Former Dem Assemblyman takes Gopal to task for false and misleading campaign mail

By Michael J. Panter

Like Kevin Asadi and other residents, I recently received the letter from Senate candidate Vin Gopal which denounces the Assessment Demonstration Program (the “ADP”), implemented in 2013, as the source of high property taxes.

Since I have run in four state elections in Monmouth County, I have been in Mr. Gopal’s shoes.  Political operatives refer to the weeks before an election as the “silly season”, since candidates will say almost anything about their opponents to generate a headline.

However, there is a line which should never be crossed – candidates should not issue false or misleading information, since it not only subjects them to legal liability, but most importantly, it does a disservice to taxpayers. Read the rest of this entry »

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Property Tax Appeal Attorney Responds to Gopal’s Ignorance

By Kevin I. Asadi

Kevin I. Asadi

Monmouth County residents: I received this letter in the mail today from Vin Gopal. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but a letter like this shows such a gross and shocking misunderstanding of how property taxes work, that I fear what damage he might do to all of us, should he win.

I handle property tax appeals as part of my law practice. Here is how it works, basically: the property you own is given an assessed value by the local tax assessor or by a revaluation company. In most counties, that assessment will remain the same year after year, until the town decides to perform a revaluation or a reassessment.

Whether your assessed value is $100,000 or $1,000,000, either way, your town needs a certain number of dollars in the kitty each year in order to operate. Take the amount of money the town needs divided by their total assessments, and the quotient is called the “general tax rate.” The property tax dollars you pay is the product of your assessed value times the general tax rate. Read the rest of this entry »

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West Long Branch Democrat Chairman Ordered To Stop Distribution of Unapproved and Mislabeled Drugs

Jack Gindi, center, with Joe Grillo, left and Vin Gopal at Congressman Frank Pallone’s 2014 campaign kickoff. Photo via facebook

A West Long Branch couple with ties to State Senate candidate Vin Gopal, and two of their Monmouth County based companies have been enjoined from distributing their unapproved injectable skin whitening drugs and other drugs in violation of federal law, the Department of Justice announced today. Read the rest of this entry »

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Anthony Weiner gets 21 months in prison for sexting teen

NEW YORK — Anthony Weiner has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for sexting with a 15-year-old girl in a case that may have cost Hillary Clinton’s the presidency. The former Democratic congressman from New York had faced up to 27 months in prison on Monday after his guilty plea to one charge of transferring… Read the rest of this entry »

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Dems step up their hateful rhetoric

DNC Deputy Chairman Keith Ellison preaching hate in Asbury Park, March 31, 2017.  Vin Gopal and Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, left, look on with approval

Congressman Keith Ellison, the Deputy Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, evoked the Holocaust on Monday, comparing illegal immigrants and their children to Jews in 1941 Germany. Read the rest of this entry »

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O’Scanlon: Gopal lacks credibility on property taxes

By Declan O’Scanlon

Vin Gopal and the Easter Bunny photo via @gopalforsenate

Democratic state Senate candidate Vin Gopal, in his Aug. 20 oped “Consolidate small towns,” extolled the virtues of municipal consolidation as if he were presenting a new, fresh approach to the concept. An honest reading of his own words destroys both his credibility on the property tax issue, and his paralyzing duplicity as a candidate.

Let’s concede up front that in order to solve our high property tax problem we will need consolidation and sharing of services. But that’s a very small piece of the essential reform pie.

Gopal, who is seeking to unseat incumbent Republican state Sen. Jennifer Beck in the 11th District, tries to suggest that because those of us — like Beck and me — fighting the fight to reduce property taxes haven’t yet declared victory, he might be able to do a better job. But in his own words he actually says he would make things worse — actually make it harder to consolidate or enact reforms that will reduce property taxes. Read the rest of this entry »

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Monmouth Dems Protest Hot Mess Chicken Emoji, Remain Silent On Hateful Rhetoric Of Their Supporters

LGBT activist Sue Fulton, a former Monmouth County freeholder candidate outside Senator Jennifer Beck’s office. Middletown Committee candidate Tricia Maguire looks on.

Monmouth County Democrats, led by former freeholder candidate Sue Fulton, Middletown committeewoman candidate Tricia Maguire, Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich and Councilwoman Kathy Horgan took the the streets of Red Bank on Saturday to protest Ocean Township Deputy Mayor Rob Acerra’s alleged use of a hot mess chicken emoji on the campaign facebook page of LD 11 Assembly Members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey.

Acerra is one of the Republicans running against Houghtaling and Downey, along with Red Bank Councilman Michael Whelan. The protest took place outside Senator Jennifer Beck’s legislative office on Monmouth Street.

Houghtaling and Downey, who would rather their reelection campaign be about facebook emojis than their records in the Assembly as special interest puppets, both shared photos of the protesters holding handmade signs and rubber chickens on their personal facebook pages.

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Asbury Park Press Depicts Republican Assembly Candidate As Chicken

Gopal and Weinberg condemn hot mess chicken cartoon, silent on District 4 Coalition For Change hate posts

screen grab from app.com

The Asbury Park Press has done an admirable job for most of this year focusing on New Jersey’s ridiculously high taxes, but as we are about to enter election season, the media outlet is apparently trying to help reelect liberal special interest puppets, Eric Houghtailing and Joann Downey, to the State Assembly. Read the rest of this entry »

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Gopal’s political mentor, Joe Vas, gets out of prison today

Vin Gopal and Joe Vas

Joe Vas, the former Perth Amboy Mayor and Assemblyman who went to prison for campaign finance fraud and money laundering during his 2006 campaign for Congress, which was managed by Vin Gopal, will be released from prison today, according to a report in MyCentralJersey.

Vas was convicted on both federal and state charges, with his sentences to run concurrently.  He finished serving his 6 1/2 year federal prison sentence in February when he was transferred to the custody of the New Jersey prison system. His release today is about 3 weeks earlier than the planned June 2 release date.

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Gopal Blames Beck For Air Pollution, Says He Will Fix It

Former Monmouth Democrat Chairman Vin Gopal blamed Senator Jennifer Beck for air pollution on his facebook page earlier this week.  He said that if he is elected Senator from the 11th District instead of Beck come November 7, that he will “..make sure the air we breath and water we drink is safe for every Monmouth County resident.”  Gopal said he would do that by sponsoring legislation and fighting.

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