Reacting to Christie, NJ lawyers call for constitutional amendment to protect judges (via NJ.com)
TRENTON — New Jersey’s largest group of lawyers today called for a rewrite in the state constitution that would strengthen job security for the state’s judges and Supreme Court justices. After seeing Gov. Chris Christie deny reappointment to two Supreme…
NJ lawmakers open debate on newest open space proposal (via NJ.com)
TRENTON — Seeking to end a legislative stalemate over open space preservation, state lawmakers today began to debate a new proposal that would divert about $150 million a year in business taxes to protect land and historic sites in New Jersey. With…
Winners
January 2013 seems like a long time ago.
The years are supposed to go by faster as we get older. 2013 missed the memo, at least for me. President Obama’s second Inauguration and Freeholder John Curley’s second swearing in seem like a long time ago.
Selikia Joshia Gore started us off in 2013 with a timeless call to renew our humanity; the ongoing struggle of saints and sinners to love one another regardless of standing, status or creed. It is a winning message that works only by embracing our failures without resigning to them.
The Governor. Governor Chris Christie started the year lambasting House Speaker John Boehner and the Congressional Republicans for playing politics with Superstorm Sandy aid and ended the year as the front runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. In between he built a bi-partisan and multi-cultural coalition that reelected him with over 60% of the vote in Blue Jersey. Christie had the best year of any politician in America. Only Pope Francis and Vladimir Putin had better years globally.
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. Menendez started the year on the losers list. Embroiled in a sandal of allegations of his cavorting with teenaged girls in the Dominican Republic and using the powers of his office to benefit the businesses of the donor who arranged the party, speculation was that he would resign as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, if not his Senate seat. Menendez seems to have survived an FBI investigation into his relationship with Dr. Saloman Melgan unscathed.
At the end of the year, Menendez’s position seems secure. He is the leading, and most powerful, critic of President Obama’s foreign policy. His approval ratings are net positive 22 points in the last Monmouth University Poll. He got engaged to be married earlier this month.
Given where he started, Menendez may have had the best 2013 of any New Jersey public figure, other than Christie.
The Gramiccionis. The Wall Township power couple had a very good year. In March, Christopher, the Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor and U.S. Naval Reserve Officer, received orders to report for a 9 month tour of active duty in Afghanistan effective in August. Those orders were canceled in July, keeping Chris on the job fighting crime in Monmouth County and home for the holidays. Deborah was appointed by Governor Christie to be the Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The job pays $289,657.
Monmouth County Republicans. Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Serena DiMaso were always expected to be reelected on the strength of their records and due to the fact that Monmouth County Independent voters usually vote Republican. They make the winners list by virtue of fact that they ran as if they were behind, not taking any votes for granted. More importantly, they ran a positive campaign based on reducing spending, holding the line on taxes, and improving services, in the face of yet another negative campaign on the part of the Monmouth County Democrats.
Monmouth County’s Legislative Delegation. Each member of Monmouth County’s Legislative Delegation deserves more recognition than space will allow.
Posted: December 28th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County, New Jersey | Tags: "LaHornicca", 2013, Amy Handlin, Bayshore Tea Party Group, Caroline Casagrande, Christoper Gramicconi, Cindy Burnham, Deborah Gramiccioni, Declan O'Scanlon, Eatontown, Frank LaRocca, Governor Chris Christie, Jennifer Beck, Joe Kyrillos, Jon Hornik, Kevin Gonzalez, Marlboro, Mary Pat Angelini, Mike Halfacre, Monmouth County, New Jersey, Patrick Deblasio, Red Light Camera Program, Richard "Duke" Robinson, Sean DiSoma, Selika Josiah Gore, Senator Bob Menendez, Serena DiMaso, Shaun Golden, Tom Arnone, Vin Gopal | 8 Comments »
Home for Christmas: Brick soldier surprises mother with early return from Afghanistan (via NJ.com)
BRICK — When Leslie Ann Ruggiero unsealed a red envelope this morning she thought contained a card from the Santa Claus sitting on a bench behind her, she put her hand over her mouth and started to cry. “It’s my baby,” she said, holding a postcard…
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.
Read the rest of this entry >>
Posted: December 23rd, 2013 | Author: admin | Filed under: New Jersey | Tags: 2013, Matt Rooney, New Jersey, Save Jersey | Comments Off on Thirteen 2013 Takeaway Numbers
N.J. Assembly approves ban on public release of mugshots before conviction (via NJ.com)
TRENTON — The state Assembly today passed a bill to ban the public release of mugshots of people who have been arrested in New Jersey, but have not yet been convicted. The bill (A3906), fast-tracked during the Legislature’s lame-duck session, passed…
James Hertler, below, shut down Lucky Break Billiards in September, a month after police cracked down over BYOB issues. (Click to enlarge) By JOHN T. WARD How’s this for an auspicious start for a business?• In early 2011, in an effort to spice up…
Marlboro Police searching for missing autistic man (via NewsWorks)
Marlboro Police are searching for an autistic man who has been missing since late Tuesday night. Michael Karwan, described as a high-functioning autistic 19-year-old, left has house after an argument with his parents, wearing a black jacket, blue jeans…
N.J. Supreme Court to issue major affordable housing decision (via NJ.com)
Keith A. Muccilli/For The Star-Ledger TRENTON — The state Supreme Court will hand down a long-awaited decision today on how many affordable-housing units New Jersey’s towns must provide for their lowest-income residents. At issue, again, is the…
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