Christie's Monmouth Team

Enough is enough, it's time for a change.  

Democrats Exploring Legal Options; Imploring Voters To Stand Against Intimidation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2016



HAZLET – Following a report in the Asbury Park Press that voters throughout Monmouth County are having their Vote By Mail ballots returned, Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal announced that he will be exploring legal options and called on voters throughout the county to refuse to be intimidated by the chaos and confusion being created as a result in advance of Election Day.

“We have run a vigorous Vote By Mail program so that Monmouth County voters without transportation or the ability to vote on November 8th would be able to make their voices heard against candidates Donald Trump, Shaun Golden, Rosemarie Peters, Tom Arnone, Serena DiMaso and their entire team. As the Monmouth County Republican Chair, Shaun Golden has publicly stood in silent support of Trump for months, even as he denigrated veterans and seniors and escalated his racist and misogynistic rhetoric day after day. Now, with just days remaining before Election Day and people across Monmouth County casting their votes, thousands may be disenfranchised.

The inexplicable inability of the County Clerk Christine Hanlon’s office to properly design the Vote By Mail envelopes, even after being informed of the problem as far back as June, has already caused chaos and confusion among voters that will only heighten as we approach Election Day. While we will be exploring all legal options, we are also imploring Monmouth County voters to not be intimidated by this latest development and to immediately inquire into how they can make sure their votes count in this important election.”

Monmouth County Republican Chairman Shaun Golden, previously labeled “a strong leader” by County Clerk Christine Hanlon, is on this year’s ballot for re-election as County Sheriff.

(Photo from the Monmouth County Republicans Facebook Page where County Clerk Christine Hanlon is at the head of the room helping to run a Municipal Chairs GOP Meeting)

FROELICH: County purchasing still murky, post-Birdsall

Democratic Monmouth County Candidate for Freeholder, Brian Froelich, wrote an Op-Ed that appeared in the Asbury Park Press over the weekend.

While reading Froelich's Op-Ed, keep in mind (as a friend pointed out) that this is the same Freeholder Board that repealed strong county level pay-to-play restrictions because they were 'too confusing' and didn't complement weaker state level restrictions. Shortly thereafter there is the Brookdale College scandal and the Birdsall debacle, with Birdsall being a common element in both scandals. Time to bring ethics back into goverment and the political process in Monmouth County.

From the APP:

Each of the Monmouth County Republican freeholders received campaign contributions donated illegally by the Birdsall Engineering Group that were designed to influence the county purchasing process. But the freeholders and their administrators are in constant refrain that such corruption doesn’t really affect the purchasing process.

In harmonic chorus, Freeholder Thomas Arnone says the bidding and purchasing process is “independent from the freeholders,” County Counsel Andrea Bazer says the purchasing department and process is “above reproach,” and Purchasing Director Gerri Popkin says there is no tie-in between political fundraising and purchasing.

But Chris Christie’s comment when he was U.S. Attorney that political corruption in Monmouth County was both wide and deep may ring more true. Facts indicate that Monmouth County purchasing may be neither independent, beyond reproach or disconnected from political fundraising.

While Arnone (of Neptune City) declares independence, the Monmouth County Fair and Open Process resolution indicates that purchasing is not independent and that the freeholders have control and “sole discretion” over county purchasing processes.
For example, bids for some services (e.g., engineering) often are for one year but can be renewed annually for an additional two years without bidding. In fact, the New Jersey Institute of Government Attorneys stated “the definition of the ‘fair and open process’ is so ambiguous as to be meaningless.”

Meanwhile, numerous vendor complaints about county purchasing procedures indicate that the process may be well within the realm of reproach. For example, recently various vendors complained that the purchasing department was using distributor, rather than manufacturer, part numbers; was purchasing trucks that don’t meet U.S. emissions standards; was specifying 30-day delivery on custom trucks; and that they should hold important pre-bid meetings (a common industry practice).

At a recent meeting, a vendor complained about several problems he has had with purchasing, including the department not bidding certain items, mislabeling items, etc.
Other facts indicate that the connection between political fundraising and purchasing may be longstanding as well as deep. Popkin has been Monmouth County purchasing director for 26 years, with responsibility for purchasing $100 million in goods and services annually. She also is a longtime, active and important Republican political operative.
Popkin (also from Neptune City) was the Monmouth County Republican campaign coordinator (for 23 years), the Monmouth County GOP secretary, the Neptune City GOP municipal chairwoman, and is the current vice president of the Monmouth County Affiliated Republican Club.

Popkin even advertises that she holds some of these political positions as well as her purchasing position, thus making a direct and visual connection between purchasing and political fundraising. State ethics rules prohibit a state official from using his or her official title for the purpose of fundraising for, or promotion of, a private organization.
As a matter of minimum and sound business practice, Popkin should be rotated out of such a highly sensitive county purchasing position while maintaining such a high profile political position.

Middletown's Scharfenberger to seek 13th District Assembly Seat

This is big news that means there is a huge shake up going on in Monmouth County. I just heard from a very reliable source that Middletown's Deputy Mayor, Gerry Scharfenberger, will be running for Amy Handlin's Assembly seat in the 13th District.

How is this possible? It seems that there is a major plan brewing to regain Middletown for the GOP. NJ State Senator and Middletown resident Joe Kyrillos will be seeking the Lt. Governorship on the line with his long time buddy Chris Christie. The plan then has fellow Middletown resident ,Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, seeking Kyrillos's seat in the State Senate for the 13th district. Scharfenberger will then fill Handlin's seat in the Assembly.

This is all geared toward getting out strong GOP support in Middletown to elect Steve Massel to the township committee, which would then give the Middletown GOP their super majority once again and silence democratic opposition to their doings in Middletown.

I'll have more on this later.

Gallagher's Column"MoreMonmouthMusings" dropped by Courier

I just heard the good news. 

As of today, Art Gallagher's column "MoreMonmouthMusings" has been dropped from the Courier weekly paper. 

It seems as though the fallout over his racially charged posts and his clumsy attempts to start a discussing about race has started. And from what I have just recently heard Art is not very happy about it.

I have been told that because of this, Art will be using his MoreMonmouthMusing forum to go after any and all Democrats and the NAACP, who he feels is responsible for the Courier dropping his column.

At this point, my only comment to him is go ahead and try. If you want this years election turned into a referendum on race you and all of your Republican candidates will loose.

Further more it will force the people that Art Gallagher supports to address the issue and either come to his defense or speak out against him.   Either way it is not a position in which the county GOP would like to be placed in.  

Stay tuned for further developments

Words carry not only meaning, but evoke evils from the past as well...

Matt Morehead, over at the Voice For The Youth blog has posted a thoughtful and compassionate response to Art Gallahger's ill conceived attempts to address race relations and the use of the "N" word.

Matt also notes that one of Art's supporters is none other than Eric Sedler, Chairman of the Monmouth County Young Republicans.

I wonder if Joe Oxley, the new Chairman for the Monmouth County GOP, also supports Art Gallahger and his MoreMonmouthMusings rants when it comes to is attempt to address race and the use of the "N" word? 

Click on the headline to read Matt's response to Art Gallagher