First, Corzine Refused To Answer Questions If He Had Exchanged Emails With Katz And Even Denied She Contacted Him During Union Negotiations.
“Governor Corzine Is Refusing To Say Whether E-Mail Discussions Took Place Between Him And His Former Girlfriend During Recent State Worker Contract Talks.” (Associated Press, “Corzine refuses to detail if e-mails to Katz exist,” March 28, 2007)
“Corzine Has Denied That Katz Tried To Back Channel With Him During The Talks.” (Cynthia Burton and Troy Graham, “The Secret that Left a Union Divided” The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 25, 2007)
Then, Last Fall Corzine Admitted Katz Contacted Him But Denied He Responded To Her E-mails.
“Gov. Jon S. Corzine Today Said He Never Responded To E-Mails Sent By A State Worker Union Leader And Former Girlfriend Seeking To Discuss Recent State Worker Contract Talks.” (Tom Hester, “Corzine: I didn't respond to Katz e-mails on contract talks,” Associated Press, August 2, 2007)
CORZINE: “Exchange Would Have To Occur For That To Be Negotiations.'” (Tom Hester, “Corzine: I didn't respond to Katz e-mails on contract talks,” Associated Press, August 2, 2007)
Now, His Office Admitted Corzine Responded To Katz By E-mail At Least 11 Times - Consisting Of 100 Pages Of Documents.
“Gov. Jon S. Corzine's Office Said Saturday That He Only Sent 11 E-Mails To A State Worker Union Leader He Once Dated. … [Corzine Communications Director Debbie] Howlett Said These E-Mails Account For Exactly 100 Pages.” (Tom Hester, “Corzine's staff details e-mails,” Associated Press, May 31, 2008)
Corzine Latest Admission Comes Only After News Reports That A Potential 700 Individual Communications May Have Been Exchanged.
“But The State Attorney General's Office Said It Will Return To Court To Block The Release Of The More Than 700 Messages Exchanged Between Corzine And Katz From 2006 Until Last Year, When His Administration Struck A Deal With Katz's Union.” (John Reitmeyer and Elise Young, “Corzine, ex-girlfriend's e-mails are open book Saturday,” The Bergen Record, May 31, 2008)
HOWLETT: “There Is A Need To Set The Record Straight[.] There Are Not Hundreds Of E-Mails, And The Overwhelming Number Of E-Mails Were Not Sent By The Governor.” (Tom Hester, “Corzine's staff details e-mails,” Associated Press, May 31, 2008)
With a credible congressional record to run on, a strong fiscal conservative and the ability to raise the money to make the general election a race, Dick Zimmer is the best GOP choice against Frank Lautenberg, the likely Democratic nominee.
State Senator Joe Pennacchio ran a good campaign with little money. However, he would spend most of the general election campaign defending his crazy manifesto.
With no money and no constituency, Murray Sabrin and his team resorted to outrageous antics to garner attention as if they had nothing to lose. Unfortunately, they have lost their credibility and any ability to forward their message in a GOP that badly needs reform. Beneath the nonsense is a good and important message that is not being heard.
For the 6th Congressional District: James Hogan.
Despite his ties to Sabrin and some of his own "out of his mind" ideas, young Hogan exhibits an energy and desire to make a difference and take it to Frank Pallone in a quixotic endeavor to unseat an incumbent congressmen.
Judge Bob McLeod has a grasp of the issues and the ability to articulate why Pallone does not represent the values of district residents, but he doesn't have the voice to be heard. A shy man who is more prone to fade into a crowd than stand out, McLeod does not have the temperament of a candidate. The GOP would be well served if McLeod took Hogan under his wing. Together they could put some chinks in Pallone's armour for a future credible opponent, if there ever is one.
The other guy, Peter something, sent a letter to likely primary voters, but otherwise has done nothing to warrant consideration.
FEMA and NJDEP will host an open house and presentation about the new flood maps on June 13 from 2-6 at the Bayshore Senior Center, 100 Main Street, Keansburg.
Check Melissa Gaffney's blog for details. Melissa has been doing a great job keeping Bayshore residents informed on this important issue.
So far the convention to select a new GOP chairman is still scheduled to take place at the Lincroft Inn.
The Lincroft Inn is currently under a major renovation and has a maximum capacity of 125 people. The Monmouth GOP County Committee has roughly 800 seats. Historically, over 400 show up for these conventions.
Senate and Assembly Republicans unveiled a plan that identifies $1.32 billion in unnecessary spending in Governor Corzine’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget proposal and uses it to restore property tax relief and aid to state municipalities, while eliminating the need for gas tax increases to finance transportation needs.
