Dear Editor:

I write in response to my Democratic counterpart Chip Robinson’s knock on Senator Pennacchio attending the freedom rally in Pt. Pleasant on Sunday.  And I respond with respect as I like Chip a great deal!

I ask Chip and his fellow Morris County Democrats – where is the moral outrage at your Democratic Governor and his neglect of our elderly victims trapped inside nursing homes left to die? They were left alone without the comfort and grace of the family around them.  Our fatality rates in the state would be less than half of what’s reported if policies and attention were paid to the most vulnerable instead of forcing the healthy into perpetual house arrest.

This is not about the lack of ability to get a haircut or attend a ball game. To trivialize the freedom movement of business owners and families that want, and need, to go back to work is a travesty.

There are many more victims from this pandemic than those only stricken with the virus.  There are people who have no ability to provide food and shelter for their families because their jobs or businesses have been eliminated.

It will take several years to tally the total number of deaths, bankruptcies, layoffs, suicides, mental health problems, losses to the GDP, and other costs attributable not just to the virus, but to the measures used to fight it.

The failure of many Democrats across the county to understand this reality is perhaps the greatest reason why they are and will remain, the minority party in Morris County.

It’s time to right the ship.  It’s time to speak up and out and protect our liberty.  We are Americans.  We are eagles, not ostriches.  It’s time to soar.

Most respectfully,
Laura Marie Ali
Chairwoman of the Morris County Republican Committee

MORRIS COUNTY — John Barbarula has been appointed to Co-Chair of the Finance Committee at Morris County Republican Committee (MCRC). He will be leading the Finance Committee with Craig Heard, the current MCRC Finance Chair, and help raise necessary funds to run the MCRC Campaign machine and operation.

John is a successful attorney owning a practice in Butler. He has been a Special County Counsel for 21 years. For 40 years he supported Republicans from Mayors to Senators in their campaigns

He is married for 35 years to his wife Joan and they have two grown children, Melanie and Michael.

“I am so grateful and excited that John has agreed to be Co-Finance Chair for MCRC. Shortly after his race for Assembly, he volunteered to help the party right away. His plan to unify Republicans went into motion when he hosted our first ‘Pasta and Politics’ event last August which was very successful. He’s a great person and an extremely smart man and we are lucky to have him!” said Acting Chair Laura Marie Ali.

Dear Editor:

I’m writing to express my strong disagreement with the decision of State Senator Joseph Pennacchio and others to hold a political rally down at the shore on Memorial Day. At the outset, it should be noted that I am a constituent of Senator Pennachio’s, and a Morris County resident, which is why my comments are directed at him specifically.

On what should be a day where we honor our fallen from wartime, and on a day when we should be remembering the nearly 100,000 who have died from the recent pandemic, including more than 10,000 in New Jersey, State Senator Pennachio was leading a partisan political rally against our Governor.

At the rally, some alleged that the 100,000 dead are “fake news” and that the numbers are overinflated. Since this crisis started, an acquaintance from my high school lost her husband, a friend of mine in the Michigan legislature died from the disease, another friend of mine lost her younger brother, and two friends of mine lost their fathers in nursing homes. Several of the victims were in their 40s. it is not fake news. These are real people who have lost their brothers, sisters, spouses, and parents from this virus.

The Governor and those who believe in science have no doubt seen the data, that 10% to 15% of those infected require hospitalization from their infection and that over 1% die after infection. In-state of 9 million, if slightly more than half the people got the COVID virus, that would mean 5 million infections, 500,000-750,000 hospitalizations in New Jersey alone, and 50,000 to 75,000 deaths in our state.

I am grateful that the Governor has taken the drastic actions that he has taken, as his actions have no doubt saved lives and are based upon the best available data and science that he and the rest of our state government have about the disease.

We absolutely must have a robust system of testing, contacting tracing the contacts of those who have test positive, with isolation and treatment for those with the disease. That’s what the epidemiologists and scientists tell us. It is clear that opening it up and pretending we are back to normal without the appropriate measures in place is a recipe for the mass spread of the virus and sadly mass death.

I appreciate the fact that businesses that are non-essential want to open and are hurting. But opening them before we are ready to do so will mean fewer customers if people don’t feel it is safe, and likely to lead to a second lockdown. I too want a haircut and want to go to a baseball game. But I’d rather have long scraggly hair than have someone lose their mother or their spouse because I accidentally gave them the virus at a barbershop or a baseball game.

At a time when the leadership from the White House has been slow, inept, inadequate, and guided by anything but science and data in dealing with this crisis, I am grateful to live in a state where science and math still rule the day.

Sincerely,
Chip Robinson
Chair, Morris County Democratic Committee

MORRIS COUNTY — Reconsidering his ban on in-person graduation, Governor Phil Murphy finally decided to listen to New Jerseyans to allow in-person graduation ceremonies, albeit six weeks from now.

Assemblyman Jay Webber has been at the forefront of the “Let them walk” battle because he understands how important this milestone is for New Jersey’s high school seniors.

