Letter: Ordinance To Dissolve Middletown Human Rights Commission Was Flawed

The expressed opinions or views of this letter does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MiddletownMike blog:

Middletown Township Committee Meeting, November 17, 2014.
Comments by John C. Schwebel:

On March 17, 2014 the Middletown Township Committee approved Ordinance no. 2014-3014, dissolving the Middletown Human Rights Commission, by a 5 - 0 vote.

I pointed out at the time that this was a flawed ordinance. In particular, I urged removal of the following non-sensical clause:

WHEREAS, not only did the Commission fail to perform its statutorily defined duties, it involved itself in matters entirely outside of the jurisdiction of the Township’s governing body, in one instance it was even used to promote a pet food drive for a charity associated with a member of the Commission;

This clause refers to a pet food drive for the Monmouth County SPCA, a joint project of Middletown Township and the Middletown Human Rights Commission and approved by Mayor Brightbill.

Again, I pointed out that it was non-sensical and horrible precedent setting to disallow township involvement with charity drives. This should have been obvious. Yet, all of you voted for it, not questioning the legal flaws in this document.

Let me repeat the offending clause:

, it [the MHRC] involved itself in matters entirely outside of the jurisdiction of the Township’s governing body, in one instance it was even used to promote a pet food drive for a charity associated with a member of the Commission;

Yet you all failed to object to this and mutely voted for it.

And I endeavored to follow your hypocrisy in this matter since you obviously had no intention of disassociating yourself from any charity drive.

Yet, now, Township Committee members, representing the Township have, to quote your approved ordinance: "involved itself in matters entirely outside of the jurisdiction of the Township’s governing body," by supporting the new MCSPCA adoption center in Middletown.

In fact, supporting the same charity, MCSPCA, that caused the Middletown Human Rights Commission to be axed by all of you..

Will you now all step down and dissolve your Township Committee membership?


John Schwebel
Leonardo, NJ

Super Bowl Boulevard Was A Super "Experience"

Yesterday, after working all night, I hopped on the 11:12 train from Middletown to NY Penn Station with my two son and headed towards Times Square to check out this year's NFL Experience - Super Bowl Boulevard. The Super Bowl Boulevard started on 34th St. at the world famous department store Macy's and ran uptown along Broadway and 7th Ave to 47th st.

Macy's department store was the official site to purchase anything and everything related to the Super Bowl and on the 4th floor we were greeted by a sentry of NFL manikins representing each team and various displays with all kinds of merchandise ready to purchase (it was  pretty cool if I do say so myself). We picked up a couple of shirts and a small football that we would later have autographed by Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (more on that later).

We left Macy's and headed up 7th Ave., to say the street was crowded and crazy would be an understatement. While I would not put the crowd size in the area of say New Years Eve, I would say that it was easily 7 several times worse than going into Manhattan during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Due to the large crowd we didn't participate in many activities, wait times for most of the sponsored events were upwards to 2 hours or more. We did however make it over to Bryant Park where Verizon had a pavilion set up.  Inside the Verizon Power House Pavilion there were several interactive areas showcasing new technologies and where you could have your name or picture inserted into various photos with NFL players Matt Forte (Chicago Bears) and Clay Matthews (Green Bay Packers).  It was one of the better attractions of the day.

 

Heading back to 7th Ave from Bryant Park we passed the NFL Network and FOX Sports broadcasting areas (ESPN and CNN also had areas of their own set up along the Boulevard) and we saw that big toboggan slide that everyone has been making a big deal over.

While fighting the crowds and doing all that walking around Times Square the kids started to get hungry, so we started looking for a place to eat. We had thought that the ESPN Zone would have been a great place to grab a bite. Unfortunately, after walking up and down 7th Ave for several block we came the realization that the eatery was no longer there.  As we were searching for the ESPN Zone my youngest son noticed on the marquee of Planet Hollywood that Marshawn Lynch was going to be there signing autographs at 6pm. After seeing that we had no other choice, my son insisted that we had to eat there and wait for Lynch, much to my oldests' and mine objections.  Before heading back towards Planet Hollywood though, we stopped in at M&M World.

At M&M World the kids wanted to get some team colored (Broncos & Seahawks) M&M's. We looked around and found a display of 7 ounce packages each of which had individual team colored and logo stamped candies inside. Each bag was $13.99 each (outrageous I know) but was buy one, get one free. So we bought 4 packages 2 of each team, 1of each to eat later, 1 of each to save as souvenirs.