You can see Senator Kean’s and Assemblyman DeCroce’s YouTube video about the plan here.
In addition, Republicans also announced a series of long-term structural reforms to the state budget, reforms to the state pension and benefits system, and an aggressive economic development agenda to create jobs and revitalize New Jersey.
“This plan for a better New Jersey is a common-sense financial strategy to make our state more affordable, and your government more accountable to its citizens,” said Kean, R-Union, Morris, Somerset and Essex. “We’ve listened to New Jerseyans over the last few months as they told us what should be done, and we think we’ve come up with an ambitious, but practical approach that lets everyone get more of what they want from state government.”
“Our primary concern in crafting a state budget should not be the priorities of Trenton politicians, but those of the taxpayers who are demanding a more affordable New Jersey and a government that is more accountable,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “This proposal is a reprioritization of state spending that provides more tax relief, a strategy to increase the share of pay-as-you-go funding for our state’s transportation program, and more money to reduce the debt burden now facing our children and grandchildren.”
The Republican plan calls for re-allocating $1.32 billion from the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2009 spending proposal. Republicans would restore $525 million in property tax relief that Governor Corzine has put on the chopping block. This includes keeping the state’s commitment to property taxpayers by restoring the $375 million of Corzine’s proposed cuts to property tax rebates – rebates that last year Democrats in the Legislature promised taxpayers would be permanent – and also restoring $150 million in municipal aid cuts that will be used by municipalities to offset projected property tax increases. This also includes funding for rural state police patrols.
Republicans will constitutionally redirect $500 million of annual and recurring revenue as a permanent source of funding to bolster the State’s transportation program. Democrats are fighting amongst themselves about whether to raise the gas tax or tolls some other tax to pay for transportation when it is obvious to taxpayers that a $33 billion budget has ample resources within to finance state transportation needs without asking them to pay more.
About $100 million would be set aside because it’s prudent to build a surplus in a time of uncertainty. The remaining $195 million freed up by trimming overspending on various programs will allow the Legislature, working on a bipartisan basis, to explore other priorities.
These include the possibility of restoring funding for hospitals and nursing homes, financing more of higher education costs and maintaining the NJStars tuition assistance program. It could also include the elimination of the newly proposed Medicaid co-pay, and putting an end to the redirection of dedicated funds for State Police classes and the arts.
To address the state’s long-term fiscal crisis, Republicans proposed a series of structural reforms designed to gradually put the state’s budget back on sound fiscal footing. These reforms include:
· Enacting a strong budget cap.
· Allowing only recurring revenues to be used for balancing the budget.
· Mandating continuous audits of state agencies/departments.
· Requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature for any tax increase.
· Making it much harder to borrow without t voter approval.
· Creating Initiative & Referendum.
The Republican plan also calls for enacting long-term pension and benefits reforms, many of which have been recommended by bipartisan legislative panels in the past. These measures, vital to making Trenton more accountable to voters and benefits more in line with those of the private sector, include:
· Increasing the retirement age for state workers to at least 62.
· Basing state pension calculations on a 5-year average instead of a 3-year average.
· Enacting a “one-job, one-pension” policy for determining retiree benefits.
· Raising the minimum salary for pension system membership to $15,000.
· Requiring retirees to contribute to their health insurance costs and eliminate health benefits for part-time employees.
· Reducing the number of state holidays by eliminating those not recognized as federal holidays, lowering overtime costs and making state services available more days of the year.
“We know that balancing this year’s budget alone is not enough to address New Jersey’s long-term fiscal crisis,” DeCroce said. “That is why we are including a structural reform component that going forward will help us to address many of the long-term problems that jeopardize our state’s fiscal well-being.”
The plan also includes an economic development plan to jump-start a struggling state economy that has lost nearly 10,000 private sector jobs in the first four months of this year alone.
Republicans called for consolidating and streamlining all of the state’s economic development activities and putting them under the control of the Economic Development Authority while reforming the Business Employment Incentive Program (BEIP) to restore its original incentives to businesses that locate in the Garden State.
Republicans propose establishing a preference program for New Jersey businesses under government contract law that expands on the current 25 percent set-aside, extending the urban transit hub tax credit program to all towns, moving to a single sales factor for manufacturing businesses, and repealing the throw-out rule so that the state won’t tax income earned outside New Jersey.
“The only long-term solution to our budget problems is to grow the economy,” Kean said. “We need to act now to let businesses know that we will work with them as partners in making New Jersey more prosperous and progressive.”
