Fat Man In The Statehouse

To the tune of Fat Man In The Bathtub, by Little Feat

By Grace Cangemi

Taxin' Jonny got down on his hands and knees
He said "Hey momma, hey let me raise your tolls, all right?"
She said "No, no Corzine not tonight
After Monday, Election Tuesday, we'll make it right."

Don't want nobody who won't dive for dimes
Don't want no tax hikes 'cause I might die tryin
Throw me a line, throw me a line
We need the fat man in the statehouse with a clue
I hear you moan, I hear you moan, I hear you moan

Jonny got so sad, dejected, spent lots of money and start to run
Runnin' down the street yellin' at the top of his lungs
"All I want is to tax you the way I've always done
All I want in this state of mine is to spend a ton"

I said Jon Corzine, Governor Corzine, what are you up to?
Mr Corzine
I said Jon Corzine, Tax-and spend Corzine, what are you up to?
Mr Corzine


You took my money for your taxes and it's all run down
Now we caught you in a squeeze play on the cheesy side of town
Throw me a dime, throw me a line

We need a fat man in the statehouse with a clue

Toll Road News Weighs In On Corzine's Monetization Plans

Who knew there was a Toll Road News? A very astute MMM reader did.

From Toll Road news:
http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/4424
posted 10/31/2009

Today Corzine said the New York Times "got it wrong."

He said he was talking about how "we may raise money out of our reststops on properties that surround the turnpike."


COMMENT: There is no serious extra money in rest stops or land along the New Jersey Turnpike.

Rest stops are already contracted as concessions having been auctioned to the highest bidder.

The Turnpike needs more land for widening, and any land it has to sell is low value because of utility easements, traffic noise and difficulties of access.

Most toll authorities periodically look at what land they can sell, and what extra income they can get from non-toll activities in order to avoid unpopular toll increases. There's usually not much there.

Accusing the New York Times of misreporting him is a classic case of shooting the messenger. They appear to have reported him quite accurately. However what he had said suddenly became a political liability, so he needed to "unsay" it by denouncing their quite accurate reporting.

Chris Christie on Jon Corzine's Attempts to Run Away from His Failed Toll Hike Plan

Chris Christie:

"This is a crazy idea. This is a guy who wants to sell the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike - it was an awful idea when he came up with it the first time and now he trots it out to his friends at the New York Times at the last minute here. People of New Jersey better beware, if they give this guy another 4 years he is going to sell the turnpike, he is going to sell the parkway, and he is going to raise tolls 800 percent. He got caught in a rare moment of truth for Jon Corzine and the New York Times printed it and so he can't quite complain about the New York Times even though they endorsed him. So now that he is backing off like crazy, we know the truth - the truth is Jon Corzine always thinks he's right and he is going to sell the turnpike and raise tolls 800 percent."

New Information, New Conclusion

This post is for the pundits and editorial boards who called Corzine a decent and honorable man, even if they were endorsing someone else for governor.

Corzine is saying that the New York Times mischaracterized his statement about reviving his 800% toll rising, asset monetization scheme. The Times is standing by their story.

Now Corzine is saying there will be no toll increases in a second term. But, he's already approved a 50% increase in tolls to take place in 2012.

Corzine is not backing off the part of his interview with the Times where he said that his original asset monetization scheme was too big, too soon, at the wrong time. He said that New Jersey citizens opposed his scheme because we saw the recession coming.

Hmmm. Remember Corzine's ads that said he saw the recession coming and took steps to prevent it? Who saw it coming first, the citizens opposed to his borrow billions and raise tolls scheme or Corzine while he was pushing the scheme.

In his best selling book, "Too Big To Fail" author Andrew Ross Sorkin tells the story of Corzine getting fired as CEO of Goldman Sachs in large part because of schemes he deceitfully attempted to hide from his partners on the firm's management team.

For four years Corzine deceitfully hid his plans from New Jersey voters, and he is continuing to do so. Are we to believe that his plans to raise significant revenue from the toll roads consists only of advertising at rest stops (insert McGreevy joke here) and allowing commercial development on rights of way? Besides, isn't COAH requiring low income housing on those rights of way?

Corzine also said that new information justifies new conclusions when explaining why he now regrets supporting, as a U.S. Senator, Chris Christie for U.S. Attorney. As this campaign comes to a close, Corzine has given those who have written about him as "decent and honorable" a justification for a new conclusion.

Christie on Imus

Conservatives Coming Out For Christie: WITH ATTITUDE!

Hank Butehorn, Steve Lonegan's campaign chairman for the primary, Middletown County Committee member, and Conservatives With Attitude blogger was at Kim Guadagno's diner stop at the Middletown Pancake House this morning.

Hank released the following statement this evening to Conservatives With Attitude:

Alexander Hamilton said, “A good government implies two things; first, fidelity to the objects of government; secondly, a knowledge of the means by which those objects can be best attained.”. Unfortunately for the residents of the Garden State Jon Corzine lacks both.

Our current governor has fostered government growth and dependence, increased taxes, advanced a left wing social agenda and advanced the ever quickening creep of socialism at levels beyond any other in memory.

On November 3rd voters have the opportunity to tell all elected officials they will no longer stand for the continued pursuit of Corzine’s radical left wing big government agenda by voting him out of office. As Hamilton aptly noted, “the natural cure for an ill-administration, in a popular or representative constitution, is a change of men.”

This year’s governor’s race puts the current Leftist administration of Jon Corzine against Chris Christie and his running mate Sheriff Kim Guadagno, and my vote will go to Chris Christie and Sheriff Kim Guadagno.

Hank Butehorn

CWA is also reporting that Lonegan will be appearing with Christie at a rally tomorrow at the Historic Courthouse of Flemington, in Hunterdon County, 3:00pm.

Fox News and The White House

NPR has an online poll about the ongoing "War with FoxNews" that the Obama Administration has declared.

Readers are asked to vote in favor of the White House, Fox News or neither.

You can vote here.

Jon Corzine Brings Up Toll Hikes Again and Again

In December 2008 Interview, Jon Corzine "Left Open the Possibility" for Toll Hikes Months Before Promising to Revisit Toll Hikes in Yesterday's New York Times Interview

PARSIPPANY, NJ - It turns out Jon Corzine's admission yesterday that he would revisit his failed toll hike plan is not the first time in the last year he has bullheadedly suggested a return to this failed plan. During an interview with the Star Ledger in December 2008, Governor Corzine "left open the possibility" that he would reconsider toll hikes despite the public outcry. Even though New Jerseyans loudly rejected Corzine's original 800 percent toll hikes, the Governor is desperate for ways to cover his $8 billion deficit and looking to pass the burden for his irresponsibility onto taxpayers. Jon Corzine has made it clear that he will raise taxes and tolls on New Jerseyans and we simply cannot afford it. It is time to send Jon Corzine and his out-of-touch, out-of control taxes packing.

"The prospect of higher tolls also stoked growing fears about the economy, he said, calling it "not the most user-friendly time" to introduce a dramatic long-term plan. 'I will say that I -- like many -- did not see the depth of the current economic slowdown,' he said. He said paying down state debt -- now about $32 billion - 'still has to be done,' and left open the possibility he would attack it again.

"'Some format. Some governor -- maybe this one -- will still have to take that issue of debt on, and it's clear that that should be done during periods when we have economic strength, not economic weakness,' he said." (John Appezzato, "Corzine sees economy as major hurdle in his 2009 re-election bid," Star Ledger, 12/21/08)

To view the full Star Ledger article, please click here.

King Of The Road

Asbury Park Press graphic

An updated reprise. Click here for music.

Highway for sale or rent,
Raise every tax, fifty percent.
Your phone, your pool, your pets,
Luv' to tax those cigarettes!!!
Aah but,...
Four more years of pushing through,
Schemes designed by you-know-who.
I'm a man of means, and that means,
I am,
King of the Road!



Third party, Fat Boy’s pain,
Barack Obama will save the day.
Extra mail ins and provisionals, too,
But,
I don't think they'll have a clue!
Oh yeah...
Smoke, mirrors,... I have found,
Help, to get my word around.
I'm a man of means, and that means,
I am,
King of the Road.


I know every judge on every bench,
All of their children, and all of their names,
Every Fed, and Imus, too,
so when no one's around

I sing ...

Highway for sale or rent,
Raise every tax, fifty percent!
Your phone, your pool, your pets,
Ha!
Luv' to tax those cigarettes!!!
Aah but,...
Four years of secrecy,
Buys the time I need, you see.
I'm a man of means, and that means,
I am,
King of the Road!


