Saturday Morning Cartoons: It’s Time For Spring

It’s about time Old Man Winter picked up his snow and got the heck outta here. It’s time for spring I say, it’s time for spring!

President Obama’s Weekly Address: 2/27/10 The Olympic Spirit, the Spirit of Bipartisanship, and Health Reform

The President takes a moment to congratulate our Olympic athletes. Discussing the unity and pride Americans feel in cheering them on, the President relates that sentiment to his own desire for bipartisanship in Washington. He praises the recent bipartisan meeting and talks about moving forward on health reform.

What The Heck Is Going On With The Lincroft Sports Complex?

What the heck is going on with the Lincroft Sports Complex? It sounds like some improprieties are taking place that needs to be looked into and addressed.

It seems as though the Director of Middeltown’s Parks and Recreation department, Greg Silva, met with members of the River Plaza/Lincroft Chargers Pop Warner team on Wednesday night and basically told the group that the town was moving ahead with the plans for West Front Street and inferred that Pop Warner will get everything they want and encouraged them to support the town’s efforts to move them from Trezza Field. He informed them that the plans for the site will be up on the Town’s website within the next couple of days, but that the new turf field project will be built at West Front Street Park and that the Chargers should get on board with it or in other words, take it or leave it because there will be no field improvements coming to their existing playing field.

If that wasn’t bad enough Silva went on to explain to them that he had a friend who is a contractor (Precise Construction) who could install the field at West Front Street. Allegedly Silva told the group that he has been keeping his friend informed of the bidding specs for the job so that he would have the advantage when both artificial turf fields for Croydon Hall and West Front Street are ready to be bid out.

I found out about all this from two sources, the first being a string of chat room entries left on the NJ.com Middletown Forum by an anonymous poster using the alias of Nofield4you and from another person who shall remain nameless, due to their position within the town and their affilation with Pop Warner and opposition group.

The second source collaborated much of what Nofield4you stated in his chat room entries which I have posted below, and few other pieces of information, some that I printed above and other information that I was asked to hold onto and not blog about just yet:

21681. Mayor pushes us
by Nofield4you, 2/24/10 23:51 ET
Why push us into supporting your plan, when we don’t want to move to west front street? Our plan by far is better for our program, saves taxpayer dollars and is not corrupt… Why have Greg Silvers Friend Precise Construction plan our future… Will they bid the project that Greg has given them the inside scoop? Guarantee the bid is protested and files charged against Greg and the township as soon as its posted and precise submits a bid…

21678. Hey Middletown mike
by Nofield4you, 2/24/10 23:39 ET
Guess what, we have the evidence you need to hang the mayor and other corrupt politicians in Middletown. FYI Greg Silver has a friend who is a contractor and potential bidder of the synthetic field, known as precise construction, guess what Greg has been talking to them all along the way and the bid specs have been made to their advantage… Want more, I got a mouth full of crap to hang several committee members who are ramming this down river plaza parents throats.

21677. Corydon Hall Field
by Nofield4you, 2/24/10 23:38 ET
Wow amazingly the wetland issue at croydon hall is worse then river plaza and the town committee refuses to allow turf at River plaza due to wetlands, unless the contractor is Greg silvers friend Precise construction… Hey Mayor I know the wetland boundaries and Croydon hall does not comply…

21676. River Plaza Field
by Nofield4you, 2/24/10 23:37 ET
Greg Silver has made it clear he has a friend known as Precise Construction who installs turf field and its either West front street or nothing for river plaza… Hey Greg, FYI the fun bunch will win as they did at HS north and you and your friend Precise will be out of the bid and probably in jail with the mayor. Go back to freehold where the grass is brown and natural you fat overpaid piece of crap

Now if what Nofield4you and my second collaborating source stated is true then I think Mr. Silva has a lot of explaining to do and he should do that explaining before others come knocking on his door to ask him about it.

