PALLONE FOR SENATE ANNOUNCES MIDDLESEX ENDORSEMENTS

(Long Branch) – Middlesex County Elected officials announced their endorsement of Frank Pallone today and released the following statement:

Frank Pallone has been a leader in the Democratic Party for years and he is clearly the best choice to be our next United States Senator. He's been leading the charge in the fight for Democratic values and has always been on the front lines without hesitation for President Obama. Whether it is the fight to increase the federal minimum wage, the work he's done to protect our drinking water for our kids and grandkids or the leadership role he took in securing federal Sandy aid, Frank Pallone is always standing up for New Jersey's middle class.

"I am grateful to receive the endorsement from Middlesex County leaders. My only mandate each day is to fight for New Jersey's middle class taxpayers and remain undeterred by special interests and the Tea Party conservatives who would attack our Democratic principles. I believe it is most important to stand up for the things we believe in as Democrats and never back down from that fight,” said Pallone.

The following elected officials have announced their support for Congressman Frank Pallone in the August Special Election Primary:

Senator Bob Smith (D-17)
Assemblyman Joe Egan (D-17)
Assemblyman Peter Barnes III (D-18)
Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-18)
Senator Joe Vitale (D-19)
Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-19)
Assemblyman Craig Coughlin (D-19)
County Clerk Elaine Flynn
Surrogate Kevin Hoagland
Freeholder Director Ronald Rios
Freeholder Deputy Director Blanquita B. Valenti
Freeholder Carol Barrett
Freeholder James Polos
Freeholder Charles Tomaro
Mayor James Cahill – New Brunswick
Mayor Frederick Henry - South Amboy
Mayor John McCormac – Woodbridge
Mayor Gary Minkoff – Highland Park
Mayor Dan Reiman – Carteret
Mayor Thomas Vahalla - Metuchen
Mayor Brian Wahler –Piscataway

Pallone Announces More Than $8 Million in Grants for Repairs and Reimbursed Services Due to Sandy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, May 3, 2013

FEMA Funding Awarded to Middlesex County, Monmouth County, and Woodbridge

Long Branch, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-06) announced more than $8 million federal grants for repairs and reimbursements for emergency measures performed due to Superstorm Sandy.

“Communities, cities, and counties are far from fully rebuilt from Sandy, and they are still taking financial hits due to the many unanticipated costs they continue to face,” said Congressman Pallone. “We are all in this together, and these communities shouldn’t have to bear the entire cost of the storm alone.”

The following grants were awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a result of Superstorm Sandy:

$1,257,465 to Middlesex County for repair of the boardwalk at Old Bridge Waterfront Park

$3,714,294 to Monmouth County Public Works for costs required to pump out reservoirs, clear blocked roads, set up evacuation routes, detours, and block hazardous areas

$1,291,688 to Monmouth County for costs associated with the Sheriff'’s Department supplying security at the shelters, conducting welfare checks, performing search and rescue, and to man emergency call centers

$1,734,561 to the Township of Woodridge for contractors used to load, haul, and dispose of approximately 22,000 cubic yards of debris

Barbara Buono, "I just filed my papers, and I’m running for Governor!"

State Senator Barbra Buono  (D-Metuchen) has become the first Democrat in the state to throw her hat into the ring to challenge Gov. Christie in next year's 2013 gubernatorial campaign. She filed the paperwork earlier this morning.

I have meet her on several occasions over the past couple of years and I have to say, she'll be a fantastic candidate that shouldn't be underestimated or counted out. She is one tough cookie!

The question remains however, who else will take the plunge to challenge Buono for the Democratic nomination? A lot of names have been thrown about lately; former Governor Dick Cody, NJ State Senate President Steve Sweeney, Newark Mayor Cory Booker (the 8 hundred pound gorilla in the room), and Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Jr. and Frank Pallone to name a few. We'll have to wait and see.

In the mean time, take a look at the video posted by Senator Buono on YouTube announcing her candidacy.

"All of us are focused on rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, but we have so much more to do. Under Governor Christie, our middle class has taken a beating. Property taxes have shot up and so has unemployment, now the highest in three decades. And we've fallen to 47th out of 50 states in economic growth.

It's time for a leader in Trenton who will put the middle class first -- lifting our schools instead of scapegoating our teachers; protecting property taxpayers rather than pushing income tax cuts for millionaires..." - NJ State Senator Barabra Buono

Disaster Recovery Centers Now Open for You

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has now opened disaster recovery centers throughout central New Jersey to help area residents recover from Hurricane Sandy. At the centers, visitors can receive information about different types of state and federal disaster assistance, get help completing disaster relief applications, inquire about the status of their applications, and more. Each center is open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily.

