Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Right 2 Recall NJ Questions the Disclosure Act

People may be cheering that Harry Reid did not have enough votes for cloture, but we caution everyone that only means that the Bill isn't fillibuster-proof. This may not be the last we see of this atrocity. Therefore, I have decided to publish the Press Release I had written regarding this issue, as I believe it is still relevant. Be sure to read the very last sentence to understand why.

JULY 27,2010, BRANCHVILLE, NJ – Right 2 Recall NJ (formerly Recall NJ), an organization formed to facilitate the recall of Senator Robert Menendez has many questions about the statements Senator Menendez makes in his response to his constituents regarding S.3295, known as The DISCLOSE Act. Spokesman for Right 2 Recall NJ, RoseAnn Salanitri, would like Senator Menendez to explain how indemnifying one segment of the population against stifling campaign finance regulations while encumbering others promotes democracy. She asked, “Doesn’t free speech apply to all citizens- whether they are part of small corporations or large ones?
In his form letter response regarding DISCLOSE, Menendez states: “It would require corporations, unions, and other organizations that make political expenditures to disclose their donors and stand by their ads.” However, Democratic Rep. Chris VanHollen, (who first introduced the Bill along with others, including Senator Menendez), defined who would be regulated this way, “…groups that pop up overnight with shadowy names…and don’t have to disclose who their donors are. We are less worried about groups with dues-paying members.”
Since the Bill exempts reporting donations of $600 or less to the Federal Election Commission, Right 2 Recall NJ would like Senator Menendez to explain if this means that union dues under $600 are exempt – are these the “dues-paying members” that Rep. VanHollen is referring to or is there another type of “dues-paying members”?
Salanitri has other questions regarding Section 324 (a-2) which regulates: “any communication that republishes, disseminates, or distributes, in whole or in part, any broadcast or any written, graphic, or other form of campaign material prepared by a candidate, an authorized committee of a candidate, or their agents.” She would like the Senator to explain if this applies to censoring internet communications and bloggers, who frequently redistribute information, and excludes traditional media sources (such as newspapers and television stations) - and more specifically, how is democracy promoted by allowing the Federal Elections Commission to regulate free speech and the sharing of information?”
Salanitri also thought it was a bit odd that the introductory language of the Bill states that it would “prohibit foreign influence in Federal elections,” since that is already the case. Therefore, she would like Senator Menendez to explain why the bill reasserts a prohibition already in existence in the Federal Election Laws if those introducing the Bill had objectives other than garnering support from the public for a protection already in existence?
In light of the recent Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, whereby the Supreme Court protected Citizens United’s first amendment right to exercise political speech, Salanitri would also like to know if Senator Menendez agrees with the Court, and if he does, why he is supporting this Bill. If not, she would like him to logically explain to his constituents why he believes the Supreme Court erred in its decision.
On a more personal level, Salanitri would also like Senator Menendez to explain publicly and for the record how the Bill would impact a grassroots campaign such as the one launched to recall the Senator. Would Right 2 Recall NJ be scrutinized, regulated, and audited until it can no longer exist, or would their First Amendment Rights be protected, as designed in the Constitution?

Don't forget to visit our new website: Right2RecallNJ.com

Friday, July 16, 2010

Liar, Liar - Time to Fire!

By RoseAnn Salanitri

A deceased Nevada woman made the news as a result of an obituary her family wrote on her behalf. The woman, Charlotte McCourt, worked for Harry Reid’s campaign in the past and came to regret that effort after Senator Reid not only neglected to make good on his campaign promises but downright betrayed them. Unfortunately, while the obituary may be a unique story, lying politicians are not.

In New Jersey, Jim Florio won the campaign for governor after campaigning on the promise that he would not raise taxes. Barely one week into his administration, Florio boldly raised taxes – without even trying to mask or spin his defiance. The New Jersey voters were angry – angry enough to amend their state constitution to include recall laws. As a result, New Jersey has arguably the best recall laws in the entire country. Florio felt empowered by the well-known complacency of New Jersey voters and their willingness to accept politicians saying one thing on the campaign trail and doing something entirely different once in office. The one-term Florio sadly misjudged his constituency and his arrogance energized New Jersey to stand against hypocrisy – or to be more precise – liars! In 1993, New Jersey recall was added to the ballot as a referendum item, and it passed by a majority of 76.2%! The citizens of New Jersey laid the foundation for themselves and for the rest of the nation to be able to fire the liars.

Jim Florio wasn’t the first to lie about his intentions in order to garner votes. George Bush who won his 2004 presidential campaign by a thin margin was also guilty of campaign lies, which we politely term “rhetoric” now-a-days. If memory serves correctly, you will recall (pardon the pun) that George Bush won the state of Ohio – which sealed the outcome of the election in his favor. The deciding factor in Ohio was Bush’s commitment to defining marriage as between one man and one woman on a federal level. After the election, that commitment was retired to the cemetery of lost campaign promises, along with a myriad of others.