Todd Riffle Director of Communications & Research New Jersey Republican State Committee
The convention for the next Monmouth County Republican Chairman will be held on
June 10, 2008 at the Lincroft Inn
700 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft
7:00 p.m.
For more information contact Kathleen at 732-431-6664
The Lincroft Inn? It's a very nice place, but it can't handle a crowd of 300 or more. Call Kathleen and ask her how many people can be accomodated and how many parking spots there are.
NJ Democrats continue to make much of the surge in new Democratic voter registration.
Blue Jersey has a post today pointing out that statewide there have been 512,508 new Democratic registrations, a 42% increase, since December. Much of the surge came from unaffiliated voters who now represent 42% of the state's electorate, down from 54%.
In Monmouth County, Democrats have made much of the fact that they now hold a 10,000 voter lead over Republicans.
While Democrats have something to be optimistic about, I'm not so sure their glee is justified.
Certainly the increase in D registrations are due to that fact that voters wanted to participate in the February presidential primary, which Hillary Clinton carried with 55% of the vote. If the Democratic surge was Obama supporters, they didn't carry the day. Some of the surge is undoubtedly those who specifically registered to vote against Obama. Will they vote for him in November?
It remains to be seen if New Jersey voters are really changing their voting patterns, or if they simply wanted to participate in the competive presidential primary.
I just received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service telling me that they are sending me a stimulus check that I will receive by Friday.
I wonder how much that letter cost. There is an explanation of the benefits in the letter, which is nice. However, why not just mail the letter and the check together?
While the money will come in handy, I'll probably spend it on fuel, I'd have rather the government spend $150 billion on domestic energy production.
Photo credit: Sable Minded Melissa Gaffney at Sable Minded reports that Middletown Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger took issue with my Monetization in Middletown post at the Township Committee meeting on May 19.
According to Gaffeny, Scharfenberger said my analysis that selling 50% of Middletown's future cell phone tower revenue for a one shot injection of $890,000 to be spent in the upcoming budget is bad fiscal policy and Trenton style gimmickry is off the mark because five years ago several engineers told him that cell phone towers would be obsolete in 10 years.
Put another way, Scharfenberger thinks the investors in cell phone revenue are stupid and he wants to take advantage of them while protecting Middletown taxpayers from losing future revenue if the technology becomes obsolete. Maybe they are stupid. Investors in sub-prime mortgages certainly were.
Obsolescence is a risk I didn't consider when I wrote the post Scharfenberger mentioned. A quick review of cell tower industry web sites reveals that industry consolidation and tower duplication is considered a more significant risk. Either way, Scharfenberger might have a point. Not being familiar with Middletown's current cell tower leases or with the contract for sale of the revenue stream that they are considering, I would not offer an opinion on the advisability of the deal. I know a bit about leases and the value of discounted cash flows. As a Middletown business owner and taxpayer, I would happily volunteer to review the transaction if asked. Not that I think Mr. Scharfenberger needs my help. I don't know.
I have no ax to grind with Mr. Scharfenberger or any member of the Middletown Committee. But I do have a few questions, since he brought it up.
If the sale of the cell revenue is judged to be a good deal for the township, why not sell all of the revenue instead of just the 50% being discussed?
Why use the entire $890,000 in this year's budget, a one shot gimmick, rather than spread it over life of the leases by paying down debt or using it for capital expenditures in lieu of new bonded debt? If the cash flow sale is discounted equitably or in the township's favor, and the proceeds are used to pay or avoid debt, the result of the transaction should be neutral or a long term net positive for the township while eliminating the risk of losing future revenue to obsolescence or consolidation. Using the money in the operating budget this year will leave you with a hole in next year's budget, resulting in a larger tax increase or another gimmick. No?
Of course it is possible, as Scharfenberger said, that these issues are "more than Mr. Gallagher and his blog would know, and is really more than he would be expected to know."
The Asbury Park Press suggests that Governor Corzine avoid the cost of litigation over Keansburg Schools superindentent Barbara Trzeszkowski's retirement package by asking Trzeszkowski to voluntarily give up her duly negotiated $556,290 severance and settle for her $115K annual pension.
Why would Trzeszkowski do that? Maybe for $600K of Corzine's own money and a condo in Myrtle Beach.
The Star Ledger endorsed Rep Rob Andrews in his race to unseat Senator Frank Lautenberg. It won't help. Lautenberg will win.
Back channel Democratic whispers say a deal has been struck to keep the senate seat occupied by a guy named Frank. Lautenberg will retire after the deadline for putting the seat on the ballot in next year's election, and Jon Corzine will appoint Frank Pallone. If Corzine's poll numbers improve such that his re-election chances seem more likely, Lautenberg might hang on until mid 2010. Either way, Pallone gets the seat. Monmouth and New Jersey Republicans should hope for this result.