Also while we were in the store Mike Francesa from  the radio station WFAN was there broadcasting his show, my youngest sometimes watches him on TV and wanted to see him in person, even if it was for just a brief second. We left M&M World and headed over to Planet Hollywood.

We got to Planet Hollywood just before 4pm and I was surprised to see that the place was pretty empty considering that one of the premier running backs in the NFL was going to be appearing there in just two hours. There were just a few noticeable Seahawks fans hanging out in the bar area and a handful of families sitting at tables in the dinning room. We sat down, ordered our drinks and meals and then while they were being served I inquired about Marshawn Lynch's appearance later in the evening.

Our waiter was a great sport (which earned him a very nice tip by the way), he and much of the wait staff didn't know much about what was happening later on, but he asked his supervisors a few different times for us and the people sitting next to us, for information.  When he did finally have details, we were pleased to find out that the management of Planet Hollywood had decided to give all those currently in the restaurant preferential treatment to be at the head of the line for an autograph and to meet Marshawn Lynch. That was great news. We finished our dinner by 5:30 and then moved into the waiting line, Marshawn was to arrive by 6pm and start greeting people after a brief press conference. As these things go, 6pm came and went without Lynch's arrival.

While waiting there, standing in line we did find out the reason why Lynch was there. He was there with and his cousin, Josh Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49er Hall of Famer Joe Montana's wife Jennifer Montana, promoting their charity Beast Mode. They were there to sell Beast Mode 24 necklaces which Montana designed. Even though 80% of the profits from the sale of the necklaces were going to the charity at $124 each, the price was out of my league.  

About 15 minutes prior to Marshawn Lynch's arrival (somewhere near 6:30) Joe Montana walked in and caused a big stir, no one was expecting him to be there and people rushed to see him. He was polite but refused to take picture or sign autographs with the general public. He was just there to support his wife and the charity event.

After Lynch's arrival, he spent a good 25 minutes with Montana and other dignitaries who were there supporting Lynch's charity event. He made it to the stage and said a few words about his Beast Mode charity and what inspired him to start it. He then talked to the media for a few more minutes (he didn't seem to have any problems doing that contrary to what was going on during the NFL's Media Day event this past Tuesday in Newark) and then sat down greeted and signed autographs for us. Lynch signed a football and a couple of Super Bowl XLVIII programs for us. He was courteous to the kids and made sure to say hello to each of us. After waiting in line to see him for nearly 90 minutes, I was happy to see that he was a really good guy.

Afterwards we headed back to Penn Station to catch the next train home but on the way, we took just few more pictures to remember the day. It was quite the expeirence!

If anyone was thinking of attending Super Bowl Boulevard, today is the last day of the event. Get there soon, it ends at 10pm.

Only a Partial Solution

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:


Since last August, more than 300,000 of America’s young immigrants have emerged from the shadows to apply for a new program that provides temporary protection from deportation.

The program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, asserted by the President because Congress would not act, has strict eligibility rules. It is open only to immigrants who were brought into this country as children, who have grown into law-abiding adults, and who have worked hard to better themselves through education or military service.

By offering a legally recognized status to these immigrants, many of whom have never known any other home than America, the Childhood Arrivals program has made our immigration system more humane and just. This partial solution reminds us how much more remains to be done to create an immigration system that benefits our society and our economy at large and treats individuals and families humanely and justly.

I expect that one of the major issues of the early 113th Congress will be the consideration of more comprehensive immigration legislation. To guide this process, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus have set forth nine principles for immigration reform.

The principles call for requiring undocumented immigrants to register with the federal government, submit to a background check, learn English and American civics, and pay taxes. In return, these new Americans would earn a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship. The principles also emphasize the importance of attracting highly educated immigrants, protecting the border, and ending the exploitation of immigrant workers.

These principles are sensible, straightforward ideas that should guide America’s conversation about immigration reform in the new year.

Not Just Rain and Wind

You may know that you can apply for federal disaster assistance to help pay the costs of repairing damage done to your home by Hurricane Sandy. But did you know that disaster grants may also help cover indirect costs of the storm?

The Genealogical Society of New Jersey, for instance, is a Trenton-based nonprofit that was scheduled to hold its annual public meeting and lecture on November 10, just days after Sandy struck New Jersey. The society was forced to postpone its meeting, requiring the re-printing and re-mailing of all of the associated flyers and publicity announcements. Total costs ran up to $850 – a meaningful amount of money for a small organization.