This country would be in a lot better shape if members of Congress crossed party lines as frequently as campaign promises do. Our last presidential election provides a plethora of examples from a man who managed to paint himself as a “centrist” while all the while holding to the most extreme leftist views. One of the most audacious was his pledge of “Transparency.” The voluminous healthcare bill not only was passed by a Congress that admittedly didn’t read it, but the American people, who were promised that all Bills would be posted for the public to read before being voted upon (termed “transparency”), were never given the chance. The Bill was rushed through Congress virtually overnight and history once again has another name to add to its list of disingenuous politicians. BO, aptly named, is perhaps the poster child for campaign “rhetoric” - or should we call it the “say-whatever-people-want-to-hear-to-get-elected-and-then-do-what-you-want-once-in-office” syndrome that we have been conditioned to accept. Well, a rose by any other name may still smell as sweet, but campaign rhetoric smells whether it bears the name McGreevy, Bush, or BO.

New Jersey may have well found the key to unlocking the door of political deception. It’s called recall. In essence recall really reinvents a childhood rant to: Liar, Liar, Time to Fire! This writer, for one, believes it’s time to start calling a spade a spade, to stop calling campaign lies “rhetoric,” and to stop calling self-serving opportunists “representatives.” Perhaps my vocabulary isn’t as flowery as our politicians would like, but a liar is a liar regardless of his or her party affiliation. It’s time we stop accepting the lies of opportunists and start holding them accountable. Join New Jersey in its new chant: Liar, Liar – Time to Fire, and help us get rid of the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Recall may be a new concept for you but it’s one that holds much promise for an electorate who wants to clean house and restore our Constitutional Republic.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Grab Your Buckets - Please!!!

By RoseAnn Salanitri

Lately, I find myself saying to friends, neighbors, and just about anyone who will listen that I feel like I’m in the middle of a forest with brush fires erupting all around me and I only have one bucket of water. When one surveys the political forest fires that have been ignited by this administration, only having one bucket of water can be a frightening thing. Below are a few examples of what I'm talking about:

• Offering jobs to political candidates in exchange for their
dropping out of their races – an impeachable offense
• Dept. of Justice dropping a slam-dunk lawsuit against Black Panthers for voter intimidation in Philadelphia
• Dept. of Justice suing Arizona for implemening state law patterned after Federal law in an effort to protect its citizens
• Bank bailouts
• Tarp funds
• Automobile bailouts/takeover
• Stimulus money being sent to foreign countries
• Government seeking to control the internet
• The Fairness Doctrine
• Financial Reform Bill that gives government access to your personal bank account and finances
• The Gulf Oil Crisis/debacle
• Health care
• Cap & Trade
• NASA prime directive to reach out to the Muslim people to acknowledge their scientific achievements
• Illegal Alien invasion
• Government compiling illegal lists about citizens against health care
• Government protecting the rights of Al Qaeda terrorists
• Congress passing bills without votes “deeming” them passed
• Congress locking out minority parties from discussions
• Illegal aliens being given monies for college tuition and housing credits
• Parental rights being usurped by public schools (schools arranging for abortions for under-aged students without parental notification or consent)
• Constant assault against second amendment right to bear arms

Had enough? If your head is spinning and wondering how we can possibly put out all of these fires, there is an answer. We cannot fight on all these fronts successfully so let’s fight in a way that counts. As hard as it may be, we have to stop being distracted by the forest fires this administration is setting all around us and concentrate on throwing our buckets of water at a strategic target. We can tie the hands of the administration by replacing Congress. That should be our only goal throughout this summer. If we don’t win this battle, all may be lost. We can clean up the mess later but first we have to concentrate on saving our country and protecting our Constitution.

Here in New Jersey we can start putting out this fire by recalling Senator Menendez. Removing him from office would be a significant step in the right direction for two reasons: 1. NJ can set the precedent for other states to do the same and we can change the makeup of Congress. There are presently nine states that have recall laws written into their state constitutions; 2. It will send a message loud and clear to the rest of our elected officials that we are watching what they are doing, intend to keep them accountable, and will no longer tolerate crimes against our Constitution. It is crucial that we succeed. The future of our country is literally depending upon us.

FYI, New Jersey, along with Louisiana, Colorado, and North Dakota are founding members of a nationwide coalition (Right 2 Recall USA) that intends to lead the charge to restore our system of government as it was originally designed. We are convinced that this initiative can bear the fruit of change this country needs – change that will lead us in the right direction back onto the path of freedom and protected liberties. We can do this because we are still a government by the people, for the people, and of the people – and it is our job to make sure it stays that way!

To find out how to get your bucket of water, look for our new website that will be up and running soon: Right2RecallNJ.com
or visit our blog: njrecallnow.blogspot.com,
or visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/RecallNJ