Providing information to a contractor in order to boost their chances at winning a closed bidding process is not just unethical but a crime I believe.

Also the above leaves questions in the mind about the real intentions of the Mayor and Township Committee. It makes it seem that no matter what the opposition is to the West Front Street complex, the Town plans on pushing forward with the turf field complex whether or not residents in the area approve of it and runs contrary to what the Mayor has told them.

Lincroft Resident Speaks Out Against Sports Complex

The Following letter to the editor appears in this weeks Independent:

Here we go again. It appears that our elected officials haven’t learned their lesson from their last attempt to try and impose a sports complex in Lincroft.

This time their choice of fields is on the corner of West Front Street and Everett Road, right on the border of Holmdel.

For the last 30 years, these fields have been used by various soccer clubs with complete enjoyment and acceptance by the residents. Now Middletown Township, in their desperate attempt to use a $2,300,000 taxpayers’ bond and provide a new home for the Pop Warner Chargers, has decided that this location is the best available.

This plan was proposed on Oct. 19 and approved in December without full disclosure to the public as to the intent and extent of the full use of the fields.

What are they thinking? To build two turf fields with 70-foot lights, public-address system, enlarged parking area, snack bar, and surrounded by a chain-link fence, without informing residents of this change, is insulting. Furthermore, to plan this on a busy county road and dangerous intersection without first doing a traffic study is beyond rational or responsible thinking.

Imposing this sports complex in a peaceful residential area, across the street from a church without the residents’ knowledge is deceptive, deceitful and dishonest. This lack of transparency should be illegal, and our township officials should be ashamed of themselves and be held accountable.

Yes, Pop Warner needs an improved field, but to put one in this location will only lead to more serious problems. The tremendous increase in traffic alone is dangerous for the residents, church members and, most importantly, our children. The disregard shown with respect to how this proposed sports complex would affect our quality of life and decrease our property value speaks volumes about our elected officials and their way of doing business. It is completely unacceptable. Period.

Mary Rodgers-Mahoney

A Blueprint For Middletown To Follow On How A Finance Committee Could Be Structured And Utilized

For the past few years Middletown Committeeman Sean Byrnes has been advocating for a “Finance Committee” to be form in Middletown so that the Township can get a better grasp on it’s finances and not have to wait several months into the calendar year before adopting a budget.

Byrnes has argued that the way the budget process is now handled is inefficient and antiquated and needs to be restructured in such a way that would provide better over site of spending and identify in advance any trends that may prove problematic during the year.

Each time Byrnes has suggested the idea of a finance committee he has be rebuffed by the Republicans that have controlled the township committee for the greater part of the last quarter century.

Their reasoning behind opposing such a committee is weak at best. I have heard everything from the cost of setting up new committee (which would be negligible being it would be staffed with members of the Township Committee, the Town Administrator and volunteers) to the reasoning that Township Committee members act as their own finance committee to oversee and question spending (even though none are qualified to due so).

Sean Byrnes has counter argued that other towns, major corporations and most charities group and non-profit organization have them. It is simply a good business practice.

Recently Jack Archibald, a councilman in Atlantic Highlands and a contributing columnist for the Atlantic Highlands Herald, wrote a column explaining how the budget process works in Atlantic Highlands. Can you guess what is mentioned in that column? That’s right a Finance Committee.

Archibald pretty much lays out the blueprint for Middletown on how to structure and use a Finance Committee:

“…our municipal budget began to take shape in December. At that time, our administrator, Adam Hubeny, and Chief Financial Officer Gerry Gagliano, hold kick-off meetings with various department heads and discuss their needs for the coming year. Once that is compiled, a rough draft of a budget is presented to the finance committee. In general, the finance committee is comprised of three council members who report back to either the Borough Council or Township Committee as a whole.

In a few towns, the governing body has formed a citizens committee to review and make suggestions to the budget. While this public input is welcome, municipal accounting is a very specialized practice, and crafting a municipal budget is subject to many state regulations and caps that do not seem to make much sense to the average citizen….”

