PRESS RELEASE: Durr, McCarthy-Patrick and Sawyer call on Sweeney team to pull deceptive ad

Republican candidates in the 3rd legislative district, Ed Durr for Senate, Bethanne McCarthy-Patrick and Beth Sawyer for Assembly are pushing back on “a deceptive ad on cable television” launched by Senator Steve Sweeney, Assemblyman John Burzichelli and Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro. The LDe candidates’ press release on the issue follows:

Third legislative district Republican candidates for state Senate, Ed Durr, and Assembly Bethanne McCarthy-Patrick and Beth Sawyer have called on Senator Steve Sweeney, Assemblyman John Burzichelli and Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro to stop running a deceptive ad on cable television.

The ad in question makes false claims about the Republican candidates’ stance on issues, job performance and bill payment history.

“While we all expected the Democrats to be aggressive, we did not expect them to resort to outright lies,” Republican state Senate candidate Ed Durr said. “The ad says I am against workers being paid overtime, I’m a non-union truck driver who relies on overtime pay to support my family. Why would I ever say such a thing? It’s made up, a lie that needs to stop immediately.”

GOP Assembly candidate Bethanne McCarthy-Patrick added, “Their ad claims I had a no-show government job. I was shocked to learn my 21 years as a union firefighter/EMT counts as a no-show job! While my co-workers and I were saving lives and property these guys were casting votes to raise our taxes. Apparently, lying is the best way for them to attack a first responder.”

“Sweeney, Burzichelli and Taliaferro do their best to stretch the truth, making things appear as something they aren’t. As a mom I always taught my kids that is lying. Sweeney, Burzichelli and Taliaferro should all know better.” Republican Assembly candidate Beth Sawyer continued, “The trio goes so far as to bring up a medial bill after the birth of my son nearly 26 years ago that my ex-husband was responsible for. Then, to add insult to injury they claim I failed to pay taxes on a property I sold and did not own, which was very easy for them to fact check.”

“While we all understand politics can be rough, lying is completely unacceptable. Sweeney, Burzichelli and Taliaferro should immediately pull their deceptive ad. The voters of our district deserve better than a bunch of lies,’ Sawyer said.

Murphy And Friends Use Damage Caused By Storms For Political Purposes

Phil Murphy

No one can deny that the storms caused by the remnants of Ida coming through Jersey were horrible. It didn’t matter, South Jersey or North Jersey, it was bad. I have a friend in the north who lost everything to flooding. Living in Gloucester County, not far from where the tornado touched down I know others who lost everything.

Fortunately, possessions can be replaced…eventually.

Friends, neighbors, perfect strangers are all pulling together to help those in need. It’s heartwarming to see.

But…

What really angers me is that Governor Phil Murphy and his Democrat friends, in both North and South Jersey, wasted no time in playing politics with the damage caused by the storms.

In South Jersey the Guv went the extra mile to play politics. Most of the storm damage, and where the tornado touched down, was in the Second Congressional District, but Murphy made sure to drag the Democrat First District Congressman, Donald Norcross, along with him. It’s a safe bet team Murphy didn’t bother inviting Congressman Jeff Van Drew, the member of Congress who actually represents the area. That’s what a real leader would have done.

Not only that, Murphy dragged the Third Legislative District trio of Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assemblyman John Burzichelli and Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro along for his South Jersey press conference in Mullica Hill. Problem is Mullica Hill lies in the Fifth Legislative District. I suspect suspect Murphy didn’t put the LD5 legislators front and center because the trio lives in Camden County and couldn’t find Mullica Hill with a GPS.

To add insult to injury everyone, all Democrats, took the opportunity to blame climate change.

In the South, according to Politico, Murphy, Norcross and Sweeney all “talked about climate change,” from the Politico article:

Murphy said he spoke during the storm to state Senate President Steve Sweeney, who joined the governor and Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) on a tour of damaged homes in Gloucester County.

Sweeney and Norcross, who have spent much of their lives in South Jersey, marveled in horror at the damage from tornadoes, which they said were largely unheard of in the past.

“What we see behind us is change,” Norcross said during Thursday’s press conference.

The three elected officials — all Democrats — talked about climate change and getting more money to the state from the Biden administration’s infrastructure plans.

In North Jersey Congressman Tom Malinowski made sure to blame flooding on climate change.

It’s not my intent to debate climate change in this post, but I will say over in Pennsylvania all the talk has been about the Schuylkill River and flooding. The river, according to 6ABC crested at 16.35 feet, meaning the record of 17 feet still stands.

The Schuylkill River’s all-time record of 17 feet was in 1869, 17 years before Carl Benz invented the car.

Was the flooding in 1869 caused by climate change too? Did the politicians use that flooding for political purposes? Probably not!

PRESS RELEASE: GCGOP Chairwoman Vigilante Calls On Governor To Rescind Executive Order 177

Gloucester County GOP Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante, by way of press release, has offered Governor Phil Murphy a plan that is better than a primarily vote-by-mail election. Frankly, it is nice to see a Republican leader offering a solution rather than just complaining. Vigilante’s press release follows:

Gloucester County Republican Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante called on Governor Phil Murphy to rescind Executive Order 177, pause his plan for a general election conducted primarily by vote-by-mail and allow the state legislature to fast-track an early voting bill that will give voters the opportunity to vote on machines at polling places.

“While not perfect a fast-tracked early voting bill is a solid compromise and a solution that is better than vote-by-mail,” Jacci Vigilante said. “The Democrats, including Senate President Steve Sweeney, have been pushing early voting for years. Many voters want to vote on machines and not fill in ovals on a piece of paper. Early voting on machines gives everyone a little bit of what they want.”

“Less than three weeks ago state Senator Brian Stack said he planned on introducing an early voting bill.” Vigilante explained, “Stack said that he thought if they got the bill in before September 1st it could work.”

Vigilante added, “We know bills move fast when they want them to. Remember how fast they moved the bill to allow Cooper Hospital to gain control of both paramedic service and ambulance service in Camden? That bill moved faster than Senator Cory Booker moves toward a TV camera!”

“Early voting, even with a reduced number of polling places, solves the problem of voter safety during the pandemic. Because the election would be spread out over a period of about 15 days the concern of long lines at polling places goes away, social distancing can easily be practiced. Voters who don’t want to fill in ovals on a piece of paper still get to vote on a machine and will likely stand in a line shorter than the one at the local Shop Rite.” Vigilante said, “If the Governor’s true concern is voter safety he will sit down with legislative leadership and get to work on a solid general election plan that makes everybody a little bit happy.”