Friday, April 28, 2006

THE DEMS' ELEC REPORT

OK folks, what you've been waiting for! The Monmouth County Democrats ELEC report. You know, the one that the Asbury Park Press had to remind them of.
Their beginning balance (9/30/05) was $84,922.07; receipts were $546,035.00; disbursements, $597,397.19; balance as of 12/31/05, $33,559.88.
So here's their major contributors, in alphabetical order like on the report:
Aberdeen Democratic Executive Committee, $2,000.00. Looks like they just wheel directly through their local organizations.
Union County Democratic Committee, $1,000.00. Wheeling.
Carpenters _____, $37,000.00. Karen & Richard?
Jon Corzine, $37,000.00. Of Course.
CWA Local 1034, $20,000.00. Where Corzine goes, so goes the CWA. I wonder how many of their rank & file membership know where their dues go?
CWA NJ Political Education Committee, $30,000.
Drazin & Warshaw, PC, $10,425.00.
UFCW, CLC, $37,000.00.
DRIVE Committee, $37,000.00. I believe this would be your basic International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Elect Democrats, $1,100.00. A PAC. Yes, they have them, too.
Election Fund of John S. Wisniewski, $2,875.00. And the wheel goes round.
Election Fund of Sen. Joseph Vitale, $2,000.00. Round and round and round.
Friends of Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Roberts, $37,000.00. Camden County, folks. And right generous of ol' Joe, too.
G. L. Cafesnian, $5,000.00. From Naples, Florida. Florida pops up on their reports from time to time.
David Huemer, $7,500.00. Essex County.
IBEW Local 351 State PAC Fund, $25,000.00. Another labor union.
IBEW COPE, $30,000.00.
Int'l. Union of Operating Engineers, $5,000.00.
Karcher for Senate, $500.00.
Leonard Lieberman, $5,000.00. Hoboken.
Local Union 400, $3,500.00.
Monmouth & Ocean Central Labor Council, $2,495.00.
New Jersey First, $1,000.00. Norcross.
NJ Democratic State Committee, $82,250.00.
New York City District Council of Carpenters, $25,000.00.
Pallone for Congress, $200.00 ($11,200.00 total for year).
Pascrell for Congress, $1,200.00. Passaic County.
SEIU PEA Int'l., $32,000.00.
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local No. 9, $800.00.
Rush Holt for Congress, $850.00.
Alan Sagner, $5,000.00. Essex County. Former NJDOT Commissioner.
Shore PAC, $14,500.00. Another PAC!
Election Fund of Thomas P. Giblin, $450.00. Essex County.
SEIU 1199 NJ, $2,260.00. In-Kind. Election Day work.
NJ Democratic State Committee, $62,290.00. In-Kind. Media buy.

Their disbursements include, among others, $147,602.34 paid out for "consult & canvass", and reported on a 40-page list; a 12-page list reports another $88,914.43. This was spent on paid GOTV volunteers from many places.

Monday, April 24, 2006

UPDATE ON THE 10 PACs.

The State Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) has posted the first quarter reports for the world to see.
The vast editorial staff here at the Monmouth County Republican Blog all got together at lunch today and thought it would be a good idea to post an update on Chairman Niemann's PACs. You know, the ones that he doesn't know anything about. And then defended by calling people al-Qaeda.
Numbers are as of March 31.
Showing a zero balance were the Aberdeen and Holmdel Committees for Good Government. The municipal chairmen in both towns desired that the PACs be shut down.
$1,100.00 was transfered from Aberdeen and $7,200 from Holmdel, both their entire balances, to the Committee for Sensible Growth (Tom Apostle, chair; Glenn Hopler [naturally] treasurer.), which had not filed any report for the fourth quarter '05. Sensible Growth's balance as of 3/31 is $8,380.00.
The Neptune Committee for Good Government balance remains at $5,000.00; no receipts or disbursements for the first quarter.
The Union Beach Committee for Good Government showed a balance of $19,650.00, having raised $6,250.00. There were no disbursements.
Interlaken's PAC reported $8,509.09, having raised $8,000.00 and spent $2,738.11 (Only 865.33 of that was itemized.)
The Long Branch Committee for Good Government had $1,740.00 on hand; they raised $1,250.00 and spent 3,005.
Howell Committee for Good Government has $10,975.52 and had raised $2,100.00. They spent $16,824.48.
I have the disbursement information for Interlaken, Long Branch and Howell Committees for Good Government if anybody's interested.
No word yet on New Millenium Leadership and the Committee for Small Business Development.

