Greg’s List: Things to Do in Monmouth County This Weekend, February 15-17, 2019:

By Greg Kelly

Friday, February 15

• An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein at BCC (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• “Legally Blonde” The Musical (Spring Lake) – MORE INFO
• Butterflies Are Free by Center Players (Freehold) – MORE INFO
• Bobby Collins at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• The Castoffs (Howell) – MORE INFO
• Celebrity Activists of the Civil Rights Era (Manalapan) – MORE INFO
• Tweens: Learn to Code with Mirobot (Manalapan) – MORE INFO
• Meet Author Rick Geffken (Manasquan) – MORE INFO

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Frankenstein’s Monster

By Stuart J. Moskovitz

Stuart J Moskovitz

The point of Mary Shelley’s novel was that as excited as we may be when we have created a monster, we must recognize that we cannot always control that monster. What we believe is “ours” can easily go another way.

No objective historical scholar can deny that Obama was a media creation. He was an obscure state politician whom the media caused to give a speech at the Democratic convention in 2004. He parlayed that speech, with the media’s help, into the Democratic nomination in 2008. The rest is history. The Democratic party was thrilled at the job the media did, assuring them the election against a far more experienced, far more qualified, far more moderate candidate, a war hero, a committee chairman, a candidate familiar with foreign affairs who had spent his life in Washington, understood federal government finance, military positives and negatives, and had experience with all domestic and foreign matters with which a President needs to deal. Obama, the media creation, served in the Senate for less than one year when he announced he was running for office. As a state senator, he was most known for voting “present.”

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Marlboro Governing Body Condemns Congresswoman’s Anti-Semitic Remarks

Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik

Mayor Jonathan Hornik and the members of the Marlboro Township Council today issued a public letter condemning the Anti-Semitic remarks of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota).

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Monmouth Poll: New Jersey has mixed feelings for Phil Murphy

Governor Murphy and Howell Democrats, Mayor Theresa Burger and Councilman John
Howell Councilman John Bonevich,

Governor Phil Murphy’s net approval rating has declined 13% after his first year in office and he is less popular than Governors Christie and Corzine were at this stage of their terms, according to a new Monmouth University Poll released this morning.

“Murphy started his term with greater public goodwill than his recent predecessors, but he has now fallen behind them.  The most troubling result may be the large number of his fellow Democrats who continue to take a wait-and-see attitude.  It seems he has yet to score a defining win with his base despite spending a significant amount of energy pushing a progressive agenda,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

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Rep Smith, fathers, meet with NIH researchers fighting for cure to deadly muscle disorder

Congressman Chris Smith hosted a meeting last week with top doctors and researchers from the National Institute of Health and two fathers from his New Jersey district who are fighting to saves their sons from a devastating disease.

James and  Karen Raffone of Manalapan and David and Maria Schultz of Hamilton are parents of sons with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Both families have dedicated their lives to finding a cure for their sons and the hundreds of thousands of boys who until recently faced certain paralysis in their teens and death in their early twenties.  The Schultz family founded Ryan’s Quest, the Raffones founded JAR of Hope.

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Frankly Chatting: Don’t be a baby

By Steve Frank

I always sorta’ saw myself as a tough guy. Not physically but in a mental patient kind of way. I never pampered myself. Didn’t let the weather affect me; scorcher, nor’easter, flooding, blizzard -didn’t matter. I went about my business doing whatever it is I do. I used to coach wrestling. Anyone who’s ever spent time in a wrestling practice room knows the saying “Suck it Up!” When you’ve got nothing left in the tank; you’re gasping for air; there’s thirty seconds left on the clock. Suck it Up!

I incorporated this politically incorrect child-rearing philosophy into raising my kids. They flirted with 100% attendance almost every year of their school lives. Got a headache? It’ll pass. Queasy stomach? Don’t be a baby. Tired? Stop whining. And, of course, you never get to quit anything. Well, at least, without giving it your best shot.

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Murphy Reprises Corzine’s Asset Monetization Plans, MMM Reprises ‘King of the Road’

Asbury Park Press graphic. Permission to use granted 11 years ago

Politico is reporting that Governor Phil Murphy is reaching back to the previous Goldman Sachs Administration in New Jersey by “launching an effort to identify state assets that could be leveraged to reduce New Jersey’s unfunded pension liability.”

Former Governor Corzine couldn’t sell his idea of selling New Jersey’s toll roads to investors (China) for a $30+ billion cash infusion to plug our chronic budget wholes. Will Murphy, who according to Politico is looking to sell more assets than toll roads,“numerous state assets, including property, buildings, roads, transit facilities, easements, air rights, naming rights and infrastructure, such as airports, bridges, water facilities, ports, parks and recreational facilities,” succeed where Corzine failed?

Politico says that Senate President Steve Sweeney supports the concept.

On January 21, 2008, MMM responded to Corzine’s scheme with a song parody crafted by Lori Gallagher, aka Mrs. Musings:

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Republican Enthusiasm Abounds At Monmouth County Lincoln Day Dinner

It’s become a winter tradition that Monmouth County Republicans can mark their calendars by.  Shaun Golden’s annual Starry Night Celebration is on the last Friday of January followed by the Monmouth GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner two weeks later.

The atmosphere was electric on Friday night in Freehold where over 500 enthusiastic Republicans gathered at Southgate Manor for the annual celebration of America’s first Republican president and the annual kickoff of signature gathering for candidates’ petitions.

New Jersey’s sole remaining Republican in Congress, Rep Chris Smith, received a spontaneous standing ovation when Golden noted his arrival from a Friday voting session in Washington.  Smith in turn acknowledged the strong Monmouth Republican team that held back the blue wave that swept the rest of New Jersey in last fall’s election and specifically congratulated Golden, not for politics, but for outstanding government.  The Sheriff was honored in Washington last year, Smith noted, for leading the best 911 call center in the country.

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Statement by Long Branch Police Chief Jason Roebuck on the arrest of Officer Patrick Joyce, Jr

Long Branch Police Chief Jason Roebuck

As with any investigation, especially one involving a law enforcement officer, I cannot legally release certain information to the press, no matter how much I may want to, until that investigation has been completed. This was the situation with the incident involving Officer Patrick Joyce, Jr.

Now that the investigation is complete, and charges filed, I can issue the following statement, with much outrage and embarrassment. Officer Patrick Joyce Jr was charged with Criminal Sexual Contact (4th degree) and Harassment (Disorderly Persons offense) by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, February 8th, 2019. While the matter was under investigation, he was immediately suspended without pay, which was supported by the command staff of the department and the City’s leadership. He is now facing termination of his employment.

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Long Branch Cop Charged With Criminal Sexual Contact

Patrick D. Joyce, Jr., 35, of West Long Branch, a Long Branch Police Officer for 12 years, has been charged with fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact and Harassment, a petty disorderly persons offense, according to an announcement by Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.

The charges are the result of an incident that occurred on February 1 at Jack’s Goal Line Stand during a private party celebrating the promotions of 12 Long Branch Officers.  MMM was the first to report on the incident and the investigation.

It is alleged that at the private party Joyce inappropriately touched a 21-year-old woman without her consent for his own sexual arousal or gratification.

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