Toms River Councilman Changes Political Parties To Republican
https://patch.com/new-jersey/tomsriver/toms-river-councilman-changes-political-parties-republican
(Quick note - He was a Republican prior, then switched, now he is switching back)
Daniel Rodrick, who was elected as a Democrat, made the announcement at Tuesday's council meeting.
(No articles at all on the Dailykos or Huffington post even mentioning this... Had it been a Republican switching it would be front page news, saying "Republicans sticking it in Rumps ASS, and jumping a sinking ships like rats!! Anutta Winner!")
TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Township Council now has five Republican members and two Democrats, after Councilman Daniel Rodrick announced Tuesday night that he was changing his political party membership.
Rodrick, who was elected to represent Ward 2 in November, renounced the Democratic Party at the Township Council meeting, according to reports in the Asbury Park Press and the Toms River Times.
Rodrick said he had been a registered Republican for 20 years before joining the Democrats last year, according to the Toms River Times report.
He said state issues, including the pending state aid cut to Toms River schools, and the national battle over immigration in which he said Democrats are "fighting tougher border security tooth and nail," were among the reasons he was changing his party affiliation, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Rodrick's announcement comes days after Toms River Republican Councilmembers Maurice Hill, Maria Maruca, George Wittmann and Council President Brian Kubiel issued a scathing criticism of the recently passed state budget and the bill championed by Senate President Stephen Sweeney that proposes cutting adjustment aid to more than 100 school districts. Toms River stands to lose nearly $19 million if Gov. Phil Murphy signs Senate Bill S2, which was passed by the Legislature in late June.
"These massive cuts in school aid guarantee that our already overburdened taxpayers are going to get crushed with higher property taxes that are completely out of the council's control," the statement said. "Make no mistake, these school tax increases will be the direct the result of Democrat politicians in Trenton who targeted our town, and Democrat politicians here in Toms River who did nothing to stand up and fight for our community, our taxpayers, and our schools."
Rodrick has feuded with the Republicans, Wittmann in particular, since being sworn in Jan. 2, including a heated debate in late May over the appointment of former Toms River Councilman Al Manforti to a commissioner's seat at the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority. Also appointed to a commissioner's seat the same night was Ben Montenegro, an attorney who is a Democrat. Rodrick accused the then-four Republicans of appointing Manforti, a Republican, as a political favor to give him access to medical benefits.
The argument ended up revealing that Rodrick was taking full medical benefits from the township in his position as a councilman. According to information obtained through an open public records request, Rodrick, Councilwoman Laurie Huryk and Councilman Terrence Turnbach all receive health benefits coverage worth medical and dental benefits through their council positions, with the township paying $37,038.36 annually for those benefits. Hill has medical and prescription coverage at an annual cost of $28,404. Wittmann has dental coverage, but the cost of that benefit is unspecified. Maruca and Kubiel do not take any coverage from the township.
After the argument between Wittmann and Rodrick, Councilwoman Laurie Huryk thanked the Republican majority for appointing Montenegro and giving the Democrats one of their selections to fill the MUA openings. Huryk and Terrance Turnbach, the other Democrat elected in November, have been far more measured in their responses and disagreements with the Republican majority since joining the council in January.
In the wake of Rodrick's announcement, Ben Giovine, chairman of Toms River's Democratic Municipal Committee, issued an emailed statement on the party change.
"I'm not surprised," Giovine said. "The Republican party in Ocean (County) has lots of money in their campaign coffers and plenty of patronage jobs to hand out."
"Dan is out for Dan — the Republican party may be a good fit for him, but it's certainly the wrong fit for voters who rejected Republican patronage last November," said Giovine, who had been president of the Toms River Regional Board of Education but did not run for re-election last year. "While Dan plays politics, Councilman Turnback and (Councilwoman) Huryk will concentrate on good government and continue to move Toms River in the right direction."
https://patch.com/new-jersey/tomsriver/toms-river-councilman-changes-political-parties-republican
(Quick note - He was a Republican prior, then switched, now he is switching back)
Daniel Rodrick, who was elected as a Democrat, made the announcement at Tuesday's council meeting.
(No articles at all on the Dailykos or Huffington post even mentioning this... Had it been a Republican switching it would be front page news, saying "Republicans sticking it in Rumps ASS, and jumping a sinking ships like rats!! Anutta Winner!")
TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Township Council now has five Republican members and two Democrats, after Councilman Daniel Rodrick announced Tuesday night that he was changing his political party membership.
Rodrick, who was elected to represent Ward 2 in November, renounced the Democratic Party at the Township Council meeting, according to reports in the Asbury Park Press and the Toms River Times.
Rodrick said he had been a registered Republican for 20 years before joining the Democrats last year, according to the Toms River Times report.
He said state issues, including the pending state aid cut to Toms River schools, and the national battle over immigration in which he said Democrats are "fighting tougher border security tooth and nail," were among the reasons he was changing his party affiliation, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Rodrick's announcement comes days after Toms River Republican Councilmembers Maurice Hill, Maria Maruca, George Wittmann and Council President Brian Kubiel issued a scathing criticism of the recently passed state budget and the bill championed by Senate President Stephen Sweeney that proposes cutting adjustment aid to more than 100 school districts. Toms River stands to lose nearly $19 million if Gov. Phil Murphy signs Senate Bill S2, which was passed by the Legislature in late June.
"These massive cuts in school aid guarantee that our already overburdened taxpayers are going to get crushed with higher property taxes that are completely out of the council's control," the statement said. "Make no mistake, these school tax increases will be the direct the result of Democrat politicians in Trenton who targeted our town, and Democrat politicians here in Toms River who did nothing to stand up and fight for our community, our taxpayers, and our schools."
Rodrick has feuded with the Republicans, Wittmann in particular, since being sworn in Jan. 2, including a heated debate in late May over the appointment of former Toms River Councilman Al Manforti to a commissioner's seat at the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority. Also appointed to a commissioner's seat the same night was Ben Montenegro, an attorney who is a Democrat. Rodrick accused the then-four Republicans of appointing Manforti, a Republican, as a political favor to give him access to medical benefits.
The argument ended up revealing that Rodrick was taking full medical benefits from the township in his position as a councilman. According to information obtained through an open public records request, Rodrick, Councilwoman Laurie Huryk and Councilman Terrence Turnbach all receive health benefits coverage worth medical and dental benefits through their council positions, with the township paying $37,038.36 annually for those benefits. Hill has medical and prescription coverage at an annual cost of $28,404. Wittmann has dental coverage, but the cost of that benefit is unspecified. Maruca and Kubiel do not take any coverage from the township.
After the argument between Wittmann and Rodrick, Councilwoman Laurie Huryk thanked the Republican majority for appointing Montenegro and giving the Democrats one of their selections to fill the MUA openings. Huryk and Terrance Turnbach, the other Democrat elected in November, have been far more measured in their responses and disagreements with the Republican majority since joining the council in January.
In the wake of Rodrick's announcement, Ben Giovine, chairman of Toms River's Democratic Municipal Committee, issued an emailed statement on the party change.
"I'm not surprised," Giovine said. "The Republican party in Ocean (County) has lots of money in their campaign coffers and plenty of patronage jobs to hand out."
"Dan is out for Dan — the Republican party may be a good fit for him, but it's certainly the wrong fit for voters who rejected Republican patronage last November," said Giovine, who had been president of the Toms River Regional Board of Education but did not run for re-election last year. "While Dan plays politics, Councilman Turnback and (Councilwoman) Huryk will concentrate on good government and continue to move Toms River in the right direction."
