.  Unger garnered over 18,000 votes.  Burry’s margin of victory over McMorrow was only 1,792 votes. 

2006:  Anna Little and Andrew Lucas.  Little was elected, by one vote, over Howell Mayor Joe DiBella at a convention to replace Amy Handlin who had been elected to the Assembly.  Giannell managed Little’s campaign and her floor fight at the convention. A month later at a contentious multiple ballot nominating convention, Giannell and candidate Terrence Wall threw their support to Lucas in an anti-establishment move against DiBella and then Chairman Fred Neimann.   Little went on to win the rest of Handlin’s unexpired term in the general election.  Lucas lost to Barbara McMorrow. 

2007: Giannell did not have a candidate.  Little, his successful pick in 2006, spent a contentious year battling with Chairman Puharic and Freeholder Director Barham. Little declined to seek the nomination rather than submit to Puharic’s rules for screening and the convention.  Cantor was selected to join incumbent Rob Clifton on the ticket.  Clifton won.  Cantor lost to Democrat John D’Amico.

2008: John Curley was Giannell’s pick over Serena DiMaso who had the backing of Chairman Adam Puharic.  Burry was Curley’s running mate.  In a photo finish election dominated by Obamamania, Burry prevailed and Curley lost to Amy Mallet on the count of provisional ballots.  Democrats took control of the Freeholder Board for the first time in 20 years.

2009: Giannell backed Chairman Joe Oxley in supporting Atlantic Highlands former Councilwoman Kim Spatola over Curley.  McMorrow was up for reelection and was considered a lock to be reelected.  Nominating a woman, given the pro woman gender gap demonstrated by Burry and Mallet’s 2008 victories was considered the only hope of defeating McMorrow.    Just before the nominating meetings for both parties, McMorrow announced she would not seek another term.  Curley won a roll call vote at Oxley’s first screening selection.  The Democrats scrambled to find a candidate to replace McMorrow, settling on Byrnes from Middletown over Mike Beson of Neptune Township.  Curley defeated Byrnes and Republicans won back control of the Board.

2010:  Giannell’s pick, Tom Arnone, narrowly defeated former Middltown Committeeman Tom Wilkens and Spring Lake Councilman Gary Rich.  Arnone and incumbent Rob Clifton went on to defeat D’Amico and Spring Lake Councilwoman Janice Venables.

2011: Giannell backed Rich over Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas, who had Burry’s support, Walsh, and Wall Township Committeeman George Newberry.  Rich won the nomination with 25 votes in the screening committee. Lucas has 23 votes and Newberry 22.  Walsh withdrew before the polling.   Rich and incumbent Burry went on the defeat Mallet and newcomer William Shea earlier this month.

2012?  Monmouth County Republicans have not had a nominating convention of all county committee members since 2008.  It remains to be seen if Giannell can pull off another close race.   Don’t bet the house against Bob Walsh.

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Bill Spadea Announces Run for New Jersey Assembly

Joined by Former Romney Counsel Charlie Spies for February 2012 Special Convention

PRINCETON, NJ (November 30, 2011) —  Princeton Township resident Bill Spadea has officially declared his candidacy for the vacant New Jersey Assembly seat in the newly redrawn 16^th Legislative District by filing the necessary documents on Friday, November 25.   The vacant Assembly seat was held by longtime public servant, Assemblyman Pete Biondi, who sadly passed away two days following his re-election this month. 

Mr. Spadea will vie for the party’s nomination at the special four-county convention, which will happen within 35 days of the swearing in of the new Assembly on January 10, 2012.  The vote at the convention will determine who will fulfill a one-year term for the vacant Assembly seat.  Mr. Spadea will also participate in the June 5, 2012 primary to become the 16^th Legislative District’s Republican candidate for the NJ legislative special election on November 6, 2012.

“Pete Biondi was a great legislator, public servant, community leader and patriot. So many business and political leaders asked and encouraged me to consider this run to do right by Pete’s legacy of public service. I was so honored by their request that I felt compelled to step up,” said Spadea.

Mr. Spadea’s campaign is off to a strong start, enlisting the support of prominent GOP attorney Charlie Spies.  Mr. Spies, head of Clark Hill PLC’s national Political Law practice, served as CFO and Counsel for Governor Mitt Romney’s 2008 Presidential campaign, as well as counsel for the Republican Governors Association in 2006 and the Republican National Committee in 2004.  Spies stated, “Bill is a dynamic and enthusiastic candidate. His conservative principles, business background and organizational success make him the right man at the right time for New Jersey.”

Princeton Township is one of the eight new municipalities that will be a part of the new 16^th Legislative District in January 2012.  It was also one of the first municipalities to vote to consolidate with another municipality this month.  The consolidation of Princeton Township and Princeton Borough will be historic for the state of New Jersey.

