Monmouth United to Restore the Shore

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American Conservative Union Rates New Jersey Legislators

American Conservative Union, the folks who put on the CPAC conventions and who have since 1971 been rating the conservatism of members of Congress have rated the conservatism of New Jersey’s state legislators.

ACU tracked the votes on 11 pieces of legislation for Assembly members and 9 votes in the Senate.  Those who voted the way ACU favored 100% of the time were declared “Defenders of Liberty.”  Those who voted with ACU on 80% or more of the bills earned the designation “ACU Conservative.”

Those legsilators who never voted the way ACU favored, most of the Democrats, earned the designation “True Liberals of the Garden State.”

Some of the results in the Monmouth County delegation, Districts 11, 12, 13 and 30, are surprising.  At least they are to me.

If you asked me to predict who among the Monmouth County delegation would have earned a 100% conservative, “Defender of Liberty” designation I would have guessed only 11th District Assemblywoman Caroline Cassagrande.  I would have guessed wrong.  Cassagrande didn’t even make the 80% “ACU Conservative” cut.  She voted the ACU way 8 of 11 times for a 73% rating.   The 3 votes Cassagrande cast that did not meet ACU approval were for 1) for legislation that requires businesses to post notices that employees have the right to be free from gender inequality, 2) for legislation that would ban treating waste water from fracking and 3) a bill that provided tax credits for electric car charging stations.

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Monmouth United: Bennett and Gopal To Throw A Stone Pony Fundraiser for Sandy Recovery

Democrats, Republicans, New Leaders Council Unite for Sandy Relief

Bi-Partisan Event & Concert to Bridge Divide, Raise Money, Collect Clothing, Food & Supplies

On Sunday, December 30, the New Leaders Council – New Jersey will partner with the Monmouth County Republicans, Monmouth County Democrats, New Jersey Young Republicans and New Jersey Young Democrats sponsoring a bi-partisan Hurricane Sandy relief concert at the Stone Pony from 1 – 7 PM.

“Keeping with the goals of the New Leaders Council, we wanted to bridge the political divide by bringing people together to help make a difference for those in need,” said Justin Braz, President of the New Leaders Council – New Jersey.

NJ 101.5 has agreed to help with promoting the event and Kevin McArdle will serve as emcee for the event. The event will feature multiple bands with a speaking program in between each set featuring elected officials and dignitaries. Confirmed bands for the event will include the B Street band, The Pat Roddy Band, Joe Orlando and the Cryers, Vinny Pastore and the Crazy Horse Band and Back Up Jackson.

“This is an excellent opportunity for putting aside partisan differences to help our friends and neighbors begin putting their lives back together,” said John Bennett, Chairman of the Monmouth County Republicans.

“We look forward to working with Chairman Bennett and Monmouth County Republicans to assist all of our neighbors across Monmouth County who were affected by this horrible storm. Monmouth Democrats and Republicans share the hope and determination to rebuild and restore our great County and State,” said Vin Gopal, Chairman of the Monmouth County Democrats.

Attendees can also bring Food and Cleaning Supplies for donation to the Monmouth Ocean County Food Bank.

“This is a great chance for our organizations to combine efforts for a worthy cause that will benefit our community,” said Tony Howley, Chairman of the New Jersey Young Republicans.

All proceeds raised at the event will be donated to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

“We are proud to be a part of this effort raising awareness and funds to rebuild the Jersey shore and surrounding communities,” said Chris James, President of the New Jersey Young Democrats.

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Glory be, APP endorses GOP

“Club Monmouth” is kaput.   The Asbury Park Press negative monkier for the Monmouth GOP is obsolete now that their editorial board has endorsed the entire Monmouth Republican slate using the adjectives “innovative.” independenct,” and “effective.”

Accordingly, MMM is retiring the moniiker “Neptune Nudniks,” for now, that we have used for the last few years in naming the APP Editorial Board.

Their endorsements of John Curley and Serena DiMaso for Freeholder are right on the mark.

Curley has demonstrated leadership, independence and fiscal conservatism during his time as a freeholder. His tireless research and persistence in uncovering the excesses and illegalities of former Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham led to Burnham’s ouster and guilty plea on official misconduct charges this summer.

