Herald admits it lied – corrects story that falsely attacks Commissioner Dawn Fantasia

Update to the story below. The New Jersey Herald has issued a correction.

By Sussex Watchdog

There are two reporters from the New Jersey Herald who need to resign immediately. Because they lied. Because they simply made up something to push a political agenda.

The New Jersey Herald is subsidized by the property taxpayers of Sussex County. That subsidy is in the form of public notices, required by law to be published in newspapers like the Herald. Millions of dollars worth each year. That’s millions of property tax dollars in the state with the highest property taxes in America. The taxpayers deserve better. They shouldn’t be forced to subsidize lies.

This is the headline from the story Bruce Scruton and Lori Comstock wrote, published, and distributed in the New Jersey Herald today:

Sussex commissioner cites false facts to push anti-hate resolution to include BLM, antifa

 
These are the first paragraphs from the story Bruce Scruton and Lori Comstock wrote, published, and distributed in the New Jersey Herald today:
 
NEWTON — During a heated discussion about anti-hate resolutions last week, the head of the Sussex County Board of Commissioners brought up two instances of vandalism and a reported shooting near the home of Sheriff Michael Strada last summer.

Board Director Dawn Fantasia cited the incidents before proposing a resolution to condemn antifa and Black Lives Matter on Wednesday night. That came amid a debate with local residents over an earlier proposal to condemn white supremacy, neo-Nazism, white nationalists and the riot by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capital Jan. 6.

Here is the text of Board Director Dawn Fantasia’s resolution. Please note that this is also part of the official audio and video record of the Board’s proceedings. It is the official record. There is no getting past it in a court of law:
Anti-Hate Resolution

 
Whereas, those acting on “hate” generally do so from a perceived superiority (ethnic, racial, or other) or certainty about a particular ideological or religious point-of-view.  Examples include Pol Pot’s exterminations in Cambodia, the Nazi Holocaust in Europe, the Soviet Holodomor in the Ukraine, and the Ottoman genocide in Armenia; and  
 
Whereas, history informs us that hate-motivated violence has often been made worse by the interventions of governments.  Examples of this include the sectarian “Troubles” in Northern Ireland, the ethnic conflicts in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, the genocide in East Timor, and the on-going genocide of Muslims in Myanmar and China; and
 
Whereas, the word “hate” is a deeply subjective term influenced by any number of cultural, socio-economic, religious, and family influences; and

Whereas, acts of violence against people or property are crimes defined by statute; and

Whereas, The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines a “hate crime” as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity”; and

Whereas, not all crimes of violence fall within the FBI’s definition of a “hate crime”. For example, the heinous terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, that caused the deaths of 2,977 human beings are not counted as “hate crimes” by the FBI; and

Whereas, it is in the public interest of the citizens of the State of New Jersey and this great nation to condemn, in the strongest terms, any “hate crimes” or any other “crimes of hate” (such as the attacks on September 11, 2001) motivated by a perceived superiority (ethnic, racial, or other) or certainty about a particular ideological or religious point-of-view; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Sussex County, New Jersey:

1. This Board strongly condemns “hate crimes” or any other “crime of hate” (such as terrorists' attacks like the attacks on September 11, 2001) motivated by a perceived superiority (ethnic, racial, or other) or certainty about a particular ideological or religious point-of-view. In addition, this Board strongly recommends to all its constituents to abide by the timeless values expressed in the "Golden Rule" (Matthew 7:12), that we "do unto others as we would have them do unto us”.

2. The Governor and the Attorney General are encouraged to provide State assistance to victims of “hate crimes” and other “crimes of hate” (such as terrorists' attacks like the attacks on September 11, 2001) and to enhance security measures and improve preparedness at locations that could be the targets of such crimes.

3. Copies of this resolution, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the Board to the Governor, the Lt. Governor, the Attorney General, and to the Leadership of both Chambers of the New Jersey Legislature.

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Bruce Scruton: Liar.

Now, we would like Sussex County Democrats Kristy Lavin, Zoe Heath, Katie Rotondi and their allies to pay very close attention here:

We are offering a $1,000 REWARD if anyone can find the words “Antifa” or “Black Lives Matter” or “BLM” in the anti-hate resolution read into the record by Commissioner Director Dawn Fantasia at last Wednesday’s Board meeting.

If nobody claims the reward, we expect Kristy Lavin, Zoe Heath, Katie Rotondi to have the integrity to demand that the taxpayer subsidy which supports the publication of the New Jersey Herald be withdrawn and other arrangements made. While entirely protected speech under the First Amendment, this kind of blatant lying should not be subsidized by the property taxes of the people of Sussex County. You can lie on your own dime.

And at every Board meeting and proceeding going forward, Sussex County Democrats Kristy Lavin, Zoe Heath, Katie Rotondi should be asked if they have collected the reward yet and about the subsidy. That and, of course, their thoughts on the historical connections between their organization and actual Hitler-saluting Nazis.

And the beat goes on…

“Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair.”

“Journalists should take responsibility for the accuracy of their work. Verify information before releasing it."

"Remember that neither speed nor format excuses inaccuracy."

“Gather, update and correct information throughout the life of a news story.”

“Diligently seek subjects of news coverage to allow them to respond to criticism or allegations of wrongdoing.”

“Support the open and civil exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.”

“Avoid stereotyping. Journalists should examine the ways their values and experiences may shape their reporting.”

“Never deliberately distort facts or context.”

From the
Code of Ethics
Of
The Society of Professional Journalists


N.B. We welcome a conversation on this and all topics raised on this website.  Jersey Conservative is entirely open to your ideas and opinions.  To submit a column for publication, please contact Marianna at Marianna@JerseyConservative.org.

Sussex Democrats go low… politicize Jersey City police officer’s death

Yes, they went there.  It’s what you do when you fail and fail again.

As the New Jersey Herald reported this morning, last night’s anti-Trump/ pro-Impeachment rally was a bust.  Nobody showed… but for a counter-rally of Trump supporters, organized last-minute by the redoubtable Bill Hayden.
 
Referring to the inclement weather, Hayden (who is probably the best conservative grassroots organizer in the state) laid this perfect line on the Democrats (we quote, from the Herald): “I guess the snowflakes don’t like ice.”
 
The rally-that-didn’t-happen was organized with the DC-insider group MoveOn.org, which was originally called Censure and Move On and formed to oppose the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.  You can’t make this stuff up.  The hypocrisy of it all.  Does the sucking ever end?  No, it never ends… it just goes on and on.
 
So this morning’s lash-out by the Sussex County Democrat Committee surprised no one.  They always flip-out after a major screw-up.  Only this one was in exceedingly poor taste, somehow managing to equate hunters and owners of firearms in general with “far-right extremists” – while attacking Sussex County Republicans over the tragic death of a police officer in Jersey City, Hudson County.
 
