If the Dems can't win this year...

With the APP launching an investigative piece a week before the election, they are posturing for a Democratic victory. My prediction is that the APP will wind up endorsing the Democratic freeholder candidates.

Whatever stutter steps the Democratic campaign initially had, the trickle-down Democratic-sweep effect everyone's predicting this year coupled with the generous boost Gannett has been giving the Monmouth Dems pretty much sets the Democrats up for a win in the county. Then again, that's what everyone said about last year too, so I could be wrong.

I think it's kind of cheap that the APP is putting Anna Little in a position to have to answer for the actions of other freeholders. But then again, the other freeholders made a HUGE, boneheaded move by reappointing Malcolm Carton.

Let me hear your 2006 predictions, folks.

Moran column

The Star-Ledger's Tom Moran has a column about those crazy state Democrats.

However, the quote that made me laugh out loud was the one about Monmouth:

"In Monmouth County, where [Republicans] are in control, they've given us as much corruption as the Democrats. It's Hudson County with lawns."

The lawns part killed me.

Monmouth Dems kiss 2006 goodbye

Those wacky GOP bloggers have caused some internal party strife on the other side of the aisle.

Are Inzerillo's unfiled reports an issue? Sure. Are the couple grand left unreported by Inzerillo a bigger deal than the $94,000 quarterly report the Monmouth County Democrats left unreported for a substantial period of time? I really don't think so.

Brilliant move time...

The Mon. Dems didn't bother to file a 4th quarter 2005 ELEC return, according to the APP. (By the by, the 1ST QUARTER 2006 should have been filed March 15.)

Their exec. dir. didn't even know about the missing report.

Don't worry R's, if the D's can't even figure out how to submit a piece of paper on time they're certainly not going to be able to take advantage of this little mess you find your party into now.

EDIT: That sounded rather cranky (or snarky, as the hipsters say), didn't it? That wasn't my intention. I shouldn't post at 6 a.m., 10 minutes after rolling out of bed.

I'm exasperated by the state of both political parties in Monmouth, though I think the R's have a much better chance of pulling the club back together by November than the D's do. You guys have a solid infrastructure, built over decades, and the blogger revolution shows your ability to adapt and find unique means of party support. The D's still haven't figured out how to file paperwork on time, and that's unfortunate because there is a palpable feeling amound Dems that "this is the year."

I'm going to de-fry from Monmouth-area shenanigans for awhile, though I can't imagine I'll be able to refrain from throwing in my two-cents as election time heats up.

Non-reporter status means I'm back in private citizen-ville. I think I enjoyed being entitled to my personal opinions a little too much after 20 long months of having to bite my lip.

It's been a helluva ride, but I think I'm going to enjoy being something other than "that Jackie," "that [former] Courier reporter," or "that opportunistic bitch" for awhile.

I'd like to start a new blog soon, some kind of repository of general commentary and news items about blogging in New Jersey.

And maybe this'll become a place where I can write news-y articles about the Bayshore whenever I get nostalgic (with source documents embeded in the post when they are referenced--that could be interesting). I'm not quite sure yet. I'm just getting a tad restless in terms of my blogging "style" as it were and I want to switch things up.

In Blogs Heard 'Round the Bayshore...

No more anonymous comments. Abe has thrown his hands up at the Howell-anche and is only allowing those who sign-up for a Blogger.com name to post comments on his site, much to the chagrin of those Monmouth Republican committee members who have made Abe's page their homepage and follow the comment-posting fray.

William Seward has endorsed Anna Little for freeholder.

...and Monmouth Democrats are still without pseudonymous blogs of dead Democrat standard-bearers.

Lynch’s role and intrigues in Monmouth County

(Published in the December 22 issue of The Courier.)

Lynch’s role and intrigues in Monmouth County

By JACKIE CORLEY

Are the losses of Monmouth Democrats in part caused by an internal split that has been orchestrated by forces outside the county?

For years state Democratic leaders have been looking at Monmouth as a county with a Republican vice-grip upon it that could be broken. The demographics seemed obvious: Monmouth is not Hudson County, where 42.5 percent of registered voters are Democrats, or Sussex County, where 34.2 percent of registered voters are Republicans, as of 2005.

What the Numbers Say

Contrasted to the rest of the state, Monmouth has the largest percentage of unaffiliated voters compared to its base of registered voters. Out of 396,047 registered voters in Monmouth County, 256,154 or 64.7 percent were unaffiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties, as of June 2005.

Additionally, the percentage of registered Democrats compared to the percentage of registered Republicans within the county voting bloc is third closest in the state; only Burlington and Bergen counties have a tighter spread percentage between Democrats or Republicans. When it comes to affiliated voters in Monmouth County, 65,390 or 16.5 percent of total registered voters aligned themselves with the Democratic Party, while 73,117 or 18.5 percent of total registered voters have aligned themselves with the Republican Party.

The demographics being what they are, how has Monmouth remained a Republican stronghold for decades?

The well-oiled machinery of the Republican Party plays no small part. And while the county Republicans have had their share of squabbles, such as the ouster of long-time Monmouth Republican Chairman Bill Dowd in June 2004, any issues have remained largely internal.

In the Monmouth County Democratic Party, struggles for the heart of the organization have come as much from neighboring Middlesex County and former state Sen. John Lynch, D-Middlesex, as they have from within.

Additionally, as the Monmouth County Democratic Organization faced internal challenges for the party leadership in recent years, challenges often well-funded by a Political Action Committee (PAC) controlled by Lynch, money from Lynch’s business partners have found its way into Monmouth Republican coffers.

Lynch: ‘Invader’ from the North?

The day after this year’s November General Election, FBI officers raided the Tinton Falls offices, located at Suite 10 on 1 Executive Drive, of Lynch and his business partner, Jack Westlake.

The pair's Monmouth offices house Alma Ltd., Executive Continental Inc. and the New Directions Through Responsible Leadership PAC, according to Election Law Enforcement Committee (ELEC) reports.

In recent interviews conducted by daily newspapers in the state, Lynch has stated that he and Westlake share control of Executive Continental, a subsidiary of Alma Ltd., which was incorporated by Westlake.

Lynch, considered a heavy-hitter in Middlesex politics, was a political mentor to former Gov. James McGreevey before the pair severed ties in the early 2000s. Lynch's own career in elected office ended in 2001 when he retired from the New Jersey Senate.

Labels in the press, such as "king-maker" and "de facto boss," have followed Lynch into retirement. These labels, Lynch has said publicly, are what he believes have drawn the FBI to investigate his business dealings.

Area residents may have been surprised to learn of Lynch’s presence in Monmouth following the FBI raid, when it made headlines in the media.

However, Lynch has had an involvement in Monmouth County politics for a number of years, and the belief that Lynch has been pining for a foothold in Monmouth County is an open secret in the Monmouth County Democratic Organization.

“He’s wanted influence in Monmouth County, no doubt about it,” Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo said.

Caliendo said the challenges to Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor Scudiery's leadership in recent years were anchored in Lynch's desire to extend his sphere of influence into Monmouth County.

One of the most prominent turf battles for the Monmouth County Democratic Party occurred in 2003. That was when Scudiery supported state Sen. Ellen Karcher, 12th District, in a contentious primary battle against Oceanport Mayor Gordon Gemma, who received significant backing by Lynch. Also that year, Assemblyman Robert Morgan, D-Monmouth, was challenged by Fair Haven business owner Amy Mallet in the 2003 race. The New Directions PAC funded Gemma and Mallet’s failed primary attempt to the tune of $14,400.

Also, a 2000 race for the Monmouth County Democratic chairmanship pitted Red Bank Mayor Ed McKenna against Scudiery. McKenna received $5,000 from the New Directions PAC for the ultimately unsuccessful attempt. Lynch's PAC has continued to support McKenna's role as a Democratic leader in Monmouth County, contributing $9,700 to the Red Bank Democratic Party and $2,500 to the Monmouth County Council of Democrat Leaders PAC, a committee McKenna is affiliated with, since 2002.

Lynch's support for McKenna has been reciprocated, with the Red Bank Democratic Party, McKenna and his law firm contributing at least $5,500 since 2002.

Additionally, some specific municipal Democratic parties in Monmouth County have received funding from New Directions Through Responsible Leadership on more than one occasion since the PAC’s inception. In addition to the Red Bank Democratic Party, these municipal parties include: the Atlantic Highlands Democratic Party, the Manalapan Democratic Party and the West Long Branch Democratic Party.

As for Monmouth County Legislative District races, the Democratic candidates in the 13th District received $3,000 since 1999, with $500 coming from Executive Continental to Assembly candidates Patrick Gillespie and Alex DeSevo in 1999; $2,000 from the New Directions PAC to state senatorial candidate Bill Flynn in 2003; and $500 to Flynn and his Assembly running mates, Leonard Inzerillo and Thomas Perry, also in 2003. No contributions were made to the 2005 Democratic 13th District race, in which candidate Michael Dasaro, who ran with Flynn, made considerable issue of the financial relationship between developer Jack Morris, also a Lynch partner in a Brick land deal, and state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, R-Monmouth.

In addition to the campaign funds contributed to Gemma and Mallet in the 12th District primary race, then assembly-candidate Gemma and running mate William Scherer received $2,000 from Alma Ltd. in 2001; Karcher received $2,000 from Westlake and $2,000 from the New Directions PAC in the 2003 general election; and Morgan and Assemblyman Michael Panter, D-Monmouth, received $500 from New Directions in 2004.

In the 11th District, Assembly candidate Matthew Doherty received $500 from the New Directions PAC this year.

During the time that Lynch made his presence known in Monmouth through contributions from New Directions, the 2000 and 2003 challenges to Scudiery’s leadership occurred, as did a stunted attempt by McKenna’s law partner and Democratic fundraiser Michael DuPont, who considered running for the chairman post in 2004.

And though individual Monmouth Democrats and municipal campaigns have benefited from Lynch's fundraising capabilities, his PAC has not financially supported the Monmouth County Democratic Organization to the same level as it has other county Democratic organizations throughout the state. The Monmouth County Democratic Party received $5,000 from the PAC since 2001, while southern neighbor Ocean County, also a heavily Republican-controlled part of the state, received $84,500 for its Democratic organization and northern neighbor Middlesex County, Lynch's home territory, received $133,000 for its Democratic organization.

Lynch: A Monmouth Republican Supporter?

While the fact that a PAC under Lynch's control would not contribute funds to a county leadership it has taken exception to is not unusual, what does stand out in ELEC reports listing Suite 10 at 1 Executive Drive as home to numerous campaign contributions are the funds given to the Monmouth County Republican Party by Alma Ltd.

Lynch has publicly stated to other news outlets that Westlake consulted with him about forming Alma Ltd. during the early 1990s. Lynch and Westlake subsequently decided that Westlake alone would incorporate Alma Ltd. and a subsidiary company, later called Executive Continental, Inc., would be formed out of Alma Ltd. to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest for Lynch, who was still a state senator at the time.

Nevertheless, Alma Ltd. has become a significant source of funds for the Democratic Party, in much the same way that the New Directions PAC listed at the same address had.

Of the $125,450 contributed to campaigns and political organizations by Alma Ltd., with 94 percent of such donations being made between 1998 and 2005, $106,500 went to Democratic candidates and committees.

Alma Ltd., however, has not neglected Republicans: $18,900 in contributions were made to state Republicans. Of the $18,900 in Republican contributions from Alma Ltd., $12,400 went to Monmouth County Republicans.

The Monmouth County Republican Party received a total of $5,500 in annual donations made between 1999 and 2004. The contributions stood in the $650 to $750 range until August 2004, when a $2,000 donation was made. This compares to $3,000 in total contributions to the Monmouth County Democratic Party by Alma Ltd., made between 2002 and 2004.

Other contributions to Monmouth County Republicans by Alma Ltd. include: $650 total to Assemblyman Steve Corodemus, R-Monmouth, in contributions made between 1998 and 1999; $1,800 total to former state Sen. John Bennett, R-Monmouth, in contributions made between 1999 and 2002; and $3,800 to Kyrillos, a former New Jersey State Republican Committee chairman, made between 2000 and 2005.

Kyrillos came under fire this summer when it was revealed that, while counseling Democrat-controlled Aberdeen Township and then-Republican-controlled Matawan Borough for a resolution to the Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station redevelopment project, he had accepted over $50,000 from Jack Morris in campaign contributions. Morris is a Middlesex-based developer and a Lynch business partner whose company, the Columbia Group, was ultimately selected by the Matawan Borough Council as its designated redeveloper.

Morris has been a very successful fundraiser for Middlesex Democrats in recent years. Since 2000, Morris and his companies have contributed over $500,000 to Democrats and Democratic political organizations throughout the state. Of that money, at least $140,000 has gone to the Middlesex County Democratic Organization, ELEC reports.

Why would the leader of the New Jersey State Republican Party be accepting funds so closely associated with the so-called Middlesex County Democratic boss, a man who has been doing everything in his power to defeat Middlesex Republicans? Kyrillos has not returned calls to this office to answer questions for this article.

Kyrillos was chairman of the state’s Republican Party from 2001 to 2004.

Middlesex Republicans' Up-hill Battle

For years, Middlesex Republicans have been fighting an up-hill battle to raise funds in a county where the Middlesex Democratic Party is largely in control of the area's municipal and county-wide offices. Subsequently, Middlesex Democrats have been able to draw on the generosity of numerous professional services firms and developers to fill its political coffers.

Is the Middlesex Republican Party destined to minority status because of the financial power of the Middlesex Democratic organization, or has a dry fund-raising well kept the Middlesex Republicans from encroaching on Democratic territory? The question may bit of a "chicken or the egg" scenario, but the Middlesex County Republican Committee has seen little in terms of funding by the state to even put the question to the test.

Middlesex had the second largest base of undeclared voters in the state (Bergen County had claims to first place) at the height of Kyrillos' tenure as state Republican leader in 2002. Nevertheless, the county organization saw only approximately $28,000 in contributions and in-kind contributions from the state party from mid-2001 to 2005.

In total, approximately $2,016,000 has been contributed or given as in-kind contributions to county organizations during that time, with $45,000 of that money being expended since Tom Wilson took over the reins as state Republican chairman in December 2004.

Therefore, the $28,000 amount places Middlesex County 13th out of 19 counties that received money from the state for the county party organization and county-wide races during that time period. (Hunterdon and Sussex counties, both heavily Republican, relied on internal fundraising alone to finance their races.) The counties out-ranking Middlesex in terms of state GOP spending included Democratic powerhouses Essex, Union, Camden and Hudson. Counties that saw less funds from the state than Middlesex from June 2001 to 2005 Cape May, Morris, Atlantic, Salem, Warren and Mercer.

