Ex-Senate candidate will replace Richford
By David Wildstein, July 02 2024 8:42 pm
Seeking to rebuild a county party that is more of a club than an organization, Mercer County Republicans have elected Pat Johnson as its new GOP county chair.
Johnson defeated former Ewing Board of Education President Maria Bua, 120-105, a 53%-47% margin.
She succeeds Lisa Richford, who did not seek re-election after a turbulent eleven years that led to Mercer’s emergence as one of the least politically competitive counties in the state.
Johnson, who worked as a cancer care nurse, lost an Assembly bid in the 15th district in 2021 by a wide margin and then moved to the next-door 14th to run for Senate in 2023. She lost to State Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) by nearly 20 points.
She is one of six new GOP county chairs in the state; incumbents lost in Camden, Gloucester, Somerset, and Union, and Jack Zisa retired in Bergen and was replaced by Jack DeLorenzo.
Mercer County Republicans have not won a countywide election in 24 years or a legislative race in 18 years. Following the defeat of Hopewell Borough Councilman Sky Morehouse in 2023, no municipal official was elected as a Republican in a partisan Mercer County election.
Republicans suffered a major setback in 2019 when they lost the Hamilton Township mayoralty; Democrats now have a 5-0 majority on the council.
Bua served as Mercer GOP co-chair in 2011 after Roy Wesley ended his own contentious four-year tenure by resigning. She shared the post with Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried.
In 2012, Bua and Fried stepped aside, and a Fried ally, Richard Levesque, became county chairman.
Richford has faced attempts to remove her, but she shut down votes on those issues. She has run for office twice herself, receiving 38% in a 2011 bid for Mercer County surrogate and 33% last year against Democrat Dan Benson in the race for county executive.
She was re-elected in 2020 by an 86-42 vote against Lawrence Republican Club President Falk Engel.
The last Republican countywide victory in Mercer came in 2000 when County Clerk Cathy DiCostanzo was re-elected with 52% of the vote. DiCostanzo ran for County Executive in 2003 when another Republican, Robert Prunetti, retired; Democrat Brian Hughes defeated her by 1,673 votes, 49%-37%. When DiCostanzo ran again for county clerk in 2005, Democrat Paula Sollami Covello unseated her by 237 votes out of more than 94,000 cast.
Middlesex County GOP Chairman Robert Bengivenga had no opponent going into his re-election campaign tonight.
Mercer County officials signed a $2.8 million contract this past March with Dominion Voting Systems to make certain that the county would be able count all the votes on Tuesday.
On Election Day, the entire system inexplicably crashed.
Exactly what happened in Mercer County remains uncertain. And although all votes, which were recorded on paper ballots, were later tabulated, the failure attributed to an unexplained coding error on the ballots slowed counting throughout the night and left sone voters frustrated.
Completed ballots strewn across the floor at a polling facility in Mercer County on November 8, 2022. (Photo: Obtained by the New Jersey Globe).
By David Wildstein, November 10 2022 8:54 pm
The missing ballots from three voting districts in Princeton and one in Robbinsville were found today at the Mercer County Board of Elections, where they had been since Election Day, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.
This is just one problem in a disastrous Election Day operation that started with every polling location in Mercer County. County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello has asked the Mercer County Prosecutor to launch an investigation.
The Robbinsville ballots were counted today and the Princeton ballots are set to be counted on Friday.
A small number of additional ballots were found inside voting machines when they were opened today. Superior Court Judge William Anklowitz signed an order this morning authorizing the machines to be opened.
Voters across the Mercer County were told to vote using paper ballots on Election Day after a programming glitch rendered the Dominion optical scanner as unusable. The ballots were dropped into the machine’s storage bin and collected by a team of one Democrat and one Republican.
Mercer County Superintendent of Elections Nathaniel Walker will keep his office open on Friday, a state holiday, and this weekend, to continue counting ballots.
