Town Hall Meeting with Chris Christie

by: bleedingblue

Fri Apr 20, 2007 at 03:05:46 PM EDT

In doing so, I saw on PoliticsNJ that Chris Christie, our dearly beloved U.S. Attorney, will be holding a town hall meeting with two of my least favorite Republican legislators, Joe Kyrillos and Amy Handlin, on April 26th at 7:30 in Middletown North High School.  With the great discussion that's been happening  here at BlueJersey with regards to Christie's partisan record (oh, and I'm sure it's purely coincidental that this "non-political" town meeting touting his achievements will be held in conjunction with two fellow Republicans), I just wanted to let share news of the event so that people who are in the area or are willing to travel can show up and maybe ask Christie some tougher questions than he fields from the press, which obviously is all too eager to burnish his false credentials. If anyone has any thoughts on how we may be able to take advantage of this opportunity, please share them so that we can take one step closer to greater accountability in our justice system.

Correction on Anna Little

by: Juan Melli

Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 09:40:46 AM EDT

ICE raid in Englewood??!!

by: lsanchez490

Tue Mar 27, 2007 at 12:23:28 AM EDT

END THE ATTACK ON IMMIGRANTS!
DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF ALL WHO LIVE AND WORK IN NEW JERSEY!

STATE-WIDE SPEAK-OUT AND PROTEST MEETING

Saturday March 31 1:00 PM
Paul Robeson CenterBusch Campus
600 Bartholomew Rd
Piscataway, NJ

Immigrants in New Jersey, as in the rest of the United States, are facing increasing attacks. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids are being stepped up, tearing families apart, detaining and deporting those who have lived here for years. Demagogic town governments are taking anti-immigrant measures. Morristown, for example, is planning to deputize its police as ICE agents.  Massive workplace raids like the recent one in New Bedford, Mass. can happen at any time. A New Jersey radio station, 101.5, has called for people to turn in their neighbors as suspected undocumented immigrants, encouraging vigilantism.

The attacks on migrants are attacks on all of us. They are aimed at maintaining an underclass of workers who are too terrified to assert their rights to decent pay, working conditions and living conditions.  No one, not even the government, wants to deport 12 million undocumented immigrants who are vital to the economy. The attacks and anti-immigrant laws aim to drive down the cost of all labor, benefiting employers, pitting worker against worker, and hurting us all.

We are fighting back, immigrants and native-born united!  We are speaking out against the attacks and the demagogic proposal in towns like Morristown's and Freehold.  We are starting to organize a Rapid Response Network which will give aid to those confronting ICE raids or employer abuses of immigrants. We are joining with organizations across the country to organize a Second Great  Boycott.

Speak out for the rights of ALL!

We invite your organization's endorsement and participation in this event and in an April 3 noon press conference in New Brunswick

Endorsing organizations(list in formation):
NJ May 1 Coalition
IRATE/First Friends
NJ Civil Rights Defense Committee
Philippine Forum
United Day Laborers of Freehold

Interested in reading about progressive Morristown:
Town seeks new power over illegal immigrants
Morristown wants to give its police the same authority as federal officers

Much respect to Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo.
Hispanics steamed by shock radio stunt

And from a New York Times Article, good old Freehold.

PUBLIC LIVES; Back in the Fight He Picked Decades Ago
Article Tools Sponsored By
By LYNDA RICHARDSON
Published: March 17, 2004

CESAR A. PERALES, the president of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, is revved up. But he is not losing his cool. (He is too cool for that.) He is talking about the fund's wranglings in federal court over the attempt by Freehold Borough in Monmouth County, N.J., to prevent day laborers from gathering at a vacant lot to scout for work.

''The question of the treatment of day laborers is so flagrant, I feel it viscerally,'' Mr. Perales says, leaning over to emphasize the point. ''This is to me as horrific as the segregation that the government imposed in the South. We're seeing local governments treating undocumented workers in a similar fashion, marginalizing them, not wanting them to live where they live. This is a fight that will take a long time.''

Update on Freeholder Anna Little

by: Juan Melli

Sat Feb 24, 2007 at 12:15:00 PM EST

Some Monmouth County Republicans are calling for the County chair to resign.