Fortunately, the Genealogical Society applied for and received a grant to cover its losses from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. The grant was one of several provided from a larger, $30,000 fund that the New Jersey Council secured with my support after the storm.

To be clear, not all indirect hurricane damages will be covered by grants or disaster aid, but the Genealogical Society’s story shows how a dedicated organization can recover even losses that weren’t the direct result of rain or wind.

If you or your organization suffered direct or indirect damage from Hurricane Sandy, the first step is to apply for FEMA disaster relief by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov. If FEMA aid does not fully cover your costs, please contact me at holt.house.gov/contact or 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658), and I would be glad to help you determine how you might pursue additional aid.

Remain On Guard for Disaster Relief Scams

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, scam artists too often attempt to prey on disaster victims. FEMA is warning of several particularly common scams:

• Home Repair Scams - Unregistered home improvement contractors may take your money and disappear, leaving unfinished work and unsafe homes. Before hiring a contractor, you should check with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-242-5846 to make sure the contractor is registered.
• Identity Theft - Scam artists may pretend to be employed by FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), or other government agencies and try to obtain personal information such as Social Security and bank account numbers. Please bear in mind that all authorized FEMA or SBA personnel display a laminated photo identification card, which they are required to wear at all times.
• Charity Scams – Before donating, you should investigate to be sure the organization asking for donations is registered to solicit in New Jersey and ask how the money will be used.

Further information about protecting yourself from these and other scams is available online.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

IHOP's National Pancake Day

 Today's the day if you love pancakes and are a fan of IHOP.

For a donation to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals© and other designated local charities, you can enjoy a free short stack of Buttermilk pancakes at IHOP!

Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP has raised nearly $8 million to support charities in the communities in which they operates.


So make sure you make it to an IHOP near you between the hours of 7am-10pm today to get your free pancakes and help a worthy charity! 

Those Horrible, Overpaid Monmouth County Public Employees Donated Over $50,000 From Their Bloated Public Salaries To Charity Since September

OMG ! I can't believe it.

Those horrible, good for nothing, overpaid Monmouth County public workers have sooo much money laying around, they can afford to donate over $50,000 from their bloated paychecks in order to give it to charity.

If these workers can afford to give excess dollars from their tax payer supplied pay checks to charity, than maybe their being paid too much in the first place! I think an investigation into this outrage is in order, where are those Tea Partiers, I want my tax dollars returned to their rightful owner, me!

Just kidding there folks, I think it is great that people find it in their hearts to donate to those that are less fortunate then they are and evidently so do our Monmouth County Freeholders.

The County press release below honors the good deed of these employees from the County and several school districts throughout Monmouth.

This is just another reason why people shouldn't be so fast to demonize and jump on public employees, they're good people just like the rest of us trying to make ends meet. Hooray to them I say!

FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County workers and several school district employees donated more than $50,000 to support more than 1,300 charitable organizations throughout the United States.

The Public Employees Charitable Campaign, begun last September with bi-weekly payroll deductions administered by the United Way of Monmouth County, raised $53,241, said Luis A. Navarro, who has served as the county’s Charitable Campaign chairman for the last 21 years.

“Charitable giving by county employees is down slightly this year,” Navarro said. “Public employees have demonstrated their generosity by making bi-weekly contributions through voluntary payroll deductions. This money is needed now more than ever due to an economy that is impacting the fundraising abilities of many of the nonprofit agencies located in Monmouth County.”

As “Partners in Giving,” government employees throughout New Jersey were asked to contribute donations through payroll deductions.

To encourage participation in the Monmouth County campaign, employees donating more than $3 per paycheck were included in a drawing for an extra day off. This year’s winners are Leslie Hunt of the Monmouth County Library System, Tara Ruddy of Corrections, and Sarah Bent of the Monmouth County Park System.

Freeholder Director Robert D. Clifton and Freeholders Lillian G. Burry and Amy A. Mallet drew the winners. “I want to thank each and every public employee who was involved in this year’s charitable campaign,” Clifton said. “Even in a tough economy public employees continue to show their compassion by donating part of their income to charity.”

“Public employees in Monmouth County are amazingly generous people who have opened their hearts and their wallets to help others,” Mallet said. “Many of our nonprofits have been hit with funding reductions and have had difficulty raising money at a time when the need is greatest. I want to thank our public employees for their generosity and encourage even better participation next year.”

In addition to county employees, public employees from the Freehold Regional High School District, Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, and the Monmouth County Vocational School system participated in this year’s fund drive.