Middletown Committeeman Sean Byrnes Confirms Monmouth County Freeholder Bid

After hearing the news earlier today that Middletown's Sean Byrnes was going to seek the Monmouth County Democratic line for Freeholder in order to fill the vacancy left on the ticket by the sudden decision of Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow not to seek re-election, I was stunned. I never expected it, I had never heard from Sean Byrnes or anyone else for that matter, that he ever considered or was even interested in higher office.

As one of two Democratic Committeeman currently serving on Middletown's Township Committee (the other being Patrick Short), Sean Byrnes has made a true difference in bringing transparency and openness to Town Hall. It will be Middletown's lose if Byrnes wins the open Freeholder seat in November.

I reached out to Committeeman Byrnes to ask if he had any comments about his intentions to seek the Democratic party line for the open Freeholder seat up for grabs.

Here is his reply:

"It is all happening a little too quickly. I wasn’t looking to be a candidate, but I was asked. I have mixed feelings. I am just starting to make change in Middletown and make progress. Part of me would like to continue on that path. On the other hand, sometime opportunities come suddenly and you have to be willing to take the plunge. It is far from certain I will get the nod at the convention, so we’ll see."

"... I guess I would say that I have mixed feelings. I do have specific things I would like to accomplish in Middletown. I have just started the Strategic Planning Committee and the Recreation Committee to implement the Master Plan. I am looking forward to the working on those committees. I feel like I have been able to shift the focus and agenda of the Township Committee in the right direction, especially from a budget perspective, so I am reluctant to leave before completing that work. However, the County Government needs reform after so many years of one party control. While last year brought the winds of change to County Government, I don’t want to see us lose the opportunity to continue the changes that Barbara McMorrow and the Democratic Freeholders have started. If control slips back into Republican hands, then I believe we will have missed a significant opportunity for change for the better."

Sean Byrnes will make a great Freeholder candidate, he is smart and always thinks first before answering a question. The man does his homework and believes that the "devil is in the details". I can not think of another person in Monmouth County that would be a better candidate. I think that the Republican challenger, John Curley will have a very difficult road ahead of him if Byrnes is in fact chosen to lead the Monmouth County ticket on Saturday.

I wish him well in his efforts.

 

Middletown's Sean Byrnes to Seek Freeholder Position in Monmouth County

I have a stunning announcement to make, one quite frankly that has taken me by surprise but am very glad to hear.

Middletown Democratic Committeeman, Sean Byrnes, will be seeking the Democratic Party line to run for Monmouth County Freeholder at the party's convention on Saturday.  

Sean Byrnes will be seeking to fill the seat left open by Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow,when she announced that she would not be seeking re-election this year due to health concerns. 

From what I have been told, the other notable in the race is former 11th District Assembly
candidate Mike Beeson, Ocean Township.

Whomever wins the support of the Monmouth County Democrats on Saturday, wether it is Sean Byrnes, Mike Beeson or some other as yet unnamed person, they will be facing off against last years  Republican challanger John Curley, who lost narrowly to Freeholder Amy Mallet.

 

Yet Another Example for Middletown to Follow In order to Reduce the Tax rate

Colts Neck has finialized it's budget according to an article in the Asbury Park Press.

The budget, which will is to be adopted on April 29th calls for just a 1 cent increase to the municipal tax rate. 

Colts Neck Mayor Ben Forester blamed the increase on the decline in state aid :

"In general, the challenges faced by the Township Committee in preparing this year's budget were much more on the revenue side, rather than appropriations," Forester explained. "The continued erosion of state aid, less available surplus, lower interest rates and a slightly lower tax collection rate were mitigated by reductions in most budgets, less capital spending and the use of additional surplus to offset the tax increase."

This just goes to show you that if you are willing to reduce spending  by looking for places in the budget that could be cut , as opposed to increasing or maintaining services such as Middletown, the need for huge tax increases to balance the budget would not be needed.

With a $7+million hole in this years budget, the Middletown GOP majority has to stop blaming others for the current mess the budget is in.  It's time to cut  spending. if that means that residents may not be able to enjoy Park and Recreation events, or have to get to the tax office before well before closing, then so be it. If not, then residents will be looking at a double digit increase to the tax rate in Middletown.

Good job Colts Neck, now lets see if Middletown can follow your lead.

 

Stopping The Presses For Good

Yesterday  on CBS's Sunday Morning news program, Jeff Greenfield reported on the precarious position that the newspaper industry finds itself in with the advent of Internet.

Many people are aware the that printed word is dying.  Newspapers all across the country are stopping their presses and  turning off the lights as more and more readers get their news almost instantly from online news aggregator, blogs and electronic copies of their favorite newspapers. 

 

It was an interesting look at an industry that is slowly dying, but trying desperately to reinvent itself and remain relevant. It's weel worth a watch if you missed it. 

 

President Obama's Weekly Address: 3/28/09

The President addresses the people of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota as they face down disastrous flooding. He speaks of what the government is doing, but also stresses that times of crisis like this are reminders of the need and opportunity Americans have to keep their dedication to service.

Corzine on Morning Joe & HardBall

If you missed Governor Corzine on Morning Joe or on HardBall earlier today, here are the videos. It's worth a look, he talks about the banks, interest rates, Obama's budget plan and the economy and a few other topics.

Corzine On Morning Joe


Corzine on HardBall

HOLT ANNOUNCES ECONOMIC RECOVERY ENERGY GRANTS FOR MONMOUTH COUNTY: Middletown To Receive $610,300

Press Release

Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today announced that Monmouth County and the townships of Manalapan, Marlboro, and Middletown will receive energy grants through the economic recovery bill that Congress passed and President Obama signed last month. The funding comes from Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, which supports efforts to reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions and to improvement energy efficiency. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides governments throughout the state with $75.4 million for the program, including $14.4 million for the State of New Jersey.

Contingent on completing an application to the Department of Energy, Monmouth County will receive $4.2 million, Manalapan will receive $155,300, Marlboro will receive $162,300, and Middletown will receive $610,300.

“The recovery bill is designed not only to create jobs the short term, but also to support efforts to sustain economic growth into the future. Clearly, our economy benefits if we become more energy efficient,” Holt said. “I’m pleased this money is being made available to local communities so quickly.”

According to the Department of Energy, among the initiatives supported by grant funding are:
• Financial Incentive Programs and Mechanisms for energy efficiency improvements such as energy savings performance contracting, on-bill financing, and revolving loan funds.
• Grants to nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies for the purpose of performing Energy Efficiency Retrofits.
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programs for Buildings and Facilities.
• Development and Implementation of Transportation Programs to conserve energy.
• Energy Distribution Technologies that significantly increase energy efficiency, including distributed resources, combined heat and power, and district heating and cooling systems.
• Material Conservation Programs including source reduction, recycling, and recycled content procurement programs that lead to increases in energy efficiency.
• Energy efficient Traffic Signals and Street Lighting.
• Renewable Energy Technologies on Government Buildings.

In other economic recovery news, the Department of Health and Human Services announced today that the Monmouth Family Health Center in Long Branch will receive $100,000 to expand its services to the community.

For a related post, see Pat Walsh's  MiddletownMusings

Will Short Seek Re-Election In Middletown?

Will Democrat Patrick Short seek re-election this year to the Middletown Township Committee?That seems to be the question to over at MoreMonmouthMusings.

Evidently Art Gallagher ran into Mr. Short at last nights Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce's Meet the Mayors event last night and asked him if he had intentions to seek re-election.

According to Art, Short left open the possibility of not running for re-election.