Responses by Dudley Sipprelle, Edited by Lisa Jacknow
What is it like to be a Republican in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey? When working on this elections issue, many Republicans or conservative-leaning voters were reluctant to speak their minds. They feared retaliation from the liberal majority. Current records indicate slightly fewer than 2,000 Princeton residents (of just under 21,000 registered voters) are registered Republicans, though several “independents” may share their views. To expand on the views of the local Republican party for those that align with it and to enlighten everyone else on what the “other” party thinks, we reached out to the Chair of the Princeton Republican Committee, Dudley Sipprelle, to get his perspective on today’s political climate.
Being a Republican in Princeton in 2020 is not unlike being a Republican in Mercer County or in the State of New Jersey. Republicans are in the distinct minority of registered voters in our “blue” State (23%) and County (15%), but even more so in our Town (10%).
Princeton is an exemplar of a phenomenon that has been building in America in recent years. What we are witnessing is a geographical sorting and ideological clustering of Americans. The location of a renowned Ivy League university in town which is also Mercer County’s largest private employer has attracted many people to Princeton who share the university’s progressive liberal mind-set.
The Princeton Municipal Republican Committee is a legal entity defined in State Statute. It is composed of publicly elected members, two for each of Princeton’s 22 voting districts who are elected in the primary every four years. The local committee members are also members of the Mercer County Republican Committee. The members represent the political interests of their constituents within the party. The role of local Republican committees is similar throughout the state and includes the recruitment and endorsement of candidates for public office and promotion of the Republican brand. The success of local committees is directly related to the number of Republicans in the community, the ability to raise funds, recruit qualified candidates and volunteers and to put it bluntly, the availability of patronage, that is, the power of appointment to coveted municipal boards, commissions and committees. This appointment power lies with our elected Mayor and the six Council members, all of whom are Democrats.
Although there are 11,519 registered Democrats in Princeton, the party
apparatus is essentially controlled by a relatively small group of “insiders” or what is known as the political “establishment” which decides policy. This group is often the most partisan party members and has a low tolerance for dissent. The insiders include a number of elected officials and members of the Democratic Municipal Committee. The Municipal Committee’s campaign endorsement means the endorsed candidate has “won the line” and will appear in the official Democratic column.
Why is this important? Because the overwhelming majority of Democrats vote the “straight party line,” that is, straight down the party column from top to bottom. It is widely understood that winning the Princeton Democratic primary decides who will be elected to office in the general election. It is virtually impossible for dissident Democrats, independents and Republicans to win election to office in Princeton. In addition, 75-80 percent of the registered “unaffiliated” vote for Democratic candidates. The party faithful are quick to unite around the Democratic party primary winner. Having gained office, elected officials turn their focus on remaining in office and the way to do that is not “make waves,” that is, don’t depart from the party policy line.
We can count on a flawed election process owing primarily to the Governor’s hasty and poorly thought-out decision to go to an almost total vote by mail (VBM) election without a reorganized system and trained staff in place to handle millions of paper ballots. The perpetual vagaries of the U.S. postal system are well-known: undelivered mail, misdirected mail, lost mail, delayed mail, trashed mail. Add the pandemic which is affecting staff. The instructions for the VBM ballot are complicated and confusing and result in a high percentage of ballots being rejected and voters disenfranchised. The voting process is directed by the County Board of Elections and there is not much we can realistically do locally beyond carefully filling out our ballots and using the VBM drop box at Municipal Hall.
The viral pandemic is on everybody’s mind and has upset our lives and economy. We will overcome this pandemic in due course as we have in the past. We will not see a return of economic strength and prosperity, however, if we don’t lower taxes and our debt. This is topical locally where taxes continue to rise and our community is consequently adversely affected.
(The unwavering partisanship that impacts the local political environment has been discussed above in section 3.)
“Diversity” is the mantra that suffuses every political campaign in Princeton. Every type of diversity one can think of is promoted and accepted. The one exception is political diversity. The idea of a Republican, however qualified, being elected or appointed to a position is not seriously entertained. Until a significant number of Democrats subordinate their partisanship and consider merit as a basis for election or appointment to office, Republicans cannot gain traction.
