I am here in beautiful Israel as part of Project Interchange, a program of the American Jewish Council. Despite the worldwide travel alert, I feel very safe.
For my first seminar, we had a fascinating introduction to Israeli society and politics with Dr. Elinat Wilf, a former member of Knesset. She described Israel for us as an idea of the mind. At the end of the Seder you say, “To next year in Jerusalem.” The worldwide Jewish community decided to make that happen literally by founding Israel. It is an incredibly diverse nation of immigrants. It is a Jewish state, which can be confusing for Americans, who are used to the separation of church and state. Zionism is an idea about bringing ethnic Jews together. I found it very surprising when our speaker identified herself as a Jew who is an atheist. She said many people in Israel are non-practicing Jews religiously, but practice the culture. Israel has a very sizable minority population – approximately 20 percent Muslim and Christian.
Assembly candidate Ed Zipprich and Senator Barbara Buono and NY’s Gay Pride Parade, 6/30/13 facebook photo
Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich, a Democratic candidate for Assembly in the 11th legislative district, announced today that he has outraised his Republican opponents, Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande, over the last two fundraising periods and that he has more cash on hand than Angelini and Casagrande combined.
RED BANK– Today, Ed Zipprich, candidate for New Jersey Assembly (NJ-11), announced that he has outraised his opponents, Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande, over the last two fundraising periods. Zipprich raised a total of $21,793 during the pre and post-primary reporting periods while Angelini and Casagrande combined to raise a total of $12,200. Additionally, Zipprich has $42,819 on hand compared to Angelini and Casagrande’s combined $37,873–$23,966 on hand for Angelini and 13,907 for Casagrande.”
“I am humbled by the amount of support I’ve received across the 11th district,” said Zipprich. “It shows our campaign is building momentum and that voters are starting to pay attention to the differences between myself and my opponents. Whether it’s on raising the minimum wage, ending special tax breaks for millionaires, or finally bringing marriage equality to New Jersey, the residents of the 11th district know I will fight for them.”
MMM verified Zipprich’s numbers at the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission’s website.
It’s not even close to her turn and she’s not a white male. That’s only two good reasons that Governor Chris Christie should appoint one of New Jersey’s Rising Stars to the U.S. Senate.
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande is smart, articulate, conservative and happy. Voters love happy conservatives. Angry conservatives are scary to moderates and Independent voters. Happy conservatives appeal to moderates and Independent voters.
Casagrande’s pro-growth, pro-family, pro-women conservative policy positions belong on the national stage. She could help rebrand the Republican Party with her fellow Penn State alumnus Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. Imagine that. Two Northeast female Republican U.S. Senators.
Steve Lonegan, a scary angry conservative, has declared he’s running in the Special Republican Primary for U.S. Senate. Lonegan could win a primary against a moderate Jon Bramnick, Tom Kean Jr or Joe Kyrillos. He can’t beat Cory Booker, Frank Pallone or Rush Holt in October.
Bramnick, Kean or Kyrillos are not likely to be able to gear up fast enough to beat Booker in October either.
If Caroline Casagrande were the temporary U.S. Senator, Lonegan would have no philosophical justification to challenge her. None. Republicans best chance of winning the Senate seat in October, and again next November, is if we coalesce behind a conservative woman now.
Casagrande has already caught the eye of many national leaders. Earlier this year she was asked to be on the national leadership team of the Susan B. Anthony List. In 2010 she traveled to Nepal as a delegate of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, a State Department sponsored organization that creates opportunities for the next generation of political leaders. She’s been invited to travel to Israel this summer by the American Jewish Council.
Casagrande would be an out of the box choice. She would appeal to both the conservative and moderate wings of the Party. She would appeal to Independent voters, Reagan Democrats, women and small business owners and employees, i.e., most of the New Jersey electorate. She would be a fresh face that the local and national media would appreciate and cover.
With remarkable teamwork on the part of the candidates, county and municipal leaders and key members of the legislative delegation outside of the 13th legislative district, the Monmouth County Republican Organization earned the resounding endorsement of a Republican electorate that has proven over the years that performance and integrity matter far more to them than party loyalty.
Big egos checked, big leaders pulled together to support each other. A real team emerged.
‘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.