Neighboring Monmouth and Ocean counties were at the top end of the spectrum, receiving approximately $232,000 and $136,000 respectively from the state during that time. Notably, all the donations and in-kind contributions that came to Monmouth from the state between June 2001 and 2005 were made after Fred Niemann replaced Dowd as Monmouth County Republican chairman.

Today, both the Monmouth County Democratic and Republican parties are experiencing change. What direction these changes take may ultimately be tied to Lynch’s involvement in both parties and Kyrillos’ involvement with Lynch.

(A request for an interview with Sen. Lynch was not answered by this article’s deadline.)

Stay tuned...

Next week, The Courier is going back to the ELEC report jungle with some new information we've been given. Matt McGrath, who has revamped his Bayshore Planet site, will join in the investigative fun. This will involve the Democrat and Republican parties and Monmouth and Middlesex Counties.

Someone just wrapped up a gift and handed it to me today over the phone. I told Matt to stock up on binders and highlighters 'cause we're gonna be in the reporter trenches for the next few weeks. Fun times, fun times.

Quote of the Day

APP: Indictment of ex-mayor of Hazlet alleges $3,000 bribe:

"I have to applaud the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI in their attempt to root out corruption here in Monmouth County," Broschart said. "I'm hopeful that this situation will come to a quick resolution, as the residents of Hazlet are both exhausted and embarrassed by this unfortunate incident."

This is actually kind of funny, since both Democrat and Republican Party officials have reported to me that they have been interviewed by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office regarding an alleged investigation of Mr. Broschart. (One person was interviewed twice.)

Me thinks Mr. Broschart won't be so quick to grab the press spotlight if that reported investigation comes to fruition.

TGIO

Thank God It's Over!

Ah, the peace and serenity when I slipped into bed tonight... I'm grateful silly season is over.

It was a night of narrow victories and a few surprise defeats.

The biggest surprise, in my mind, was the 12th District loss of Mike Panter and Bob Morgan, Democrats, to Jen Beck and Declan O'Scanlon, Republicans. Beck, who pulled out a victory at the Monmouth County GOP convention in April where she wasn't a favorite going in, really proved her mettle. Beck and O'Scanlon campaigned aggressively and non-stop and Monmouth Republicans are rightfully very excited to regain control of seats they lost but two years ago.

Republicans retained control of the 11th and 13th Districts. I'm pretty surprised that the 13th District Dems, with their lack of funds or even campaign staff, weren't thoroughly stomped, though Republicans did attain a sizable victory. In the end Middletown proved the Democrats' undoing, with a 2,200 vote deficit in the township that they didn't have much of chance of recovering from.

At the local level, Republicans won two seats in Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, Holmdel, Red Bank and Middletown. Democrats won four seats in Matawan for control of the borough; two seats in Hazlet; three seats in Aberdeen; and two seats in Keyport.

With the Democrat victories in Aberdeen and Matawan and a three-seat Republican victory in Mercer's Hamilton Township, it wasn't a very good day to be Jack Morris. Morris, a Piscataway-based developer, had proposed a redevelopment project of the Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station; opposition to Morris's plan became a major part of the Aberdeen and Matawan races. In Hamilon Township, three Republicans who came to run to office because of their opposition to a Morris-company project in their town, won handily in a Democrat stronghold.

Correction and apology

A small piece I put in this week's issue was inaccurate. The article, titled "Assembly Dems call for debate" stated that the Thompson-Handlin campaign received funds from the 11th and 12th district races. It was a misunderstanding between myself and Mike Dasaro. What Mr. Dasaro was actually saying that the influx of funds INTO the 11th & 12th district races show that those races are in trouble. I had thought that Mr. Dasaro was saying that those campaigns had donated to the 13th District race. I had heard the word "district" instead of the plural "districts." I should have bracketed the word "13th" to show that that word wasn't in a direct quote, but I didn't. So, basically it was a chain of misunderstanding that I ultimately take full responsibility for.

I apologized profusely to both Mr. Thompson and Mr. Dasaro for the misunderstanding. Ms. Handlin does not return calls to our office, so I can only offer my apology through this website.

I also sincerely apologize to our readers. This is the first time I've really screwed up a quote and I'm absolutely mortified.

Scratching my head...

I'm really scratching my head on the Asbury Park Press' series of endorsements. If you've noticed, every assembly endorsement has been for Republicans. And I totally understood that -- all the endorsed Republicans have been incumbents -- until today.

In today's issue, Republicans Beck and O'Scanlon received the APP endorsement over Democrat incumbents Panter and Morgan. I've heard grumbling from many a Democrat campaign about the APP -- the county's only daily newspaper -- not giving them a fair shot. I'm starting to see some truth in that.

I've said before that anyone who underestimates Republican 12th District Assembly candidate Jen Beck will get a lesson coming to them very quickly. She's smart, she's savvy and she's a force to be reckoned with. She's stood up to the so-called Red Bank "McKennacrats" as the borough's only Republican council member (until John Curley switched parties) with integrity and a sharp eye on the bottom line. Republicans at the Monmouth County GOP Convention last April made a smart choice. (And, by the way, Beck winning the party nod was unexpected - it was the forceful speech she made at the convention that got her nomination. No one "made" Jen Beck except for Jen Beck.)

But, what leaves me scratching my head is this whole "Panter & Morgan are the tools of the Democrat machine" idea. Yes, they have gotten a ton of money from the state legislative. (Is it any big shocker that state Democrats want to desperately keep a seat that had been a solid Republican district for years?) But does anyone forget the fit state party bosses threw in not wanting Panter and Morgan (selected to run by Mon. Cty. Democrat Chairman Vic Scudiery) to get the party nod? Does anyone remember all the money thrown at Gemma by state party bosses when he challenged Sen. Karcher for the Democratic nomination?

And Panter and Morgan have made their own roads in Trenton -- this, of course, is also pragmatic: no Democrat aligning themselves with state party bosses will likely last long in Republican-dominated Monmouth. (And that's why Beck and O'Scanlon are fighting forcefully to prove them as such) But NPIRG, a state public interest group, gave them a 100% rating. And David Rebovich, a non-partisan, sharp observer of New Jersey politics, gave them a raving column.

So, I'm supposed to believe that Morgan is a Trenton insider because he's advised the state Department of Health about young kids who might have SARs or been exposed to anthrax or whatever rare diseases his medical expertise is in and Beck, who was a lobbyist for a number of years as well as an aide to Assemblyman Azzolina, is not? The logic feels pretty tortured to me.

Come on, Asbury Park Press.

Next stop, the 13th District in which Dasaro and Flynn -- both of whom have received little money from the state Democrat PAC, partly because of Dasaro's refusal to step down from the party line late in the game when state Democrat leaders tried to replace him on the ticket -- are those evil Democrat-machine insiders...

Place yer bets!

All right Monmouth County folks, there's about a month to the election. I keep hearing poll numbers that contradict each other from my sources in Democrat and Republican camps. I'd like to hear your commentary about it.

I'm not going to predict, but I will speculate on the races, as I see them from the ground level. If I'm seriously off-target I expect mocking by all!

Monmouth County Freeholder Race
William Barham & Lillian Burry (Rep.) VS. Rebecca Aaronson & Barbara McMorrow (Dem.)
    The APP's Club Monmouth series but a dent in the chrome engine of the all-Republican Freeholder board. But, more likely, the harder blow may have been when former long-time Freeholder Director "the Governor of Monmouth County" Harry Larrison was arrested on bribery charges.
    Barham and particularly Burry have a reputation for being no-nonsense office-holders. Will Aaronson and McMorrow be able to communicate to the voters their message that continuing the Republican stronghold in Monmouth is bad government?