BUSTED!


Oompaloompaesque Union County publisher James J. Devine was caught overcharging the Rahway School District for advertising the School Budget. By nearly double. Read about it at The County Watchers.

Devine, a longtime associate of defeated former Assemblyman William E. Flynn (D-13), is infamous in Monmouth County for the now-defunct "HandlinThompson.org" website, in which he accuses an Asbury Park Press editor of favoring Assemblywoman Amy Handlin because they are both Jewish.
Devine is a longtime fixture in Central Jersey Democrat circles.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

THANKS, JOE

It seems that we have Republican congressional candidates in Districts 6 and 12 primarily through the efforts of Middlesex County Republican Chairman Joseph P. Leo.
Things had been very quiet on the Monmouth front in those two districts, and many speculated that Monmouth County Republican Chairman Fred Niemann had forfeited them to their Democratic incumbents. The Mercer County GOP Convention had deferred to Monmouth on the 12th because we have a larger portion of the district. Our sources say that it was Middlesex's Leo who realized that quick action needed to be taken, and recruited Union Beach's Leigh-Ann Bellew for the 6th and Helmetta's Joe Sinagra for the 12th.
Why even bother to run candidates in districts that are supposedly unwinnable?
Look at the 1st District. Democrat Rob Andrews is running unopposed. Again. Once a Republican district represented by the late Bill Cahill, the 1st began trending Democratic and in 1974 elected Jim Florio. It is now the Norcross Heartland. With no opposition to Andrews, this not only gives the voters no choice at the polls, it also takes the fundraising pressure off the congressional race and frees up Democrat funds for other races in the area.
The same could have happened in the 6th and 12th. With no opposition across a wide region of Central Jersey, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Delaware River, Democrats could then spend more money on races like Monmouth County freeholder. So by opposing Frank Pallone and Rush Holt, we not only give the voters a choice, it helps the entire ticket.
As far as "unwinnable", don't sell these candidates short. You never know what issues may come up; Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th) was initially said to be in an "unwinnable race", but with the right issues he won and is now dean of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation. Sending Pallone and Holt their pink slips would be a good thing.
So, thanks to Joe Leo for his work in these districts.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

NIEMANN MAY BACK DOWN

Wally Edge reports that Chairman Fred Niemann may not seek a second, two-year term as County Chairman. There has been some hubbub about this, and Niemann fanned the flames somewhat at the County Convention with his "if I seek another term" comment. Many people hung on the "if".
Wally reports that Sheriff Joe Oxley may step up to the plate.

Monday, April 17, 2006

REPUBLICAN REVIVAL

Republicans can make a triumphant return to Trenton if we stand for stuff. Real stuff like property tax reform, not just throwing crumbs like "rebates". They're better than nothing, but far from a solution. We won't get very far if we simply keep saying, "Look at Corzine, he's raising taxes!" Unless we offer solutions to property taxes and related issues like school funding, we're going to remain a minority party. News flash! There are 49 other states out there, and that's an excellent place to start looking for ideas. Jersey doesn't exist in a vacuum.
The Whitman/Gluck/DiFrancesco years set the GOP in this state back 35 years! By being "Democrats lite", and sometimes not so lite, our leadership squandered a golden opportunity to enact real change in this state. When a good law did come out of the Legislature, it often fell under Whitman's veto pen. If the veto was overridden, the Supreme Court would be sure not only to kill the law, but do some legislating of its own.
So, friends, the Republican Party can still beat the odds and return as a majority in Trenton, but we have to give voters a reason to vote for our people.
Saying we're not the Democrats, but we're like the Democrats won't cut it.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

A VERY HAPPY AND MEANINGFUL EASTER AND PASSOVER TO ALL OF YOU FROM ALL OF US AT THE MONMOUTH COUNTY REPUBLICAN BLOG!

