Wall Elected Officials Back Golden

Shaun Golden

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden has picked up the endorsements of the elected officials from a third large municipality in his quest to replace John O. Bennett III as the Chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Organization.

Mayor Clint Hoffman, Deputy Mayor George Newberry and Township Committee Members Ann Marie Conte, Jeff Foster and Todd Luttman, the entire governing body of Wall Township, signed a letter on Wall Township Republican Organization letterhead and addressed to Monmouth County Republicans today, strongly endorsing Golden for Chairman.  Their letter can be found here.

The Wall governing body joins the elected officials of Middletown and Howell in supporting Golden.

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Christie to announce judicial nominations this afternoon

Governor Chris Christie has called a press conference for 2:30 this afternoon to announce his new judicial nominations.

The Star Ledger reported this morning that the governor would re-nominate Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, giving Rabner tenure, and nominate Superior Court Judge Lee Solomon to the Supreme Court.  In a deal struck with Senate President Sweeney, there a remaining vacancy on the Supreme Court would continue to be filled on a temporary basis by Rabner’s choice, Judge Mary Catherine Cuff.

Christie’s press conference can be viewed live here:

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Governor Christie’s Remarks On Cutting Pension Payments To Balance The Budget

Governor Christie: I have made the decision that we are not going to blindside our students, we are not going to blindside our seniors, our higher education institutions or those who rely on the safety net the state provides to balance the budget with only six weeks left in the fiscal year. So you have to make choices and we are making them. We’re choosing to be responsible in terms of the way we fund these critical priorities that matter to the people of the state. And we are choosing not put at risk those programs that I mentioned and those services that the people of the state rely upon, especially on such extraordinarily short notice. I’d love to give people tax relief. I’d love to also be able to fund programs that are priorities and that matter a great deal to me and to the people of this state. But until we decide to be adults and deal with the problem we know we have we’re not going to be able to do that. And so today I’m doing what I need to do to fulfill my constitutional obligation to balance a budget. Today I’m going to pledge to make the payments that we need to make to not dig the hole any deeper. But in a time when we’re confronted with this type of challenge I cannot also pay for all the sins of my predecessors, and so we’re going to do this now. We’re going to continue to try to get better as we move forward but you’re going to continue to hear from me and you will hear from me soon with specifics on the way we need to change the pension and the health benefit system. I’ve been saying over the course of the last number of months that come Fiscal Year ’16 New Jersey is going to be paying more for health benefit costs for retirees than we pay for active employees. If there is any greater symbol for how untenable the system has become I don’t know what it is. And so we need to deal with this problem and we need to deal with it directly. I will fix the problems that have been foist upon us today. But I’m going to need cooperation from the Legislature and elected officials across the state to deal with this problem going forward.

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Thar she blows! Whale spotted off Sea Bright

John Scheinder spotted a whale not far off the beach in Sea Bright. Thanks for sharing John!

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Governor Christie’s Announcement On Budget

Governor Chris Christie will hold a press conference this afternoon at 2PM to announce his steps to close the $800 million budget deficit in the current fiscal year.

The budget must be balanced on June 30.

The press conference can be viewed live here:

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The Arnone Report — 2014 Summer Kickoff!

By Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone

Freeholder Tom Arone

With summer right around the corner The Monmouth Ocean Development Council is preparing for the 2014 Summer Kickoff to the Jersey Shore. It will be Wednesday, May 21, 2014 on the boardwalk in Asbury outside McLoone’s Supper Club. I will be joining Grace Hanlon, Executive Director of Travel & Tourism State of NJ and Freeholder Joe Vicari of Ocean County as the guest speakers.

Monmouth County 2014 Tourism Season/Arts Partnership are true partners in that they both support businesses large and small in Monmouth County. They play an important role in building and sustaining our economic vibrancy. The Arts and Tourism partnership helps to enhance the quality of life throughout Monmouth County. Monmouth County is home to 2,080 arts related businesses. These businesses employ 5,803 people.