# # #

Bill Spadea has worked in New Jersey as a senior executive in the real estate industry for the past 15 years.  Additionally, he is an on-air political analyst and Republican strategist for several New York Region television stations. Mr. Spadea served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1991 to 1999.  He ran for U.S. Congress in New Jersey’s 12^th district and earned more than 115,000 votes (40%) in 2004 running against the heavily-funded incumbent Rush Holt.  He is the co-founder and past-president of Building the New Majority, a grassroots political organization focused on helping NJ citizen-legislators win local campaigns.  Mr. Spadea lives in Princeton with his wife Jodi and their two children, who attend Princeton public schools – where he serves on the Zoning Board, is a coach for little league, chairs the annual Veteran’s Day event, and serves as master of ceremony for the annual Memorial Day Parade/Service.

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John Curley Will Be Monmouth County Freeholder Director

Tom Arnone Will Be Deputy Director

Freeholder John Curley will be elected Director of the Board by his colleagues when the Monmouth County Board of Freeholder reorganizes in January, MMM has learned.  Freeholder Tom Arone will be elected Deputy Director.

Curley said he will use the opportunity to continue his work to reduce the size and cost of county government.  He said he was concerned about the amount of surplus used to hold the line on property taxes in the current fiscal year.  He sees savings coming from using more part time employees and outsourcing government functions where possible.  Curley said he hopes the county is able to sell the nursing homes it owns.

Arone sees the continued expansion of shared services as an opportunity to reduce costs for municipal governments while enhancing revenue for the county.

Freeholder Lillian Burry who has served two terms as director and broke the glass ceiling when she become the first female director said Curley would do a good job in the post.  Burry was elected to her third term on the Freeholder Board earlier this month. She said her focus will be on the projects she has been working on, notably, the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth and the park system.

Curley, Arone and Burry are each taking a strong interest in the race to fill Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton’s seat on the board.   The new Freeholder will be running with Curley in the 2012 general election and with Arone and Sheriff Shaun Golden in the 2013 election, assuming a 2012 victory.

Neither Curley or Arnone expressed a preference for any of the announced candidates, noting that the field may not be set.

Burry recruited Wall Township Mayor Anne Marie Conte into the race and is supporting her for the post. 

Curley said he expected a strong challenge from the Monmouth County Democrats in 2012, mentioning Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty and Freeholder Amy Mallet, who lost her reelection bid earlier this month, as possible challengers.

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Conte and Doyle Are Running For Freeholder

Wall Township Mayor Anne Marie Conte

Wall Township Mayor Anne Marie Conte and Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle are candidates to fill the Freeholder seat being vacated by Freeholder Director Rob Clifton upon his swearing in to the State Assembly.

Conte and Doyle join Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso and Howell Mayor Bob Walsh as candidates in the Republican County Committee election which will take place on January 14th.   Both Conte and Doyle were reelected to their current offices earlier this month.

Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle

Doyle confirmed to MMM that he is throwing his hat in the ring, saying, “I think I can do a lot for Monmouth County.”   Conte was not immediately available.  Multiple reliable sources told MMM that she is “definitely” running.   The sources said that Conte was running for the vacant seat at the urging of Freeholder Lillian Burry.

Burry confirmed her support of Conte.  “Anne Marie is exceptionally competent and intelligent.  I’ve been impressed with her enthusiasm and the job she has done in Wall,” said Burry, “she would make an outstanding Freeholder, but must first get through the process of the convention.”

The Monmouth County Affilated Republican Club’s website mentions Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green, Manalapan businessman Joe Ficalora, Keyport Chairman Bob Burlew, Hazlet Mayor Scott Aagre, and former Freeholder Bill Barham as possible candidates.

The County GOP’s official website has an announcement urging potential candidates to call Chairman Joe Oxley as soon as possible at 732-431-6664.

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Herman Cain Reassessing His Presidential Bid

Bayshore Tea Party Group Standing By Their Man

GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain is reassessing his candidacy in the wake of allegations of a 13 year extra-marital affair, according to a story broken by National Review Online. NRO reports that they had a writer on Cain’s five minute conference call with his senior staff wherein he discussed his campaign’s latest setback.

Cain has denied the affair, as he has denied allegations of sexual harassment while he was the CEO of the National Restaurant Association.

Cain attempted shore up his weak foreign policy credentials by issuing his denials in German, “nine, nine, nine.”

Locally, Bayshore Tea Party Group leader Barbara Gonzalez told Politickernj that her group continues to support Cain, “Until they can prove something, we continue to support him….it’s a smear campaign….no one is buying it.”