Pallone knows he can't win a statewide election without being an incumbent. Otherwise he would have stepped up to replace Bob Torricelli against Doug Forrester in 2002. Pallone defending the seat in 2010 is the NJ Republicans best hope for winning a U.S. Senate seat for the first time in 4 decades.
This would put the 6th congressional district in play for a race between a Middlesex County Democrat vs a Monmouth County Republican, giving the Monmouth GOP a reasonable shot at winning a seat in Congress.
GO FRANK GO
Friday, May 23, 2008
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” -- General George Patton
Governor Corzine's challenge to the Keansburg School Superintendent's 3/4 of a million dollar severance package is a hopeful sign that he will realize that pigs don't have to fly over the state house before enough waste, fraud and abuse can be identified to fix the states finances.
If the Corzine administration treats the Keansburg situation as an isolated incident, while letting rampant waste continue throughout the education establishment, this will be just another band aid or gimmick.
Abbott School Districts, or whatever they are called now, and school construction projects have been a sewer through which our state government has flushed our hard earned dollars while rewarding their political supporters. That this latest exposure of waste is actually minor compared to the $80+ million in waste recently identified by a state audit of the Abbotts.
There is still time in this budget cycle to make a difference. Corzine should undo his education funding formula passed during the lame duck session and freeze Abbott spending at last years levels, less the $80 million in waste. Education Commissioner Lucille Davy should order that no money be spent on travel, conventions, conferences and parties in the Abbotts in the coming fiscal year.
Instead of finding new ways to raise revenue, the Corzine administration should set out to find a billion or so in savings by cutting the fat from Abbotts during the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
The always reliable InTheLobby has a good list of additional cost savings.
I don't know how I missed this. Probably because I've stopped reading the Tri-City News since Tom DeSeno stopped writing for them.
Skip Hidlay, who has been a dominant political force in Monmouth County as Executive Editor of the Asbury Park Press, has been named president and publisher of the Courier News in Bridgewater, NJ, and the Home News Tribune in East Brunswick, NJ.
Stay tuned for the announcement of a bi-partisan celebration hosted by John Bennett and Ellen Karcher. Bill Barham will sponsor the bar. Vic Scudiery will cover the carving station. Ed Stominski will sponsor the spaghetti and Tom Powers will be the Master of Ceremonies.
I honestly didn't know about this when I responded to the APP editorial about the GOP chairmanship last Friday. Apologies to Kevin Penton if I hurt your changes for Skip's old job.
Hopefully, the news pages of the APP will get back to basics; Who, What, When and Where, and the editorializing will be left on the editorial pages.
The APP editorial pages are right on the mark today. Funny too.
Darn, the blogger in me misses Adam Puharic. I'm even reminiscing about the Neimann days. Gone are the days when I'm referred to as a terrorist or a Democrat. Where's the RastaKid when you need him?
This Oxley guy is bad for blogging. He returns phone calls, keeps his promises, listens to suggestions, and says thank you even when he disagrees with you.
I've been working on a post commenting on the PolitickerNJ piece about the Monmouth County Freeholder race. The jist of the Politicker piece is that the Dems, represented by spokesperson Mike Mangan, believe that Monmouth is now officially a Democratic county, now that D's exceed R's by 10,000 in voter registration. Senator Sean Kean says that McCain's coat tails will carry Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and John Curley into office. Dr. Pat Murray, the pollster from Monmouth University backs up Mangan, sort of.
They're all wrong.
I'm just about finished writing my post about why and a road map to Republican victory and Joe Oxley calls me on a Chamber of Commerce matter. After handling the chamber business, I offer Joe my thoughts on where we are at and how to win in November. He agrees with some of my points, has a different slant on others, and is way ahead of me on the important ones.
Humph. I guess I'll have to go back to writing about Corzine.
In a personalized letter dated May 15 and mailed to each member of the Monmouth GOP county committee, former Sheriff Joe Oxley asked the county committee members to support him for county chairman.
That Oxley took the time and expense to send his letter to the rank and file committee members is a very good sign that the party's way of doing business, should Oxley take the chair, will be more democratic and inclusive, contrary to the fears expressed by the Asbury Park Press's editorial on Friday.
Over the last several years, the Asbury Park Press has done, for the most part, an admirable job exposing wasteful spending and shortfalls in the integrity of government officials and political parties on the state, county and municipal levels of government. The Monmouth GOP has borne the brunt of much of that reporting and editorializing. Some of the coverage has been on the mark. Sadly, some has been way off the mark.
If, as appears to be the case, Joe Oxley pursues the Monmouth GOP chairmanship, the APP's own integrity will be tested.
The APP has a financial ax to grind with Joe Oxley.
While in his second term as Sheriff, Oxley's department stopped advertising Notices of Foreclosure Sales, or any other Sheriff's notices in the Asbury Park Press. This decision cost the APP millions of dollars in revenue. Conversely, Oxley's advertising policies saved the Monmouth County tax payers millions of dollars. Reports are that the Sheriff's notices in local weekly papers, at much lower rates than the APP's, drew greater interest and participation in the Sheriff's sales, to the benefit of the both lenders and borrowers, and the public.
In today's editorial, the APP took a shot at Oxley's potential chairmanship. Later today, they posted an extremely favorable article on their website reporting that Oxley's partner, Matt Giacobbe put the county government on notice that he would not seek to renew his contract as county counsel if Oxley becomes GOP chairman. The contract was worth over $360,000 last year. That is unheard of! That is an extraordinary act of integrity to avoid the appearance of a conflict.
Since Oxley left the Sheriff's office in January, the APP has been scrutinizing his tenure and published articles critical of over time spending. I have it on good authority that more critical articles are coming, perhaps as early as this weekend.
No public figure is immune from criticism from the press or the public in general. However, the press has a responsibility to be accurate, objective and fair in their reporting.
Given Oxley's history with the Asbury Park Press, and that he chose to save the taxpayers money at the APP's expense, it will be very telling to watch the APP's coverage of Oxley.
Hopefully, we will find that the APP's reporting is fair and objective. We'll see if their vehement objections to "Pay to Play" and their criticism of wasteful government spending applies even when it hurts their own bottom line. Hopefully, they will not exhibit the kind of vendentas that they have been critical of government officials and party bosses for practicing when their power and money are at risk.
The Asbury Park Press editorialized this morning that the Monmouth GOP needs a fresh face, not a"1st stringer" for our new chairman.
Isn't that exactly what we just suffered through with Adam "Tantrum Boy" Puharic?
If Skip Hadley were to announce that he was leaving as Executive Editor of the APP, do you think Gannett would promote Kevin Penton into that job? Kevin is a bright young man. He's a good reporter covering the Bayshore. He's hardworking, and develops the relationships he needs to be effective in his job.
Why not Kevin? He's a good guy and people like him. Well, because Kevin is not ready for that job. If he aspires to a job like Executive Editor, I have no doubt that he could work towards it and develop the experience and skills needed to succeed in that job, someday.
The APP says that Joe Oxley, who even county Democrats expect to be the next GOP Chairman, "has far too many ties and loyalties to be an energizing force. He would hardly be the fresh face needed to encourage residents who have long felt disenfranchised into thinking they could make a difference."
The APP should keep an open mind about Oxley, should he declare his candidacy, and I expect he will. While Oxley has not announced that he is a candidate for chairman, the leaders of the various factions of the party universally supported him taking the chairmanship in 2006. He declined to run, opting to keep politics out of the Sheriff's office which he held at the time.
All indications are that both the grass roots reformers and the "establishment" leaders will support Oxley again in 2008. That these groups can agree on Oxley is amazing. Their agreement speaks volumes about Oxley's strength, leadership and ability to include all comers. Unlike what the APP seems to fear, that new blood won't be welcome and that residents will feel disenfranchised, my experience of Joe Oxley indicates that just the opposite will be true.
The APP can be expected to scrutinize Oxley, and to attempt to sell some papers by hinting of scandal. They will probably write more about his law firm, which is politically powerful in both parties throughout the state. They will raise issues about Oxley's four term tenure as Sheriff. They should do that. It is their job.
However, it is also their job to be objective and fair. Raise the issues and ask the questions. Joe Oxley can handle it, and can address the issues honestly and with much to be proud of.
Joe Oxley is more than a "1st stringer." He is a Hall of Famer. Monmouth County, and the GOP would have been better off with him as chairman in 2006. Monmouth County and the GOP will be very fortunate if he becomes the GOP chairman next month.
Republicans, Democrats and Independents throughout Monmouth County gathered at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank last night for the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce's annual Crystal Beacon Awards Dinner.
My fears, as president of the Chamber, that food fights would break out if we brought all of these people together and served cocktails were unfounded. Quite the contrary, as 170+ people including elected officials and political leaders of both parties embraced their differences and celebrated what is great about Northern Monmouth County.
The Chamber honored U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie as the Public Servant of the year.
