Congratulations to Senator Gopal…

…for complying with the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as interpreted by U.S. Judge Naomi Buchwald, and unblocking MMM’s Art Gallagher before U.S. Senator Cory Booker unblocked Save Jersey’s @MattRooneyNJ.

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N.J. Must Ask More of Our Leaders in Trenton

Governor Christie and the New Jersey Legislature are about to increase the gas tax by 23¢ per gallon taking effect for Thursday morning and overnight becoming the seventh highest gas tax in the country. Unfortunately, hiking the gas tax treats only a symptom of the broken Transportation Trust Fund. We commend legislative leadership for the serious… Read the rest of this entry »

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Report: Ukrainian Jews Forced To “Register”

By Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com

If you want to know why I could never vote for a Ron Paul-type libertarian, Save Jerseyans, then read this exceedingly disturbing report out of a Russian militant-occupied town in Eastern Ukraine (via USA Today):

Emanuel Shechter, in Israel, told Ynet his friends in Donetsk sent him a copy of the leaflet through social media.

“They told me that masked men were waiting for Jewish people after the Passover eve prayer, handed them the flyer and told them to obey its instructions,” he said.

The leaflet begins, “Dear Ukraine citizens of Jewish nationality,” and states that all people of Jewish descent over 16 years old must report to the Commissioner for Nationalities in the Donetsk Regional Administration building and “register.”

It says the reason is because the leaders of the Jewish community of Ukraine supported Bendery Junta, a reference to Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement that fought for Ukrainian independence at the end of World War II, “and oppose the pro-Slavic People’s Republic of Donetsk,” a name adopted by the militant leadership.

The leaflet then described which documents Jews should provide: “ID and passport are required to register your Jewish religion, religious documents of family members, as well as documents establishing the rights to all real estate property that belongs to you, including vehicles.”

Consequences for non-compliance will result in citizenship being revoked “and you will be forced outside the country with a confiscation of property.” A registration fee of $50 would be required, it said.

The incident has been confirmed by reliable authorities but the extent of the anti-Semitic action – and who sanctioned it – isn’t quite clear other than the fact that it came from pro-Russian forces.

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Christie Needs To Throw Down In Middletown

By Matt Rooney, Save Jersey.com

When Speaker of the House John Boehner’s caucus didn’t immediately sign off on a massive, bloated Superstorm Sandy relief package in early 2013, Save Jerseyans, Chris Christie’s outrage could be heard at all ends of the earth.

“We respond as Americans,” Christie bellowed following a congressional adjournment which occurred without a vote, “at least we did until last night… it was disgusting to watch.”

A majority of conservatives were of a decidedly different opinion, ranging from disinterest to feelings of betrayal. Their disgust was reserved for an event that occurred approximately two months earlier, before the Mitt Train officially derailed, when the rockstar GOP Governor embraced President Obama on Garden State soil, a move which public exit polling suggested could’ve helped move the needle in the incumbent’s direction in key 2012 battleground states like Virginia and Ohio. Base political calculation at its worst? Or simply emotions getting the best of an emotional guy?

My take at the time was as balanced as anyone could expect from a conservative blogger: it was foolish to fault Christie for refusing to leave his storm-ravaged state for a political rally, or even for hosting the Commander-in-Chief upon the White House’s request, but I also argued that the Republican Governor’s overly-effusive praise of an as-of-yet-untested federal response was premature at best and would likely prove to be the real mistake with the passage of time.

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Bramnick Won’t Run For Senate

By Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com

Asm. Jon Bramnick has shocked the N.J. political world by declining to run for U.S. Senate in 2014, Save Jerseyans, leaving the field wide open…

His statement:

“After thoroughly considering the opportunity to run for United States Senate in 2014, I have decided to remain focused on my role as Assembly Republican Leader. I appreciate the support and enthusiasm offered to me by countless party leaders, elected officials, and devoted volunteers across New Jersey. I look forward to continuing to work with Governor Christie and the dedicated members of the Assembly Republican caucus to advocate for the hardworking taxpayers of our state. “

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Thirteen 2013 Takeaway Numbers

By Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com

We had a very busy year, Save Jerseyans, but if there are 13 stats from 2013 that will stay with me into 2014, these ones are at the top of my list:

13.   1,300,000,000 – how much more money the State of New Jersey decided to spend next year over this year.

12.   30,000 – about how many New Jersey and New York residents are still homeless 14-months after Hurricane Sandy made landfall.

11.   10,000,000,000 – the funds, representing only 1/5 of the total Sandy federal aid package, that have been disbursed to date.

10.   3,300 – the current rough number of New Jerseyans who have created an account at Healthcare.gov.

