New Jersey
updated
12:44 p.m.
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I've got to say John Burzichelli is really showing the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association not to mess with him. As the latest release says: Legislation Assemblyman John Burzichelli sponsored to direct the State Commission of Investigation to look into the finances and operations of the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association was approved 70-7 Monday by the Assembly. &nbs...
Blue Jersey - 12:22 p.m.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been raising questions about the efforts of the Obama administration when it comes to fighting for minority issues. Congressman Donald Payne isn't keep his opinions a secret: Several prominent caucus members have expressed doubts about the interest of administration officials in black American issues, referring to figures including Treasury Secretar...
Blue Jersey - 11:20 a.m.
So, New Jersey, you wanted change. You bought in to the Chris Christie the superhero avenger theme. Well, this is what you get for it: his first budget does the following : Increases spending to $29.2 billion, more than Corzine's last budget; Takes about $600 in property tax rebate out of every middle-class homeowner's pocket; Reduces aid to schools and towns which will increase yo...
Blue Jersey - 9:28 a.m.
Caesar: Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue shriller than all the music Cry "Caesar!" Speak, Caesar is turn'd to hear. Soothsayer: Beware the ides of March. Caesar: What man is that? Brutus: A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March. Julius Caesar Act 1, scene 2 The Ides of March are upon us and I ask the question, ...
MiddletownMike - 6:49 a.m.
Wow. What a storm! Bergen County was hard hit with more than 87,000 residents still without power as of last night. Right here in Teaneck, things were pretty bad. Two of our residents were killed Saturday evening by a falling tree as they walked home from synagogue. A terrible tragedy for our community. We have more than 150 trees down and last evening were give...
Blue Jersey - 6:49 a.m. - 2 clicks 
Newsradio 1010Wins and the AP have sources that are leaking Christie's budget proposals. Highlights: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is preparing to introduce a budget that suspends property tax rebates, cuts more than $1 billion in aid to schools and towns and skips a $3 billion contribution to the state pension system, legislative leaders said Sunday... The budget proposes an $819 million cu...
Blue Jersey - 6:49 a.m. - 2 clicks
Promoted by Jason: Joey found another cut for the Governor. In yet another Executive Order sure to rile clock and calendar makers, Governor Chris Christie issued Executive Order 247, cutting back an hour a day from the days in New Jersey. "This will save New Jersey residents 365 hours every year, and at least $7.25 per hour per resident ----roughly a total of $23,067,361,250.00 for our state c...
Blue Jersey - Sun 6:27 p.m. - 3 clicks
I wonder if all the right-wingers ranting against Democrats and Frank LoBiondo for voting for a cap-and-trade bill know that New Jersey is already in a 10-state regional cap-and-trade agreement to limit carbon dioxide emissions. On March 12, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative announced the results of the latest auction (PDF) : The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Ini...
Blue Jersey - Sun 2:44 p.m. - 3 clicks
I just can't understand the Democrats in the state right now. Consider this piece from the Auditor today about the marginalizing of Joe Cryan:: One of the key differences that has emerged resulted from Cryan's push to restore a tax surcharge on the wealthiest New Jerseyans. Cryan is advocating for the so-called "millionaire's tax" both on the merits (it would raise money during a budget crunch) ...
Blue Jersey - Sun 12:49 p.m. - 4 clicks
We wrote about the heat the new Burlington County Freeholder administrator Paul Drayton has been taking since his selection by the Republican Freeholder board the other day. Now the board is coming under greater scrutiny because of the choice, a close friend of Party boss Glenn Paulsen. Their unwillingness to be forthcoming and inability to admit they made a mistake has led the Courier to offer...
Blue Jersey - Sun 11:29 a.m.
So what's the latest news swirling around the proposed Lincroft Sports Complex? In each of this weeks editions of the Independent and the Two River Times are articles dedicated to the happens at the most recent Middletown Workshop Meeting that took place on March 1st. Both articles are well written and represents what took place pretty well. The Independent focus was on the on going negotiati...
MiddletownMike - Fri 6:26 a.m. - 5 clicks
Vincent Solomeno, Candidate For Monmouth County Freeholder, attended the March 9th 2010 public hearing on the proposed Monmouth County Budget at the Eastern Branch of the Monmouth County Library in Shrewsbury. Solomeno read into the record the following statement as to why he opposes the proposed budget that the Freeholders have offer-up. The statement can also be found at his facebook ...