Yep.  Real crazy.  And exceedingly poor taste. 
 
We won’t point out that the Democrats in Trenton did away with the death penalty for cop-killers.  Or that the political leanings of these cop-killers do not fit the Democrats’ narrative.  Or that the Sussex County Democrats supported the efforts of their party to hold a “criminal appreciation day” in Trenton, during which they passed laws to give convicted criminals voting rights and education aid (just months after cutting education funding to Sussex County’s school children).  What kind of message does this send?  Pushing criminals to the head of the line before school kids – if that isn’t proof that “crime pays” what is?
 
Not content with the level at which they disgraced themselves, Democrats ramped it up, attempting to link the GOP to anti-Semitism and terrorism.  Perhaps they were gazing into a mirror?
 
If any party has a problem with anti-Semitism, it is the Democrat Party.  As Democrat Congressman Josh Gottheimer has noted, there are members of the Democrat congressional caucus who are open supporters of the anti-Semitic BDS movement.  Sussex County Democrats even got an award from Linda Sarsour – who was dumped from the Women’s March because of her anti-Semitism.
 
The government of Israel and Jewish community leaders worldwide have noted the inexorable rise of anti-Semitism on the Left.  And it’s not just the Democrats in Washington, DC.  One of the causes for the defeat of the British Labour Party at the recent General Election was its open embrace of anti-Semitism.  It directly led to the worst defeat for the Left since 1935 – and the largest Conservative majority since the 1980’s era of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.
 
And as for terrorism…
 
The award those Sussex County Democrats got was in recognition of voter registration drives and other political campaigning done by Action Together New Jersey in coordination with a group called CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations.  Presenting the award was CAIR National Chairwoman, Roula Allouch, and CAIR-NJ Founder, Ahmed Al Shehab. 
 
One of America’s most important Islamic allies – the United Arab Emirates – has designated CAIR a terrorist organization.

Action Together New Jersey is in the forefront of the drive to push the Democrat Party in New Jersey to the far-Left.  They have joined CAIR in opposing the bi-partisan efforts of New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-5) to push back on members of the so-called “Jihad Squad” (far-Left Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib) in their attempt to promote the anti-Semitic BDS movement
 
Entire county party organizations are being taken over by Action Together New Jersey.  In Sussex County, for instance, their members have thoroughly infiltrated the local Democrat committees and pushed the moderates out.  On the group’s website, they identify members of Action Together New Jersey who have taken over and occupied leadership positions in the Democrat Party. 
 
These include Katie Rotondi, the Chairwoman of the Sussex County Democrat Committee.  Also listed as members on the group’s website are Democrat State Committee members Michele Van Allen and Ben Silva, Stanhope Councilman Anthony Riccardi, Sparta Board of Education member Kate Matteson, as well as a number of Democrat County Committee members.  
 
The far-Left is on the march, taking over the Democrat Party, pushing out common sense and fiscal responsibility.  The hypocritical attempts by Sussex County Democrats to smear others are merely a cover for this takeover.

Murphy Dems say taxpayers who want answers to school funding cuts “extremist”

The administration of Governor Phil Murphy and the Democrats who control both chambers of the Legislature cut funding to most Sussex County school districts – as well as to many other rural and suburban school districts across the state.  These cuts were made despite the fact that working class families in rural and suburban New Jersey continue to subsidize the property taxes of rich corporations and wealthy professionals in many of New Jersey’s gentrified urban districts.
 
To give just one example, in Vernon, the Murphy Democrats’ education funding cuts resulted in a 10 percent property tax increase.  And this is only year one of a proposed multi-year round of cuts by the Democrats.
 
Republican Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths have been trying to get the Democrats to agree to hold a special session on property taxes.  Space and Wirths want to address the unfairness of the New Jersey education funding formula – the most inequitable in the entire United States.  To date, the Democrats have tried to change the subject, making excuses on why they don’t have time to address property taxes but do have time to tackle such pressing concerns as transgender curriculum for schools and such.
 
Then there’s the Governor’s screwball Sanctuary State scam that has already released violent sex offenders back into the community.
 
Since July, Assemblymen Space and Wirths have been trying to get someone from the Murphy administration to show up in Sussex County and come before an open public meeting to discuss his Sanctuary State scheme, how he came up with the idea, and whether it was motivated by politics or genuine law enforcement concerns.  The New Jersey Herald covered this in a front page story on July 24th but to date, the Murphy administration has played hide-and-seek, dodging the issue and refusing to show up and talk to the people of Sussex County.
 

https://www.njherald.com/news/20190724/space-wirths-want-attorney-general-to-explain-sanctuary-state-directive

 
So it is a bit disconcerting that when the Governor finally shows up in Sussex county, it isn't at a public meeting, but at a location hidden from the general public; and it isn't to answer questions from the people who pay his salary, but to raise money from big donors for the Democrat Party.
 
Now, to add insult to injury, the Democrats trot out their Antifa-wannabe shill, Chairwoman Katie Rotondi, who labels as “haters” and “extremists” those seeking answers from the Governor whose salary they pay.  Since when is it extreme to ask questions of government? 
 
In fact, before sending out his shill again, we think Governor Murphy needs to take a remedial course in the Constitution of the United States of America – specifically the Bill of Rights.  Last time we checked, in the United States of America – in this country – the right to petition is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which specifically prohibits government or its party shills from abridging "the right of the people...to petition the Government for a redress of grievances".
 
Finally, we think it the height of hypocrisy for a party operative who is notorious for singing about sucking a “bag of d*cks” to be offended by the use of a phrase like “Murphy sucks”.  If you wish to be a puritan, by all means be a puritan, but please be consistent about it.  

Yes, that is her. The Democrat Party chairwoman in all her glory. Katie Rotondi is also notorious for mocking Disabled American Veterans and for comparing Christian belief to “Hitler” – something the Democrat Committee applauded her for – and something the trustees of the Sussex County Community College failed to examine when they caved into her demands to remove one of their own members. As Katie says… “F*ck you, I love you.”

Did you get that, Governor Murphy? Do you approve?

Democrats use Heresy-Hunting to cover-up a Rape.

Sussex County Democrat Chairwoman Katie Rotondi is just one of many Democrats who want to distract us away from their shortcomings by focusing on the shortcomings of others. They wish to assure us of their piety through the condemnation of others. The supporters of Democrat Governor Phil Murphy, in particular, scream loudest about the off-color speech of others, as a means of drawing attention away from the cover-up of a violent sexual assault – the rape of one of their own female party members. And where is the First Lady of the State in all of this? What role, in all of this?