Highway for sale or rent,
Raise those tolls, ...800 percent!!!
Your phone, your pool, your pets,
Oh, I Luv' to tax those cigarettes!!!!
Aah but,...
75 years pushed on you,
Buys you debt you can't undo.
I'm a man of means, and that means,
I am,
King of the road!!

Rasmussen: Christie Still Up 3 %

New Rasmussen Poll just released:

Republican Chris Christie continues to hold a three-point advantage over incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine in New Jersey's down-to-the-wire race for governor.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state, conducted Thursday night, shows Christie with 46% of the vote and Corzine with 43%. Those numbers are unchanged from earlier in the week and little changed from polling conducted the week before.

The last four Rasmussen Reports polls have shown Christie with a very slight advantage ranging from two to four percentage points each time. Christie now leads by eight points among men while Corzine is up by two among women.

Independent candidate Chris Daggett attracts eight percent (8%) support in the latest poll. That’s up a point from earlier in the week but down three from two weeks ago. While more than 20% of the state’s voters have considered voting for Daggett at some point along the way, his actual support has been declining over the past couple of weeks. Daggett was initially seen primarily as a protest vote for those unhappy with Corzine as governor but unwilling to vote for a Republican.

Christie leads by seven points among those who are certain they will show up and vote.

Corzine does better among voters who might not make it to the polls. That's one reason President Obama, former President Bill Clinton and other Democratic Party luminaries are spending time in the Garden State. The more of these uncommitted voters that the Democratic Party and its allies can get to the polls, the better the prospects for Corzine. Democrats generally have an edge in New Jersey when it comes to getting out the vote, which is one reason no Republican has won a statewide race since 1997.

Still, even among supporters of the president, there is some reluctance to embrace Corzine. Voters who Strongly Approve of the president’s job performance overwhelmingly support Corzine. However, among those who Somewhat Approve of Obama’s performance, 48% say they’ll vote for Corzine, while another 48% will vote for one of the challengers—28% for Christie, 20% for Daggett.

Those who Somewhat or Strongly Disapprove of how the president is doing his job prefer Christie by wide margins. Overall, 55% of New Jersey voters give the president their approval.

Measuring the ultimate impact of third-party candidates is always challenging. Many voters initially say they support an independent option and then change their minds as Election Day nears. Over the past couple of weeks, the number of voters who cite Daggett as their first preference has declined from 16% to 12%. The number who will actually vote for such a candidate typically declines because they eventually decide to vote for the lesser of two evils between the major party candidates.

Currently, Daggett draws support from eight percent (8%) of Democrats and four percent (4%) of Republicans.

Overall, Daggett is viewed favorably by 37% of voters and unfavorably by 47%. His unfavorables are up seven points from earlier in the week and 20 points over the past three weeks. Daggett is viewed unfavorably by 66% of Republicans while Democrats and unaffiliated voters are more evenly divided in their views of him.

Corzine is now viewed favorably by 44% and unfavorably by 54%. Those numbers are a slight improvement from earlier in the week.

Christie’s totals are 48% favorable and 50% unfavorable, down slightly from earlier in the week when the two were even.

Early in the year, Christie held a solid lead over Corzine. The governor’s campaign worked to make Christie an unacceptable alternative and succeeded in driving the negative ratings up for the GOP hopeful. Daggett became a possible candidate for those who didn’t like the governor but also didn’t want to vote for a Republican, so Christie began linking Corzine and Daggett. That has succeeded in driving up Daggett’s negative ratings. About the only thing certain in New Jersey at the moment is that the next governor will be someone that is disliked by at least half the state.

In this year's only other gubernatorial race, Republican Robert F. McDonnell has now opened a 13-point lead over Democrat R. Creigh Deeds in Virginia.

Corzine’s Spokesman Says Governor Supports Indiana Toll Lease Plan

How Much Road Maintenance Would Be Cut, How High Would Tolls Be Raised?

Senator Sean T. Kean questioned whether Governor Corzine has a new plan to lease New Jersey toll roads to a foreign business. Just hours after the New York Times reported that Governor Jon Corzine discussed in an interview reviving his massively unpopular plan to sell the New Jersey Turnpike and raise tolls by 800%, a spokesman for the Governor quickly claimed that the Governor was actually referring to a toll road in Indiana. When discussing monetization, the Times quoted Corzine as saying, “This idea worked.”

A spokesman for Governor Corzine told New Jersey 101.5 Radio that the Governor was really talking about the toll road in Indiana, and that the Governor’s statement to the Times was taken out of context.

“Governor Corzine’s comments to the New York Times seem pretty clear, I don’t see any mention of Indiana,” said Kean. “In either case, if the Governor has a new secret plan to lease the New Jersey Turnpike to a foreign operator, he should disclose the plan immediately.”

In 2006, Indiana leased the 157-mile Indiana Toll Road to a foreign consortium under a 75-year lease that allows for the operation of the road in a for-profit manner. The agreement removes all responsibility for toll collection, operations and maintenance of the highway from state officials and state employees, putting the foreign company fully in charge of the road.

“It would be impossible for any company to enter into a lease agreement for the New Jersey Turnpike or other roads without being permitted to raise tolls as necessary to generate a profit,” said Kean. “How many jobs on the Turnpike or Parkway would be cut by a foreign company that cares more about profit than maintaining safe roads for New Jersey drivers?”

Kean noted that one of the Governor’s core principles of his original monetization plan was that no roads would be sold or leased to a foreign operator.

“It’s surprising that Governor Corzine may now be suggesting that he favors the Indiana plan which turned over complete control of the Indiana Toll Road to a foreign company,” added Kean. “He claimed to be vehemently opposed to that just last year. Due to the apparent contradictions in his statements on monetization, Governor Corzine should clarify whether he supports his original 800% toll increase plan or the Indiana toll increase plan.”

This 800 Number is NOT Toll Free

PARSIPPANY, NJ - Today, Christie-Guadagno Campaign Chairman Senator Joe Kyrillos released the following statement in reaction to Jon Corzine's comments to The New York Times that he is again more than willing to raise tolls on already overtaxed New Jerseyans.

"It wasn't enough for Jon Corzine to say he will raise the sales tax, will raise the gas tax and is more than happy to raise taxes for the next four years. Now Jon Corzine is ready and willing to raise New Jersey's tolls. It's a foolish plan that will only make life more difficult for already struggling families."

Ping Pong Polls

FDU: Corzine 43, Christie 42, Daggett 6

“At this point, anyone who says their vote doesn’t count is mistaken,” said Peter Woolley, a political scientist and director of the poll. “And no one knows that better than the campaigns.”

Read the FDU poll here.

Rick Shaftan's Neighborhood Research Poll: Christie up 42-35 -- 44-35 with definites. Daggett down to 8%.

Per Wally Edge:

A poll conducted by Daily Kos, a progressive website, has Republican Christopher Christie with a 42%-41% -- a statistical dead heat - with independent Christopher Daggett at 14%.

Among independents, Christie leads 48%-33%, with 16% for Daggett. Corzine has 78% of Democrats and Christie has 82% among Republicans. The poll gives Corzine a 44%-40% lead in North Jersey, with 13% for Daggett, and Christie a 48%-32% lead in South Jersey, with 17% for Daggett.

A poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner for Democracy Corps, an organization run by James Carville and Stanley Greenberg, has Corzine ahead by five points, 43%-38%, with 12% for Daggett.

Here's a safe bet: Tuesday will be a late night.

Dems Trying To Steal It

Save Jersey called it Chicago Politics Jersey Style.

As reported by Politickernj, the state Democratic party is asking county clerks to allow those whose absentee ballot applications were rejected because their signatures did match the record, to be allowed to vote anyway via provisional ballot.

Democratic State Committee General Counsel Paul Josephson said that many more Democratic and unaffiliated voters’ ballots had been rejected based on their signatures than those of Republicans. He also said that the disparity in rejection rates between counties indicates that all clerks are not applying a uniform standard.

Hmmmm, if the ballot applications are being rejected from Democratic leaning counties, wouldn't that mean that the clerks in those counties are probably Democrats? A better explanation than the county clerks not doing there job is that there are more Democrats trying to steal votes.

In Monmouth County, if you missed the deadline to apply for a vote by mail ballot and you can't make it to your polling place on Tuesday, you can still vote legally by visiting the Monmouth County Board of Elections Office, 300 Halls Mills Rd, Freehold Township, on Saturday from 10 am till 2 pm or on Monday until 3 pm.

