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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
By DEREK HARPER Staff Writer, Press of Atlantic City
Municipalities and schools will no longer be able to charge more for copies of public records than what it costs to copy them, a state appeals court recently ruled.
Open-records advocates applauded the decision.
“You couldn’t possibly say the cost comes out to 75 cents a page” said John Paff, chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party’s Open Government Advocacy Project. “As a libertarian, I know government is inefficient, but I would hope that New Jersey governments can produce a photocopy at least within 10 times the cost of a private vendor.”
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- Written by: Richard A. Lee
- Category: Latest News
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Richard A. Lee, Director of Communications for the Hall Institute of Public Policy – New Jersey, has 30 years of professional experience in journalism and public relations. At the Hall Institute, he is responsible for media relations and all promotional and marketing activities. He also conducts research and writes papers for the institute, focusing on media, government and politics. |
Having been in the room eight years ago when the State House Press Corps staged a mini-revolt in reaction to the McGreevey Administration’s attempt to set a new set of ground rules for a press briefing on the state’s fiscal condition, I must admit I was mildly amused to learn that history seems to have repeated itself in the early days of the Christie Administration.
Back in 2002, reporters walked out of a budget briefing when they were told they could not tape record the session nor could they quote by name the officials who would be outlining the issue and answering questions.
Fast forward to 2010 and the special address on the state’s budget crisis that Governor Christie delivered to the Legislature last week. According to Sunday’s Star-Ledger, the Governor’s staffers insisted that reporters refrain from using tape recorders and from quoting those conducting the briefing by name. The ground rules didn’t sit any better with the press corps this time around, but apparently a compromise of sorts was reached. Reporters were allowed to record the session, but still could not identify the officials giving the briefing.
What makes this case of déjà vu all the more intriguing is that Christie and McGreevey are on opposite ends of the political world – and that this is not an isolated similarity.
Shortly after he was elected in November, Christie tapped David Samson to head his transition committee — the same David Samson whom McGreevey chose as his Attorney General eight years earlier.
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- Written by: pugmaster
- Category: Selected Blogs
Over a period of a few years, there have been individuals that have been claiming that the subject of Global Warming is real as well as a scientific fact. From individuals such as Robert Kennedy, Jr., Al Gore, Arianna Huffington, and others making this claim, they have all spoke in unison and stated that the debate was over and that no further discussion was necessary. Now, we find out that the science concerning this issue is faulty and that the debate is far from over. Nevertheless, the Global Warming alarmists, including the press, continue to peddle this belief that there is no need for further discussion or inquiry. One must ask "What is the reason for this?" The answer, to some, will be surprising.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
Guttenberg is latest to repeal 'outdated' loitering and disorderly persons ordinances
Wednesday, February 17, 2010By KARINA L. ARRUEJOURNAL STAFF WRITERGUTTENBERG - Loiterers and loafers here are getting a break. The town recently repealed two ordinances - one for loitering and another for disorderly persons - that are considered out of date. Other towns with similar ordinances on the books are being asked to repeal them as well.
The two ordinances were tossed at the request of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project, which has successfully had such ordinances removed in dozens of municipalities throughout the state.
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- Written by: pugmaster
- Category: Selected Blogs
There are people in the U.S. that are connoisseurs of wines, soft drinks, guns, food, music, books, television movies and shows, as well as cheese. Me? I am a connoisseur of cars and trucks. I love all kinds of motor vehicles: Classics, Multi make, domestic and foreign.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
Wanaque amends its anti-loitering law
Sunday, February 14, 2010
BY TERESA EDMOND
Suburban Trends STAFF WRITEREleven years after the Supreme Court of the United States declared anti-loitering laws unconstitutional, the mayor and Borough Council on Feb. 9 adopted changes to the borough's anti-loitering ordinance to bring it into compliance with federal law.
Wanaque's repeal is "great," said John Paff, chairman of the Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project for the NJ Libertarian Party.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
Two more municipalities--Guttenberg (Hudson County) and Maplewood (Essex County) -- have repealed their loitering and similar ordinances at the request of the NJLP's Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project. For the list of towns that have so far repealed their ordinances, see http://www.lpcnj.org/OGTF/Loiter.html.
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- Written by: pugmaster
- Category: Selected Blogs
Today I was reading two stories concerning the debt crisis in Greece. For more than three decades, Greece’s government, under both socialist and conservative control, has always caved to union and worker concerns by promising handouts and government services and support. Greece’s deficit is estimated to be 12.7% of Gross Domestic Product with the country’s overall debt way above 110% of GDP. The situation reached a crescendo when it was announced by the government of George Papandreou, that there was no more money in the state coffers. Papandreou went on to state that Greece would have to take austerity measures to deal with the debt crisis. This decision angered thousands of Greek civil servants, so much so that they protested at Klafthmonos Square, an area known to hold rallies for dissent.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Police Accountability Project
The NJLP Open Government Task Force joined forces with the Union County Watchdog Association to ask why Gennaro Mirabella, a 17 year veteran of the Garwood Borough Police Department (and brother of a Union County Freeholder) was not prosecuted after reportedly having been caught on videotape breaking the law.
