Republican Mayor Nick Poliseno Endorses Buono for Governor

New Brunswick, NJ – Democratic gubernatorial candidate and State Senator Barbara Buono today received an endorsement from Republican Mayor of Spotswood Nick Poliseno. The endorsement comes as property taxes have skyrocketed to record highs in New Jersey since Governor Christie took office.

“I am proud to support Barbara Buono for Governor because I believe that she is the best choice to rebuild New Jersey’s economy,” Poliseno said. “This endorsement goes beyond politics; it’s about our economy. Governor Christie talks a big game, but he has failed to deliver results for places like Spotswood, where too many of our friends and neighbors are struggling to make ends meet because of record high property taxes. The Governor’s property tax record is appalling and it will take new leadership and sensible solutions to right the ship.”

Under Governor Christie, net property taxes in New Jersey have increased by nearly 20 percent, according to the NJ Department of Community Affairs. In Spotswood, property taxes have risen by 18 percent, costing families $1034.78 on average.

“I am honored to receive an endorsement from a dedicated public servant, Mayor Nick Poliseno,” said Senator Buono. “No matter which political party you belong to, the Governor’s record of economic failure is crystal clear. It’s tougher than ever before for the middle class and working poor to make ends meet in New Jersey, and that’s unacceptable. As governor, I will work everyday to provide needed property tax relief to families across New Jersey.”

Sandy Hook Beaches Open for Memorial Weekend

Pallone Instrumental in Securing More Than $37 Million for Park’s Repairs

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone announced that all beaches will be open for Memorial Day weekend at Sandy Hook, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.

“New Jerseyans and visitors have been enjoying the beaches of Sandy Hook for generations, and I’m thrilled that they are once again open for all to enjoy,” said Congressman Pallone. “The road to full recovery is a long one, and the reopening of Sandy Hook’s beaches is a significant step in the process and one more sign of New Jersey’s strength and resilience.”

Pallone has taken a lead in the Sandy Hook recovery process since the storm hit, and he worked directly with the National Park Service to ensure that needs were tended to with urgency. Critical to the recovery, Pallone was instrumental in securing over $37 million in federal funding for Sandy Hook to repair roads, buildings, trails, beaches, utilities and equipment. Pallone monitored the recovery and toured Sandy Hook multiple times to assess damage and progress.

Pallone proudly cut the ribbon on May 1, 2013 when parts of Sandy Hook officially reopened to the public.

Buono For Governor Releases New Television Ad “Another New Jersey”

New Brunswick, NJ – Today, the Buono for Governor campaign unveiled its first television ad “Another New Jersey.” The ad sets the record straight on Governor Christie's failed economic record and introduces Senator Buono's powerful life story to voters across the state.

Buono for Governor Campaign Manager Jonathan Ducote released the following statement about “Another New Jersey”:

“Our new television ad sets the record straight on Governor Christie's failed economic record and introduces New Jerseyans to Senator Buono’s humble upbringing as the daughter of an immigrant butcher. The New Jersey that Senator Buono grew up in was rich with opportunities for working and middle class families, but those opportunities are slipping away under the Governor's policies. While he has turned a blind eye to the middle class over the past three years, Senator Buono will fight everyday as governor to build a New Jersey where every child has the same chance to succeed that she had.”

They're Singing In Harmony, Middletown BOE Changes Its Tune And Re-Hires Principal Paulson

It's been a long night! I just returned from tonight's exceptually long Middletown Board of Education meeting and I'm please to announce that Harmony School principal Erick Paulson, has been granted tenure and will remain as the school principal for many more years to come.

All the credit for his rehiring as principal of Harmony School goes to the many parents, teachers and fellow administrators who stood up, spoke out and showed their support for him over the past week and at tonight's meeting. Without the astounding show of support from all involved the Middletown Board of Education would not have been moved to change its mind.


There's an awful lot to talk about but at this time I'm a bit tired. I'm going to reflect on tonight's meeting a little and have video to post later.

But real quick though, here is what happened after the BOE came out of a special executive session to discuss whether or not to rehire (grant tenure) to Mr. Paulson.

The BOE came out of executive session @ ~ 11:45.  Mr. Parton, the BOE's attorney,  made a statement saying that there was some new information brought fourth during the session (but didn't say what it was). He made a statement that School Superintendent Dr. William George would like to amend his evaluation of Mr. Paulson to stated that he highly recommends his re-hire. After a motion was made to to amend the report and seconded, Mr. Parton didn't make it clear that they were voting to rehire Mr. Paulson, instead it seemed that they were voting on whether to have a vote or not. After all board members voted yes, Mr. Parton said Mr. Paulson was rehired.

Parton's statement had many confused at first but when those in the audience realized what had actually just happened - the BOE had voted unanimously to rehire Mr. Paulson - the crowd exploded with delight.

Tonight was totally out of character for the BOE, changing its position on something like this doesn't normally happen, but I'm glad it did! They got this one right.

Congratulations Mr. Paulson!

Middletown Patch has a brief article on tonight's meeting as well if you would like to check it out.

New Jersey Watchdog Wins New York Press Club Award

Congratulations to reporter Mark Lagerkvist who has been honored  for his story on Double-Dipping Public Officials!

Alexandria, Va—New Jersey Watchdog, an investigative news site of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, has won a New York Press Club Award for a report on “retired” public officials who collect both paychecks and pensions from the Garden State.

The story, by reporter Mark Lagerkvist, was published last August and was selected by judges in the category of political coverage.

“Double-dipping enables public officials in New Jersey to game the system at taxpayer expense,” said Lagerkvist. “The public deserves to know about a practice that drains money from state pension funds already facing a $42 billion debt.”

Lagerkvist’s investigation uncovered five dozen retired state employees back on New Jersey’s payroll– one third hired under Governor Chris Christie, who boasted about his efforts to reform government.

“We are extremely proud of Mark and happy that he is being recognized for this ground-breaking investigation of New Jersey public officials,” said Jason Stverak, president of the Franklin Center. “His work has shed light onto a system that has been abused for years.”

The New York Press Club Awards will be presented on Monday, June 10, at the Press Club’s Awards Presentation Dinner at Manhattan’s Water Club. You can view all the NYPC award winners here.

*****************

The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity is a leader in non-profit journalism. It was founded in 2009 to address falling standards in the media as well as a steep falloff in reporting on state government and provides professional training and assistance with a mission of exposing waste, fraud, and abuse in government.

Crime Scene Middletown: Recent Police Activity Report 5/11/13 - 5/17/13

Written and Issued by the Middletown Police Department
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - Arrests do not indicate convictions

Pietro Amato, age 37, from Leonardville Road in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, arrested on May 11, 2013 by Patrolman Albert Scott for Simple Assault. He was released pending a court date.

Julio Nieto, age 50, from Thousand Oaks Drive in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, arrested on May 11, 2013 by Patrolman James Beirne for Shoplifting from the Shop Rite Store. He was released pending a court date.

George Echevarria, age 21, from Monmouth Parkway in Middletown, NJ, arrested on May 11, 2013 by Patrolman Keith Hirschbein on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Long Branch Municipal Court. He was held on $542.00 bail.

Russell Liquari, age 50, from Prospect Avenue in Middletown, NJ, arrested on May 10, 2013 by Corporal Keith MacDonald for Harassment. He was released pending a court date.

Patrick Conroy, age 26, from Iler Drive in Middletown, NJ, arrested on May 10, 2013 by Patrolman James Beirne for Being under the Influence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance and Disorderly Conduct. He was held on $2,500.00 bail set by Judge Richard Thompson.

Ryan Kristiansen, age 24, from Lorraine Place in Middletown, NJ, arrested on May 10, 2013 by Detective Kelly Godley for Burglary and Theft by Unlawful Taking. He was held on

Patrick Conroy, age 26, from Iler Drive in Middletown, NJ, arrested on May 10, 2013 by Patrolman James Beirne for Being under the Influence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Unlawful Possession of Oxycodone. He was released pending a court date.

On May 12, 2013 Patrolman Ian May arrested a 17 year old male juvenile from Middletown, NJ, for Possession of Alcohol by a Minor. He was released pending a court date.

Peter Sadecki, age 24, from Walada Avenue in Port Monmouth, NJ, arrested on May 13, 2013 by Patrolman Jason Caruso for Driving While Intoxicated, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Unlawful Possession of Xanax, Possession of Molly and on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Asbury Park Municipal Court. He was released pending a court date.

Raymond Hancock, age 37, from Tindall Road in Middletown, NJ, arrested on May 13, 2013 by Patrolman Ian May for Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (metal knuckles). He was released pending a court date.

Zachary Pucci, age 23, from Seaview Avenue in Keansburg, NJ, arrested on May 12, 2013 by Patrolman Keith Hirschbein on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Aberdeen Municipal Court. He was released after posting $500.00 bail.

Joseph Dinse, age 34, from Lilac Drive in Brick, NJ, arrested on May 13, 2013 by Corporal Patricia Colangelo on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Middletown Municipal Court. He was released after posting $500.00 bail.

Serge Honinow, age 63, from Pleasant Valley Road in Wickatunk, NJ, arrested on May 15, 2013 by Officer Richard Fulham of the Quality of Life Unit on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Middletown Municipal Court. He was held on $1,000.00 bail.

On May 14, 2013 Patrolman Thomas Hughes arrested a 17 year old male juvenile from Howell, NJ, for Possession of under 50 Grams of Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute and Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute within 1000 feet of a School Zone.

Eric Fox, age 42, from Lakeside Place in Port Monmouth, NJ, arrested on May 15, 2013 by Patrolman Michael Reuter on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Middletown Municipal Court. He was released after posting $250.00 bail.

Christopher Drybread, age 27, from Walnut Avenue in Red Bank, NJ, arrested on May 15, 2013 by Patrolman Antonio Ciccone on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Middletown Municipal Court. He was released after posting $1,000.00 bail.

Edward Jones, age 56, from Long Branch Avenue in Long Branch, NJ, arrested on May 15, 2013 by Patrolman Antonio Ciccone on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Middletown Municipal Court. He was released after posting $1,500.00 bail.

Jethro Jean-Toussaint, age 28, from Oak Street in South Amboy, NJ, arrested on May 15, 2013 by Patrolman David Crenshaw on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Middletown Municipal Court. He was held on $1,000.00 bail.

Saeeda Wilson, age 35, from Park Avenue in Middletown, NJ, arrested on May 16, 2013 by Patrolman Daniel Benbrook on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Tinton Falls Municipal Court. She was released after posting $114.00 bail.

Lyndsey Vena, age 33, from Thompson Avenue in Middletown, NJ, arrested on May 16, 2013 by Patrolman Michael Reuter on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Middletown Municipal Court. She was held on $1,000.00 bail.

Ryan Dunn, age 31, from Walnut Street in Keyport, NJ, arrested on May 16, 2013 by Patrolman Daniel Benbrook for Possession of under 50 Grams of Marijuana. He was released pending a court date.

Katheleen Chaney, age, arrested on May 16, 2013 by Patrolman Michael Allen on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the

Robert Stainton, age 60, from Lincoln Avenue in Keansburg, NJ, arrested on May 16, 2013 by Patrolman James Beirne for Disorderly Conduct. He was released pending a court date.

Wesley Rucker, age 25, from Bayview Street in Aberdeen, NJ, arrested on May 17, 2013 by Sergeant Douglas Wiatrak on Contempt of Court warrants issued by the Hazlet, and Roselle Park Municipal Court. He was released after posting $2,000.00 bail.

Buono Statement on Lottery Privatization Decision

For Immediate Release:


New Brunswick, NJ – Democratic gubernatorial candidate and State Senator Barbara Buono released the following statement in response to the Treasury Department’s decision to move the Governor’s reckless lottery privatization plan forward:

“Today’s decision is disappointing because the lottery was, by all accounts, operating exceptionally well in New Jersey. As the state’s fourth largest source of revenue, the lottery was responsible for funding essential programs for children, veterans and the disabled. However, under the Governor’s privatization plan, the essential revenue that these programs depend on will now be shared with a private company. Privatizing the lottery is an unnecessary risk at a time when New Jersey cannot afford any more setbacks.”

CWA To Appeal Christie Scheme To Illegally Award Lottery Functions To Politically-Connected, Foreign-Owned Firm

For Immediate Release:

Ignores Clear Legal Guidance from DOJ & NJ Constitution - Invites Lawsuit by Pushing Aside Objections

(TRENTON, NJ) “ Late yesterday, the Christie Administration brushed aside a challenge by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) that would have stopped the State from awarding control of sales and marketing of the New Jersey State Lottery to a politically-connected, foreign-owned, private firm. For months, Christie has consistently stonewalled the public regarding lottery monetization - which could cause at least 7,000 New Jersey jobs to be lost and ship a billion dollars of lottery revenue out of state and abroad. As such, the CWA and small businesses are left with no other alternative other than to oppose this illegal privatization scheme in court.

"Despite all his bluster about putting New Jersey first, Governor Christie is handing over the keys of a valuable taxpayer-owned asset to a foreign company with a clear history of fraud and abuse," said Seth Hahn, Legislative and Political Director for CWA. "Christie can claim it's a mere coincidence that the sole bidder hired his campaign manager and his campaign's lawyer as lobbyists last year - but New Jerseyans know better. Rather than working to make our award-winning lottery even stronger, Christie instead went out of his way to ignore clear legal guidance that every other state pursuing lottery privatization has followed. Christie stacked the deck against small business owners and taxpayers with this illegal scheme, ensuring that the matter will now be settled in the courts."

Last night, the Christie Administration announced via email that it was pushing aside the CWA protest of the intent to award the contract. The Department of Treasury can now move forward with awarding the contract - which could take a couple of days to finalize. This means it will be a few days before the public will even have access to the details about what is in the contract. This is simply the Christie Administration's latest move to keep things secretive. Throughout the process, the only information made available on the privatization scheme has been the result of heavily-redacted records obtained through Open Public Records Requests.

For the nearly eight months, the Christie Administration has steadfastly refused to answer basic questions about the monetization of the state's fourth-most valuable asset. The administration has ducked questions at hearings, press conferences and at every other turn. They announced the contract on Friday, April 12th at 4 pm in a continued bid to minimize public knowledge about the deal. Then, recently, a small hearing was held on the CWA's protest of the award - mostly out of the public's eye, again on a Friday afternoon and only allowing two people from CWA to attend.

The contract between the State and Northstar New Jersey Lottery Group violates the original intent and meaning of the New Jersey Constitution, as well as state law - which specifically called for establishing a lottery to be operated by the state. In other words, the constitution requires the lottery be operated publicly so private enterprises cannot damage the public's trust through even the faintest whispers of corruption. Yet, this deal allows a private company to have the lion's share of operational control over what was always intended to be a state-run lottery.

Last month, six members of New Jersey's Congressional delegation sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asking the Department of Justice to review the contract. These House members are worried the contract runs counter to a 2008 DOJ opinion which advised that such payments have a corrupting nature and run contrary to the public interest, and therefore likely run afoul of longstanding Federal law. Every state that has moved to privatize portions of its state lottery up to this point has followed the recommendations in the memo. Christie will be the first governor to ignore the guidance of the DOJ.

The Northstar partnership consists of three groups. One is Italian-owned, one's Canadian, and the other hails from Georgia. This partnership includes GTECH,  which has a checkered history of fraud, bribery and corruption stretching from Texas to Rhode Island to New Jersey. In fact, Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno prosecuted GTECH's national sales director for a kickback scheme in New Jersey in the 1990s when she was in the U.S. Attorney's Office. In her prosecution, Guadagno argued the firm's corruption was so rampant that the state needed to throw the book at the GTECH official. Guadagno felt so strongly that she released sealed grand jury testimony to the media - a highly unusual step for which she was reprimanded by the New Jersey District Court.

Last year, Christie conducted a study about how to make New Jersey's lottery even better. It showed our award-winning system was one of America's best-run public lotteries - ranking 5th in per capita sales. Growth in online, instant and total sales all far exceeded the national average. In 2010, it had the highest net income margin, making New Jersey our nation's most efficient lottery. Looking at all this information, Christie made the shocking decision to turn sales and marketing functions over to a foreign private corporation. Even worse, despite a 42% growth in sales in the last decade, Northstar will get a cut of profits, up to 5% - if they increase sales just 9% over the next 15 years.

Northstar New Jersey Lottery Group is nearly identical to the firm running the show in Illinois. Following that takeover's first year, they admitted being over $100 million short of revenue projections. The firm then entered into a legal process with the State of Illinois claiming taxpayers owed them $230 million. In just the first half-decade of the contract, they now estimate being $250 million short of revenue estimates.

Aside from being illegal, this scheme is simply bad policy. With nearly one in ten New Jerseyans already out-of-work, lottery privatization is a bad deal - which would make foreign corporations rich while making things worse for taxpayers and small businesses. The Asian American Retailers Association estimates Christie's privatization deal could result in 7,000 jobs lost and that's their conservative estimate. Also, the Christie administration says Northstar New Jersey Lottery Group could earn $1 billion over the life of the contract - meaning a large chunk of lottery profits will be shipped out-of-state and overseas, instead of staying here at home. Moreover, as part of the deal, the state will receive a one-shot, upfront $120 million payment from Northstar. This gimmick has already been taken into account along with other rosy revenue projections for the latest Christie budget proposal.

With all these damning facts coming to light, it's no surprise the Christie Administration has consistently ducked questions and released precious little information on lottery privatization from throughout this process. CWA knows it is clear from what scant details do exist that the contract is illegal, and, as such, will be going to court to appeal.

Records Council Helps Christie Avoid Scandal

For Immediate Release:

The New Jersey agency entrusted with ensuring access to public records may be Gov. Chris Christie's biggest ally for keeping a pension scandal secret in an election year.

After a sudden decision last year not to review state Treasury documents that could incriminate Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno – Christie's running mate – the Government Records Council sat on the case five months before transferring it to the Office of Administrative Law.

The council voted in December to punt the case to OAL. Yet GRC staff waited until this month to send the file, despite an assurance the referral would only take a week or two.

"The delay was due to a work backlog in the Government Records Council," said spokeswoman Lisa Ryan. She would not elaborate.

As a result, a 2-year-old appeal by New Jersey Watchdog returns to Square One. It now appears unlikely the case will decided – or documents released – until after the November gubernatorial election.

The circumstances raise doubt on whether GRC can be trusted with disputes over executive branch records. All members of the council are either Christie cabinet members or public members appointed by the governor. GRC's executive director, Brandon Minde, is Christie's former assistant legal counsel.

Ironically, Christie campaigned on a platform of reform and open government when he was elected governor in 2009.

The complete story is now online at http://newjersey.watchdog.org. The direct link to the article is http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/05/21/8551/

Quote of the Day ... $Billon Shortfall

"You can't bully the numbers. Attacking the messenger is the sign of someone who knows he's wrong, doesn't have the facts, and is unwilling to correct his mistakes. Rather than delaying funds designated for property tax relief, Governor Christie should make millionaire's pay their fair share and ease the burden on working and middle class families."  -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate and State Senator Barbara Buono following today's report by the Office of Legislative Services that the Governor's budget will be short by $1 billion.

Buono for Governor Launches New Web Ad “Names”

The Buono (pronounced BWOH-no) campaign for Governor put out a charming and very funny web ad today marking the campaign's first, real step towards introducing Senator Barbara Buono to general voting public before the June 4th Primary.  It should definitely help her name recognition!

(New Brunswick, NJ) - Today, the Barbara Buono (BWOH-no) for Governor campaign released a new web ad entitled “Names.” Spokesman David Turner said of the ad,

“Senator Buono might have a somewhat difficult name to pronounce but her life story is powerful. This positive ad introduces her to voters, shares Senator Buono’s compelling life story, and her Jersey roots. The ad makes sure that in November, voters will remember the Buono name."

The campaign is launching a web buy to promote the ad, in addition to using their engaged online community to share Barbara’s name.

Armed Forces Day

Today is Armed Forces Day. We'd like to thank all who have served and are serving this great country of ours!

As a side note,  Yahoo has a fascinating yet haunting slideshow that shows the faces of British servicemen, highlighting both the physical and emotional transformations that the young men have endured before, during and after their deployment to Afghanistan. The pictures span a period of seven months and add credence to the saying "War is hell".

http://www.defense.gov/afd/

President Obama's Weekly Address 5/18/13: The President Talks About How to Build a Rising, Thriving Middle Class

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama talked about his belief that a rising, thriving middle class is the true engine of economic growth, and that to reignite that engine and continue to build on the progress we’ve made over the last four years, we need to invest in three areas: jobs, skills and opportunity.

Dangerous and Costly

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

This past week, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere passed 400 parts per million.

This is a milestone in human history in two senses. First, this level of carbon dioxide has never been seen by any human being. In fact, this level has not been achieved for millions of years.

But also, this is a milestone for humans because it is human activity, the way we produce and use energy, that is responsible for this high concentration. As scientists have made clear, this great concentration of greenhouse gas is changing our very climate in ways that are dangerous and costly in dollars and lives.


If we fail to change our ways, fail to change how we generate and use energy, then we will face worse and worse blistering wildfires, withering droughts, flooding events, and super-hurricanes.

As the earth goes barreling past 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, Congress should take action now, this year, to address climate change. As a member of the Safe Climate Caucus, I am committed to seeing that this moment is a turning point, not just a marker of inaction and environmental degradation.

Understanding Your Social Security Benefits

Did you know that many day-to-day transactions with the Social Security Administration can be completed online? You can apply online for retirement benefits, survivors benefits, or Medicare. If you aren’t yet ready to apply for benefits, you can estimate your retirement benefits or create a My Social Security account to view your earnings history online.

If you have questions that aren’t answered online, or if you’d just like to talk to an expert, you can also attend helpful presentations by the Social Security Administration in the community. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20:

Understanding Your Social Security Benefits
3:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 20, 2013
Hickory Corner Library
138 Hickory Corner Road
East Windsor, New Jersey

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Sounds Like Fun - Sand Volleyball at Normandy Park

From Middletown Alerts:


This summer the Middletown Recreation Department will be holding an adult Sand Volleyball Program at Normandy Park. The program will run for 10 weeks on Tuesday nights, starting Tuesday, June 11. Teams will be picked weekly. To register, please go online and sign up with our NEW registration program, communitypass.net/Middletown. If you have any questions, please contact the Recreation Office at 732-615-2260. Looking forward to seeing you all on the court!