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders supports the MOCO Arts and Tourism partnership. We encourage our visitors and residents to visit our museums, theaters and our film, architecture and design companies as well as our beaches, boardwalks, historic sites, parks and attractions.

Visitors to Monmouth County spent $2.2 billion in 2013, up 5% over visitor spending in 2012, with Monmouth County seeing about 5 million visitors a year. There are over 32,000 people employed in tourism related jobs in Monmouth County.

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WHEN THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNS

By Ernesto Cullari

What are the odds that after spending 15 years in prison for robbing a shoe store in Toms River, parolee Christopher Miller, by coincidence, would end up back in that same store hours after being released -attempting to rob it again?

The answer is 43%. Except for the fact that he walked into the same place looking to rob it all over again, it should be no surprise at all that Mr. Miller was sent back to prison just hours after being released. Writer Gary Buiso details in the New York Post, Christopher Miller’s journey from juvenile delinquent to serial criminal, an interview that Buiso describes as ranging “from humorous to hopeless.”

Ever since I read about Miller’s pathetic trip from a troubled childhood to jail, from jail to freedom and from freedom back to jail again -I can’t stop thinking about it. Christopher Miller and I are the same age. He and I went to the same high school at nearly the same time. Miller graduated two years after I would have if I didn’t drop out. He didn’t meet his father until he was an adult. I didn’t meet mine until I was 16.

While Christopher Miller was breaking into lockers at our high school, I was working part time as a janitor in the school cafeteria. It’s likely that our paths have crossed many times. Growing up our lives had been headed in the same direction, as well. By the time he was shoplifting and breaking into neighbor’s homes, I too was making my way into bigger crimes. But suddenly and abruptly this is where our paths diverge.

When I was arrested as a teenager by the same police department that just rearrested Miller, the detectives were very kind to me, despite my brazenness. They were kind to me and didn’t press the prosecution as hard as they might have, because unlike Miller, I had a big family at home that passionately advocated for me.

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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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Golden: Passion and pride, not personal gain, will grow the Monmouth GOP

Sheriff Shaun Golden

Speaking at the first of three breakfast meetings he has scheduled for Monmouth Republican County Committee members, Sheriff Shaun Golden said this morning that he started to considering seeking the Monmouth GOP Chairmanship over a year ago, even if it meant challenging incumbent John Bennett, because of the decline of participation and enthusiasm he observed as he attended Republican events across the county.

“We have over 200 vacant county committee seats,” Golden declared, “that’s nearly an all time high.  That’s our base that’s shrinking.”

Golden said that he would bring back monthly breakfast meetings, scheduled regionally, fill the vacant county committee seats and and bring new growth the Republican Clubs in the Monmouth County municipalities.

“Communication is the key to growth and new enthusiasm.  We can’t update our website and email newsletters only before a Chairman’s election. It is embarrassing that our 2013 candidates were featured on our site until just recently.  Our opponents see that.   We need to increase our use of electronic communication, our website, email and social media to increase our base, expand participation and get our great message out. We need to communicate and reach out constantly, not just before a convention.”

“I am passionate about our Party.  It is passion and pride that will have us grow, not personal gain.  I have nothing to gain personally, I won’t make more money by doing this,” Golden said.

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Business groups join together to kick-off summer on the bayshore

Five Bayshore business groups and the Jersey Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau joined together yesterday in Keyport to kick-off the Summer of 2014 on the Monmouth County Bayshore..Exit 117…the Gateway to the Jersey Shore.

Lt Governor Kim Guadagno, Congressman Frank Pallone, State Senator Joe Kyrillos, Keyport Mayor Harry Aumack were on hand as the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, the Keyport Bayshore Business Copperative, the Hazlet Business Owners Association, the Atlantic Highlands Chamber of Commerce, the Highlands Business Partnership and the Jersey Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau  joined together in cooperation for ceremonial ribbon cutting for the region’s summer tourist season.

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