News
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Policy News
There are several interesting bills pending before the State Legislature. I urge you to contact your State Legislstors and the Committee members for each of these bills.
S1977 Marijuana Decriminalization
S1977 decriminalizes possession of up to 50 grams of marijuana. It treats marijuana possession as a civil offense and sets a fine of $50 for possession that gets paid entirely to the municipality where the offense was committed. Currently possession of up to 50 grams is a disorderly persons offense that can result in a up to 6 month prison sentence and a fine of up to $1,000.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Police Accountability Project
By way of a December 5, 2012 letter, Lieutenant Michael J. Emmons of the Neptune Township Police Department dismissed an internal affairs complaint against Neptune Police Officer Leslie Borges. The complaint, which was filed on October 16, 2012 by the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Police Accountability Project, was based on an October 16, 2012 written decision issued Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court.
In that case, the court suppressed evidence that Borges and other officers seized when they arrested a local man, James M. Height, for third-degree possession of Xanax. Regarding Borges' warrantless search of Height's apartment, the court held that “there was no objectively reasonable basis for [him] to enter the apartment under the community caretaking exception to the warrant requirement.”
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- Written by: Mark Richards
- Category: Letters to Editor
Dear Editor:
It is truly amazing how ignorant most people are of basic economics. A case in point would be the outrage over increased gas prices in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Price gouging by service stations was the battle cry of politicians and journalists who foster the economic ignorance of the general population.
What is called price gouging is in fact a basic market mechanism to limit demand in times of shortage. If gas stations had kept their prices at pre-Sandy levels, there would have been even more of a mob scene at the pumps than there was. By allowing prices to rise, the marketplace limits demand and ensures a continued supply. Isn’t it better to temporarily pay more for something and know it will be there or be "protected" by government price controls than either run out or have it rationed by some bureaucrat?
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Latest News
The State of NJ Department of Transportation released a report today. The report studied accident data of various red light installations of a year prior to installation to one year after. It found:
Combining all RLR locations and comparing the Pre-Camera installation 12-month time period versus the Year 1 installation 12-month time period, the data indicate that total crashes are up 0.9%, however, more sever right-angle crashes are down 15%, while same-direction (rear-end) crashes are up 20%. Crash severity cost increased by an estimated $1,172,800.
The crash severity cost was based on a five categories: fatality, disabling injury, evident injury, possible, injury, and property damage only (no injury) with each of these categories assigned a dollar figure.
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- Written by: Eric Hafner
- Category: Letters to Editor
After hearing about the recent heroin overdose of Stephanie Bongiovi, the 19-year-old daughter of entertainer and philanthropist Jon Bon Jovi, I was relieved to learn the young lady received medical attention quickly enough to avoid death or permanent injury.
However, I was saddened to learn that police in the upstate New York town where she was attending college attempted to pursue criminal charges against her for drug possession, in relation to the incident.
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- Written by: Carla Howell
- Category: Latest News
Gary Johnson Breaks Ed Clark’s 1980 Vote Record of 921,128 Votes for President of the United States.
2012 Libertarian Presidential Ticket of Gov. Gary Johnson and Judge Jim Gray More Than DOUBLED the 2008 Vote Total of Bob Barr and Wayne Root.
http://www.google.com/elections/ed/us/results
Top 3 States for Gov. Gary Johnson and Judge Jim Gray
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
Question one authorizes the state to take on additional debt for the purpose of upgrading our state colleges. Let us not forget the recent state college spending scandals.
In 2007 State Senator Wayne Bryant was indicted for a kickback scheme involving the state University of Medicine and Dentistry. In exchange for taxpayer funds Bryant was given a no-show job with the University. R. Michael Gallagher, the former dean was convicted of bribery. A 2007 study characterized the NJ public college and university system as lacking "meaningful and effective oversight, accountability and transparency" which "renders the system eminently vulnerable" to waste, fraud, and abuse of the public trust. Nothing has substantially changed since then.
A May 2012 report has found that Rutgers Football runs the largest money losing program in the nation. The Rutgers Football program costs each student an average of $1,000 each.
New Jersey debt burden is the fifth highest in the nation. I urge you to vote No on Question One.
Question two amends the NJ State Constitution to require judges to pay more towards their pensions and healthcare. In 2011 a pension reform law was passed that increased the contribution state employees must make towards their pension. A court decision challenged this for some judges because it amounted to a salary decrease which is not allowed by our constitution to avoid retribution for decisions judges may make. This question amends the constitution to allow for changes to benefit contributions for judges and justices. I recommend voting Yes on Question Two.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
7-11 is running a Coffee Cup poll of presidential candidates. However they only allow the choice of Obama or Romney.
Next they will stop selling all soda's except Coke and Pepsi. They wll sell only two flavors of coffee - regular and decaf. Consumer choice is limited in their decision.
In an email to
I'm going elsewhere for my coffee.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Latest News
Today a jury in Burlington Country has found Ed Forchion - aka NJ Weedman not guilty of distribution of marijuana. A full story can be found at Philly Burbs.