We must overcome the demoralization of many local Republicans who have experienced defeat in recent elections in spite of valiant efforts and highly qualified candidates. We can help candidates for national and statewide office by increasing Republican turnout and encouraging candidates to recognize they have a role to play in energizing local Republicans.
Local government as exemplified in Princeton is too often characterized by elected officials pursuing their own agendas, lack of community involvement, torpid bureaucracy, over-regulation and a lack of transparency and accountability. Our community deserves better but will continue to be plagued by high taxes, indecision and outcomes that have questionable benefit to local residents and taxpayers until voters accept that party labels alone do not produce good government and are willing to vote for change.
Dudley Sipprelle, originally from Compton, CA, is Chair and member of the Princeton Republican Committee (2005-2020). A retired teacher of History, Economics and English and a coach in the California Public School System, he was a Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State for over 30 years, responsible for political/economic reporting and analysis, protection of American citizens, immigration, refugee & human rights affairs. Sipprelle was a Diplomat-in-Residence and Visiting Professor of International Relations at Lehigh Univ. and received a Presidential Meritorious Performance Award from President Reagan. In retirement, he enjoyed a year as assistant girl’s basketball coach at Stuart Country Day School, was Chair and member of Princeton Regional Sewer Operating Committee, and has been involved as an ESL Certificated Tutor, as well as with Princeton University International Center, Mercer County Literacy Volunteers, YWCA Princeton ESL program, and Nassau Christian Center.
To: Mayor Jeff Martin, Hamilton Township Council
From: Win Cody
Date July 20, 2020
I am trying to enlighten residents and help with questions that they may want to ask as well as finding places the council may want to consider for savings. I have a few comments and questions that I hope will be helpful. I will not be able to attend Tuesday’s budget and wanted to share these thoughts in advance. I will post publicly so all residents can see. While I am now a resident of Hamilton, I was previously a Mayor of a New Jersey municipality and understand the budget process.
I am concerned that in this difficult time for many people, a large tax increase is being proposed. From what I have seen, taxes on increasing 8-10% for most people. While I realize that it is only an estimate and would get trued up during the 4thquarter. But when taxes are increased, they tend not to go down.
Thank you for your review.
Great Day in Hamilton, Bob Healey greeting large group of Young Republicans helping get the word out
Jack Ciattarelli joined the group at their lunch break.
Tennille McCoy served as Assistant Commissioner of Labor and is now seeking an open State Assembly seat in Mercer-Middlesex district
By David Wildstein, October 18 2023 2:47 pm
A hard-hitting new TV ad in the 14th legislative district goes after a Democratic Assembly candidate Tennille McCoy for suggesting that white state employees should be pushed out of their jobs so that people of color could be hired in their place.
“At the end of the day, it’s being able to shift some people out of positions so we create opportunities for other people of color,” McCoy said on a Zoom meeting while serving as assistant commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.
The ad was made by Adam Elias, an attorney who is the Republican Assembly candidate in the 14th, which has more state employees as residents than any other district.
In “American Dream,” Elias’ ad slams McCoy for her belief that some state workers should be pushed out to enhance state government diversity.
Script: (Narrator) “The American Dream is the opportunity for every hard-working individual to succeed. Tennille McCoy takes those opportunities away from the people she’s supposed to represent. (McCoy) At the end of the day, it’s being able to shift some people out of positions so we create opportunities for other people of color. (Narrator) Adam Elias immigrated to the U.S., works hard to achieve success for his family, and is living the American dream. Vote for opportunity for everyone. Vote Adam Elias for Assembly.”
McCoy says Elias is twisting her words.
“The point I was making, and what I firmly believe, is better characterized as that our state workforce should look like our communities and afford opportunities for everyone, regardless of who they are,” McCoy told the New Jersey Globe.