The great comedian Stephen Fry nails perfectly the politically correct hypocrisy of some New Jersey Democrats and their Leftist allies: “Preachiness… piety, self-righteousness, heresy-hunting, denunciation, shaming, assertion without evidence, accusation, inquisition, censoring…”

Stephen John Fry is an English comedian, actor, and writer. Fry's acting roles include a Golden Globe Award-nominated lead performance in the film Wilde, Melchett in the BBC television series Blackadder, the title character in the television series Kingdom, a recurring guest role as Dr. Gordon Wyatt on the crime series Bones, and as Gordon Deitrich in the dystopian thriller V for Vendetta. He has also written and presented several documentary series, including the Emmy Award-winning Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, which saw him explore his bipolar disorder, and the travel series Stephen Fry in America. He was also the long-time host of the BBC television quiz show QI, with his tenure lasting from 2003 to 2016. Besides working in television, Fry has contributed columns and articles for newspapers and magazines and written four novels and three volumes of autobiography, Moab Is My Washpot, The Fry Chronicles, and More Fool Me. He also appears frequently on BBC Radio 4, starring in the comedy series Absolute Power, being a frequent guest on panel games such as Just a Minute, and acting as chairman during one series of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, where he was one of a trio of possible hosts who were tried out to succeed the late Humphrey Lyttelton, Jack Dee getting the post permanently.

“It is his millions of relationships that will give man his humanity… It is not our ideological rights that are important but the quality of our relationships with each other, with all men, with knowledge and art and God that count.

The civil rights movement has done a magnificent job but it is now faced with the ancient choice between good and evil, between love for all men and lust for a group’s power.”

“Every group on earth that has put ideology before human relations has failed; always disaster and bitterness and bloodshed have come. This movement, too, may fail. If it does, it will be because it aroused in men more hate than love, more concern for their own group than for all people, more lust for power than compassion for human need.”

“We must avoid the trap of totalism which lures a man into thinking there is only one way, one answer, one option, and that others must be forced into this One Way, and forced into it Now.”

(Author Lillian Smith, civil rights pioneer, on accepting the Charles S. Johnson Award for her work)

Some NJ Democrats want to make speaking bad about Islam a crime.

And not just any old crime, but a crime that is punishable outside the normal justice system. A crime that is not subject to the rule of law – punished without due process – based on no more than an accusation. A crime where merely an accusation by a “believer” or an activist who claims to represent a “believer” is enough to make someone lose their job, their career, their ability to live free.

They tried to do it to liberal comedian Bill Maher. A lifelong Democrat, Maher donated $1 million to Barack Obama’s re-election… but it didn’t protect him from the far-Left when he criticized Islam. They wanted his job, his career, his life…

Entire county party organizations are being taken over by a far-Left group called Action Together New Jersey. In Sussex County, for instance, their members have thoroughly infiltrated the local Democrat committees and pushed the moderates out. On the group’s website, they identify members of Action Together New Jersey who have taken over and occupied leadership positions in the Democrat Party.

These include Katie Rotondi, the new Chairwoman of the Sussex County Democrat Committee. Also listed as members on the group’s website are Democrat State Committee members Michele Van Allen and Ben Silva, Stanhope Councilman Anthony Riccardi, Sparta Board of Education member Kate Matteson, as well as a number of Democrat County Committee members.

Also listed on the website are Action Together New Jersey members who failed as candidates for elected office. These include Jennifer Hamilton, who ran against State Senator Steve Oroho in 2017; former legislative candidate Gina Trish, who now holds an appointment from Governor Murphy’s administration; and several former candidates for town council or school board.

No less than eight Democrats who are running for the New Jersey Legislature this year have been clearly identified as members of the far-Left Action Together New Jersey on the group’s website. They are Stacey Gunderman, Lisa Mandelblatt, Deana Lykins, Lisa Bhimani, Darcy Draeger, Christine Clark, Laura Fortgang, and Steven Farkas.

On February 10, 2018, Action Together New Jersey accepted an award from Linda Sarsour. Accepting the award was Action Together New Jersey’s Executive Director, Uyen “Winn” Khuong; Action Together New Jersey’s Sussex County Co-Chair, Johannah Hinksmon; and Action Together New Jersey’s Director of Operations, Kim Baron.

Linda Sarsour is the controversial Democrat activist who has praised the notoriously anti-Semitic Louis Farrakhan, cop-killer Joanne Chesimard, and the anti-Semitic BDS movement. In 2017, Sarsour famously called for “Jihad” against the elected government of the United States of America…

The award was in recognition of voter registration drives and other political campaigning done by Action Together New Jersey in coordination with a group called CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Presenting the award was CAIR National Chairwoman, Roula Allouch, and CAIR-NJ Founder, Ahmed Al Shehab.

Due to its apparent ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, one of America’s most important Islamic allies – the United Arab Emirates – has designated CAIR a terrorist organization.

Action Together New Jersey is in the forefront of the drive to push the Democrat Party in New Jersey to the far-Left. They have joined CAIR in opposing the bi-partisan efforts of New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-5) to push back on members of the so-called “Jihad Squad” (far-Left Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib) in their attempt to promote the anti-Semitic BDS movement.

Action Together New Jersey has endorsed the economically ruinous Green New Deal of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The far-Left is on the march, taking over the Democrat Party, pushing out common sense and fiscal responsibility. The Action Together New Jersey crew are not traditional liberal Democrats. In fact, they explicitly reject liberal thought in favor of authoritarian conformism, the end of Free Speech, and making the American Bill of Rights subservient to their mob rule. Action Together New Jersey represents the most radical far-Left elements of the Democrat Party.

Democrats infiltrated by far-Left group aligned with Linda Sarsour and CAIR

In another excellent piece in the New Jersey Herald, reporter Eric Obernauer gets to the bottom of who the Democrats’ write-in candidate for Sussex County Freeholder is:
 
She has twice been featured in New Jersey Herald articles showcasing her participation in the Women's March in Washington, D.C., where she praised Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a rising star in the liberal activist wing of the Democratic Party, in January for a speech she said was “filled with passion and thought-provoking inspiration.”
 
Lavin also has been an advocate for gun control legislation and, in July, participated in a “Lights for Liberty” vigil at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Elizabeth, where she and other members of the group Action Together Sussex County protested the detention of undocumented migrant children.
 
Yep, another member of the far-Left group Action Together.  But it doesn’t end with the Democrats’ write-in candidate Kristy Lavin (alias Kristy Schaid).   She is just the latest indication that the Democrat Party in New Jersey is becoming dominated by Action Together, which has officially embraced the insanely ruinous economic policies of  Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal.
 
Action Together New Jersey has no less than eight members running as the official legislative candidates of the Democrat Party…
 

District 21
Stacey Gunderman
Lisa Mandelblatt
 
District 24
Deana Lykins
 
District 25
Lisa Bhimani
Darcy Draeger
 
District 26
Christine Clark
Laura Fortgang
 
District 30
Steven Farkas

 
On February 10, 2018, Action Together New Jersey accepted an award from Linda Sarsour.  Accepting the award was Action Together New Jersey’s Executive Director, Uyen “Winn” Khuong; Action Together New Jersey’s Sussex County Co-Chair, Johannah Hinksmon; and Action Together New Jersey’s Director of Operations, Kim Baron.
 
