Letter:Middletown Residents Deserve Info Session on Redevelopment Plan

The following letter appears online at the AHHerald.com:



Dear Editor,

The narrative being spun by the Middletown Township Committee that they are unable to conduct information sessions regarding the redevelopment plan because a lawsuit was filed is false. The lawsuit filed by a citizens’ group challenges the decision by the Township Committee that the property in question fits the criteria for “an area in need of redevelopment.” That is the only issue in the lawsuit. How that issue is decided has nothing to do with the specifics of the redevelopment plan such as how many houses and how much commercial space will be built, what buffers will be in place, or what open space will be preserved. The information sessions would deal with the redevelopment plan, not the decision that the area is in need of redevelopment.

The Township Committee is spinning this false narrative to distract the public from a pre-ordained agenda to railroad through this redevelopment project with as little public participation as possible. We, the residents of Middletown, deserve better.

Michael M. DiCicco
Middletown, New Jersey

Letter: Murray and Fiore Should be Booted

The following letter appears online at the Atlantic Highlands Herald:


Dear Editor:

Only in Chris Christie’s culture of arrogance and entitlement could Stephanie Murray run for reelection to the Middletown Township Committee under the slogan “Taxpayers First.” Ms. Murray had a tax lien on her home for unpaid income taxes and now earns a living from a second taxpayer funded job. In August she was appointed Borough Administrator for West Long Branch notwithstanding that she has no real financial training. Her running mate Tony Fiore who also seeks reelection to the Middletown Township Committee is part of the same culture. Mr. Fiore “boasts about… his fiscally austere ways, mirroring the methodology of Governor Chris Christie.” (Middletown Patch, November 7, 2011). Perhaps Mr. Fiore does not know that under the Christie regime, New Jersey’s credit rating has been lowered a record 11 times. (New Jersey.com, March 27, 2017).

Mr. Christie, Ms. Murray, and Mr. Fiore are perfect together. Let’s keep them together. By voting out Ms. Murray and Mr. Fiore on November 7, 2017, they can join Mr. Christie who thankfully leaves office in January 2018.



R. Judice
Middletown, nj

Letter: Casting a Vote for Tom Giaimo for Assembly

The following letter appears online at the Atlantic Highland Herald:


There are a select few that are obviously genuine in what they do, in their occupation as well as their lives. I have come to know Tom Giaimo over the past few months and can plainly see that this is one of those people that is truly genuine.

Tom grew up in Middletown and as a child he carried a reputation as an ace pitcher. His peers quaked when they had to try and hit the ball that was pitched to them by Tom. He has gained the respect of others from this time, as a child, to the current date.

As an attorney, representing homeowner associations, Tom Giaimo knows the struggles the average person goes through trying to forge out a life and living for their families. He knows that people need to be represented in all facets of life, whether it is in the courtroom or out on the street. Tom knows that when people stick together they become a force that is hard to reckon with.

People in New Jersey need representatives like Tom Giaimo. He will put the needs of the people ahead of all else. He will bring integrity, transparency and accountability back to state politics. I am casting my vote for Tom Giaimo for NJ State Assembly in the 13th Legislative District and I hope you are too.



Don Watson

New Monmouth, NJ

Letter: Support Tricia Maguire for the Middletown Committee

The following letter appears on the Atlantic Highlands Herald:


Ladies and Gentlemen:

Tricia Maguire

I often feel that Middletown is run by insiders who have been returned to office by voters too preoccupied to demand accountability. But after meeting Tricia Maguire, a candidate for Middletown Committee, I am pleased to offer my endorsement for her candidacy. You only have to meet Tricia personally to sense the genuine nature of her commitment to open dialog and dedication to facing Middletown’s public issues inclusively. To know that she has an educational background in psychology and child development simply points out why she is pledged to transparency in government, just as parents hope to develop the trust of their children through honest conversation.

For too many years we have been sending the same people to represent the Middletown community with the result that decisions are often made behind closed doors. It is time for fresh, well-informed perspectives, unfettered by long term behind-the-scenes influences.

I urge voters to support Tricia Maguire for the Middletown Committee.



