Alex DeCroce

TAX DOLLARS USED TO FUND CLOWN SCHOOL, FLYING LESSONS, TRIPS TO RESORT DESTINATIONS – EVEN BRASS APPLES

As school districts throughout the state grapple with budget cuts resulting in layoffs, school closings and reduced funds for extra curricular activities, some continue to spend tax dollars on questionable and frivolous items, such as trips to resorts, gourmet meals and gifts for teachers.

At today’s hearing by the Assembly Budget Committee, Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce will question State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy about instances of questionable spending practices and why they are still seen despite her previous assurances that improvements would be made.

“At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet and denying themselves even simple amenities, it is outrageous that some school districts believe that they are entitled to travel and eat at places that most people only dream about,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.  “In today’s economy, one has to question why we are spending taxpayer dollars on things that have no educational value.  People who cannot pay their mortgage or utility bills will understandably be upset when they learn of the ways money is being squandered.”

           Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic, issued the following statement following the conviction of former state Sen. Joseph Coniglio today on corruption charges:

            “It’s a sad day when any public official is found guilty of betraying the public’s trust for the sake of his own financial enrichment. New Jersey has had far too many of these ‘sad days’ in the past few years. It demonstrates why we need to usher in a ‘new day’ in Trenton, one that finally ends the flagrant abuse of tax dollars for personal profit.”

# # # # #

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) says that the criminal conviction of Joseph Coniglio (D-Paramus) doesn't change the way he feels about his former Senate colleague.

“The jury has rendered its verdict and I respect it. I have always known Joe Coniglio to be a caring and dedicated individual and this decision in no way changes my feelings for him," Codey said in a statement released this afternoon.

Rick Wright's home in Burlington County.

New Jersey Republicans can rest easy, as Assembly Republican Executive Director Rick Wright did have a John McCain sign on his front lawn this autumn after all - even if the yard space was shared with a Barack Obama sign.

The hot-button question of the contents of Wright's lawn was injected into state politics this weekend when gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan, appearing on NJN's "On the Record" with host Michael Aron, responded to Wright's defense of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) by raising the issue.

"Mike, Mike, you want to ask Rick Wright a question for me?" Lonegan said to Aron.  "Ask him whose sign he had for president on his front lawn this last election.  That will tell you something about the Republican Party in New Jersey... From what I understand, and the photos I see, it was Barack Obama's." 

The Obama sign, Wright said, was put there by his Democratic wife, Susan (he prefers that her last name not be used).  The two met when she worked across the hall from him at the Assembly Democrats' office, and she now works as a Deputy Attorney General. 

"My feeling is that if Steve Lonegan's campaign is built on spying on my house and not worrying about property taxes and spending, that's the reason why Steve Lonegan is not doing so well," Wright said.  "What Lonegan failed to mention was that when they took the picture, there was a McCain sign in the front lawn."

            Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce says taxpayers can now go to a website and see for themselves just how bad their property tax burden has gotten since Gov. Jon S. Corzine and his Democratic allies took control of the Legislature.

            A new, easy-to-use feature on the Assembly Republican website – njassemblyrepublicans.com – lets visitors view how high property taxes have risen in their town on average since 2005, Corzine’s first year in office, and 2001, when Democrats took control of both houses of the Legislature.

Lou Signorino of West Milford

WHIPPANY – A Sunday afternoon Steve Lonegan house party goes well until the campaign introduces Lou Signorino, a young Republican businessman running for office, who at first receives instantaneous good feeling as a well-spoken young conservative presence who appears committed to taking the fight to Trenton.

With Lonegan out of commission and in the hospital fighting a kidney stone* – Signorino briefly assumes a more central role in the packed house of Lonegan backers Bill and Barbara Eames.

“Who are you running against?” asks a smiling former Mayor Bob Steiger – apparently ready to hear the name of a well-heeled Democrat from a neighboring county.

This town hasn’t gone “D” locally since the 1950s, and a crowd of close to 50 people here ready to do battle on Lonegan’s behalf figures Signorino intends to topple one.

Sidna Mitchell, who came within 880 votes of unseating Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) in 2003, met with Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce and Mercer County GOP Chairman Roy Wesley today to discuss the possibility to entering the State Assembly race in the fourteenth district.  The GOP leaders want to replace 21-year-old college student Brian Hackett with Mitchell, a 70-year-old former newspaper editor who served as Deputy Executive Director of the state Council on Affordable Housing under Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.

Correction: Reports that Middlesex County GOP Chairman Joseph Leo was at the meeting was incorrect. 

Republicans, who tout the fourteenth as one of their target districts, found themselves without Assembly candidates against Greenstein and Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton) last week after their two candidates, Hamilton Councilwoman Kelly Yaede and former Cranbury Councilman Wayne Wittman, unexpectedly pulled out of the race. 

Assemblyman Eric Munoz had surgery this morning.

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) issued a statement this afternoon concerning the condition of Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R-Summit).

“Assemblyman Munoz was admitted to the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey Hospital (Newark) this morning for surgery. No other information is available at this time.  An update on the assemblyman’s condition will be provided when it is available.”

Rick Shaftan

In response to a threatened primary challenge to Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Morris), Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson wrote a letter to gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan defending DeCroce and asking the anti-establishment Republican to distance himself from his chief strategist, Rick Shaftan.  

“I truly hope that Mr. Shaftan’s comments and intentions are not yours and that you had no prior knowledge of his self-indulgent, baseless, inaccurate and personal attack on Assemblyman DeCroce,” wrote Wilson. "I ask that you make clear your position on Mr. Shaftan's comments and, if the statements were made without your authorization, to make sure that Mr. Shaftan does not abuse his position with your campiagn in the future.  His childish outbursts only serve to divert focus away from our principal goal:electing more Republicans and reversing the policies that have driven our state to the doorstep of bankruptcy." 

In an interview with PolitickerNJ.com yesterday, Shaftan said that DeCrcoce was “happy to be a big fish in a small pond” and was Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts’ (D-Camden) “best friend in the state.”

Gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan’s campaign is actively seeking to recruit a candidate to take on Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Morris) in the Republican primary, according to Lonegan strategist Rick Shaftan.

“There will be a primary against Alex DeCroce,” said Shaftan.  “The candidate shall be named later, but there are three people who are looking to run.”

DeCroce, the assembly’s top Republican, is in charge of an assembly candidate recruitment effort that Shaftan called “inept and pathetic.”

“He’s the most inept leader on the Republican side imaginable.  He’s just given up the fight and is just happy to be a big fish in a little pond,” said Shaftan.  “If I were [Assembly Speaker] Joe Roberts, I’d be doing everything I can to make sure Alex stays in office. He’s Joe Roberts’ best friend in the state.”