Should we Execute Corrupt Politicians???

Corrupt politicians are too widespread a species. All too often they betray their oath of office for personal gain. When or if they do get caught, the penalty is often very mild, at the most they get a sentence to a "country club" type facility, one where Bubba is not a factor.
In our own county we see it, indeed there were the "Bid Rig Boys" nearly a decade ago who not only betrayed their oath to The People, they betrayed their own party's principles of good government. It was trying and convicting crooked politicians of both parties that catapulted a nearly unknown former Morris County Freeholder, Chris Christie, into the spotlight as U. S. Attorney for New Jersey, and ultimately into the Governor's office.
As reported by Chicks on the Right, in California, the Republican candidate for State Attorney General, Philip D. Wyman, has proposed a new idea: Execute state legislators found guilty of crimes which endanger the lives of others. State Sen. Leland Yee (D-8), a longtime gun-control advocate, was arrested last month on federal gun running charges; this case was the inspiration for Wyman's stand. Yee's corruption includes connections with Triad members with street names like "Shrimp Boy", as well as Muslim terror groups in The Philippines. Yee's aide was also charged with use of an interstate commerce facility for the commission of a murder-for-hire and conspiracy to distribute narcotics. Bad dudes, these.
Would execution deter this kind of corruption?

THE CONVENTION

The Monmouth County Republican Convention was held earlier today at Freehold Township High School, attended by over 400 people. The official Party endorsements were given for the 2014 candidates.
Congressman Chris Smith was given an acclamation endorsement in the Fourth Congressional District. Hari Eppanapally having withdrawn his name from the race, Anthony E. Wilkinson in the Sixth CD was also given an endorsement by acclamation.
Four U. S. Senate hopefuls participated in the convention; Richard Pezzullo, Brian Goldberg, Murray Sabrin and Bob Turkavage. Jeffrey Bell did not participate. Goldberg and Turkavage were eliminated in the first round of balloting. In the runoff, Pezzullo bested Sabrin for the Monmouth County endorsement.
For Freeholders, Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich held off a close challenge by Howell Councilman and former Mayor Bob Walsh. After the winners were announced, Walsh endorsed Burry and Rich and urged all to get behind the slate.
The time is now to set our sights on defeating the Democrats this November.

2014 CANDIDATES PART II: FREEHOLDERS

This year's election cycle has Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich both seeking reelection. Normally having two incumbents running should be a case closed matter, but this year we have a challenger in the race by the name of Howell Councilman and former Mayor Bob Walsh.
Walsh is challenging both incumbents, who have been running as a team as well as sending out their own individual flyers. The former Howell mayor has asserted that the Monmouth County Republican Party's brand is "tarnished"; when this was reported last month in More Monmouth Musings it generated somewhat of a "Howellanche" on Mr. Gallagher's blog.
Walsh and other critics of Burry and Rich say that the past scandal involving Brookdale Community College, and the recent indictment of former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas for a fraudulent land deal have tainted the freeholders. It has been pointed out that the freeholders were not involved with either scandal, and in fact could be considered, as the governing body of the county, to have been victimized as well. Bob Walsh, for his part, has been cautioned to tone it down; should he win Saturday's convention vote, he would have to run with either Burry or Rich, whoever got the other nomination.Having two freeholder candidates not on the same page with each other weakens the ticket and leaves an opening for the Democrats (remember the Democrats?) to get back on the Board of Chosen Freeholders, putting bosses in Elizabeth (Joe Cryan) and Camden (George Norcross) in control.
Burry has been on the Board since 2006 and previously served as Director in 2008 and 2010. Prior to being a freeholder she served on the Colts Neck Township Committee and as Mayor of Colts Neck, and was earlier a member of the Matawan Borough Council.
Rich is completing his first term as a freeholder. He had previously served on the Spring Lake Borough Council and earlier on the Lake Como Borough Council.
Walsh is no stranger to being a challenger. Due to a party split in Howell, he challenged the local organization by running and winning as an independent for an unexpired township council seat. After reelection, again as an independent, he was elected Mayor as an independent and served as mayor from 2009 through 2012 when he didn't seek reelection. It was during this time that Howell politics realigned, including a rapprochement between Walsh and his predecessor and erstwhile adversary, Joe DiBella.

2014 CANDIDATES

Let's start with the candidates for U. S. Senate, of which there are at least five vying to go against incumbent Cory Booker. We will start with the ones with a Monmouth County connection.
Richard Pezzullo is a resident of Freehold Township and was a Major in the U. S. Army Reserve. He has worked with the United Taxpayers of New Jersey.
Brian Goldberg of West Orange Township is a 1991 graduate of Freehold High School (he doesn't specify Boro or Twp.). He is general manager of the family business, Beyond Concrete, located in Old Bridge Township.
From Freehold we go all the way to Bavaria, where Murray Sabrin was born in Bad Wörishofen. Son of Holocaust survivors, the Sabrin family came to America while Murray was a small child. He is a resident of Fort Lee.
Former FBI agent Robert "Turk" Turkavage is a resident of Cranford Township and was an independent senate candidate in 2012 (the website is from his independent run, he does not appear to have one yet this year).
Although not as far away as Bavaria, Virginia has been the home of Jeffrey Bell since the early 1980s. He was the GOP nominee way back in 1978, having defeated incumbent Sen. Clifford P. Case in the primary; Bell was then defeated by Democrat Bill Bradley in the general. He ran against Rep. Millicent Fenwick for the 1982 nomination and was defeated, after which he moved to Virginia. He has rented a home in Leonia for this year's run.