13th District Race
Amy Handlin & Sam Thompson (Rep.) VS. Michael Dasaro & Bill Flynn (Dem.)
Handlin, despite her 15-year tenure as a freeholder, has managed to very shrewdly cast a public image as a "reformer" (and having a kow-towing press never hurts any either). Will Dasaro and Flynn be able to communicate their message that Handlin is a hypocrite, having been on the periphery of the scandals surrounding the MC Republican Organization?
    Handlin, to the best of my knowledge, hasn't made any campaign stops in any town other than Middletown and the Democrat-stronghold of Aberdeen. Officials in Keansburg and Keyport, two municipalities in the 13th District, say they haven't even seen Freeholder Handlin in their town in recent years. It seems that Handlin and the MC Republican Party is counting on the strength of Middletown to carry to this election.
    Another question is how will Thompson fare without his long-time running mate Azzolina? Azzolina, for whatever the woes in Middletown, always had a strong reputation with labor and carried 25% of the Democratic vote.
    A lot will depend on voter turn-out and how well the Democrats in the traditionally working-class areas of the 13th District are able to mobilize their base. Same for Republicans in the white-collar areas of Middletown and Holmdel. The Clean Elections program threw a monkeywrench into this election and more will depend on grassroots efforts than press and messaging.

12th District Race
Declan O'Scanlon & Jennifer Beck (Rep.) VS. Mike Panter & Bob Morgan (Dem.)
Panter & Morgan have managed to create a new breed of Democrat - fiscally responsible Democrat - unseen in other parts of the state. It's not just good government, it's also pragmatic: Democrats in Monmouth County will not appeal to the Republican demographic by falling in line with Democrat heavy-weights in Trenton.
    With the state and county Republicans having written off the 12th District after Bennett's defeat in 2003, O'Scanlon & Beck have had a tough time getting attention to their message. But O'Scanlon & Beck are both fighters. They will throw 150% into their campaign come hell or high water. Whatever the outcome in this election, Beck will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Republicans would be smart to look to Beck for the Freeholder line when Freeholder Ted Narozanic retires.

11th District Race
Steve Corodemus & Sean Kean (Rep.) VS. Matt Doherty & Jim Reilly (Dem.)
The state Democrats have poured a lot of money into the 11th District with a frantic stream of press releases that seem to be making a dent. Not to mention the thousands of dollars in cable ad buys.
    Corodemus and Kean haven't taken the blitz lying down, painting their opponents as state Democratic machine insiders. Corodemus and Kean also have established an environmental record that matters in the minds of 11th District voters.
    The 11th District race will be close, but I think the Democrats will have difficulty unseating the Republican incumbents.

Republican leader tied to controversial religious group

(Published in the October 6, 2005 issue of The Courier.)

Republican leader tied to controversial religious group

By JACKIE CORLEY

During last year's Monmouth County Freeholder race, Republicans had a bone to pick with Democrats after a derogatory comment about women made by one of the Democrat candidates years earlier, was made public.

Republican Freeholder candidates in 2004, Amy Handlin and Rob Clifton, and their campaign manager, Dan Gallic (formerly the executive director of the Monmouth County Republican Organization), gained political traction when they revealed that Democrat candidate Steve Morlino made a joke during a Howell Township Council meeting stating that some women "should be muzzled."

"If my opponent is threatened by intelligent women who speak their minds, he'll have a tough time working with the people of this county," Clifton said at the time.

What Republicans kept in their closets, however, was Gallic's connection with a religious group that has been sharply criticized for its own views of women, as well as statements by former members likening the group to "a cult."

The People of Hope, located in Plainfield, is a Catholic charismatic covenant community that was founded by Gallic's father, Bob Gallic, and a handful of others in 1977. However, the People of Hope is not recognized by Catholic Church as a lay organization, according to Jim Goodness, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Newark.

"There was a time (in 1991 when the community appealed to the Archdiocese of Newark for official recognition) when Archbishop Theodore McCarrick (now Cardinal Archbishop of Washington) had expressed reservations about the organization," Goodness said. "They were not in communion with the archdiocese. There were some concerns as to whether or not this was truly a Catholic organization."

According to Goodness, the Catholic Church now allows priests to say mass for the People of Hope, but the organization is still in no way recognized as a lay Catholic community.

Gallic's involvement with the People of Hope first became news in the political sphere during state Sen. Anthony Bucco's 2003 re-election campaign against challenger Blair MacInnes. Gallic served as Bucco's campaign manager.

According to MacInnes, Gallic was quoted in a local Morristown newspaper as saying, "The only thing that makes [MacInnes] legitimate is her husband and her husband's money."

MacInnes's campaign charged that the comments were sexist and called attention to Gallic's involvement with and leading role in the People of Hope.

"Koinonia Academy [in Plainfield], the school run by the People of Hope, has been accused of teaching female students classes in 'active submission' and discouraging female students from attending college," an October 16, 2003 release from MacInnes's campaign stated.

The above release also states: "Former members of the group reported to the Bergen Record that: husband[s] and wives are encouraged to go out only on 'prescribed date nights'; teenagers are prohibited from dating without approval from group leaders; older women are told not to wear pants or makeup; two women who left the group described a husband who wrote out his wife's daily schedule in 15-minute intervals."

A former member, who contacted The Courier but declined to allow his name to appear in print for fear of retaliation, confirmed the specifics issued by MacInnes's campaign. The source also confirmed that women in the group were taught to be subservient to men.

Many members left the group in the early 1990s following McCarrick expressing concerns about the community.

A family member of one such individual created a web site [http://members.tripod.com/~PeopleofHope] billed as "The Hope Awareness Center." The Courier has been in contact with the web site's creator but is withholding the person's name because of fears expressed by former members who are no longer supportive of the organization's teachings.

The site details several aspects of "cult-like" control exhibited by the organization.

"It is important to note that many members of these communities are good and faithful people who are trying to do the right thing but are living in a deceptive environment," the family member writes on the site. "These groups are considered totalitarian and high demand organizations with rules and regulations that enslave many people and take away their own independent thinking and thought processes."

Among the issues the Hope Awareness Center details is a 1985 state and federal investigation into tax records to determine whether or not Bob Gallic misused funds to purchase land that his and other high-ranking community members' homes were later built on. The investigation did not yield any charges.

Also included on the web site is a 'letter to the editor' that appeared in Fidelity Magazine, a now-defunct Christian publication, according to the Hope Awareness Center. The name is withheld by the Hope Awareness Center, though archives of Fidelity Magazine are available for purchase.

An excerpt from the letter reads:

"The following briefly examines each control I experienced…in the Hope pastoral system. Behavior control was accomplished by the structuring, regulation and discipline of a member's physical reality. Hope members schedule their week with the discernment of a pastoral leader…

"Thought control has only one goal: to transform the thought mechanisms of a person to be 'one with the group.'… As recently as June 23, 1991, at a general gathering of the community a senior head coordinator decided that it is a sin of deception and unity to read material that is critical of covenant communities and Hope.