“There is no reason for a registered voter to miss out on voting in the upcoming Nov. 3 election” Monmouth County Clerk M. Claire French said. “If you know who you want to vote for and don’t want to take a chance on missing out on voting in your home district, you can vote in person at the county’s election offices.”

If Corzine brings Al Frankin to New Jersey for his "Save Me From My Self" tour, we'll know the fix is in.

Corzine Says "Monetization" May Be Back In A Second Term. He Resents That Voters Don't Appreciate His Work

Jon Corzine told The New York Times that his "asset monetization" borrowing scheme, the one where he planned to sell the Turnpike, Parkway and AC Expressway for $30 billion and raise tolls 800%, may be back on a smaller scale if he is re-elected.

“This idea worked,” the governor said, adding, “So maybe we just need to scale it back.”

In separate interviews with The Times GOP contender Chris Christie and Corzine presented their very different agendas for confronting the projected $8-$10 billion deficit in the coming fiscal year.

Corzine offers more of the same approach that he has followed over the last four years. The Times said that he seemed resentful towards the voters and the media for not appreciating what he has accomplished, citing unsung accomplishments like the passage of a civil unions law, paid family leave and the abolition of the death penalty.

“It’s like in the water that somehow or another we didn’t do some of these things,” Corzine said, adding: “Go through the record. May not be pretty, but we got it done.”

Corzine also said he regretted supporting Christie's appointment as U.S. Attorney because Christie politicized the office and used it as a launching pad (to run against Corzine). Christie convicted 130 corrupt politicians as U.S. Attorney.

For his part, Christie said that given that State's finances it is unlikely that he can fully restore property tax rebates next year, but that he would plug the deficit with up to $5 billion in spending cuts; $1.5 billion in labor concessions, foregoing $500 million in expanded education funding that Corzine has planned, and $3 billion in undefined "programmatic cuts". "Everything is on the table."

Guadagno In Middletown Friday Morning

GOP Lieutenant Governor candidate, Monmouth County Sheriff Kim Guadagno will stopping at the Middletown Pancake House, 1610 State Route 35, Middletown, NJ 07748 on Friday morning at 8 AM.

Pascoe: Quinnipiac Results Good News For Christie

From CQPolitics

Counter-Intuitive -- Christie Trails, But Is Back in Control
By Bill Pascoe

This morning's survey release by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute is the best news Chris Christie has had in a long time. While he hasn't yet closed the deal -- he'll need five more days of hard, error-free campaigning to do that -- the greatest threat to his victory is on its way to becoming a spent force. The race for governor of New Jersey is, once again, his to lose.

That lede might upset the team running the campaign of embattled Democratic incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine. After all, they might think that Corzine's first significant lead of the year -- at 43-38 percent over Christie, with Independent candidate Chris Daggett drawing 13 percent of the vote -- would be cause for celebration.

It will be. But for Christie, not for Corzine.

Remember, the value of a poll is determined by its predictive value -- that is, how good a job does it do in predicting what is likely to happen on Election Day?

This new Quinnipiac survey makes clear that -- even though it shows him trailing Corzine for the first time in a year -- Christie is back in the driver's seat.

How?

Because the mortal threat to the Christie campaign -- to wit, the Daggett campaign -- has crested, and is now stalled, or even receding. By Election Day on Tuesday, the likelihood is great that most of Daggett's supporters will be shedding him like a molting snake.

Daggett's campaign, as measured by his ballot test score in the Quinnipiac survey, has moved from 8 percent (on July 14) to 7 percent (August 11) to 9 percent (September 1) to 12 percent (September 30) to 14 percent (October 14), and now back to 13 percent.

As I wrote on Monday, the key for this final week was going to be Daggett's own supporters -- do they believe he can win, or not? Because in order for them to stay true to him and cast the ballots that would make a Daggett victory possible, they first must believe a Daggett victory is possible.

In the survey released this morning, 68 percent of the likely voters polled agreed with the statement that Daggett cannot win.

Among Daggett's own supporters, the number who agree he cannot win is 55 percent.

The survey also showed that voting attitudes are hardening as the election nears -- among all likely voters surveyed, 81 percent say their mind is made up, and their vote is firm.

Among Christie supporters, that number is 88 percent; among Corzine supporters, it is 80 percent; among Daggett supporters, it is just 60 percent.

So as the campaign enters its closing stretch, the majority of the supporters of the Independent candidate who is splitting the anti-incumbent vote are telling a pollster they don't believe he can win, and two in five are willing to acknowledge to the pollster they're not sure they're actually going to cast their ballot for him, which means the real number is even higher than that.

The likelihood is great that as the final weekend rolls around, a significant number of them will peel off Daggett, and move to their second choice -- or stay home.

In the October 14 Quinnipiac survey release, Christie was the second choice of 40 percent of Daggett's supporters, while Corzine was the second choice of 33 percent of them; in today's release, Christie is the second choice of 43 percent of Daggett's supporters, while Corzine's second-choice score drops to 27 percent.

As Election Day nears, Christie's second-choice score among Daggett supporters will continue to increase, as Corzine's second-choice score continues to decrease.

Two things are likely to happen over the coming six days:

First, the number of Daggett supporters will recede further, as more and more of them conclude that he cannot win and move to their second choice -- and more of them will go to Christie than to Corzine.

Second, when the (fewer) remaining Daggett supporters enter the voting booth next Tuesday, the bet here is that a majority of them will do one final gut check, decide that their highest priority in casting their ballot is to remove Corzine from office, rather than send a message about the intellectual vacuity of either the Republican or Democratic campaign, and they will act accordingly -- and pull the lever for Christie.

Oh, there's one other thing that encourages me on this front -- a nagging irritation in the back of my mind, as I read the crosstabs on the survey, has now been answered.

The nagging irritation was simple -- in a survey where both Christie and Corzine are doing a good job of holding their base vote (both Christie and Corzine are drawing the support of 79 percent of their partisans, respectively), and Christie is leading Corzine by 45-30 percent among Independents, how is it possible that Corzine is leading Christie by 5 points on the ballot test? In order for the math to work, the difference between the number of Democrats and Republicans in the sample must be huge.

So I asked.

And I was told that in this particular survey sample, 40 percent of the respondents called themselves Democrats, 29 percent called themselves Independents or unaffiliated, and just 25 percent called themselves Republican.

Now, there should be more Democrats than Republicans in a good poll of New Jersey likely voters. Based on elections going back to 2000, it's a safe bet that next Tuesday, the single largest group of voters at the polls will be Democrats.

According to the good people who run the Quinnipiac survey, exit polls from 1997 to 2004 showed a pro-Democratic tilt of 4 to 10 points in the party ID question on Election Day.

But in 2006 and 2007, that shifted to a 13-point and 16-point lead, respectively. And in 2008, the CNN exit poll had the breakdown at 44 percent Democrat, 28 percent Republican, and 28 percent Independent -- again, a 16-point Democrat turnout advantage.

So Barack Obama, running the "hope and change" campaign of 2008, all sweetness and light, was able to create a gap of 16 points between Garden State Democrats and Republicans on Election Day.

Does it make sense, after this ugly, ugly race, to believe that Jon Corzine is going to create a 15-point gap?

I think not.

I think Corzine has been stuck at 40 percent for a year.

I think six in ten New Jersey voters cannot wait to get to the polls on Tuesday so they can cast their ballots to fire him.

I think his own partisans are far less enthused about the prospects of another four years of Jon Corzine.

And that's why I'm even happier to place my bet on Christie to win next Tuesday.

Grace Cangemi On Serving With John Curley

As John Curley’s former colleague, I can’t think of a better candidate to serve Monmouth County on our Board of Freeholders. John Curley’s commitment to the taxpayers of Red Bank was unparalleled. As a Republican, John voted against tax increases every year. John Curley and I fought and voted against increasing Red Bank’s astronomically high water rates and against using the water utility as a spending slush fund. In my time working with John Curley, he repeatedly and consistently demanded that the borough move to a zero-based budgeting system in order to curb spending – a suggestion since put into practice.

His dedication to open government in Red Bank found him fighting against an entrenched machine to demand open and accessible government for the people of our town. As a minority member of the Red Bank Borough Council, John Curley succeeded in changing meeting times so that residents would have the opportunity to attend council meetings and have an opportunity to express their concerns.

