Union County

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Andrew Bloschak
(201)-705-2257
July 15, 2009
Bloschak Stands With Christie On "Better Cities" Plan
"Urban Republican" Knows That The Future Governor's Agenda is Right for Greater Newark
 
Irvington-Urban Republican Assembly candidate Andrew Bloschak was pleased to travel to nearby Planifield yesterday to support our next Governor, Christopher Christie, and fellow Assembly candidates Bo Vastine and Martin Marks, in unveiling a forward-thinking urban agenda that will benefit the Garden State. It will be particularly favorable to the City of Newark and Township of Irvington, both of which Bloschak hopes to represent as Assemblyman.

Roselle Mayor Garrett Smith

Roselle Mayor Garrett Smith needed this one, and so did the Union County Democratic Organization.
 
Those two mutually exclusive desires added up to one thing: a war.
 
Ever since former Assemblyman Neil Cohen's (D-Roselle) career went belly up amid charges of keeping child porn on his computer, the battle lines for local party control intensified here in his town, which, depending on your perspective, is either a buffer for Westfield against the danger-zone of Elizabeth or a buffer for Elizabeth against the whitebread excesses of Cranford and Westfield.
 
A mild-mannered wonk in Trenton, Cohen could get tough in his hometown as head of the local party. He wasn't beyond delivering full-blown, profanity-laced public dress-downs to recalcitrant committee members as he dealt with the ongoing headache of Smith, a charismatic independent Democrat, originally from Jersey City, who built his name as head of a thriving local basketball league before seeking his first term as mayor in 2003.
 
Smith and Cohen could grudgingly come together to beat on Republicans in presidential or gubernatorial general elections, but mostly they embroiled themselves in a Roselle battle-royale with themselves as chief antagonists.

A rained out MusicFest this past September has provided Union County with $275,000 in insurance monies. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has authorized the County Manager to allocate the cash to the Union County Arts Center for the purpose of contracting talent for MusicFest 2009. The 2008 event was to be for a day and a half with an additional stage which exceeded the county’s usual one day event not only by its physical scope but it’s cost as well. County residents are questioning the expenditure of this money as the new contract with the UCAC for MusicFest ’09 is $175,000 over what was contracted for the ’08 event. What are we to expect this year; four stages instead of three? A three night event instead of the recent aborted two nighter?

There were many running around the country last night claiming that Americans voted for “change”. Well perhaps they did in some spots, but here in Union County they voted for the same old thing by reelecting the incumbent freeholder candidates once again to the board.

I just cannot figure it out; the residents crab and complain about how their hard-earned tax dollars are being wasted and yet, just like a relationship with an abusive partner, they go running back for more of the same. Do they honestly believe that the so called “change” that they are seeking will trickle down from the top, or that by some miracle there will be a rebirth of conscience from the board members who by magic will be spurred to change their spending habits? Or is it that they are experiencing disbelief in what they are seeing on their tax bills and are buying into the belief that things will be different this time around. One can only speculate as to what is going on in their minds.

Over the past couple of weeks the Union County freeholders have made their annual pre-Election Day rounds bearing huge worthless cardboard checks representing grants or giant scissors for ribbon cuttings at new or renovated parks and recreational facilities around the county. I find myself smacking the side of my own head in amazement at the photo opportunity which took place at the official opening of the Esposito Farm Park on Madison Hill Road in Clark recently. Participating in cutting the yellow ribbon were four freeholders, three of whom were up for reelection, alongside the incumbent mayoral candidate and four Clark council persons, of which three were also seeking reelection. In total, eight of the ten in the photo were on this week's ballot. Is it a coincidence that the photo and accompanying press release were issued by the county information officer barely two weeks before Election Day? And what a coup for the Democratic freeholders to be seen getting cozy with Clark’s Republican council; from the freeholders' perspective it probably can’t get much better than that. A new $2.9 million park certainly can nail down a few bonus votes.

The One Question That Begged to be Asked But Wasn’t Still Deserves to be Answered

Just two weeks ago the Director of Finance for Union County was quoted in an October 1st Star Ledger article regarding the impact that the current Wall Street goings-on would and had been having on county government. Director Caroselli said, "Thankfully, we issued bonds in February when market conditions were stronger"; he went on to explain that if the county needed cash now; it would be "really biting its nails". Because, very simply bonds are actually loans made by investors that government sells to finance their spending habits and spending at a rate of over $1 Mil. every day Union County has a pretty big habit. And is anyone in a buying mode right now?

QUIJANO TAKES OATH OF OFFICE AS FIRST WOMAN, HISPANIC ASSEMBLY MEMBER FOR DISTRICT 20

Elizabeth Lawyer, Community Leader Newest Assemblywoman
 
(TRENTON) –Assemblywoman Annette Quijano today became Union County’s newest voice of advocacy when she took the oath of office to become a member of the 213th New Jersey General Assembly representing the 20th Legislative District.

“I am honored to be the first woman and minority representing the 20th District’s many diverse, working families,” said Quijano (D-Union).  “I look forward to providing a voice for those in need and joining Senator Lesniak and Assemblyman Cryan in continuing to fight for Union County’s communities today and in the future.”

Come To Jail, Earn a Living?

Mayor Martin Marks, Republican candidate for Congress in the Seventh District, announced that he signed the earmark reform pledge that goes above and beyond any current earmark disclosure rules to boost transparency and demand higher standards from members of Congress for future earmark requests.

Marks to Congress: Veterans Are A Priority
VA Funding Must Be Restored