Democratic Freeholder Candidate Lawrence Luttrell at Four Seasons debate in Manalapan. photo by Rhoda Chodosh
In a move reminiscent of Congressman Rick Lazio’s aggression towards First Lady Hillary Clinton in the 2000 U.S. Senate debate in New York, Lawrence Luttrell, a Democratic candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder jumped from his seat and lunged towards Freeholder Director Lillian Burry Wednesday night at a candidates debate at the Four Seasons Club House in Manalapan.
Deputy Freeholder Director Gary Rich and Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo, Luttrell’s running mate, braced themselves to protect Burry as it appeared that Luttrell would leap over them to get to Burry. Rich and Grillo were seated between Burry and Luttrell. Luttrell pulled back before going airborne and turned to the debate moderator and shouted, “This is not what I came here for. If this is going to be a kangaroo court where we don’t follow the rules, I’m leaving right now.” Luttrell was living up to the name of the paper organization he created with his wife and mother-in-law to sue Monmouth County last year; R.A.G.E.
What apparently set Luttrell off was Burry asking him, “Is your name Pinocchio?”
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Posted: October 9th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Freeholder, Lillian Burry, Manalapan, Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, News | Tags: Four Seasons Manalapan, Freeholder Director Lillian Burry, Freeholder Gary Rich, Giuseppe "Joe" Grillo, Hillary Clinton, Larry Luttrell, Lawrence Luttrell, Monmouth Democrats, Rick Lazio | 21 Comments »
These men want to turn Monmouth County into South Essex County.
CD-4 Candidate Ruben Scolavino, Larry Luttrell, Senator Cory Booker, Joe Grillo, Congressman Frank Pallone, NJ Democratic Chairman John Currie and Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal. photo via facebook
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal said that Essex County’s Government is the model he hopes to impose on Monmouth County should he ever win control of the Board of Freeholders.
Gopal and his freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo ventured north to Essex this week, hat in hand for money to fund their quest to transform Monmouth into South Essex, according to a report on PolitickerNJ.
“They have done an extraordinary job in Essex County as far as managing a county government, and it’s all Democratic,” Gopal said. “It’s a model for Monmouth to hope to achieve one day.”
Let’s take a look at what that means.
Density and Development vs Open Space
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Posted: September 20th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth GOP, Vin Gopal | Tags: Cory Booker, Frank Pallone, Joe Divencenzo, Joe Grillo, Larry Luttrell, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth Dems, Monmouth GOP, Nia Gill, Shaun Golden, Sheila Oliver, Vin Gopal | 20 Comments »
Democratic Mayors Pan Their Freeholder Candidates’ Call For A County Ethics Board
By Art Gallagher
Democratic Freeholder Candidates Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo with Congressman Frank Pallone and campaign volunteers
The Monmouth County Democrats have finally put forth a proposal to improve County Government.
It is not a new idea. It is not even a good idea. But at least they have put forth an idea for debate instead of spreading the lies and baseless character assassinations that have comprised their campaign so far this year.
Their campaign had been wholly negative; primarily baseless character attacks on Freeholder Director Lillian Burry. They lied and said Burry hired an unqualified campaign worker for a mental health position. Even after their lawsuit alleging that Burry had a conflict of interest over the Andrew Lucas farmland preservation deal was thrown out of court, they continue to beat that drum. The GOP controlled Freeholder Board has cleaned house at Brookdale Community College since former President Peter Burnham was caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Yet the Democrats have been blaming Burry for Burnham’s transgressions.
Democratic candidate Joe Grillo told The Asbury Park Press that he wants to reinstate a County Ethics Board. I know I’m being generous by saying this is a proposal to improve County Government instead of calling it an excuse to keep talking about the baseless allegations they are making about Burry. But what the heck. MMM is fair and biased. Let’s play along and debunk the idea on its merits.
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Posted: September 18th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth GOP, New Jersey | Tags: Amy Handlin, Anna Little, Asbury Park, Asbury Park Press, Belmar, Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, DCA, Department of Community Affairs, Gary Rich, Joe Grillo, John Curley, Larry Luttrell, Lillian Burry, Local Finance Board, Long Branch, Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider, Marlboro, Marlboro Ethics Board, Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth Dems, Neptune Nudniks, New Jersey, Red Bank, Red Bank Mayor Pat Menna | 1 Comment »
If Democratic freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and/or Joe Grillo come knocking on your door any time in the next seven weeks…invite them in and put them to work!