John Curley fought against Red Bank’s high parking fines and went door-to-door to preserve our quality of life and prevent a helipad on the Navesink River. John fought against high density development and chaired a Parks and Recreation Committee that rebuilt our playgrounds.

Most importantly, though, John Curley was available and responsive, understanding that ethics, integrity, and commitment to responsible spending and quality of life issues were what mattered to the people of Red Bank.

As a Freeholder, I know that John Curley will show that same commitment to serving the people of Monmouth County. John knows that we need our next Freeholder to maintain our quality of life and hold the line on spending to keep Monmouth County the special place we call home. Monmouth County deserves an ethical, responsible, responsive new Freeholder. John Curley is the right man for the job.

Sincerely,

Grace Cangemi

Another Poll, Another Result

From the Quinnipiac Polling Institute:

CORZINE UP 5 POINTS IN NEW JERSEY GOV RACE,
QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS;
GOVERNOR TOPS CHRISTIE ON ‘HONESTY’ SCORE

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine leads Republican challenger Christopher Christie for the first time in their five-month slugfest, on top 43 – 38 percent among likely voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Independent candidate Christopher Daggett has 13 percent, with 5 percent undecided.

This compares to a 41 – 40 percent Christie lead, with 14 percent for Daggett, in an October 14 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University.
Among Daggett supporters, 38 percent say they might change their mind: 43 percent say Christie is their second choice, while 27 percent say Gov. Corzine is number two.
Only 12 percent of Christie voters and 19 percent of Corzine backers say they might change their mind.

Corzine leads 79 – 8 percent among Democratic likely voters, with 10 percent for Daggett. Christie leads 79 – 7 percent among Republicans, with 9 percent for Daggett, and 45 – 30 percent among independent voters, with 20 percent for Daggett.
New Jersey voters disapprove 54 – 39 percent of the job Corzine is doing, still negative, but his best overall approval rating in months. Independent voters disapprove 68 – 29 percent.

“You could see it coming. Gov. Jon Corzine’s numbers crept steadily up and Christopher Christie’s steadily shrank and now, for the first time, we have Corzine ahead,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

“But don’t be in a hurry to mark this election as over. Christopher Daggett changed it from ‘ABC’ – Anybody But Corzine – to a real three-way scrap. But a lot of Daggett’s voters say they might change their minds by Election Day. Where will they go?”

“Can Daggett win? More than two-thirds of New Jerseyans don’t think so,” Carroll added.

New Jersey voters say 46 – 44 percent that Corzine is honest and trustworthy, his best ‘honesty’ score in months and the first time the score has been positive this year.

These same voters split on Christie, with 37 percent saying he is honest and trustworthy and 39 percent saying he is not. This is Christie’s worst score on this question.

Property taxes will go up if Corzine is elected, 60 percent of voters say, while 2 percent say they will go down and 34 percent say they will stay the same.

If Christie is elected, property taxes will go up, 37 percent of voters say, while 12 percent say they will go down and 44 percent say they will stay the same.
Of the 90 percent of New Jersey voters who have seen Corzine’s TV ads:
• 14 percent say the ads make them more likely to vote for the Governor;
• 31 percent say less likely;
• 54 percent say the ads won’t affect their vote;
• 66 percent find the ads annoying;
• 29 percent say the ads are informative.
Of the 86 percent of New Jersey voters who have seen Christie’s TV ads:
• 17 percent say the ads make them more likely to vote for the challenger;
• 28 percent say less likely;
• 53 percent say the ads won’t affect their vote;
• 58 percent find the ads annoying;
• 35 percent say the ads are informative.

“The drumbeat of denunciation has dropped Christie down to Corzine’s negative level in the favorable-unfavorable match. And it’s produced a reversal on ‘honest and trustworthy.’ Corzine comes out plus; Christie tips to a minus,” Carroll said.

“Everyone says negative advertising is bad, but everybody watches it. Virtually every New Jersey voter has seen the Corzine and Christie ads and most think that they’re more annoying than informative.”

From October 20 – 26, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,267 New Jersey likely voters, with a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points.

Jack Webb Schools Obama

Public Policy Polling: Christie 42%, Corzine 38%, Daggett 13%

Daggett now drawing votes from Corzine, 43% of voters planning to support Daggett are Democrats while only 9% are Republicans.

Read the PPP report here.

Rasmussen: Christie 46%, Corzine 43%, Daggett 7%

From Rasmussen Reports:

With just a week to go in New Jersey’s closely contested race for governor, Republican Chris Christie holds a three-point advantage over incumbent Democratic Governor Jon Corzine.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in New Jersey show Christie with 46% of the vote and Corzine with 43%. While the margin is little changed from a week ago and the week before, the biggest news may be that support for independent candidate Chris Daggett has dropped four points to seven percent (7%). The number of undecided voters is down to four percent (4%).

The decline in support for Daggett comes in a week when several state newspapers endorsed Christie or Corzine, but none followed The (Newark) Star-Ledger’s lead and came out in favor of the independent candidate. Additionally, Christie began a new ad campaign linking Corzine and Daggett.

Christie leads by eight points among those who are certain they will show up and vote. A week ago, he was up by five among that group. Christie’s supporters are also less likely to say they might consider voting for someone else.

Corzine does better among voters who might not make it to the polls. That's one reason President Obama, former President Bill Clinton and other Democratic Party luminaries are spending time in the Garden State in hopes of encouraging turnout.

At this point, there is no possible way to project what will happen on Election Day. The Democrats clearly have an edge in New Jersey when it comes to getting out the vote, which is one reason no Republican has won a statewide race in New Jersey since 1997. It's also impossible to know how much support Daggett will retain.

Measuring the ultimate impact of third-party candidates is always challenging. Many voters initially say they support an independent option and then change their minds as Election Day nears. That’s because they eventually decide to vote for the lesser of two evils between the major party candidates.

Currently, 14% of voters cite Daggett as their first preference. That’s down a couple of points from a week ago. However, only about half that base appears likely to stay with him at this time.

Corzine is now viewed favorably by 41% and unfavorably by 57%. Those numbers are unchanged from a week ago.

Christie’s totals are 49% favorable and 49% unfavorable, generally the same as last week.

Feelings remain stronger about the governor: 40% have a Very Unfavorable view of him while 27% say the same about Christie.

Daggett is now viewed favorably by 42% and unfavorably by 40%. That unfavorable number is up eight points over the past week and 13 points over the past two weeks. Fifteen percent (15%) have a Very Unfavorable opinion of the independent candidate.

Early in the year, Christie held a solid lead over Corzine. The governor’s campaign worked to make Christie an unacceptable alternative and succeeded in driving the negative ratings up for the GOP hopeful. Daggett became a possible candidate for those who didn’t like the governor but also didn’t want to vote for a Republican, so Christie began linking Corzine and Daggett. That has succeeded in driving up Daggett’s negative ratings. About the only thing certain in New Jersey at the moment is that the next governor will be someone that is disliked by at least half the state.

Christie-Guadagno Campaign Re-Launches ChristieforNJ.com as Cutting-Edge Voter Engagement Live Feed for Final Week of Campaign

Chris Christie and Sheriff Kim Guadagno Countdown to Change with Supporters on Integrated Social Media Homepage

PARSIPPANY, NJ - Today, the Christie-Guadagno campaign re-launched its website, www.ChristieforNJ.com, as an integrated social media live blogging site for the last week of the campaign. Chris Christie and Sheriff Kim Guadagno will directly engage with New Jerseyans and provide live updates from the Countdown to Change Bus Tour.

The ChristieforNJ.com homepage will act as a social media portal incorporating all of the candidates' and campaign's social networking, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, into one livestream. Voters from across the state will be able to read up-to-the-minute news from the road and provide feedback and commentary to Chris and Kim as they Countdown to Change, providing an innovative, fresh avenue for New Jerseyans to connect with the candidates and share their ideas and support.

Spokesperson Maria Comella said: "Throughout the race, our campaign has continually sought new and different ways to connect with voters. From announcing our Lieutenant Governor via social networking sites to launching ItsMyNJ.com to give New Jerseyans a voice in our campaign, Chris and Kim are directly engaging New Jerseyans in a way no politician in the Garden State has done. The people of New Jersey are frustrated and ready for change, and voters are counting down the days until Chris and Kim change Trenton."


Visit Christie-Guadagno Sites:
· Christie-Guadagno Website: www.christiefornj.com
· Christie Twitter: www.twitter.com/christiefornj
· Christie-Guadagno Facebook: www.facebook.com/christieguadagno09
· Christie-Guadagno Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/34993591@N05/sets/

Christie on Hannity

Daggett Would Accept Sweatheart Deal Or Appointment From Corzine

Jon Corzine's best hope for re-election, "Independent" candidate Chris Daggett told NJ 101.5's Jim Gearhart that he would not refuse an appointment is a second Corzine administration, nor would he refuse any special deals from the state on real estate for his development company, according to a post on Bob Ingle's Politics Patrol.

Menendez Commercials

Those commercials touting what a great guy Senator Bob Menendez is and how he's fighting for senior citizens' health care were paid for by the Health Care Institute of New Jersey.

Former Republican Congressman Bob Franks is the president of the HCINJ. Franks was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2000, losing to Jon Corzine after being outspent by $48 million. He was the chairman of the NJGOP from 1987-1989 and 1990-1992. Franks was a champion Corzine's $30+billion "monetization" scheme and 800% toll increases.

A Message From Pam Brightbill, Gerry Scharfenberger And Tony Fiore

Dear Middletown Residents,

The upcoming election for governor has engaged the citizens of New Jersey as few have in our state’s history. As important as the race for governor is to New Jersey’s future, we want to remind you of the importance of our local election to Middletown.

On November 3rd, there is one seat open for the Township Committee. We are proudly supporting Planning Board member Steve Massell for that seat. Steve brings a solid history of public service, first as a county committeeman and most recently, as a member of the planning board. His record of protecting the town from overdevelopment and protecting open space is unmatched. Steve’s vast knowledge of real estate will be invaluable in expanding the commercial tax base and ensuring fairness to all residential property owners.

His opponent, on the other hand, brings a disappointing record of unethical behavior and poor judgment, support for high density development through low-income housing and support for the destructive policies of Governor Corzine and the Democrat majority in Trenton. This troubling record includes:

- Voting against abolishing COAH, the $18 billion, taxpayer subsidized, low-income housing program.

- Voting to support Governor Corzine’s budget, even though it had a severe negative impact on Middletown.

- Refusing to meet with department heads during the budget process.

- Voting against open space in Middletown.

- Responding to an offer of assistance from the township committee with an obscene e-mail that was even copied to the female member of the committee.

- Attempting to increase his salary after only two months on the committee.

While we have repeatedly reached out to work as a team, these overtures have been unequivocally rebuffed in favor of divisive, partisan, and obstructionist behavior.

During our time in office, it has been a pleasure to have gotten to meet and know thousands of the residents in our town. We know what you expect from your elected officials and we know the direction that you want for our town. You have told us that you want honesty, efficiency and a 110% effort in working together to look out for the interests of Middletown, even in the face of immense pressure from outside special interests. Steve Massell is the embodiment of those qualities and knows what it takes to lower taxes, protect our open space and most important, relentlessly fight the destructive policies of Trenton and keep Middletown one of the top 100 places to live in the country.

We ask you to talk to your friends and neighbors and impress on them the importance of good government in Middletown and to achieve that goal, to elect Steve Massell to the Township Committee in November.

Please feel free to forward this to other Middletown residents.

Mayor Pam Brightbill
Deputy Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger
Committeeman Tony Fiore

Endorsements

Today is Endorsement Sunday for the gubernatorial campaign.

The Bergen Record endorsed Loretta Weinberg. While acknowledging the failure Corzine has been, how poorly suited he is for elected office, and how beholden he is to labor unions, The Record says that Weinberg will fix all of that in a second Corzine term.

The Record said that Corzine doesn't take advice well, but that he would listen to Weinberg, so we should give him a second chance.

The Northern Jersey daily said that they agreed with Chris Christie that New Jersey needs a smaller, less generous government, but that they feared Christie's support of school vouchers in failing school districts would threaten those failing schools. The paper also said that they preferred that Corzine and not Christie make the upcoming NJ Supreme Court appointments that will determine the future of our education system and real estate development as determined by the Mt Laurel decisions and the Council On Affordable Housing.

The Asbury Park Press gave a backhanded endorsement to Chris Christie, "only as a better alternative to four more years of Corzine." The APP editorial board joined the rising chorus of those condeming the quality of the Christie campaign, the only Republican campaign is memory to be ahead or tied in the polls at this point in a race. Their endorsement is a litany of Corzine's failures.

1948 Cartoon

Rendell and Booker Draw 50 People To Asbury Park Rally For Corzine

Sean Byrnes was there, Corzine wasn't. Still no photos of the two of them.

Politickernj has the story.

OURS to WIN!

Last night I ran into a friend of mine. He's a fellow small business owner. I'm his customer. A few times per week I enter his establishment and we banter about sports and politics.

"Did you see that game last night (Yankees-Angels game 5)? That was awful!," he exclaimed as he greeted me. "That was a GREAT game!, " I countered.

"You're right, it was a good game," he said nervously, "but do you think the Yanks will pull it out? I really wanted them to win it out there and rub it into the Angels, mess with there head."

"Are you kidding me! They're up 3-2! Who cares about the Angels' heads. They're going home to Yankee Stadium with no rally monkeys or thunder sticks, " I countered enthusiastically. "This is great for New York. Its great for the fans and its great for all of the small businesses around Yankee Stadium. Of course the Yankees are going to win ONE GAME."

It occurred to me that many Christie supporters are like my friend and other nervous sports fans. We've all seen it. Be it a playoff series or a football game when their favorite team is up early, they start enjoying the victory too soon. Then when the opposition fights back into the game, they lose confidence. They yell and scream at their heroes and the coach through the TV. If their team wins, they have a sense of relief, followed by celebration. If their team loses, the team, the coaches and the owners are bums.

In sports, the fans that go to the game become part of the team. The home field advantage.

In politics, the fans are the game. Going into the last week of the gubernatorial campaign, us Christie supporters have the home field advantage. 60% of our friends, family and neighbors say they want a new governor. The game has tightened significantly since the summer, when many of us were quietly celebrating too soon, but we are still up in the score with only a few days left to play.

We each have a choice as to how we will play the last days of the game. Many will act as if they are not part of the game and nervously or even pessimistically "hope" things turn out. Those who get into the game will determine the outcome. Either way, we are the game.

Now is the time for Christie supporters to educate and influence our friends, family and neighbors. Many are just starting to pay attention. They will rely on those who they know are better informed to help them decide how to vote. Now is the time to talk about politics and influence people who are wavering toward Daggett to vote for Christie. It is not really a hard sell. There is no question that a vote for Daggett is a vote for Corzine.

Those who say they are going to write in Steve Lonegan because Chris Christie isn't conservative enough, or because you don't like his commercials that appeal to moderates and liberals...you folks just haven't suffered enough.

You probably haven't had to lay off loyal employees that you are fond of. You probably haven't seen all that you've worked hard for over decades slip away significantly in a few short years. You probably haven't had to cut off loyal customers because you are either unable to extend further credit, or because you know that to do so would be detrimental to your own well being. You actually think you would be better off with another four years of Corzine. That's crazy.

A vote for Lonegan, a third party candidate, or no vote, is a vote for Corzine. Those who do that are the real RINOS.

Let's get busy. This race is OURS to Win.

Vote No On Question 1

The Chairman

By The Record's Alfred Doblin with apologies to Frank Sinatra.



And now, the end is near;

And so I face my final sentence.

My foes, no doubt will cheer,

But I will sneer without repentance.

I’ve played a game that’s mean.

I was a force, no one could stop me.

But now, it all is gone,

Chris Christie got me.

Regrets, they’re just for fools,

The little tools I used for glory,

Who knew I would be screwed,

By my legal bud named Denis Oury.

I schmoozed, cajoled and charmed,

Each man and gal who would allow me,

But more, I wanted more,

But Chris Christie got me.

Yes, there were days when all was good

When I did things I never should.

And then at night, I’d have my fill,

Drinking with kings at the Stony Hill.

I was sublime, now I’ll do time;

’Cause Chris Christie got me.

I’ve pushed, I’ve shoved, I’ve steered.

I was a threat in every suburb.

And now, when all is done,

The “pol” who won’s Loretta Weinberg.

A Republican with eyes,

On the big prize made me a trophy.

And so to jail I may go.

Chris Christie got me.

So what if he wins, I’ll feel no guilt.

I will not cry for milk that’s split.

To say I should have been more smart;

It’s too late now to fall apart.

I’m just a man from Old Tappan.

Chris Christie’s got me.

Alfred P. Doblin is the editorial page editor of The Record. Contact him at doblin@northjersey.com

HALFACRE CALLS ON HOLT TO REMOVE HIS NAME FROM HOST COMMITTEE OF “BLAME ISRAEL FIRST” GROUP FUNDRAISER

Fair Haven Mayor and 12th Congressional District Republican congressional candidate Mike Halfacre today called on Rep. Rush Holt to remove his name from the fundraising host committee of J Street, a controversial “blame Israel first” group funded by left wing financier George Soros.

“Once again, Rush Holt has sided with the ‘left of the left’, as one writer so aptly put it, this time against our greatest ally in the Middle East, and the Middle East's most stable democracy, Israel”, said Halfacre. “In its short existence, J Street has shown that there is almost no issue involving the Middle East in which it wont blame Israel- and by extension America- while giving the benefit of the doubt to Hamas, Iran, and the other bad actors in the world. For Rush Holt to lend his name as a supporter of a group like this, which is so out of touch with the values of the 12th Congressional District, is an outrage and he should end his support of this group immediately.”

J Street has come under intense pressure recently as over a dozen Congressmen and Senators, including Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, have asked to be removed from the list of host committee members due to ideological differences with the group. Several other legislators asked to be removed, saying they had no idea they were even on the host committee list.

Among the many controversial policies J Street has supported in the last year, it launched a petition drive against a congressional resolution calling for tougher inspections of air and sea cargo heading for Iran. Halfacre noted that Holt was the only member of New Jersey’s 13 member Congressional delegation not signed onto a bill advocating for tougher sanctions against Iran.

“It shows an incredible naivete', if not an outright wilful ignorance of the danger facing our nation and our allies, to take the stance Holt has taken on the Middle East: Soft on Iran, soft on terrorist interrogations, soft on Hamas, yet hard on Israel, hard on the CIA, and hard on our security."

Halfacre closed by saying this was just the most recent example of Holt lurching to the far left of the political spectrum and away from the values of his district.

“Cap and Trade. Healthcare reform. ACORN. Charles Rangel. The list goes on and on. On every one of these issues he has sided with the left of the left and against the values of the 12th District. Now this. I’m sure the Jewish residents and supporters of Israel in the 12th District would be surprised to know that Rush Holt supports a group that thinks that when Israel responds to its population being shelled by rockets, Israel is to blame. I’m sure they’d be surprised that he opposes tough measures against Iran to prevent them from obtaining nuclear weapons. But based on his actions over the last year, they shouldn’t be.”

New Jersey Pays Goldman Sachs for Swaps on Nonexistent Bonds

Corzine: "There must be an explanation."

Read all about it here.

WABC, SurveyUSA Poll:

NJ Governor: Incumbent Corzine Can't Clear Challenger Christie; Independent Daggett Siphons 1 in 5 Votes:

In an election for New Jersey governor today, 10/22/09, twelve days until votes are counted, Republican Chris Christie and incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine remain even, just as they were 2 weeks ago, just as they were 1 week ago, according to SurveyUSA's latest tracking poll conducted exclusively for WABC-TV.

Today, it's Christie 41%, Corzine 39%, independent Chris Daggett 19%. SurveyUSA's tracking graphs are flat. Corzine has not polled more than 40% nor less than 39%. Christie has not polled more than 43% nor less than 40%. Of likely 2009 voters who voted for Corzine in 2005, just 60% stick with him today. 18% of 2005 Corzine voters today cross over to Republican Christie; 21% vote for the Independent. Christie keeps in the GOP fold a larger share of those who voted for Corzine's 2005 Republican opponent, Doug Forrester: 82% of 2005 Forrester voters today vote for Republican Christie, 12% vote Daggett

Ferriero convicted of most serious charge

A verdict has been reached in the trial of former Bergen County Democratic chief Joseph Ferriero. Jurors found Ferriero guilty on three of eight counts — including the most serious, conspiracy to defraud Bergenfield of Dennis Oury’s honest services as borough attorney.

Senator Joe Kyrillos issued the following statement:

"Today's conviction of Joe Ferriero only further shows the high standard for conduct and accountability that Chris Christie will bring to Trenton as governor. In contrast, Jon Corzine has enabled corruption by giving $441,600 to Joe Ferriero and his political operation in Bergen County. Over the last four years Governor Corzine has done nothing but give meaningless lip service when it comes to enforcing ethical standards, while he has been the number one financier of corrupt politicians and party bosses in New Jersey."

The Choice

Why DuHaime and Stepien deserve our praise.

By Dan Gallic

About two weeks ago I ran into a top Christie adviser and we spoke about the state of the campaign, the negatives, the positives and what could possibly be improved.

My feedback is the same feedback that I write today.

Every campaign goes through cycles are inevitable. It is inevitable that uncertainty, even when an election is a foregone conclusion, creeps into a campaign. It is also inevitable that three or four weeks out from an election there will be arm-chair campaign guru's popping up everywhere deriding the campaign for various reasons, although they can be summed up with: “They are not doing enough with the grassroots” and “Who ever running the campaign is doing a terrible job.” or “Who ever approved that commercial should be shot.”

Yea, yea, yea... blah, blah, blah... we heard it all before. (I've got an idea for all you chattering ninnies - get to work! Do something other than complain! Make phone calls, put out signs, maybe even write a check... just do something other than bother people with your intelligence.)

I've been described, by some, as a harsh critic and a stoic operator whose only interest is to win. I wear that hat proudly. I've been in the trenches where these battles are fought and I've been there when candidates have been arrested and led off to face, well, Chris Christie. With over 25 years of political involvement I've seen bad campaigns and I've seen brilliant campaigns.

Which brings me to my point. Mike DuHaime and Bill Stepien, the two gentlemen who are running Chris Christie's gubernatorial campaign are doing an excellent job. I might even call it brilliant. Actually, compared to some recent Republican campaigns, it is nothing short of outstanding.

Why is this the case? Well, for one, they have answered Corzine's messaging, blow for blow. They have been disciplined enough not to emotionally react to the Democrat's needling on a host of ancillary issues. They understand that this election is about one thing: taxes. Well, maybe two: economic climate for businesses.

Mike and Bill have have done an excellent job of keeping ego's in check, moving the ball forward and running a strategically disciplined campaign. These are not easy tasks, in fact, in New Jersey, they are nearly impossible with all the threats, nuanced conversation and outright bribery that goes on, as seen with the latest Rev. Jackson controversy.

Chris Christie was wise to have chosen DuHaime and Stepien as they deserve our praise for running an excellent campaign and, I am confident, will close these last two weeks with a great GOTV effort and messaging that will lead to a Chris Christie victory. When all is done, we, the taxpayers of New Jersey, will owe them a debt of gratitude which is the only debt I look forward to paying.

Yes We Can, Mr. President. Yes We Can

Coming Soon To Your TV

The Corrosive Effect Of Corzine's Money

The Star Ledger's Tom Moran is getting back on his game.

This column is a must read.

Byrnes Digs Himself Deeper

No wonder Corzine won't be photographed with Sean Byrnes.

Responding to the ethics charges levied against him last week by Thomas Stokes, Byrnes told Politickernj, "I represented (the client), but I didn't have any personal interest in the lawsuit."

His client, Cathy Sullivan, must be thrilled to hear that. No wonder the suit is taking so long. Remind me not to hire Sean Byrnes when I need aggressive representation.

Byrnes justified his conflict on interest in voting against Stokes for the Middletown Sewerage Authority by saying ( as originally reported by MoreMonmouthMusings) that he voted against all Sewerage Authority appointees, "There were four people up for appointment to the Sewerage Authority at that time, and I voted against all four. I've never voted 'yes," or for any salary, health benefits, or pension benefits for members of the sewerage authority. They shouldn't be doing that. It amounts to $100,000 for taxpayers each year. Middletown shouldn't even have a sewerage authority."

So why didn't you recuse yourself from the Stokes appointment and vote against the other three, Sean?

"I don't vote to appoint people to the sewerage authority," Byrnes added. "It's just a boondoogle. I introduced an ordinance earlier this year to do away with pay, pension and benefits for sewerage authority members."

John Curley didn't stand for Byrnes' anti-patronage hypocrisy. He told Politickernj, "Sean Byrnes talks about transparency," said Curley. "He tries to play the role of Bobby Kennedy. He talks in generalties. But when they asked him in the editorial board meeting if he would have voted in favor of Glenn Mason, he said he probably would have."

Mason ran unsuccessfully for Freeholder as a Democrat last year. He was rewarded for his efforts by the Democratically controlled Freeholder board with a $75K job, overstepping a long term and highly decorated county employee for the post.

