Opinion: What Happened to Long Coattails in Gubernatorial Elections?

To a legislator, the difference between being in the majority and being in the minority is as consequential as the difference between being in office and being out of office. That is why my political life was transformed in November 1985 when, as a…

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Gay Marriage and The Church

By Bader George Qarmont

As New Jersey became the 14^th state in the Union to license gay marriage, I am left wondering why and what is next. Will this judicial activism have any impact on churches? Some may think I am over reacting, but I fear that the church is 15-25 years away from being forced to perform same sex marriage or risk losing tax exemption for discrimination. A Pastor threating to close his church doors before doing so, is no threat at all.

If a church wants to continue to practice the Biblical definition of marriage, it needs to protect itself.  I see a potential for litigation to force a church to marry same sex couples, as is already happening in England. Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, The gay plaintiff in the legal challenge in England said “The only way forward for us now is to make a challenge in the courts against the church.” It is a matter of time before American churches are also legally challenged.  

Currently most churches will marry non-members in a religious ceremony at the church, this practice must end immediately and new policy implemented as soon as possible.  I believe churches should have a policy to only marry members.  In order to be a member each person must sign a statement of faith that includes acceptance of the Biblical definition of marriage. Anyone can attend the church but only members can be married in the church.

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Democratic Leader Wants No Religious Exceptions For Gay Marriage

Kissing Brides, Heather Jensen and Amy Quinn, an Asbury Park Councilwoman, celebrate their marriage shortly after midnight on October 21. facebook photo

Assembly Minority Leader Lou Greenwald told The Star Ledger that Assembly Democrats are not likely to pass legislation that would protect clergy and religious organizations from being forced to perform same sex marriages and accommodate the ceremonies.

What’s less clear is what the Legislature is going to do about gay marriage. Right now, gay couples can get married in New Jersey. But that right hangs on a decision made at the Superior Court level, since the state Supreme Court never decided the case.

Lawmakers could try to override Christie’s 2012 veto of gay marriage legislation or write a new bill to encode it into law. Or they could do nothing — an option they say is looking more attractive.

Greenwald said the Assembly is leaning against an override because, even if they cobbled together the two-thirds majority they’d need to pull it off, a religious exemption provision that was inserted into the bill to win Republican support could actually restrict rights gay couples have under the court ruling.

“The answer probably is no,” Greenwald said of the override. “Right now in New Jersey, the opinion seems to be that we have the strongest marriage equality laws in the country.”

Early last year the New Jersey Legislature passed the Marriage Equality and Religious Exceptions Act which, if it had been signed by Governor Chris Christie, would have granted same sex couples the right to marry and recognized the First Amendment Right of clergy and religious societies, organizations and institutions not to solemnize gay marriage or provide space, goods, services, advantages or privileges for gay marriage ceremonies.  The Act would have provided immunity from civil law suits against religious organizations that refused to accommodate gay marriages.

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Not business as usual in Trenton: How Republican senators bucked Christie

Not business as usual in Trenton: How Republican senators bucked Christie (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — The word from Gov. Chris Christie’s office on the first floor of the Statehouse was heard loud and clear Thursday on the third floor, where Senate Republicans met in their caucus room overlooking the Delaware River. Time was up for Senate…

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The story behind Chris Christie’s first viral video

The story behind Chris Christie’s first viral video (via NJ.com)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s ascent to the status of would-be savior of the national Republican Party started with one viral video – a clip of him telling my colleague, Star-Ledger Editorial Page Editor and columnist Tom Moran, “you must be the…

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Sunday Morning With Christie

Before hitting your Things To Do List on Sunday, there’s Meet the Press…and  This Week, Face the Nation and FoxNews Sunday.

Governor Chris Christie is THE GUEST on all of the network Sunday morning talk shows.

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Election Recap

Two of New Jersey’s top political strategists, Republican Chris Russell and Democrat Steve Asycue sat down with NJTV’s Mike Schneider to recap the week’s political news.  Their conversation was much like the rest of the week in Trenton politics….bi-partisan praise for Governor Chris Christie and ongoing animus over the legislative races and Senate President Steve Sweeney’s ongoing feud with Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr.