Victor Scudiery, owner of IEI Electronics, the Airport Plaza Shopping Center, a supporter of various Bayshore charities, and the the chairman of the Monmouth County Democratic party was honored as the Business Ambassador of the Year.
The Timothy Pauxtis Foundation, founded by Susan and Jay Pauxtis in memory of their son, Timmy, who succumbed to brain cancer at 10 years old, was honored as the Non-Profit Organization of the Year. In their first year, the foundation endowed a scholarship fund for Middletown high school seniors who want to pursue studies in pediatric nursing, and raised over $70,000 for cancer research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Peter Phillips, Director of Neuro-Oncology at the Children's Hospital traveled from Philadelphia to present the award to Susan and Jay.
Lynn Conover, CPA and partner in the Curchin Group, Middletown, was honored with The President's Award for her outstanding service to the business community and to the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce in particular.
It was a special event, highlighted by the fact that so many people who are competitors, in business and politics, could come together as a community and appreciate each other, including their differences, and celebrate those who make an extraordinary contribution.
Jim Purcell has more extensive coverage and video at InsideClamdigger.
Best selling authors Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure will be in Fair Haven on Saturday, May 17 for a book signing at River Road Books, 2:00 PM, 759 River Road, Fair Haven, NJ 07704.
Fair Haven Mayor and MoreMonmouthMusings contributor Mike Halfacre tells me that he is a real fan of the book and that he will be there to welcome the authors.
Atlantic Highlands Municipal Chairwoman Jane Frotton invites all Monmouth County Republicans to attend the Atlantic Highlands Republican Club meeting on Monday, May 19 at 7:30 PM.
The meeting will be at the Shore Casino in Atlantic Highlands, and a very special guest in expected to be in attendance and speaking about the future of the Monmouth GOP.
If planning to attend, please RSVP to frotton@aol.com, so that Jane can let the Shore Casino know how many people to expect.
...and leave well enough alone. But since "Barry Goldwater" ran with Tantrum Boy's sour grapes "wireside" rant and revisionist account of the last few years, you should check it out along with "Barry's" commentary.
There is one thing I have to give Tantrum Boy credit for. He succinctly articulated the cause of his failure, albeit unintentionally, with this sentence:
"Everyone who had an earnest desire to work for a Republican victory was a friend. Everyone who harbored a personal agenda not helpful to the team effort - was not."
That about sums up his tenure. His way or the highway.
Now it's time to move on.
UPDATE
The Flying Piglet has left a new comment on your post "I intended to spare him the embarassment...":
There's no GOP job for the angry chair-man, With his questionable ways and his radical stands, He refuses to bend, he refuses us all, And he's always at home with his back to the wall. And he's proud of his scars, and elections he's lost, And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross ...
Adam likes to be known as the angry young man.
Give a moment or two to the angry chair-man, With his foot in his mouth and his head in his hands. He has stabbed in the back, he has misunderstood, It's no comfort to know his intentions were good. And he sits in a room with a lock on the door, With his enemy list laid out on the floor ...
Adam likes to be known as the angry chair-man.
We had hoped he'd passed the age of obstinance and righteous rage, Learned that just winning elections is a noble fight. We once believed in Adam too, But he's got this pointless point of view, And life went on no matter who was wrong or right.
And there's never a place for the angry chair-man, With his fist in the air and his head in the sand. He's never been able to learn from mistakes, So he can't understand all the chaos he makes. But intentions are pure and his courage as well, And he knows that it's true that he's boring as hell ...
And he'll go through old age as an angry old man.
(♫♪♫♪♫)
Yes there's never a place for the angry young man, With his questionable ways and his radical stands, He refuses to bend, he refuses us all, And he's always at home with his back to the wall. And he's proud of his scars, and elections he's lost, And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross ...
Adam Puharic told The Asbury Park Press that he will not seek a second term as Monmouth GOP chairman, citing his responsibilities to his family and the demands of a commission based job.
Multiple sources have confirmed that Adam Puharic announced that he will not be a candidate for chairman on a conference call with his executive committee last evening.
John Bennett told Jim Purcell that he will not be a candidate for chairman.
Does that mean Adam left Danskin or that Danskin bought his house? Maybe neither. Adam stopped returning my phone calls a long time ago, so I don't bother anymore. If I have a question I just write it here and he or one of his dwindling crew write an anonymous comment. If you really care where Adam works, check back and read the comments on this post. The good news is, no one will care where he lives or works a month from now when he is no longer chairman.