Linda Sarsour is the controversial Democrat activist who has praised the notoriously anti-Semitic Louis Farrakhan, cop-killer Joanne Chesimard, and the anti-Semitic BDS movement.  In 2017, Sarsour famously called for “Jihad” against the elected government of the United States of America…

The award was in recognition of voter registration drives and other political campaigning done by Action Together New Jersey in coordination with a group called CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Presenting the award was CAIR National Chairwoman, Roula Allouch, and CAIR-NJ Founder, Ahmed Al Shehab.

Due to its apparent ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, one of America’s most important Islamic allies – the United Arab Emirates – has designated CAIR a terrorist organization.

Action Together New Jersey is in the forefront of the drive to push the Democrat Party in New Jersey to the far-Left. They have joined CAIR in opposing the bi-partisan efforts of New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-5) to push back on members of the so-called “Jihad Squad” (far-Left Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib) in their attempt to promote the anti-Semitic BDS movement.

Entire county party organizations are being taken over by Action Together New Jersey. In Sussex County, for instance, their members have thoroughly infiltrated the local Democrat committees and pushed the moderates out. On the group’s website, they identify members of Action Together New Jersey who have taken over and occupied leadership positions in the Democrat Party.

These include Katie Rotondi, the new Chairwoman of the Sussex County Democrat Committee. Also listed as members on the group’s website are Democrat State Committee members Michele Van Allen and Ben Silva, Stanhope Councilman Anthony Riccardi, Sparta Board of Education member Kate Matteson, as well as a number of Democrat County Committee members.

Also listed on the website are Action Together New Jersey members who failed as candidates for elected office. These include Jennifer Hamilton, who ran against State Senator Steve Oroho in 2017; former legislative candidate Gina Trish, who now holds an appointment from Governor Murphy’s administration; and several former candidates for town council or school board.

The far-Left is on the march, taking over the Democrat Party, pushing out common sense and fiscal responsibility. The Action Together New Jersey crew represents the very radical far-Left of the Democrat Party.

Sussex Democrat Chair’s “X-Rated” video

By Sussex County Watchdog

We believe in free expression. 

The Sussex County Democrats do not.  State Democrats asked them to find something on the county Republican Chairman.  Murphy operative Leslie Huhn “friended” his Twitter page, and two days later the Sussex County Democrats’ Communications Director was in front of the Sussex County Community College Board of Trustees, asking that the Republican be fired.  It was a partisan political scam by people looking to be “offended” in order to score political points.

Worst still is the role played by SCCC Trustee Howard Burrell.  Last year, when Burrell wanted to be a trustee, this website wrote in support of him.  Burrell gave his word of honor that he would not be political while a member of the college board.  Then he sat there while he was running for Mayor of Vernon.  He didn’t even disclose that he was campaigning when he took a vote against the Republican Chairman.  Just days later, he campaigned at a Democrat political event with the very Democrats who slashed education funding in Sussex County.  An ethical person would have recused himself from taking that vote.  But not Burrell.  

The question is:  Why didn’t SCCC Trustee Chairman Bill Curcio ask Burrell to recuse himself?  Why did Curcio and the board allow the college to be used this way – to sink into partisan politics? 

Yes, we believe in free expression… but hypocrisy needs to be addressed too.

Katie Rotondi, the Sussex County Democrat Chairwoman, has led the stalking of other people’s social media pages.  She and her fellow stalkers have found things to be “offended” by and have demanded that people be punished.  But has anyone looked at what she puts out?

She isn’t re-tweeting something by mistake.  She produces and edits this stuff.  She promotes it.  And there is a whole lot of it.  What follows is one of the milder examples of her stuff (and make sure no children are around to see this)…

https://vimeo.com/182943568

There are things in this video that many people in Sussex County would find to be offensive.  We highly doubt that we could get Bill Curcio and Howard Burrell and the other members of the SCCC Board of Trustees to read out some of the lines in this video.  They would be too embarrassed to do so… although we might just show up and ask them to. 

The SCCC trustees essentially allowed the Sussex Democrat Chairwoman to script their proceedings.  With the help of the SCCC’s newly hired Democrat law firm – a major funder of state Democrat campaigns – Rotondi and the state Democrats used the college to implement a political strategy that actually involved one of their trustees as a Democrat candidate.  This is a very serious ethical issue for the college.

In the midst of turkey vulvas and facial treatments and peeing on desks, we think this video should be reworked to show footage of the trustees… you know, talking and reacting and stuff like that.   After all, they allowed themselves to become part of Katie Rotondi’s body of work, so they should be part of her reel.  Call it performance art.    

Stay tuned…

Hey Democrats, quit minding other people’s business!

Katie Rotondi wants to be the Madame Defarge of Sussex County politics. Since becoming Chairwoman of the Sussex County Democrats, she has led stalking parties against her neighbors in Sussex County.

Like Charles Dickens’ villain in A Tale of Two Cities, Rotondi operates out of hatred towards those who disagree with her “revolution” and revenge on Sussex County for having voted for Donald Trump. As she can’t stalk everyone, Rotondi focuses on high profile figures in Sussex County as symbols of all of Sussex County.

Rotondi stalks them, finds something to be offended about, whips her mob into a frenzy, and then demands that her victim is removed. This metaphorical “beheading” was the ultimate fate of those victims of mass persecution during the French Revolution. Their only “crime” was to fail to think or speak in line with how the Katie Rotondies of the world want everyone to think and speak.

It is what Rowan Atkinson calls, “The creeping culture of censoriousness.” Others have called it, “The new intolerance.” It is an attempt to straight jacket thought and speech.

This loss of Freedom is happening all around the world. Indeed, for the first time in recent memory, there is an authoritarian, anti-freedom, economic success story to counter all those arguments put forward by the democracies that prosperity and liberty go hand in hand. There is another way for an economy to prosper, and that is the Chinese Communist way of social credit authoritarianism.

Do we, as Americans, want to go down that road?

Many countries have criminalized opinions that we all once took for granted. Think of our bullying laws run amok and you will have some idea of what it is like to live in a country in which giving “offense” has been criminalized. Some nations, like the United Kingdom, have started to break down those laws and restore freedoms that Americans, for the moment, still possess…

The question for Americans is this: Is the rise of our informal system of punishment really any better than the European criminalization of giving “offense”? Are extra-legal lynch mobs preferable to due process and formal adjudication?

Perhaps the way forward is as Rowan Atkinson prescribes: More speech.

