Education Committe Rejects Assemblyman O'Scanlon's Plea Regarding School Bus Cameras

By Monmouth Watchdog
May 25, 2017

Assemblyman Has a Questionable Record Regarding Public Safety Issues

In a stinging rebuke to the aspirations of Republican Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon’s bid for the state Senate seat of Joe Kyrillos in Legislative District 13-- and yet another question mark on his public safety record regarding children--the Assembly Education Committee, by a vote of 9 to 0, voted for Assembly bill A3798, which authorizes the installation of school bus cameras to capture images of those reckless drivers passing school buses while loading and unloading children. This bill now heads to the full Assembly for a vote by all its 80 members—including O’Scanlon.

The bill overwhelmingly passed in the Senate in January.

After impassioned testimony against the bill before the committee, O’Scanlon, utilizing fear and hysteria, feels the input of private contractors serves no legitimate purpose other than to make a profit on the backs of motorists. In furtherance of Mr. O’Scanlons hysteria, he has re-named the bill with the moniker, “Use Our Kids As Pawns To Enrich Corrupt Companies.”

The members of the committee promptly rejected O'Scanlon's pleas, and forwarded the bill to the full Assembly for their vote.


The bill authorizes a municipality or school district operating or providing Type I or Type II school buses that transport students to contract with a private vendor to provide for the installation, operation, and maintenance of a school bus monitoring system for enforcement purposes. The bill provides that a school bus monitoring system must be capable of capturing and producing a record of any occurrence that may be considered illegal passing of a school bus, and include in that recorded image:

1. If the school bus is exhibiting its flashing light;

2. If a motor vehicle passes a school bus;

3. The license plate, make, and model of the violating vehicle;

4. The date, time, and location of the violation.

The bill requires any violation captured in a recorded image produced by a school bus monitoring system to be made available to the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in which the violation occurred. After careful review; the application of good judgement and common sense, A law enforcement officer is tasked to issue a summons within 90 days of determining that a violation occurred. A summons may not be issued for a violation occurring more than 90 days from date of the violation.

Mr. O’Scanlon, of Little Silver, is the Republican nominee running for state Senator, opposing presumptive Democrat nominee, Mr. Sean F. Byrnes of Middletown. O'Scanlon is a staunch Chris Christie ally; voted for the controversial 23-cent a gallon gas tax, and was a member of Christie’s defunct Presidential Leadership Team while the governor mounted a brief and unsuccessful bid for the presidency.


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

You can also find this article over on the Patch

Did Special Interests Influence LD-13 Assembly Member Declan O'Scanlon To Vote 'Yes' On Gas Tax?

The following snippet was posted on the Marlboro Patch. If you haven't read it, it will raise an eyebrow and my provide some insight into the politics behind last year's gas tax hike.

By Monmouth Watchdog
May 15, 2017

Organizations Benefitting From Gas Tax Increase Contributed Heavily Towards Assemblyman's Campaigns; Bumpy Road To Election Seen Ahead

On Decmber 9, 2016, Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon,(R-Monmouth), a staunch Chris Christie ally, and former member of Christie's Presidential Leadership Team, announced a bid for the senate seat being vacated by long-time representative, state Senator Joe Kyrillos.

In O'Scanlon's bid for the senate seat, he said, " I am running for the Senate. I am looking forward to the opportunity to double the value of my vote and volume of my megaphone...I have a history of bringing people together...I have allies in reform communities and labor..."

Well, it may be those very "allies" in labor that may be Mr. O'Scanlon's undoing to represent LD-13. Legislative District 13 is comprised of 16 municipalities--including the largest town in Monmouth County: Middletown.

Middletown is home of Democrat Sean Byrnes, who is the Monmouth Dems choice to run against O'Scanlon. Compounding O'Scanlon's woes is his vote for the very unpopular 23 cent a gallon gas tax, in a state that has the highest cost per mile to construct a roadway: two-million dollars per mile. This expenditure is 12-times the national average on other state controlled and operated roadways, and now brings New Jersey's gas tax ranking to number 7 nationwide--up from the near bottom. Add to that O'Scanlon's mind boggling public safety voting record in the Assembly, and you have a candidate that may have his political career in jeopardy.

For drivers of New Jersey, a near quarter increase in a gallon of gas is indeed a steep hike. And with today's announcement from the oil ministers of Saudi Arabia and Russia agreeing to extend production cuts until March of 2018, the pain could even worsen for the state's drivers.

O'Scanlon's "allies" contributed mightily to his campaign--- These organizations consist of unions, political action committees, and companies dealing with state-wide road construction projects. They would benefit greatly from any legislator's "YES" vote and subsequent passage. On October 7, 2016, Declan O'Scanlon did indeed vote for the gas tax.

According to NJ Election Commission reports, The Utility and Transportation Contractors Association PAC, Constructors for Good Government, gave him $7,600 on Nov. 07, and the NJ State Laborers PAC ponied up $8,200 as did Operating Engineers Local 825, which sent $8,200. The road paving company J. Fletcher Creamer, whose khaki trucks are a fixture on Jersey’s TLC-desperate roads, sent $2,600, joined by companies like George Harms Construction, Earle Asphalt Company, Northeast Remsco Construction, and the NJ Asphalt PAC....

Continue reading on Patch

Armed Guards To Patrol The Hallways of Marlboro Schools

According to an article posted on the Marlboro-Colts Neck Patch and being touted by Marlboro Mayor Johathan Hornik on his Facebook page, once school resumes after the Christmas holiday there will be armed guards patrolling the hallways of Marlboro schools.

I don't live in Marlboro but if I did, I wouldn't happy about this.

I think it is an over reaction to the  tragic event that took place last Friday at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. The odds of something like happening to the children of Marlboro is very very slim. They would have a better chance of dying in a car crash or plane accident, being struck by lighting (twice) or winning the lotto than they would dying in school, as a result of a deranged shooter.

 That being said, if this is something that the residents of Marlboro really want and think it is the only way to keep their kids safe and sound while away from home, that's fine and well, that is their choice and I can not disagree with it. But let's be honest, this is an over reaction to the Sandy Hook School shooting.

Who will be paying for all the policemen standing guard in the schools while they should be out patrolling the community? Will new police officers now need to be hired by the township or will the BOE need to hire a private security firm? Schools shouldn't have to be "locked down" with armed guards in order to become secure, they need proper protocol and training of staff who will be able to deal with this type of situation.

And what will it say about the learning environment in the schools? Will children feel intimidated by the armed guards or more secure? Will it lead to better test scores and grades or lower grades due to the fear and anxiety created by the armed police officers in the schools? - It's just something to think about.

If this what Marlboro feels is necessary to protect its children than so be it. I disagree and would be against it if Middletown tried to implement the same. I would rather spend my tax dollars in the classroom, on learning rather than on armed guards patrolling the hallways waiting for an event that may never, ever happen.