A much bigger concern for Monmouth Republicans is how far our super anti-hero, Tantrum Boy, is willing to go in threatening or punishing someone who expresses an opinion that differs from his own. Reliable sources report that Tantrum Boy has already threatened to tank John Curley's Freeholder candidacy. Isn't that great, the boy wonder has been bragging that he "got rid of Bill Barham" and he threatens to tank the candidacy of Barham's replacement on the ticket. And all along I thought I got rid of Bill Barham.
Back in March when President Bush was visiting Freehold, Tantrum Boy was allocated a few spots for people to enter the event. Freeholder Director Lillian Burry wanted to go, Adam said no. Burry called the White House and the list was changed. Neither Lillian or Adam got into the event. Tantrum Boy said, "As long as she didn't get in, I'm fine with that."
Adam has been alternatively making threats and offering deals to municipal chairmen throughout the county in order to win their support. It is not working. One party leader said, "This kid is too young to be so arrogant." Another said, "I'm a bit older than he is, and I'm not old enough to be that arrogant."
Look for an announcement naming the next county chairman late this week, or early next.
UPDATE:
"Wally Edge" at Politickernj has a post this morning speculating that Tantrum Boy will resign before next month's party convention, triggering a special election, and that Former Senator John Bennett will be a candidate.
Bennett has repeatedly scoffed at the notion of becoming county chairman, facetiously suggesting that his nemesis, Asbury Park Press Executive Editor Skip Hadley take the post.
Having a special election so soon before a regular election would not happen. The Vice Chair would be a care taker for a few weeks.
Besides, part of Puharic's legacy is leaving the party flat broke. There will be a scramble to pay for one convention, never mind two.
The Asbury Park Press article on Fort Monmouth, and the public/private partnership purportedly created to retain high tech jobs in New Jersey, reveals that leaders of both parties who have been vocal in opposition to the fort closing, have been planning to facilitate the closure all along.
Follow the money. A few people are going to get very wealthy on this scam.
Nearly 30% of all purchases made in Abbott districts were excessive or lacked proper documentation, according to a report in the Star Ledger. $83 million flushed down the black hole, and that doesn't included the bloated payrolls.
Attention Trenton Democrats: This is the place to cut.
InTheLobby has analysis that will make your blood boil.
The Asbury Park Press reports that the Middletown Township Committee is considering Trenton style gimmickry to plug a budget gap caused by Trenton.
According to the APP, Middletown is considering selling off 50% of future cell tower revenue for a upfront payment of $890,000. This one shot deal would partially offset state mandated expenditures; a $1.1 million increase in pension contributions, a mandated $315K increase to public library funding and $750K in severance for six police officers who retired in 2007. Additionally, Middletown would lose $635K in state aid under Corzine's proposed budget.
With political control at stake in Middletown in this year's election for the first time in decades, it is understandable that the Republican dominated committee would want to lessen the blow of property tax increases. But, this one shot deal is bad fiscal policy and bad politics. There will be an increase even with the gimmick.
Middletown, and every other towns facing increases should politically place the blame for property tax increases due to state mandates and aid cuts exactly where it belongs....on Trenton Democrats. Don't give the Trenton Democrats cover by using one shot gimmicks. They have been doing that themselves for years.
I don't vote in Middletown, but I do pay property taxes there. I'd rather have the cell phone revenues available to lessen the pain over time than to overdose on them this year and have worse pain in future years.
Politickernj is reporting that John McCain is coming to Sandy Hook on Friday to talk about environmental issues. Former Governor Tom Kean, Sr will be accompanying McCain.
Monmouth GOP Chairman Adam Puharic is still whining about Honest Abe and I writing about his house being for sale. He should be thanking us. I hear Weichert had to dedicate more servers to their website for all the traffic they are getting. The calls and letters keep coming, begging me to let up on him. Who knew Adam had so many friends?!
Hey, if anyone is shopping for a home and wants to improve Monmouth County by getting rid of Adam, by all means buy his house! It is priced reasonably compared to like houses in the area, and it's a very short walk to the supermarket.
Puharic is whining that "this is a security issue." Hogwash. His address is not on the listing or in any of the posts. Guess where his address is published. On the website of Puharic's charity. I'm not going to link it out of concern for his security, but it is there. It takes a little surfing on the site to find it. So, if you'd like to add Adam to your Christmas card list, you can find his address there. Mark the envelope, "please forward," just in case the house sells.
If Adam spent as much effort trying influence his Rasta friends not to post so much false trash about other Republicans when he had the chance, he might actually have a chance to get re-elected chairman.
Word is that Monmouth GOP chairman Adam Puharic is furious that news of his impending move has hit the blogs.