SCCC Trustee Burrell (D) running for Mayor of Vernon

So now we know what tonight’s circus is in aid of…

Politics.  Real scumbag politics.  The kind that masquerades as self-righteousness when it is really only about self-dealing.

It turns out that for some time now, SCCC Trustee Howard Burrell has been discussing and planning a comeback political career.  Trustee Burrell was a Democrat Freeholder until he was defeated for re-election in 2002 by 4,000 votes.  Sussex County Democrat Committee Chairwoman Katie Rotondi and Murphy county coordinator Leslie Huhn are both Burrell backers.  

We understood why Democrats like Dan Perez and Lorraine Parker wanted to hold an anti-Trump rally disguised as a special public meeting of the SCCC trustees, but we couldn’t figure out why SCCC Board Chairman Bill Curcio went along with it.  Now we know. 

SCCC Trustee Howard Burrell managed Democrat Dan Perez’ 2017 Freeholder race against Republican Freeholder Director Herb Yardley.  Perez lost by 7,000 votes.  Now Perez is returning the favor and supporting Burrell.

The SCCC Board of Trustees dumped a Sussex County firm as its attorney and hired the Union County Democrat machine firm of former State Senator Ray Lesniak.  So it is official.  The facts surrounding this appointment are shocking and will be dealt with in length but suffice to say that Ray Lesniak was a big defender of the corrupt practice of pay-to-play.

So now we know why some players on the SCCC Board of Trustees have dragged their colleague of seven years through the dirt for something he’s apologized for again and again…

Politics.  Dirtbag politics.  The kind of politics that sacrifices human decency, forgiveness, and pity for self-advancement. 

Sussex County Community College isn’t supposed to be about politics.  The SCCC Board of Trustees aren’t supposed to create venues by which to hang one trustee so that another can launch his political comeback campaign.

In fact, using SCCC facilities for partisan political purposes is explicitly against the rules of the Internal Revenue Service.  The process by which an executive session of the Board was called (a trustee is not “personnel” and no lawsuit has been filed by any party) and a public meeting held could pose legal hurdles for the SCCC.

Curiously, Howard Burrell launched his original political career 30 years ago in the midst of the same rhetoric being used by some Democrats today… accusing anyone they don’t like of “racism” and “bigotry” while they push legislation that even most Democrats say is anti-Semitic.  It seems some Democrats have learned nothing in 30 years.

Also worth noting are the assurances made by Trustee Burrell to the Freeholder Board at the time of his appointment just last year.  Burrell’s appointment had been held up by an earlier Freeholder Board over concerns that he would use his position on the SCCC Board of Trustees as a springboard to political office.  The current Freeholder Board appointed him after being assured that politics would not be part of it.  This has obviously turned out not to be the case and Trustee Burrell will have some explaining to do.

It looks like former Freeholder Carl Lazzaro was right about Howard Burrell and Watchdog was wrong to have advocated for Burrell’s appointment to the SCCC Board of Trustees.  We admit our mistake.

Democrats use Antifa tactics to disrupt Sussex County meeting.

On Wednesday evening, August 14th, the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders held a scheduled meeting to discuss placing a public question on the November ballot to address the Murphy administration’s illegal Sanctuary State directive.  A ballot question was proposed.  It passed with every vote. 

This was representative democracy at work… in an open public meeting…

Except that the so-called “Democrats” were there to stop the vote from ever happening.  At the direction of the same State Democrats who strong armed Jersey City Mayor Michael Fulop out of the gubernatorial primary in 2017, Sussex County Democrats tried to shut down the meeting and stop the vote from ever happening.

Sussex Democrats were instructed to use the occupancy code to try to have the Freeholders meeting cancelled until after the August 16th deadline for public questions to appear on the November ballot.  They contacted local officials and had them come to the Freeholders meeting to do an occupancy count.  The Democrats were more than matched in turnout and their plans were stymied by Skylands Tea Party President Bill Hayden, who had his people leave the meeting.  The Sussex Democrat coordinating the operation was heard reporting back on her cell phone:  “Our plan failed.”

These tactics are right out of the Antifa handbook and disgusted citizens who had come to the meeting to participate in democracy and open government.  Some went to social media to comment on what they saw, including the gentleman below:

 “I was shocked to see the way the democrat operatives used phony issues and outrages to basically try to shut down the vote. The way they pretended they couldn’t hear, the way they sabotaged the audio system before the meeting, the way they pretended their (sic) was a fire code violation and the hearing had to be shut down...we aren’t just fighting for issues here, we are fighting for our constitution, our way of life. The democrats are really Bolshevik thugs.”

Now the Democrats have been provided with another opportunity to obstruct due process and the rule of law.  This time it is courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Sussex County Community College (SCCC). 

The politicization of the SCCC is very troubling and runs contrary to the rules governing the college.  The lobbying by Democrats and the coordination with the Board raises serious concerns. 

These issues will be addressed in the weeks and months ahead.

Memo to Dems and SCCC: Don’t Give In To Terrorists

We know all about the Sussex County GOP Chairman who mistakenly re-tweeted some Twitter “trains” that contained controversial language regarding some anti-Semitic members of Congress and Islam.  The Sussex County GOP took away his Twitter account and the Chairman took responsibility and apologized.

That should have been an end to it.  Especially as, in trying to make their complaint against the GOP Chairman, Sussex County Democrats managed to attack Disabled American Veterans, Judeo-Christian theology, and the American Bill of Rights.

But it didn’t end there.  The New Jersey chapter of CAIR got involved.  CAIR, which is short for Council on American-Islamic Relations, put out a statement that labeled the re-tweets “anti-Muslim” and “Islamophobic, racist, and xenophobic” and called for the GOP Chairman’s resignation as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sussex County Community College (SCCC).

Unfortunately for CAIR. Its Democrat Party allies, and for some faculty and staff at the SCCC – the GOP Chairman broke no laws or SCCC rules.  There is no legal basis to remove him or to force his resignation. 

America is a Republic.  We are a nation of laws.  We have due process.  We have the Bill of Rights.  We do not succumb to the emotional howls of lynch mobs.  We do not honor vendettas or fatwas.  We don’t give in to terrorists.  We don’t let them have their way.  We are Americans. 

It is a pity that people need to be reminded of this.  It is a pity that a college board needs to be reminded of this.  That Freedom of Speech, to be worthy of the name, requires us to protect even that speech which we despise.  Otherwise, there is no freedom at all.

What the Board of Trustees can do is to create a new rule that proscribes the behavior of faculty, staff, and trustees – going forward.   A new rule applicable to all, to which all would be responsible. 

We hope the Board does not take the cheap way out, the extra-legal way.  To attempt to satiate the lynch mob’s bloodlust with a head, so that the Board can go back to exactly what they were doing – with no rules in place, only the fear of the mob.  This would constitute not just a cave to the mob… but to a designated “terrorist organization” as well.   

