Saturday, March 08, 2008

Dems nominate Mallet and Mason for Monmouth County Freeholder

A united and enthusiastic Democratic convention nominated Amy Mallet of Fair Haven and Glen Mason of Hazlet as their Freeholder candidates by acclamation this morning at the Shore Casino in Atlantic Highlands.

In what is likely to be their theme in the fall campaign, Mallet and Mason called for change, a reduction in property taxes, the elimination of cronyism and for the lowest qualified bidders to get county contracts. Mallet called for the end of "pay to play", saying "contracts to contributors must stop." She did not say that her campaign would foresake union contributions.

Chairman Victor Scudiery and Freeholder Barbara McMorrow claimed that Monmouth County's recently enacted budget, without a tax increase, was a direct result of McMorrow's and Freeholder John D'Amico presence on the Freeholder board after 20 years of all Republican rule.

Congressman Rush Holt declared "We've an energy in the Democratic Party in Monmouth County" and reminisced of the nearly empty room, "where you could fit everyone in the corner" 10 years ago. There were over 300 people in attendance.

11 comments:

Barry Goldwater said...

HeHeHe...

Thank you, Amy Mallet. You couldn't win your hometown in the 12th district race, you are running on an anti-special interests platform, despite being bought and sold by Norcross...

My next eight months of columns have just written themselves...hehehe

Anonymous said...

It's the Democrats in Trenton, and some of the Republicans in Monmouth County and the Republicans in Middletown that make this voter sick to my stomach and it's all of them from both parties that need to learn THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THE TRANSGRESSIONS OF THOSE THAT GOVERN US REGARDLESS of the party they are affiliated with!!!. NEITHER party is without GUILT. Get rid of nepotism,cronism,corruption,and recognize nothing will change until you do. All this talk is a lot of crap spewed by politicians who INSULT the intelligence of the electorate they claim to serve. .Anna Little and Barbara Mc Morrow were both a breath of fresh air when elected. Too bad Puharic couldn't see this and only Vic Scudiery could.. The results this fall will certainly tell if the voters are a bunch of sheep or whether they can at last think for themselves.

Anonymous said...

Art, I wrote to you back in November after the huge win by Hornik in Marlboro. I stated then and still believe that Adam's hollow cries of victory were really groans of defeat by his own hands since Cantor SHOULD have won his home town but did not because given the chance to distance the party from Kleinberg, he refused. MArlboro voters connected Cantor and Kleinberg and that 300 vote loss cost us the seat.

Now Adam has a chance to make up for his big mistake and not be remembered as the only GOP County Chair to lose the Freehoder's Board in 20 years. Lillian is a strong candidate and will win, but Adam MUST go 2 for 2 so March 26 shall really be D-Day. The election will be won or lost on MArch 26 if we do not run a strong candidate with Lillian.

Art Gallagher said...

anonymous 10:41:

I met Jon Hornik at the Dem convention. He had very nice things to say about Jeff Cantor and the work they are doing together in Marlboro.

Cantor should have won Marlboro. Prior to the election, Cantor was privately critical of Kleinberg. Jeff went out of his way to publically distance himself from Bill Barham. If he had done the same with Kleinberg, he might be a Freeholder today.

Re: March 26...who are you suggesting and what do you think Adam should do about it, given that he has turned the choice over to the county committee?

Anonymous said...

Art,
First, I as a GOP member I believe today, as I did in November, that Hornik was right for Marlboro as Kleinberg was a true disaster.

Seeing Hornik work with the Republican counsel is very good for Marlboro and he is doing a good job so far. (But he still needs another council member for the majority and I believe that he and Sukel will win at least 2 of the 3 spots when they run in '09. Even the County Dems recognize these two run the strongest Dem. Org in the County today)


Next You asked me "who are you suggesting and what do you think Adam should do about it, given that he has turned the choice over to the county committee?"