Curley and Brynes, along with Independent candidate Stan Rosenthal, will face of in a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters on Wednesday evening, 7PM at the Monmouth County Library, 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan.

Rasmussen: Christie 41%, Corzine 39%, Daggett 11%

"At this point, anybody who says with confidence how this race will turn out is either deluding themselves or attempting to delude someone else. The Democrats clearly have an edge in New Jersey when it comes to turnout, but the wavering Daggett supporters and undecided voters are more likely to head in the Republican direction than to the Democratic incumbent."

Read the report here.

Monmouth Poll: Christie 39%, Corzine 39% Daggett 14%

A new Monmouth University/Gannett poll was released this morning indicating that the gubernatorial race is tied at 39% each for Christie and Corzine, with Daggett getting 14%. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%. Read it here.

Monmouth/Gannett did not poll the strength of Daggett's support, as the Quinnipiac and Rasmussen polls did last week.

Of the respondents, 40% were Democrats, 34% were Independents and 26% were Republicans.

The October 1 Monmouth/Gannett poll had Christie leading Corzine 43%-40%, with 8% for Daggett and a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent. In the earlier poll canvased 37% Democrats, 37% Independents and 26% Republicans.

Dead Heat

Politickernj has apparently scooped the Gannett newspapers on their own poll.

Matt Friedman is reporting that a Monmouth University/Gannett poll shows the gubernatorial race even, 39% Christie - 39% Corzine, with Daggett at 14%.

The poll is not yet posted on the Monmouth University Polling Institute web site or on the Gannett owned Asbury Park Press.

CURLEY SAYS BYRNES’ VOTE ON MIDDLETOWN APPOINTMENT WHILE OPPOSING COUNSEL IN A LAWSUIT “UNETHICAL”

Did he use information obtained in disposition of lawsuit?

Republican Freeholder candidate John Curley today denounced his opponent, Democrat Sean Byrnes, for voting as a member of the Middletown Township Committee against the appointment of Mr. Thomas F. Stokes to the Middletown Sewerage Authority while he was trial counsel in a lawsuit involving Mr. Stokes, a clear violation of state law.

“For Mr. Byrnes to vote on this man’s appointment, instead of recusing himself, is unethical and frankly, unconscionable. Anybody who has been a local elected official for five minutes could see that this is a total conflict of interest and that he had no business voting on this appointment. If Mr. Byrnes cant recognize a conflict on a matter as clear cut as this, how can anyone believe he’ll do it as a Freeholder?”

At issue is a January 6, 2008 vote where Mr. Byrnes discussed and voted against Mr. Stokes’ appointment to the Middletown Sewerage Authority. Mr. Stokes has filed complaints with the Local Finance Board and the Attorney Ethics Committee, pointing out that Mr. Byrnes signed several court documents identifying him as trial counsel in the lawsuit against Mr. Stokes and providing the minutes of the January 2008 meeting where Mr. Byrnes discussed and voted against Mr. Stokes.

Curley also wanted to know if any information from the lawsuit was discussed or was part of Byrnes’ decision making process.

“Mr. Byrnes needs to come clean with the voters of Monmouth County right now- did he or did he not use any information gained from his position as a trial attorney in the lawsuit against Mr. Stokes to make his decision or influence others?”, asked Curley. “ If he did, he has a lot bigger problems than just the Local Finance Board.”

Curley closed by saying “ This episode shows a shocking lack of judgment from a man who wants Monmouth County voters to put their trust in him for the next 3 years to do the right thing on their behalf. I think voters have every right to consider this in two weeks when they cast their votes for the next Monmouth County Freeholder.”

Byrnes Facing Ethics Charges, Receives APP Endorsement

Ethics complaints were filed against Sean Byrnes, the Democratic candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder and a Middletown Township Committee member with the state Local Finance Board and with the state Attorney Ethics Committee last week.

Byrnes, an attorney, has been charged in his capacity as a member of the Middletown Township Committee with voting and commenting on the appointment of Thomas F. Stokes to the Middletown Sewerage Authority on January 6, 2008. Stokes, who filed the complaint with the Local Finance Board on October 15 and with the Attorney Ethics Committee on October 16, says Byrnes has a conflict of interest because he is the opposing counsel in various lawsuits involving Stokes that have been ongoing since 2001.

The minutes of the January 6, 2008 Middletown Township Committee meeting indicate that Byrnes voted No, with comment, on the Stokes appointment and that of all Sewerage Authority appointees.

The Asbury Park Press endorsed Byrnes for Freeholder today. In fairness to the APP, they were probably unaware of, and certainly haven't had the time to look into the ethics charges prior to making their endorsement.

Stokes said, "It is very clear that the Democrat candidate for Freeholder is guilty of unethical conduct as a township committee member. I am tired of public officials thinking they are above the law, regardless of political party.

Mr. Byrnes has been involved in an adversarial relationship with myself, through litigation, since at least 2001. Yet, even though he had this business and personal, adversarial relationship, he failed to recuse himself when my appointment to the Township of Middletown Sewer Authority. Even though he is an attorney, Mr. Byrnes' refusal to obey the law in this regard should disqualify him from holding any public office."

Stokes cited the law governing municipal elected officials:

40A:9-22.5 Provisions requiring compliance by local government officers, employees
Local government officers or employees under the jurisdiction of the Local Finance Board shall comply with the following provisions:

d. No local government officer or employee shall act in his official capacity in any matter where he, a member of his immediate family, or a business organization in which he has an interest, has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment;

MoreMonmouthMusings asked Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre, also an attorney, to comment on this situation without divulging who was involved. We posed the scenario where an elected official who is an attorney votes against the appointment of a citizen to a local board or authority and the appointee is a party to a suit wherein the elected official is opposing counsel. Halfacre said, "Without knowing the facts or doing any research, that scenario is very close to the line and probably a conflict for the person in his capacity as an elected official. If the vote and comments where influenced by knowledge the official obtained while acting as an attorney, it could be a violation of the Attorneys Code of Ethics as well."

Another attorney and elected official who declined to be named in this story went further, "Elected officials must always avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. As attorneys it is pounded into our heads for three years of law school to avoid these types of conflicts. If the elected official in question acted or commented based on knowledge obtained through his or her case, that person's license to practice law is at risk."

Byrnes has not yet responded to requests for comment. This story will be updated if he does.

Stokes' complaint and supporting documentation can be viewed here.

Sam Thompson: Daggett's Plan Will Not Reduce Property Taxes For Most, Will Increase Taxes On The Middle Class

Assemblyman Samuel Thompson (R-13) has a great OpEd piece in the Asbury Park Press today, Daggett's tax plan will aid only the affluent.

Daggett claims his plan would deliver up to a 25 percent property tax cut to all homeowners to a maximum of $2,500 while all seniors would receive an annual $2,500 reduction. People interpret this to mean Daggett would reduce their property tax burden more than the current programs.

For our most vulnerable householders — the more than 50 percent whose property taxes are at, below or $1,000 to 2,000 above the median property tax of $6,320, his plan amounts to little more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. For these homeowners, the plan would, at best, produce minimal to no additional property tax relief beyond what they are presently receiving. Many seniors and the disabled would actually see their property tax relief decreased.

The primary beneficiaries of the Daggett plan would be those with incomes above $125,000 and the most affluent who have property taxes of $10,000 or more and do not qualify for any of the existing property tax relief programs because their incomes are too high.

The Daggett plan calls for the elimination of all of the existing property tax relief programs to partially fund his proposal and replaces them with a tax credit. Thus, the Homestead Rebate, the Senior Property Tax Freeze, the property tax deduction from income taxes, the $250 senior property tax credit and the $250 veterans tax credit would all be eliminated.

Currently, a non-senior household with income up to $50,000, paying the state median property tax of $6,320, qualifies for a 20 percent property tax rebate, which amounts to $1,264. They also are able to deduct their property taxes from their state income taxes, providing an additional $276 reduction in their property taxes for a total of $1,540.

Daggett would eliminate these programs and replace them with a 25 percent property tax credit which, in this case, would amount to $1,580. These homeowners would receive a net new reduction in their property tax liability of $40 per year. They would undoubtedly pay more than this as their share of the $4 billion sales tax increase included in his plan.

Read Thompson's entire piece here.

False Hope

Shepard Farley, the street artist credited with creating the famous Obama poster, lied to his own lawyers about the AP photo he based the alteration on. His lawyers are withdrawing as his counsel in a copyright infringment case vs the AP.