If you Google CAIR and go on the home page of CAIR’s website, you will find this headline:  CAIR Wins Landmark First Amendment Victory Striking Down Texas Anti-BDS Law.

CAIR is in direct opposition to the bi-partisan efforts by Congressmen Josh Gottheimer (D-Sussex) and Chris Smith (R-Mercer) to oppose the BDS movement:

Two New Jersey congressmen today celebrated the passage of a resolution denouncing the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement that targets Israel.

The BDS movement demonizes Israel and Jews and applies a double standard whereby Israel is always wrong, and the “oppressed” Palestinians are always in the right – regardless of whether groups such as Hamas are engaging in terrorist acts upon Israeli citizens,” said Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton), the co-chair of a Bipartisan Task Force on Combatting Anti-Semitism.   “The overwhelming vote in favor of the House resolution to reject the BDS movement and its efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel, underscores America’s strong support for Israel as a key ally and our commitment to Israel’s right to exist.”

The resolution, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last night by a 398-17 vote, opposes economic apparatuses aimed at punishing companies that do business with Israel.

“There are few clearer examples of bias and double standards than BDS movement. But BDS is also fundamentally incompatible with a two-state solution. It seeks to punish only Israel and it rejects direct negotiations in favor of a unilateral strategy,” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff).  “That is why it is so important that Congress is on record opposing BDS and other harmful efforts to single out and delegitimize Israel.”

The only New Jersey House member to vote against the measure was Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing).

Wikipedia explains that CAIR is “a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group. It is headquartered on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with regional offices nationwide.”  Wikipedia goes on to note:

Critics of CAIR have accused it of pursuing an Islamist agenda[5][6][7] and have claimed that the group is connected to Hamas[8] and the Muslim Brotherhood,[9][7] claims which CAIR has rejected and described as an Islamophobic smear campaign.[10] Due to apparent ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the government of the United Arab Emirates has designated CAIR as a terrorist organization.[11]

A “terrorist organization”?  That is a very serious matter.  And it is a matter that remains unexplained in the media or by the Board of Trustees of the Sussex County Community College

CAIR’s demands have been repeatedly referenced by the Board of Trustees of the Sussex County Community College.  CAIR’s demands have been repeatedly highlighted in statewide newspapers, media, websites, and blogs.  The media has not been honest in identifying who and what CAIR is. 

The media has been afraid to even discuss CAIR’s designation as a “terrorist organization” by one of America’s best Islamic allies in the Middle East.  Why?

Pardon us for noticing, but we can’t help but think a designation as a “terrorist organization” (by one of America’s Islamic allies) is worthy of at least as much attention as a re-tweet of a Twitter “train”, a mistake, for which responsibility was accepted and apology given.  Or has everyone forgotten September 11th and the wars against radical Islam and all those subsequent acts of Jihadist terror?  Does the media, the Democrats, and the SCCC trustees wish to erase the sacrifice of all those dead and wounded and disabled soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines

Besides which, CAIR has a greater duty in this matter.  That is the duty a believer has to God. 

"…They should rather pardon and overlook.  Would you not love Allah to forgive you?  Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Qur'an, 24:22) 

Hey Star-Ledger’s Julie O’Connor… this is who you are…

We all know who Julie O’Connor is.  She writes those lousy editorials about people when Tom Moran gets too bored to do it.  You know those editorials.  The ones that tell you more about the kind of day the writer is having than about anything actually going on in the world.

Julie O’Connor is part of the problem in corporate journalism today.  Here a colleague of Julie O’Connor is examined rather closely by a panel of the non-corporate/ non-neo-con Honest Left – on the Jimmy Dore show.  Enjoy…

Received opinion… (aka corporate opinion)

Amazing isn’t it?

Sussex Democrat Chair co-hosted show called “F**k Science”

If you want to know the Sussex Democrats’ world view, get a load of this…

 https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/robb-carlson/sleepyhead-podcast/e/38313075?autoplay=true

The same Sussex Democrats who compared traditional Judeo-Christian belief with Nazism have joined with CAIR, which is short for Council on American-Islamic Relations, and called for the “removal” of the Sussex County Republican Chairman.   

CAIR… we invite you to Google it.  When you do, you will find this on the home page of CAIR’s website:  CAIR Wins Landmark First Amendment Victory Striking Down Texas Anti-BDS Law.

This is interesting in light of the bi-partisan efforts by Congressmen Josh Gottheimer (D-Sussex) and Chris Smith (R-Mercer) against the BDS movement, which CAIR obviously supports:

Two New Jersey congressmen today celebrated the passage of a resolution denouncing the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement that targets Israel.

The BDS movement demonizes Israel and Jews and applies a double standard whereby Israel is always wrong, and the “oppressed” Palestinians are always in the right – regardless of whether groups such as Hamas are engaging in terrorist acts upon Israeli citizens,” said Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton), the co-chair of a Bipartisan Task Force on Combatting Anti-Semitism.   “The overwhelming vote in favor of the House resolution to reject the BDS movement and its efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel, underscores America’s strong support for Israel as a key ally and our commitment to Israel’s right to exist.”

The resolution, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last night by a 398-17 vote, opposes economic apparatuses aimed at punishing companies that do business with Israel.

“There are few clearer examples of bias and double standards than BDS movement. But BDS is also fundamentally incompatible with a two-state solution. It seeks to punish only Israel and it rejects direct negotiations in favor of a unilateral strategy,” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff).  “That is why it is so important that Congress is on record opposing BDS and other harmful efforts to single out and delegitimize Israel.”

The only New Jersey House member to vote against the measure was Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing).

Wikipedia explains that CAIR is “a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group. It is headquartered on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with regional offices nationwide.”  Wikipedia goes on to note:

Critics of CAIR have accused it of pursuing an Islamist agenda[5][6][7] and have claimed that the group is connected to Hamas[8] and the Muslim Brotherhood,[9][7] claims which CAIR has rejected and described as an Islamophobic smear campaign.[10] Due to apparent ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the government of the United Arab Emirates has designated CAIR as a terrorist organization.[11]

A “terrorist organization”?  That is a very serious matter.

The “Muslim Brotherhood”?  Quite a few nations have designated that a   “terrorist organization” as well, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia… these are all Islamic nations and all strong American allies. 

So why are the Sussex County Democrats standing with a group that one of America’s strongest Islamic allies has designated a “terrorist organization”?

It looks like the Sussex County Democrats have some explaining to do.

Second conference on Religious Liberty to be held in Ocean County

Following up on June’s successful conference on religious Liberty held in Newton, Sussex County, a second conference is scheduled for Ocean County on August 27th in Toms River.