"Emotional control uses fear as an effective way to keep members committed to the group. Very often many were prayed with to be delivered from fears the group in its own way instilled them. By the false creation of fears…and enemies, and making those enemies seem imminent (Islam, Communism, etc.), the community imposed an unconscious fear to leaving the confines of the group…

"Sharing and relating is controlled…Women getting together was also controlled. After all, women had to be protected from gossip or complaining. The general observation is that most women have superficial relationships and are missing a particular bond and support that women need with each other."

Not all former members felt harmed by their experiences in the People of Hope or thought the group espoused beliefs that were sexist.

"I always felt that the Hope community did a better job of respecting women's dignity and uniqueness and their giftedness better than any group outside them. My own experience led me to be a far better spouse," Michael J. Donnelly wrote in an e-mail.

In another e-mail Donnelly stated, "The aspects of community life which have led people to judge it as 'cultish' are its seeking to find and live a common life of morality and supportiveness toward each other…I would call the People of Hope a non-ordained religious family which seeks to serve God in a dedicated and committed way."

Gallic's perspective

While the former members of the People of Hope that The Courier spoke with said otherwise, Gallic denied he was ever a leader of the religious community and said he is not currently a member.

When asked if his father founded the People of Hope, Gallic said, "I believe he did."

Gallic, a resident of Warren Township in Somerset County, who ran unsuccessfully in 2003 for an Assembly seat left vacant by state Sen. Tom Kean, did acknowledge that he attended the Koinonia Academy.

Gallic, whose one-year tenure as Monmouth County Republican Director ended in August, said his views do not matter in the campaigns and organizations he works for.

"I didn't know Monmouth County from a hole in the wall. I didn't know who [Monmouth County Republican Chair] Fred Niemann was [before August 2004]," Gallic said.

While Gallic is no longer the executive director of the Monmouth County Republican Party (and no one has been selected to replace him as of yet), he said he does serve as a political consultant for the county organization and acknowledged serving as Handlin's and Clifton's campaign manager last year.

"I'm not the executive director of the Monmouth County Republican Party. I'm nothing. I resigned in August. I'm just a consultant. My views do not get put into anything. If and when I'm elected to public office, that's when my views will matter," Gallic said. "As for anyone who wants to attack me personally, my only response is that my grandfather was Jewish and I have an uncle who is Puerto Rican."

MacInnes, a Morristown resident, recalled the 2003 campaign and Gallic's campaigning style in particular as turning very ugly.

"I had a very contentious relationship with Dan Gallic. I think he and the People of Hope have a Medieval notion about women," MacInnes said, noting that she believed some of his comments about her revealed him to have a misogynistic view of women.

"I found Gallic to really be a right-wing ideologue. I would think that the Monmouth County Republicans would have enough on their plate without having to defend Gallic's position on the role of women in politics," MacInnes said. "New Jersey is 43rd out of 50th states in terms of the number of women in elected office. Whereas many people, including myself, would like to see that change, I think Mr. Gallic is happy to see that number stay as it is."

Niemann did not respond to questions about why Gallic was selected as executive director or what his role was or is in the Monmouth County Republican Organization.

With reporting by Jim Purcell

CAPTION:

DROP QUOTE:
"I didn't know Monmouth County from a hole in the wall. I didn't know who [Monmouth County Republican Chair] Fred Niemann was [before August 2004]," Gallic said.

Broschart drops out of race

Published in the September 22, 2005 issue of The Courier.

Broschart drops out of race

By JACKIE CORLEY

In an unexpected turn of events in Hazlet politics, Committeeman Scott Broschart resigned his candidacy for the November special election.

In May, Broschart was selected by the Township Committee to replace former Mayor Paul Coughlin. Coughlin resigned in April, two months after he was arrested by the FBI in a corruption sting that netted 11 Monmouth County officials.

At the time, Hazlet Republicans expressed reservations about Broschart’s ascension into government office.

“His work experience is close to nothing. The other Republicans that were nominated for his seat are professionals and own property [in town],” Rich Kohler, a Hazlet Republican, said in an article in the July 7 issue of The Courier.

In the same article, Hazlet Republican Chair Steve Grossman said, “There were qualified candidates. Someone as young as Scott has no real work experience. He has no real life experience.”

Broschart denied that his youth would affect the way he would govern and launched an “Ethics Reform Plan” that included campaign finance reform regulations.

When the Township Committee voted unanimously to approve an anti-Pay-to-Play ordinance, however, Broschart was bombarded with questions from Hazlet Democrats about his own campaign fundraising activities.

In the resume he submitted when seeking to fill Coughlin’s seat, Broschart wrote that he “raised over $40,000 in contributions” as campaign manager for the successful 2004 election of Mayor Michael Sachs and Committeewoman Bridget Antonucci.

In fact, Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) reports show that $20,535 was raised for the campaign, a number later adjusted to $20,831.

“Either you falsified the election report and violated state law or you falsified your resume to become a member of the Township Committee,” Vincent Solomeno, a Hazlet Democrat, said at the September 6 meeting.

In a later interview, Solomeno questioned whether or not Broschart’s appointment was in itself Pay-to-Play.

“He is the one who raised tens of thousands of dollars for the very people who voted to appoint him to his position,” Solomeno said. “What this says is that someone who doesn’t have a steady job, who doesn’t pay Hazlet property taxes can become a committeeman by raising tens of thousands of dollars.”

Anointed not appointed?

When Coughlin resigned his seat and a November special election was imminent, Grossman said he began planning a “mini-convention” for county committee members of the Hazlet Republican Party to select who would run on the Republican ticket.

On July 20, that process was thwarted when Monmouth County Republican Chair Fred Niemann signed off on Broschart’s candidacy.

Niemann, who campaigned for county chair under the promise on enacting by-laws and restoring greater control to municipal clubs, reportedly told Grossman he was unaware of what he was signing.

Under a little-known rule, the county chair does in fact have the authority to select a candidate for a special election, Grossman said. Nevertheless, the rule hadn’t been applied in Monmouth County in 20 years, according to Grossman.

Broschart bows out just under the wire

At a meeting of the Hazlet Republican Club held at the Lakeside Manor on Wednesday, September 14, Committeewoman and Republican Club President Tracey Maffiore announced that Broschart removed his name from the Republican ticket.

Broschart had attended the Hazlet Republican Club meeting but left before the announcement was made that he was resigning his candidacy.

Maffiore said that Broschart had made the decision to step down because the Hazlet Democrats were using him as a political issue.

In an e-mail, however, Broschart said he removed his name from the ticket so he could focus on his future.

“I need to focus on my career and I'm unsure if I will be residing in Hazlet over the next year. It would be a disservice to the residents of Hazlet if I were to run this year, possibly win and then have to step down if I am forced to relocate,” Broschart said. “In the meantime, I will continue to serve on the committee and fully plan on supporting Ric Medrow (a Republican running for the seat currently held by Maffiore, who is not seeking re-election this year) and the candidate who is chosen to run in my place.”

Hazlet Democrats, however, believe Broschart’s sudden resignation of his candidacy to be a direct result of the questions they raised at the last Township Committee meeting.

“Obviously I feel that our questions about Broschart’s campaign fund raising were instrumental in him stepping down,” said Jim DiNardo, Democrat candidate for Hazlet Township Committee.

DiNardo said that Broschart, as a sitting member of the governing body, still owes taxpayers answers about the ethical questions that have been raised by residents. The Township Committee also needs to be held responsible for Broschart’s appointment in the midst of these allegations, according to DiNardo.

“The Township Committee had a choice. They chose to put up a guy who obviously has some issues with campaign finances. It raises another cloud over Hazlet (following Coughlin’s arrest),” DiNardo said. “We need good government not more questions about the lack of honesty and integrity of our committee members.”

If Broschart had not stepped down by Monday, September 19, only a court order could have replaced him with another candidate on the ticket, according to Grossman. The Hazlet Republican Party will have until Wednesday, September 21 to present the name of the new candidate, who will have to be approved by Niemann.

Many members of the Hazlet Republican Club asked Maffiore to consider running in the special election. Maffiore said it was unlikely that she would run this November, as she took on a new job last year and found her free time severely limited. She said she was heartened by the show of support from other Republican Club members.

Grossman said the club will continue to move forward.

“I wish Scott the best of luck. I think he did the right thing for Hazlet and for the party,” Grossman said.

Kohler said he was pleased by the turn of events.

“I think [Broschart] brought this upon himself. I think we almost had a case of the system running amok,” Kohler said. “Thanks to Steve, we got it back under control.”

With reporting by Christian Alexandersen.

1997 Bergen Record Article

The Record (Bergen County, NJ)

May 9, 1997

RULE MAKERS, RULE BREAKERS
LEGISLATORS ARE BIG TRAFFIC VIOLATORS

Author: By NEAL THOMPSON, Staff Writer
Edition: All Editions
Section: NEWS
Page: a01

Correction: A graphic Friday incorrectly stated that state Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, and state Sen. Joseph Bubba, R-Wayne, had been convicted of driving while uninsured. The notation on their records referred to an inquiry by the Division of Motor Vehicles into the status of their insurance policies. No violations were found, according to the DMV. (Ran Saturday, May 10,1997 pA

Article Text:

When state Sen. Dick LaRossa proposed raising the speed limit to 65 mph on some New Jersey roads last year, it was a pitch by someone who knows about speeding: He has been ticketed five times for going too fas

Among his peers at the State House, LaRossa, R-Mercer County, is far from alone. An analysis by The Record of the current driving records of New Jersey's 120 state legislators found that nearly 60 percent have some type of traffic violation.

That's almost quadruple the rate of the general population: Fifteen percent of New Jersey's 5.8 million drivers have violations on their current records, according to the Division of Motor Vehicles.

Some of the infractions are only indirectly related to driving, such as bouncing a check to the DMV, and many occurred before the legislators were in office, the records show. They include suspensions for failing to pay parking tickets. Although some records date back many years, others co! ver shorter periods because records are expunged after five years without a violation.

Speeding was the most common offense. Fifty-one lawmakers have at least one speeding ticket on their current records, including Assemblywoman Marion Crecco of Bloomfield, chairwoman of the Law and Public Safety Committee, who was clocked at 85 mph in 1978, before she was elected. Twenty-five have been caught more than once, and two have been caught seven times.

"I'm human. Once in a while, we tend to err," said Crecco.

Four legislators have 10 or more motor vehicle offenses on their records, and two accumulated so many violation points that the state suspended their licenses and sent them to a driver improvement program.

Traffic violations are a hot topic of debate in Trenton this year, as legislators work to revamp the auto insurance system.

One bill being considered would eliminate insurance penalties for speeders caught driving less than 15 mph above th! e speed limit. The bill's sponsor in the Assembly is Sean Dalton, D-C amden County. He has been caught speeding three times all before he was elected.

"I've become a better driver since I've joined the Legislature," said Dalton. He said there was no correlation between his past offenses and his support of the bill.

The Legislature also is considering a bill that would eliminate insurance surcharges for minor traffic infractions. The Senate sponsor: LaRossa. He said there's no connection between his bills and his record, and he attributed his speeding convictions the last one in 1988 to "youthful exuberance."

"That was almost four years before I was sworn in," he said. "I would respectfully ask the question: What's the point?"

Among the findings by The Record's analysis of legislators' driving records, which were provided upon request by the DMV:

Nine legislators had their licenses suspended for not paying parking tickets. They include Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley, D-Jersey City, in 1994 and Sen. Berna! rd Kenny, D-Hoboken, in 1995 both sponsors of a bill to "give greater protection to motorists" whose licenses are suspended for failing to pay parking tickets.

Nineteen lawmakers have violation records that add up to 10 or more points. That's 16 percent of the Legislature compared with 2 percent of all state drivers with that many points.

Assembly Majority Whip Christopher "Kip" Bateman, R-Somerset County, and Assemblyman Craig Stanley, D-Essex County, have carried 12 or more points on their licenses at once, prompting the state to send them to a driver improvement program. Bateman, who was elected in 1994, took his class in 1993. Stanley took his in 1992, four years before his election.

Stanley's 14 offenses nine of them since 1990 give him the most of any legislator. His driving record runs 11 pages and includes three violations for driving while his license was suspended and three for speeding. "I know that looks bad," said Stanley, a first! -term Democrat from Irvington. "But 10 to 15 years ago, a lot of us d id things that we wouldn't necessarily do now." Stanley's most recent speeding ticket was issued last year.

Two lawmakers, Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, R-Monmouth County, and Assemblyman Francis Blee, R-Atlantic County, were convicted of drunken driving. Both violations occurred more than 15 years ago, before either was elected.

Fifty legislators have no violations on their current records. They include North Jersey Sens. Gerald Cardinale, Byron Baer, John Girgenti, Louis Kosco, and Henry McNamara, and Assembly members Paul DiGaetano, Nicholas Felice, Rose Heck, John Rooney, and Charles "Ken" Zisa.

Others haven't had a ticket since joining the Legislature. But, then again, lawmakers enjoy exemptions that average drivers only dream of: special license plates and immunity from arrest while traveling to state meetings.

"I've never heard of any legislator abusing that privilege," said state police spokesman Al Della Fave. But John Tiene of the New Jersey In! surance News Service, a consortium of New Jersey auto insurers, said it would take a "bold police officer" to knowingly ticket a member of the Legislature.

Still, 34 legislators have been ticketed in office, led by Sen. William E. Schluter, R-Mercer County, chairman of the Joint Committee on Ethical Standards, whose seven violations date back to 1976. He was elected in 1968.

Sen. Jim McGreevey of Middlesex County a Democratic candidate for governor was ticketed for speeding in 1990, his first year in Trenton, and for careless driving in 1995.

"Jim McGreevey is not unlike a lot of motorists in New Jersey who have to deal with congested roadways and other driving obstacles," said Rich McGrath, a spokesman for McGreevey's campaign. "We make no excuses. He's made his share of mistakes on the road, and he's paid the required fines

Copyright 1997 Bergen Record Corp.

Broschart comes under fire about campaign finances

(Published in the Thursday, September 8, 2005 issue of The Courier.)

Broschart comes under fire about campaign finances

By JACKIE CORLEY

What was supposed to be the passage of an anti-Pay-to-Play ordinance led to allegations of wrong-doing by a sitting committeeman at the Tuesday, September 6 meeting of the Hazlet Township Committee.

Committeeman Scott Broschart, 26, who was selected to replace former Mayor Paul Coughlin despite questions by both Republican and Democrat leaders about his qualifications for the office, initiated “Operation Public Trust” in late June 2005.
The ethics reform package proposed by Broschart included Pay-to-Play regulations and an anti-nepotism ban. The anti-Pay-to-Play ordinance was passed unanimously by the Township Committee at the meeting.

However, Democrats charged that Broschart had severe campaign finance issues of his own to answer.

