Casagrande a ‘Rising Star’

Monmouth County Legislator Has A Message That Republicans Badly Need To Win

Gannett’s New Jersey newspapers and websites published a list of New Jersey’s political “Rising Stars” yesterday.  The editorial says those on the list are young (most are under 40, all are under 50) politicos that are likely to emerge as the “next generation” of leaders on the regional or state levels of New Jersey government and politics.

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande is the only Monmouth County leader who made the top twelve of the list.  As a three term Assemblywoman seeking her fourth term and the Assembly Minority’s Policy Co-Chair, one could argue that Casagrande is in the current generation of leadership.  But at 36, her star is still very much “rising.”

If you are fortunate enough to talk to Casagrande about policy and politics, you will quickly realize that the real power of her ‘light’ is largely ‘hidden under a bushel.’

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Today Show Broadcasting From Highlands For Comcast Cares Day, Saturday, April 27

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Bellew Hires Texas Gov Rick Perry’s Campaign Consultant

townhall.com photo

LD 13 State Senate challenger Leigh-Ann Bellew announced today that Dwayne Horner of Texas will lead her campaign against Senator Joe Kyrillos in the GOP primary.

Horner lead the Dallas area field operations for Texas Governor Rick Perry’s 2010 re-election primary campaign against U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, according to a press release from the Bellew campaign.  He was named “one of the best field directors in Texas” by the Dallas Morning News.

More recently, Horner ran the field operations for Texas Congressman Roger Williams’ victorious 2012 campaign in the new 25th congressional district.

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Christie: The Jersey Shore Is Open For Business

Governor Christie meeting with business owners at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch, April 18, 2013. Photo by Art Gallagher

After meeting with business owners in Long Branch yesterday, Governor Chris Christie told the press that the businesses’ biggest frustration is the amount of phone calls they get asking if they are open.  “They’re happy that at least the phone is ringing,” said Christie, emphasizing that the perception that the Shore is not open has to be impacted.

Christie said that there would be a multi-media ad campaign launch by the Economic Development Authority next month to promote Jersey Shore Tourism.  It has not been determined if Christie will appear in the aid. “I haven’t been asked. If I’m asked and I think it is appropriate I will consider it,” the governor said in response to a reporter who asked if he would appear in the state funded ad during the gubernatorial campaign season.

The governor said that EDA would be announcing a working capital grant program for businesses impacted by Superstorm Sandy in May and that the Department of Community Affairs will be administering a grant program for homeowners who can apply for up to $150,000 in federal money, over and above what they have already received from FEMA and their insurance companies to rebuild their homes.

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Bellew challenges Kyrillos to debates as questions about her educational background arise

LD 13 Challenger told MMM she graduated from law school

Leigh-Ann Bellew, the Tea Party backed candidate running against State Senator Joe Kyrillos in the 13th legislative district GOP primary issued a debate challenge to the incumbent yesterday just as simmering questions about her educational background surfaced in the press.

Bellew said that Trenton has changed Kyrillos over the last 26 years and that 13th district Republicans should learn where the candidates stand on the Constitution, Tax Policy and Gun Rights.

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DOT: No Additional Red Light Cameras

“O’Scanlon: A good step, but rip-offs continue

NJ101.5 photo

The New Jersey Department of Transportation announced yesterday that no additional red light cameras will be installed in the state under the pilot program that is scheduled to run through the end of next year, according to an Associated Press report.

The program, which includes 76 cameras throughout New Jersey, was started in 2009 ostensibly to promote public safety and reduce motor vehicle accidents.  DOT says they are not installing new cameras because there is not enough time to collect data from them before the program expires.

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon says no more data is needed from any of the cameras.  They don’t enhance public safety, but are safety hazards.  The program is a money grab from New Jersey motorist.

“We know these cameras do  not improve safety,” O’Scanlon said, “The data is indisputable. Every objective study on this  equipment demonstrates that. Subsequently, many jurisdictions are choosing to  eliminate the cameras altogether. But the camera companies continue to  relentlessly push for more cameras – clearly demonstrating that their only  motivation is stealing more money from NJ residents. It is long past the time  that New Jersey join the bandwagon and end this  failed program.”

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Christie in Long Branch Today

Governor Chris Christie will be holding a roundtable discussion with local business leaders, followed by a press conference, at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch this afternoon. The event is scheduled to start at 2:30.

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Lautenberg returns to Washington to vote for gun control measures. Anti-gun legislation still fails in the Senate

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg returned to the Senate floor in a wheelchair today, after a six week absence due to muscle fatigue caused by cancer treatments, in order to give gun control advocates a the deciding vote in legislation that would expand the use of background checks for gun purchasers.  The legislation failed, 54-46. Sixty votes were required for passage.  Other gun control measures failed in the Senate today by wider margins.

Four Democrats voted against the background check amendment.  Four Republicans voted for it.

President Obama said, “It is a shameful day in Washington,” as family members of children killed in the Newtown, CT massacre stood behind him.

Obama, Senate Democrats, NBC, CBS, CNN, ABC, the New York Times, et al, as well as Barbara Buono and Sheila Oliver in Trenton, have been pushing to further restrict the right to bear arms since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown on December 14 of last year.

Today’s legislative failure by Obama and the left is a victory for law abiding gun owners and the 2nd Amendment.

Today could be marked as the beginning of the lame duck phase of Obama’s presidency.

Most Americans don’t care, according to a Gallup poll released on Monday.  Only 4% of Americans think guns are a major problem.  Yet Washington and the national media have been consumed with the issue for the last four months.

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Christie Reverses the Gender Gap

Women Approve of Christie More Than Men Do

Public Workers Give Governor High Marks

Guv Christie accepting Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long’s endorsement. Photo by Serena DiMaso. Taken with Tom Arone’s phone

Governor Chris Christie still looks to be cruising to reelection, according to a Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll released this morning.

Christie’s overall approval rating is 63%, according to Patrick Murray, the director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.  The governor’s ratings are slightly stronger among registered voters, 65% of whom approve of his job performance. 86% of Republicans, 64% of Independents and 52% of give Christie high marks.

On the stump, Christie has been promoting how he has reduced the size of government in New Jersey since taking office. “There’s over 5000 fewer employees in state government today than when I took office, and over 20,000 fewer government employees across the state,” Christie says in a campaign video, “We promised to make government smaller, we’ve made government smaller.”  Despite these facts, 54% of public workers approve of Christie’s job performance compared to 37% who do not.

Since Superstorm Sandy, there has been virtually no “gender gap” in Christie’s approval ratings as measured by the Monmouth Poll.  In a poll released on September 27, 2012, one month before Sandy, men approved of Christie’s performance by a 61%-31% margin. Women approved by only 6 points, 47%-41%.  In Murray’s first post Sandy poll on Christie, in December, the gender gap closed. 68% of men and 66% of women approved in December.  The trend continued in the February poll with 69% of men and 70% of women approving of the governor.  In today’s poll, the gender gap exceeded the statistical margin of error for the first time since Sandy, with the surprising result that women approve of Christie more than men do. Women approve by a 65%-26% margin and men approve by 61%-27%.

If Murray polled a head to head match up between Christie and the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, State Senator Barbara Buono, he did not report the results today. He did report that 59% of registered voters think that Christie deserves a second term.

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Sheriff Golden: Monmouth Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security, OEM Steps Up Alert In Response To Boston Bombing

Monmouth County Sheriff’s Patrol At Seastreak’s Highlands Ferry Terminal. April 15, 2013. Photo by Art Gallagher. Click for full view.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said that his Law Enforcement Division, the Office of Emergency Management and homeland security personnel are on heightened alert as a precaution in response to the bombing at the Boston Marathon this afternoon.

There is no known specific threat in Monmouth County.

“We routinely patrol transit hubs like the ferry terminals and train stations, as well as they shopping malls, ” Golden said, “when an incident like what happened in Boston today occurs, we take additional precautions. We’ll be monitoring state and federal communications and be on heightened alert at least through tomorrow.  We have emergency response assets deployed throughout the county.”

Sheriff’s Office personnel will be meeting with the police departments of the communities that are hosting the May 5 New Jersey Marathon at the Shore to review security protocols, Golden added,

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