At the first conference, attendees heard from Senator Steve Oroho on the status of various legislative initiatives – including the Human Trafficking & Child Exploitation Prevention Act and the 20/20 bill, which recognizes that a fetus experiences pain at 20 weeks (all but 7 nations on earth recognize this FACT).

Rev. Mandy Leverett gave a talk about the threat of human trafficking in New Jersey and detailed a number of horrific cases.  There was a discussion about how a porous border and the Murphy administration’s Sanctuary State directive empowers human traffickers in the sexual exploitation of women and children. 

Christine Flaherty explained the importance of the 20/20 bill, also known as the "Babies in the Womb Feel Pain".  This legislation recognizes the scientific fact that a fetus or unborn baby is pain-sensitive at 20 weeks.  Every other country on earth recognizes this fact except North Korea, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Canada, and the Netherlands.  Similar legislation has been passed in nearly half the states and is moving forward in others in an attempt bring our laws into line with the rest of the civilized world. 

An ecumenical movement has formed called the 20/20 Project.  Its members represent many religious denominations.  It is actively supported by a number of organizations including the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Metuchen, the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Newark, Project LEARN, the New Jersey Family Policy Council, New Jersey Right to Life, the Center for Garden State Families, Corazon Puro, LifeNet, the League of American Families, among others. 

Of course, the 20/20 bill has been attacked by the death-cult wing of the New Jersey Democrat Party (there are still a great many religious Democrats who value life and recognize that their communities are being slaughtered for profit by Planned Parenthood).  As one activist said:  “They celebrate taking life and would do anything to maintain the barbaric practices that are illegal in most of the civilized world."

And speaking of attacks…  Since the first conference in Sussex County, one of the speakers has been attacked for his Biblical-based beliefs.   

Pastor Phil Rizzo, who spoke to the conference on the importance of religious freedom, was stalked and targeted by Sussex County Democrats for agreeing to help sort out a recent Twitter controversy involving the GOP county chairman.  State Democrats reached out to a political blog to arrange a “hit” on Pastor Rizzo, the gist of which was that he didn’t embrace Islam and wasn’t pro-LGBTQ+. 

The fact that those two world-views differ dramatically apparently didn’t dawn on the author of that hit piece, but the incident did offer up an important lesson:  There are Establishment forces who want to drive traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs out of the public square and to make it punishable (and eventually illegal) to express them. 

Despite the presence of good believers in the Democrat Party, the leadership of that party is in thrall to these forces – as is corporate media.  As evidence of this was the statement by the Sussex County Democrat Chairwoman that compared Pastor Rizzo to “Hitler” because he held traditional Biblical beliefs and the attack by an LGBTQ+ activist employed by the Star-Ledger. 

The battle lines are drawn and they are coming for your Bible.  They want to make reading it (or repeating what you have read) a “hate crime”.  And they will target and stalk anyone who stands for religious freedom.  Faith will either win this one or be driven into the wilderness. 

If you are interested in attending the Second Conference on Religious Liberty, please contact the Center for Garden State Families at

info@gardenstatefamilies.org

If you have a conflict, please contact the center and ask when the next one will be (at least four more are planned throughout the state).  Let’s get active!

And be of good cheer.  Faith can move mountains, while government and politicians and corporations and media and academics are all… “a small dust in the balance.”


Leftists threaten to “stab” Senator. Where is the media?

“Stab the Mother F**ker in the heart!”  So say the Antifa warriors and their political allies here in New Jersey.  Tucker Carlson reports…

So where are the outraged women of the one-percent?

Why no comment from mega-wealthy one-percenters like Lisa Bhimani (who, in addition to her million dollar home, owns a $1.6 million dollar nook in Manhattan for when she happens to be there) or Darcy Draeger or Stacey Gunderman or Lisa Mandelblatt?

Where is Sussex County Democrat Chairwoman Katie Rotondi?  She’s good at trash-talking Disabled American Veterans.  Why no comment about this? 

Why the silence? 

Hypocrisy.

Analysis: Murphy uses “tweets” to distract from illegal Sanctuary scheme.

By Rubashov

Leslie Huhn is a former Democrat county chairperson and candidate for the state Legislature.  She got her start in politics as an activist protesting Republican Governor Chris Christie’s cuts to school funding in his first budget.   It is a measure of Huhn’s hypocrisy that she did nothing to protest the more drastic cuts imposed by Democrat Governor Phil Murphy on rural and suburban school districts.

But then, Leslie Huhn is a fan of Phil Murphy…

huhnmurphy.png

Similar women are heavy in the ranks of the Left – which has come to dominate the formerly centrist Democratic Party.  Unlucky in human relationships, frustrated in their attempts to embrace another soul, they embrace the world.  But they are not very clever, and need the “world” explained to them.  Enter Phil Murphy.  Billionaire Guru.

We have had the opportunity to observe the men who are drawn to the Left, which increasingly has come to include the Democratic Party.  There are a fair number of “opportunists” – there because they smell possibility.  Some are predators even, in the way of an Al Alvarez.  This emotional cauldron of boiling, disillusioned sexuality is evidenced in the irrationality the movement exhibits.  The emotional madness.  Marriage counselors and divorce attorneys will know what we mean. 

Of course, the media depends on this cesspit of emotion when it fashions its click bait.  After all, the commercial media must pull eyes to a page in order to perform its real mission (the one it gets paid for) and that is the advertising that accompanies the click bait.  Unless you are NPR, the purpose of newspapers and other media is to sell advertising – used cars, insurance schemes, miracle drugs, suppositories – the “content” is only the bait.  One of the underlaying benefits of the bait is that the consumer gets the pleasure of a better self-image, because they believe they are “informed”.  

That is how the scam works.  It is why a “re-tweet” of someone else’s naughty word or tasteless image is covered more extensively than an anti-Semitic vote cast in the United States Congress.  It is bullshit over substance.

A few days after Leslie Huhn began “following” Sussex County GOP Chairman Jerry Scanlan’s Twitter account, the Democrats began efforts to change the narrative in Sussex County from Governor Murphy’s illegal Sanctuary scheme, which was clearly not going well for them, to Jerry Scanlan’s re-tweets.

The Democrats put considerable resources into the effort.  From “spin doctors” associated with the Murphy administration, to the state Democratic Party, the Lt. Governor, and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill – a great many Democrats and/or people of the Left worked on aspects of this. 

Scanlan’s employment was contacted, in an attempt to have him fired.  Yes, the modern equivalent of capital punishment, for we all need to eat – and who but someone claiming to be “compassionate” and “liberal” would seek to deny a fellow human being the ability to feed his family, to provide a roof over their head?  The self-righteous have no conscience.  No mercy.

They chose their timing carefully, when Scanlan was out-of-state, vacationing with his family.  As their mouth pieces, they selected one from within the Democratic Party, with the other a self-identified “anarchist”.