MiddletownMike - Thu 8:23 a.m. - 3 clicks
Has anyone noticed the signs popping up all over Middletown like the one posted to the right? The signs are from a group calling themselves the Middeltown Budget Awareness Committee. I wasn't familiar with this group until I saw these signs spring up along the roadside and decided to ask around to see if anyone could enlighten me. I was informed by a friend who just happens to kn...
MiddletownMike - Wed 3:26 p.m. - 8 clicks
At last week's March 4th "Community Forum on State Aid Cuts" held by the Middeltown Board of Education, School Board President Laura Agin read the following statement. The statement was frank, to the point and said exactly what many need to say and what others need to hear: "On behalf of the Middletown Board of Education, I would like to tell you all: We Get It. We understand New Jersey's fisca...
MiddletownMike - Wed 10:03 a.m. - 8 clicks
Back on Reorganization day in January, one of the many things that Gerry Scharfenberger addressed during is speech after being re-appointed as Mayor of Middeltown, was the upcoming budget process. He told the crowd in attendance that the Township was facing a huge budget shortfall of nearly $7 million but not to worry because there was a plan on how to deal with it. He state that even th...
MiddletownMike - Wed 9:26 a.m. - 3 clicks
It has come to my attention that on Thursday, March 4, 2010 a meeting took place between representatives of the League of Municipalities, the Department of Community Affairs, the Division of Local Government Services and various Business Administrators and CFOs of local governments at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. The primary speakers were Marc Pfieffer, Department of Community Affairs, Ti...
MiddletownMike - Wed 8:40 a.m. - 4 clicks
During last week's Middletown Board Of Education public forum on how the Christie budget cuts will effect the upcoming school budget, Governor Christies' personal confidant, buddy and Middeltown resident NJ State Senator Joe Kyrillos, made a rather striking comment when answering a question. " ...That's right, the kids are paying a price, the taxpayer is paying a price, society is paying t...
MiddletownMike - Wed 8:08 a.m. - 6 clicks
The latest issue of "It's Your Town" Newsletter is now available and believe it or not, it's the largest yet at 22 pages! This issue details the happenings at the March 1st Middletown Township Workshop Meeting. Due the size of the crowd in attendance the Mayor moved the meeting to the courtroom to accommodate the large number of people that showed up to express their mostly displeasure with t...
MiddletownMike - Mon 8:00 p.m. - 7 clicks
This is one more set of facts showing that New Jersey is not a high tax state as assumed by many: New Jersey's sales tax is the state's second largest revenue source, raising over $8 billion a year. New Jersey is 32nd nationwide for sales tax collections per capita. New Jersey's 7 percent state sales tax rate is 31st in the nation. New Jersey's local governments are not allowed by law to ...
MiddletownMike - Mon 6:27 p.m. - 7 clicks
Vincent Solomeno, Democratic Candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder, sent me the following note attacked with a video from a pancake breakfast fundraiser that he held last Saturday. He asked me if I would post it here on the blog and I was more than happy to do so. Since deciding to run for Monmouth County Freeholder, I’ve visited with elected officials, party leaders, and private citizen...
MiddletownMike - Mar 5 - 7 clicks
I wasn't able to attend last night's community forum that was presented by the Middletown Board of Education to discuss the effects that planned State budget cuts will have on the school district because I had to work last night. I was pleasantly surprise though to see that the Asbury Park Press wasted no time in posting the below article last night after the meeting. I want to commend the Boar...
MiddletownMike - Mar 5 - 9 clicks
The following letter was sent to me by Lincroft resident Barbara Thorpe who wishes to express her opinion on how irresponsible the Republican majority is when it comes to managing the Townships finances: The Republican majority of Middletown's Township Committee is financially irresponsible.. big time. They exhibit insensitivity to current economic conditions as they relentlessly pursue the in...
MiddletownMike - Mar 4 - 4 clicks
Pax Christi NJ's annual assembly is shaping up nicely. So far over 50 people have RSVP'd and the final details are all coming together. Schedule 1:00 PM Welcome - Fr. Tom Sheridan Prayer & Reflection – Fr. Jack Martin – co-founder Haiti Solidarity Network of the Northeast Haitian Choir of St. Patrick’s Church, Jersey City, NJ 1:30 “When I think of Haiti…” small group sharing and activity – Geo...
Pax Christi Summit - Mar 3 - 5 clicks
The following letter was presented to the Mayor and the Township committee at Monday nights Workshop meeting. The letter was written by SONIC (Save Our Neighborhood's Integrity & Character) member Jeff Blumengold. It questions why a letter to the Middletown Board of Education was not written expressing a desire to reopen negotiations between the Township and the Board of Ed. concerning the use of...
MiddletownMike - Mar 3 - 3 clicks