9.   800,000 – the approximate number of New Jersey residents who started 2013 with a health care plan that, thanks to Obamacare, will be cancelled by 2014.

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Shaftan: Lonegan in Single Digit Range

Long-Time Lonegan Strategist, Pollster Sees Much Tighter U.S. Senate Race Than Public Survey Results Reflect

By Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com

He’s one of most controversial figures in Garden State politics, Save Jerseyans, but in all candor, I always enjoy talking shop with Rick Shaftan.

For those who don’t know (maybe you’re tuning in for the first time this cycle), Rick Shaftan is a campaign strategist/pollster for Republican candidates across the country (and a couple Dems, including state Sen. Nick Sacco). His most famous client is Steve Lonegan, and their relationship goes back many years; Shaftan’s cameo in Anytown USA – a documentary following one of former Mayor Lonegan’s Bogota reelection campaigns – is well worth the watch.

I had a chance to catch up with Rick on the phone last night when he was in between an event and a campaign conference call (and I had just returned from a cocktail party and was settling down for a tedious evening of busy work and HBO GO viewing).  His message to me concerning the 2013 U.S. Senate special election: don’t believe the public polls. “This is a single digit race,” Shaftan declared. Even his detractors who think Rick is crazy would never make the mistake of believing he’s stupid. I brought up the fact that conservatives (including yours truly) didn’t believe the 2012 public polling only to have those polls largely verified by the final result.

Rick Shaftan’s counter: 2013 isn’t 2012…

In short, Lonegan completely rejects the idea that Mayor Lonegan is trailing by large margins and that the nominee is underperforming with the GOP base; his argument is that the major public polls are failing to adequately screen for who is actually likely to show up at the polls to choose between Cory Booker (D-Twitter) and his candidate.

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Slouching Away From 9/11

By Matt Rooney, The Save Jersey Blog

I shared a quote with my Facebook friends last night from Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, on the eve of this 12th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks:

“The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.”

Pretty soul stirring, right?

Then I started to wonder if it was still true, Save Jerseyans.

Evidence to the contrary: (1) the NSA is intercepting our personal phone records and (2) Americans can’t board an airplane without invasive searches; (3) Government spending is now approaching 40% of the GDP, greater than any time in our history save for World War II; (4) Washington can compel you to buy anything that Congress wants you to consume provided that it’s accomplished under the guise of a “tax” or, in the case of real property, transfer yours to another private individual for the “public good”; (5) Government opposition groups suffer punitive tax audits and (6) major scandals are shamelessly covered up.

Shall I keep going?

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In New Jersey, Welfare Exceeds Minimum Wage

By Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com

Save Jersey bloggers have spent a lot of time discussing how a minimum wage hike will kill jobs if this fall’s ballot question passes.

What we haven’t discussed at-length is one of the terrible ironies of Big Government’s central planning in New Jersey: many welfare beneficiaries are already receiving significantly more money than they would working for the minimum wage after this proposed increase!

The libertarian CATO Institute released the results of an eye-opening new study this week that found welfare benefits in 35 U.S. states are actually worth more than a minimum wage job. You can click here to read the full report.

Specifically, in our own state of New Jersey, the full government welfare package (TANF, SNAP, housing assistance, Medicaid, etc) is worth $38,782 annually. That works out to roughly $18.62 per hour.

In case you’ve forgotten, Save Jerseyans, New Jersey’s current minimum wage is $7.25, so someone working a 40 hour per week job is earning only $15,080 annually. President Obama previously pitched a $9 federal minimum wage and Cory Booker wants $10.10 per hour. This November, New Jerseyans will vote on a comparatively modest bump (to $8.25 an hour) and, less modestly, whether to constitutionally tie future increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

I’m trying to understand how liberal logic rationalizes this economic incongruity.

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Understanding October Logic

Faced with Three Bad Options, Christie’s U.S. Senate Strategy Might Be the Least Terrible

By Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com

You’ve already heard from plenty of angry conservatives/Republicans who think Governor Christie’s uber-controversial U.S. Senate vacancy timeline is tantamount to high treason. Our own Irwin Fletcher is on record believing it’s a huge mistake.

Allow me to play devil’s advocate for a moment without risking a verbal stoning from a digital lynch mob?

When Frank Lautenberg left this earth, Save Jerseyans, Chris Christie was faced with three legal options:

(1) Hold a special U.S. Senate election coinciding with this November’s general election;

(2) Wait until November 2014 for a vote; or

(3) Pick a date between now and November for a separate special election.

Let’s hypothesize how each scenario would likely pan out for the GOP…

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