DiMaso and Curley  helped pare $4.1 million from the county’s $487 million spending plan this year, without laying off any employees and keeping property taxes stable. Curley has pledged to continue with plans to consolidate county jobs as people leave and to explore more opportunities to outsource county services.

DiMaso’s insistence on the need for the freeholders to keep our state legislators’ feet to the fire when it comes to the federal government’s lack of transparency with the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth is welcome, as is her focus on continuing to find ways to share services with neighboring counties and municipalities.

As they did in endorsing M.Claire French for County Clerk,  the APP simply dismissed the Democratic opposition as not up to the jobs.

“What’s next, endorsing Romney?” one MMM reader asked.  That would be something.  The APP’s sister publication with the same website design, The DeMoines Register, reversed their 2008 endorsement of Obama yesterday, declaring,

Which candidate could forge the compromises in Congress to achieve these goals? When the question is framed in those terms, Mitt Romney emerges the stronger candidate.
The former governor and business executive has a strong record of achievement in both the private and the public sectors. He was an accomplished governor in a liberal state. He founded and ran a successful business that turned around failing companies. He successfully managed the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Romney has made rebuilding the economy his No. 1 campaign priority — and rightly so.

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APP endorses Claire French for Clerk

Could they possibly endorse Curley and DiMaso for Freeholders too?

The Asbury Park Press has recognised the fine job Republican County Clerk M. Claire French has done over the last ten years and endorsed her for a third five year term.

The Neptune Nudniks got this one right.  They dismissed Democratic candidate Michael Steinhorn as someone who “has little to recommend him for the job,” despite the fact that he exposed the statistical anomaly of the Monmouth GOP winning the first general election ballot position in 30 of 33 years and that they like his proposal to that the clerk’s office provide mobile services to seniors and veterans.

Given their logic in endorsing French, it will be fascinating to see how they endorse at least one of the Democratic Freeholder candidates, as I expect they will.

The Democratic Freeholder campaign has been so anemic that I suspect many readers don’t even know who is running.  Despite the Monmouth Dems outraising the Monmouth GOP through September, there is little evidence that Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal and his team are trying to get their nominal slate elected.   Publicly Democratic leaders say the right things about supporting their candidates. Privately they seem resigned to a Republican blow out.

The Democratic candidates are William Shea and Kevin Lavan.  Shea, as Amy Mallet’s running mate, lost to Freeholders Lillian Burry and Gary Rich last year. He is challenging Freeholder Director John Curley for a full three year term.  Lavan, who lost his run for Assembly to Declan O’Scanlon and Amy Handlin in the 13th district last year, is running against Freeholder Serena DiMaso for the remaining one year of Rob Clifton’s term.  Clifton resigned upon being sworn into the State Assembly.

Shea and Lavan were not even on the same page when the Nudniks interviewed all four candidates in September.  Shea recklessly proposed a 20% across the board spending cut from the county budget without backing up how he would do it.   Lavan said “maybe” depending upon the results of an audit.

Yet, the Nudniks loath single party control of any governing body (except the federal government when it is in Democratic hands) and has a historical bias against “Club Monmouth” as they frequently call the Monmouth GOP.  They seem to forget that all of the Monmouth Republican county office holders and all of Monmouth GOP leadership has been replaced since Operation Bid Rig, except Claire French who they just endorsed.  The GOP holds all five seats on the Freeholder Board.

Will the APP editorial board affirm the nudnikness and endorse Shea or Lavan?  We’ll find out soon.  Either way, it won’t matter on election day.   It might matter to their own crediblity if the actually endorse the best people for the job and get over their own biases.

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Monmouth Dems Outraise Monmouth GOP

In their first quarters as party chairmen, Democrat Vin Gopal bested Republican John Bennett in the fundraising battle by over $10,000.

According to their reports filed with the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission, the Monmouth County Democrats raised $38,647.50. and spent $28,096.01.  The Democrats started the quarter with only $957 in cash. As of September 30th they had $11,509.