My takeaway….the Trenton Dems are already working on 2015 and 2017, and Russell and Asycue wouldn’t mind joining Christie 2016.

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Vin’s Folly

The reaction to Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal’s declaration of victory has been hilarious…and has overloaded MMM stat counter!

Two Tinton Falls officials called first thing this morning unable to contain their laughter at Gopal’s delusional claim of credit for Gerry Turning’s election as mayor.

Tinton Falls Mayor-elect Gerry Turning

“I’m the most conservative Democrat you’ll ever meet,” Mayor-elect Turning said when we got him on the phone. “I registered as a Democrat over 40 years ago when I was 18 and Jerry Brown was running for President.  I don’t consider myself a partisan.  I vote for the best candidates.”  Turning said he voted for Mitt Romney for President last year, Chris Christie for Governor on Tuesday and Steve Lonegan for U.S. Senate last month.

“Neither the Democrats or Republicans in Tinton Falls were involved in my campaign.  We spent no money.  I’m proud of that.  I’ve never run for office before and don’t consider myself a politician,” said Turning, “I have good relationships with John Bennett (the Monmouth GOP Chairman) and Gopal and I want to keep it that way.  But I am not a partisan person and Tinton Falls is not a partisan town.  The residents like it that way,”

A Manalapan resident said via facebook, “Gopal’s letter is actually very funny. He states, ‘In MANALAPAN, Ryan Urgo, Dr. Ayesha Chaudhary and David Goldstein ran a strong campaign for township committee but lost due to an onslaught of negative attacks from the Republicans.’  Manalapan Democrats: In fact, the Republicans never mentioned the Democrats, not wanting to give them publicity since they were all unknowns. The Democrats, on the other hand, spent their entire campaign attacking Andrew Lucas and the farmland preservation, rather than running against the Republican candidates.”

Asbury Park Councilman John Moor said, “Funny that he claims the Asbury Park referendum a victory, I thought it was going to be non partisan.”

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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Begins $25M Project to Repair, Rebuild Manasquan Area Beaches

Construction workers, borough council, Mayor Dempsey, Congressman Smith and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers toss the first official sand of a project that will ultimately see the pumping of 1.5 million tons of off-shore sand back onto the beach. Click on photo for larger view.

Manasquan, NJ. – The long-awaited $25 million beach southern Monmouth County replenishment project kicked off yesterday with a ground-breaking ceremony on Manasquan Beach. Hurricane Sandy caused severe beach erosion along this five-mile stretch, and this massive re-nourishment project to repair and restore the beach to better than pre-Sandy conditions starts tomorrow.

“I was here on this very beach in the days after the storm with Mayor Dempsey and his team and it was a near unimaginable scene of destroyed homes, broken gas lines and crumbled debris,” Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) said. “The beach was gone. Today and over the next four months of this project, the Corps will rebuild these beaches and the lives of the people from Manasquan, as well as Sea Girt, Spring Lake, and Belmar.”

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18 Year Old Long Branch Man Charged With Murder

Dante Strong, top right. photo from Strong’s facebook page

Dante Strong, 18, of Long Branch was charged with the murder of Adrian Anderson, 23, also of Long Branch,  yesterday according to a statement released by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Officers from the Long Branch Police Department were in the area of Central Avenue and Liberty Street in Long Branch around 2:29 a.m. on September 21, 2013, when they heard gunshots.  Officers responding to the sounds of gunfire and were flagged down by several people at 135 Liberty Street, where they found the victim on the front porch, unconscious and bleeding from several gunshot wounds.  The victim was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune Township, where he was pronounced dead at 5:22 a.m., despite the efforts made to save his life by medical personnel.

A joint investigation was launched by the Long Branch Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.  During the course of the investigation, Strong was linked to an armed robbery the morning prior to the shooting, near the intersection of Central Avenue and Ellis Avenue in Long Branch, less than one block from where the victim was killed.

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