Campaign Dirty Tricks or "Burry-Foolery"

I put up a "Short - Mardinly" campaign sign on Sunday, Oct. 19, on the stretch of Navesink River  Road between Poricy Brook and Hubbard Ave. There were no other signs on this stretch. Driving by there again on Friday, Oct. 24, I was amazed to see that my one sign had been blocked by a close "sandwich" of two "Burry - Rich" campaign signs. See attached photos.

There was plenty of room for the Burry signs elsewhere on this road. This was also bizarre because Middletown Township Committee candidates Short and Mardinly are not even in the same race as Freeholders Burry and Rich.

These type of petty "dirty trick" tactics really raise my anger level. They remind me of the Little campaign people who made "sandwiches" around the Pallone signs in the last election.


This was not an isolated incident. I noticed the same tactics in two other places last week: one was at the low point of Chapel Hill Road at Whipporwill Valley Road where one Burry-Rich sign was used to block a Short-Mardinly sign; the other was where, again, two signs were used(I forgot the location.) Strange behavior!




John Schwebel
Leonardo

Maybe It's Because They Can't Afford Their Own Polling: Monmouth GOP questions Democrats’ polling

(Freeholders Gary Rich and Lillian Burry)

The Monmouth County Republicans are cry foul over the fact that their opponents, the Monmouth County Democrats, are doing some polling. The Monmouth GOP says that Democratic pollsters are feeding negative information about incumbent Freeholder candidates Lillian Burry and Gary Rich to likely voters under the guise of a fake poll, calling the polling a "dirty tick".

 I agree, it is a terrible dirty trick especially  when you can't defend yourself against your own record. Crying foul is all that's left to do.

Naturally the Monmouth Democrats deny the accusations.

From the Asbury Park Press:

Monmouth County GOP is calling the latest Democratic telephone poll a “dirty trick.” Democrats say they are just trying to shape their campaign messages for the November freeholder election.

What the two sides can agree on is that a series of calls made on behalf of the county’s Democratic party went out early last week to registered voters.

The Monmouth County Republican Committee said questions about freeholder incumbents Lillian Burry and Gary Rich contain inaccurate information...

Continue Reading 

11th District Assembly Candidate Vin Gopal, Speaks Out Against "Ugly" And Slanderous Campaign Mailer From Angelini Camp

11th District Assembly Candidate Vin Gopal, issued the an email (printed below) to friends and supporters this morning denouncing the ugly and unsubstantiated claims of his Republican opponent Mary Pat Angelini.

The Angelini campaign sent out an inflammatory and inaccurate campaign flyer to constituents after Gopal won the endorsement of the Asbury Park Press. The questionable campaign mailer insinuated that Gopal had been involved in money laundering and other corrupt activities while earning college credits, working as an intern, for former Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas, who pleaded guilty to and was convicted of numerous campaign fraud charges and lying to federal investigators.

To claim that a 20 year old college student, working on a campaign as an intern to earn credits towards graduation, is somehow tainted and corrupt himself is a new low and shows how desperate some are to hold onto power.

In this campaign I’ve only talked about real issues, not personal attacks. When I talk to voters, have interviews with members of the press, send out material I talk about my ideas for New Jersey and what’s happened to us these last four years. What happened is the largest property tax increase since 2007, as high as 23.5% in some parts of the state. What happened is an unemployment rate that exceeds Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. What happened is schools forced to end arts and foreign language programs while charging fees for extracurricular activities.

But my opponents are running an ugly campaign. They’re accusing me of being a party boss, of laundering money, of deep political corruption…for a job I had for college credit when I was 20 years old. That’s a desperate tactic—the incumbents are spending tens of thousands of special interest dollars trying to ruin me because they know that Monmouth County voters are ready for a real change.

I’m not upset that they’re attacking me. They wouldn’t be doing it if they weren’t worried. But this proves what I’ve been saying all along. My opponents are a part of a Trenton system more committed to reelection than protecting middle class families. They’re willing to poison the dialogue and destroy reputations if that means that they can hold on to their cushy jobs, funded by lobbyists and PACs who are interested only in their bottom line.

We need new people in Trenton. People like my running mates and I who are committed to incentivizing small businesses and restoring property tax rebates. Our campaign isn’t built on special interests, so we have no favors to pay back. We’re committed to the middle class because we are a part of it. That’s why our priorities will never change—because the policies that hurt regular people will injure us as well.

Can you help me push back against my opponents’ slander? Can you forward this email to every voter you know? We have just seven day left to get the word out that for the first time in a long time Monmouth County voters have the opportunity choose leaders committed to them.

With your help, we can make a real change for the better on November 8th.

Sincerely,


Vin Gopal


PS The incumbents are going to desperate lengths to destroy my reputation and our hope for change in Monmouth. We have to get the word out to stop them. Will you help me by forwarding this email to your friends, telling people about this election and signing up to volunteer?

Dirty Trick, not Treats

I wish that all the tricks were due to Halloween, but the people behind the evil masks are shameless local politicians and their supporters.

The situation is very simple. After over 25 years of "breathtakingly arrogant" rule and patronage, the Middletown Republicans are terrified. As a result, they are resorting to such dirty tricks as making a sandwich of "Pat Walsh" signs with theirs placed as the bread two inches away from hers., hiding their message. How silly, how sneaky, and it won't work!

Even worse, they are trying to decimate her reputation by dredging up false charges, resolved 10 years ago, by quoting her opponent in the old complaint who paid someone else to file what was really his own suit against her.

Our citizens are not that gullible and won't be fooled. The tricks will magically become a treat for Middletown, as more will vote for open government by Pat Walsh and Jim Grenafege rather than continued canards and law- breaking by the current majority.

"Let the sun shine in!"

Sincerely,
Carolyn Schwebel
Leonardo.