Belmar’s Sandy debris removal costs questioned by federal auditors (via NJ.com)
Federal auditors are questioning more than $500,000 in Hurricane Sandy debris removal costs in Belmar, saying the town awarded two contracts that did not comply with federal rules and lacked paperwork to support other expenses. The Department of Homeland…
Belmar scraps redevelopment plans, intends to start over (via NJ.com)
BELMAR – It’s back to the drawing board for the borough’s redevelopment plans. Following up on a campaign promise made by Mayor Matt Doherty, Belmar is scrapping its old redevelopment plan and is convening a committee to draft a new one. “The…
Dan Jacobson
Former Assemlyman Dan Jacobson, publisher of the triCityNews weekly newspaper and AsburyParkSun hyper-local news website, launched his campaign to return to the legislature last week with his tCN column urging Senate Jennifer Beck to run for governor.
Jacobson served one term in the General Assembly, 1990-1991. He was swept out of office, along with the Democratic majority in the 1991 election over Governor Florio’s $2 billion tax increase, including sales taxes on toilet paper and food. In 2011 Jacobson registered as a Republican in order to challenge then Senator Sean Kean for the 11th district Senate nomination in the GOP primary. But the legislative redistricting commission foiled Jacobson’s plans by moving Kean’s hometown of Wall out of the 11th district into the 30th, and moving Red Bank, Beck’s hometown into the 11th.
Jacobson didn’t want to run against Beck. They’re friends and agree on most issues. And Beck’s political stardom is one of Jacobson’s major journalistic accomplishments. Just ask him. Jen Beck never even would have been elected to the Red Bank Borough Council if not for Dan Jacobson pumping her up in the triCityNews.
So Jacobson ran a pax-on-both houses Independent race for Assembly in 2011 to make a point. 2304 voters, 3%, got the point and have long since forgotten it. Obviously his heart wasn’t in the Assembly race. He really wants to be in the Senate, but he doesn’t want to run against Beck.
The obvious solution is for Beck to step up and run for governor. Jacobson rightly argues that the NJ GOP doesn’t have a viable alternative for a post-Christie candidate. The NJGOP is actually weaker now than it was before Christie was elected in 2009.
Posted: March 31st, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 11th Legislative District, Dan Jacobson, Jennifer Beck | Tags: Asbury Park, Dan Jacobson, Declan O'Scanlon, Jennifer Beck, LD 11, Matt Doherty, NJ Governor, NJ State Legislature, Sean Kean | 16 Comments »
Belmar Mayor Doherty Testifies At Senate Hearing On Superstorm Sandy Recovery (via Manasquan-Belmar Patch)
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty testified Wednesday at the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development hearing “Superstorm Sandy Recovery: Ensuring Strong Coordination among Federal, State and Local Stakeholders.” According…
Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer on MSNBC’s Up with Steve Kornacki, January 18, 2014
Monmouth County mayors and other municipal officials are reacting to Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s allegations that her city is not receiving Sandy Relief funds because she hasn’t pushed through a redevelopment approval coveted by Governor Chris Christie with a high degree of skepticism, because their storm ravaged communities have yet to see significant money yet either.
One elected official who asked not to be quoted said, “If Hoboken had approved that Rockefeller project, Zimmer would still be standing on her head at a Hoboken street corner looking for her Sandy money. The money hasn’t started to flow yet.”
“Is it believable that Guadagno (Lt. Governor Kim Guadango) or Constable (DCA Commissioner Richard Constable) encouraged Zimmer to expedite an project? Yes. As a quid pro quo for Sandy dollars? No way,” another official said.
Zimmer alleged on MSNBC’s Up with Steve Kornacki this morning that Guadagno pulled her aside at a Hoboken ribbon cutting and warned that Sandy Relief money to Hoboken was contingent on a development application by the Rockefeller Group being approved by the city. Zimmer said that Constable told her at a Monmouth University symposium on Sandy recovery that relief dollars would flow if the Rockefeller application was approved.
After talking to local and state officials today, MMM understands that the federal money for Sandy Relief is flowing dripping through four sources; FEMA, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) which administers relief for homeowners, the New Jersey Economic Development Agency(EDA) and County Governments which are administering Hazard Mitigation Grants. The Hazard Mitigation Grants are funded by FEMA and distributed to the counties by the State Office of Emergency Management.
We’re hearing plenty about Bridgegate and Governor Christie’s response to it from cable news pundits and late night comedians. MMM thought it would be interesting to hear what our Monmouth County leaders, from both parties, have to say about the controversy and Christie’s response to it at his press conference last Thursday.
Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long, said “No, and I’m angry that some are tossing by name around as if I’m waffling about my endorsement,” when we asked her if she regretted endorsing Christie in light of the Bridgegate scandal. “Bridgegate is terrible, but it does not undue the Sandy recovery. My endorsement was based on the Sandy recovery. Let’s wait and see what happens when all the facts come out. Right now it’s a feeding frenzy.”
Senator Jennifer Beck said, “The governor has always straight forward me with, and he was forthcoming in his press conference on Thursday. I believe him.”
Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett said, “Governor Christie was open and sincere in his press conference. He said that he will now talk to everyone on his staff himself to get to the bottom of what happened. This issue may have gotten away from him because he departed from his usual practice of doing it all himself.