For Congress we have more of a quandary. Congressman Chris Smith clearly presents no quandary. A proven vote getter, he is the dean of the New Jersey delegation and his stellar record on veterans issues and human rights is well known.
The Affiliated website lists two congressional candidates, both presumably for the Sixth District. They are Anthony Wilkinson and Hari Eppanapally. A search of their names is inconclusive. We found no reference to any 2014 congressional campaigns for either man. Anthony Wilkinson is a common name, and searching brings up thousands of results, and for thousands of people. Eppanapally is not a common name, and while searching his name shows his past connections with liberal Democrat Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, there is nothing to be found on a 2014 House run.
Advice to these guys: Get known. Get a website, and/or a blog. Reach out to party leaders as well as the rank and file.

Next, the Freeholder race.


UPDATE


Art Gallagher of More Monmouth Musings has picked up the ball and researched both Hari Epanapally and Anthony Wilkinson.

 

 

2012 DEMOCRAT CAMPAIGN FINANCE

    The County Democrats' third quarter ELEC reports are in! Due on October 15, it was received in Trenton on October 24.
    It appears that they have been running their losing County Clerk and Freeholder County Commissioner campaigns out of the county organization accounts, as none of their county candidates ELEC reports show anything of substance. Freeholder County Commissioner candidate Kevin Lavan had only filed a D-1 back in July. William Shea filed his 29-Day Pre-Election (R-1) on October 10; his 11-Day Pre-Election was due on October 26 but is nowhere to be found. The 20-Day Post-Election Reports are due on November 26. The joint candidates committee, Shea & Lavan 2012, has only filed a D-2 and an A-2, both on October 10. Michael Steinhorn, their candidate for County Clerk seems to have been their only candidate who actually filed his reports on time, with a D-1 and an A-1 on Oct. 10, and an 11-Day Pre-Election filed on November 2.
    48 hour notices were required for contribution over $1,200.00 received between October 24 and November 6, none are filed. But then the Democrats in Monmouth County have played fast and loose with the definition of 48 hours before.
    We were wondering whether there would be any changes brought about by their new chairman boss, Vin Gopal, who is not the G. O. P.'s pal. Well, basically, same old stuff: Labor bucks, wheeling and whatnot. In other words, meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
    We will know more if they file their fourth quarter reports in January; also from the final county candidates reports.
    Let's look in...

1199 SEIU NYS Political Action Fund gave the Democrats $500.00 on Aug. 22. Last year they gave Amy Mallet's campaign $2,000.00.  Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is known for thuggishness, often supplying goons to physically disrupt events. These are bad dudes. The "NYS" stands for New York State. That is a separate state to the north of New Jersey; again we must reiterate, New York is a separate state. This is an out of state campaign contribution.

The Committee to Elect Sheila Oliver contributed $1,000.00 on Sept, 25. Sheila Y. Oliver is the Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly and represents the 34th District. That's in Essex County.

The Election Fund of Thomas P. Giblin Inc. gave $400.00 on Sept. 17. Thomas P. Giblin is Sheila Oliver's running mate in District 34, and is a mainstay of the Essex County Democrats.
Former Freeholder County Commissioner John D'Amico a/k/a "Flippy", contributed a total of $750.00 in four installments of various amounts. He just won't go away.

June Fallon, wife of former interim Democrat freeholder Charles D. Fallon, gave $400.00 on Sept. 14. Charles Fallon was one of many corrupt public officials busted by then-U. S. Attorney Chris Christie. Fallon, an accountant, had been bribing then-Hudson County Executive Robert C. Janiszewski to the tune of $2,000.00 a year, totaling $8,000.00. In return, Janiszewski would give county contracts to Fallon's accounting firm. Fallon would then do Janiszewski's tax returns so as to hide the bribes. One hand soils the other. Fallon pled guilty and was fined.

Norman Kauff contributed $500.00 on Sept. 17. Kauff was a longtime Scudiery lieutenant and is a major player in Western Monmouth and Bayshore Democrat circles.

Marlboro Councilman Frank LaRocca contributed a total of $420.00 in four installments of various amounts. LaRocca was an unsuccessful candidate for County Democrat Chair Boss against Gopal back in June. Nice to see them getting along. LaRocca is a law partner of Mayor Jon Hornik; let's take the time to give a shout out to all those Republicans for Hornik who we have to thank for this.

Local Union 400 IBEW PAC Fund gave $2,000.00 on August 14, and another $1,500.00 on Sept. 18. They're located on Route 138 in Wall Township.

The Middletown Democratic Party donated a total of $1,850.00 in three installments.

The Monmouth - Ocean Central Labor Council gave $400.00 on Sept. 17.

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union No. 9 of Manalapan contributed $1,000.00 on August 29.

VETERAN'S DAY

The Monmouth County Republican Blog would like to salute all American veterans for their sacrifice and service to this great country.
    Read It Is the Soldier, by Charles M. Province.

WHO READS THE MONMOUTH COUNTY REPUBLICAN BLOG? PALLONE.

    Last week we asked, "Who reads the Monmouth County Republican Blog?" The answer is, among others, Congressman Frank Pallone. Or, more likely, one of his minions.
    On Wednesday he was searching Monmouth County 287 (g) and found our July 2009 post on then-Sheriff Kim Guadagno getting the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office accepted into the Federal 287 (g) program. And today they were reading all about the fact that Frank Pallone ignored the League of Women Voters debate request.
    Keep reading, Frank. You might learn something.