The expressed opinions or views of this letter does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MiddletownMike blog.
Dear Editor,
As a New Jersey marijuana consumer, grower, and distributor, I was shocked to hear the misinformation being spread regarding cannabis by some politicians.
Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry's rant comparing marijuana consumption to murder made me wonder, is she suffering from dementia? But given the fact her colleagues on the all-Republican board also seem to take a similarly delusional stance, it brings me to a second question - Has anyone ever drug tested the Freeholders? Because with ideas that crazy, they must be on drugs.
Ocean County Freeholder Gerry Little also had to pull back after ridiculously claiming that marijuana is worse than cocaine, as a result of significant public ridicule over such an absurd statement. What is wrong with these people?
The Ocean and Monmouth County Freeholders have been spewing prohibitionist crazy talk right out of Reefer Madness, so in the interest of public sanity, I am offering all of them a high potency joint on me.
Should the Freeholders decline my kind offer in lieu of free locally grown "Jersey Fresh" marijuana, I would like to offer them a gift membership in the Flat Earth Society.
REV. DR. ERIC HAFNER
FORMER CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE
TOMS RIVER
Showing posts with label Monmouth County Freeholders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monmouth County Freeholders. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Monmouth Dems Petition to STOP Brookdale Layoffs!
Help us STOP layoffs and budget cuts at Brookdale Community College
210 Layoffs
Facing steep cuts to Brookdale's 2015 budget, the Brookdale Board of Trustees recently recommended the elimination of 210 faculty and staff positions.-
$6 Million
Monmouth County government has cut 23% of its funding, or $6 million, to Brookdale Community College in just 3 years. This does not include the additional $1.5 million that is expected to be cut out of 2015's funding.-
12% Drop in 3 Years
Brookdale has seen a sharp decline in enrollment, to the tune of 12% in just 3 years. The lack of faculty and services is expected to drive this number further.
YOU CAN HELP!
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
No excuse for layoffs at Brookdale
Vin Gopal is chairman of the Monmouth County Democrats and is the author of this article that appeared in yesterday's Asbury Park Press:
The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has gutted funding to Brookdale Community College three years in a row. It’s plain and simple: What was once the educational pearl of Monmouth is now in jeopardy as a direct result of the one-party-controlled freeholder board.
A recommendation made last week by the college’s Board of Trustees (most of whom are selected by the all-Republican freeholder board) announced a plan for 210 layoffs of faculty and staff. This comes after the third year in a row of significant cuts by Monmouth County’s freeholder board to Brookdale’s funding.
Monmouth County’s funding has dropped an astounding 23 percent in just three years — more than $6 million. The college is expecting another $1.5 million cut in county funding for 2015, a 6 percent drop in a year. Brookdale officials are expecting funds raised by tuition and fees to increase by 2.5 percent next year and enrollment has dropped 12 percent in just three years.
The freeholders claim that money for Brookdale is not there. That is simply not true. Instead of properly funding Brookdale Community College, the board has allowed $6.5 million taxpayer money, annually, to be wasted on managing two county-run nursing homes. Government-funded nursing homes are a thing of the past and counties including Mercer, Sussex and Salem have all successfully sold their own to competent private buyers, all of whom have done an excellent job operating them with the same quality of care.
Government used to run these types of care centers in the 1960s and 1970s, but we do not need to be in the nursing home business in 2014. We need to be providing students and their parents with affordable educational options, especially at a time when the importance of a college degree is increasing faster than ever. Monmouth freeholders have the opportunity to do this and protect those jobs at Brookdale.
This past election, in a big landslide year for national Republicans, Monmouth County residents narrowly voted to re-elect Monmouth County Republican Freeholders Lillian Burry and Gary Rich with 53 percent of the vote. This should be a wakeup call to county Republicans, not a moment of celebration. County Republican freeholders usually win Monmouth by larger margins. Residents are realizing, more and more, that county Republicans are responsible for our high taxes and waste.
There is no Republican or Democratic way to fix a pothole. There is a right way and a wrong way. The Monmouth County Democrats have taken the position that privatizing the nursing homes because it is what is right for the 630,000 residents of this county.
The solution for Brookdale is crystal clear. The All-Republican freeholder board can privatize the nursing homes and save Brookdale students and families a tuition increase and save the 210 folks about to get laid off. The ball is in their court.