“Unfettered and overzealous politicos on Christie’s staff went way over the mark. The lane closures were a bad, bad idea that never should have happened.”
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal hasn’t returned our calls since we debunked his malicious and inaccurate attempted character assassination of a Red Bank Republican Council Candidate last October, so we asked his predecessor, Victor Scudiery, and the man who opposed him in the chairman’s race in 2011, Frank LaRocca to comment.
Former Monmouth Democratic Chairman Victor Scudiery said, “I take Chris Christie’s word for it. We’ll have to play it out and see what happens. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, it’s frightening, but we have to wait and see.”
Posted: January 13th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Christie, Christie Administration, Monmouth County, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth GOP, Port Authority | Tags: Adam Schneider, Bridgegate, Chris Christie, Declan O'Scanlon, Dina Long, Frank LaRocca, Jennifer Beck, John Bennett, Lillian Burry, Matt Doherty, Port Authority of NY/NJ, Sean Kean, Victor Scudiery, Vin Gopal | 5 Comments »
Claire and Hannah Doherty welcome their new brother Seamus to the family.
photo via facebook, posted with Dad’s permission.
Congratulations to Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty and his wife Maggie Moran on the birth today of their third child, Seamus Matthew Doherty.
Seamus was born at at 2:40 this afternoon at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 8 ounces and is 20.5 inches long.
Matt reports that Maggie and Seamus are doing great.
Posted: January 1st, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Matt Doherty | Tags: Maggie Moran, Matt Doherty, Seamus Matthew Doherty | 2 Comments »Happy New Year MMM readers! 2014 has been a great year so far!
Here’s what we expect in the year ahead.
Senator Cory Booker will narrowly defeat Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick in the U.S. Senate election. Bramnick will be the instant front runner for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the 2016 special election.
Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik will be a speaker at numerous Democratic Clubs throughout New Jersey and will establish himself as a major fundraiser for Democratic candidates on the municipal and county levels. Hornik will proclaim that the only thing he is running for is reelection as Marlboro’s mayor in 2015.
The 11 incumbent New Jersey Congressmen running for reelection will win. The Republican nominee in the third congressional district seat currently held by Congressman Jon Runyon, who is not seeking a third term, will be elected. Tommy DeSeno will write a column complaining about gerrymandered districts.
Senate President Steve Sweeney will keep picking on Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr.
Governor Chris Christie will have more public appearances in Iowa, South Carolina, Texas and Florida, combined, than he will have Town Hall Meetings in New Jersey.
Anna Little will seek the Republican nomination for Congress in the 6th district, hoping for a third shot at Congressman Frank Pallone. Little will lose at the Monmouth and Middlesex nominating conventions and wage a primary. The Bayshore Tea Party Group will sit out the 6th district primary, citing their commitment to Dr. Alieta Eck’s campaign in the 12th district. Eck will be unopposed for the 12th district nomination to take on Congressman Rush Holt.
Posted: January 1st, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2014 Elections, Uncategorized | Tags: Adam Schneider, Anna Little, Asbury Park Press, Bob Walsh, Chris Christie, Cory Booker, Dr. Alieta Eck, Ed Zipprich, Frank Pallone, Gary Rich, Joe Grillo, John Moor, Jon Bramnick, Jon Hornik, Jon Runyon, Larry Luttrell, Lillian Burry, Matt Doherty, Pat Menna, Steve Sweeney, Tom Kean JR, Tommy DeSeno | 19 Comments »
The boardwalk’s reconstruction began on Jan. 9. It required more than a half million screws, Mayor Matt Doherty said.
Posted: May 22nd, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: #STTS, Bob Menendez | Tags: #STTS, Bob Mendendez, Matt Doherty | 1 Comment »
Bean cites Local Finance Board’s Decision Against Marlboro Councilwoman Randi Marder To Support His Complaint
Doherty Dismisses Complaint As Politics
Belmar Councilman Jim Bean. Photo credit: Belmar.com
Belmar Councilman Jim Bean, a Republican, has written to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Local Finance Board requesting an investigation into a “potential violation” of New Jersey’s Local Government Ethics Law by Mayor Matt Doherty, a Democrat.
Doherty’s wife, Maggie Moran, a former Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Jon Corzine, worked as a consultant for AshBritt, the Florida company that performed debris removal throughout much of New Jersey after the Superstorm Sandy. Belmar paid $2.67 million to AshBrit and its affiliates, according to Bean’s complaint which can be found here.
Doherty said that Bean is “Belmar’s Bayshore Tea Party….a cancer on the Republican Party.”
“This is the second, politically motivated, baseless complaint Bean has filed against me in the past 8 months, ” Doherty said, “If he didn’t waste his time on this nonsense maybe he could actually do something useful for the people of Belmar.”
Posted: May 4th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Belmar, Hurricane Sandy, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: AshBritt, Belmar, Ethics Complaint, Jim Bean, Lawless Matt Doherty, Local Finance Board, Maggie Moran, Marlboro Township, Matt Doherty, Randi Marder, Stavola | 5 Comments »© Copyright 2024 | MoreMonmouthMusings | All Rights Reserved