Barrett Thiele

Letter: I Stand with Residents Against Giant Electric

Mariel DiDato, candidate for the General Assembly in Legislative District 13, stands with residents against giant electric (RAGE) in her letter that appeared in the Atlantic Highlands Herald and elsewhere.

Mariel DiDato

Living in Hazlet all my life, the issue with JCP&L’s proposed power line project is, quite literally, very close to home. After attending meetings, public updates, and speaking with members of RAGE (Residents Against Giant Electric), it has become clear that JCP&L’s $111 million project serves to benefit them financially more than it will benefit NJ’s residents practically. From their very installation, to having them tower over schools, homes, and NJ Transit railroads, this project introduces multiple dangers to citizens. Completion of the power lines will also result in a 54% increase to consumer electric bills; another rise in the cost of living is not what NJ residents need. Additionally, an electrical engineer hired by RAGE has proposed an updated solution to upgrade our current system, which does not include installing power lines emitting potentially dangerous radiation near our homes and our children. Given all of this information, it is clear that this project should not move forward.

I stand strongly and proudly with RAGE, and applaud them for their tireless work in stopping JCP&L from taking advantage of their customers. As a community advocate, and now as a candidate for the General Assembly in one of the affected Legislative Districts, I promise to stand with all citizens who will be impacted by these power lines. When elected, I will advocate for legislation that prohibits transmission projects in densely populated neighborhoods so that when RAGE wins this battle, it will be the last of its kind.



Sincerely,

Mariel DiDato
Hazlet, NJ

Letter: Byrnes – The People Over Party Candidate

The following letter appeared on the Atlantic Highlands Herald:



What is a Republican or Democrat to do this November? Both parties have long ago forgotten middle-America in their chase for big money from their extremes? And now neither party is even able to define their own positions on the issues; while Republicans have elected a liberal president and now reels to define itself and Democrats have ‘descended into a tug of war between extreme and moderate’ for control of their own party (NY Times).

Sean Byrnes

The answer - We MUST vote for the candidate that is not beholden to party politics or special interests, one who possesses the values, ethics, and integrity that we demand of our leaders and who also has demonstrated positions on the issues that will drive our state economy, regardless of party affiliation.

For NJ Senate District 13, Sean Byrnes is this candidate. A veteran, he is smart, articulate, experienced with the Law, honest, ethical, and has a long resume of leadership at organizations that bolster the ‘little guy’.

And Byrnes has taken $0 from corporate backers!! He is not beholden to anybody but US, with no hidden agenda to prevent him from working to see our State the best it can be.

His slogan, People over Party, reflects his candidacy. Byrnes will enact laws to grow our economy and that allow US to participate in this growth, and that are reflective of our diverse population.

When the Parties don’t speak for you anymore, vote for the guy that does – Sean Byrnes!



Tim Watters
President
Hoffman Equipment Co.
Piscataway, NJ

Me Thinks, Mercantante Protests Too Much About "Monday Morning Quarterbacking" Surrounding AshBritt

Yesterday Middletown's Township Administrator Tony Mercantante, had an Op-Ed published in the Asbury Park Press and online at the Atlantic Highlands Herald.

In his commentary Mr. Mercantante lambastes all the "Monday morning quarterbacking going on"  that has been surrounding the controversial decision of the no-bid contracts that were awarded to AshBritt Inc., for Hurricane Sandy related debris removal.

I think Mr. Mercantante protests to much. After all, if he and the Township Committee did their due diligence as other towns had done instead of jumping on Chris Christie's bandwagon once again, the town could have saved nearly half of the $14M it spent on debris removal!

Saying that there was no time to shop around for a better price is nonsense when you're dealing with taxpayers dollars. The rush to have debris removed from the streets didn't get people back into their homes any faster than if they would have waited a week or so for a better price from a local hauler as opposed to giving AshBritt millions to do the job.

It's funny how the sleight of hand in Middletown works, Gerry Scharfenberger has repeatedly stated that the town couldn't go out and hire small contractors to pick up the storm debris but yet the township committee passed numerous resolutions in the days following Hurricane Sandy to do just that, after giving the main no-bid contract for debris removal to AshBritt.

• 12-247 - Emergency Contract With Ashbritt, Inc For Storm Debris Removal Services
• 12-248 - Emergency Contract With Arcadis-US, Inc For Storm Debris Management Monitoring & Technical Assistance Services
• 12-249 - Emergency Contract With Bennett Property & Design Works For Curbside Collection & Trucking of Storm Debris
• 12-251 - Emergency Contract With Sutton Trucking LLC FOr Curbside Collection & Trucking Of Storm Debris
• 12-252 - Emergency Contract With Montecalvo Disposal Services For Loading & Trucking Of Storm Debris.
• 12-268 - Ratifying Remaining Emergency Contracts In Relation to Superstorm Sandy.

Candidate Profile: Matthew Morehead, Candidate for 13th Legislative District, NJ State Assembly

(Assembly Candidate Matthew Morehead)

Atlantic Highlands Herald columnist DJ Mikolay has written a very nice candidate profile for Matthew Morehead. Morehead is running in the 13th District hoping to unseat either of the incumbants, Assemblywoman Amy Handlin or Assemblyman Declon O'Scanlon.

Here's some excerpts from the article:

Like many New Jersey natives, Matthew Morehead has always taken great pride in his community, viewing its unique people and places as a source of inspiration. A lifelong resident of Monmouth County, his family tree is largely intertwined with local history, stretching from pre-Revolutionary times all the way to the modern era. It was this sense of kinship with his surroundings that propelled Morehead to become politically active; now, with the November elections just around the corner, the Middletown resident hopes to open a new chapter in Bayshore history by being elected to the State Legislature.

As one of the Democratic Party candidates for Assembly in the Thirteenth Legislative District, Morehead hopes to provide constituents with accessible and open-minded representation in Trenton. A long-time activist in political causes, he first considered running for office in 2009. Though he ultimately didn’t do so, the prospective candidate never lost this desire to serve New Jersey’s residents; a dream became reality when the Monmouth County Democrats nominated Morehead, who served as campaign manager for the party’s legislative tickets in the Thirteenth District in 2007 and 2009...

Morehead believes the increasing polarization of American politics and the broadening of the line that separates Democrats and Republicans has had an adverse impact on government accountability, shutting out those who would otherwise become involved in state affairs. In addition to the inaccessibility of elected officials, changing political norms have blurred the line between conservatism and liberalism, leaving a growing demographic completely unrepresented by politicians, who continue to use the partisan model.

Morehead, who supports shared services and believes “we have reached the limit on what we can tax individuals in this state,” plans to discard such ideological isolation if elected to office.

“My door would always be open to anyone, no matter what their party or ideas,..."

You can read the full article .... HERE 

If you like what you read or want to know more about what Matthew Morehead thinks is important, you can follow him on his new Facebook profile page.

Atlantic Highlands Herald To Go Dark Within 24 Hours Without Help

It's being reported on their website, the Atlantic Highlands Herald will be shutting down within the next 24 hours unless some help arrives.

It seems that the local online news website has become to successful for its own good. According to an article posted earlier today by the AHH's Publisher Allen Dean, the web traffic to the site has become too large for its server to handle and has recommend the that the AHH move to a much more expensive dedicated server.

Allen Dean writes, "...In order for us to continue to provide services to our readers, as we've done for 12 years, we need to find a new hosting solution. If you know of a hosting company that will donate a server, please let us know..."

It would be a shame if the Atlantic Highlands Herald has to be shutdown due to an issue with it's server. In a world where printed media is disappearing at a rapid rate due to readership decline and the high costs of printing, it would be ironic if a modestly successful online news outlet, that provides local coverage and public interest stories were to shutdown, not because of lack the readership but due to the cost of its web host.

If you think you can help or know of a cheaper web hosting service let Allen Dean know, otherwise if  a cheaper web hosting server is found within the next few hours, the Atlantic Highlands Herald will be shutdown, which I hope will only be a temporary, until a new host server can be found.

 

You can read more about it... here

Destruction of Library Board is Reason to Vote Democratic in Middletown

This letter appears online today at the Atlantic Highlands Herald


I urge the election of Linda Baum to the Middletown township committee because she is intelligent and possesses sharp, sound financial acumen, while the opposition Republican campaign is morally bankrupt. Mr. Massell has claimed to be eager to find waste in Middletown government spending. Since his party has had unbroken control for a generation, one would believe that the present administration is responsible for remaining waste. He claims to have saved Middletown money by single-stream recycling. However, Middletown was late to adopt this practice which became available through enormous equipment investments by recycling companies, not by municipal action. Massell claims that the township’s sale of the swim club was a win for the taxpayers, but he is part of the same organization that acclaimed the benefit given to Middletown by its purchase some years ago. Obviously, he implies they made a mistake by buying the swim club in the first place.

The worst of the misdeeds of the present administration is the destruction of an independent Middletown Library board of trustees and their replacement by political tools. The new board members are largely drawn from the Middletown Republican County Committee and follow the dictates of the township committee. After the township committee raided the library last year for about $500,000 of its surplus, funds raised almost entirely from non-municipal sources, the new board has continued the depletion of the library’s reserves, monies accumulated for needed repairs and capital improvements, expenses that had been previously paid by township appropriation. In addition, the new library board has acquiesced to inappropriate township charge backs for which they receive either no justification or an inadequate accounting. In an area where I have expertise, property and casualty insurance, the township’s excessive charge back is tantamount to theft by the municipality of funds from an organization where state-mandated funding is designed to remove the library from political manipulation. The township committee has put in place actions that will destroy the standard of library service that Middletown residents have enjoyed for many years.

Ms. Baum’s long experience in finance and her intelligence make her clearly qualified to serve the township. Her willingness to speak out over irregularities in the present administration’s conduct of its affairs demonstrates that her voice will be heard over the self-serving dealings of a one-party machine.

Randall Gabrielan
Middletown, NJ

Letter: Middletown Township Committee Moves to Abandon Strong Pay-to-Play Rules

This letter to the editor was written by Linda Baum, Candidate for Middletown Township Committee. It appears online at the Atlantic Highlands Herald:

On May 21st, the Middletown Township Committee introduced Ordinance 2012-3060, which loosens the Township’s pay-to-play rules and reinstates the weaker state regulations that were in place prior to January 1, 2008. A public hearing on the Ordinance is scheduled for June 18 at 8 p.m.

The Township’s move follows the footsteps of the Monmouth County Freeholders, who voted unanimously on January 26th to adopt the state’s “fair and open” process in place of stronger pay-to-play rules that were put in place in the county after 2008 Operation Bid Rig.

The Township Ordinance, if adopted, opens the door to rewarding politically connected persons and businesses with municipal contracts, weakens competition, and may have the direct effect of increasing property taxes in line with higher contract costs.

New Jersey State Comptroller Matthew Boxer released a 20-page report in September 2011 entitled “Weaknesses in the Pay-to-Play Law’s “Fair and Open” Contracting System”. It states, “Qualifying for the fair-and-open exception returns the local government entity to the traditional, unregulated system of contracting.” “In effect, no-bid contracts may be awarded to favored local vendors much as they had been prior to the passage of the pay-to-play law, and without regard to issues such as vendor cost.”

Further, in order to receive certain categories of state aid, a municipality is required to have a strong pay-to-play ordinance in place. The state Department of Community Affairs recommends a model pay-to-play ordinance that is similar to the one currently in effect in Middletown.

”The main problem with “fair and open” is that it’s so easy to qualify, that it pretty much allows for business as usual,” said Heather Taylor, Communications Director for public advocacy organization The Citizens Campaign. She said, ”When we are reading in the paper that stealth PACs are springing up in Middlesex County and other places, now is not the time to be relaxing the rules, but rather the time to make sure we have the strongest laws possible.”

Linda Baum

Secret Public Hearing at Middletown Sewerage Authority

The following letter appears online at the Atlantic Highlands Herald:

At its 12/7/2011 Board meeting, The Middletown Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) held a public hearing on its 2012 budget, but didn’t bother to tell the public.

I attended that meeting and was caught by surprise when, at the start of the meeting, TOMSA Executive Director Pat Parkinson asked awkwardly if there were any public comments on the budget. He never bothered to announce that it was a public hearing. Such an announcement is protocol at hearings and typically includes mention of when notice was provided to the public in line with statutory requirement.

Not realizing it was a hearing and not prepared for it, I said nothing, and the Board quickly moved to adopt the budget by unanimous vote while I was still scratching my head.

After the meeting, I did an online search of public notices and found none about the budget hearing. Because the public wasn’t notified of the hearing, TOMSA’s 2012 budget is subject to legal challenge. It seems appropriate, then, that a new hearing be scheduled. The public deserves a real opportunity, and has a legal right, to review the numbers and ask questions.

Linda Baum
Middletown, NJ

Letter: Statistics Meant to Mislead Middletown Residents

The following letter appears online at the Atlantic Highlands Herald:

Middletown residents are being misled by the Republican Party once again. As they’ve done many times before, Middletown Republicans are misrepresenting information for their own benefit.

At issue now is the inappropriate use of “per capita” (per person) statistics.

At the candidates forum in Lincroft on October 27th, Stephanie Murray spouted some of the same per capita statistics that appear in Michael Vitkansas’s October 26th letter. The statistics are a recycled version of what we’ve heard in the past from the Town’s Republican officials.

Ms. Murray compared Middletown’s spending per capita to Hazlet’s. Hazlet’s statistic is higher, she points out.

But hold on a minute. Middletown’s population is enormous. There are close to 67,000 residents, far more than in neighboring towns. Further, not all town expenses increase with population – for example, we still have only one town hall and one municipal court, the same as Hazlet. With so many people in Middletown to share those fixed costs, the overall cost per resident drops.

Therefore, it’s inappropriate to compare per capita statistics for towns of different sizes and populations. To do so is deceptive.

Besides a large number of residents, something else that reduces spending per capita is inadequate funding of core services, but I bet Ms. Murray won’t be pointing that out.

Mr. Vitkansas talks about Middletown’s small workforce per capita, but fails to mention that nearly the entire staff of the Parks and Recreation Department was laid off this year.

If the real picture were as rosy as Republican candidates would have you believe, they wouldn’t need to mislead you by pulling statistics out of a hat.


Linda Baum
Middletown, NJ

Letter: Derailed Fiscal Policy, Empty Promises, Unfulfilled Expectations in Middletown

The following letter also appears online today over at the Atlantic Highlands Herald. This letter, written by Middletown Democratic candidate for Township Committee, Jim Grenafege, is an expanded version of the letter that I posted earlier today and appears online over at the Asbury Park Press.

This version of Mr. Grenafege's letter is much more hard hitting than what appears on the APP. Compare the two and let me know what you think, this newer version is much more hard hitting and has more specifics.

In his October 18, Atlantic Highlands Herald letter, “Real Solutions to Real Problems Needed to Put Middletown on Right Track”, Mayor Fiore admitted that Middletown government is derailed. I could not agree more.

True to form, he falsely blames years of excessive spending; unnecessary bonding; escalating taxation and debt, all cradled in Republican mismanagement, on the Middletown Democrats who somehow magically made elected Republicans spend our tax dollars. This is just more empty rhetoric to go with decades of empty promises, failure to openly communicate and thwarted taxpayer dreams: no flood control along the Bay Shore; no turf fields; a lake yet to be dredged; a $400 thousand master recreation plan gathering dust; high density housing zoned in Lincroft and planned development of open space at Bamm Hollow.

After Mr. Fiore strong-armed $500 thousand from library funds; took $350 thousand, for the second year in a row, from sewerage authority fees; used $1.3 million in public education funds; his so-called fiscal discipline required a 12% tax increase to cover $45 million of a $62 million budget. This lack of incumbent Republican fiscal discipline has Middletown looking at a projected $2 million shortfall for the 2012 Middletown budget.

Ask Mayor Fiore if he has a real solution. Past Republican practice points at raising taxes. During his term, he has contributed 22% to a 40% increase in taxes over the last five years. Past practice also points at adding to our $70 million in debt, which has increased 66% over the same five years.

Finally, at least $2.4 million of $4 million in “cuts” claimed by Mayor Fiore was onetime nonrecurring expenses that were never part of the 2011 budget.

In closing, Mr. Fiore notes that Middletown has been repeatedly named one of the Top 100 Places to Live by Money Magazine; but, Fiore fails to note that Middletown’s standing in the Magazine’s quality-of-life survey has eroded by 39% during the last four years.

Put a stop to over 30 years of poor fiscal policy and borrowing, empty promises and unfulfilled expectations. Please help our community get back on track: vote Grenafege and Fowler on November 8.


James Grenafege
Middletown Township Committee

Letter: Taxes Sky High in Middletown

The Following letter to the editor appears online today over at the Atlantic Highlands Herald:

Have you heard that the Middletown’s mayor and his running mate want to hold the line on taxes? Hold it where, exactly? Somewhere in the stratosphere?

I think the joke’s on us. Municipal taxes have gone up over 22% just during Mister Fiore’s 3-year term in office. Mr. Fiore voted for tax increases every year. Based on his record, I think we can expect more of the same.

Republican candidates keep talking about making Middletown an affordable place to live, and then keep doing the opposite once they’re elected. You’d think they’d be too red in the face to keep talking about it.

Mr. Fiore doesn’t seem to feel responsible for our high taxes since he is always talking about forces beyond his control. Well, that doesn’t inspire my confidence in his ability, and I won’t be voting for him.

I think it’s time we had representatives who stopped making excuses and brought sound judgment to the job. Jim Grenafege has been a voice of reason for many years now. He is both informed and vocal about issues that are important to residents. Jim strongly supports televising town meetings so that we can all see what our local government is doing. He also feels the Township desperately needs the oversight of a Finance Committee, which almost every other town has. After seeing taxes double in such a short time, I have to agree with him.

Please join me in supporting Jim Grenafege for Middletown Township Committee this Election Day.

William G. Butler
Middletown, NJ

Letter: Middletown Hides Mismanagement

The following letter was posted online at the Atlantic Highlands Herald

Mayor Fiore is good at one thing and one thing only---raising Middletown’s taxes. Since being in office he has raised our taxes 22.3%.

Municipal mismanagement is rampant in Middletown. Yet the Mayor has been effective in keeping all this from the residents. When asked repeatedly to have the Township Committee meetings televised, he refuses, saying he doesn’t want to spend money. Yet, his record of spending money is off the charts. Perhaps he wants to hide the truth about the state of operations in Middletown.

We need better leadership and management in Middletown. Let’s stop the escalating taxes and mismanagement. Middletown residents, please get out to vote and elect Jim Grenafege and Carol Fowler to the Middletown Township Committee. They are fiscal conservatives. They have proven methods to reduce waste and inefficiencies. They know how to set demanding goals to ensure that the township is managed both effectively and efficiently.

Marilyn Tuohy
Pt. Monmouth, NJ

Letter: Fowler Deserves Support in Middletown Election

The following letter appears online at Atlantic Highlands Herald today:

To The Editor:

I want to comment on Carol Fowler who is running for Township Committee in Middletown. I met her when she interviewed my father-in-law for the National Guard Militia Museum in Sea Girt about 10 years ago. She quickly became a family friend who was included in family gatherings because of her friendly nature and her selfless desire to make other people’s lives better. I find her to be honest, trustworthy and very responsible in everything she does. It is time that people of Middletown elect someone who is not a career politician but just plain “Folks” like you and me. She will bring a breath of fresh air to the township committee that has been a one party rule for far too long. I support Carol and hope Middletown voters will also get to know her as I have.

Jeff Demos

Middletown

Middletown Democrats Get Thumbs Up

I received the following letter yesterday, it has also been posted over at the Atlantic Highlands Herald.

I would like to respond to Peter Van Nortwick, whose letter – Middletown Democrats Pose Traffic Hazard – is just plain ridiculous. No one was blocking traffic or running into the street. Some did cross the street, however, because that’s how you get to the other side.

Cars were not screeching to a halt or narrowly dodging pedestrians. But many motorists did show their support by beeping their horns as they passed by. They cheered, waved, and gave us thumbs up. Except Committeeman Settembrino, who didn’t use his thumb.

Mr. Van Nortwick is right about one thing. We were effective at getting people’s attention. Everyone’s except the cops’. They saw no problem.

