Jersey Shore Blog

The Difference Between Memorial Day and Veteran's Day

This morning I read a post over at The Fox Forum, written by Lee Woodruff, wife of ABC newsman Bob Woodruff who was seriously injured in Iraq close to the beginning of the war.

Let me first honor Bob for his service to journalism and both he and Lee for their Foundation, found at www.Remind.org, which is a charitable organization helping injured service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the post Lee seems to be confusing the purpose of Memorial Day, which is to honor those military members who have died, and Veterans Day, which is to honor all Veterans, alive or dead.

The post dares be a little confrontational, with an indictment of Americans in general by someone who stated, "Some of us went to war and the rest of America went shopping." 

I can forgive Lee the sentiment, first because of her family's sacrifice, and second because later in the post you realize she is trying to guilt us into giving money to her Foundation to help the troops.  The capitalist in me finds nothing wrong with a little creative salesmanship.  I hope you'll donate.

I do have a problem with Lee saying this:

"But how many of us truly pause on this holiday to think about the real meaning of the weekend.  How many of us this Memorial Day will stop to honor not only the veterans of previous wars, but the 1.65 million who have returned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Lee should "truly pause on this holiday to think about the real meaning of the weekend."

Memorial Day was originally called "Decoration Day" and was enacted in 1868 to honor fallen Union servicemen by having flowers placed about their graves.

Here is the Order issued by the Army creating the observance:

I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but Posts and comrades will, in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

We are organized, Comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers sailors and Marines, who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead? We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security, is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.

If other eyes grow dull and other hinds slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain in us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed, gather around their sacred remains, and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledge to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon the Nation's gratitude—the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

II. It is the purpose of the Commander in Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to call attention to this Order, and lend its friendly aid in bringing it to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

III. Department commanders will use every effort to make this Order effective.

The reason Veterans sell poppies on Memorial Day is a nod to the poem "In Flanders Field," which is about poppies growing in a cemetery were soldiers are buried.

Decoration Day was later changed to Memorial Day, likely in an effort to bring the South into the holiday.  It became a federal holiday by Statute in 1967.

Memorial Day is certainly about the soldiers who have left us, not the Vets who are still with us, as Lee Woodruff suggests.

Veterans Day grew out of the end of World War I on November 11, 1918, known as "the end of the war to end all wars."

In 1919 President Wilson declared "Armistice Day," but the focus was again on fallen soldiers:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

In 1926 Congress weighed in with this resolution about Armistice Day:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

Armistice Day became a legal holiday in 1938.

In 1954, at the urging of Veterans groups, the 1938 law was amended to strike out the word "Armistice" and replace it with the word "Veterans," thus giving rise to our current November holiday to honor Veterans.

While I tip my hat to Lee Woodruff for her efforts, it remains true that history and tradition are important to America and we can't lose site of them.  That's part of what the military fights for.

Happy Memorial Day weekend.  Leave a flower on the grave of a Vet this weekend, or buy a poppy from a Vet when shopping.

Stability and Lethargy in Asbury Park

The most interesting politics at the Jersey Shore has offered up another meager helping of numbers to crunch in last night’s City Council election.

 

Asbury Park puts the “poly” in politics, being one of the most racially and religiously diverse communities in all of New Jersey.  The census will tell you the dense little City (double entendre when speaking of its management) is over 17,000 people packed into a little more than a square mile. However, those who live and work there will tell you the figure should be well over 20,000, due to the number of people who escape the attention of census takers as they work to escape the attention of Homeland Security’s Immigration Section.

 

They are also a people who, as a rule, hate to vote.

 

In 2001, 24 candidates ran for 5 open seats, 2476 voted, or 32% of the registered voters.

 

In 2005, 19 candidates ran for 5 open seats, 1915 voted, or 25% of registered voters.

 

Last night 12 candidates ran for 5 open seats, 1218 voted, or an embarrassing 17% of registered voters.

