Red Bank Mayor Pat Menna, wearing a pre-COVID mask, and Red Bank activist and Board of Education member Sue Viscomi. photo via Viscomi’s facebook page
By Tommy DeSeno
“There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by
those who hear it.” – William James
A regrettable development in American culture is that racism
is being obscured by false claims of racism.
Both destroy their targets.
If a racist is one of the worst things a person can be, then
falsely claiming someone is a racist is one of the worst things you can do to a
person. We are in a current whirlwind of
Cancel Culture and instant ostracization by social media. Those who are
careless labeling others as racist can easily ruin the life of someone who had
been careful not to be one. No one should have such power over the reputation
of others, but in these odd times where the Internet is forever, everyone does.
Red Bank Mayor Pasquale “Pat” Menna posted on facebook Saturday night that he walked himself into Riverview Medical Center on Wednesday for a preexisting medical condition and that he has not been treated in the Intensive Care Unit. He dated the post which appeared about 10 p.m., “Friday evening.”
The Borough of Red Bank has declared a State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 virus and has order all non-essential businesses with an occupancy of 25 people or more to close their doors effective at 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, March 16, according to announcement on town’s website.
Mayor Pat Menna told MMM that the intention is not to shut down retail activity, but specifically to thwart the spread of the virus at bars, restaurants, theaters and gyms. Essential services like hospitals, doctors’ offices, grocery stores and pharmacies are exempt from the shutdown. Menna said the situation will be revisited as the week unfolds.
Red Bank Councilman Mark Taylor was sworn into office by Sen Jennifer Beck in January
Red Bank Councilman Mark Taylor today called for the resignation of Erik Yngstrom, a candidate for Borough Council, from the community’s Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Yngstrom spoke against the Mayor and Council’s action regarding a proposed development previously rejected by the Zoning Board at a council meeting on Wednesday night, according to a report on RedBankGreen. Yngstrom said the council’s introduction of an ordinance authorizing the redevelopment of 55 West Front Street, “feels a little fishy to me,” according to RBG. Taylor said that Yngstrom also said, “someone must know someone” and “What good is the zoning board, if you can just go to the Council to override our decision?”
The results of the municipal election in Red Bank will be rechecked and recounted on Friday, November 20, 10 a.m., at the Board of Elections office in Freehold, pursuant to a Order by Superior Court Judge Katie A. Gummer.
Judge Gummer’s Order was requested in a petition by Councilman Michael DuPont. DuPont is down two votes to Republican challenger Michael Whelan in the current “unofficial” ballot count. If Whelan prevails, Red Bank Republicans will hold a 4-2 partisan majority on the Borough Council. Should DuPont gain three or more votes in the recount, and if those results are not contested, there would be 3-3 partisan split on the Council with Mayor Pat Menna, a Democrat, being the deciding vote.
In her Order dated November 13, Gummer rejected DuPont’s request that rejected absentee (Vote-By-Mail) and provisional ballots be examined and reconsidered.
Over the last two elections, Red Bank voters have expressed their dissatisfaction with their municipal government and transformed a Democratic stronghold into a swing town by splitting their partisan preferences in Council candidates.
Tomorrow, Red Bank will either turn over their government to Republican office holders with a 4-2 new majority, split partisan control of the Council 3-3, giving Democratic Mayor Pat Menna a deciding vote, or keep the current status-quo of 4-2 Democratic partisan control with Menna presiding over meetings and cutting ribbons, but having no power over policy.
Democratic incumbent Michael DuPont, 54, is running for his fourth term. Joining his effort to retain Democratic control of Red Bank is Board of Education Member Michael Ballard. Ballard, 52, replaced former Council President Art Murphy who resigned after a video of a drunken rant of him deriding a small business went viral.
Challenging DuPont and Ballard are Young Republicans Mark Taylor, 37, an attorney and Michael Whalen, 24, an insurance executive.
As the campaign comes to a close, the Democrats seem desperate to maintain control and their composure.
Discussion to end a five year moratorium on parking fees in the area was tabled at Tuesday’s Council Meeting due to the absence of Mayor Pat Menna who is recovering from heart bypass surgery. I wish Menna well and pray for his quick recovery.
I don’t know enough about the western Monmouth Street parking situation to opine, but if the businesses and Republicans think charging for parking is a bad idea, it probably is. The wiring for the parking kiosks was installed in 2012 and 13 new kiosks will cost the borough $135,308. $10,400 per kiosk, installed, sounds to me like more of a ripoff than $1 per hour to park.
What is really dumb about Red Bank’s paid parking is the coin operated meters in the heart of the business district located along side kiosks.
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.
Barring an Independent candidate entering the fray in June, Red Bank Mayor Pasquale “Pat” Menna will be reelected to a third term leading the borough in November unopposed. The Red Bank Republicans have not nominated a candidate to oppose Menna.
But that doesn’t mean the Red Bank GOP has given up on the strides they made last fall when Cindy Burham broke the Democratic grip on the governing body of 6 council members and the mayor and Sean DiSomma came within 1o2 votes of winning a second seat for the GOP.
DiSomma was subject to a malicious smear campaign, over a traffic ticket, by Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal in the final week of the 2013 campaign.
DiSomma is running again this year. He is joined on the ticket by Brian Hanlon, a former member of the borough’s park and recreation commission.