It makes perfect sense, the administrator, the CFO, 3 Committee members and maybe some input from qualified residents get together make recommendations and then draft preliminary budget document to be submitted to the Mayor and other members of the township committee to consider.

The only reason I can think of for not forming a Finance Committee is that the majority in charge doesn’t want others to see where and how the Middletown taxpayers money is being spent on needless pet projects or salaries and benefits for loyal GOPers who make a living from the town in one way or another.

Middletown School Board Invites Governor to Forum To Discuss How The Proposed Cuts to State Aid Will Affect Schools

From the Atlantic Highlands Herald –

Middletown, NJ – On Thursday, March 4, the Middletown Township School District will host a forum on the way Governor’s proposed cuts to state aid will affect the school district. The forum will be held at the Middletown High School North Auditorium at 7:30 PM. The school is located at 63 Tindall Road in Middletown, off Route 35 North. Governor Chris Christie has been personally invited to the forum to learn how his proposals may directly result in nearly $6 million in cuts to the largest K-12 school district in Monmouth County. Middletown’s elected officials are expected to take part in the forum panel. The public is invited and encouraged to learn how the Governor’s proposals to balance the state budget will impact education in Middletown and throughout New Jersey.

The Governor’s recent actions to substitute school district surplus for state aid reduced funding for Middletown’s 2010-2011 budget by $2.3 million, and reduced our State Aid by $2.8 million overall. District surplus results from efficiencies in budgeting and saved cost accumulated through the year. These savings are directly applied to reduce the amount taxpayers are asked to fund the school budget the next year. It is more appropriately labeled taxpayer relief. The Governor’s actions will essentially increase Middletown property taxes to fund the state’s budget deficit. This is not an equitable action and the Middletown School District and its taxpayers are being penalized for the district’s frugality. Middletown has consistently remained efficient and fiscally prudent, as evidenced by the district maintaining a per pupil cost well below the state average.
Middletown Business Administrator William Doering recently testified to the State Assembly Budget Committee, stating, “Our district and several others have worked hard to achieve savings and have aggressively managed our budgets to save as much money as possible.”

Nice try by the Middletown Board of Education to put a spotlight on the districts needs and to inform residents of the problems that will be created when Gov. Christie imposes aid cuts to school districts, by inviting him to discuss his cuts to school districts in a town hall like forum.

I just don’t think Christie has enough in him to to handle such a meeting and have to answer how cuts to education will effect the local tax structure, to devote an hour or more of his time to defend himself in front of an auditorium full of angry taxpayers who will question his judgement on the issue.

So I wouldn’t expect to see him there, but it should be worthwhile for residents to attend anyway to hear how the school district and local officials intends to handle the cuts in state aid.

Christie to Carton to Strawberry, Oh Boy !!

On my way home this morning I was listening to the Boomer and Carton show on Sports Radio 66 WFAN.

I tuned in just in time to hear host Craig Carton ask former NY Met Darryl Strawberry if he would be a member of Boomer and Carton’s softball team for a charity game against the Yankee Old Timers sometime in mid July at Yankee Stadium.

After talking with Strawberry about this year’s Mets team the two hosts speculated about other members of the softball team that will take the field against the Yankee Old Timers.

One name that stood out was Governor Chris Christie, (it seems as though the two are very friendly according to Carton in the past) Carton said that the governor has already committed to joining the team and playing at the stadium this July.

Boomer thought that it was great that the governor committee to play but ask Carton what position he would play? Boomer stated that he would be playing center field, Carton took shortstop and they assigned 1st base to Strawberry and Christie would be the 3rd baseman if he could lose a little weight.

Tinker to Evers to Chance…Christie to Carton to Strawberry…Oh Boy!

