Solomeno kicks off his campaign for Surrogate

Vincent Solomeno

Hazlet-Vincent Solomeno, 30, announced his candidacy for Monmouth County Surrogate this morning, promising to transform the constitutional position that is judicial in nature, to one of advocacy for “the most vulnerable among us.”

Currently a Platoon Training at the National Guard Officer Training School in Sea Girt, Solomeno returned from a one year deployment in as a military planner and manager in Operation Freedom last October.

Solomeno was the Command Historian of the New Jersey National Guard from November of 2010 through until his deployment.
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Monmouth Dems Meet Tonight To Nominate Their County and Legislative Candidates

The Monmouth County Democrats will hold a “mini-convention” this evening at the IBEW Local 400 Union Hall in Wall Township to formally nominate their slate of County and Legislative candidates for the June 2 primary.

Jeanne Cullinane is challenging Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon in the 13th legislative district

MMM has learned that Hazlet Board of Education member Tom Herman will be a candidate for Assembly in the 13th legislative district, challenging incumbent Republicans Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon. Joining Herman on the Democratic ticket in the 13th will be Jeanne Cullinane, also of Hazlet, a political newcomer.

Cullinane has recently shared posts on facebook that compared Republicans to Iranian terrorists and Polish people to monkeys.

Monmouth County Chairman Vin Gopal has previously announced on his blog that Neptune Township Zoning Board Member Carol Rizzo will challenge incumbent Republican Freeholder John Curley.  There has been speculation that Rizzo was seperated at birth from Rumson Democratic Chairman and former Democratic candidate for Surrogate, Michael Steinhorn.

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Joe Grillo is for the birds

Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo, a Democratic candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder last year, has accepted a position as Director of Development at the New Jersey Audubon Society.

Working out of the non-profit’s Bernardsville headquarters, Grillo will be responsible for operations management, supervision of staff members overseeing membership, gift entry and prospect research.  He will collaborate with the VP of Development in designing and implementing a fundraising strategy.

Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal’s blog has not reported whether  Grillo will be commuting over an hour each way to Bernardsville from his current home in Asbury Park or if he will move to the Somerset County town where there are no parking meters. During his campaign for Freeholder last year, Grillo complained that it is impossible to live in downtown Asbury Park without getting parking tickets. Starbuck’s, where Grillo’s wife works as a manager, has a store in Bernardsville.  A shorter commute and free parking may prove compelling to the couple should the job work out for Joe.

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On Anonymity, Integrity & Personal Attacks

By Jim Granelli

To be honest, I’ve had a draft of an article like this on my desktop since before Christmas. But the recent article about John Heyer, AKA Vin Gopal, AKA Monmouth County Democrat Chair has created an opportunity to tie the current matter into the above issues.

Integrity as one dictionary describes it is “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” That was the point of exposing Vin Gopal as a real person behind Jersey Shore Insider. It was a lie of omission, for if the real truth were known about the editorial bend of the Jersey Shore Insider blog, one would be able to put it all in context.

One of the tip off’s that something was fishy was finding out that John Heyer was a Democrat Freeholder who died in 1905. No one in Holmdel knew of John Heyer, nor was he found in any public records. That wasn’t too smart of a move Mr. Gopal. It raised a flag. Furthermore, that Gopal has not replied to MMM with a comment should raise a flag with you; telling you that  a) he got caught and b) he’s got something to hide.

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Can Monmouth County Voters Be Duped?

Luttrell and Grillo are counting on it

Trenton Democrats are funding the deception

Monmouth County Democratic Freeholder candidates Lawrence Luttrell and Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo have been saying on the stump that, should they be elected, they would govern the way they campaigned.

Given their latest campaign mailer, Luttrell and Grillo are promising to govern with trickery and deceit.

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Gopal named Deputy Vice Chairman of State Democratic Party

Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal has been named one of four deputy vice chairs of the State Party, by Chairman John Currie at the Party’s annual conference in Atlantic City last week.

In addition to Gopal, Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver, the former Speaker, Atlantic County Freeholder Colin Bell and Garden State Equality Founder and former Chair Steven Goldstein were named Deputy Vice Chair.

“I am thrilled to name these four outstanding New Jersey Democrats as Deputy Vice Chairs. I will look to them for guidance and support as the campaign season progresses. These individuals represent diverse interests and regions and they have all been leaders in their respective communities,” said Chairman Currie in a statement released by the Party. “They strengthen the NJDSC leadership team and increase our ability to conduct outreach and other party business across the state.”

Gopal told MMM that the position is advisory in nature and that he does not have a specific portfolio of responsibility with the NJDSC.

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Cory Booker Advises Vin Gopal to shave his head…

….and other interesting rhetoric at the Monmouth County Democratic Convention

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Judge Lawson: Freeholder Lillian Burry had no conflict of interest regarding Lucas farm vote

Judge Lawrence M. Lawson

Monmouth County Assignment Judge Lawrence M. Lawson has ruled that “no rational fact-finder could find a conflict of interest” in Freeholder Lillian Burry’s March 2013 vote to fund the purchase of the development rights to former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas’s Burke Farm.

In an opinion dated January 8, Lawson said that Burry did not have a conflict of interest, “real or apparent,” “potential” or “actual” in the controversial farmland preservation purchase that has been a political football in Monmouth County and Manalapan since 2010.