Join us in holding them accountable by locally joining a political party that will fight for every taxpayer in this county. Locally, the Monmouth County Democrats are fighting for taxpayers in our 53 towns.
The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has gutted funding to Brookdale Community College three years in a row. It’s plain and simple: What was once the educational pearl of Monmouth is now in jeopardy as a direct result of the one-party-controlled freeholder board.
A recommendation made last week by the college’s Board of Trustees (most of whom are selected by the all-Republican freeholder board) announced a plan for 210 layoffs of faculty and staff. This comes after the third year in a row of significant cuts by Monmouth County’s freeholder board to Brookdale’s funding.
Monmouth County’s funding has dropped an astounding 23 percent in just three years — more than $6 million. The college is expecting another $1.5 million cut in county funding for 2015, a 6 percent drop in a year. Brookdale officials are expecting funds raised by tuition and fees to increase by 2.5 percent next year and enrollment has dropped 12 percent in just three years.
The freeholders claim that money for Brookdale is not there. That is simply not true. Instead of properly funding Brookdale Community College, the board has allowed $6.5 million taxpayer money, annually, to be wasted on managing two county-run nursing homes. Government-funded nursing homes are a thing of the past and counties including Mercer, Sussex and Salem have all successfully sold their own to competent private buyers, all of whom have done an excellent job operating them with the same quality of care.Government used to run these types of care centers in the 1960s and 1970s, but we do not need to be in the nursing home business in 2014. We need to be providing students and their parents with affordable educational options, especially at a time when the importance of a college degree is increasing faster than ever. Monmouth freeholders have the opportunity to do this and protect those jobs at Brookdale.
This past election, in a big landslide year for national Republicans, Monmouth County residents narrowly voted to re-elect Monmouth County Republican Freeholders Lillian Burry and Gary Rich with 53 percent of the vote. This should be a wakeup call to county Republicans, not a moment of celebration. County Republican freeholders usually win Monmouth by larger margins. Residents are realizing, more and more, that county Republicans are responsible for our high taxes and waste.
There is no Republican or Democratic way to fix a pothole. There is a right way and a wrong way. The Monmouth County Democrats have taken the position that privatizing the nursing homes because it is what is right for the 630,000 residents of this county.
The solution for Brookdale is crystal clear. The All-Republican freeholder board can privatize the nursing homes and save Brookdale students and families a tuition increase and save the 210 folks about to get laid off. The ball is in their court.
Join us in holding them accountable by locally joining a political party that will fight for every taxpayer in this county. Locally, the Monmouth County Democrats are fighting for taxpayers in our 53 towns.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Democratic Candidates For Freeholder Go After "The Terrible Trio" In New TV Spot That Begins Airing Today
Monmouth County Democratic Freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo, are going up on Television today. They are fighting to get the message out to the over 630,000 residents of Monmouth County about how ineffective Republican incumbents Lillian Burry and Gary Rich are. Their TV spot will be running for 2 weeks on Verizon Fios, Comcast and Cablevision through major channels in their targeted demographics.
Watch the video HERE
Watch the video HERE
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
An Open Letter to Freeholders
The history of the Republican Party rule in Monmouth County is one of corruption and scandal. Even, then US Attorney, Chris Christie has said that public corruption in Monmouth County ran "both wide and deep."
And now in 2013 we have Birdsall and more pay to play issues raised.
 |
| (Brian Froelich) |
Birdsall’s principal alleged tactic was to make many small individual donations below the publicly reportable amount in order to hide these actions from public scrutiny.
But each Freeholder has the actual, detailed, nonpublic records of any such donations- the very information that Birdsall was trying to hide from the public.
The citizens and voters of Monmouth County have a right to know specifically the number and amount of donations, if any, each Freeholder received- in any form, directly or indirectly- from Birdsall and/or its employees for the last 6 years.
Each Freeholder should disclose all such information and make all such records available for inspection by the public and the press prior to this upcoming primary election.
I’ll assume that if they publicly report this information and that actual contradictory information subsequently becomes available that they will have the decency to resign their Board seat.
I ask for their immediate public commitment to such action.
Sincerely,
Brian Froelich, Democratic Candidate for Freeholder
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Republican Party Boss Andrew Lucas is about to get a Valentine's Day Gift
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OLD BOYS NETWORK REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED MONMOUTH COUNTY FREEHOLDERS PREPARE TO GIVE 1.2 MILLION DOLLAR VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT FOR LOCAL REPUBLICAN POLITICIAN
February 14th, 2013
FREEHOLD - The 5-0 Republican controlled Monmouth County Freeholders will be voting on a resolution to release taxpayers funds to Manalapan Republican Party Boss and Elected Official Andrew Lucas. http://oprs.co.monmouth.nj.us/OPRS/Meetings/AgendaFrmHolder.aspx?eid=143&ty=1
This vote will gift $1.2 million which will come from state, county and Manalapan taxpayers. In exchange, he promises not to sell this recently purchased property to a developer.
"There is something wrong with a system whereby a sitting elected official applies for a taxpayer funded grant and there is no transparency. In reading the resolution, don’t be fooled by the corporate name. It is owned by elected Committeeman (and former Mayor) Andrew Lucas," stated Chairman Vin Gopal
Recently, Republican Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green voted against the Lucas land deal. Mr. Green first moved to table the purchase due to incomplete documentation. Green stood up to local Republican boss Lucas.
State Comptroller Matt Boxer recently issued the results of an investigation condemning a mayor in another New Jersey town for improperly using his position of influence in a private land deal. ttp://www.nj.gov/comptroller/news/docs/investigative_report_chesterfield_01_29_13.pdf
"This doesn't pass the smell test. While middle-class families in our county are working hard to makes ends meet, Manalapan politician Andrew Lucas is about to make over a million dollars off of taxpayers. If the Republican controlled freeholder board chooses to put the interests of their crony politicians ahead of the taxpayers of this county, we will have a serious problem. This will be one of the most important issues facing this year's county election," stated Gopal.
The public meetings are held at the Hall of Records, 1 East Main Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
Workshop Meeting at 2pm
Voting Meeting at 7pm
Since this is on the agenda, the public will have the opportunity to be heard at each of these meetings.
OLD BOYS NETWORK REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED MONMOUTH COUNTY FREEHOLDERS PREPARE TO GIVE 1.2 MILLION DOLLAR VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT FOR LOCAL REPUBLICAN POLITICIAN
February 14th, 2013
FREEHOLD - The 5-0 Republican controlled Monmouth County Freeholders will be voting on a resolution to release taxpayers funds to Manalapan Republican Party Boss and Elected Official Andrew Lucas. http://oprs.co.monmouth.nj.us/OPRS/Meetings/AgendaFrmHolder.aspx?eid=143&ty=1
This vote will gift $1.2 million which will come from state, county and Manalapan taxpayers. In exchange, he promises not to sell this recently purchased property to a developer.
"There is something wrong with a system whereby a sitting elected official applies for a taxpayer funded grant and there is no transparency. In reading the resolution, don’t be fooled by the corporate name. It is owned by elected Committeeman (and former Mayor) Andrew Lucas," stated Chairman Vin Gopal
Recently, Republican Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green voted against the Lucas land deal. Mr. Green first moved to table the purchase due to incomplete documentation. Green stood up to local Republican boss Lucas.
State Comptroller Matt Boxer recently issued the results of an investigation condemning a mayor in another New Jersey town for improperly using his position of influence in a private land deal. ttp://www.nj.gov/comptroller/news/docs/investigative_report_chesterfield_01_29_13.pdf
"This doesn't pass the smell test. While middle-class families in our county are working hard to makes ends meet, Manalapan politician Andrew Lucas is about to make over a million dollars off of taxpayers. If the Republican controlled freeholder board chooses to put the interests of their crony politicians ahead of the taxpayers of this county, we will have a serious problem. This will be one of the most important issues facing this year's county election," stated Gopal.
The public meetings are held at the Hall of Records, 1 East Main Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
Workshop Meeting at 2pm
Voting Meeting at 7pm
Since this is on the agenda, the public will have the opportunity to be heard at each of these meetings.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
February 9th Monmouth County Freeholder Meeting
If you are like me (and the first man to speak in front of the Freeholders) and can't make it to the Monmouth County Freeholder's meetings at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, you will enjoy watching the video below.
The video was taken at the February 9, 2012. It was at this meeting, the Freeholders decided to abolish the pay-to-play laws implemented just a few years ago.
Their reasoning was that they wanted to send a message to the State Legislature that they will not abide by these self imposed rules when the State's play-to-pay rules are not as strict.
The video was taken at the February 9, 2012. It was at this meeting, the Freeholders decided to abolish the pay-to-play laws implemented just a few years ago.