They focused on a single tweet that had been used successfully in Illinois.  This was a movie poster trope that featured four very far-Left – and by degrees anti-Semitic – members of Congress.  Three are members of the anti-Semitic BDS Movement, decried by Democrat Congressman Josh Gottheimer, who represents Sussex County.  The co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force on Combatting Anti-Semitism said that the BDS movement “demonizes Israel and Jews.” It is said that the next genocide will be caused by people in pussy hats – not jackboots and brownshirts.   

The tweet referred to the four members of Congress as “The Jihad Squad” and was clearly a satirical treatment of their public statements and the votes they have cast in Congress.  When this was noted, the Left changed course and focused on language that was ungentlemanly towards women.  There is a wonderful Victorian aspect to this, and the Left clearly hit its target, because traditional conservatives are not modernists and do not like women referred to as “whores” – even women with whom they disagree. 

The county GOP’s women were not going to stand for such language, so they stepped in and took Chairman Scanlan’s tweeter away.  But instead of claiming victory, the Democrats – in the person of Sussex County Democratic Chair Katie Rotondi – promptly attacked the Republican women.  Of course she would, because this was never about “tweets” it is about keeping the focus away from Governor Murphy’s illegal Sanctuary scheme.

Meanwhile, Democrat Rotondi managed an own-goal when it turned out that she had “tweeted” an offensive comment about a disabled American veteran.  And the Left did one better, rolling out the state chapter of CAIR (the Council on Islamic-American Relations) to bash Scanlan, and apparently forgetting that one of America’s closest Islamic allies in the middle east had designated CAIR a “terrorist organization.”  Having lost 715 New Jersey residents on September 11, 2001, most reasonable people believe terrorism to be more important than tweets.

The Sussex County GOP is conducting its own review of Chairman Scanlan’s actions and will undoubtedly produce a report of some kind and some public statement on the matter.  What they do from there is their internal business, but it should be noted that the word that got Scanlan into trouble was part of a long chain of images and language, re-tweeted over and over again.  From our cursory review of the tweets and re-tweets (there are more than 20,000 of them) we could find no original content from Chairman Scanlan that could be considered by traditional standards “offensive”.  That said, we do live at a time when just using the words “sir” or “ma’am” is problematic.  The presence of a penis does not mean what it has meant since the beginning of time.  One can give offense quite easily today.

One final point.  In many of the news reports, the phrase “deemed offensive” was used.  Who is doing the deeming?  In a nation that allows its flag to be burned as an act of speech or a Crucifix to be placed in a vat of urine as an act of art, what is offensive?  Now we have Katie Rotondi, joining with the designated “terrorist organization” CAIR, joining with anti-Semitic BDS legislators… and setting the bar for all of us as to what is or isn’t “offensive”.  We find that offensive.

Democrats want to tell us what we can & can’t laugh at.

By Andy Gide

On the Statement from SCDC Chair Katie Rotondo…

I was very offended by the chair of the Sussex County Democratic Committee’s use of the word “Chairwoman” in the opening line of her statement regarding the Community College Board of Trustees. I mean, how unwoke!

Does “she” get that the gender neutral term is “Chair” and that “Chairwoman” is not only misogynistic but transphobic as well? This from the so-called “boss lady” of a purportedly “progressive” organization and a camp follower of Governor Murphy himself. How offensive and from a source who should know better!

How many isms and phobias can you list?

Ms. Rotondo, who claims affiliations on both sides of the aisle, strings together a litany of condemnations against her Republican counterpart, Mr. Jerry Scanlan. Against him she levels charges of “racism, sexism, prejudice, homophobia, religious intolerance, xenophobia and more”. Why not list it? Did Ms. Rotondo run out of time, or space? Did her memory lapse? Or was the spelling too much for her?

One thing Ms. Rotondo didn’t list is anti-Semitism. How could she? The anti-Semitism of the four Congresswomen is whose names Ms. Rotondo started this jihad is well established by other Democrats. So anti-Semitism is something that you will not hear her discuss.

It is clear that Ms. Rotondo has a personal dislike for Mr. Jerry Scanlan. Why else would she spend the time sifting through tens of thousands of “tweets” on his private social media page to find a handful she could claim “offense” over? Perhaps she followed him, went through his garbage, his laundry, his underwear?

Who is Ms. Rotondo to say what is and what isn’t racist, or sexist, or homophobic, or intolerance, or xenophobic? She is a Murphy operative who resides in Sussex County. Someone with an opinion among a billion people with opinions. All have their individual interpretations of what is racist, or sexist, and so on.

There is a great deal of political comedy these days. Some of it is very good, some of it falls flat. Has Ms. Rotondo ever complained about a Democrat? Of course not. Too often what you laugh at has more to do with your political party registration than a healthy sense of humor. Then there is the more recent phenomenon of wishing to suppress what you don’t find funny, of using one of those labels to suppress it.

Who is Ms. Rotondo to tell us what we can and can’t laugh at? Who gave her that power? Certainly not the people. Nobody voted for her. Murphy appointed her.

If she were a true “social justice warrior” we would have heard from her when fellow Murphy operative Katie Brennen was raped by a Murphy higher-up and told to shut up and take it. But where was Ms. Rotondo? Nowhere. Silent. She does as she is told.

Mr. Jerry Scanlan sits on the Board of Trustees of the Sussex County Community College (SCCC) an entity that was found to be corrupt not too many years ago, when a few of its trustees had to resign. From everything we hear, Mr. Scanlan has served the Board well and has helped to reform it. Although he is the Chair of the Sussex County Republican Committee (and as such, Ms. Rotondo’s direct competitor), Mr. Scanlan has never been known to bring partisan politics into the Board’s meetings.

Now, thanks to Ms. Rotondo, partisan politics has been brought into the Board’s meetings and will, if left unchecked, corrupt and disfigure the entire community college.

Not very long ago, there was another attempt to bring partisan politics into the Sussex County Community College’s Board of Trustees. It involved the appointment of Howard Burrell to the Board.

Howard Burrell was a former Freeholder and active in partisan politics for the Democratic Party. Among the people he supported were some very controversial characters including those who represented importers of narcotics into our region.

Some thought that in the midst of an opioid crisis that is ending countless lives, a decision to support such a candidate should count against Mr. Burrell. The all elected Republican Freeholder Board chose to ignore the partisan political record of Mr. Burrell and appoint him anyway. Partisan politics was not allowed to be a factor. The actions of Ms. Rotondo will change all of that.

Because of Ms. Rotondo’s need to spy on her neighbors, to be offended, and to bring partisan politics into the Board of Trustees of Sussex County Community College, now it will always be about partisan politics. All the time. The question is… will anyone ever pass muster again?

Everyone should be horrified over what she has done. Everyone should condemn her destructive and oppressive actions.