In his post, Art gave some very nice background to his readers about Short's previous victory and some useful suggestions for Short to consider before seeking re-election, which was surprising considering how anti- Middletown Dems Art Gallagher is.    

If you ask me however, I think that Short was just messing a bit with Gallagher. Short knows Gallagher's history  so why enlighten him on his intentions?

I have never heard Patrick Short directly say anywhere that he was not going to seek re-election. By keeping people guessing as to his intention, it has lead to wide scale speculations from his Middletown GOP adversaries.

I happen to think that Short will be running again.

With that in mind, like Art Gallagher, I am attaching a poll to my blog to see what others feel about whether or not Patrick Short will seek re-election.   

Hey Middletown, Look What Long Branch Has Done With Their Budget

Hey Middletown, look what Long Branch has done with it's budget! 

According to the Asbury Park Press, Long Branch was looking at a 6.3% increase to it's municipal tax rate. That increase to the municipal budget, during these hard financial times, was unacceptable to the City Council.

After searching throughout the budget for additional savings and deferring some of their annual pension obligations, the tax rate increase has been cut from a projected 6.3% to a 2.2% tax hike, which would reflect a 4.1% savings from previous drafts of the budget.

Am I saying that I am happy that the people of Long Branch, with just a 2.2% increase, will have to pay more taxes this year? No, I'm not. In a perfect world there would be no need to increase the tax rate, but there is no such thing as a perfect world.  At least the City Council has found ways to keep from having such a large increase as earlier projected.

To me, that's a job well done.  Middletown on the other hand, has a $7+ million budget deficit to fill, how are they going to manage that?

I suspect by having a huge tax increase. 

The republican controlled Township Committee thinks that it is more important to maintain services that people have become accustomed to and hold concerts in the park, then making tough choices that may risk their hold on the township committee.

With 40% of this years budget already spent they better figure it out.

Middletown Holding Second Neighborhood Meeting Tonight

Sean Brynes and other members of the Township Committee will be attending tonights neighborhood meeting at Bayshore Middle School. The meeting scheduled to start at 7 pm. The purpose of this meeting is to give residents an opportunity to speak informally with township officials and staff about life in Middletown. Representatives from the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, Police, Public Works and Planning Departments are also scheduled to attend.

If you have any issues or concerns to present or addressed to township representatives, be advised that no formal action will be taken at the neighborhood meeting.

The third and last neighborhood meeting is scheduled for April 2 at Thorne Middle School.

Location:
Bayshore Middle School
All Purpose Room
834 Leonardville Rd.

Leonardo, NJ 07737

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

Update 3/25- 10:35 am : I've just been informed that Democratic Committeeman Partrick Short will also be in attendence at tonights neighborhood meeting to answer any question that you may have.

 

If Fair Haven Can Reduce The Tax Rate, Why Not Middletown?

The great budget battle in Middletown continues to rage on.  Already nearly 40% of  FY 2009 budget has been spent by the Township through emergency appropriation. 

How can we allow this to happen? No matter how much budget wrangling goes on, it will be almost impossible to save taxpayers from a municipal tax increase with only 60% of the budget left to play with.

If anyone thought that the leaf pick-up this year was a fiasco, wait until you see what the results will be of the draconian budget cuts that will be needed to close a possible $7 million deficit in the township budget. 

The reason why Middletown is in this type of mess to begin with is because the Township Committee, controlled by Assemblyman want to be Gerry Scharfenberger, Pam Brightbill and Tony "the Fibber" Fiore, unlike Fair Haven, has refused to cut services. Instead, the GOP control Township Committee has raised our tax rate by 17% over the past 3 years to close the budget deficits, all the while blaming Trenton for it.

How did Fair Haven save it's taxpayers 2% on their tax bill? They consolidated departments, bid out fro professional services and now do engineering work in-house.

Now granted, Middletown is a much larger town than Fair Haven, with more complex issues to deal with, but if Fair Haven can consolidate services to save money, then Middletown should also be able to, there is a lot of fat that could be trimmed before Middletown should consider a tax increase.

One idea being floated by Democrat Sean Brynes is to transfer the Cultural Arts Center from the Parks and Recreation department to the Middletown Library. Many of the programs offered at the Arts Center are duplicated by the library system, so why not ask the library to take over the Arts Center in order to run it more efficiently. In doing so, it could save the township over a quarter million dollars in operating fees alone.

Middletown should look at Fair Haven as an example of how to control costs and limit spending in order to contain the need for tax increases.

Click here to read how Fair Haven was able lower it's tax rate 2 years in a row. 

Cost of uninsured adds $1,100/year to premiums of insured families.

I often get into heated debates with a co-worker of mine over the need for some sort of universal health care coverage for all U.S. citizens.

My co-worker is dead set against it, he argues that health care would be rationed and he would have to wait to see a doctor. He tell of how his cousins from Canada came across the border to seek medical treatment because they had to wait so long to be treated in Canada for what ailed them.  

He buys into the old GOP argument that government bureaucrats would  be deciding what was best for himself and family rather than his doctors.

I show him the irony to his argument by pointing out that instead of government bureaucrats making health care decision for us, we have insurance companies making those decisions for us today.    

When I point out to him that there is close to 100 million people in this country that have no health insurance at all and because of this, we and our employer pay for it through our insurance premiums, he says he does not care, he is only interested in the facts. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to discuss thing with him.

So for my co-worker, here are some facts. I found this information on Think Progress's  The Wonk Room. The study was done by the Center for American Progress:

When the uninsured cannot pay for the care they receive, health care providers shift costs to Americans with insurance in the form of higher premiums. A new report from The Wonk Room’s Ben Furnas and Peter Harbage concludes that a failure to continuously cover all Americans accounts “for roughly 8 percent of the average health insurance premium“:

This cost-shift amounts to $1,100 per average family premium in 2009 and $410 per average individual premium. By 2013, assuming the cost shift remains the same percentage of premium costs, the cost shift will be approximately $480 for an individual policy and $1,300 for a family policy.

Read the full report>>>Here

Update: TOMSA Complies With OPRA Request... Sort Of

I have an update to yesterdays post concerning the Township Of Middletown Sewage Authority's stonewalling of Carolyn Schwebel's OPRA request.

I received an email from Mrs. Schwebel stating that she received documents, via fax, of some of the documents that she had requested:

"The figures are large. I had asked for the TOMSA Commissioners' pension, etc., but it's not clear if they gave me that or the whole amount that includes TOMSA employees as well.

There is an arrogant resolution that at a meeting February 12, 2009, Tom Stokes made a motion that was passed unanimously that "each member of TOMSA" receive salary of $1750 except the chairperson who will get $2150 a year starting February 1, 2009! (Can they back date that way?

Lots of nerve in these times, when people are questioning TOMSA's salary and the twp. committee has terminated its own."

Carolyn Schwebel then sent a follow-up email that stated that she contacted TOMSA Director Patrick Parkinson for clarification:

"I have one question, as I'm not clear on terminology. I had asked for the TOMSA Commissioners' pension ,insurance etc. Are the figures you sent for just the TOMSA commissioners, (Stokes, , Rogers, Raisch, Hinckley, Buow, Smith, Wrede) ) or do they also include payment for regular TOMSA employees as well.?"

Parkinson responded by writing,  "The pension payments are a total for all TOMSA employees."

Come on Pat, this is totally unacceptable and a bad job on your part. 

You stonewall and provide false information to Mrs. Schwebel, in an attempt to discourage her request for information and them when you do provide the information, it is not the specific information that Mrs. Schwebel requested. 

Mrs. Schwebel sent me a copy of her OPRA request form and the documents that you supplied. She specifically stated that she was interested in just commissioners and alternate commissioners compensation. Not the two documents that you supplied her with that shows the total monthly cost of health benefits and pension for all that work for TOMSA. 