 

Asbury Park used to have 18 voting districts. They are down to 9.  If someone challenges this at the county level, they may be down to 2.

 

One thing last night’s election proved (which is being proved in elections all over the country) is that the “Obama Bump” at the polls is reserved only for races where Barack Obama is running.  A whopping 5,000 people voted in November’s Presidential election in Asbury Park, and they voted 9 to 1 for Obama. That means 75% of November’s Asbury Park voters stayed home because Obama wasn’t running.

 

That also means Republican John Curley will win a seat as County Freeholder in November, since he only lost last November because of the “Obama Bump.”

 

A difference this year in Asbury Park was that there were only about half the usual candidates.  This was a refreshing change, since Asbury Park usually sees a great number of politically insane people running for office.  This year, all of the candidates seemed worth a damn.

 

You’ll have to pick your favorite political analysis for why the interest in running for Asbury Park City Council or voting in its elections is dwindling:

 

-         People are happy with the existing council so no one cares to vote;

-         The economy has people too worried about other matters to care;

-         Those who are most involved in the City aren’t registered to vote;

-         Quite simply, the residents of Asbury Park simply don’t care to vote.

 

Maybe it’s a mixture off all of it.

 

The numbers do show some changing dynamics.

 

The center of the political Universe in Asbury Park this past decade has been Sanders, Loffredo and Bruno, who each won their third term last night, which is quite an accomplishment in Asbury Park.  Before them the end of your first term here was usually marked by the beginning of your first indictment from the prosecutor.

 

When they first ran in 2001, Sanders was originally not on the ticket with Loffredo and Bruno.  Political expedience and common sense brought them together:  Bruno represents the old-time Asbury voters, who are quiet, yet there, albeit dwindling in size.  Loffredo is from an old time family too, but also represents the best of the activist Gay and Lesbian Community in Asbury Park.  Mayor Kevin Sanders is from a genesis African American Community in Asbury Park and brings in the vote from the West Side.

 

Kevin Sanders also ran the local Labor Ready franchise in the City.  It’s easy to get votes when you give out the jobs, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

 

The team has proved quite formidable together, although any one of them would be in jeopardy without the team.

 

In 2005 Sanders received over 900 votes (half of all cast) in a field of 19 candidates.  That blew away the field and was an enormous landslide, but it’s gone now.  His third place showing put him just 12 votes in front of newcomer to politics (but not new to Asbury Park activism) Sue Henderson.  Henderson received 9 more votes than Jim Bruno, the most vulnerable of the 5 incumbents who receives the least votes on his ticket.

 

That leaves Ed Johnson, who received the most votes last night.  Don’t let his “smartest clerk in the world” persona fool you – Ed’s a great politician.  In some respects, you might even say “sly.”

 

Originally appointed by Sanders, Loffredo and Bruno to fill a vacancy, he ran only begrudgingly with them in 2005, maintaining a shadow individual campaign in the background. It was a smart move.  In that election, former councilman Jim Keady was landing heavy punches in the campaign against the incumbents (which earned him a seat).  Ed managed to reap the votes of being both an insider and an outsider at the same time.

 

Ed Johnson has conducted himself the same way as councilman.  For instance, on the hot-button issue of Eminent Domain, Ed has always voted against its use even when needed, leaving Sanders, Loffredo and Bruno to do the heavy lifting of voting for it.  Yet when he was charged with writing the Springwood Avenue Redevelopment Plan, Johnson wrote into it that the City should have the power of Eminent Domain.  Las Vegas odds say when a Springwood Avenue property comes to a vote for Eminent Domain, Ed will vote against it.

 

I deem him “Ed Johnson Kerry” – he voted for Eminent Domain before he voted against it.  Like Bill Clinton he claims to be all things to all people on all issues, and it works for him – people are buying it.

 

This was the year the challengers could have picked off some incumbents.  Amy Quinn was cream of the crop – a smart lawyer, volunteers mucho time to Asbury Park causes, is a double minority (woman and gay) and has the Asbury Park liberal aesthetic.  But she ran alone.  Kate Mellina was the rarity who won here running without a ticket.  If Amy were on a ticket, she would have garnered the extra 88 votes needed to unseat Bruno.

 

Anthony Perillo’s showing was impressive for a second year newcomer.  The formula for him to win next time is easy - stay involved and public for the next four years.  If he disappears and shows up for the election 4 years from now, he’ll be no better than perennial last placer Harold Suggs.

 

Maureen Nevin and Rosetta Johnson did well and could have won but their campaign lacked one thing – former Councilman Jim Keady as a campaign manager.  Jim knows how to bring the fight.  Johnson likely knows more deep dark secrets about the City than anyone, and that should have been in media and on billboards throughout the election.  Nevin successfully sued the incumbents in a Sunshine Law case.  She had the moral high-ground against them, but didn’t make enough hay out of it.

 

This election also confirmed something we knew:  AP Action, the Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, is as useless as a milk bucket under a bull.

 

Started by the late great Joe D’Andrea as a group to do community projects, it has turned into a group that shows up election time to make endorsement and that’s it.  No one would even know of them if Nancy Shields at the Asbury Park Press didn’t write about them.

 

AP Action’s endorsements always lose when they try to bring up a candidate that’s an underdog.  Mark that – THEIR CANDIDATES ALWAYS LOSE.  Why?  A huge chunk of the Gay and Lesbian community doesn’t register to vote here.  That, and there aren’t as many gays in Asbury Park as some are led to believe. Many have moved to Wannamassa and Shark River Hills.

 

The current City Council appears diverse:  Three gays, two blacks, one woman and a disabled man.  Is that diverse enough for this City?  No Latino? No Haitian?  No one from the Southwest (as usual)? No one who has ever had to meet a payroll?  No Conservative?   Faux diversity.

 

The challenges for Asbury Park are quite the same as always.  A failing, segregated school district with a $90 million budget (almost all of it subsidized by State and Federal taxpayers) while about 90 votes gets you a spot on the Board of Education.

 

A struggling retail economy that sees more turnover in stores than the Florida Marlins player roster. A beachfront redevelopment still showing “Art-Wrecko” buildings paralyzed not just by the economy but also by the current set of participants. New data even shows rising crime rates.

 

Wow.  All those problems and only a 17% voter turnout.  Good luck, Asbury Park.

 

Here were the results:

 

Ed Johnson, 706; John Loffredo, 624; Kevin Sanders, 591; Susan Henderson, 579; Jim Bruno, 570; Amy Quinn, 482; Anthony Perillo, 474; Rosetta Johnson, 462; Maureen Nevin, 403; Kevin Michel, 399; Elisabet Pacheco, 283; and Harold Suggs, 158.

Friday "Fail Photo" Fun

DC Pundit Likes Lonegan over Christie

May 6th, 2009 4:26 PM Eastern

PHIL KERPEN: Calling All Conservatives — New Jersey Is Ground Zero For Our Comeback

By Phil Kerpen
Conservative Commentator

The first electoral battle on the conservative comeback trail won’t be in 2010, or even in November of 2009; it’s just weeks away on June 2 and it will be waged inside the Republican Party in the seemingly deep blue state of New Jersey.  Former Bogota, New Jersey Mayor Steve Lonegan is running on a platform that touches on all of the best pro-growth,  supply-side ideas of the past 30 years, and it’s starting to look like he might very well win.  His opponent, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, is using tired, liberal talking points to attack Lonegan’s agenda. Surprisingly some conservatives who should know better continue to support Christie as the only candidate who can win in November.  They’re wrong.  Lonegan can win, and his agenda deserves the strong support of fiscal conservatives.

Lonegan’s signature proposal is a flat tax that would take the top state income tax rate all the way down from 8.97 percent to 2.9 percent. That’s below neighboring Pennsylvania’s 3.07 percent flat tax and well below New York State’s top rate of 6.85 percent and New York City’s combined state and local income tax of 10.5 percent.  The Lonegan flat tax would be rocket fuel for New Jersey’s beleaguered state economy, which has been hemorrhaging population and jobs.  It would also make the state a magnet for tax refugees from New York.

———————————————————————————–

Steve Lonegan has beaten Jon Corzine before, and if he can do it again he promises to implement an aggressively pro-growth agenda that could be the template for a national conservative revival.

————————————————————————————–

Lonegan would use market-based reforms to cut spending and in turn cut his flat tax rate, to 2.5 percent in year two and 2.1 percent in year three.  He would overturn the state Supreme Court’s Abbott decisions that divert enormous amounts of income tax revenue to a few failed urban school districts and replace them with a school voucher program that empowers parents to choose the best schools for their children. His plan would let families escape the failed public schools that have not gotten better despite millions of dollars being diverted to them from suburban taxpayers.  He has a credible plan for slashing bureaucracy that includes closing and realigning cabinet-level agencies and eliminating wasteful spending throughout state government.

It gets better.  Lonegan is also proposing elimination of the state’s corporate income tax — long hated by fiscal conservatives as an ineffective, anti-growth, opaque form of taxation.

The corporate tax, after all, falls on people, because only people can pay taxes.  Corporate taxes are paid by workers in the form of lost jobs and lower wages, consumers in the form of higher prices, and shareholders in the form of lost profits; shareholders, as anyone who recently checked a 401k statement can tell you, are people too, and lost profits come out of the pockets of regular hard-working Americans.

Chris Christie’s response to Lonegan’s shock-and-awe supply-side plans for tax reforms, tax cuts, and spending cuts is to trot out tired old class-warfare rhetoric that could have come straight from inside the Obama White House.  He decries the fact that taxpayers who pay little or no tax under the state’s current progressive rates would see a tax hike.  But from a conservative standpoint, that’s one of the chief virtues of a flat tax plan; everybody pays his or her fair share, so nobody gets a free ride and becomes an automatic supporter of bigger and more expensive government.

Can such an ambitious program be put into practice in a state like New Jersey?  Lonegan makes a strong case that it’s possible:

“The governor of New Jersey is one of the strongest executives in the country,” Lonegan told me recently.  “As governor I would have to appoint hundreds of officials including judges and the Attorney General.  I would be able to impound funds.  I would have the line-item veto.  There are sweeping powers that have never been used for conservative purposes, but they can be and I will do it.”

Lonegan should not be taken lightly.  Nobody thought he could defeat two ballot questions in 2007, a stem-cell bond issue and a tax-swap swindle that would have locked in higher sales taxes by offering property tax rebate checks that would disappear in just a year or two.  Everyone from The New York Times to “smart insiders” from both New Jersey political parties thought these measures, backed by Governor Jon Corzine , would sail through.  Lonegan rallied grassroots opposition, traveled the state tirelessly, and helped plant tens of thousands of yard signs all over the state opposing the questions.  He beat them both — the first ballot questions turned down in New Jersey in 17 years.

Steve Lonegan has beaten Jon Corzine before, and  if he can do it again he promises to implement an aggressively pro-growth agenda that could be the template for a national conservative revival.  For pro-growth conservatives, it doesn’t get any bigger than this race, just a few weeks away.  Stay tuned.

Mr. Kerpen is a policy analyst in Washington, DC.  His web site is www.philkerpen.com and his free daily podcast is available here.

What Income Level Is New Jersey Middle Class?

Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre has a criticism of Steve Lonegan's tax plan over at More Monmouth Musings.

Read it here: http://tinyurl.com/crugus

But I don't see where the Mayor tells us what income level is middle class, and why?

Leave your comments over there at More Monmouth Musings.

Friday Fail Photo Fun

see more pwn and owned pictures