Four years ago a young software engineer from Long Branch decided to serve his country and attempt to right the wrongs of Washington by running for Congress against Frank Pallone.
Jim was shunned by the Monmouth GOP back in 2008. He wasn’t allowed into the nominating convention that awarded the 6th district line to Bob McLeod and the U.S. Senate line to Andrew Unanue.
Hogan lost the primary to McLeod. Rather than go away angry, or stay around angry, Hogan volunteered for McLeod’s futile effort to unseat Pallone. He started a blog, became the ideal county committee member, and volunteered his time, talent, good humor and good nature to Monmouth County and Long Branch GOPs.
Sadly for America, but happily for his family and employer, Hogan has regained his mind and lost his motivation to change the world. He announced today that he is closing his blog and will not seek another term on the county committee from Long Branch.
I wish my friend well. He knows he is always welcome to contribute here. He has his own access to MMM. I look forward to the day when something moves him to write and he surprises me with a post that makes me laugh while exposing an infuriating circumstance of government malfeasance.
Godspeed my friend. Make money. Enjoy your family. Enjoy your life.
And I’ve been meaning to tell you, you’re not really that ugly.
Bayshore Tea Party Group Leaders, Frank Gonzalez, Barbara Gonzalez, Lynn Gordon and Bob Gordon at the Monmouth County Lincoln Day Dinner. Photo Credit: Rhoda Chodosh
There were at least unhappy four people of the approximately 500 Republicans celebrating Lincoln Day in Monmouth County last night.
Bayshore Tea Party Group Co-founders, Barbara Gonzalez and Bob Gordon, along with their opposite sex spouses, Frank Gonzalez and Lynn Gordon stood up during Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno’s speech and quietly walked out of the Shore Casino in Atantic Highlands.
The Tea Partiers were upset about the support of Mitt Romney expressed by Guadagno and other speakers.
In an email to BTPG members sent after the event, Gonzalez said,
Some of us attended the Lincoln Dinner this evening, which is a republican event, held at the Shore Casino.
Four of us walked out during Lt Governor’s speech. Why?
Well, first, one speaker got up and told us how no other candidate is worth a crap and how Romney is the only one we should support. Then, the Lt Governor got up and spewed the same garbage.
The four of us that walked out were appalled. This was a disgraceful way for the republican party to act. There are three other candidates running on the republican ticket. How dare they.
That being said, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to let them dictate who we should be voting for? Whether you support Gingrich, Santorum or Paul, you should hopefully be working your butt off for them.
We are actively doing some work for Santorum from the office if anyone is interested. Helene is the county leader, so contact her or reply to me if you want to help. I can tell you this….my passion to have Santorum win has just been increased by what I saw this evening.
Hell hath no fury like a woman being told who to vote for!
Other speakers who spoke in support of Romney were New Jersey National Republican Committeeman Bill Palatucci and Congressman Chris Smith.
I HAVE NEWS FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF NEW JERSEY: ROMNEY IS NOT THE ONLY CANDIDATE IN THIS RACE AND IT WAS DISGRACEFUL TONIGHT AT THE LINCOLN DINNER. I AM ASHAMED TO BE A REPUBLICAN. THEY SAID WE ALL HAD TO VOTE FOR ROMNEY AND THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN WIN. WELL, HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS!!! YOU JUST GAVE THE TEA PARTY A SHOT OF ADRENALINE! AGAIN, THAT WAS TOTALLY DISGRACEFUL.
Manalapan Township Committee Member Ryan Green, a candidate for Freeholder in tomorrow’s Title 19 election, has taken the gloves off in what until now has been a clean and collegial intra-party contest.
Green issued a press release late last night criticizing the Holmdel Township Committee for considering selling land, including land purchased with Green Acres dollars, to close a budget deficit. Green based his criticism upon a January 6 article in the Holmdel Patch.
Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso is competing with Green, along with Howell Mayor Bob Walsh and Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle for the freeholder seat vacated by Assemblyman Rob Clifton.
“To learn that the Holmdel Township Committee would consider selling one of our most valued resources in Monmouth County, open space, is very disappointing. I have a strong record of preserving open space, as I believe it improves our quality of life. I will never support selling any of it,” Green said.
Green said he believes very strongly that when governing bodies purchase land, especially with Green Acres funding, it should be maintained as open space. He said he has been a leader in preserving open space in Manalapan since joining the Township Committee.
He is also concerned that selling land, as the Holmdel Township Committee is considering doing, is a short-term solution to address Holmdel’s looming budget deficit.
“In order to address budget deficits, we need long-term solutions. We need to prioritize what services are being provided, reduce spending, and find new shared services agreements that can save taxpayer dollars. Once that land is sold, it’s unlikely that Monmouth County will ever get it back,” Green stated.
DiMaso shot back, “If we sell, it would be 10 acres of a 400 acre facility to a soccer academy. It will be deed restricted for recreational use, so it will remain open space, and its use will not change. The sale will have Green Acres approval.”
“The Plum Lane property that Ryan ‘read’ about was not purchased with Green Acres money. It was donated to the Township and is surplus land.”
“If Ryan wanted to engage in a genuine debate about open space, why wait until the 11th hour with a press release? I saw Ryan on the campaign trail three times this week. He has my number and my email. He could have brought this up anytime. This type of last minute distortion is very disappointing coming from a so called Republican. Maybe Ryan’s ambition and NJEA DNA is more dominant in his character than his status as a Republican, especially one who promised to run a positive campaign. If he broke this promise to a fellow Republican, what promises will he break to the Monmouth County taxpayer? ”
Update from Ryan Green:
I was informed of this issue while walking door to door on Wednesday evening. I have never mentioned one of my fellow candidates by name during this campaign, nor have I ever engaged in personal attacks. The actions of the Holmdel Township Committee raise a legitimate policy issue for Monmouth County regarding open space, and I feel that it’s important for the voters to know where each candidate stands on this issue.
Howell Mayor Bob Walsh announced today that the 30th legislative district team of Senator Bob Singer, Assemblyman Sean Kean and Assemblyman Dave Rible have endorsed his candidacy for Freeholder.
Monmouth County residents are fortunate that the Republican party has such a deep bench of qualified talent. Any of the four municipal office holders seeking to take Assemblyman Rob Clifton’s seat on the Board of Chosen Freeholders on Saturday can do the job and do it well.
Serena DiMaso of Holmdel has distinguished herself as the outstanding choice amongst very good choices.
Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle and Manalapan Committeeman Ryan Green, both newcomers to county level politics, each have a great deal of promise. Each has a future in higher office should they continue to pursue it.
Howell Mayor Bob Walsh was the early favorite of this blog. We agree with everything that our friend James Hogan said about Bob in his endorsement, except Jim’s conclusion that Bob is the best candidate at this time. We are impressed with Bob’s political accomplishments, his passion and his entrepreneurial creativity. We appreciate his “big personality.” We’re impressed that he has won over Joe DiBella, his former passionate political adversary.
But we believe that Serena DiMaso will be a better freeholder and a better candidate, at this time.
Serena’s personality is not as big as her heart. She is a rare breed of politician; a truly humble public servant. Her quiet demeanor masks a tough, tenacious and very smart conservative leader.
The Freeholder Board is already occupied by big personalities. We believe that Serena is the perfect replacement for Rob Clifton’s calm, quiet leadership.
We also believe that Serena is the perfect running mate for Freeholder Director John Curley this year and for Freeholder Tom Arnone and Sheriff Shaun Golden next year. As her speaking skills continue to improve…she’s improved remarkably during this brief campaign… Serena will be very difficult for the Democrats to run against. Her record is impressive and she can sell it.
We figured the First Aid Squad gig was a resume builder like many politicians who join their community fire departments so that they use pictures wearing gear in campaign materials. Then we learned that Serena went on over 300 emergency calls last year. What mayor or chair of a hospital foundation does that? How does she do all that? “Dinner is often late to the table and the laundry is done in the middle of the night,” was her answer.
Serena will bring a great, deep, balance to the next two general election tickets and to the Board of Freeholders.
The Monmouth County Republican Committee will be electing a Freeholder on Saturday, January 14, to fill the vacancy resulting from Freeholder Director Rob Clifton’s election to the State Assembly.
The candidates are Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso, Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle, Manalapan Committeeman Ryan Green and Howell Mayor Bob Walsh.
Governor Christie’s flirtation with the national media and GOP fundraisers over running for president started to build momentum during March. He told reporters in Washington that he wouldn’t be governor in 2014. He told the National Review’s Rick Lowry “I already know I could win” the presidency.
The Monmouth County Freeholders suspended three SCAT drivers who had called out sick on February 25 but were caught on camera protesting labor reforms in Trenton. State Senator Joe Kyrillos praised the Freeholders for their action and stepped up his call for civil service reform.
Anna Little told The Auditor that she was thinking of running for U.S. Senate instead of Congress.
Peter Burnham was suspended as Brookdale College President on March 3. On March 9 Burnham resigned.
Monmouth University Pollster Patrick Murray accurately predicted that Dr. Alan Rosenthal, the tie breaking member of the legislative reapportionment, would choose the Democrats new legislative map. Murray based his prediction on Rosenthal’s scholarlly work espousing “continuity of representation,” i.e., that there is a value to voters being continuously represented by the same legislator after redistricting.
Even though MMM debunked the value of “continuity of representation” and the Bayshore Tea Party Group submitted a constitutional map, Rosenthal did indeed side with the Democrats, thereby assuring Democratic control of the legislature at least until the 2021 election.
Live Action Video released a tape of a Perth Amboy Planned Parenthood office manager coaching an actor posing as a pimp how to “beat the system” set up to protect underage sex trafficking victims. Media Matters for America, a liberal media watchdog, called the video a hoax and defended Planned Parenthood for alerting the FBI about a potential multistate sex trafficking ring. Amy Woodruff, the Planned Parenthood office manager, was fired. Frank Pallone was silent on the matter. The Asbury Park Press issued an inaccurate editorial defending Planned Parenthood.
The U.S. Census Bureau released the results of the 2010 census. New Jersey lost a congressional district. Hispanics became the state’s largest minority group. New Jersey’s population shifted from the north to the southern and central regions of the state.
New Jersey’s newpaper industry appealed to Trenton Democrats to maintain their corporate welfare in the form of “legal advertising.”
By-laws, and the lack thereof, for the Monmouth GOP became a hot topic for a week or two.
Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich likened Congressman Chris Smith and American Catholics opposed to abortion to the Arizona shooter.
Freeholder Deputy Director John Curley called for a public review of Brookdale Community College’s budget and spending after learning of expensive country club memberships and a housing allowance for college President Dr. Peter Burnham. Burnham had drafted a budget that called for a 8.2% tuition increase and blamed the need for the increase on the Freeholder Board reducing the county subsidy for the college.
The Republican Association of Princeton was reconstituted as The Lincoln Club of New Jersey under the leadership of Scott Sipprelle.
Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas, Wall Committeeman George Newberry and Spring Lake Councilman Gary Rich launched their campaigns for the GOP nomination for Freeholder.
