Hackensack NJ, GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Joseph Rudy Rullo has decided not to participate in the Bergen screening and convention . ”
“Fighting Joe Rullo” told the Ridgewood blog on Wednesday,”I’m not going to participate in the Bergen screening and convention. I want to send a message to Bergen County voters that I’m the outsider Republican candidate. I believe the Republican organization is divided and want to stay neutral. I believe Bergen County is key to general election and staying neutral will help unite both sides in November.”
Rullo has attended to all major GOP speaking opportunity events and now will focus on other groups over the next couple of months. Rullo commented , “I am meeting with liberty group and other conservative groups” Rullo feels he has some establishment support from speaking at their events.
The incumbent could not be much less popular, and so New Jersey Republicans could go way outside the lines for an “outsider.”
It would be an understatement, and not at all a comment on the New Jersey governor’s girth, to say that Chris Christie casts a large shadow over this year’s election to select his successor. For eight years he has dominated his state’s politics, first as a successful bipartisan “problem-solver” with a knack for making his opponents look bad, and then a scandal-plagued punching bag and early lame duck. Until just over a year ago, his ambitions for higher office obscured his steadily declining status back home, aside from the “Bridgegate” scandal that dogged his presidential campaign. But then his close association with Donald Trump defined his national profile, and when Trump surprisingly won, it was widely assumed Christie was headed to Washington in some capacity.
Now, after being passed over for the attorney general gig he supposedly craved, leading him to turn down less exalted posts, Christie looks likely to stick out the last year of his governorship. But he may have thoroughly worn out his welcome in New Jersey. His job approval ratio fell to an abysmal 17/78 in a Quinnipiac survey at the end of January. His own lieutenant governor and the most likely Republican to succeed him, Kim Guadagno, has been trying desperately to distance herself from her former mentor and political sponsor. Another competitive GOP candidate for governor, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, hasn’t had to do that because he’s long fought Christie, and even called for his resignation for spending too much time outside the state.
Ridgewood Nj, Jersey Born and Bred Gubernatorial candidate Joseph R. Rullo has put together a few ideas to solve the state’s massive pension crisis. Most of the ideas are relatively painless for employees and taxpayers and unlike other grand schemes easily doable .
Rullo starts with investing basics by looking to eliminate $700 million in pension fees to NYC politically connected brokerage houses and replace with licensed brokers in the state investors division to pay savings towards pension payment. The pension fees went from 125M to 700M per year in the last 7 years.
Let’s face it according to the all the town hall protesters New Jersey loves Obamacare so Rullo says :
*Open up state employee health insurance bids across America to create competition to lower premiums and get better coverage for employees.
Rullo get creative with the next one;
* Dedicate a portion of recreational marijuana revenues to pay towards pension payment.
Was first reported by The Star-Ledger’s Editorial Page Editor Tom Moran in a Sunday column arguing passionately for legalization. Joseph Rudy Rullo, a declared Republican candidate for New Jersey governor in 2017, also supports marijuana legalization.
And finally something that long over do in the state of New Jersey . We can start with the pensions and work our way through every state agency .
* Open up a formal investigation and audit the pension fund for the last several decades to hold politicians in both parties accountable for their actions.
Let’s compare what President Trump has accomplished since the inauguration (with that enormous crowd!) with what congressional Republicans have done.
In the past three weeks, Trump has: staffed the White House, sent a dozen Cabinet nominees to the Senate, browbeat Boeing into cutting its price on a government contract, harangued American CEOs into keeping their plants in the United States, imposed a terrorist travel ban, met with foreign leaders and nominated a Supreme Court justice, among many other things.
(And still our hero finds time to torment the media with his tweets!)
What have congressional Republicans been doing? Scrapbooking?
More than 90 percent of congressional Republicans kept their jobs after the 2016 election, so you can cross “staffing an entire branch of government” off the list. Only the Senate confirms nominees, which they’ve been doing at a snail’s pace, so they’ve got loads of free time — and the House has no excuse at all.
Where’s the Obamacare repeal? Where are the hearings featuring middle-class Americans with no health insurance because it was made illegal by Obamacare?
The House passed six Obamacare repeals when Obama was president and there was no chance of them being signed into law. Back then, Republicans were full of vim and vigor! But the moment Trump became president, the repeals came to a screeching halt.