Their reasoning was that they wanted to send a message to the State Legislature that they will not abide by these self imposed rules when the State's play-to-pay rules are not as strict.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Update for Library Supporters
I found the following posted on the Middletown Township Library's website, it's a message from Library Director Susan O'Neal thanking those that came out to show support for the library during Wednesday night's Board of Trustees meeting.
What is most interesting about this, is her call for supporters to attend the next meeting of the Middletown Township Committee on Tuesday night, February 22nd in order to let the Township Committee know that the Library is special and any effort to dissolve the library or hand it over to the County library system would not be tolerated.
This should make for a very interesting meeting Tuesday night.
Greetings library supporters!
Thanks to the many of you who have written letters of support and/or attended the meeting of the Board of Trustees on Wednesday evening. It turned into a Town Hall type of event, with dozens of people taking their turn to speak.
The resolution of the giveback issue is that there will be a negotiation involving attorneys and administrators for both sides next week, and then the Township Committee and Library Board will each vote of acceptance of the agreement.
On this, I will keep you posted, particularly as the library board may decide to have a special meeting in early March for the express purpose of voting on a giveback of reserves.
Because the Township Committee meeting is next Tuesday at 8:00 p.m., I urge you to attend and let the TC know of your support for the library. In particular, we are fearful that the TC will proceed without public vote on dissolving the library and becoming a member of the Monmouth County Library. Unfortunately, as you may already know, public comments at the TC meetings are always at the end of their meeting. [L]
This threat now must be moved to center stage. There has been no proof presented of savings to Middletown taxpayers, and, in its own investigation, we have found out the possibility that costs might be more. Further, there is no evidence that the Monmouth Cty Library Commission or the Monmouth County Freeholders would vote to approve taking on the services to Middletown, and the prospect of doing so in a hostile environment may make it even less palatable.
On our website [mtpl.org] we are posting background information, budgets, reports, legislation and more. Not everything is there yet- but we’ve been asked for more info and we’re getting it up there as fast as possible. Our webmaster Megan is doing a great job trying to make this access as obvious and easy as possible for you to find. In addition, there’s a table in front of the borrower’s desk at Main with handouts of much of the same information. Next week I’ll have packets to go to the branch libraries with the same.
It’s been a rough week …………….. but it’s always you, our customers that make us smile!
Susan O'Neal, M.S.L.S.
Director
What is most interesting about this, is her call for supporters to attend the next meeting of the Middletown Township Committee on Tuesday night, February 22nd in order to let the Township Committee know that the Library is special and any effort to dissolve the library or hand it over to the County library system would not be tolerated.
This should make for a very interesting meeting Tuesday night.
Greetings library supporters!
Thanks to the many of you who have written letters of support and/or attended the meeting of the Board of Trustees on Wednesday evening. It turned into a Town Hall type of event, with dozens of people taking their turn to speak.
The resolution of the giveback issue is that there will be a negotiation involving attorneys and administrators for both sides next week, and then the Township Committee and Library Board will each vote of acceptance of the agreement.
On this, I will keep you posted, particularly as the library board may decide to have a special meeting in early March for the express purpose of voting on a giveback of reserves.
Because the Township Committee meeting is next Tuesday at 8:00 p.m., I urge you to attend and let the TC know of your support for the library. In particular, we are fearful that the TC will proceed without public vote on dissolving the library and becoming a member of the Monmouth County Library. Unfortunately, as you may already know, public comments at the TC meetings are always at the end of their meeting. [L]
This threat now must be moved to center stage. There has been no proof presented of savings to Middletown taxpayers, and, in its own investigation, we have found out the possibility that costs might be more. Further, there is no evidence that the Monmouth Cty Library Commission or the Monmouth County Freeholders would vote to approve taking on the services to Middletown, and the prospect of doing so in a hostile environment may make it even less palatable.
On our website [mtpl.org] we are posting background information, budgets, reports, legislation and more. Not everything is there yet- but we’ve been asked for more info and we’re getting it up there as fast as possible. Our webmaster Megan is doing a great job trying to make this access as obvious and easy as possible for you to find. In addition, there’s a table in front of the borrower’s desk at Main with handouts of much of the same information. Next week I’ll have packets to go to the branch libraries with the same.
It’s been a rough week …………….. but it’s always you, our customers that make us smile!
Susan O'Neal, M.S.L.S.
Director
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)