Linda Baum
Middletown, NJ

Someone Please Dial Whine-1-1; Middletown Republicans Are In Need Of A Waaambulance!!

Every year since 2006, Middletown Democrats have been gathering at local intersections around Middletown showing their support for their candidates during campaign season and every year there has been a cry baby letter to the editor issued by the some connected Republican boot licker stating how these Democrats are running out in traffic, causing disturbances and posing a hazard to drivers.

This year is nothing new, Middletown Democrats were out again this past weekend showing their support for their Candidates Jim Grenafege and Carol Fowler and within hours a recycled letter to the editor made it's way onto the pages of the Atlantic Highlands Herald condeming the democrats and misleading readers.

This letter written by Republican Monmouth County Committeeman Peter Van Nortwick, who also happens to be the appointed Vice-President of the Poricy Park Conservancy and holds various other appointed positions throughout the county, should be arrested for false allegations and charged with plagiarism for putting his name on a letter that has now been rewritten 6 or 7 times over the past 5 years by various other Middletown Republicans !

After all, Middletown Democrats are just exercising their first amendment rights to free speech and to peaceably assemble. Why do Peter Van Nortwick and other Middletown Republicans what to violate their constituional rights by stopping them from doing so; do they hate the constitution ?


Note to Middletown Republicans: Stop your whining over nonsense and address real quality of life issues that effect Middletown like cronyism, taxes, high density housing, taxes, pet projects, nepotism, taxes, roads, brush and leaf pick-ups, the state of education,taxes......

Is A Scharfenberger Recall Effort Possibly Underway In Middletown?

Ever since the news broke about Gerry Scharfenberger being appointed by Governor Christie to a $95,000 a year job as the new Director of the Office for Planning Advocacy and then keeping it quite by lying to the press when asked by several local news organizations such as the Asbury Park Press,Two River Times, Greater Media's the Independent and RedBankGreen.com about his current employer during this past election season, I've been receiving a ton of emails and comments left on this blog from friends and other Middletown residents that are upset at being deceived once again by the master of deception himself, Gerry Scharfenberger.

These people, some of whom voted for Scharfenberger, are angry and want to know what can be done about overturning the outcome of Tuesday's election due to the fact that if they had known in advance about Gerry's new position in Trenton it may have changed their votes.

But what really has them upset is his lame excuses for not making the appointment public knowledge back in August when he accepted the job. Scharfenberger has been quoted as saying ""I just assumed that everyone knew." by the Asbury Park Press and "I wasn't go to promote it to help my election, which I thought would be unfair." by the Atlantic Highlands Herald.

Many of these people think that keeping this information from the public, while not illegal, was unethical and the equivalent to fraud. They are thinking of taking action against Scharfenberger by starting a Recall campaign against him.

When I heard this for the first time, I thought it was an intriguing idea so I looked up the Recall Provision in the NJ State Constitution to see what it would entail.

Article 1, section 2b explains what needs to be done in order to recall a local public official as follows:

The people reserve unto themselves the power to recall, after at least one year of service, any elected official in this State or representing this State in the United States Congress. The Legislature shall enact laws to provide for such recall elections. Any such laws shall include a provision that a recall election shall be held upon petition of at least 25% of the registered voters in the electoral district of the official sought to be recalled. If legislation to implement this constitutional amendment is not enacted within one year of the adoption of the amendment, the Secretary of State shall, by regulation, implement the constitutional amendment, except that regulations adopted by the Secretary of State shall be superseded by any subsequent legislation consistent with this constitutional amendment governing recall elections. The sufficiency of any statement of reasons or grounds procedurally required shall be a political rather than a judicial question.

After reading the provisions it seems that all which is needed is to collect Scharfenberger is the signatures from 25% of all the registered voters in Middletown on a petition, which would be about 12 thousand or so, within 160 days. It seems doable but I doubt that it is plausible, recall efforts very seldom work, many signatures are challenged and thrown out by the powers that be and it is extremely time consuming to gather all those signatures

So we are probably stuck with him until he either resigns on his own from the Township Committee or is eventually thrown out of office by the voters after the next election. With that being said though, if anyone truly wants to start the recall effort, I'd sign my name to it.