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- Written by: pugmaster
- Category: Selected Blogs
The Department of Homeland Security was created as a government institution to monitor and stop foreign and terrorist threats to the United States Homeland. However, particularly under President Barack Obama, the Department has been literally used as an instrument to label individuals and groups who disagree with his administration’s policies as “threats to the homeland.” This Department has labeled soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as threats to national security, including gun owners and libertarian and conservative groups.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
At the request of the Libertarian Party's Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project, the Borough of Wanaque (Passaic County) repealed the invalid portions of its "Peace and Good Order" Code on February 8, 2010. See http://www.lpcnj.org/OGTF/Loiter.html.
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- Category: Selected Blogs
On Monday, February 14, the City of New York will be launching a new “Panel Management Program.” This program will work with medical practitioners in the city who use electronic heath records to find needy patients. Afterwards, an outreach specialist hired by the city will work with these medical practices and phone these patients for check ups. Once again, the Nanny State has reared its ugly head.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Latest News
The big government tendencies of the Republican party has caused many conservatives to question what they really believe in. Many are finding the Libertarian Party as a viable alternative to their beliefs. Some are right, some are wrong. While some may be discovering the true values of liberty, others are bringing their big government social agendas and belief in a pro-interventionist foreign policy with them.
TakeBackTheLP.info is an attempt to bring the LP back to its original belief system.
Greetings, libertarian! We need your your help with a special project -- restoring the party of principle.
America needs a Libertarian Party worthy of pride and respect -- a party it can look to for the right answers to the big questions.
America needs a presidential candidate who talks about the non-aggression principle.
America needs a platform and national candidate to advocate no-compromise abolition; to explain that there are ways to fulfill the world’s social needs without the violence of a coercive state.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Latest News
After a contentious battle the Stillwater Township Committee has voted to disband their police force. The decision was based mostly on financial reasons. There were allegations of police harassment of those who supported disbanding the police on Free Talk Live this past week.
Read the full story...By ELISA D. KELLER
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. STILLWATER — There were tears and quiet complaints from a defeated crowd of police supporters Thursday night, as a special meeting of the Stillwater Township Committee ended with a unanimous vote to disband the municipality’s local police force in favor of coverage by the New Jersey State Police.
“I want to thank all of you for coming out,” Stillwater Township Police Chief Anthony Kozlowski said to the crowd of around 100 people before the committee’s vote.
During the nearly four-hour meeting, many of the people in attendance spoke out in favor of a continued police presence in Stillwater, offering up personal stories of Stillwater police officers delivering babies, saving children’s lives, and responding to the scene of an accident in record time.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
The city of Long Branch in Monmouth County, at the NJ Libertarian Party's Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project's request, repealed its loitering ordinance on January 26th.
Of note is that Long Branch made the news last year when they detained Bob Dylan for loitering.
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- Written by: pugmaster
- Category: Selected Blogs
Over a period of years or more, the United States has been calling for worldwide economic sanctions against the country of Iran. Economic sanctions are designed to hurt a foreign government on an economic basis, so much so, as to make daily life much difficult for those who run the government or are in charge of it. Often times, it is the average citizens in these foreign lands that become gravely affected and hurt while the rulers continue to remain undisturbed by it all.
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- Category: Selected Blogs
Over the years, I have heard many a politician give, what I considered, a good speech. Their delivery was always upfront and direct and the words that they spoke from their lips would be hypnotic and flowed like water into the ears of an audience very slowly, soothingly and comfortably. Their use of the English language would be captivating, articulate and prophetic. It would attract the imagination of the people. No doubt, the oratory skills of these politicians were very profound. It would be in my later years that I would learn to look behind it all. Behind the words, behind the language, behind the speeches, behind it all, and look for substance backed by action to seek out reality behind a mask.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Latest News
This morning NJ 101.5 reported on the story of a Hoboken cop who is in the news again for causing a ruckus at the Tampa Airport. The most disturbing part of this story is that he has been suspended with pay for two years at a salary of around $140,000!
Report: Suspended 'Hooters' Cop Flashed Shield at Airport
Ex-SWAT Lt. Was in 'Hooters Girls' Photos
Lt. Angelo Andriani is the former head of the Hoboken, N.J., SWAT team, an elite police unit that was disbanded in disgrace more than two years ago.
The cops got in trouble after Fox 5 New broadcast pictures of Andriani and his SWAT team posing in with their guns and with Hooters girls in Alabama, while on a trip to provide relief for Hurricane Katrina victims. There were also a few interesting pictures of some shenanigans in New Orleans.
Facing misconduct charges, Andriani has been suspended for two years so far with pay. His gun, badge and police ID were supposedly taken away from him.