In a Summary Judgment, Lawson dismissed the suit with prejudice, brought by Holmdel attorney Lawrence Luttrell, a Democratic freeholder candidate at the time that he, his wife and mother-in-law formed R.A.G.E (Residents Against Government Exploitation), a non-profit corporation, for the sole purpose of bringing suit against Monmouth County over Burry’s vote on the Lucas farm deal.

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Additional Confirmation: No Warrant For DiSomma

A Dallas Municipal Court employee told MoreMonmouthMusings this morning that there has never been a warrant issued for the arrest of Sean DiSomma, the Red Bank Republican council candidate, who was defamed by the Monmouth County Democrats, The Asbury Park Press and NJ.com yesterday.

NJ.com updated their headline to include the word “accused” this morning, but has not lifted a finger to verify the accusation, nor have they referenced MMM’s story that disproved the allegation that a warrant for DiSomma’s arrest is outstanding or had ever been issued.  MMM has previously been cited by NJ.com and The Star Ledger on several stories.  They can’t honestly claim that they don’t consider this little blog a reliable news outlet.

The Asbury Park Press doubled down on their defamation of DiSomma in a story updated this morning: (Screenshot from the app.com story)

APP reporter Larry Higgs has not responded to numerous messages via twitter, public and private, asking if he personally confirmed a warrant with the Dallas municipal court.

Such a confirmation would be impossible, because there was never a warrant.

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LAROCCA ANNOUNCES DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP TEAM

LaRocca Slate Shows Wide Support;Will to Win

Frank LaRocca today announced a complete slate to lead the Monmouth County Democratic Party, reflecting the diversity of the county and a will to win on the part of local leaders.

“I’m honored to have the support of such a broad-based coalition and those who know what it takes to win elections in Monmouth County,” LaRocca said. “This is an outstanding team.”

As the Marlboro Democratic Party Chairman, LaRocca has won 8 out of 9 elections, making Marlboro a model for how to build a Democratic Party organization from the ground floor. When he took over, there was an all Republican Council and a Republican Mayor. Now, as a second term councilman in Marlboro, he is providing innovative, effective leadership in to his community.

The following is the LaRocca Leadership Team:

REBECCA AARONSON

Vice-Chair

Manalapan

In addition to serving as Mayor and Committeewoman in Manalapan, Aaronson was Chairman Victor Scudiery long-time vice-chair of the Monmouth County Democrats.

Rebecca volunteers as a Spanish interpreter at Parker Family Health Center in Red Bank. She has been honored by the Latino American Association of Monmouth County for her public service. She’s a graduate of Brookdale College. She and her husband Richard have raised two sons.

In 2005, Aaronson ran a strong race for Monmouth County Freeholder, nearly toppling an entrenched incumbent.

GERALD TARANTOLO

Corresponding Secretary

Eatontown

Mayor Tarantolo is currently serving his 14th year as Mayor of Eatontown and was last re-elected in November 2010 for a fourth four-year term. He also served on the Eatontown Council for 14 years and as a member of the community’s Board of Education.

Mayor Tarantolo was actively involved in the Save Fort Monmouth Committee, served as co-chairman of the Fort Monmouth Reuse Committee, the Governor’s Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization and Planning Authority and now on the Governor’s Fort Monmouth Economic Redevelopment Authority (FMERA).

He is the 2007 recipient of the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce Spinnaker Award for Public Service and the 2010 SCAN Humanitarian Award.  

MICHAEL MANGAN

Recording Secretary

Manasquan

Councilman Mangan is serving his second term where he’s been a leader on the community’s Environmental Commission and Tourism Commission. A business executive, Michael is a graduate of George Washington University. He’s served as executive director of the Monmouth County Democrats under Chairman Scudiery.

VINCENT SOLOMENO

Sergeant at Arms

Hazlet

Vincent Solomeno has been fighting for Monmouth County Democrats since
he was fourteen.  In 2000, The Asbury Park Press called him a
“political prodigy” when he beat the odds and elected two Democrats to
the Union Beach Borough Council.  Since then, he has managed winning
races in Hazlet Township and helped elect Democrats across Monmouth
County.

Vincent received his B.S. in Political Science from the University of
Scranton.  As a Harry S. Truman Scholar, he worked in the Washington,
D.C. office of Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.  The recipient of a
2007 J. William Fulbright Fellowship to the Netherlands, he earned his
M.A. in European Studies from the University of Amsterdam for his
study of Islamic radicalization.  He is a member of American Legion
Post No. 23, a former member of the Hazlet Township Planning Board,
past President of the Hazlet Democratic Club, and he presently serves
as President of the Bayshore Democratic Club.

SHARON LEE
Treasurer

Red Bank

Councilwoman Sharon Lee is a life-long resident of Monmouth County who has dedicated her public service to quality of life issues. In Red Bank, she chairs the Code Enforcement Committee and serves on the Police, Fire, Parks and Recreation Committees and is Council liaison to the Community Advisory Board.  Sharon served for seven years on the Planning Board where her priority was always protecting the integrity of our neighborhoods. During her eight years on Council, Lee has served as Council President, Chair of Parks and Recreation and interim chair of the Finance Committee. She is also the former Chair of Department of Public Works and former Chair of the Education and Technology Committee.  

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