If you want to file a claim, you need not visit a recovery center (the website DisasterAssistance.Gov works well), but if you would like to get answers in person, you can visit any of these locations:

Hunterdon County
Department of Public Safety Annex
77 Park Avenue
Flemington, New Jersey 08822

Mercer County
Mercer County Community College
1200 Old Trenton Road
West Windsor, New Jersey 08550

Middlesex County
Sayreville Senior Center
423 Main Street
Sayreville, New Jersey 08872

Monmouth County
Henry Hudson Trail Activity Center
945 Hwy. 36, Atlantic Highlands
Leonardo, New Jersey 07737

Somerset County
Somerset County Human Services
27 Warren Street
Somerville, New Jersey 08876

Should you encounter any difficulties in your dealing with FEMA, please do not hesitate to contact me by sending an e-mail or calling 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658).

Advancing the 9/11 Commission’s Recommendations on Civil Liberties

After years of dormancy, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board – which was created in response to a 9/11 Commission recommendation that “there should be a board within the executive branch to oversee… the commitment the government makes to defend our civil liberties – finally held its first meeting late last month.

I am pleased to see the Board moving forward and hope that it becomes a powerful voice for Americans’ constitutional rights. As our Founders understood, our civil liberties are essential to ensuring that America remains both free and secure.

An Update on the 12th Congressional District

I will be returning to Congress in 2013. However, the people of New Jersey whom I represent will change somewhat. The new 12th Congressional District, as determined by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission last year, will no longer include areas in Hunterdon and Monmouth counties that have been incorporated into other districts, and will include additional areas in Union, Somerset, Middlesex, and Mercer counties. Altogether, I will be the representative of about 735,000 people, only slightly more than currently.

Please know that, until the new Congress convenes in January, I will remain completely dedicated to representing the people of the current 12th Congressional District. No matter where you live within the district, I still need to hear your voice and your ideas, and I will remain available to serve you.

Whether or not I will have the privilege of representing you in the 113th Congress, please know that serving you is the greatest honor of my life.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

New Jersey Early Voting Hours and Locations

If you are thinking of voting Tuesday but are afraid that you may not be able to make it to the polls due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy or for some reason, early voting in New Jersey has begun. If voters can make it out between now and Monday, to their respective county seats, they will be able to cast their vote earlier, before Tuesday.


Cross posted from Patch

By Jacklyn Corley

Hurricane Sandy has turned many New Jersey residents' lives upside down. If you want to do your civic duty and vote in the 2012 election but aren't sure you will be able to make it to the polls on Tuesday, county clerks' offices will be holding weekend hours.

Simply stop by the central and southern New Jersey election offices listed below for the county in which you reside and are registered to vote, and cast an election ballot.

The Mercer County Clerk's Office will have walk-in voting at two locations: the Old Courthouse, 209 S. Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Trenton and the County Administration Building, 640 S. Broad Street, Room B-8, Trenton.

The hours of operation are as follows:

• Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the following Mercer County officials:

• County Clerk's Office - 609-989-6998
• Superintendent of Elections - 609-989-6750
• Board of Elections - 609-989-6522

In Middlesex County, early voting is available at the Middlesex County Clerk's Office in the County Administration Building, 75 Bayard St., New Brunswick. The hours of operation are as follows:

• Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the following Middlesex County officials:

• County Clerk - 732-745-3827
• Commissioner of Registration - 732-745-3471
• Board of Elections - 732-745-3471

To accommodate walk-in voting, the Monmouth County Clerk of Elections Office, located at 300 Halls Mill Road, Freehold, will be open to the public on the days and hours listed below:

• Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the following Monmouth County officials:

• County Clerk - 732-431-7790
• Superintendent of Elections - 732-431-7780
• Board of Elections - 732-431-7150

Ocean County residents can submit ballots at the Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Ave, Room 116 - First Floor, Toms River. A second early voting location is available at the Ocean County Southern Service Center, 179 South Main Street, Stafford. Call for more information 609-597-1500 about that location. Hours for early voting are as follows:

• Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the following Ocean County officials:

• County Clerk - 732-929-2018
• Commissioner of Registration - 732-929-2167
• Board of Elections - 732-929-2167

In Union County, the clerk's office will hold walk-in voting at two locations: Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth and Union County Annex, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield. Hours for early voting are as follows:

• Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m

For more information, contact the following Union County officials:

• County Clerk - 908-527-4996/4997
• Commissioner of Registration - 908-527-4123
• Board of Elections - 908-527-4123

Rep. Pallone Announces $250,000 to Prevent Youth Substance Abuse in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties

LONG BRANCH, NJ – U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced $250,000 in federal grants for youth substance abuse prevention efforts that will benefit his constituents in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. The grants are administered under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program (DFC) by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The Middlesex County Substance Abuse Coalition and The Prevention Coalition of Monmouth County will each be awarded $125,000 for youth drug and alcohol prevention and education programs. The DFC Support Program provides grants of up to $625,000 over 5 years to community coalitions that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. The program awarded grants totaling more than $80 million to nearly 700 community coalitions across the country.