I made a retarded move last week when I pulled my post about Puharic's house being for sale. I did so at the request of a friend who said he/she had received calls from Puharic allies that were concerned for his family's safety. There is no address published on any of the links associated with the real estate listing, thus I saw no threat. Pulling the post has been gnawing on me since.
Puharic said, "I have no problem with the blogs" when the notorious MonmouthRastaMan was posting false information about Anna Little while Puharic was attempting to derail her political career.
Puharic has said he running for re-election as county chair. His residency is a legitimate issue.
Well, he's concerned enough to have done some checking into him.
Over the weekend a political activist told me that the congressman was amused by Hogan's characterization of Pallone as "a millionaire." Pallone reportedly said he wouldn't be in congress if he was a millionaire. This would explain why Pallone has repeatedly declined to risk his "safe" seat for a shot at the U.S. Senate. He needs the job.
Pallone as a file of "dirt" to use against Hogan, should he win the nomination, according to the source.
Freeholder Director Lillian Burry suffered a broken elbow, a broken nose, cracked ribs and facial lacerations as the result of a fall in Freehold last week.
The Asbury Park Press reports that Burry is working from home and that here campaign plans will not be affected by the accident.
Blogger "Teddy Roosevelt", the Monmouth BullMoose, retires from blogging today. As TR ends one mysterious adventure, I wish him well on his next.
TR has consistently added insight and sanity to ongoing conversation dedicated to improving Monmouth County and reforming the Monmouth County Republican Party.
In his final post, TR sums up what this blog and others are about:
For 5 years now there have been dedicated Republicans who have been fighting for a Monmouth County Republican party that is democratic, that is interested in public service not personal gain, that is interested in solutions not ego gratification and that wants to find a new way to do political business not just find loopholes to new rules. There have been victories and there have been bitter defeats but progress has been made. Some may say we are naive dreamers or even crazies who will destroy the party but I think not. In fact I think we are on the verge of victory. I smell change in the air. I feel the masses rising up and saying enough. I regret I will not be here to see the final victory but I shall certainly be watching from afar.
In addition to his insight and leadership, I admire TR for his maintaining his anonymity. As a former anonymous blogger I have heard all the arguments pro and con about anonymous writing. This I know...whoever TR is, he is no coward. His writings have never been about advancing his self interest. His writings have been with made with the purpose of advancing good government in Monmouth County and with the purpose of reforming the Monmouth County Republican Party. Like TR, I believe those purposes go hand in hand.
I don't know who TR is. The truth is I never cared that much until he announced that he was leaving. My friendship was with his ideas. Despite his protests to the contrary, I believe he will be very much a part of the coming battle.
He says he can smell change in the air and he believes victory is at hand. There is reason for optimism, but greed is a cunning enemy who has grabbed power and money from victorious reformers before and will never stop trying. Progress has been made, and our purpose is about to advance greatly. However, the struggle doesn't end until they throw dirt on your face. The face of the enemy changes from time to time. Sometimes it appears in the mirror.
"There is no other website out there with more influence in Central NJ. " ~ Adam Geller, CEO, National Research
" I read your blog all the time." ~ Chris Christie (April 6, 2009 while a candidate for Governor)
"More Monmouth Musings is a must-read. Art Gallagher skillfully covers local, state and national affairs and his blog is a definite stop on the daily news round up. A respected conservative, Art knows when to question conventional wisdom and his guest commentators provide an array of opinions on everything from the State House to the school board." ~ Senator Joe Kyrillos
" dung droppings" ~ commenter on Frank Pallone's facebook page.
"Can't speak for bigoted ignoramuses though so I'll leave that to you and yours." ~ Kathy Baratta
"Retarded" ~ Adam Puharic, former Monmouth County GOP Chairman
"More Monmouth Musings is a romping and rambunctious meeting place for the politically-engaged, and Art Gallagher is the incomparable ringmaster of this unique domain. " ~Scott Sipprelle,future Congressman
"Oh my goodness!" ~ Mayor Anna Little, future Congresswoman
"The most influential conservative in Central Jersey and Dean of the N.J. Conservative Blogging Caucus. First site I check every day... after my own!" ~ Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com
"MMM is a great source of insider gossip and news in the conservative wing of the Republican Party and the Tea Party. I don’t agree with everything I read, but I keep taking a look- it is definitely entertaining. However, MMM would be better and could have far greater credibility if Art Gallagher didn’t display his biases quite so obviously and ran an unbiased forum for discussion. " ~ Mickey Gooch, Mickey Gooch
Pallone's Town Hall Meeting, Red Bank, August 25, 2009
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