The Democrats’ campaign is not only fraudulent phone calls, defaming good county employees, and lying about the ethics of distinguished public servants. They are also offering to do household chores for voters as they go door to door.
Yesterday in Aberdeen, Luttrell helped a voter take down a tree!
In Howell last week, Grillo came across a voter who is a customer of his family’s tile business. Giuseppe sealed the guy’s grout for free!
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Posted: September 14th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County, Monmouth Democrats | Tags: Aberdeen, Howell, Joe Grillo, Larry Luttrell, Monmouth County, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth Dems | 15 Comments »
Professional pollsters call the tactic “unethical” and “fraudulent”
Senator Cory Booker and freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo have deployed a campaign tactic dubbed “unethical” and “fraudulent” by the American Association of Public Opinion Research. photo via facebook
The Democratic Party is deploying a controversial campaign tactic known as “Push Polling” in Monmouth County on behalf of Senator Cory Booker and their county freeholder candidates. MMM has received reports of such calls being delivered to unsuspecting voters in Shrewsbury, Neptune and Manalapan.
The automated calls, which do not disclose who they are being made on behalf of or who is paying for them, purport to be opinion surveys. If the voter responds that they favor Republican U.S. Senate nominee Jeff Bell rather than Booker, they are subject to a series of “If you knew” questions that distort Bell’s record and lie about his positions.
If the voter responds that they intend to vote for Monmouth County Freeholders Lillian Burry and Gary Rich for reelection, the are subject to “If you knew” questions that accuse the incumbents of unethical hiring practices, dirty dealing on Open Space acquisitions and criticizing the length of their public service in various municipal and county offices.
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Posted: September 14th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Cory Booker, Monmouth Democrats | Tags: AAPOR, American Association of Public Opinion Research, Cory Booker, Joe Grillo, Larry Luttrell, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth Dems, Push Polling, Senator Cory Booker | 17 Comments »
The Local Finance Board, the entity within the Department of Community Affairs which oversees the ethics of local officials, has ruled that two Jackson Township councilmen did not violate State Ethics or Campaign Finance Laws when they voted to appoint their former campaign manger a job on the Jackson Municipal Utilities Authority, according to a report on Shore News Network.
Cara Glory was the 2012 campaign manager for Councilmen Barry Calogero and Robert Nixon. On January 6, 2014 Calogero, Nixon join the rest of the Jackson governing body in unanimously voting to approve Glory’s appointment to the MUA. Unidentified Jackson residents filed ethics charges with the Local Fiance Board.
The charges were deemed frivolous by Board Chairmen Thomas Neff, according to the Shore News Network report.
“Following preliminary investigation and evaluation of the facts and circumstances relevant to the complaints and upon consideration of the foregoing provisions of Local Government Ethics Law, the Local Finance Board voted to dismiss the complaints as having no reasonable factual basis.”
The state reiterated their stance, adding, “The relationship between an elected officeholder and a campaign deputy treasurer or campaign manager is simply not one, in and of itself, which poses a conflict.”
The charges against the councilmen were dismissed and Glory’s appointment remained as-is.
The issue is of significance in Monmouth County as Democratic freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo attempt to portray themselves and paragons of virtue in the campaign against Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich.
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Posted: September 3rd, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Department of Community Affairs, Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth Democrats | Tags: Bill Bucco, Cara Glory, Department of Community Affairs, Gary Rich, Jackson, Jackson Municipal Utilities Authority, Joe Grillo, Larry Luttrell, Lawrence Luttrell, Lillian Burry, Local Finance Board, R.A.G.E., Thomas Neff | Comments Off on Jackson Councilmen Cleared Of Ethics Charges Over Appointment
Selfie via twitter.
Senator Cory Booker’s fundraiser for the Monmouth County Democrats only yielded $25,000, according to a report on PolitickerNJ.
Booker has had much better nights in Hollywood and on Twitter than he had last night in the county he lost by 10,000 votes last year to former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan.
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal confirmed the take and said he was happy with it.
Democratic Freeholder candidate Larry Luttrell was excited in his remarks at the Wall Township home of Gary Faraci, the Wall Democrats only nominee for three Township Committee seats this fall.
“This is different. This isn’t like any other year. This year is special. We have a rock star on top of the ticket,” said Luttrell, of Holmdel, an attorney, as he pointed to Booker. “He’s here to help us, and that means a lot. We’re going to out work them, we’re going to out raise them, and we’re going to make it happen.”
OK Larry.
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Posted: July 26th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County, Monmouth Democrats | Tags: Cory Booker, Joe Grillo, Larry Luttrell, Monmouth Democrats, Vin Gopal | 45 Comments »
Devoid of ideas of how to improve Monmouth County’s government and running on so called “issues” that have failed in the last few campaigns, the Monmouth County Democratic Freeholder candidates, Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo are apparently hoping they can win in November by mimicking Congressman Frank Pallone’s odd facial expressions. Even their campaign volunteers are doing it.
Luttrell and Grillo have been handing out literature that blame Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich for the misdeeds of Peter Burnham at Brookdale Community College and Andrew Lucas’s alleged misdeeds in the the sale of development rights to a farm that he owns to the farmland preservation program.
That’s like blaming Derek Jeter for A-Rod using steroids. Monmouth County voters didn’t fall for it last year and won’t likely fall for it this year, leaving Luttrell and Grillo to do the Pallone squint.
Pallone is kicking off his campaign with a BB-Q on Sunday afternoon. It won’t be on Greg’s List, but click here if you want to RSVP to eat Frank’s free food.
Posted: July 22nd, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Frank Pallone, Monmouth County, Monmouth Democrats | Tags: A-Rod, Andrew Lucas, Brookdale Community College, Derek Jeter, Frank Pallone, Frank Pallone's free food, Gary Rich, Joe Grillo, Larry Luttrell, Lillian Burry, Lucas Farm Deal, Monmouth Dems, Peter Burnham | 15 Comments »
By Art Gallagher
In my article earlier today about Senator Cory Booker coming to Wall Township to raise campaign cash for the Monmouth Democratic Freeholder candidates, I noted that Candidate Larry Luttrell appeared to be emulating Booker’s “campaign based on love” style. Booker often posts inspirational feel good message on his social media pages. Last month, Record columnist Herb Jackson reported on a Booker fundraising email that said,“No matter how ugly the attacks get, I am committed to building a campaign based on love.”
Luttrell posted his own Bookerism on facebook last week.
Well, it seems that in addition to emaulating Booker’s love, Luttrell is also emulating Congressman Frank Pallone’s duplicity. If you’re a regular MMM reader, you need no explanation of Pallone’s duplicity. If you are one of our thousands of newer readers, check out this link to get an idea of how truth challenged and manipulative Pallone is.
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Posted: June 20th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2014 Elections, Monmouth Democrats | Tags: Cory Booker, Frank Pallone, Frank Pallone deceiving the media, Frank Pallone's duplicitous playbook, Gerry Turning, Larry Luttrell, Monmouth Democrats | 4 Comments »
photo via facebook
Senator Cory Booker is lending his star power and fund raising prowess to the Democratic Freeholder candidates who are looking to unseat Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich in November.
Booker is headlining a July 25 fundraiser for Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo at the Wall Township home of Gary and Linda Faraci.
All of Monmouth County’s Democratic mayors, including Tinton Falls Mayor Gerry Turning are listed as hosts of the fundraiser on the event’s invitation.
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Posted: June 20th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2014 Elections, Cory Booker, Monmouth Democrats, News, Tinton Falls, Wall Township | Tags: Cory Booker, Freeholder Serena DiMaso, Gary and Linda Faraci, Gary Faraci, Gary Rich, Gerry Turning, Joe Grillo, Larry Luttrell, Lillian Burry, Linda Faraci, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth Dems, Tinton Falls, Tom Arnone, Vin Gopal, Wall Township | 4 Comments »