Monday, April 10, 2006

TIME TO LOOK TO NOVEMBER

With Joe DiBella's concession to Andrew Lucas, it's time to look to November and work hard to ensure a Republican victory. The opponents now are the Democrats and we must unite to defeat them.
The choice is clear. We have the youthful, energetic team of Andrew Lucas and Anna Little, proven public servants ready to serve the people. The Democrats have the tired slate of Barbara McMorrow and Leonard Inzerillo, proven politicians ready to serve the bosses and special interests. Anna has already turned down PAC money and Andrew has also sworn off such fundraising. McMorrow and Inzerillo both have fundraising connections to Union County interests, and the vast editorial staff here at the Monmouth County Republican Blog are all very concerned about Monmouth County being run like Union County. For information on how Union County is run, please click here.
Furthermore, Inzerillo's treasurer in his losing 2003 campaign against former Assemblyman Joe Azzolina was the controversial, oompaloompaesque Union County publisher James Devine, of Handlin-Thompson.org infamy.
It is important to get the word out. Our candidates will win on the issues everytime!

But Abe, But Abe, What About June?

What about it?
Let's keep the reorganization separate from the Freeholder campaign. They are two separate issues. As Republicans, we should all look to elect our Freeholder candidates. They have been chosen, fair and square. The team will remain the same regardless of the chairman's election.
It appears that Chairman Fred Niemann will have some competition this June. Those who have declared so far are former Freeholder Ed Stominski and Neptune Township Republican Club President Mel Hood. Others may or may not enter the race as June approaches.
The reorganization should be decided on issues, not personalities, and whatever the outcome, whoever wins and whoever you backed, it's important to stay united with victory in November as our goal.

NIEMANN'S GOT WOES

Read all about it at Wally Edge.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

2006 REPUBLICAN SLATE

Manalapan's Lucas Nominated; Visibly Angry DiBella May Challenge Result.

UPDATE: The freeholder result is now up in the air. Declared a "tie" by Gallic.

UPDATED UPDATE: DiBella concedes to Lucas and won't run, so says the APP.

The following were nominated at this morning's Republican County Convention:

U. S. SENATE: Thomas Kean

4th DISTRICT CONGRESS: Rep. Chris Smith

6th DISTRICT CONGRESS: Leigh-Ann Bellew

12th DISTRICT CONGRESS: Joseph Sinagra

SURROGATE: Rosemarie Peters

FREEHOLDER, 3 Yrs.: Andrew Lucas

FREEHOLDER, 1Yr.: Anna Little

Nominations were done by acclamation for all positions but Surrogate and the 3-year freeholder slot. Peters beat Little Silver's Rick DeNoia for the Surrogate nod.
For freeholder the choice was to select one out of a field of five men: Lucas, Joseph DiBella of Howell, Robert Kleinberg of Marlboro, Brian Reilly of Spring Lake and Terence Wall of Holmdel.
Reilly and Kleinberg were defeated in the first round of balloting and threw their support to Lucas. Then Wall announced his withdrawal from the second ballot and endorsed Lucas. Lucas went on to win over DiBella by one vote.
DiBella is said to be contemplating a challenge to the result.

Friday, April 07, 2006

OFFICIALS NAME FREEHOLDER CHOICES

Several Republican officials made their endorsements for freeholder. Read about it in today's Asbury Park Press.

The convention will take place 9:00 AM tomorrow, Saturday April 8, at the Robert Collins Arena at Brookdale Community College. Bring ID!

It won't be at Kramer Hall!

Monday, April 03, 2006

HOPES TO UNSEAT PALLONE



Wally Edge reports that Union Beach conservative activist Leigh-Ann Bellew has been endorsed by the Middlesex County GOP to challenge Rep. Frank Pallone. ...read more.

Bellew is a relative unknown, but has been active in conservative causes, notably GOPUSA.

She intends to seek the Monmouth County GOP endorsement at our convention this Saturday.

And Wally sez there's still no challenger to Rush Holt.

Is anybody interested in the 12th? Have Fred and the other GOP leaders even been looking??? Apparently the Mercer GOP has deferred to Monmouth on this district because it is Monmouth-dominated.