May their first child be a masculine child

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Why are people sleeping in cars?

In an interview with NJ.com Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long expressed her frustration with a lack of specifics in Governor Christie’s State of the State Address, even though she said she is meeting with state officials and FEMA today.

“We’re glad we’re on the governor’s radar, but the story of the owner of Sea Bright Pizza, Cono Trezza, is emblematic of my entire community,” Long said, citing one of many Sea Bright establishments yet to be back in business. “We want to do the right thing in terms of rebuilding by doing it smarter and by mitigating flood risk. Unfortunately, because of a lack of specificity coming from the state of New Jersey, and a lack of support and money from Washington, D.C., people who want to do the right thing are in limbo. I’m glad that we’re Jersey strong, because we’re going to have to be strong enough to pull ourselves out of this. We’re a 1,500-person town with a $5 million budget that needs help, and we’re not getting help.”

“I would not respond well to somebody who criticized this Republican governor, because [Christie] has been a determined, inspirational leader,” Long said. “But in order for us to rebuild smart from Sandy, we need more than just moral support. We need to know whether or not we’re going to get financial assistance or not. And if the answer is not, that’s fine – we’ll figure it out ourselves.”

Long’s frustration is understandable. Frustration among municipal officials and residents alike is likely to rise in the coming weeks and months as the difficult realities of rebuiding are confronted.  Yet, for a mayor to expect the Governor to recite what specific actions will be taken in any given town during a State of the State Address is unrealistic, especially when that Governor highlighted your town during the address and you’ve got a meeting to handle specifics scheduled for the next day.

However, Long’s next line is alarming and should have been the lead to the story:

“Every day that goes by, the resolve of our business owners goes away,” Long added. “I’ve got people sleeping in cars – I could care less about the boardwalk.” (emphasis added)

Why are people sleeping in cars?

A friend of mine whose home in Highlands was flooded by Sandy has been staying with friends, at no cost to the taxpayers, for the last two months during her home clean up and rebuilding.  That arrangement stopped working last weekend.  My friend visited the FEMA office in Leonardo and was put up in a hotel in a matter of hours.   That residents of Sea Bright are sleeping in cars doesn’t make sense.  Maybe they are choosing to sleep in their cars.  Maybe someone is dropping the ball.  Maybe there is red tape.   Red tape and dropping the ball is unacceptable.

My friend says that FEMA temporary housing is expiring on the 12th.  That could lead to a lot more people sleeping in cars.  That’s not acceptable either.

Where is all the money that was raised by concerts being spent?  How is the millions that Christie raised privately being spent?  Evidently its not being spent on people in Sea Bright and elsewhere who have been displaced and are sleeping in cars.

We can’t have people who are displaced by a natural disaster sleeping in cars because of red tape.  Not in Monmouth County.  Not in New Jersey.  Not in the United States of America.

We’re better than that.

UPDATE:  Displaced residents are sleeping in cars because they are being evicted from their hotels on weekends to accommodate wedding guests.  Read about it here.

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State of the State

Governor Chris Christie will delivery the annual State of the State Address in Trenton this afternoon at 2 PM.

The address can be viewed live here:

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Sweeney Unhinged

Senate President says Christie prayed for Hurricane Sandy to strike.  FDU poll indicates New Jersey voters don’t think much of Sweeney.

Photo credit: nomblog.com

Senate President Steve Sweeney said at a press conference today that Governor Chris Christie “prayed a lot and got lucky” that Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, thereby enabling the governor to gloss over the problems that were facing the state prior to the storm, according to a report on NJ.com.

“His jobs package is a hurricane,” said Sweeny,”I guess he prayed a lot and got lucky that a storm came.”

Sweeney, along with Senators Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) and Nina Gill (D-Essex) were speaking to the press prior to the Christie’s State of the State address which will be delivered tomorrow.   Sweeney immediately apologised for the “prayed a lot and got lucky” line, but went on to say that he expected the Governor to “try to convince everyone the sun is shining when it’s raining,” when he addresses the legislature tomorrow.

Evidently, most of New Jersey voters think the sun is shining and Sweeney is all wet.

In an FDU Public Mind Poll released today, 61% of New Jersey voters, including 55% of Democrats and 56% of Independents think the state is heading in the right direction. 26% think the state is on the wrong track and 13% are unsure.

Of the 700 voters surveyed, 73% approve of the job that Christie is doing.

FDU polled hypothetical match ups for the coming gubernatorial race between Christie, former Acting Governor Dick Codey, Senator Barbara Buono and Sweeney.

Codey, the best known of the Democrats scored best, losing to Christie 59%-26%.  55% of those surveyed were familiar with Codey, who served out Jim McGreevey’s term as governor from November 2004 until Jon Corzine took office in January of 2006. Of those who know of Codey, 56% think favorably about him while 18% have an unfavorable impression.

44% have heard of Sweeney, but of those only 25% like him.  39% of those who have heard of Sweeney think unfavorably about him.

The poll is so bad for Sweeney that Barbara Buono beat him.  Only 28% of the voters polled are familiar with Buono, yet she scored better against Christie than Sweeney did.  Christie beat Buono 64%-21% with 15% undecided.  Sweeney coundn’t break 20%, losing to the Governor by an embarrassing 65%-19% with 16% unsure.