Listen to the interview >>>Here

NJPP Monday Minute: 2/22/10 You can’t tell the players without a program

This Monday Minute will link you to online resources about the state budget and explain what information is available. The two most important websites are the executive branch Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the legislature’s Office of Legislative Services (OLS).

The simplest way to understand the budget is to look at the Governor’s budget proposal and the Budget in Brief. This link contains six important documents covering FY 2009-10, but you can also find prior year budget information on this OMB site.

All of the documents below are prepared by OMB except for the Budget Bill, which is prepared by OLS under the direction of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman (currently Paul Sarlo) and the Assembly Budget Committee Chairman (currently Louis Greenwald).

The State Budget is the governor’s budget. It is typically introduced as a speech to the Legislature and the public in March. It is a detailed account of what New Jersey spent in two years earlier, what it is spending in the current fiscal year and what the Governor proposes for the fiscal year beginning July 1. It is the only document that provides a three year analysis of revenues and spending and shows all state revenues and all state expenditures. Ultimately revenues must be equal or greater than expenditures.

Governor Christie will present his FY 2011 budget in an address to the Legislature on March 16th this year. This presentation is televised by NJN and can be viewed live on the Legislature’s website. The Governor’s budget documents will be available online shortly after the speech.

Budget in Brief is a summarized version of the budget and is usually available before the actual budget is. It pulls together revenue and spending highlights in a narrative form. It is probably the easiest way to get an understanding of the year’s budget basics.

Budget Bill (more commonly known as the Appropriations Act) is prepared by OLS for the Legislature and becomes the actual state budget once it is signed by the governor. The Appropriations Act must be passed by both the Assembly and the Senate and signed by the governor before June 30. It takes the form of a very large piece of legislation. It is generally introduced in both houses simultaneously after the Governor’s budget has been defended by each department’s commissioner, reviewed by legislative staff and debated by legislators.

Appropriations Handbook, prepared by OMB, is a formal reprint of the budget bill.

Citizen’s Guide, prepared by OMB, is an easy to read analysis of the final budget. It highlights the major decisions and policy initiatives that occurred between the time the governor presents his proposal in March and when the final budget is enacted. An initiative by the Corzine Administration in 2008, it was touted as a reform and a way to increase public accountability and transparency. The Citizen’s Guide, along with the Budget in Brief, are perhaps the most useful documents for a general understanding of how the state raises and spends its money.

NJ Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), also prepared by OMB, is the final accounting of all revenues, costs, assets and liabilities of the state for a given fiscal year. Because it accounts for actual revenues, expenditures, assets and liabilities, there is a lag in its availability. The statistical section at the end of the report presents a lot of information over time about taxes, long term debt, the largest employers in NJ, population trends, property tax valuations and state employees. This is a very good resource in a state where information is scarce.

Note: The most recent CAFR available is for FY 2008.

Next week’s Monday Minute will begin the discussion of what is actually in the state budget – starting with the state’s three largest sources of tax revenue. March 1 will look at income taxes; March 8 will look at sales taxes; and March 15 will look at the corporate business taxes.

Middletown: It’s Your Town Hall Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4 – Residents Comment On Lincroft Sports Complex

Middletown “It’s Your Town” newsletter Vol.2, issue 4 is now availible to read online and I have to say it is the best edition yet and a must read if you want to know what happened at the Township Committee meeting Tuesday night February 16th.

According to the newsletter the Middletown Court Room, where the monthly Township Committee meetings take place was packed. So packed in fact, that the Mayor decided hold off on the business portion of the meeting to allow members of the public to speak early on main subject that brought them out that night – the proposed sports complex that is to be built at Lincroft’s West Front Street Park.

Comments pro and con seemed to have been evenly divided judging on what I have read from the newsletter.

People who voiced their approval of the project seemed to be the parents of players and coaches from Middletown Pop Warner and Middletown Soccer club, who are embarrassed by the conditions of the fields that they play on and want to have first class playing conditions amenities like other town’s teams have.