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Exit Barney Frank

A National Review Online Editorial

Rep. Barney Frank will be remembered for three things: First, he was not only the first openly gay member of Congress but the first involved in a gay-prostitution scandal. Second, he said, “I do not want the same kind of focus on safety and soundness” regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as exercised with regard to other government-affiliated agencies, preferring, as he memorably put  it, to “roll the dice a little bit.” Third, he was co-author of the Frank-Dodd financial-reform legislation. Which is to say, Representative Frank will be remembered as an embarrassment, a reckless gambler, and a legislative malefactor.

Representative Frank was not much of a crusader on gay-rights issues, which was just as well. On the substance of those issues, he was on the wrong side. As a symbol, he was toxic — a powerful politician whose homosexual orientation was hardly the most remarkable feature of his private life, which included involvement with a gay hustler and convicted drug dealer whom the congressman was paying for sex, and who ended up running a prostitution operation out of the congressman’s home. Representative Frank was reprimanded by the House for making misleading statements to a Virginia prosecutor on behalf of the prostitute — whom the congressman eventually put on his own payroll — and for having fixed dozens of parking tickets on his behalf. Americans are broadly tolerant of homosexuality; they are rightly less tolerant of prostitution and political corruption. The congressman’s self-pitying account of the episode made the bad situation worse.

But though his private life spilled over into his public duties, it is as a champion of a different kind of pay-for-play operation, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that the congressman did the most damage to the country. The government-backed mortgage giants were at the center of the housing bubble and the subsequent financial crisis. Representative Frank was a stalwart defender of the organizations, even after the government uncovered “extensive” fraud at Fannie Mae and found that Freddie Mac had illegally channeled funds to its political benefactors. Again, Representative Frank’s personal life intruded into the story: He was sexually involved with a Fannie Mae executive during a time when he was voting on laws affecting the organization. The final cost of the Fannie/Freddie bailouts will run into the hundreds of billions of dollars, and the real damage that the organizations did to the U.S. economy — and the world economy, for that matter — probably is incalculable.

In response to a financial crisis in which he was a significant figure, Representative Frank helped to craft a financial-reform law that bears his name. The drafting of Dodd-Frank began as a punitive measure, evolved into a dispensary of political favors, and in the end did little or nothing to address the problems that led to the 2008–09 crisis or to prevent similar crises in the future. Which means that we may have Barney Frank partly to thank not only for the last financial crisis but for the next one.

From his relatively petty transgressions related to his personal life to his more consequential role in enabling Fannie and Freddie, Representative Frank personifies a great deal of what is wrong with American public life. Though a highly intelligent man, he made the wrong decisions at every turn, and compounded his policy errors with the petty and vindictive style of his politics. Republicans will not miss him. Neither should his Democratic colleagues, his constituents, or the American public that will be paying off the cost of his errors and those of his allies, with interest, for a great many years. We hope that he will find in the obscurity of retirement the grace and wisdom that eluded him as an elected official, but we do not assume that it will be so.

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Naming Public Facilities

The Assembly Transportation Committee released a bill yesterday that if passed will rename Route 19 in Passaic County after Congressman Bill Pascrell.

Now Pascrell, 74, should announce his retirement and save the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission a lot of work.  Doing so would eliminate all controversy over naming a state highway after him.

Barney Frank, 71, the Massachusetts Congressman from Bayonne, announced his retirement after the Bay State announced their new congressional districts.  Frank said he didn’t want to raise the money or do the electioneering necessary to get elected in his new district. 

Pascrell announcing his retirement prior to the new congressional districts being determined would be a selfless act of public service.  The rest of New Jersey’s congressional delegation would want to name a more prominent road after him.  The Resdistricting Commission’s work would become easy and appropriate, as the district to be eliminated should be from North Jersey where the population has declined vis-a-vis the rest of the state.

If Pascrell announced his retirement, the bill to name Route 19 after him could be fast tracked in the lame duck legislative session.  Governor Christie might even sign it, despite the fact that Pascrell was a Corzine caddy, second only to Frank Pallone, during the 2009 gubernatorial campaign.

If Pascrell does not take this opportunity to retire, the question of the appropriateness of naming public facilities after sitting office holders should be hotly debated.  Every member of the Assembly Transportation committee except Burlington County Assemblyman Scott Rudder voted to release the Pascrell naming bill to the full Assembly. Rudder said that naming a road after a sitting office holder was hypocritical and that the state has more pressing issues. 

Rudder is right, but there is a stronger argument against giving away the names of public facilities.  In these difficult economic times, we should sell and resell the names of our roads, bridges and buildings, with all of the proceeds going to either retire debt or build new facilities, thereby avoiding new debt.

There is precedent for this type of revenue generation.  Former Governor Brendan Byrne’s name was taken off the Meadowlands Arena in favor of Continental Airlines and later Izod who both paid handsomely for the naming rights.

Glassboro State College was renamed Rowan University after Mr. Rowan donated $100 million.

The State and New Jersey’s counties and municipalities could benefit greatly by selling naming rights to businesses and philanthropists.

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