Murphy, “We can – we MUST – march toward justice together.” But We Can’t March To Our Polling Places

Phil Murphy

I am now convinced Governor Phil Murphy has lost his mind!

The Governor decreed we all must vote by mail in this year’s primary election, but he has no problem with folks marching in a protest. I don’t care what side of the COVID-19 shutdown argument you come down on, any thinking person should wonder why it’s okay to march in protest and not okay to stand in line to vote.

Make no mistake, my beef is NOT with those who marched in Camden. They deserve praise for not turning to violence like across the bridge in Philly or down the Expressway in Atlantic City.

But please spare me the “they honored social distancing guidelines in Camden” garbage. Even the photo Murphy shared on Twitter shows those marching, including the Camden County Police Department’s Chief, were less than the recommended six feet apart:

Look at the picture! The banner is less than six feet long and there are four people, including the Chief, holding the banner. They are obviously closer than six feet. Will we see the police chief was issued a summons for violating the Governor’s executive order? I doubt it!

It was a group of more than 25 people, the Governor’s number! Will their be a summons for violating that order? Guaranteed no!

This leads me to a question. If a police chief can willingly violate the six feet rule and the 25 people rule while marching in a protest, why can’t we maintain a distance of six feet and go vote?

The answer is we can! The problem is Phil Murphy won’t allow it. Science and data went out the window long ago! The fact Murphy is okay with marching in a protest and still will not allow in-person voting proves that.

Folks who have never voted by mail in their entire lives are being forced to do something they don’t want to do because Phil Murphy said so.

I already know I’m going to have to go to my father’s and help him and my stepmother with their vote-by-mail ballots because my dad absolutely hates anything new to him and his wife has suffered four strokes so easy tasks aren’t exactly easy.

My stepmother doesn’t get out of the house much for more than doctor office visits. She looks forward to going to the polls. It’s a social event for her. Phil Murphy robbed her of that opportunity. But I am certain if she got in her wheelchair and participated in a protest Murphy would have been fine with that.

I’m tired of this nonsense!

Governor – we now have proof that you are okay with people being closer than six feet to each other and in crowds of over 25. Let us go to the polls!

Is A Singh Contributor Protecting His Investment? Or Is It A Way Around Campaign Finance Law? Either Way Someone’s Got Some Explaining To Do.

Hirsh Singh

Update: I had a conversation on Facebook Messenger with Shore News Network’s Phil Stilton who assures me Frank Sadeghi does NOT own Shore News Network. In fact, he told me I should stop getting intel from the owner of Rise Up Ocean County, I think he was surprised I didn’t know who owned it. Stilton assures me his relationship with Sadeghi ended on December 31, 2019. This means the difference in coverage question in the piece is moot. I stand by the campaign finance questions.

I remember not too long ago, back before we launched The Bob & Steve Show the Shore News Network was critical of former beauty contest winner Republican U.S. Senate candidate Hirsh Singh.

They ran with headlines like “Singh In Line with Murphy, PSE&G on Jersey’s $3Billion Energy Bailout” and referred to Singh as an “establishment candidate” writing, “Seth Grossman, a former Atlantic County Freeholder and staunch supporter of the political agenda of President Donald Trump defeated Republican establishment candidate Hirsh Singh.”

There has been a complete about face in the publication’s coverage of Singh even going so far as to try to make it sound like a North Jersey vs South Jersey battle to decide what Republican is going to take on US Senator Cory Booker in November. Of course, they failed to mention Singh did not win all of South Jersey, that Rik Mehta won organizational support in Salem, Gloucester, Camden and Burlington and that Camden, Gloucester and Salem hold more Republican votes than Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic.

Why the sudden turnaround?

Could it be that the new owner of Shore News Network, Frank Sadeghi, has invested at least $2,500 in Hirsh Singh according to Federal Election Commission (FEC):

I say Sadeghi contributed at least $2,500 Singh’s campaign because as you can see (above) Arya Properties, LLC is also listed on Singh’s campaign finance report filed with the FEC as contributing $2,500. Arya Properties, LLC and Sadeghi share the same address. Arya Properties, LLC, according to this published report is owned by Sadeghi.

An LLC, according to the FEC “Who can and can’t contribute”, may contribute to a candidate committee “If a single member LLC has not chosen corporate tax treatment, it may make contributions; the contributions will be attributed to the single member, not the LLC.”

But it appears Arya Properties, LLC is a partnership. According to the FEC:

Partnerships are permitted to make contributions according to special rules.

Contributions received by a candidate's authorized committees from a partnership may not exceed the limitations. In addition, a contribution from a partnership also counts proportionately against each participating partner’s own limit with respect to the same candidate

Of course, one is going to ask what evidence I have Arya Properties, LLC is a partnership. On the “About us” page of the Arya Properties, LLC website is a link to a video in which Lauren Plump states she is a partner in Arya Properties, LLC.

Ms. Plump is also listed as a principal of Morgan Engineering & Surveying on the company’s website. The other listed principal is Sadeghi.

This all leads to the question are Sadeghi’s contributions to Singh’s campaign a way to skirt the intent of campaign finance laws?

It’s a question I asked on behalf of former Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi’s congressional campaign back in 2018 after I discovered Singh to out up to $65,000 in loans without having any collateral.

Or perhaps my first guess is right and the sudden change in the way Shore News Network covers Singh is Sadeghi protecting his investment in the Singh campaign.

Either way, someone has some explaining to do.

PRESS RELEASE: Gloucester County Republican Freeholder Candidates Say it’s Time To Smartly Reopen

DeSilvio, Shivery, Konawel

Gloucester County GOP freeholder candidates Gibbstown Mayor George W. Shivery, Jr., entrepreneur/business owner Chris Konawel and Franklin Twp. Board of Education member Nick DeSilvio want New Jersey to reopen. Following is their press release on the matter:

Gloucester County Republican freeholder candidates George W. Shivery, Jr., Chris Konawel and Nick DeSilvio said today it is time to “let commonsense prevail and smartly get the state reopened.”

“While we acknowledge there has been some progress made toward reopening, far too many folks are still out of work, still having issues with unemployment and struggling to pay their bills, as a state we have to do better.” George W. Shivery, Jr. said, “We can open more businesses. For example, barber shops and beauty salons could safely reopen while following social distancing guidelines by moving chairs further apart and wearing masks. These businesses are licensed and sanitary, sitting in a barber’s chair you can see equipment, combs, scissors and such, soaking in disinfectant.”

Chris Konawel added, “The state shouldn’t be picking winners and losers. Deciding what businesses are essential and non-essential hasn’t appeared to be a scientific exercise. Our mom-and-pop shops are suffering and many are not set-up to provide curbside pickup, many seniors who frequent these shops aren’t prepared to find their websites, place an order online and then go pick up the order. Our neighbors in Salem County were right to pass a bipartisan resolution calling on Governor Murphy to reopen businesses and return to normalcy.”

“Part of returning to normalcy means putting an end to deciding which businesses are essential and non-essential. I assure you, a non-essential business is essential to the employees of that business,” Nick DeSilvio said. “It makes no sense that one can take their dog for a haircut but can’t take their child for one. We, as a state, should be looking at what works elsewhere and what doesn’t. There is no partisan way to reopen our state. The fearmongering has to stop and we must let commonsense prevail and smartly get the state reopened.”