Simple, under the rules the real decision is the Chairman's. He gives the line to who he thinks gives the GOP the best chance to win. He basically can veto the committee's choice if he feels the committee backed the wrong horse. Right now the committee screening members thought John Curly was the best choice. That being said, my suggestion would be a high power meeting with the biggest donors and Lillian Burry to decide who best fits the bill and then have Adam back that candidate. If it is indeed Curly, then donors will raise funds for a candidate THEY believe in and that THEY can get behind. we cannot afford to bat
.500 in this game. Adma can then talk to the remaining two and get them to withdraw giving Lillian and Curly the nod by affirmation showing unity and strength of conviction for our candidates.

Too much is riding on this November. Say what you will about Mallet and Mason, but if the Dems come out strong because of the Presidential ticket, we could get hurt here and can't afford Democratic control of Monmouth County.

Art Gallagher said...

we...can't afford Democratic control of Monmouth County.

Why not? I'm interested in hearing your argument.

Teddy Roosevelt said...

So anomymous is suggesting that we completly throw democracy out the window (or what little we have left) and let the "Big Money donors" pick the candidate they think will win (or is that the candidate they think they can control)

That is a step in the right direction. I think not!

I would rather see the Democrats win then see my beloved party corrupted so.

Anonymous said...

The party hierarchy has its say in the screening process. By having DeMaso and Curley go before the convention, the party leadership is saying that both are good candidates. Let's let the committee members decide who the better candidate is. If I were a supporter of one of the candidates and a secret meeting of big donors bumped my candidate from getting consideration at the convention, I would not support the nominee.

Lugar 96

Anonymous said...

people please do not take my comments the wrong way. I do not advocate special interst "buying" the candiates, What I am advocting id getting those who can help finance the campaign behind our ticket. It will cost money to run. I just hope those who do donate are behind a winning ticket. If the candidate is some one other then Curly, So be it, I will support my parties ticket. All I am saying is that if the party isn't really thrilled with the candidate, locals will not donate. Look at where all Karcher's money came from last year. Outside politicians and Cody. She did not raise much on her own and some of my Dem friends quietly say good riidance to her. I do not want that to happen to any of our candidates.

As for my fear of Dem Control,I fear undue influence from Corzine's adminstration on both the Monmouth train line and toll and tax hikes. GOP control with Jen Beck Declan O'Scanlon and Caroline Cassagrande in trenton is a solid team for betterment of the the County and thier looking out for our interests in lower taxes, less government waste and cleaning out corruption in the system.

I respect your opinions so if I am analysing this wrong tell me why.

Art Gallagher said...

As for my fear of Dem Control,I fear undue influence from Corzine's adminstration on both the Monmouth train line and toll and tax hikes. GOP control with Jen Beck Declan O'Scanlon and Caroline Cassagrande in trenton is a solid team for betterment of the the County and thier looking out for our interests in lower taxes, less government waste and cleaning out corruption in the system.

I respect your opinions so if I am analysing this wrong tell me why.


I don't think you are wrong. I think it is important that Monmouth stay Republican, more for state issues and influence than county issues.

Anna Little's experience shows that on the county level the GOP will resist reforming itself and county government from within. Yet, Little saw the danger of the Dems taking Monmouth. That would likely lead to the eventual loss of Republican seats in the legislature. That is a major reason she did not accept the Democratic nomination for Freeholder last year.

Now we see Dems McMarrow and D'Amico advancing Little's agenda...reduced spending and taxes, transparency in appointments and economic developement. To my knowledge they have not embraced term limits.

I don't think either party would be advancing these policies if they had a super majority. We've seen recently that Republicans have resisted these policies when they held a super majority. It is fair to say that the Democrats, who advocate expanded government everywhere expect Monmouth County, would not be advancing them if they had a super majortity either.

Perhaps divided government is the best government.

Anonymous said...

If the voters cannot see the benefits of bi-partisan government....shame on them.. We can no longer let the fox guard the hen house! It is a crying shame the "old guard" or the "goon squad" denied Anne Little her rightful place on the Republican ticket last year for freeholder. She had certainly earned in her efforts to represent ALL the people of Monmouth County a chance for re-election. Anna is young ,intelligent and her political career has just begun. She has become a voice for the people. I salute you Mayor Little!!