“Our local organizations are in the best position to tackle the devastating problem of substance abuse among our youth,” said Pallone. “These important federal grants leverage the abilities of our local leaders to educate our youth about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse so we may prevent it in the first place, and keep our communities safe and our young people healthy. We also know that stopping drug use before it ever begins is always the most cost-effective way to reduce drug use and its consequences.”

The DFC Program was created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 and reauthorized by Congress in 2001 and 2006. Since 1998, ONDCP has awarded more than 2,000 Drug-Free Communities grants to local communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Palau, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Rush Holt; Polluters Should Pay Once Again

Posted from Congressman Holt's newletter

Last week, I toured two toxic cleanup sites in Middlesex County that are being restored to health by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program which requires polluters to pay for the cleanup of sites they have contaminated.

A few years ago, these sites were toxic dumps, unsafe for anyone to live or work. One had hosted incinerators for photographic film and circuit boards; the other had been home to a chemical plant used in the production of oil field chemicals and anti-corrosive agents. In both areas, toxic chemicals had leached into the soil and groundwater. Without intervention, the sites would have been unsafe for human habitation for decades, even centuries.

Now they are on track to be fully restored for public use. That is a testament to the potential of the Superfund, and it is evidence of the remarkable work of the Environmental Protection Agency – an agency that is so often the target of political attacks precisely because it is so effective in standing up against polluters.

The Superfund law originally required highly polluting industries to also pay for the cleanup of “orphan sites” where no specific polluter could be identified. More recently, however, Republicans in Congress have blocked efforts to require polluters to pay into the Superfund “orphan” cleanup fund.

Partly as a result, the Superfund is dramatically underfunded, delaying efforts to clean up hundreds of toxic waste sites across New Jersey and the country. Even worse, taxpayers – rather than polluters – are now being forced to take on the burden of cleaning up these “orphan” toxic industrial sites. This is simply a wrongheaded and wasteful way to use our very limited tax dollars.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Pallone Announces FEMA Briefings for State and Local Governments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 13, 2011

Long Branch, N.J. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. Tuesday announced a schedule of public assistance applicant briefings to be conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The briefings will inform prospective applicants such as state and local governments of available assistance and eligibility requirements for obtaining Federal assistance as a result of damage from Hurricane Irene.

"I encourage local officials to take advantage of these briefings which will benefit towns in my district,” said Pallone. “FEMA will provide information that is critical receiving federal assistance.”

In the days since Hurricane Irene caused significant damage, FEMA has released $38 million in federal disaster assistance.

As of September 11, 2011 statewide, 31,400 individuals have registered with FEMA for disaster assistance, nearly $36 million in disaster assistance for housing needs has been allocated and more than $2 million in Other Needs Assistance (i.e. personal property, transportation, medical and dental expenses, funeral and burial expenses) has been allocated.

In addition to the Disaster Recovery Centers that are currently serving sixth district residents in Somerset, Union, Middlesex and Monmouth counties, FEMA will continue to open more of these centers.

There are three ways to register – go to www.disasterassistance.gov, to m.fema.gov or call FEMA toll-free, 800-621-FEMA (3362). Those with access or functional needs and who use a TTY may call 800-462-7585 or use 711 or Video Relay Service to call 800-621-3362. Telephone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET; multilingual operators are available.

Federal assistance became available after the president issued a major disaster declaration on Aug. 31. Assistance is provided for eligible damage from the Hurricane Irene and related flooding, Aug. 27 through Sept. 5, 2011.

Pallone’s staff will also be present at the following briefings to assist constituents.

Wednesday, September 14

1:00 p.m.
Middlesex County
Middlesex Fire Academy
101 Fire Academy Drive
Sayreville, NJ 08872
732-316-7104

1:00 p.m.
Union
Rahway Public Library
2 City Hall Plaza
Rahway, NJ 07065

Thursday, September 15

9:00 a.m.
Monmouth County
Monmouth County Fire Academy
1027 Highway 33 East
Freehold, NJ 07728

1:00 p.m.
Somerset County
402 Roycefield Rd.
Hillsborough, NJ 08844
908-725-5070