Should Republicans Follow Principle, or GOP Leadership?
By Seth Grossman, Political Columnist
“Now, I have appointed you, an ordinary man, as lookout . . . You must transmit my warning. . . . And if I tell someone doing evil, ‘Evil-doer you will die!’, and you have not spoken to warn him against his evil way, that evil-doer will die for his evil, but I will also hold you accountable for his blood. But if you have warned he who does evil to turn back from his way, and he did not, he shall die for his own evil, but you will have saved your life. . . . Lord Jehovah does not want the evil-doer to die, but that he turn back from his ways and live!”
—Ezekiel (Old Testament Prophet) at Chapter 33, Verse 7.
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Congressman Frank LoBiondo and Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson are called leaders of the Republican party. LoBiondo was elected to eight 2 year terms since 1994 – Levinson to three 4 year terms since 1999. In the past two years, Levinson helped Republicans keep control of Atlantic County’s nine-member freeholder council, elect Republicans John Amodeo and Vince Polistina to the state assembly, and Frank Balles as sheriff. Both Levinson and LoBiondo publicly back ex-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie over ex-Bogota mayor Steve Lonegan as Republican candidate for Governor.
Why don’t they support Steve Lonegan? Last month, “Joan of Absecon” asked that question, when Dennis Levinson hosted a local radio talk show. Levinson answered by rambling aimlessly for more than eight painful minutes. At some point he said, “Steve Lonegan went out of his way to do radio ads against Republicans”.
But not really. In 2007, Steve Lonegan opposed Governor Jon Corzine and other Democrats who supported “Paid Family Leave”. Lonegan correctly warned that bad employees will abuse “Paid Family Leave” as 6 more weeks of paid vacation each year. This would disrupt every business, especially seasonal, and kill the morale of employees who care. The state’s disability fund would go broke and every employer (including government) will pay more to replenish it. Public employees, including teachers, will get even more paid time off, and returning employees and newly hired substitutes will file endless lawsuits over the same scarce jobs.
But Republican Senator Nick Asselta joined Democrats to vote “Paid Family Leave” out of his committee. In one radio ad, Steve Lonegan urged voters to call Asselta and ask him to change his position.
Republican Nick Asselta pulled that stuff many times. In 2006, Republican Asselta supported Democratic Governor Jon Corzine at the big rally of government employees in Trenton, that led to a casino shut-down and a 17% sales tax hike – not cuts in government jobs, pay hikes, pensions, or benefits. The NJEA and other big unions in NJ rewarded Asselta with endorsements and campaign money. But he lost anyway.
In December of 2007, lame duck Republican Asselta voted for Democrat Corzine’s budget-busting school spending bill that even Democrat Jeff Van Drew opposed. That bill mandates new pre-school, babysitting centers in every public school staffed by expensive NJEA union employees. Democrat Corzine paid back Republican Asselta with a $130,000 part time job with the Board of Public Utilities, a free car, with insurance and gas, and a pre-paid EZ pass. This juiced up Asselta’s pension so he can retire with more money than most NJ people make working.
“Legal” deals like this cost taxpayers far more each year than all the crooked politicians Chris Christie prosecuted, combined. For 12 years, Steve Lonegan fought this “legal” corruption just as hard as Christie prosecuted his cases. Lonegan fought countless battles as mayor of Bogota, and in state-wide campaigns against similar vote-buying schemes involving unconstitutional debt, toll hikes, ballot questions to borrow money, and “affordable housing”.
Republican “leaders” like Frank LoBiondo and Dennis Levinson are loyal to their Republican friends. Steve Lonegan is loyal to Republican principles. How will you choose on June 2?*
*You and every voter can vote in that election, but only about ten percent normally do. Every voter who registered as a Republican, can automatically vote in the Republican primary election on June 2. But so can any “virgin” voter who never voted in any primary election before. You don’t have to join any Republican club or pay any dues. Any voter who affiliated with the Democrat, Constitution, Libertarian, or Green party can also vote in the Republican primary, if he or she files a new “Party Affiliation Form” by April 10. You can download it at http://www.njelections.org/form_pdf/…orm-052908.pdf.
For more information, visit www.libertyandprosperity.org or contact Somers Point attorney Seth Grossman at grossman@snip.net or 609-927-7333. Seth Grossman hosts a two way talk radio program every Saturday from 8am – 9am on WVLT Vineland, 92.1 FM.