I am currently looking into the above statement of Mrs. Schwebel's that mentions the raise in the yearly stipend that the TOMSA commissioner's voted for themselves. This information was included with her OPRA request. When I track down further information on this, I'll pass it along.    

The Obama Generation

Here is an interesting piece from Political Wire that is sure to raise a few eyebrows.

A new Democracy Corps poll shows the Republican Party is "growing more and more irrelevant to America's young people. In marked contrast, young people's support for the President has expanded beyond the 66 percent support they gave him last November."

"Republicans struggle among young people for a very specific reason. At a time when young people are paying close attention to politics and when so many are struggling economically, even more so than older generations, the Republicans simply do not speak to the reality of their lives or to the issues important to them. This perception stands in marked contrast to their reaction to Barack Obama."

Gerry, The Want To Be Assemblyman, Sure Does Love To Write Letters

Gerry Scharfenberger, the Middletown GOP deputy-mayor, sure does love to write letters to the editor.

The "Want to be Assemblyman" has a penchant, a real knack so to speak, for the written word. 

It is a bit unfortunate though that most of what he writes about are gross exaggerations or half truths.  If you paid much attention to him or his letters, you'd think that all of Middletown's problems were caused by Democrats in Trenton and the only way to fix Middletown was to get rid of  Governor Jon Corzine and all those terrible, liberal,unfunded mandate happy democrats.

It doesn't seem to matter to him that most of todays problems started with Christie Whitman when his beloved Republicans controlled Trenton and it also doesn't matter that none of his letters offer solutions or tell us how he would fix a problem, they are just rants about how the democrats are the problem.

His latest letter was posted at the Atlantic Highlands Herald this past Friday, it's more of the same rhetoric  that we've come to expect out of him, blame,blame,blame and no solutions.

So I was quite happy to see that Pat Walsh decided to take on Gerry's letter on her Middletown Musings blog.  She did a good job so I have decided to copy and post it her blog entry here with Pat Walsh's comments in blue. :

There goes Gerry again, who hasn't met an adjective he doesn't like. He pounds his usual themes always concluding that the problem is OVER THERE... He never seems to get that he has a responsibility in this as a township committee member. Bloated government... what about two township lawyers in one year? 9But for Gerry the issue is personal, if Chris Christie succeeds then Gerry plans to move up to the legislature. Sorry Middletown, then we will have three legislators who have brought ZERO dollars back to our town.

Reversing Course on Bloated State Government

For the second year in a row, Governor Corzine has delivered a crushing blow to Middletown by proposing another enormous cut in municipal aid. (2%) It should be noted that the very term “municipal aid” is actually a misnomer. In reality, this is money sent to Trenton by Middletown residents in the form of income taxes, sales taxes, corporate taxes and any number of other fees and taxes. The tiny portion of the money that is returned to Middletown and other suburban towns helps pay for essential services and infrastructure maintenance. As a result of this punitive move by the governor, the pressure on local property taxes intensifies exponentially.

COMMENT: The crushing blow to taxpayer's is the addition of a second lawyer to the township budget, the purchase of a new township property adding to our already bloated debt service, The hiring of a lobbyist at 60K, bonding for the Shadow Lake project only to admit that it will never get off the ground becuase the plan was flawed. Gerry, like his favorite candidate CC seems to have forgotten about the 7.6 Billion dollar hole in the budget created by the recession. just a hint, essential services do not include hiring all your GOP cronies to the Sewerage Authority with free health benefits and pensions. The only reason the tax pressure has intensified exponetially is that the GOP committee members can stop spending money.


What is most frustrating is that the governor has chosen to preserve billion dollar, elective spending programs such as COAH, schools construction, universal pre-school, Abbott funding, FMLA and aid to distressed cities, among others. The latter saw a staggering $127 million sent to Union City, Jersey City, Camden, Newark, Paterson, Asbury Park and Bridgeton in 2008. With the current economic situation and suburban towns struggling to maintain basic services, it is patently unfair for the state to take even more of our tax dollars to fund these programs.

COMMENT: Hey Gerry, Let's just guess what happens if even one municipality goes under? The bonding rating for all would increase exponentially putting asll towns in even worse shape. It is patently unfair that you will take 6 months to produce a budget, which you have already spent 40% of before you even start making cuts, while democrats are struggling to find areas of the budget to save the taxpayers money'

To make matters worse, the governor has burdened Middletown with millions of dollars in unfunded mandates, which are state-ordered spending decrees with no state funding to meet the mandate. This places suburban towns in the precarious position of putting the health, safety and quality of life of every taxpayer in jeopardy through Draconian budget cuts to try and offset the loss of municipal aid that is, simply put, the residents’ own money to begin with.

COMMENT: The reason Middletown finds itself is a precarious state has something to do with the draconian spending that the GOP has hoisted upon us. Lats years increase alone was 7.1%and even with the new tax rate I bet Middletown will participate in the Pension Deferral program even though none of its legislators voted for it. That means that the decrease we might have seen in our taxes next year due to a decrease in the amount of Debt Service will disappear.

Clearly, New Jersey cannot continue down this road of skyrocketing taxation and wasteful spending on ill-advised government programs. Our only hope is for every taxpayer to make their voices heard this November and reverse the course of our current unsustainable, bloated state government.

COMMENT: Clearly Middletown cannot continue down the road od skyrocketing tax increases imposed on us by GOP governmentusing our precious tax dollars on wasteful spending like two township attorneys.( one of whom only recently came off the cushy Sewerage Authority.) The unsustainable and bloated local government has to change it ways or be replaced. Clearly Gerry needs to start taking responsibility for his own decisions that have left Middletown with hugh tax increases.

Township Of Middletown Sewage Authority (TOMSA) In Violation of OPRA Law

What is the Township Of Middletown Sewage Authority (TOMSA) hiding and why wont they comply with  OPRA requests?

Middletown resident Carolyn Schwebel has been trying for weeks to get information about compensation and benefits that are given TOMSA Commissioners. She wants to know if commissioners receive health benefits to go along with their maximum yearly stipend of $1750.

Health benefits for TOMSA commissioners has become a hot button issue among some in town since Committeeman Sean Brynes suggested that these benefits should not be awarded to Township appointed officials. 

Sean Brynes suggested during recent budget meetings, that in order to save township tax payers money during these hard economic times, the township should look into ending the practice of giving sewage authority commissioners health benefits.  According to TOMSA meeting minutes, most meeting last on average less than 1 hour per month.  Brynes therefore argued that to pay each of the 7 township committee appointed commissioners a stipend of $1750 per year and health benefits was excessive.

Committeeman Brynes's suggestion to discontinue the practice of awarding benefits to TOMSA commissioners was dismissed entirely by the King and Queen of the Township Committee, Gerry (I want to be an Assemblyman) Scharfenberger and Pam Brightbill. Both argued that the  health benefits that the commissioners enjoy are not issued by the township but by TOMSA and therefore the township committee could not act to take away the benefits. When pressed further on the issue, the mayor and deputy-mayor simply resorted to the old standby line of  " they do a good job so they deserve it".

This answer lead to Mrs. Schwebel and others to seek the ordinances which established the creation of the sewage authority through an OPRA request.  For their effort they receive several ordinances and resolutions from the township clerk.       

Ordinance 1856, notes salaries to be paid to commissioners, but adds, "as shall hereafter be determined by the Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority, provided, however, that in no event may any member receive any additional compensation for his services as officer, agent, or employee of such authority," 

In no ordinance or resolution  was the issuance of health benefits stated or mandated by the Township Committee when it authorized the creation of TOMSA. In fact, it seems that the Township Committee was quite clear in ordinance 1856, that NO other compensation was to be given to commissioners. So what happened to change this?  Carolyn Schwebel was told by the township clerk that she would have to submit a separate OPRA request with TOMSA to find out. So, that is exactly what she did.

Finally on Friday of this past week, Carolyn Schwebel received word that her OPRA request was ready for pick-up and that it would cost her $1.00 per page. When she stated that she had requested that the pages be faxed or emailed to her because she has a disability and it is hard for her to get around, therefore there should be no cost.

When she insisted to the secretary that her request should be faxed or emailed to her as OPRA guide lines allow, the director of TOMSA, non other than are very own disgraced former mayor, Patrick Parkinson said "We don't do that"' and that the payment is to pay them for "running around collecting the stuff." Parkinson said, "We have always done it this way, and they do it all over the state.".

Mrs. Schwebel said to Patrick Parkinson, that OPRA materials and Middletown clerk's OPRA request form describes the 75 cents per page as a copying fee only, and "The fees for duplication of a government record in printed form are listed on the front of this form."

She told him the town clerk, does not refuse to send fax or e-mail responses. Parkinson responded by saying that they have nothing to do with the township clerk, and that they have their own form. Parkinson said that he would mail her OPRA response once they had her check.

This is truly an outrage and unfortunately this type of behavior seems to be standard practice amongst Middletown GOP members. When residents ask hard questions or seek out information that may be embarrassing to the local GOP, people like Patrick Parkinson, Gerry Scharfenberger or Pam Brightbill will either refuse to answer them, stonewall  or discourge people from abtaining  the information that they are after.

As Carolyn Schwebel states in her letter sent to township officials and copied to me:

"I am concerned that in spite of their salary, medical benefits, and pension, the Middletown Sewerage Authority Commissioners are not demonstrating proper oversight of TOMSA. This violation of OPRA has apparently existed since the beginning of OPRA. The policy needs to be rectified by the TOMSA commissioners and you. Other residents have no doubt been given the wrong information already and have had to go in and pay to get printed copies that they neither needed not wanted. The policy under TOMSA can be a to burden older people, working people and those with disabilities."

Stop the stalling TOMSA and send the documents that Mrs. Schwebel has requested.  Stop trying to cover up and be forthright with Middletown residents by answering the questions. 

Are commissioners of  TOMSA receiving other benefits other than the stipend originally outline in township ordinance 1856? If so, why? And who authorized commissioners to receive health benefits and a state pension? I and others would like to know.       

   

Iran's supreme leader dismisses Obama overtures

Yahoo News-

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's supreme leader rebuffed President Barack Obama's latest outreach on Saturday, saying Tehran was still waiting to see concrete changes in U.S. policy.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was responding to a video message Obama released Friday in which he reached out to Iran on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian new year, and expressed hopes for an improvement in nearly 30 years of strained relations.

Khamenei holds the last word on major policy decisions, and how Iran ultimately responds to any concrete U.S. effort to engage the country will depend largely on his say.

In his most direct assessment of Obama and prospects for better ties, Khamenei said there will be no change between the two countries unless the American president puts an end to U.S. hostility toward Iran and brings "real changes" in foreign policy.

Read More >>>Here

President Obama's Weekly Address: 3/21/09

The President reflects on lessons from his time spent outside Washington this week, which only reinforced the four core principles in his budget.

The President's Message to the Iranian People

President Obama's special video message for all those celebrating Nowruz, or "New Day." This year, the President wanted to send a special message to the people and government of Iran, acknowledging the strain in our relations over the last few decades. After committing his administration to a future of honest and respectful diplomacy, he addresses Iran's leaders directly

Corzine To Restore Property Tax Deductions For Those Earning Up To $150K

I have many friends on the social networking site Facebook, one of which is Jon Corzine, when I logged onto my account I noticed the following entry from the Governor:

"Jon Corzine is restoring property tax deductions for taxpayers earning up to $150k. With this revision 84% of taxpayers can claim the deduction."

This was a smart move, taking away the property tax deduction for those making less the $75K a year, in order to balance this years budget would have been the equivalent of Jim Florio's tax on toilet in the early 90's.  It could have sparked a real revolt.

In the current economic mess we find ourselves in today, New Jersey residents already pay the highest property taxes in the country, to take away both their tax deduction and rebates for property taxes would most likely be political suicide for the Governor and Democrats in Trenton.  

Commentary: GOP's "small government" talk is hollow

By Julian E. Zelizer
Special to CNN

note: Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. His new book, "Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security -- From World War II to the War on Terrorism," will be published this fall by Basic Books. Zelizer writes widely on current events.

PRINCETON, New Jersey (CNN) -- As the budget debate heats up, Republicans are warning of socialism in the White House and claiming that Democrats are rushing back to their dangerous tonic of big government.

Speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Rush Limbaugh warned that "the future is not Big Government. Self-serving politicians. Powerful bureaucrats. This has been tried, tested throughout history. The result has always been disaster."

On CNN, former Vice President Dick Cheney said he is worried that the administration is using the current economic conditions to "justify" a "massive expansion" in the government.

After the past eight years in American politics, it is impossible to reconcile current promises by conservatives for small government with the historical record of President Bush's administration. Most experts on the left and right can find one issue upon which to agree: The federal government expanded significantly after 2001 when George W. Bush was in the White House.

The growth did not just take place with national security spending but with domestic programs as well. Even as the administration fought to reduce the cost of certain programs by preventing cost-of-living increases in benefits, in many other areas of policy -- such as Medicare prescription drug benefits, federal education standards and agricultural subsidies -- the federal government expanded by leaps and bounds. And then there are the costs of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Federal spending stood at about $1.9 trillion in 2000, when Democrat Bill Clinton ended his presidency. In his final year in office, Bush proposed to spend $3.1 trillion for fiscal year 2009. President Obama's budget proposal for fiscal 2010 is $3.6 trillion.

Nor can Republicans blame a Democratic Congress for being responsible for these trends. Much of the expansion took place between 2002 and 2006, when Republicans controlled both Congress and the White House. The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes was writing about "big government conservatism" back in 2003.

Two years later, the right-wing CATO Institute published a report noting that total government spending had grown by 33 percent in President Bush's first term, lamenting that "President Bush has presided over the largest overall increase in inflation-adjusted federal spending since Lyndon B. Johnson."

There were some areas where Bush backed off government cuts because programs were too popular, like Social Security. In other areas, like federal education policy and prescription drug benefits, the president seemed enthusiastic about bigger government.

Bush and Cheney also embraced a vision of presidential power that revolved around a largely unregulated and centralized executive branch with massive authority over the citizenry. This was a far cry from the days of Ohio Sen. Robert Taft, a Republican who constantly warned about the dangers of presidential power to America's liberties.

After the 2008 election, Cheney was not apologetic. He explained that "the president believes, I believe very deeply, in a strong executive, and I think that's essential in this day and age. And I think the Obama administration is not likely to cede that authority back to the Congress. I think they'll find that given a challenge they face, they'll need all the authority they can muster."

Importantly, the marriage between conservatism and a robust federal government was not unique to the Bush presidency. The roots of Bush's comfort with government can be traced to the Republican Right in the 1950s, members of Congress who called for an aggressive response to domestic and international communism.

Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon were two Republicans who pragmatically accepted that Americans had come to expect that the federal government would protect against certain risks and that trying to reverse politics to the pre-New Deal period would be politically suicidal.

"Should any political party," Eisenhower said, "attempt to abolish Social Security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history."

When Nixon and congressional Republicans battled with Democrats over Social Security between 1970 and 1972, the debate revolved over how much to expand the program. Congressional Democrats wanted to increase benefits through the legislative process, while Nixon wanted to index benefits so they automatically increased with inflation.

Nixon and Congress did both.

President Reagan backed off his most ambitious efforts to cut government, most dramatically when he abandoned his proposal to curtail Social Security after facing a fierce backlash, while the military budget boomed. President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, which was one of the boldest regulatory expansions of government since the civil rights laws of the 1960s.

All of these presidents, particularly Nixon and Reagan, likewise promoted a muscular vision of presidential power that strengthened the authority of government and introduced concepts, such as the unitary executive, which would become the intellectual underpinning of the Bush administration.

"When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal," Nixon told David Frost in 1977. Like it or not, strengthening the presidency is one of the most important ways in which the role of government has grown since the nation's founding.

Fifty years of American history have shown that even the party that traditionally advocates small government on the campaign trail opts for big government when it gets into power. The rhetoric of small government has helped Republicans attract some support in the past, but it is hard to take such rhetoric seriously given the historical record -- and it is a now a question whether this rhetoric is even appealing since many Americans want government to help them cope with the current crisis.

Sunshine Award goes to Sean Brynes and Pat Short

From Pat Walsh's Middltown Musings

Democratic Township Committeemen Sean Brynes and Pat Short are to be honored with the "SUNSHINE AWARD" during this sunshine week for their successful efforts at shedding light on the Middletown Township Committee agenda.

Sean authored the resolution which sought to put the agenda material on the website . Not only did they convince there fellow committee members to approve the resolution, they have also managed to have a binder containing the agenda material placed at the meeting as well. For their combined support of bringing the sunshine law to life in Middletown they are to be commended.

Considering that Middletown residents have been left in the dark for the past 20 years by the GOP this is an astounding feat. On Monday nights agenda was a "resolution for the expenditure of funds" with no amount listed and no idea what the funds were being expended for. That method of hiding how they spend out tax dollars has finally ended thanks to their efforts.

I have to caution all of you that I still remain somewhat skeptical that the majority will adhere to the spirit of the law and this resolution. The GOP Majority has a nasty habit of dropping resolutions on the agenda and the democratic committeemen as they are literally walking in the door to a meeting.

I will wait to see how they live up to this ordinance before I will be convinced.

Middletown to put proposed resolutions online

From yesterdays Asbury Park Press - comment to follow:

Residents soon may be able to read the details of proposed resolutions and ordinances before attending Township Committee meetings. But once a meeting begins, a new ordinance will regulate how they can record the proceedings.

Officials plan to speak with at least one volunteer who has said he is willing to scan copies of the proposed resolutions and ordinances onto Middletown's Web site the Friday before a Township Committee meeting, said Anthony Mercantante, the township's administrator.

During its meeting on Monday, the Township Committee voted unanimously to institute the new online policy.

For months, Committeemen Sean Byrnes and Patrick Short advocated for the information to be posted on the Web site, saying it would allow residents to be better informed before attending meetings. Currently, only a one-sentence description of each proposed resolution or ordinance is posted on the site.

But Township Clerk Heidi Abs repeatedly said her office was already overwhelmed with work and could not find the time to do the scanning without additional manpower.

Bernard Reilly, Middletown's former township attorney, had also said there could be legal issues in posting information that could be withdrawn or amended before the start of a meeting.

During a committee meeting earlier this month, Mercantante suggested hiring a part-time employee to do the scanning. But Short said it made more sense to find a volunteer to do the work.

"We're talking about someone scanning documents for a couple of hours twice a month," Short said on Tuesday.

Mercantante hopes someone will be trained and able to do the scanning in time for the April 6 Township Committee meeting.

Also on Monday, Middletown Township Committee voted 3-2 to approve an ordinance that prohibits residents from using video devices — including cell phones — to record the meeting from the room's front half when there are more than 30 people in the room.

Township Committeeman Anthony Fiore — who voted to approve the ordinance along with Mayor Pamela Brightbill and Deputy Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger — said its objective is to prevent video equipment from getting in the way of people who wish to see what is going on.

"I don't think any of us object to anybody videotaping the meetings," Fiore said.

Byrnes said he does not understand how someone using a handheld camera while sitting on one of the room's benches could pose an obstruction to someone else.

After Scharfenberger said he had received several complaints, Short asked him to enumerate them. Scharfenberger did not answer.

"We just put something in law just speculating that there will be a problem," said Short, who noted that the only person he had ever seen recording meetings was Patricia Walsh, a Middletown Board of Education member who unsuccessfully ran against Brightbill and Fiore in 2008.

During the meeting, Walsh commended Township Committee for approving the new online policy but criticized members for the video recording ordinance.

"If I were grading you on open and transparent government, I'd give you an F," Walsh said.

 I assume that the resolutions are typed on the computer. why can't they just be copied and pasted to the Web site instead of printed and scanned back in by a volunteer? 

As for the video taping or recording of meetings, the ordinance that past on a strictly party line vote is an obvious attempt at trying to stop people from their rights to information. It is interesting that when pressed by Patrick Short, Deputy Mayor Scharfenberger could not or would not name one resident that complained about being distracted from the proceedings due to  Pat Walsh videoing them. It is a clear sign of partisen politics at its worst.

A New Foundation for Growth

President Obama talks about his budget and asks you to get involved by making calls and talking to friends and neighbors.

NARAL Pro-Choice America Praises Introduction of Lautenberg-Lee REAL Act

Press Release

WASHINGTON - March 17 - Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice American and a former teacher and state education official, today praised Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) for leading the effort to establish the first-ever federal program for comprehensive sex education.

The Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act would fund honest, realistic sex education for young people in public schools around the country.

"This bill reflects the American value that our teens should get honest, realistic information in the classroom," Keenan said. "As someone who spent 25 years as a teacher and state education official in Montana, I commend Sen. Lautenberg, Rep. Lee, and all the bill's supporters for answering the public's call to move away from the failed Bush-backed 'abstinence-only' policy. Americans, especially parents, want to provide teens with the truth about contraception and other ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and avoid unintended pregnancy. The parents I talk to believe that values are taught at home and the facts are taught at school. The REAL Act reflects this principle."

This year, in a departure from years past, Congress heeded the public's call for a focus on commonsense solutions to prevent unintended pregnancies and to cut funding for failed "abstinence-only" programs of the Bush era by $14 million.

Currently, states and localities can only receive federal funding if they agree to teach "abstinence-only" programs in their schools. That means teachers must censor information about the health benefits of contraception. Under the REAL Act, states could apply for federal funding to teach honest and age appropriate sex-education classes in their schools.

NARAL Pro-Choice America will continue to work with lawmakers to advance this legislative measure as a part of its Prevention FirstPrevention First initiative in 2005 to advance commonsense policy solutions to prevent unintended pregnancies and therefore reduce the need for abortion. initiative. NARAL Pro-Choice America launched the

For more information, please visit www.ProChoiceAmerica.org.

For more than 30 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has been the nation's leading advocate for privacy and a woman's right to choose. With more than one million members and supporters, NARAL Pro-Choice America is fighting to protect the pro-choice values of freedom and privacy. With the Supreme Court one vote away from overturning Roe v. Wade and many state legislatures under anti-choice control, our work has never been more important.

Obama fills out Final Four bracket for ESPN

I am not a very big basketball fan, so I admittedly know very little about the NCCA college basketball tourney which will be starting soon. The one thing that I do know however is that the Big East conference placed 3 teams as #1 seeds which is a good thing if you are into the local college teams.

The one person that I know for sure that is a huge basketball fan is President Obama and according to the follow Associated Press story, he has filled out his Final Four tournament bracket for ESPN and it will be revealed today on "Sportscenter" at noon.  

NEW YORK – President Barack Obama is picking Louisville, North Carolina, Memphis and Pittsburgh for the Final Four in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

The First Hoops Fan indulged in one of the week's most popular pastimes, filling out his NCAA bracket Tuesday for ESPN. The network, which is posting Obama's bracket online Wednesday and showing Andy Katz's report on "Sportscenter" at noon EDT, will reveal the president's pick for NCAA champion then.

The president stuck primarily with No. 1 seeds. The sole exception was Memphis, seeded No. 2 behind Connecticut in the West regional.

"It was an educated bracket," Katz said. "He knew what he was doing. It wasn't some random kind of pick. There were no political favors or anything like that."

A private campaign promise earned ESPN the hoops scoop.

Katz interviewed Obama during the presidential campaign last October for a story about the president's brother-in-law, Oregon State head basketball coach Craig Robinson. After the interview, Obama invited Katz to play in a pickup basketball game on Election Day in Chicago, and he did.

Katz extracted a promise from Obama that if elected, the new president would reveal his NCAA picks to ESPN when the pairings were announced in March.

"They stayed true to their word and didn't hesitate to get it done," he said.

Even with a lot on his mind, Obama seemed up on the latest news, such as which teams had won conference tournaments and what players were injured, he said.

They even had some good-natured arguing. Katz is picking Wake Forest and Connecticut in his Final Four, along with North Carolina and Pittsburgh. The two men also disagreed on the eventual national champion.

AIG BONUSES "ARE AN INSULT TO FAMILIES TRYING TO SURVIVE THE ECONOMIC CRISIS,"

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a member of the Banking Committee released the following statement on bonuses paid out by AIG, the insurance giant that also has benefited from a government rescue plan:

“These bonuses are an insult to families who are trying to survive the economic crisis by saving every penny and changing their way of life. They have every right to be furious that AIG is taking their tax dollars while carrying on with what can only be described as business as usual – particularly when business as usual helped put us in this mess.

“President Obama is right to have his administration search every legal means available to try to block these bonuses, and I will help push similar efforts in the Senate. The question must be asked: If unions can be expected to renegotiate contracts to help save companies or industries, then why can’t companies do the same with their executives during this crisis?

“We have to make sure that Wall Street is using taxpayer money in a responsible manner. Perhaps equally as important, we have to make sure that some on Wall Street don’t further erode the confidence of the American people by failing to recognize the need for shared sacrifice. There is a fundamental and troubling disconnect between the realities that families across this country are living through and how some on Wall Street are acting like there is no crisis.”

Senator Menendez also appeared yesterday afternoon on the MSNBC program "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" with host David Shuster to discuss his feelings on the AIG bonuses.

Some St. Patrick's Day Humor

Here's a little St. Patrick's Day humor to start your morning.  It's slightly off color but sure to put a smile on your face.

 Nookie Green:

 An Irish man went to confession in St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

'Father', he confessed, 'it has been one month since my last confession'. 'I had sex with Nookie Green twice last month.'

The priest told the sinner, 'You are forgiven. Go out and say three Hail Mary's.'

Soon thereafter, another Irish man entered the confessional. 'Father, it has been two months since my last confession. I've had sex with Nookie Green twice a week for the past two months.'

This time, the priest questioned, 'Who is this Nookie Green?'  'A new woman in the neighborhood,' the sinner replied.

'Very well,' sighed the priest. Go and say ten Hail Mary's;  At mass the next morning, as the priest prepared to deliver the sermon,a tall, voluptuous, drop-dead gorgeous redheaded woman entered the sanctuary.

The eyes of every man in the church fell upon her as she slowly sashayed up the aisle and sat down right in front of the priest. Her dress was green and very short, and she wore matching, shiny emerald-green shoes.

The priest and the altar boy gasped as the woman in the green dress and matching green shoes sat with her legs spread slightly apart, but just enough to realize she wasn't wearing any underwear.

The priest turned to the altar boy and whispered, 'Is that Nookie Green?'

The bug-eyed altar boy couldn't believe his ears but managed to calmly reply, 'No Father, I think it' s just a reflection from her shoes'.

How to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day Like an Irishman

Today is St. Patrick's Day, the one day of the year when everyone has to chance to be Irish.

Most people however really don't know what that means, it's not about drinking green beer or eating corned beef and cabbage. It's much more than that, so I found this clip on Youtube that explain just how to be Irish in eight easy steps.

Obama to sit down with Jay Leno on 'The Tonight Show'

Thursday night President Barack Obama will be sitting down with Jay Leno as a guest on "The Tonight Show". Obama will be using his time with Leno to hawk his economic recovery plan while enjoying the serenades of Garth Brooks.

Obama has visited Leno before, making his first "Tonight Show" appearance in December 2006, when he was plotting his White House bid. Other successful presidential candidates preceded him, including Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

The appearence should be a good one, Obama is know for his wit and charm so I'll be looking forward to watching the show.

Read More >>> Here

Middletown's Scharfenberger to seek 13th District Assembly Seat

This is big news that means there is a huge shake up going on in Monmouth County. I just heard from a very reliable source that Middletown's Deputy Mayor, Gerry Scharfenberger, will be running for Amy Handlin's Assembly seat in the 13th District.

How is this possible? It seems that there is a major plan brewing to regain Middletown for the GOP. NJ State Senator and Middletown resident Joe Kyrillos will be seeking the Lt. Governorship on the line with his long time buddy Chris Christie. The plan then has fellow Middletown resident ,Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, seeking Kyrillos's seat in the State Senate for the 13th district. Scharfenberger will then fill Handlin's seat in the Assembly.

This is all geared toward getting out strong GOP support in Middletown to elect Steve Massel to the township committee, which would then give the Middletown GOP their super majority once again and silence democratic opposition to their doings in Middletown.

I'll have more on this later.

president Obama's Weekly Address: 3/14/09

President Obama makes key announcements regarding the safety of our nation's food.

Freeholders Announce Top-Level Appointments; Hiring, Promotions and Restructuring of Some Departments Yields Savings of $228,735

The following is a press release issued a short time ago by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders. It should be of interest to some due to the fact that there is some controversy over appointments to key positions within the county. Quite frankly I don't see what all the fuss is about :

FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders has appointed a number of people to key positions within county government and restructured several county departments for an overall cost savings of more than $225,000 in salaries.

These positions were advertised on the County Web site and in the Star-Ledger and Asbury Park Press newspapers. Candidates submitted resumes and qualifications were carefully reviewed.

“For several weeks we have been examining ways in which the county can be administered more effectively and efficiently and still be able to deliver the excellent services Monmouth County residents have come to expect,” Freeholder Director Barbara J. McMorrow said. “We determined that by promoting largely from within we can rein in our high-level salaries and save $228,735 this year.”

The appointments follow the retirements of Finance Director Mark E. Acker and Human Service Director Lynn Miller.

The Board promoted longtime county employees Craig Marshall and Charles Brown III to the positions of Finance director and Human Services director, respectively. Marshall, a certified public accountant and currently a senior administrative analyst, will be paid $128,000; Brown, who was the county’s director of mental health and addiction services, will be paid $120,000.

Assuming the duties as director of Mental Health and Addiction Services will be Barry Johnson, who was assistant Human Services director to Ms. Miller. The assistant director’s position has been abolished for a savings of $106,527. Johnson will earn $99,000 a year in his new position.

The Board reappointed longtime county employee Patricia Watson as Consumer Affairs Director at her current salary of $77,973. Watson has worked at the Department of Consumer Affairs since 1983. Also reappointed is John G. McCormack as director of the Monmouth County Police Academy at his current salary of $86,113. McCormack has been director of the academy since 2003.

“As I said the day I became director of the Board, many of the best people already work for the county,” McMorrow said. “I congratulate them on their promotions and I look forward to working with them as we continue the county tradition of excellent delivery of services. The restructuring has also allowed us to reduce the number of high-level salaries for an even greater savings to taxpayers.”

Taking over as director of the Office on Aging, Disabilities and Veterans’ Interment is Thomas Pivinski of Asbury Park, a retired Roman Catholic priest who is currently working with hospice for Meridian Health Care. Pivinski maintains a small private psychotherapy practice in Asbury Park. His annual salary is $75,000.

The Board also hired former Hazlet police detective Glen Mason to serve as Office of Emergency Management Coordinator at an annual salary of $75,000. The position had been vacant.

Mason, a 26-year police veteran, had served as Office of Emergency Coordinator in Hazlet for three years and, prior to that appointment, had been in charge of the police auxiliary, which is part of the Hazlet OEM. He is currently a member of the U.S. Coast Guard auxiliary and serves as the group’s liaison for emergency response. He sits on the county’s Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Mason has elected not to receive health benefits from the county or be enrolled in the state’s Public Employee Retirement System.

“No new positions were created and all of the appointees are Monmouth County residents,” McMorrow said. “I welcome each of them into county service and wish them all the best of luck.”

All of the appointments become effect after April 1.

It's About Doing The Right Thing

Here's a nifty little video I found on Governor Corzine's Youtube channel, its 53 seconds long and touts his budget proposal. I like it.

Below is the description that tells about the content of the video
(Just wondering, would anyone know what the music that accompanies this video is?).

Jon Corzines FY2010 Budget does the right thing.

It cuts $4 billion in spending while protecting education, healthcare and those hit hardest by the national recession.
He is the only Governor in 60 years to reduce overall spending during a four-year term. Not Whitman, Not Byrne, Not Kean or McGreevey, not nobody. Only Jon Corzine

How'd he do it? Eliminated Budget Gimmicks, Ended Christmas Tree Spending, Made Government More Efficient, Ended Program that Dont Work, Focused on Priorities

Even though this budget cuts $4 billion, it adds $300 million for school and $25 million for early education. It adds $193 million to Family Care and $113 million to mental health and disability support. It preserves property tax rebates for seniors and 80% of NJ Households.

Its about priorities, Its about doing the right thing.

Congressional Democrats announce earmark reforms

From Raw Story -

After this week's media coverage of the heavily earmarked omnibus spending bill, leading congressional Democrats and the Appropriations Committee triumphantly announced two earmark reform recommendations this morning. President Obama, who helped write the committee's recommendations, admitted that the $410 billion spending bill was imperfect but insisted that “important progress” was being made.

The reforms were published today in a joint release from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. The Democrat-led initiative has two facets, both focusing on increasing the power of the executive branch. The first part of the reform specified a review by an “appropriate executive branch agency.” A review, according to the document, will ensure that “the earmark is eligible to receive funds and meets goals established in law.” The second part of the recommendation is aimed at cutting down for-profit earmarks; earmarks directed towards for-profit entities will have to undergo a “competitive bidding process” in order to be a part of legislation. The bidding process will also be run by the executive branch.

If these recommendations are enacted by Congress, this will be the third stage of reforms aimed at fixing the earmark problem. In January 2007, the House of Representatives enacted a set of rules concerning earmark ownership and fiscal interest, as well as a 1-year earmarking moratorium. And starting with fiscal year 2010, new earmarks come with a homework assignment for their owner; all Members’ requests for earmarks are to be publicly disclosed on their website with an explanation of why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer money. The new fiscal year will also bring a permanent earmark 'budget'. No more than 1% of the total discretionary budget will be used for congressional district's pet projects.

 

Read More >>>Here

Justice Has Been Served: Iraq shoe thrower sentenced to three years in jail

My buddies and I were just talking about the Iraqi shoe thrower yesterday at work, we were wondering what ever happened to him. The last we heard he had became some kind of Islamic cult hero.

Today Reuters News Service is following up on the story and reports that he has finally been sentenced to 3 years in prison for his vicious attack on President Bush.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A Baghdad court sentenced an Iraqi reporter who hurled his shoes at former U.S. president George W. Bush to three years in prison on Thursday.

Muntazer al-Zaidi worked for Al-Baghdadiya television, and earned instant worldwide fame when he threw his shoes at Bush at a news conference in December, calling him a dog.

"This sentence is harsh and is not in harmony with the law, and eventually the defense team will contest this in the appeals court," said Dhiaa al-Saadi, the head of Zaidi's defense team.

Zaidi's sister Ruqaiya burst into tears, shouting "Down with Maliki, the agent of the Americans," referring to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Zaidi's brother, Uday, said the verdict was politically motivated.
(Reporting by Waleed Ibrahim, Writing by Mohammed Abbas: Editing by Samia Nakhoul)

Extra Extra Read All About It - The Courier Is Sold To New Owner

Yesterday was a sad day after I read the post on Melissa Gaffney's blog Sableminded about the April 1st demise of the Courier newspaper.

I have been a fan of the Courier for  a long time, and have been lending this blog to the online version of it for a number of months now. At one point I was considering having MiddletownMike visitors redirected to the Courier version of this blog. I had been hearing for quite awhile that the Courier was in trouble and that it's future was in question, but I had thought and hope that the paper would somehow survive and live on in some form or another, but due to that uncertainty  the redirect just never seemed to happen.

When the Courier's publisher Jim Purcell announced that the Courier was only going to publish bi-weekly and that through a partnership with Rutgers University, it was going to attempt to survive on-line as a web based publication, I was at first disheartened.  I became encouraged a few weeks later however when I was told by Jim that it looked like the web based model was going to work out, revenue had already increased over the previous months due to the new venture with Rutgers.

So, when I heard a couple of weeks ago that the Azzolina family had changed their mind and no longer desired to be in the news business it came as a mild shock, if they couldn't find a buyer they were going to shutdown operations.  I didn't quite want to believe it, after all the paper seemed to be on track to  profitability once again. Needless to say then, that when I stopped by the office to say hello, it was a rather gloomy place.  

Today though, when I returned home from work and logged onto the blog I noticed  the headline on the Courier widget "The Courier is sold to new owner", my spirits were lifted.

I don't know who has brought the Courier or whether or not that they intend to keep the online version up and running, but I am happy that they did. It would have been a real loss to the bayshore if the paper had folded, the Courier after all has been a staple of northern Monmouth County for since 1955. 

As for MiddletownMike's future with the Courier, I don't have an answer for that just yet. I need to make a few phone calls to see what the future may hold. I am just glad that the paper did not fade away like so many others have done lately.

I am also happy to think that some of the people at the Courier, who have become my friends, may now not have to worry about losing their jobs and finding employment elsewhere. I hope  

Governor Jon S. Corzine :Doing What's Right

The following is a letter from Governor Corzine that I received in my inbox a few hours after he presented his budget to the State Legislature yesterday:

Friends-

Today, I submitted my executive budget for the 2010 fiscal year to the people of New Jersey. I take this responsibility seriously, and though this is my fourth budget, I remain as committed to doing what's right for the long-term economic health and prosperity of our state as I was when I submitted my first.

Because of the additional challenges facing our state brought on by the national financial crisis, I approached this budget with three primary objectives:

Protect education, health care and the state’s most vulnerable. I have proposed adding $300 to state aid for schools, $25 million in new aid for pre-k expansion and $149 million for Family Care. I've also proposed over $1 billion for 1 million New Jersey residents through direct property tax relief by insuring that Seniors receive the same property-tax rebates as last year, and preserving rebates for non-senior households earning $75,000 or less.