Watch The Gubernatorial Debate

Daggett A Tax Cheat?

Chris Daggett is not paying campaign employees payroll taxes, classifying them as independent contractors. He is also not making health insurance available to his employees.

By classifying a staffer as an independent contractor, the staffer is responsible for paying their own taxes and Daggett's campaign saves the cost of employers payroll taxes.

Politickernj has the story.

Rasmussen: Christie 45%, Corzine 41%, Daggett 9%

However, the race may be even closer than those numbers suggest. When voters are asked their initial choice, 38% name Christie, 38% Corzine, and 16% prefer Daggett. But 57% of Daggett’s supporters say they could change their minds before election day. That dwarfs the number of swayable Corzine and Christie voters.

Read Rasmussen's report here.

Daggett's Diaper Tax, Rent Tax, Bowling Tax, Doctor Tax, Waitress Tax, etc

Chris Daggett says he's not going to raise sales taxes, he's going to expand them.

Huh?

He also says he will only expand sales taxes on household services that only the rich use, like lawyers fees and architect fees, and that by doing so he will raise $4 billion for property tax relief. Yeah right. Just like Corzine raised the sales tax 17% for property tax relief. Raise your hand if you got your property tax rebate. That's a lot less hands than last year.

In order to raise $4 billion, Daggett would have to tax $57 billion in household lawyers fees and architect fees. He says he's excluding business to business fees. There's no way "the rich" are incurring such fees, and the business exclusion makes avoiding those fees simple....form a business...the rich people's accountants and lawyers already figured that out.

Daggett doesn't want you to know this, but his sales tax expansion will hit the poor and the middle class hardest, his Corzinesque rhetoric to the contrary.

Daggett's plan comes from Michael Mazerov of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Mazerov's Expanding Sales Taxation of Services: Options and Issues was published in July. In addition to lawyers fees, Daggett will tax the following, given the chance:

Lawn and garden-related services
Landscape architect services

Pet-related services
Veterinary services (doctors, hospitals)
Pet sitting/walking services
Pet training (including classes)
Horse training

Personal transportation and related services and rentals
Bus/train/limo/subway tickets and fares (local, inter-, and intra-state)
Airline tickets (for info. only; sales taxation barred by federal law)
Taxi fares
Personal chauffer services (separate from vehicle rental)
Personal pilot services (separate from plane rental)

Storage and moving services
Plane storage (not hangar rental)
Marina services – docking (not slip rental)
Household goods moving services
Vehicle transport services (including drive-away)
Messenger/courier services (personal use)
Private shipping/mailing charges (e.g., FedEx, UPS)
House/mobile home moving services

Financial and insurance services
Service charges of banking institutions (miscellaneous)
Bill paying services (fee and commission)
Investment counseling/financial planning/portfolio management
Mutual fund management fees
Credit and debit card fees (including annual membership and usage fees)
Stock brokerage fees/commissions
Insurance services (life, real property, auto, etc.)
Imputed brokerage service value of loans and deposits in depository institutions
Fees/commissions for check cashing, money orders, traveler’s checks, money wiring

Personal care services
Barber shops
Hair care
Hair removal
Nail care
Weight loss salons and counseling

Miscellaneous personal services
Dating services
Personals advertising
Miscellaneous advertising for personal purposes (e.g., items for sale, positions wanted)
Household errand/ “personal shopper”/gift consulting/management consulting services
Child day care services
Adult day care services
Baby-sitting services (casual)

Home cleaning and maintenance services
Certain residential heating system maintenance and repair is exempt
Radon and other home environmental testing services
Condominium/co-op maintenance fees
Water softening/conditioning services – Testing & design currently is exempt/equipping and maintenance is taxed------
Interior decorating and design services
Home security system consulting (equipping and maintenance is taxable)
Closet/storage design consulting services --

Clothing-related services
Diaper service
Laundry and dry cleaning and pressing services, coin-operated (of clothing – exempt)
Laundry and dry cleaning and pressing services non-coin-operated (of clothing - exempt),
Shoe repair
Shoe shining and dyeing
Alterations, repairs, dyeing, and imprinting of clothing and accessories (post-purchase imprinting is taxable)
Original tailoring of clothing
Tuxedo rental

Miscellaneous professional services
Accounting/tax preparation
Legal services (wills, estate planning, accident defense, etc.)
Notary services
Computer consulting/trouble-shooting/data restoration services
Personal property appraisal services
Art/antique collecting advisory and brokerage services
Career counseling and resume preparation services
Debt counseling services
Commercial art, graphic design, (e.g., resume and invitations)
Personal/professional coaching services

Admissions/amusements/recreation/travel-related services
Games not taxed

Admission charges/fees for participant sporting/game facilities
bowling admissions and fees
Coin-operated mechanical amusements (video games, pinball, karaoke, etc.)
Admissions to school and college sports events (including season tickets, skybox: rentals, etc.)
Symphony/opera admission
Tours and walks not taxable if separate from admission
Other gambling admission and miscellaneous charges
Recreational/scenic transportation
Memberships (dues, initiation fees, etc.) in book and music clubs
Misc. memberships (dues, initiation fees, etc.) in sororities, neighborhood associations, social clubs, AARP, etc.
Cable/satellite/Internet TV and radio (monthly, pay-per-view, installation, and misc. fees)
Ticket broker services
Fees for online gaming, entertain, and info. services and downloadable “digital goods”
Services of DJs, musical performers/bands, dancers, other performers for adults
Services of children’s performers (clowns, magicians, entertainers, puppeteers, storytellers, etc.)
Psychic/fortune teller/astrologer services
Wedding/party/event planning services
Services of private party waiters, bartender, etc.
Complimentary meals and hotel rooms at gambling casinos
Campground and RV park rental charges
Services of travel agents (fees and commissions)
Service of tour operators (fees and commissions)
Reservation services
Services of waiters compensated through tips

Personal property leases and rentals (other than vehicles)
Luggage cart rentals at public transit facilities
Tuxedo/clothing/uniform/costume rentals

Medical and related services (Plan excludes medical expenses but does not define what is a medical service)
Services of doctors and dentists
Home nursing services
Medical testing services
Psychologist/social work/counseling services
Optometrists
Nutritionists/dieticians
Occupational/physical/massage/speech therapy
Alternative medicine practitioners (e.g., acupuncture, chiropractors)
Hospital services
Nursing home services
Specialized facilities (substance abuse, hospice, dialysis, etc.)
Nursing home/elder care consultants
Rent/fees for assisted living facilities
Rental of medical equipment for home use

Vehicle repair and maintenance services
Towing and removal and disposal of wrecked vehicles

Residential construction/renovation/repair services
Capital improvements (repair and maintenance and non-capital installation is taxable
Architectural services
Consulting engineer services
Gross charges of a general contractor for labor or for total job --Capital improvements and labor charge
Skilled trades services (original construction) -- Capital improvements and labor
Basement waterproofing services
Site excavation and grading
Well drilling

Housing and real estate-related services
Real estate agent fees/commissions (buyers’ and sellers’ agents)
Real estate title search services
Real estate appraisal services
Real estate surveying services
Real estate inspection services
Real estate advertising
Escrow agent services
Apartment search and roommate matching services
Loan “points,” lock-in fees, other loan-origination fees
Residential rentals
Trailer park site rentals

Game On

Chris Christie told the Asbury Park editorial board that he's been husbanding his campaign money for the final weeks of the campaign and that he will start spending in earnest to get his message out to the voters starting tomorrow.

He told the APP that he is more confident in victory now than he was during the summer when he was leading in the polls by double digits while waiting for Corzine's $20 million 2 X 4 to hit him over the head. It hit and he's still standing.

The Quinnipiac poll today indicates that this strategy can work. Given the economics of the campaign, Corzine's zillions vs Christie's $11 million, it may be only strategy that could have worked.

Corzine has spent $125 million dollars in 3 campaigns and will probably top $40 million in this one. Yet he can't break 40%. Voters don't trust him and they consider his attacks on Christie unfair.

Daggett's support is softer than Corzine's negotiating position was when Joe Biden told him he wouldn't cross the picket line on primary day. 60% of his "likely voters" say they may change their mind and 73% of all voters don't know enough about him to form favorable or unfavorable opinion. There is no way his 14% will hold. He won't break 8% on November 3.

55% of the Quinnipiac respondent said they want a new governor. 20 days to go. Corzine will probably spend over $1 million per day. I don't see it working.

View the APP video here.