“It is good to see that Governor Murphy has arrived at the right answer on graduation ceremonies by finally reversing his irrational order against in-person graduations for our high school seniors,” said Webber (R-Morris). “Especially these days, when we all could use something to celebrate, high school graduations as we have come to know them can go on safely and the accomplishments of our state’s graduating classes can be recognized and honored appropriately.  In the process, so many of our 18-year-old citizens discovered that concerted public action – smartly, passionately and persuasively carried out – can achieve great things.  Our high school seniors deserve all the credit for fighting for this, which should make their unique graduation ceremonies even sweeter.”

However, Murphy’s seemingly arbitrary selection of July 6 for the start of the commencement season raised as many questions as it answered said, Webber.

“If ‘data determine dates,’ as the governor so often says, then he has failed to give any data to justify that July 6th is the right date for graduations,” continued Webber.  “It makes no sense.  Smart, properly spaced, in-person graduations can occur safely now, and should.  The governor can’t even let the kids walk without reminding everyone that his, and only his, preferences trump everything else.”

Public support for modified commencement ceremonies has been substantial.

Various online petitions to allow graduation ceremonies, including several started by students themselves, have amassed about 100,000 signatures.

A resolution (AR162) introduced by Assemblyman Jay Webber urging Governor Phil Murphy to allow high school graduation ceremonies garnered bipartisan support and sponsorship, including Assemblywomen Annette Chaparro (D-Hudson), Serena DiMaso (R-Monmouth), Aura Dunn (R-Morris), Holly Schepisi (R-Bergen) and Jean Stanfield (R-Burlington), and Assemblymen John Catalano (R-Ocean), John DiMaio (R-Hunterdon), Christopher DePhillips (R-Bergen), Jamel Holley (D-Union), Greg McGuckin (R-Ocean), Ryan Peters (R-Burlington), Erik Peterson (R-Hunterdon), Kevin J. Rooney (R-Bergen), Gerry Scharfenberger (R-Monmouth), and Hal Wirths (R-Sussex).

MORRIS COUNTY — This year’s Memorial Day is unlike most of us have ever known, and hopefully unlike any of us will see again.

We are commemorating this solemn day dedicated to the people who gave their lives for American liberty at a time when our nation is facing the most destructive economic and social dislocation since the Great Depression of the 1930’s.

Like the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the coronavirus blindsided America with the psychological and economic impact of a military invasion We were caught off guard…all of us. But we did not crumble. We are fighting back, and we are winning.

Like the young soldiers who throughout our nation’s history went off to war to defend freedom, we have embraced sacrifice and suffered casualties during the pandemic. Today our front-line soldiers are nurses and doctors in hospitals and people working nursing homes. Our troops today include the people who keep our supermarkets open, maintain our food supply train, produce medicines, and educate our children.  They answered the call to duty, as we all have.

This response is no accident. The civic DNA of America stems from generations of soldiers, sailors, pilots, and nurses who put their lives on the line to fight tranny around the world. They believed their duty was not to themselves, but to their country and their countrymen. That DNA, that heroism that we commemorate on Memorial Day has been passed down to us today – and we all the better for it.

The spirit of Memorial Day lives with us this year, even if the traditional ceremonies are absent. There will be no parades, fewer ceremonies, and limited celebrations this year. Social distancing is the order of the day now. But no amount of distancing and precautions should cause us to forget to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We can honor them this Memorial Day by working together to defeat the viral enemy that has taken so many lives, destroyed businesses, and disrupted families.

And let us remember too that wars and sacrifice are not eternal. Just a few scant months ago the U.S. economy was booming; unemployment was at an all-time high; people were prospering, companies were hiring, wages were increasing and dreams were being realized.

We can get there again. We will get there again. Because the American Spirit cannot be defeated!

Enjoy Your Memorial Day
BettyLou DeCroce

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County hub of the national Sunrise Movement has thrown its support behind Charlie Baranski’s campaign for Morris County Freeholder. “We know first hand that Charlie is ready to fight for all of us in Morris County on the freeholder board. Charlie understands that climate change is affecting and will continue to affect every aspect of society. He is committed to bringing bold progressive change to our county and always puts people over profits.” said its members in a statement endorsing Baranski.

“Morris County and Northern New Jersey is an epicenter of the climate crisis,” said Baranski in accepting the endorsement and outlining his environmental priorities. “Our waters and natural resources are suffering, and warmer summers have poisoned Lake Hopatcong, driven up our flood and fire insurance costs, and made it more expensive just to live as we always have. As we prepare for more extreme heat this summer, we need to vote for a genuine climate champion who can stand up for Morris County residents and resources against those who seek to develop or sell off our county parks, or discount the destructive effect the climate crisis has on our residents.”

Sunrise’s endorsement is their first in a county-level race in Morris County and the first of any environmental group in the July 7th Democratic primary for Freeholder. You can learn more about Mr. Baranski’s campaign by clicking here.

Mr. Baranski helped to found the Morris County hub last year and remains a member. He fully recused himself from the whole of the endorsement process, as did hub coordinator Ms. Samantha DiFalco, who holds a position on Mr. Baranski’s campaign.