After the inauguration (gigantic!), House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put out a plan for repealing Obamacare … in 200 days. They actually gave their legislative agenda this inspiring title: “The Two Hundred Day Plan.”
By Claude Brodesser-Akner | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on February 09, 2017 at 9:28 AM, updated February 09, 2017 at 1:56 PM
TRENTON — A new poll that has the potential to shake up this year’s race for New Jersey governor shows still-undeclared Joe Piscopo is just six points behind Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno among Republican primary voters.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind poll released on Thursday found at least half of Republican and Democratic primary voters in the state haven’t made up their minds about who to support in this very early going.
But it gives Guadagno, the Republican frontrunner, just an 18 percent to 12 percent edge over comedian Piscopo. State Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-Somerset) and Nutley township commissioner Steve Rogers each got support from 2 percent of GOP voters.
HOUSE GOP’S CORPORATE TAX SCHEME HAS ITS REPUBLICAN SKEPTICS
BY STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans face opposition to their plan to overhaul the way corporations pay federal taxes from a powerful group of lawmakers – other Republicans.
“I’m not very enthused about it,” said Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the chairman of the Finance Committee and the Senate’s top tax writer.
Another skeptic is John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate.
“The question is, who is going to pay the tax?” Cornyn asked. “Is it going to be our citizens?”
Seeking to overhaul the tax code for the first time in 30 years, the House GOP plan would scrap the 35 percent tax on corporate profits, which is riddled with exemptions, deductions and credits. It would be replaced with something called a “border adjustment tax.”
In less than three weeks’ time, when Donald Trump becomes our next president, he will take an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
It is fitting, then, that Trump has committed to repealing and replacing one of his predecessor’s most infamous unconstitutional policies, the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. But he won’t be able to do it alone. Repealing Obamacare requires Congress to write legislation for the president to sign into law.
Congress can and should do this in January, before Inauguration Day. There is no excuse not to.
A lot has happened in the last eight years, since Nancy Pelosi first claimed “we have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it.” Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber reveled in the “stupidity of the American voter” and “lack of transparency” that helped pass the bill, and President Barack Obama told PolitiFact’s Lie of the Year in 2013: “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.”
The so-called Affordable Care Act was a mandate when Congress needed to shove it through, and it was a tax when the Supreme Court decided to look the other way.
Many thousands of Americans have lost their insurance plans or their doctors, or seen their premiums hiked up to unbelievable levels. Seventeen of the original 23 Obamacare insurance co-ops have collapsed. The massive centralization of health insurance has hurt patients and providers alike. And, of course, there has always been the rotten, unconstitutional core of Obamacare: the federal government forcing citizens to buy a product.
Being forced to live under Obamacare has motivated millions of hardworking people across our country to get involved in politics.
That’s why conservatives have been fighting against Obamacare for years. That’s why, since they swept the elections in 2010, Congress has voted over 60 times to repeal all or part of it.
They just need to do it one more time.
To avoid a predictable Senate filibuster from the left, Congress can employ the “reconciliation process”—a parliamentary procedure used to help the House and Senate pass budget bills. Obamacare repeal can be easily included in this legislation. We know, because Congress did just that to get a repeal of Obamacare on the president’s desk in 2015.
Then, Obama used a veto to protect his signature law. But in a few short weeks, Congress will be sending bills to a different president entirely.
Of course, this doesn’t mean we won’t see foot-dragging from some in Congress. When I was in the Senate, they would use every excuse to avoid fighting for conservative priorities. “Wait until we get the House.” Done. “Wait until we get the Senate.” Done. “Wait until we get the White House.” Done and done. There are simply no alternatives left but to repeal Obamacare and win the fight (a shocking prospect for some!)
Fortunately, Republicans can’t afford to throw conservatives under the bus on Obamacare repeal. Republicans have consistently campaigned on repealing Obamacare and won. It’s a promise that must be kept.
Many Americans care deeply about getting the government out of their health care decisions and finances. Being forced to live under Obamacare has motivated millions of hardworking people across our country to get involved in politics—abandoning them now would cause an electoral backlash to rival the one which put Trump in the White House.
Obama signed his namesake legislation seven years ago, and soon his successor will sign a bill to repeal it. But just as Congress made the original mistake of passing Obamacare, it must start working—now—to have that bill on Trump’s desk on Inauguration Day.
Once repeal legislation establishes a certain date when Obamacare will expire, Congress can begin a step-by-step approach to make health insurance more affordable and available for every American.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of the 115th Congress will be sworn in at noon Tuesday, setting off an aggressive campaign by Republicans who control the House and Senate to dismantle eight years of President Barack Obama’s Democratic policies.
The first and biggest target is Obama’s signature health care law, which Republicans have long sought to gut and blamed as a primary cause for a lackluster economic recovery. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday encouraged a wholesale overhaul of the system, tweeting hours before the new Congress convenes “Obamacare just doesn’t work,” is unaffordable “and, it is lousy health care.”
Majority Republicans also are targeting decades-old programs that millions of Americans rely on every day, such as Social Security and Medicare as they seek to shrink both the size of the federal budget and the bureaucracy in Washington.
“We have a lot to do – and a lot to undo,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said in a letter to fellow Republicans.
There were signs of Republican-on-Republican drama even before the new Congress officially opened on Tuesday. House Republicans on Monday night voted to defy their leaders and gut the chamber’s independent ethics panel created in 2008 to probe charges of lawmaker misconduct after several corruption scandals sent members to prison.
“We don’t even know if Mitt Romney voted for Donald Trump.”
By MATTHEW NUSSBAUM
Updated 11/27/16 01:30 PM EST
Appointing Mitt Romney as secretary of state would be viewed by many supporters of President-elect Donald Trump as a major betrayal, former Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told CNN on Sunday.
“It’s just breathtaking in scope and intensity,” Conway said of the opposition to Romney among Trump supporters.
“Receiving deluge of social media & private comms re: Romney Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as sec of state,” Conway wrote on Twitter on Thursday, linking to a POLITICO article about opposition to Romney.
“I felt compelled to come forward on behalf of the people who were weighing in,” Conway said of that tweet.
After President-elect Donald Trump’s victory during Tuesday’s general election, the Republican brand seems strengthened nationwide. The party now has control of the White House, the U.S. Senate and the House. However, that nationwide strength stands in contrast to the GOP’s beleaguered position in New Jersey.
In the Garden State, the Republican brand has been struggling with Governor Chris Christie’s alleged role in the Bridgegate scandal. That connection has impacted the once-popular governor to such a point that his approval rating currently stands at only 19 percent among New Jersey residents. In Bergen County—the state’s most populous—Republicans have been on a steady losing streak over the last few elections. This year, the GOP in Bergen officially lost all representation at the county level and managed to pick up a congressional seat in the previously Republican held district 5. And, while a Republican won the presidential election, a significant portion of NJ Republicans—including 2017 gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli and likely candidate Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno—separated themselves from Trump and were unwilling to publicly endorse him throughout the election.
Ridgewood NJ, Maura McMahon DeNicola has announced on Facebook that she will be seeking the vacant seat created by the departure of Assemblyman Scott Rumana in NJ District 40.
DeNicola stated, “Well Friends, after serious consideration and support, I’m in! I am seeking election to the Vacant Seat created by the departure of Assemblyman Scott Rumana in NJ District 40. I very much look forward to connecting with all of the dedicated D40 County Committee members before the November 22nd vacancy vote.”
For those that have not had the pleasure of meeting Maura has long list of local leadership positions :
Bergen County Freeholder
Trustee Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Mayor of Franklin Lakes
Councilwoman Franklin Lakes
Member Board of Trustees Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Former Member Board of Trustees Don Bosco Prep
Former Member Franklin Lakes Board of Education
Member Franklin Lakes Planning Board
Member Bergen County Mayors Association and Northwest Bergen Mayors Association
Maura’s was educated at Boston College, B.A., graduated magna cum laude and recieved and M.A. from Columbia University.
Maura has been Married to Philip, 29 years with 4 children,Philip, Graduate U.S. Naval Academy, Lieutenant U.S. Navy
Paul, Graduate Leonard N. Stern School of Business at the New York University,Conor, Automotive Mechanic
Lucia, Freshman, Villanova University
Ridgewood NJ, the staff of the Ridgewood whole endorses Donald J Trump for President . It’s past time for a change . Hillary Clinton stands for nothing more than the current status quo of ,cronyism , political grand-standing, and corruption. Clinton offers nothing more than the same old tired out failed policies that were started during the Bush administration. Race relations get worse , the economy sinks, safety and clean water can no longer be taken for granted , enough is enough. 30 years a kid out of college made double what they are starting at now . The US has the largest amount of people out of the labor force ie …not working than any time since the 1970’s. We have seen it within our own little town , the back room deals , collusion , the political hacks time to try something new and something new never comes from voting for the same old hacks that got us here in the first place.
DONALD J. TRUMP DELIVERS GROUNDBREAKING CONTRACT FOR THE AMERICAN VOTER IN GETTYSBURG
Presents 100-Day Plan To Make America Great Again – For Everyone
Gettysburg, PA: Today, in historic Gettysburg, PA, Donald J. Trump presented a game-changing plan for his first 100 days in office. This revolutionary “Contract with the American Voter” will ensure that America’s economy is revitalized and citizens are protected.
“I’m not a politician, and have never wanted to be one. But when I saw the trouble our country was in, I knew I couldn’t stand by and watch any longer. Our country has been so good to me, I love our country, I felt I had to act,” said Mr. Trump in his address.
“Change has to come from outside this broken system. The fact that the Washington establishment has tried so hard to stop our campaign is only more proof that our campaign represents the kind of change that only arrives once in a lifetime,” he continued.
“I am asking the American people to rise above the noise and the clutter of our broken politics, and to embrace that great faith and optimism that has always been the central ingredient in the American character. I am asking you to dream big.
“What follows is my 100-day action plan to Make America Great Again. It is a contract between Donald J. Trump and the American voter – and begins with restoring honesty, accountability and change to Washington,” he concluded.
DONALD J. TRUMP CONTRACT WITH THE AMERICAN VOTER
“Therefore, on the first day of my term of office, my administration will immediately pursue the following six measures to clean up the corruption and special interest collusion in Washington, DC:
FIRST, propose a Constitutional Amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress;
SECOND, a hiring freeze on all federal employees to reduce federal workforce through attrition (exempting military, public safety, and public health);
THIRD, a requirement that for every new federal regulation, two existing regulations must be eliminated;
FOURTH, a 5 year-ban on White House and Congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave government service;
FIFTH, a lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government;
SIXTH, a complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.
On the same day, I will begin taking the following seven actions to protect American workers:
FIRST, I will announce my intention to renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the deal under Article 2205
SECOND, I will announce our withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership
THIRD, I will direct my Secretary of the Treasury to label China a currency manipulator
FOURTH, I will direct the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to identify all foreign trading abuses that unfairly impact American workers and direct them to use every tool under American and international law to end those abuses immediately
FIFTH, I will lift the restrictions on the production of $50 trillion dollars’ worth of job-producing American energy reserves, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal.
SIXTH, lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward
SEVENTH, cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change programs and use the money to fix America’s water and environmental infrastructure
Additionally, on the first day, I will take the following five actions to restore security and the constitutional rule of law:
FIRST, cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama
SECOND, begin the process of selecting a replacement for Justice Scalia from one of the 20 judges on my list, who will uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States
THIRD, cancel all federal funding to Sanctuary Cities
FOURTH, begin removing the more than 2 million criminal illegal immigrants from the country and cancel visas to foreign countries that won’t take them back
FIFTH, suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur. All vetting of people coming into our country will be considered extreme vetting.
Next, I will work with Congress to introduce the following broader legislative measures and fight for their passage within the first 100 days of my Administration:
1. Middle Class Tax Relief And Simplification Act. An economic plan designed to grow the economy 4% per year and create at least 25 million new jobs through massive tax reduction and simplification, in combination with trade reform, regulatory relief, and lifting the restrictions on American energy. The largest tax reductions are for the middle class. A middle-class family with 2 children will get a 35% tax cut. The current number of brackets will be reduced from 7 to 3, and tax forms will likewise be greatly simplified. The business rate will be lowered from 35 to 15 percent, and the trillions of dollars of American corporate money overseas can now be brought back at a 10 percent rate.
2. End The Offshoring Act Establishes tariffs to discourage companies from laying off their workers in order to relocate in other countries and ship their products back to the U.S. tax-free.
3. American Energy & Infrastructure Act. Leverages public-private partnerships, and private investments through tax incentives, to spur $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over 10 years. It is revenue neutral.
4. School Choice And Education Opportunity Act. Redirects education dollars to gives parents the right to send their kid to the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school of their choice. Ends common core, brings education supervision to local communities. It expands vocational and technical education, and make 2 and 4-year college more affordable.
5. Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act. Fully repeals Obamacare and replaces it with Health Savings Accounts, the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines, and lets states manage Medicaid funds. Reforms will also include cutting the red tape at the FDA: there are over 4,000 drugs awaiting approval, and we especially want to speed the approval of life-saving medications.
6. Affordable Childcare and Eldercare Act. Allows Americans to deduct childcare and elder care from their taxes, incentivizes employers to provide on-site childcare services, and creates tax-free Dependent Care Savings Accounts for both young and elderly dependents, with matching contributions for low-income families.
7. End Illegal Immigration Act Fully-funds the construction of a wall on our southern border with the full understanding that the country Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such wall; establishes a 2-year mandatory minimum federal prison sentence for illegally re-entering the U.S. after a previous deportation, and a 5-year mandatory minimum for illegally re-entering for those with felony convictions, multiple misdemeanor convictions or two or more prior deportations; also reforms visa rules to enhance penalties for overstaying and to ensure open jobs are offered to American workers first.
8. Restoring Community Safety Act. Reduces surging crime, drugs and violence by creating a Task Force On Violent Crime and increasing funding for programs that train and assist local police; increases resources for federal law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors to dismantle criminal gangs and put violent offenders behind bars.
9. Restoring National Security Act. Rebuilds our military by eliminating the defense sequester and expanding military investment; provides Veterans with the ability to receive public VA treatment or attend the private doctor of their choice; protects our vital infrastructure from cyber-attack; establishes new screening procedures for immigration to ensure those who are admitted to our country support our people and our values
10. Clean up Corruption in Washington Act. Enacts new ethics reforms to Drain the Swamp and reduce the corrupting influence of special interests on our politics.
On November 8th, Americans will be voting for this 100-day plan to restore prosperity to our economy, security to our communities, and honesty to our government.
This is my pledge to you.
And if we follow these steps, we will once more have a government of, by and for the people.”
photo of BCRO Chair Paul DiGaetano and Joe Piscopo by Margaret Cenci Frontera
Is Comedian Piscopo Making the Rounds for a 2017 NJ Gubernatorial Bid ?
October 24,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey native and former Saturday Night Live star Joe Piscopo came to the statehouse today for an afternoon sit-down with Governor Chris Christie.
The purpose it seems is that the radio show host, Piscopo is feeling out a run for governor next year.Piscopo has also been seen making the rounds most notably for Italian American Heritage Month .
Piscopo formerly a Democrat,now an independent and would run as a Republican.While ex-Goldman Sachs Phill Murphy has been out and about for the Democrats ,Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, a Republican from Somerset County, has already announced his candidacy; and LG Kim Guadagno is expected to kick off her campaign after the presidential election.
Since many insiders say the state’s finances are a joke , a comedian might just be what we need.
Highlights Hypocrisy of Athletes Who Reap Millions from the Society They Protest
October 20, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Senator Mike Doherty (R-23) introduced a Senate resolution condemning professional athletes who fail to stand during the national anthem.
Sen. Mike Doherty’s resolution condemns professional athletes who fail to stand during the national anthem. (Wikimedia Commons)
Doherty, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and former Army officer, said that protests popularized by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick are hypocritical and worthy of condemnation.
“Standing for our national anthem is a sign of respect for the millions of Americans who fought and died for all of us, including Mr. Kaepernick, to live in a free nation.
“For Mr. Kaepernick and other professional athletes to protest while reaping all of the benefits of those sacrifices, including multi-million dollar salaries and lavish lifestyles, reeks of hypocrisy at the highest level.”
Rebekah Mercer is working to upend the party while getting its nominee elected
8 HOURS AGO
by: Mary Childs in New York
In the VIP section of what the Republican party planned as an election night celebration in 2012, big donors including Paul Singer watched the votes trickle in to determine whether Mitt Romney would unseat Barack Obama as US president.
A lesser known pair at the event — hedge fund manager Bob Mercer and his daughter Rebekah — had high hopes but it soon became clear Mr Romney was losing. When Fox News called Ohio for Mr Obama, top Romney operatives still insisted they had a chance. Republican strategist Karl Rove disputed the Ohio call on Fox — in vain.
“That was a moment of clarity for Rebekah Mercer,” said a person close to the family and to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. That night, he said, she realised that the cottage industry of consultants, donors and members of the media were all “phoney”.
“They’ve [squandered] $600m, $700m and we have nothing to show for it. She looked around, and she thought they were all fools, the whole lot of them.”