Last night Ed Forchion was interviewed on Free Talk Live.
“I don’t use it the way the state says. To me, it’s medicine, it’s food,” Forchion said, noting for the jury that he had been eating pot-laced cookies throughout the trial. “I feel I’m the victim of a flawed law.”
His first trial ended in a hung jury. Mr. Forchion, suffers from cancer and uses marijuana to ease his suffering.
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- Written by: Mark Richards
- Category: Letters to Editor
Dear Editor:
Government spending and government meddling in our economic and personal lives is now and continues to be at an all-time high. If you wish to support a pro-freedom agenda (as I do), I would suggest voting as follows.
For president, I support former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party candidate. For U.S. senator from New Jersey I support my fellow Libertarian Party member Ken Kaplan. For Congress I'm voting to re-elect Scott Garrett. Although he is a Republican candidate, he comes the closest to have a constitutionalist pro-freedom voting record.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Candidates and Elections
On Wednesday October 17th at 4:00 PM, Ken Kaplan, our U.S. senate candidate will be participating in a debate at Mercer Community College in Trenton.
Watch the debate here or on the debate website.
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- Written by: Fred Stein
- Category: Latest News
The birth place of the NJLP was at my house on one hot summer night location 26 Essex Street Irvington, N.J. I believe I was the first organizer/founder of the NJLP. The story goes.....
Once upon a time in 1969 I met Kathy Greene at a YAF meeting at Monmouth college.She was in a group called New Jersey Libertarian Alliance. Her boyyfriend at the time and future husband was Ralph Fucetola. Through both of them I met a lot of Libertarians. Some of them called themselves Radical Libertarian Alliance. The word radical was hip back then.
One day I was at the home of Don Meinhausen and he had two big boxes of political literature. One was right wing the other left wing. For those who know Don he loved to travel in both groups seeking converts.He told me of a group trying to form a Libertarian Party. I contacted the Nolans. They sent me a list of Reason subscribers. I mailed out using my stamps and envelopes about the meeting of the first Libertarian Party in New Jersey. I also got the name of Bob Steiner. I called him and he with others helped me organize the meeting.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Latest News
On October 6th, 1972 - forty years ago today - the NJ Libertarian Party was started. A party constitution was adapted and Bob Steiner was elected the first state Chairperson. Peter Cooper was elected Vice-Chairperson, Joe Salerno was elected Treasurer, Denise Cooper was elected as Recording Secretary, and Lydia Longinotti was elected as Executive Secretary.
Dues were set at $7.50 per year which included a subscription to the PREMISE Newsletter. The first newsletter was produced in November of 1972. The party adopted the Libersign (arrow angling upward) and TANSTAAFL slogan (There ain't no such thing as a free lunch) over an outline of the state of NJ as the party's emblem.
Our first convention was held in February of 1973, during which John Goodson was nominated as our first candidate for NJ Governor.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
Today, October 4, 2012, the Appellate Division ruled that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is not subject to the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). In its ten-page opinion, available here, the court found that since the Authority was created jointly by both New York and New Jersey, it is not subject to the statutory law of only one state. This decision, of course, is not good for open government.
Subcategories
NJ Libertarian Blog
Imported from NJ Libertarian News from the published feed
Videos
This is a page of various videos that we have either created or found interesting. Be sure to check out and follow our YouTube page.
Open Government Advocacy Project
The Open Government Advocacy Project is a committee of the NJ Libertarian Party. Its goal is to ensure transparency and accountability at all levels of government. Articles posted here are a subset of the work of the committee. For more information visit the Open Government Advocacy Project blog.
If you would like to demand accountability and ensure that your local governing body or school board adheres to the Open Public Records Act we can help you request information from them. Contact John Paff, the project chair here.
Insight New Jersey
NJ government is huge and complex. Private industry is shrinking while the size and cost of government bureacracy continues to grow. The articles posted here provide a guide of the NJ State Government and can be used by citizens and candidates for office to evaluate what departments can be reduced drastically in size.
We'll start with just some of the departments and provide a breakdown on what they do (or purport to do), how many employees they have and how big their budget is.
Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
The New Jersey Libertarian Party's Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project (“the Project”) seeks to get New Jersey municipalities to repeal loitering ordinances that should have been -- but were not -- repealed when the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice was enacted in 1979. The Project has successfully had loitering ordinances repealed in over 30 towns. For a summary listing of all the towns see Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project page.
Police Accountability Project
The Police Accountability Project is a committee of the NJ Libertarian Party. Its goal is to search out cases of police misconduct, file former Internal Affairs (IA) complaints when appropriate, and to publicize violations of rules and laws by the police. There may be other stories posted on the NJLP Police Internal Affairs Complaint Blog page.
If you would like to help or know of a case we should be looking at, contact the committee at
Legislative Affairs Committee
The Legislative Affairs Committee was created to allow a select core of Volunteers to take action on legislation and policies which directly affects the people of New Jersey.
[INTRO VIDEO - HOSTED ON NJLP STATE YOUTUBE AND EMBEDED HERE]
Staff
Legislative Director and Committee Chair
Volunteers: