O’Scanlon’s bill will require full restitution for stealing from taxpayers

Pay up or get locked up

Senator Declan O’Scanlon today announced his plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit State entities from entering into civil settlements for less than the amount that has been stolen from social safety net programs and offering immunity from criminal prosecution.  The legislation comes as a direct result of recent investigations into Medicaid fraud settlements in Lakewood.

“The notion that people who have knowingly received benefits they were not entitled to would only be required to pay back half of that amount of money is completely ludicrous. It’s basically like letting someone get away with stealing from taxpayers. That’s unacceptable.”

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Mexican National Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fentanyl into NJ

Angel Santo Jerez Matos, 60, a/k/a “El Colonel,” today admitted his role in conspiring to traffic approximately 300 grams of fentanyl into New Jersey, according to an announcement by  U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Matos was a supplier of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine to a drug trafficking organization operating in and around New Jersey.

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Monmouth Poll: New Jersey has mixed feelings for Phil Murphy

Governor Murphy and Howell Democrats, Mayor Theresa Burger and Councilman John
Howell Councilman John Bonevich,

Governor Phil Murphy’s net approval rating has declined 13% after his first year in office and he is less popular than Governors Christie and Corzine were at this stage of their terms, according to a new Monmouth University Poll released this morning.

“Murphy started his term with greater public goodwill than his recent predecessors, but he has now fallen behind them.  The most troubling result may be the large number of his fellow Democrats who continue to take a wait-and-see attitude.  It seems he has yet to score a defining win with his base despite spending a significant amount of energy pushing a progressive agenda,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

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Murphy Reprises Corzine’s Asset Monetization Plans, MMM Reprises ‘King of the Road’

Asbury Park Press graphic. Permission to use granted 11 years ago

Politico is reporting that Governor Phil Murphy is reaching back to the previous Goldman Sachs Administration in New Jersey by “launching an effort to identify state assets that could be leveraged to reduce New Jersey’s unfunded pension liability.”

Former Governor Corzine couldn’t sell his idea of selling New Jersey’s toll roads to investors (China) for a $30+ billion cash infusion to plug our chronic budget wholes. Will Murphy, who according to Politico is looking to sell more assets than toll roads,“numerous state assets, including property, buildings, roads, transit facilities, easements, air rights, naming rights and infrastructure, such as airports, bridges, water facilities, ports, parks and recreational facilities,” succeed where Corzine failed?

Politico says that Senate President Steve Sweeney supports the concept.

On January 21, 2008, MMM responded to Corzine’s scheme with a song parody crafted by Lori Gallagher, aka Mrs. Musings:

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Statement by Long Branch Police Chief Jason Roebuck on the arrest of Officer Patrick Joyce, Jr

Long Branch Police Chief Jason Roebuck

As with any investigation, especially one involving a law enforcement officer, I cannot legally release certain information to the press, no matter how much I may want to, until that investigation has been completed. This was the situation with the incident involving Officer Patrick Joyce, Jr.

Now that the investigation is complete, and charges filed, I can issue the following statement, with much outrage and embarrassment. Officer Patrick Joyce Jr was charged with Criminal Sexual Contact (4th degree) and Harassment (Disorderly Persons offense) by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, February 8th, 2019. While the matter was under investigation, he was immediately suspended without pay, which was supported by the command staff of the department and the City’s leadership. He is now facing termination of his employment.

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Long Branch Cop Charged With Criminal Sexual Contact

Patrick D. Joyce, Jr., 35, of West Long Branch, a Long Branch Police Officer for 12 years, has been charged with fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact and Harassment, a petty disorderly persons offense, according to an announcement by Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.

The charges are the result of an incident that occurred on February 1 at Jack’s Goal Line Stand during a private party celebrating the promotions of 12 Long Branch Officers.  MMM was the first to report on the incident and the investigation.

It is alleged that at the private party Joyce inappropriately touched a 21-year-old woman without her consent for his own sexual arousal or gratification.

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O’Scanlon and DiMaso Introduce “River’s Law” To Increase Penalties For Animal Abuse

River

Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso have introduced legislation that will increase certain animal abuse crimes to the second degree level.  Convictions for second degree crimes carry penalties of five to 10 years imprisonment and fines of up to $150,000.

The legislation is named for River, a pitbull/mix that was rescued by a Good Samaritan, Jennifer Vaz of Highlands, who discovered the dog caged and left to drown on the banks of the Shrewbury River at Veterans Memorial Park last June.

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Mary Pat Christie for Congress? From the 11th or the 3rd district?

CHRISCHRISTIE.COM PHOTO

Former Governor Chris Christie floated the idea of his wife, Mary Pat Christie, running for Congress in the 11th district next year as a challenger to freshman Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, according to a report at NewJerseyGlobe.

Sherrill, who flipped the Republican 11th district convincingly with a 57%-42%  victory over Assemblyman Jay Webber, and raised a gazillion dollars to do it, will be tough to beat in 2020.

Mary Pat would have a much easier race against 3rd district freshman Congressman Andy Kim who barely beat Tom MacArthur last year.   The Chrisites own a house in Bay Head, in addition to their home in Mendam.  MacArthur relocated to Ocean County from Morris County to run for the seat after Jon Runyan retired in 2014.

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State Owned Bank and Legal Weed: Perfect Together?

Embed from Getty Images

On his Ask the Governor show on public radio last night, Governor Phil Murphy said he has a big meeting today about his idea to create a state owned bank, according to reporter Joe Hernandez.

.@GovMurphy says he has a big meeting tomorrow on his idea to create a public bank in N.J. which hasn’t gotten much attention since his campaign

— Joe Hernandez (@byJoeHernandez) February 5, 2019

As Hernandez noted in his tweet, the Murphy’s public bank idea has not gotten much attention since his 2017 campaign. So why now?

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Congressman Chris Smith’s remarks to the Alzheimer’s Community Forum

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