This piece in yesterday's Asbury Park Press might foreshadow what Monmouth residents can expect from a deshackled Little.

GOP Freeholder Anna Little Will Switch Parties

by: Juan Melli

Wed Feb 21, 2007 at 05:17:37 PM EST

Some background on the situation is here. She hinted at it in a statement she sent out yesterday as well as in today's Asbury Park Press article titled "Republican Freeholder Considers New Party."

The situation stems from the fact that Anna Little is too independent for the Monmouth GOP. They have wanted to replace her with a yes-man they can control. This was their plan:

For several months, an anonymous GOP blogger and Monmouth Republican county committee member (possibly former state GOP executive director Brian Nelson or Monmouth Republican chair Adam Puharic) has been attacking Anna Little. (I won't link to it)

The worst of these attacks falsely alleged that her home is falling apart and as a result, DYFS has looked into taking her children away. Rumors that she was broke were spread by GOP leaders in the county which led some friendly secretaries in Freehold, the county seat, to buy gifts for her children, thinking Anna couldn't afford them. Embarrassed, she paid for the gifts, but the same GOP leaders who started the rumors then smeared her as unethical for being given gifts.

While all this was happening, Puharic did nothing. In fact many suspect he is the source of most of the rumors.

GOP Defection in Monmouth County?

by: Juan Melli

Wed Feb 21, 2007 at 12:44:58 AM EST

Joe Locricchio, who has refused to submit himself to this absurd process and plans to challenge Jennifer Beck in the primary, has been shunned by the party chair. Sound familiar?

Also, because of her independence, the party has tried to push freeholder Anna Little out and it looks like they finally succeeded. A letter from county chair Adam Puharic says that she will bypass the convention and may even switch parties:

Tonight, I received word from the Asbury Park Press that Anna Little has decided not to seek our great Republican Party endorsement, and instead is considering to run off the line in a primary or has even hinted at switching parties.

After being rebuffed by the Chairman numerous times, we finally met on February 6, 2007. Puharic, seated behind his desk with two muscle men standing on either side of him with arms folded, stared at me. Puharic then listed the reasons that he felt I should not run on the Republican ticket. He stated that the screening committee would make the decision because he was angry and didn't trust himself to decide fairly. He stated that I should tell the press I would be signing the agreement, even if it were not the truth.

I will continue to serve as a Monmouth County Freeholder for the remainder of this year, and I am in the process of evaluating other alternatives for my candidacy for re-election.

Lower Central Jersey?

by: JRB

Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 10:52:46 AM EDT

You can do something about it.

There is now an evening phonebank in South Brunswick -- a short ride from most of lower Central NJ. If you can spare two or three hours to make some calls at this important time, it would make a huge difference. As people who are wise to the issues, the false attacks, and what's at stake, you can be an extremely valuable source of information for voters. There are only three weeks left, and every contact counts.

If you are interested in phonebanking tomorrow, next week, or at any time, please call Victory 2006, ask for AJ, and tell him you want to help by phonebanking in South Brunswick. 732-613-3912.

News Round-up & Open Thread, Wednesday July 26, 2006

by: Jason Springer

Wed Jul 26, 2006 at 12:30:12 AM EDT

UPDATED: FBI searches offices of WMUA & Executive Director; Exec Director placed on temporary leave

by: Jason Springer

Tue Jul 25, 2006 at 12:14:30 PM EDT

Original Story from this Morning: It looks like we have more corruption in Monmouth County.  According to the Asbury Park Press website,

MARLBORO — In a joint investigation with the Internal Revenue Service, FBI agents are at work this morning searching the offices of the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority in Manalapan and the home of the authority's executive director in Marlboro.

GOP Demands, then Whines About Budget Cuts

by: Juan Melli

Sun Apr 23, 2006 at 12:07:03 PM EDT

As Fred Snowflack notes, the complaints came from Republicans representing areas that would be affected by the proposal:

Predictably, there were howls of protests from the mostly Republican lawmakers who represent areas, northwest New Jersey comes to mind, where dead deer are likely to be found on local roads.

Queue the whining:

"This is just a redistribution of costs," said Assemblyman Guy Gregg, R-Morris.