But Deborah Palombi, a personnel Assistant at the Department of Human Services, disputed McCoy’s claim.
“As a 28-year career service employee in the civil service system who was appointed as a promotional candidate, Tennille McCoy definitely applied this to me and appointed a ‘man of color’ who did not qualify until the civil service list expired, Palombi said on social media.”
Words that appear on the screen in Elias’ ad call McCoy a “disgraced public servant” who was “sued four times by her employees” and that she “resigned in shame.”
McCoy was personally named in lawsuits filed against the labor department, but that’s not uncommon in state government. Still, lawsuit allegations point to a pattern of discrimination, harassment, and creating a toxic work environment.
While several senior Murphy administration officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not dispute that she resigned to avoid termination, some at the labor department say the accusation is not true.
“This ad is disgusting and is Adam’s desperate attempt to distract the voters away from his extreme anti-choice, anti-union, culture war tactics for New Jersey,” McCoy said. “His political games won’t work, because the voters of LD-14 know that this election is far too important.”
Elias ran for the State Senate in 2021 and, with little party funding, lost to incumbent Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) by ten percentage points. Republicans are more optimistic about beating McCoy than they are about unseating Greenstein or Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton).
McCoy wants to succeed Dan Benson (D-Hamilton), who gave up his Assembly seat to run for Mercer County Executive. He’s a shoo-in for that post.
The 14th is an uphill climb for Republicans: Joe Biden won it by eighteen points in 2020 and Phil Murphy by nine in 2021. The GOP hasn’t carried the district in sixteen years.
McCoy was the surprise winner at a rocky Mercer Democratic convention in March, where three candidates from Hamilton were seeking two seats; Rick Carabelli finished first with 120 votes, followed by McCoy with 111, and DeAngelo finished third with 106 in a shocker.
Three days later, DeAngelo scored a comeback as the top vote-getter at the Democratic convention in Middlesex with 58 votes; Carabelli dropped out after McCoy defeated him by just four votes, 45-41.
Also charged were Dana Redd, a former mayor of Camden, and William Tambussi, counsel to the Camden County Democratic Committee—in addition to an executive of a property-development firm, and the CEO of a trucking company. In a scene worthy of "The Sopranos," Mr. Norcross, the back-room godfather of New Jersey Democratic politics, showed up uninvited to sit in the front row and stared Mr. Platkin down as he announced the charges. Paulie Walnuts couldn't have put in a better showing. Mr. Norcross, Mr. Tambussi and Ms. Redd have denied the charges.
The press conference took place the day before jurors reconvened in the federal corruption trial against Sen. Bob Menendez, charged with bribery and extortion as part of an alleged scheme to benefit businessmen and a foreign government. The prosecution has called more than a dozen witnesses, including an FBI agent who testified to gold ingots found in the Menendez residence (which were shown to the jury), as well as a businessman (also in the trucking industry) who said he worked with others to bribe Mr. Menendez by giving the senator's wife a Mercedes-Benz.
Corruption is an old story in New Jersey, and it has historically been bipartisan. Yet the meltdown of the state's Democratic machine comes at a moment when that party is working to make Mr. Trump's conviction a central feature of the presidential election, and as voters grow more bitter over dysfunction-as-usual and shift party lines.
That confluence, combined with Democratic infighting in the wake of the indictments, leads to the not-impossible prospect that New Jersey will be in play this fall. Mr. Menendez has yet to mount his defense, and he beat the rap in an earlier corruption trial, in 2017, which ended in a hung jury and charges weren't refiled. Democrats abandoned him after the new charges, and the senator initially bowed to calls to step aside as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and not run in the Democratic primary. But in June he filed to run as an independent, putting him on the ballot alongside Democratic nominee Rep. Andy Kim, and opening the possibility of a split liberal vote.
Mr. Bashaw, a self-made hotel entrepreneur who is pro-choice and openly gay, is running an optimistic campaign focused on economic revival and opportunity...
Republicans got a boost last month when primary voters chose businessman Curtis Bashaw over a more Trump-aligned—and Trump-endorsed—candidate in a blue state. Mr. Bashaw, a self-made hotel entrepreneur who is pro-choice and openly gay, is running an optimistic campaign focused on economic revival and opportunity, nimbly balancing the Trump question by explaining that while he and the former president have "different missions," "we're on the same team." He's also seizing on the corruption question by running against the "entrenched" Democratic "machine."
New Jersey hasn't elected a Republican to the Senate since 1972, and Mr. Kim would be a heavy favorite in a head-to-head race with Mr. Bashaw. At the same time, New Jerseyites are showing signs of discontent with a one-party monopoly. Republican Jack Ciattarelli nearly unseated Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021 and recently filed for a second run next year. Republicans flipped a House seat in 2022. And New Jersey Democrats have steadily lost ground in voter registration over the past four years; unaffiliated and Republican voters make up 60% of the state electorate. Add this: We live in wild times.
Democrats understand the corruption vulnerability, which explains the initial near-deafening silence from the New Jersey delegation in response to the Norcross news. Sen. Cory Booker, who once compared himself to Spartacus while moralizing against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, barely managed to muster an observation that the indictment was "sad." Mr. Kim is attempting to confront the liability by running on a promise to "restore integrity to the Senate"—a line he hopes will inoculate him, but risks reminding voters of the stink.
New Jersey Republicans hope the Menendez-Norcross swamp, at the very least, helps neutralize the Democratic claim that it is the GOP that has a "criminal" problem. Some are even banking that voters will compare the flimsy lawfare case against Mr. Trump over bookkeeping entries to federal and state indictments of Jersey bribery, extortion, and racketeering—and judge the latter to be more disqualifying when choosing between parties. Crime is certainly on New Jerseyites' minds, but maybe not the way Democrats hope.
GET TO KNOW CURTIS
Curtis Bashaw is a hotel entrepreneur, job creator, and preservationist. He's running for United States Senate to provide greater freedom and opportunities for all New Jerseyans.
A lifelong New Jersey resident, Curtis grew up in Camden County and spent his summers at the Jersey Shore working as a bellhop and waiting tables at Congress Hall in Cape May. He has spent his life in the real estate and hospitality industries, and is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cape Resorts, a hotel company focusing on the restoration and operation of classic American resort properties in New Jersey and New York.
Throughout his career, Curtis has worked to build communities and bring people together. He is widely recognized for leading the landmark restorations of Congress Hall and the Virginia Hotel in Cape May, and for launching creative programming to dramatically extend Cape May's season, a catalyst for the economic rebirth of one of the Jersey Shore's most beautiful communities.
Curtis is a successful businessman and job creator, employing more than 1,000 people in New Jersey and New York. Curtis' company owns and operates eight hotels, ten cottages, six restaurants, four retail outlets and a working farm, all on the Jersey Shore and Long Island's East End. Curtis lives in Cape May with his husband, Will.
Congressman Chris Smith Endorses Mohan (R) for US Congress in NJ's 3rd Congressional District
Congressman Chris Smith, proudly representing New Jersey's 4th District in the United States House of Representatives, endorses Dr. Rajesh Mohan as the Republican Candidate for New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District. "I am proud to endorse Dr. Rajesh Mohan's candidacy for the United States Congress."
This endorsement is a testament to the shared values of exceptional leadership, dedication, and vision for serving the people of New Jersey that both Congressman Smith and Dr. Mohan embody.
Dr. Mohan has an exemplary public service record and a steadfast commitment to addressing all Americans' pressing issues. He commends Dr. Mohan for his compassionate approach and emphasizes his unwavering dedication to putting service before self and improving the well-being of his fellow citizens.
Dr. Mohan's stance on key issues includes border security, healthcare affordability, and safeguarding vital programs like Medicare and Social Security. Dr. Mohan is committed to promoting economic growth, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, and preserving jobs in New Jersey and nationwide.
Dr. Rajesh Mohan expressed his profound gratitude for Congressman Smith's endorsement, "I am deeply honored to receive Congressman Smith's endorsement and support. "I am committed to serving with diligence and integrity for all New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District residents."
Quraishi agrees with Kim that county lines represent irreparable harm to candidates
By Joey Fox, March 29 2024 12:06 pm
New Jersey Globe
In a monumental decision released today, U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi struck down the county organizational line, the ballot design system that forms the core of New Jersey political power, in this year’s elections.
The suit against the line had been filed by Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), who is running for U.S. Senate, and two congressional candidates, Sarah Schoengood and Carolyn Rush. They argued that the line, which groups party-endorsed candidates together on primary ballots, represents irreparable harm to their campaigns, necessitating a preliminary injunction to eliminate it.
Quraishi’s decision agrees with them in no uncertain terms.
“The integrity of the democratic process for a primary election is at stake and the remedy Plaintiffs are seeking is extraordinary,” Quraishi wrote. “Mandatory injunctive relief is reserved only for the most unusual cases. Plaintiffs’ burden on this Motion is therefore particularly heavy. Nevertheless, the Court finds, based on this record, that Plaintiffs have met their burden and that this is the rare instance when mandatory relief is warranted.”
Quraishi’s decision specifically applies to this year’s primary; while his opinion clearly points towards a belief that the overall county line system is unconstitutional, it’s still something of an open question what will happen to the line in future years. It will impact all elections on the ballot this year, from Senate to county committee, mandating an office-block ballot across the board.
The case is not over yet, though. The county clerks named as defendants in the case are likely to appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and could ask for a stay on Quraishi’s decision while the potentially lengthy appeals process plays out.
“With ballots required to be printed in one week and voting starting in 20 days, many county clerks have significant concerns about the feasibility of compliance with the Court’s order,” said Jack Carbone on behalf of defense counsel. “Counsel are evaluating their options to appeal.”
But if Quraishi’s opinion stands, it would be a genuine earthquake in New Jersey politics. County political parties have long relied on the line to give their preferred candidates a substantial edge and scare off any potential challengers; without it, they will have to radically adjust their methods for promoting candidates and winning elections.
The effects could be felt in many of this year’s races. Even though the filing deadline has already passed, preventing any new candidates from entering this June’s primary contests, there are a number of races where multiple credible candidates have filed – and today’s decision gives those running without party support a significantly greater shot at victory.
In his 49-page decision, Quraishi steadily works through the arguments put forth by both the plaintiffs and the defendants, finding in virtually every case that the plaintiffs had the evidence squarely on their side.
The chief arguments put forward by Kim, Schoengood, and Rush were that the county line gives an unfair advantage to certain candidates, interferes with their First Amendment rights to free association, and violates the Constitution’s Elections Clause, which limits the ability of states to influence elections for federal offices. Quraishi largely agreed with the plaintiffs on each point.
“Plaintiffs’ evidence is sufficient to make their showing of a likelihood they will succeed in establishing that the Bracketing Structure and ballot placement is improperly influencing primary election outcomes by virtue of the layout on the primary ballots,” Quraishi wrote.
Their reasoning holds true, Quraishi said, even though First Lady Tammy Murphy has ended her campaign for Senate. (Murphy had been set to run on the county line in many counties across the state, but when she withdrew from the race, most of those lines went to Kim instead, which the defendants argued nullified much of Kim’s argument.)
“Defendants’ arguments that the changed political landscape has eliminated Kim’s associational harm is specious at best,” Quraishi wrote. “The Court reiterates that Kim’s harms are not alleviated because his main opponent withdrew from the election. Kim’s harms, like Schoengood and Rush’s, are real and immediate whether or not they are on the county line or not.”
