Vincent Squire, The Flawed Candidate Who Won’t Go Away

He’s back! Or still making a fool of himself, depending on how you look at it. Vincent Squire, the Republican disavowed by his own party is ranting on social media.

It wasn’t enough that Squire managed to be the lowest vote earner in the Camden County freeholder race, which was quite the accomplishment given that voters had to skip over his name as he was in the middle of his two former running mates on the ballot. Squire also had several billboards and still hasn’t reported raising or spending a dime, a clear violation of New Jersey campaign finance rules.

Back to Squire’s most recent rant.

This one was in a closed group on Facebook, the screenshot was sent to us by a reader. Squire was ranting about a donation bin he left at a supermarket.

The back story on Squire’s participation in a local food drive can be read on the Positively Pennsauken blog. Basically, Squire attempted to use the Food Bank of South Jersey as a way to promote his campaign for freeholder.

So, yes, the manager of the supermarket Squire ranted about was absolutely right to send the collection bin back because he was using the food drive as a political stunt. Hopefully, this is the last we hear from Mr. Squire.

$15 An Hour Minimum Wage Is Coming Which Could Help Folks Afford Legal Weed

Last week NJ.com did a piece on the minimum wage, basically saying Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin “expects his house will vote in the coming months on a much-anticipated bill raising the minimum wage gradually to $15 an hour.”

And, just today, the Asbury Park Press did a piece on legalizing marijuana in New Jersey. Mostly the article discussed all the missed deadlines for making legalized weed a reality. As the Asbury Park Press explained in its article:

While the waiting may be the hardest part for New Jersey marijuana legalization advocates, attorney and weed proponent Bill Caruso said the process should take a while if legislators are serious about addressing social justice concerns that are integral to the legalization debate.

"There's an entire process that has to occur to get this right. It's realistic that by the end of the year, if the racial and social justice pieces are done, the Legislature will have the votes," said Caruso, who co-founded New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform, a marijuana legalization advocacy group.

Last month, NJUMR decried the most recently amended version of the marijuana legalization bill introduced in Trenton earlier this year because it didn't include a process to "reinvest in communities harmed by the drug war" — including helping people in those communities get involved in the cannabis industry.

The group also wants any New Jersey legal weed bill to include the automatic expungement of marijuana convictions on the books and allow residents to grow marijuana at home. 

Part of the delay may be that Governor Phil Murphy has planned on a 25 percent tax rate on marijuana. That’s the tax amount he projected in his 2018-2019 budget. But Senate President Steve Sweeney has said the Legislature settled on a 12 percent tax rate.

All this got me thinking the reason Coughlin is pushing so hard to get the $15 an hour minimum wage through the Assembly might be so folks can afford legal marijuana with all it’s extra taxes. It’s certainly going to cost a lot more than buying weed from the guy standing on the corner yelling, “Yo, yo, what you need!”

Then again, lower wage earners, even with the increase in the minimum wage, still may not be able to afford legal weed in South Jersey. The increase in minimum wage might be enough to help them afford the bridge tolls to go to Philly and buy decriminalized weed from a street level dealer. At least the DRPA will make some money.

So, yeah, an increase in the minimum wage would likely be a win-win for weed, both legal and decriminalized.

Another South Jersey Democrat In A Fight, Another “It Is What It Is” Answer

Frank Gilliam and Jeffree Fauntleroy

The Press of Atlantic City did an excellent job following up on a story broken by Harry Hurley, specifically an “incident” involving Atlantic City Mayor Frank M. Gilliam and Atlantic City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II.

Apparently, that incident was, according to The Press, “a fight with several other people outside a casino nightclub early Sunday morning.”

I’m guessing this story wouldn’t be as bad if Mayor Gilliam hadn’t spent the better part of the day denying it happened. As he told The Press:

Gilliam acknowledged Sunday night there was a physical confrontation. However, earlier Sunday, the mayor said there was “no incident” and “nothing happened.”

“I’m going to hold my comments until my attorney and the law enforcement people do this because I’m not even sure why you would have access to a videotape,” Gilliam said.

Then there was what Fauntleroy had to say:

When contacted Sunday morning, Fauntleroy said the incident was a “loud argument” and nothing more. Reached for comment Sunday evening, he said, “You saw the video. It is what it is.”

“It is what it is.” That’s exactly what former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay told the New Jersey Globe after it was discovered he was arrested on assault charges.

So that’s two South Jersey Democrats using the exact same phrase when contacted by the press after being in a fight. Is, “It is what it is” something South Jersey Democrats teach their members to say after getting in fights?

What about the silence from South Jersey Democrats? Barclay gets arrested, silence from his party. Former Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty crashes into the back of another car and leaves the scene. Silence from Democrats. The discovery of Voorhees Township Deputy Mayor Jason Ravitz getting into bar fights. Silence from Democrats.

Will South Jersey Democrats ever call out a member of their own party for doing something wrong? Probably not, they’ll probably just hide with each other and say, “It is what it is.”

Also, let’s not forget the 2018 New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference is happening this week in Atlantic City. Gilliam has to deliver the traditional “Host City Welcome” on Tuesday. He also delivers a welcome message to the League Delegates Luncheon. I can hear it now, “Welcome to Atlantic City where it is what it is.”

We’re getting used to this bad behavior by Democrats in South Jersey. To the rest of you, especially those headed to South Jersey and visiting Atlantic City for the League of Municipalities Conference. Enjoy your stay and remember, “It is what it is.”