The Monmouth GOP ended the quarter with almost $2,000 less cash than it had when Bennett was elected.  The GOP reported raising $28,296 and spending $30,284.  Former Chairman Joe Oxley left Bennett with $34,790.  Of the $28K  Bennett raised, $6000 was donated by the Election Fund of Assemblyman Dave Rible and $3000 was donated by Senator Jennifer Beck’s campaign account.

Gopal’s large donors were Local Union 400 IBEW ($3500), the Middletown Democrats ($1850), Plumbers and Pipe fitters Local Union #9 ($1000) and the Uliano Law Firm of West Long Branch ($1500).

Gopal raised $20,710 in contributions of $300 or less.  Bennett raised $9,802 in donations of $300 or less.

“The Monmouth County Democrats are organizing at a grassroots level because residents across the county are beginning to realize there is a very clear difference between the two political parties,” said Gopal,   “At our convention last June, we had a turnout of over 90% of our county committee with hundreds of new county committee members entering the political process, many of them first time contributors to our party,”

” With party standard bearers like Barack Obama, Bob Menendez and Frank Pallone, people see that we are building and we are organizing.  The Monmouth County Democratic Party is fighting for middle-class taxpayers, fighting for small business owners and working to protect our environment.  There is a clear difference between the two county parties and our messages and people across the county are beginning to recognize these differences.”

Bennett did not return a call for comment.

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Curley: There will be no $1.2 million paid for Andrew Lucas’ property

Freeholder Director John Curley said yesterday that there is no support on the Freeholder Board to purchase the development rights for Manalapan Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas’ 98 acre farm on Iron Ore Road, despite the fact that the purchase, which was approved by the Board in May of 2011,  has been cleared of an ethics violation complaint by the State Department of Community Affairs’ Local Finance Board and was approved by the State Agriculture Development Committee.

“If elected officials want to apply for government money for their properties, they should resign from office,” said Curley, “we should not be using the positions the voters entrusted us with to enrich ourselves.”

“Andrew Lucas has not been forthcoming about the details of his purchase of this property.  The freeholders will not approve this purchase.”

Lucas, Manalapan’s former mayor and a former GOP candidate for freeholder, purchased the farm which had been slated for development in March of 2010 for an undisclosed amount. Soon thereafter he started the process of selling the development rights, for $1.152 million, through funding through the State, County and Township. Lucas participated on Township Committee discussions of his application.

The purchase approved by the Freeholder Board in May of 2011 was held up by an ethics complaint filed by former Manalapan Mayor George Spodak.  The State Agriculture Developement Committee conditioned its funding on an satisfactory ethics review of the transaction.  Local Finance Board Chairman Thomas Neff wrote Lucas last month to inform him that his application had been approved because he consulted with the Manalapan Township Attorney about his application.  Neff’s letter also said that the Board would use Lucas’s case to provide clear guidance to future office holders to recuse themselves from applications that they have an interest in.

Spodak is outraged that Neff and the Local Finance Board cleared the ethics of the transaction.  “I don’t think they even read my 111 page complaint,” said Spodak.  “I sent Neff a letter appealing his decision but have not heard back from him.”

The county monies approved in 2011 for the purchase are no longer available.  An article in the Asbury Park Press said that the county is applying for federal money to fund the purchase.

Curly said the the freeholders have not approved any federal grant application and will not approve the purchase.

Earlier yesterday, Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal issued a statement condemning the transaction as an example of Republcian cronyism, “Club Monmouth.”  Gopal was critical of Neff’s ties to the Monmouth GOP as evidenced by his $750 to Monmouth GOP Chairman John Bennett’s leadership PAC while Bennett was President of the State Senate. Prior being appointed to his position with the Department of Community Affairs, Neff, an attorney, was an employee of the Republican Senate Caucus.

Informed of Curley’s opposition to the Lucas farm purchase and his representation that the other freeholders, all Republicans, also oppose it, Gopal said, “What has changed since they approved it last year?  Only Amy Mallet (then a Democratic freeholder) voted against it in 2011.”

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Anna Little’s Campaign Falls to Respond to FEC Inquiry

Monmouth GOP Headquarters. Who's missing? Click on photo for full view

Anna Little’s congressional campaign has failed to respond to the Federal Election Commission’s demands for accurate information about the campaign’s finances.