In his resume seeking to fill Coughlin’s vacant seat, Broschart wrote that he “raised over $40,000 in contributions” as campaign manager for the successful 2004 election of Mayor Michael Sachs and Committeewoman Bridget Antonucci.

In fact, Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) reports show that $20,585 was raised for campaign.

When Democrat candidates for Hazlet Township Committee Kevin Lavan and Jim DiNardo attempted to question Broschart regarding the sum of money during the public portion of the Thursday meeting, Sachs refused to allow either man to speak on the issue.

“It’s political and has nothing to do with the business of this town,” Sachs said.

In an interview outside the meeting room, DiNardo disagreed with Sachs’s assessment.

“I feel it does matter to the citizens of Hazlet because Scott Broschart was the one appointed to the committee,” Lavan said. “I think it was a political appointment. The other two people who applied for the position had better resumes. We had one fellow in town (Coughlin) arrested because of illegal money, now we have a second person who took his seat having questionable financial actiivity himself. We have to take the political black cloud off of Hazlet.”

DiNardo concurred, saying, “I’m not happy with what’s happening. We’re not getting any answers from the Township Committee.”

Lavan said he and DiNardo filed a complaint with the Board of Elections and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office in regard to potential violations of the state’s election statutes.

“Where exactly is this missing $20,000?” DiNardo said.

Vincent Solomeno, a Hazlet Democrat, was able to make more headway during the public portion of the meeting, posing questions to Broschart about his conflict of interest in serving as a campaign fund-raiser “to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars for the Hazlet Republican Party” and serving as the proponent of Hazlet’s anti-Pay-to-Play ordinance.

Broschart denied engaging in the practice of Pay-to-Play, noting that he had an obligation to raise funds as campaign manager and was not a member of the governing body at the time he raised money. He said he trusted the Township Committee to make fair and ethical decisions.

“You were engaged in Pay-to-Play and now you’re a member of the township committee supporting Pay-to-Play reform. I think it’s hypocritical,” Solomeno said.

Solomeno also publicly questioned Broschart’s claim of raising $40,000 for last year’s campaign.

“Either you falsified the election report and violated state law or you falsified your resume to become a member of the Township Committee,” Solomeno said.

In a later interview, Solomeno questioned whether or not Broschart’s appointment was in itself Pay-to-Play.

“He is the one who raised tens of thousands of dollars for the very people who voted to appoint him to his position,” Solomeno said. “What this says is that someone who doesn’t have a steady job, who doesn’t pay Hazlet property taxes can become a committeeman by raising tens of thousands of dollars.”

Rich Kohler, a Hazlet Republican, was the first to raise questions about Broschart’s campaign fund-raising claims in his column in The Courier in its May 19, 2005 issue.

In the column, Kohler wrote, “In [Broschart’s] capacity [as 2004 Republican campaign manager], he sent several arrogant and hostile campaign related e-mails to members of the Hazlet Township Republican Campaign Committee. These letters were barely written at a fifth-grade level…Although I supported both candidates, I limited my involvement in the campaign as a result of Mr. Broschart;s irresponsible correspondence and his lack of regard for the value of positive leadership. Rewarding this type of leadership with ordained political power will most likely lead our township in a negative direction.”

Kohler noted that questions about Broschart’s financial management of the 2004 campaign should be answered, especially in light of the Township Committee’s decision to propose anti-pay-to-play regulations.

“How can he pass the legislation if he has this hanging over his head? The money question needs to be answered,” Kohler said.

Following the Township Committee meeting, Broschart said DiNardo’s and Lavan’s decision to file a complaint with the Board of Elections about discrepancies in the 2004 campaign was “a political ploy aimed to get press for the campaign.”

Pay-to-play and the November election

At the Tuesday meeting, Kohler and other Hazlet residents questioned whether or not the township’s pay-to-play ordinance had “any teeth.”

Hazlet Township Attorney James H. Gorman acknowledged that Hazlet’s ordinance was essentially similar to the state’s anti-Pay-to-Play ordinance, which goes into effect January 1, 2006. The Hazlet ordinance would put the regulations into effect earlier but would not go beyond the state’s legislation as such a step would be nullified by the state when its bill went into effect in January.

“There are other bills pending [at the state level], which may or may not even be passed, that would allow municipalities to set different standards for Pay-to-Play bans,” Gorman said. “Right now, I don’t see why we should spend any money, time or effort on regulations that would be nullified by state legislation in three months. The state has effectively said, ‘This is all you can do.’”

Hazlet resident Eugene Gere questioned whether the introduction of the anti-Pay-to-Play ordinance was merely politicking during election season.

“From a political angle, this will just allow candidates to grandstand. There are real problems that are not being addressed. There are no anti-wheeling provisions. I’m not sure what we’re really getting with this,” Gere said.

Ric Medrow, a Republican who is running for Hazlet Township Committee, said the baby shouldn’t be thrown out with the bathwater.

“I’ve never seen a perfect piece of campaign finance legislation. We can’t let that be an excuse for not cleaning up dirty money in politics. You have to start somewhere,” Medrow said.

Also, Medrow noted he was interested in expanding pay-to-play regulations to include developers looking to build property in town.

Broschart was selected by Monmouth County Republican Committee Chairman Fred Niemann to run for the second committee seat up for election this year, making Broschart, by default, Medrow’s running mate, despite concerns issued publicly and privately by high-ranking Hazlet Republicans about Broschart’s candidacy.

Nevertheless, Medrow feels he has much to offer to Hazlet residents and has been knocking on doors since the beginning of the summer.

“It’s essential that you get out there and talk to the residents and get to know their concerns and let them know what you’ll do as an elected official to ease those concerns,” Medrow said. “I’ve knocked on 2,200 doors so far. I’ve been out when it was 104 degrees and I’ll be out when it’s 47 degrees. The residents of Hazlet deserve that.”

Bayshore News You Can(Not) Use

Not much new in Bayshore Journalista-ville. I spewed-forth a 1,000-word story on the ruckus that was the Hazlet Township Committee meeting last night, and I'm mighty tired.

The whole mystery of the $20,000 discrepancy between what Committeeman Scott Broschart said he raised as 2004 Hazlet Republican campaign manager and what was actually raised has yet to be fully explained. The Hazlet Dems have filed a complaint with the Board of Elections and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. I guess it's wait-and-see now.

In Middletown, Anthony Spalliero, everyone's favorite alleged politician-briber, was taken into custoday yesterday "following an altercation with a young woman in a Brookdale Community College parking lot," according to the Asbury Park Press.

In other area news, William Flynn and Michael Dasaro, Democrat candidates for the 13th District, have bowed out of the Clean Elections program, citing the high fundraising threshold. The pair have pledged to abide by spending limits and other regulations proposed by the Clean Elections pilot program.

Press Release

My Labor Day weekend was spent getting much-needed nappage and working on miscellaneous literary projects.

Here's a press release pertaining to the 11th District (attack on Democrats by third-party Republicans) that was sent out Friday:

For Immediate Release
September 2, 2005
Wall Township Mayor Edward Thomson 732 713 9935
Neptune Township Mayor Thomas Catley 732 496 0737

LOCAL OFFICIALS DEMANDS EXPLANATIONS FOR LACK OF HOMELAND SECURITY MONEY
Week 3 & Democrats Still Remain Quiet

Wall & Neptune, NJ: Neptune Township Mayor Thomas Catley joined Wall Township Mayor Ed Thomson at the Wall Allaire Airport for a press conference stating their unified opposition to the Democrats partisan politicking with Homeland Security money.

“We stand here at the Wall Allaire Airport, to make a point that Wall Township was unjustly looked over for political patronage. Wall Township asked for $199,000 dollars and we received not a cent. Other towns such as Freehold, Manalapan and Marlboro received a combined $540,839 or 100% of what they requested. What makes these towns more qualified then Wall Township? First we were shortchanged and now we don’t even get a fair explanation,” stated Wall Township Mayor Thomson.

“Since 2002, 93% of all State Homeland Security Money was funneled to Democrat Assembly districts. The Attorney General’s office has acknowledged that the Governor’s Office played a role in deciding who would receive grants and didn’t. These facts are irrefutable and the Democrats have not provided a sound explanation for their actions,” stated Neptune Township Mayor Catley.

“The Trenton Democrats have created an environment of legalized patronage. The facts speak volumes of how deep seeded this goes. Beginning with the Governor and Attorney General, all the way down the food chain to local boy Jim Reilly. Each one played their part to divert much needed Homeland Security funds away from the 11th district,” concluded Mayor Thomson.

The Mayors highlighted that a lack of Homeland Security money will results in less security, higher taxes and cutting recreational/ civic activities. This is the second occasion each official went on record against the unjust distribution of Homeland Security money. The Mayors are waiting explanations from Governor Richard Codey, Attorney General Peter Harvey and Mr. Jim Reilly as to why they intentionally shortchanged their municipalities of much needed Homeland Security money.

###

Dueling Banjos on First Avenue

There is a bit of a debate going on between the Atlantic Highlands Muse. and the Atlantic Highlands Herald regarding whether or not the McConnell Property tract issue is being used for political fodder.

(Full disclosure: the AH Muse asked me to provide a copy of AH Mayor Peter Donoghue's letter to the editor printed in the August 25 issue of The Courier. I haven't covered the McConnell Property tract issue since it first arose over six months ago, but at the time, I got the sense that none of the council members, Republican or Democrat, were pleased with the original proposal put forth by K. Hovnanian. I don't know the specifics of how the plan has changed since then.)

If you haven't already, join the AH Herald forums. It's a great place to discuss topical issues affecting the Bayshore.

More Press Releases

(This time from the Dems.)

PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Cathleen Lewis
(732) 294-9008 (office)
(617) 699-5940 (cell)

Aaronson and McMorrow to Powers: The Monmouth County website is not owned and operated by the Monmouth GOP

In Thursday’s Asbury Park Press, Freeholder Director Tom Powers penned an editorial denouncing the “Club Monmouth” series, which exposed numerous examples of waste, fraud and patronage. Within that editorial he also advocated for the election of Bill Barham and Lillian Burry for Freeholder. Referring to them as the “new faces” Monmouth County needs.

Within hours, that same editorial was published on the front page of the official Monmouth County website.

“Mr. Powers is clearly unaware that a website operated by taxpayer dollars is an inappropriate place for political endorsements,” Barbara McMorrow, a Democratic candidate for Freeholder, said.

“It’s disappointing that Mr. Powers doesn’t see a difference between the Monmouth GOP website and the official website of Monmouth County government,” Rebecca Aaronson, a Democratic candidate for Freeholder, said.

“This is just another example of abuse by the Freeholder Board,” McMorrow said.

See Link Below

http://www.visitmonmouth.com/news.asp

###


PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Cathleen Lewis
(732) 294-9008 (office)
(617) 699-5940 (cell)

At today’s Monmouth County Freeholder Meeting Democratic candidates for Freeholder Barbara McMorrow and Rebecca Aaronson presented a petition to the Freeholder Board supporting the New Jersey Federal Delegation’s efforts to bring more homeland security funds to New Jersey.

“It is imperative to our security that the federal funds be allocated based on risk. Security threats are not equal between the states, nor should the funding be. New Jersey clearly has a larger threat of attack than the Virgin Islands, yet New Jersey receives $7.08 per capita and the Islands receive $46.00 per capita,” McMorrow said.

The resolution written by McMorrow and Aaronson will be sent to the mayors of all 53 municipalities with a letter requesting that the petition be posted so that concerned citizens can sign them.

“We can not sit idly by and hope that more funding will materialize. Our federal delegation is working tirelessly to ensure that the formula changes and I think it’s important that we are proactive in our efforts to secure homeland security funding,” Aaronson said.

“It is our hope that the Freeholder Board will join with us and the citizens of Monmouth County in signing this petition,” Aaronson added.

A copy of the petition is below.

We, the undersigned, support our Federal Delegation’s fight to ensure that New Jersey is kept safe. In order to adequately protect any of our citizens, we must protect all of our citizens. Federal Homeland Security Funding must reflect the high risk of attack on certain areas of the country. New Jersey’s airports, seaports, highways, mass transit systems, chemical plants, casinos and financial institutions all provide potential targets for terrorist attack.

We ask the Congress, the Senate and President Bush to modify the formula by which Homeland Security funds are allocated to reflect the higher risks that New Jersey and other states face.

###


For Immediate Release Contact: James Sverapa IV
August 26, 2005 Phone: 732-389-3103

STEVE CORODEMUS SAYS:
“HOMESTEAD REBATE IS A SHAM”

EATONTOWN – During an Assembly Republican news conference in Trenton yesterday, designed to kick off the election season by drawing attention to their property tax scheme, Assemblyman Steve Corodemus, R-Monmouth, was quoted on the record as saying, “Homestead Rebate is a sham,” referring to the popular thirty year old Homestead Rebate Program, which provides property tax relief to those who need it most.

“But Sires and Roberts dismissed the Republican plan, decried Corodemus' description of rebates as a "sham," noted Republican opposition to the convention and government spending caps and their votes against the budget that included restored - though for most people, reduced - rebates.” [Source: Trenton Times, 8/26/05]

“This simple, dismissive statement shows, without a shadow of a doubt, how little Steve Corodemus has in common with 11th District residents after 14 years in the Legislature,” said 11th District Democratic Assembly candidate Matt Doherty. “How can he, in good conscience, call a program that provides between $800 to $1,000 in property tax relief to senior and low income homeowners a ‘sham?’ The only sham is that Steve Corodemus and Sean Kean still think they deserve reelection after a comment like that.”

Property taxes account for over 40 percent of total State and local tax revenue in New Jersey. By contrast, the national average is just above 30 percent. And, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective, New Jersey has the seventh highest tax burden on the working poor in the nation, which is largely the result of the property tax system.

To illustrate, a couple who purchased their home in 1950 at $10,000 may have been paying property taxes on that home that bore some relationship to their income at that time. The same home, owned by the same couple today, however, may be valued at over $200,000, while the couple’s income may have been greatly decreased or become fixed. Their property tax burden now bears no relationship to their financial status and is only mitigated by programs like Homestead Rebate.

“In the fourteen years Steve Corodemus has been in the Legislature, he has done nothing to alleviate the property tax problem, despite his party being in control for eight of those years,” said 11th District Democratic Assembly candidate Jim Reilly. “Add to that the fact that the current Republican tax scheme would actually eliminate the Homestead Rebates altogether, while spreading the funds to the wealthy, and you’re left with a statement, a candidate and a party that smacks of hypocrisy. Can Steve Corodemus and Sean Kean truly support property tax reform if they think our current system of relief is a ‘sham?’”

(From PoliticsNJ.com)
###