Allow New Jersey to remain ahead of the national economic crisis. This is my smallest budget since becoming Governor, with over $4 billion in cut spending. I have cut the operational costs of state government by more than $380 million, and reduced 850 line items, including proposed wage freezes and furloughs for state workers that will save our state hundreds of millions of dollars (because I believe that is a better to keep people employed and insured than on unemployment lines and Medicaid rolls). I have also asked the most fortunate in our society should pitch in, which is why I'm slightly increasing the income tax rate for the just-over 1 percent of New Jerseyans earning over $500,000.
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Prepare NJ to capitalize when the national economy rebounds. My Economic Assistance & Recovery Plan introduced last fall, in partnership with the Legislature, provided relief for those that need it now, while dramatically improving the State’s business climate and creating a jobs program to pave the way for a better tomorrow. I have worked hard to bring fiscal responsibility to Trenton by eliminating gimmicks, implementing spending cuts and making government itself more efficient and affordable. As such, New Jersey is well positioned to deal with this national crisis, and when the tide begins to turn we will be able to quickly put people back to work and increase funding for the programs that we all value.

We anticipated this downturn last year and cut the budget last year by the largest amount ever, setting the table for this budget. I am proud that we have be able to balance the most difficult budget in state history without a broad-based income or sales-tax increase and without hurting the people hit hardest by the recession.

But this isn't about me. This is about not shying away from the difficult decisions and doing what's right for the families of New Jersey.

I have laid out a clear set of priorities for the state, and put us on a path that I believe will keep New Jersey ahead of the curve in handling the national financial crisis. I've had to make some tough calls to forge this honestly-balanced budget, but I believe that this budget maintains our core values as a State by ensuring that we continue to nurture our children, honor our seniors, and protect the most vulnerable among us.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, ideas, and reactions in the weeks ahead, and I thank you for your continued support.

Governor Jon S. Corzine

Morehead To Announce Candidacy for 13th District

Matt Morehead, Chairman of the Monmouth County Bayshore Young Democrats, has just announced that he will be seeking the Democratic Party line to challenge Republican Amy Handlin in the 13th NJ Legislative District Assembly race this year.

 The Middletown resident  will be appearing at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft to announce his intent to run for public office.

The press event will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in the Student Life Center’s Navesink II Room.

Will he actually get the go ahead from the Monmouth Democrats? It's hard to say, but I wouldn't rule it out. After all I haven't heard of anyone else that is willing to run against Handlin as of yet.

Matt Morehead is a fresh face that has worked very hard over the past couple of years to bring attention to youth issues. He could put up a very good fight if given the chance.

 
 Caption: Matt Morehead with Victory Scudiery and Brookdale Democratic Club President

Assembly Democrats Commentary on 2009 Budget Address

Can Someone Please Tell Me What Are "Essential Services" ?

I am asking  the question "What are essential services"? Whether it be State, County or Local, what services are truly essential? Law enforcement? Fire and Rescue ? Garbage ? Road repair? Please tell me, I want to know. 

I just got in from tonight's Middltown Township Committee meeting, a meeting that is still ongoing and sure to last until 11 pm or later, for 45 minutes the discussion revolved around what are essential services.

No one seemed to agree on what services in Middletown were essential.

This discussion came about due to a resolution to pass another temporary budget appropriation, the third so far this year, to keep the township operating. 

Committeemen Patrick Short and Sean Brynes questioned the use of the temporary budget resolutions because they are eating away at the money that needs to be appropriated for the current fiscal year. 

So far, with the adoption of tonight's temporary budget resolution, Middletown will have already authorize spending 38% of FY 2009's budget with no savings whatsoever to the tax payers.

It was pointed out by CFO Richard Wright, that the money being doled out is based on FY 2008's budget and not what is currently going to be needed for FY '09. 

Committeeman Brynes then needed to point out that based on FY '08 numbers Middletown is looking at  a $3.79 million deficit if it were in place today, so  for the FY '09 budget, which hasn't been adopted yet, and may not be ready for adoption until May, Middletown could be looking at a much larger deficit then $3.79 million if budget constraints were not in place soon.

CFO Wright agreed. That is when the discussion turned to need for essential services.

It appeared to me that Short and Brynes are really trying to save the tax payers of Middletown a rate increase, while Deputy Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger just rolled his eyes seemingly in protection  of the status quo, in not wanting to tell Township department heads to submit budgets with 10%-15 % decreases in funds from the previous year.

Short and Brynes said that all department heads needed to submit  budgets that reflected only essential items or services. They mentioned the Parks and Rec. department as an example. 

Parks and Recreaction Department Head Greg Silva, submitted an initial budget with an 18% increase over last year and so far no one has Told him that he had to trim his request. Silva was asked to supply a breakdown of the costs per person to operated Park Department sponsored events, as well as the per person costs to operate the Cultural Arts Center, to see if there truly are programs that pay for themselves and should be continued or eliminated.  So far he has not done so.   

In these tough financial times can Middletown afford to provide concerts in the park or bus trips to ballgames? Can we close down Town Hall an hour or two early every day to save money or possible go to a 4 day township work week?

No one knows because  it is Short and Brynes asking the questions and it is Scharfenberger and friends who are stonewalling for some reason. 

It seems as though it is  Gerry Scharfenberger and friends that are willing to put forward a huge tax increases instead of spending cuts to close the massive budget deficit that Middletown is facing.

Arguing over whether the value of concerts in that park are more important to residents then leaf pick-ups or streets being plowed after a snow storms is ridiculous, of course it is more important to have leaves picked up and roads cleaned. Who wouldn't think that unless you are friend with Gerry Scharfenberger?  

      

Organizing For America: Pledge Project

Organizing for America Director Mitch Stewart  announces a new initiative, the Pledge Project.

"Just over a week ago, President Obama submitted his first budget and made it clear he was ready for the fight to come.

The President isn't alone. We're ready for that fight too -- it's what you built this movement for.
Americans are ready for the bold new direction this plan offers. It's what they voted for in November, and it's needed now more than ever as we continue to face an unprecedented economic crisis.

But the special interests and old ways of Washington won't go away easily. In fact, they'll only fight back harder.

It's up to you to organize support for President Obama's plan throughout the country. It's the only way we'll get the change this country needs.

Take the next step now in our fight to bring change"

Here's the plan, President Obama will rebuild and renew America by creating jobs and investing in the three areas most critical to our future:

Energy — Transforming America's economy to run on clean and renewable energy in order to create new American jobs and industries

Health care — Comprehensively reforming health care so that families, businesses, and government are relieved from the crushing costs that impede economic growth and prosperity

Education — Reforming and investing in America's education system so that citizens are prepared to compete in a global economy

Take the Pledge

Ben Stein: Obama Was Elected To Be National Spirit Leader

Ben Stein thinks the current economic crisis is a crisis of confidence. Roughly 92 percent of Americans are still employed. How about more cheerleading and less fear mongering?

Quote of the Day: "Limbaugh...manipulating the G-spot of the neocon consciousness"

The last thing we all need are actors that express their political views, but I have to say that actor extraordinaire, Alec Baldwin, in an article posted on the Huffington Post hit this one on the head. 

"Until Limbaugh gets real, weans himself off the big salary and runs for office, he will always be nothing more than a poorly educated, marginally talented buffoon who has developed a real talent for manipulating the G-spot of the neocon consciousness and massaging the hate gland of so many economically displaced white voters in America."