As reported by MMM on September 12,  the FEC wrote Little’s husband and campaign treasurer, Rob Little, three separate letters in late August regarding serious deficiencies in the campaign’s April 2012 quarterly report, the 12 day pre-primary report, and the June 2012 quarterly report.  The April and pre-parimary reports lacked donor information.  The July report, which reported a negative cash balance of over $11,000, did not jibe with the previous two reports.  The FEC demanded that all of the reports be ammended and that they be filed electronically.  The deadline for the April amendment was September 28.  The pre-primary report amendment was due on October 1 and the July amendment was due yesterday.  None of the amendments are posted in the FEC website.

The FEC’s letters stated in bold print that requests for extensions would not be considered and that failure to comply could result in audits and enforcement action.

The FEC analysts who wrote to Little referred MMM to the press office.  The press office spokewoman told MMM that reports that are filed electronically are posted to the commission’s website “almost immediately.”  Reports that are submitted via paper are posted “within 48 hours.”   The spokeswoman twice suggested that MMM contact the campaign. “It will be interesting to hear what they have to say,” she said.

Rob Little told MMM that he received the letters and referred them to the campaign’s compliance officer.  Little declined to give the name of the compliance officer, stating, “you’re going to twist whatever I say.”

Speaking of twisted….

The Little campaign yesterday emailed a fundraising appeal declaring that her race against Congressman Frank Pallone is winnable based on Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press polling data.

The email, signed by “Anna,” cited Monmouth University Polling Director Patrick Murray’s statewide poll released last week  that measured the favorability ratings to potential Democratic gubernatorial challengers to Governor Chris Christie in 2013.  Pallone scored a statewide favorability rating of 16% statewide (17% among Republicans), 9% unfavorable and 75% had no opinion.  Little compared that poll to a October 2010 Monmouth survey of the old 6th congressional district that indicated Pallone was beating Little in that race by 53% to 41%.

Little’s email told her prospective donors:

THE RACE IS WINABLE

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Monmouth Democratic Freeholder Candidates Running to the Right of Republicans

Bill Shea, the young retired State Trooper with a disability pension who is challenging Freeholder Director John Curley for a seat on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, called for a 20% across the board reduction in county government spending yesterday.  Shea’s running mate, former Hazlet Mayor Kevin Lavan, said Shea’s proposal “is not out of the realm of possibility” and would depend on the results of a county audit.

Shea and Lavan were speaking yesterday to the Asbury Park Press Editorial Board where they appeared along side Curley and Freeholder Serena DiMaso.  DiMaso and Lavan are competing to complete the unexpired term of Assemblyman Rob Clifton who resigned in January upon taking office in Trenton.  DiMaso was elected by the GOP County Committee to serve in the seat until the general election results are certified.

Curley and DiMaso said such cuts would be impossible to achieve, according to APP.  They said such cuts would annihilate small county departments and cripple to county’s efforts to reduce municipal spending with shared services.

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Bennett proposes to reduce his term to one year

Monmouth GOP Chairman John O. Bennett III emailed a new “final draft”  of proposed bylaws this afternoon.  For the most part the draft released today is a match for the previous “final draft” released last week.

A quick read revealed one minor change to the candidate selection process that MMM suggested last week…an “open seat” seat is now defined as an office with no Republican incumbent.  Previously “open seat” was undefined.

Bennett’s bylaws, both drafts, contain a major change that MMM’s research and investigative staff missed last week.  He is proposing that that Chair and Vice Chair be elected annually.  From Article IV, section 1:

The County Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be elected at the annual meeting called in accordance with law as described in Title 19.  In the event a vacancy occurs in the position of County Chairman or Vice Chairman, a meeting of the County Committee shall be held within forty-five (45) days of said vacancy to fill the unexpired term.  (emphasis added)

The term of the Monmouth County Chairs of both parties has been two years since the Florio Administration.

Bennett told MMM that the change was unintentional and that he realizes that the bylaws as proposed are not perfect. He said he intends to serve for two years.  He plans on amending the bylaws at a convention in March of 2013.

The currently proposed bylaws will be up for adoption at a convention of the GOP County Committee that will take place on Saturday, September 29 from 9am-11am at Colts Neck High School.

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