Two weeks ago MMM gave the Trenton GOP a head slap over their idiotic strategy of trying to pick up seats in the Legislature by running against Corzine Democrats.
Evidently, someone heard us.
The Assembly Republic Victory Fund is paying PolitickerNJ to run their video, The New Republicans-Coming to a Voting Booth Near You
Call that a good first step. But it’s far from a winning strategy.
Gopal, Doherty and Nelson make Gannett’s ‘Other” List
Brian Nelson. Asbury Park Press Photo
In addition to the list of twelve ‘rising stars’ that Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande made on Sunday, Gannett published a list of 15 ‘up and comers’ to keep an eye on that includes three Monmouth players.
Democrats Vin Gopal, the 27 year old county chairman and Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, 39 made the list. Noticeably absent among Democrats were Marlboro Mayor Jonathon Hornik and Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long.
Gopal, from West Long Branch, ran for Assembly in the 11th District in 2011 before being elected county chairman in 2012. It remains to be seen if the Monmouth Democratic party will become more competitive under Gopal’s leadership, but there is no question that he is developing a statewide portfolio of influence with his early support of Barbara Buono for the 2013 gubernatorial nomination, his non-stop fundraising schedule for candidates statewide and savvy media presence. Gopal has ties to both Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Congressman Frank Pallone. How he navigates the anticipated 2014 battle between Booker and Pallone for the U.S. Senate nomination will be fascinating to watch. MMM predicts that he will be seen as a supporter of the winner and an ally of the loser.
Monmouth County Legislator Has A Message That Republicans Badly Need To Win
Gannett’s New Jersey newspapers and websites published a list of New Jersey’s political “Rising Stars” yesterday. The editorial says those on the list are young (most are under 40, all are under 50) politicos that are likely to emerge as the “next generation” of leaders on the regional or state levels of New Jersey government and politics.
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande is the only Monmouth County leader who made the top twelve of the list. As a three term Assemblywoman seeking her fourth term and the Assembly Minority’s Policy Co-Chair, one could argue that Casagrande is in the current generation of leadership. But at 36, her star is still very much “rising.”
If you are fortunate enough to talk to Casagrande about policy and politics, you will quickly realize that the real power of her ‘light’ is largely ‘hidden under a bushel.’
Public hearings for JCP&L’s proposed rate increase started yesterday in Toms River. The Monmouth County hearing is on April 24 at the Freehold Township Municipal Building.
Assemblywomen Caroline Casagrande (R-11) and Amy Handlin (R-13) have already gathered 1300 constituent signatures on a petition opposing the JCP&L rate increase. The petition will be submitted to the Board of the Public Utilities at the Freehold hearing.
“Our constituents are tired of over promises and underperformances by their electric company and we’re going to make sure their voices are heard until JCP&L pulls the plug on this rate hike,” Handlin, R-Monmouth, said. “JCP&L’s customers have already paid the price by suffering through prolonged outages, so our response to their request is a simple and firm, ‘No.’”
Handlin and Casagrande noted their constituent’s outrage with JCP&L’s poor performance in restoring power and keeping families, businesses and communities informed during prolonged outages – most notably Hurricanes Sandy and Irene. The petition also notes the allegation by the N.J. Division of Rate Counsel that the utility is earning too much profit from New Jersey ratepayers to send back to its parent company in Ohio.
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande
“We can say it once, or we can say it a thousand times, the answer is still, ‘No,’” Casagrande, R-Monmouth, said. “Losing power for extended periods of time is a very difficult and costly burden for families and businesses. We have had more than our share of severe outages because JCP&L refused to invest its corporate profits to update its infrastructure and keep the power on in our communities.”
11th District State Senator Jennifer Beck has filed petitions to run for General Assembly from the district, according to the list of primary candidates posted by the Division of Elections on Friday.
Beck’s petitions have 164 signatures.
Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande filed joint petitions with 200 signatures. Democratic challengers Edward Zipprich of Red Bank and Kevin McMillian of Neptune Township filed joint petitions with 306 signatures.
100 valid signatures are required for a candidate for State Legislature to qualify for the primary ballot.Hüpfburg Mini Dschungel Open
UPDATE
Beck’s spokesman Mike Hughs called to say that the senator filed to run for reelection for Senate from the 11th District. The error on the part of the Division of Elections is being corrected.