As for the clerks’ complaints that Kim filed the lawsuit too late in the cycle – and that preparing entirely new primary ballots in time for the June 4 election represents an undue burden – Quraishi dismissed them wholesale, saying that the defendants failed to prove that the harm of preparing new ballots outweighed the harm the continuation of the current system.
“The Court finds that the harm Plaintiffs would suffer absent an injunction well exceeds the harm that Defendants would suffer should the Court grant the injunction,” Quraishi wrote. “Plaintiffs have put forth credible evidence not only that their constitutional rights are violated by the present ballot design used in New Jersey, which is used in no other state in the country … but that Defendants would suffer minimal harm in implementing the ballot design requested by Plaintiffs.”
Kim himself did not need a victory in today’s ruling to win his race for Senate; without Murphy in the race, he was the frontrunner regardless of whether the lines stayed in place or not. But in a statement, he said he was nonetheless thrilled with Quraishi’s decision.
“Today’s decision is a victory for a fairer, more democratic politics in New Jersey,” he said. “It’s a victory built from the incredible grassroots work of activists across our state who saw an undemocratic system marginalizing the voices of voters, and worked tirelessly to fix it.”
This story was substantially updated at 12:52 p.m. with more information, and updated again at 2:33 p.m. with a statement from Carbone.
By Jim Hᴏft Feb. 21, 2024 8:30 am197 Comments
Ten residents of Mercer County, New Jersey, have taken their grievances to the Superior Court, alleging severe voter disenfranchisement due to a series of errors linked to Dominion Voting Systems and the handling of the 2022 and 2023 elections.
On February 14th, the group lodged a hefty 360-page complaint, laden with evidence, detailing the systematic failures that stripped them of their fundamental voting rights.
The complaint, accessible at Wefer Law Offices, exposes the extent of the mishaps that occurred during the recent elections.
The lawsuit highlights that in 2022, a crucial technical error by Dominion Voting Systems rendered all tabulators inoperable when they failed to update ballot IDs after the County made changes to the ballot layout. This significant oversight was initially kept from the public by County officials and only surfaced following public insistence on an explanatory hearing.
The complaint paints a chaotic scene on election day, exacerbated by subsequent egregious handling and counting of ballots. The plaintiffs argue that these actions infringed upon the civil, statutory, and constitutional rights of the voters of Mercer County, thereby invalidating the election results.
See Full Article
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/02/exclusive-mercer-county-nj-residents-file-lawsuit-against/
ANDREW SIDAMON-ERISTOFF |FEBRUARY 1, 2024 | OPINION
A rough comparison to New York state provides some useful insight
In a few weeks Gov. Phil Murphy will unveil his proposed budget for the next state fiscal year. Although we’ll have to wait for details, it’s reasonable to anticipate that Murphy’s 2025 budget will top his $53.1 billion proposal for 2024. Journalists and pundits will almost certainly point out that the governor has proposed yet another “record” for state spending, while some legislators and advocates will just as certainly decry the proposed budget’s “underinvestment” in critical services such as urban school aid, health care, or NJ Transit. New Jerseyans who pay attention to such matters will once again be justified in wondering what it all really means.
By any measure, $53+ billion is a huge amount of money, but huge in relation to what? For context, let’s undertake a rough comparison to our neighboring state of New York. Sneak preview: the results won’t be dispositive or particularly satisfying, but they will provide some useful insight into the financial and political dynamics of state budget making.
For the sake of simplicity, we’ll compare the two states’ budgets as proposed (not as adopted or amended) for the current fiscal year as generally reported in the press and debated in the two states’ legislatures — what I will call “headline budgets.” Purists will note that New York’s fiscal year begins on April 1 while New Jersey’s begins on July 1.
For fiscal 2024, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed spending $227 billion while Gov. Murphy proposed spending $53.1 billion. After correcting for estimated population as of July 1, 2023 (19.57 million in New York and 9.29 million in New Jersey), New York planned to spend about $11,599 per resident while New Jersey planned to spend about $5,716. Due to rounding, all numbers are approximations and valid only for comparative purposes.
Does this imply that New Jersey is relatively frugal or, by contrast, that New York is wildly profligate? No. The two states have very different approaches to displaying budget information. Notably, New York’s headline number includes spending supported by bond proceeds, federal funds, and dedicated funds, while New Jersey’s headline budget only includes spending supported by state revenues, surplus fund balances, and a relatively small open space reserve fund.
To reach a credible apples-to-apples comparison, we’ll need to make a series of adjustments to the two states’ headline budgets.
First, New York’s headline budget includes $14.5 billion in capital spending supported by bonds or federal funds, whereas New Jersey’s does not. Logically, a fair comparison would require either subtracting this spending from New York’s headline number or increasing New Jersey’s headline number by its anticipated spending supported by bonds or federal funds. Since New Jersey doesn’t publish a consolidated capital budget proposal as such, that number isn’t readily available, so we’ll go ahead and subtract $14.5 billion from New York’s headline number, leaving $212.5 billion, or $10,858 per resident.
Second, to achieve rough parity with New York we’ll need to gross up New Jersey’s budget by $32 billion to account for $21.8 billion in anticipated federal revenue, $6.5 billion in dedicated revenues, $0.2 billion in revolving fund revenue, and $3.5 billion in Special Transportation Fund revenue. This brings New Jersey’s adjusted number to $85.1 billion, or $9,160 per resident.
In sum, after making these adjustments and assuming that revenues and spending are more or less equal, we have a rough apples-to-apples comparison showing that New York state spends about 19% more per resident.
What’s the bottom line? No matter how you score it, New York state’s budget is bigger than New Jersey’s. Yet this state-level comparison is of limited value since it doesn’t take into account the fact that the two states apportion key functions and associated spending to different levels of government. For example, New York requires its localities to fund about 20% of the combined state and local cost of its Medicaid program; New Jersey does not require a local contribution. Conversely, unlike New York, the state of New Jersey is responsible for employer contributions to teachers’ pension plans and the burden of school employees’ post-retirement medical benefits.
For what it’s worth, we can correct for differences in the apportionment of spending by comparing combined state and local spending estimates compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau. The latest available data indicates that state and local general expenditures per capita in fiscal 2021 were $15,899 in New York and $11,267 in New Jersey, about 2
Our goal is to share some of the top stories affecting NJ Education, Business, Community, and Taxes from throughout the week as well as highlight upcoming events, interviews with statewide leaders, special offers & more!
FEATURED PILLAR
Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia calls on Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Legislature to prioritize school choice, arguing that restrictive policies have left thousands of students trapped in underperforming schools. She highlights the state’s failure to expand charter schools and the limitations placed on the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, which prevent many families from accessing better educational opportunities. Fantasia criticizes special interest groups for blocking charter school growth and urges reforms that would allow more authorizers and increased funding for school choice initiatives. She emphasizes that school choice strengthens public education through competition and accountability, ensuring every child has access to a school that best fits their needs.
Year-end bonuses rose 2% in 2024, averaging $2,503, but fewer workers received them, according to Gusto Insights. Communications and Real Estate saw the largest increases, while Transportation, Personal Services, and Tourism saw declines. The trend suggests employers are focusing bonuses on top performers rather than distributing them broadly.
The White House confirmed that the mysterious drones over South Jersey were authorized by the FAA for research and other purposes, dismissing concerns of foreign threats. While some drones were flown by hobbyists, their presence sparked widespread speculation and calls for transparency from lawmakers, including Gov. Phil Murphy. The FAA had temporarily restricted flights in several NJ towns for security reasons, but the issue now appears resolved.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is calling for urgent action to cut government waste as the national debt surpasses $36 trillion. Their plan includes ending corporate handouts, reducing healthcare costs through expanded HSAs and telehealth, and tackling fraud that costs taxpayers up to $521 billion annually. AFP also urges Congress to overhaul the broken budget process to restore fiscal responsibility.
UPCOMING EVENTS