Those that objected to the project as presented, feel that their neighborhood and quaility of life will be adversely impacted if light towers, concession stands, bleachers and the expansion of the park’s parking lot move forward as has been called for.

You can read a copy of the “It’s Your Town” newsletter >>> Here or you can subscribe to it yourself by sending an email with your intentions to: itsourtown@yahoo.com

ABC, CBS and NBC Verdict: Obama’s ‘Stimulus’ a Success (And CBS frets that the public refuses to see it.)

From the WSJ – By BRENT BAKER From the Media Research Center

On the one-year anniversary of the Obama administration’s “stimulus” spending bill, ABC, CBS and NBC all eagerly corroborated the White House’s claims about how it “saved or created” many jobs and staved off economic disaster, though they all offered a range of numbers and definitions (ABC: “800,000 to 2.4 million new jobs,” CBS: “about 1.8 million” jobs “saved or created” and NBC: “1.6 to 1.8 million jobs have been created so far.”)

ABC and CBS touted anecdotes about companies and government agencies which asserted the spending had prevented layoffs or allowed them to hire new staff. ABC’s Jake Tapper cited buses for Santa Monica, construction jobs in Baltimore, “63,000 green jobs” (with a solar panel-maker’s CEO declaring “it is working and we’re proof of that”) and a school system superintendent who told Tapper the funding ” helped save 61 jobs and create 73 new ones.”

On CBS, Chip Reid began with how “this highway paving equipment company in California canceled plans to lay off 40 workers because of demand created by stimulus projects,” before trumpeting how “in Washington, D.C. about 20 people are working on this road project” where “manager Matthew Johns calls the stimulus a lifesaver.”

Though “many independent economists put the number of jobs saved or created at about 1.8 million,” Reid relayed that “to the great frustration of the White House, most Americans simply refuse to believe it. In a recent CBS News/New York Times poll, a mere 6 percent said the stimulus has created jobs.” Reid’s culprit: “That skepticism due in part to a relentless campaign by Republicans who say the stimulus is a bloated, big-government failure.” (The online “Political Hotsheet” echoed Reid’s theme: “On Stimulus, Perception Doesn’t Match Reality.”)

But, have no fear, Obama’s team “admits” they “haven’t been tough enough” in discrediting critics. Reid concluded:

The White House admits they haven’t been tough enough in responding to critics of the stimulus so they’ve started an aggressive new campaign, calling out dozens of Republicans they say are hypocrites — Republicans who voted against the stimulus but then went home and attended ribbon-cutting ceremonies for projects in their states that create jobs.

As if the media haven’t been advancing Obama’s agenda. From the MRC’s Business & Media Institute: “Bias By the Numbers: Networks Celebrate Year of Strong Stimulus Support; ABC, CBS, NBC cite supporters of $787 billion bill nearly three times as often as critics,” which determined:

– ABC, CBS, NBC Still Biased in Picking Stimulus Spokesmen: All three broadcast networks promoted the stimulus prior to the vote. Afterward, ABC, CBS and NBC served as unofficial boosters of what NBC called “President Obama’s stimulus cavalry.” The networks favored pro-stimulus speakers 71 percent to 29 percent (269 to just 111).

– Nearly Half of All Reports Included Zero Criticism: Both NBC and ABC stories included no criticism roughly half the time. Overall, the networks cited criticism of the stimulus plan just 52 percent of the time (90 out of 172 stories). Instead government was depicted as fixing “rickety wooden bridges” and “performing much-needed maintenance on national parks.”

Only deep in their Wednesday night stories did CBS and NBC acknowledge any critics and how unemployment rose during 2009, with NBC’s Lisa Myers noting “critics also have ridiculed some projects as wasteful. $1.6 million for free water taxi rides, a million dollars to improve security on dinner cruises in eight cities and studies about how honeybees learn and the sex drive of rats on hard drugs.” She concluded, however, with how Obama has a solution — more spending:

The President acknowledged that despite progress, this doesn’t feel like a recovery to millions of Americans, so he’s pushing to spend another $100 billion this year to try to create more jobs soon.

The job success numbers cited by the three networks:

Jake Tapper on ABC:

The numbers are all over the map, but they all credit the stimulus with significant job creation: anywhere from 800,000 to 2.4 million new jobs. Where are those jobs? According to the White House, 354,000 are in manufacturing, such as building new buses for Santa Monica….262,000 jobs are in construction. Today, these workers are putting the finishing touches on a community health center in Baltimore….Then, there are 63,000 green jobs.

Chip Reid on CBS:

Many independent economists put the number of jobs saved or created at about 1.8 million.

Lisa Myers on NBC:

Many economists agree that the $787 billion package of infrastructure spending, tax cuts and aid to states has created jobs and helped pull the economy out of a deep recession. Three economic research firms estimate that 1.6 to 1.8 million jobs have been created so far, with more gains projected this year. And painful job losses have slowed dramatically.

The stories on the Wednesday, February 17 broadcast network evening newscasts:

ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer:

DIANE SAWYER: One year ago today, the brand new President Barack Obama rolled out a $787 billion economic stimulus to put the brakes on a plummeting economy. Today, he marked the anniversary by saying it worked, that it spared the country a depression, and created millions of jobs. But we wondered, how many, and where? We asked Jake Tapper to delve into the numbers.

JAKE TAPPER: President Obama said today because of the stimulus package about 2 million Americans are working who otherwise would not be.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: So far, the recovery act is responsible for the jobs of about 2 million Americans who would otherwise be unemployed.

TAPPER: The numbers are all over the map, but they all credit the stimulus with significant job creation: anywhere from 800,000 to 2.4 million new jobs. Where are those jobs? According to the White House, 354,000 are in manufacturing, such as building new buses for Santa Monica.

STEPHANIE NEGRIFF, DIRECTOR TRANSIT SERVICES, BIG BLUE BUS: There’s going to be an immediate economic impact to our community by having these additional vehicles available.

TAPPER: 262,000 jobs are in construction. Today, these workers are putting the finishing touches on a community health center in Baltimore.

JOE HOLLAND, PRESIDENT, HOLLAND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY: It really allowed us to go out and hire people where we would have otherwise probably, you know, just would have stayed back and not done that.

TAPPER: Then, there are 63,000 green jobs. A year ago today, the President was looking at solar panels manufactured by Namaste Solar. Company President Blake Jones had been preparing for layoffs.

BLAKE JONES, CEO, NAMASTE SOLAR: We started cutting budgets, we started making plans for a bad 2009.

TAPPER: But in the past year, companies that received stimulus money have been ordering those solar panels and Namaste has hired 14 new employees.

TAPPER TO JONES, OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE: What’s your message to all those Americans who are skeptical that the stimulus bill is creating jobs?

JONES: It is working and we’re proof of that.

TAPPER: In New York, Utica City school district got close to $12 million stimulus dollars. The superintendent tells us that helped save 61 jobs and create 73 new ones. But those new hires had to sign this document: “I am fully aware that the funding for this position will be eliminated in two years. Therefore, this position will end on June 30th, 2011.”

And Diane, about $166 billion stimulus dollars have not yet been officially committed to any projects. They’re going to go to, among other things, the Race to the Top education grant program, high speed rail and other transportation projects and health technology. Diane?

(Following Tapper, ABC ran a piece from Jonathan Karl on how “red tape” has slowed creation of jobs to weather-proof homes.)

CBS Evening News:

KATIE COURIC: One year ago today President Obama signed a law he said would help put Americans back to work. The price tag for the so-called stimulus bill was $787 billion. So far, nearly $300 billion of that has been spent. But did the stimulus do the job? Our chief White House correspondent Chip Reid has tonight’s “Reality Check.”

Read More >>>Here