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If Pallone wants to be a U.S. Senator, he should run for Governor

Congressman Frank Pallone is on television more than U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) now-a-days, not because of his outrage that House Speaker John Boehner delayed the vote of the Superstom Sandy relief package, but because he needs to raise his profile in the minds of New Jersey voters.

Since Newark Mayor Cory Booker dropped out of the gubernatorial race and announced his intentions to explore seeking the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Frank Lautenberg in 2014, Pallone has been letting Democratic power brokers that he too want’s Lautenberg’s job and he has been on TV every chance he can get.  Pallone has long coveted a U. S. Senate seat, but has never had the fortitude to risk his seat in the House to run for it.  Governor Jon Corzine passed over Pallone in favor of Bob Menendez in 2006 for the appointment to fill the Seante vacancy created by Corzine’s election as governor and Lautenberg came out of retirement to take over Bob Toricelli’s spot on the ballot in 2002 after Pallone passed or was passed over, depending on which version of the story you believe.

Pallone is acting like he is willing to make a race of it against Booker for the 2014 Democratic nomination for Senate.  Given Booker’s star power, social media savvy and resulting name recognition, Pallone has an uphill battle.  Booker works twitter better than any other politician with his clothes on.   In order to match Booker’s name recognition, Pallone would need a crisis to go on TV about every week.  Either that or he needs to start running into burning buildings and living on food stamps.   Or, he can run in a statewide race in an election he is not expected to win to raise his name ID and as prelude to the race he wants to win.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Codey Wan Kenobi

State Senator Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) wants former Acting Governor Dick Codey to stop Starship Christie from conquering the dark side of Trenton this November.

Lesniak said on facebook:

Codey for Governor?  Christie’s style has vaulted his popularity, but Codey has style also.  Christie’s feisty style has overshadowed his support for Romney and his policies that would cut taxes on the wealthy while putting added burdens on everyone else.  Honk if you like Codey for Governor.  Now that Corey Booker has chosen not to run, Codey is our Obi Wan Kenobi.

Codey, a senator representing parts of Morris and Essex Counties served as governor after Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

Codey has yet to declare his candidacy for the Democratic nomination to challenge Christie.  Recent media reports say that Codey is weighing his options and is 50-50 about running.  State Senator Barbara Buono (Middlesex) is the only announced Democratic candidate so far.

In addition to Codey, Senate President Steve Sweeney(Gloucester) is considering a run.  Our friends at SaveJersey.com report that an unknown organization is conducting a push poll for Sweeney in South Jersey.

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Christie: Failure to pass Sandy relief rests with House Majority and Speaker Boehner

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Joint Statement of Governors Christie and Cuomo on Congressional Failure to Pass Hurricane Sandy Relief Package

Trenton, NJ – With all that New York and New Jersey and our millions of residents and small businesses have suffered and endured, this continued inaction and indifference by the House of Representatives is inexcusable. It has now been 66 days since Hurricane Sandy hit and 27 days since President Obama put forth a responsible aid proposal that passed with a bipartisan vote in the Senate while the House has failed to even bring it to the floor. This failure to come to the aid of Americans following a severe and devastating natural disaster is unprecedented. The fact that days continue to go by while people suffer, families are out of their homes, and men and women remain jobless and struggling during these harsh winter months is a dereliction of duty. When American citizens are in need we come to their aid. That tradition was abandoned in the House last night.

The people of our states can no long afford to wait while politicians in Washington play games.

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Governor Christie Press Conference at 2PM

Governor Chris Christie has added a press conference at 2PM to his schedule today.

Changes are Christie will have some colorful things to say about the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives who, in a last minute reversal, declined to allow the House to vote on the $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package yesterday.

The press conference will can be viewed live here:

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2013 Predictions

A better late than never “fiscal cliff” deal will get done in Washington.  Federal taxes and spending will both rise.  The federal debt ceiling will rise in the coming months.

Last minute legal maneuvers by “birthers” to prevent Barack Obama’s election by the electoral college will fail.

New Jersey will confront a budget shortfall of almost $1 billion.  Governor Christie will attempt to plug part of the shortfall with the privatization of the lottery.  There will be painful spending cuts during the first six months of the year.

Congress will pass and the president will sign the $60.4 billion Sandy Relief Bill.

The rebuilding of the Jersey Shore communities devastated by Superstorm Sandy will be slowed by FEMA.

Despite New Jersey’s fiscal mess and frustration over the rebuilding process, Governor Christie’s approval ratings will be in the high 50’s throughout the year.  Christie will be reelected, defeating State Senator Barbara Buono.   The Democratic Party will retain control of the State Legislature.

The State Senate will confirm David Baumann as a State Supreme Court Associate Justice.  They will not confirm Robert Hanna.

Joe Oxley will be confirmed as a Superior Court Judge.

There will be surprise retirements in the Monmouth County Vicinage of the Superior Court.

The first Monmouth GOP nominating convention under Chairman John Bennett and his new by-laws will see no challenges to incumbent freeholders, legislators or the sheriff.  There will be Tea Party led primary challenges in the 11th, 13th and 30th Legislative Districts.  The incumbents will all win.

The Monmouth GOP by-laws will be amended at the nominating convention to make the chairman’s term two years.

The Monmouth County Democratic Party will have difficulty recruiting a full slate of legislative and county candidates.

Tom Arnone will be the Director of the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders.

What do you think will happen?

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