On The New National Strategy To Combat The Surge In Antisemitism

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the House Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, issued the following statement on the new national strategy released by the Biden Administration aimed at addressing the surge in antisemitic hate across the United States:

“There are many good things about the plan - above all I welcome the attention it pays to community/physical security, to the problems of getting better reporting and law enforcement responses to antisemitic violence and harassment, and to Holocaust education.

“Some of the most vicious and harmful antisemitism is incitement to violence and hatred of Israel. In 2004, Natan Sharansky testified at a hearing

I chaired that while Israel should not be above criticism, that anti-Semitism tries to ‘hide behind the veneer of legitimate criticism of Israel.’ Sharansky said that employing the 3D test - demonization, double standards and delegitimization - is useful in exposing antisemitism.

“When antisemites spew their hatred, one of the principal duties of an elected official is to stand publicly and emphatically with the intended victim.” know what benefits and services are already offered to them. While the state has a website with information on state and federal veterans’ programs, state and county operated veterans’ services offices, and several veterans’ advocacy organizations, there remains a need to get this information out to vets more effectively.

Rep. Smith is the author of the law that created the Office to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism in the US State Department, as well as the law that established ambassadorial-level leadership of the fight against antisemitism abroad.

One of my budget requests is for more funding to market veterans’ services. It’s for a modest $500,000, perhaps a lot to you and me but a rounding error in a budget of over $50 billion with an $8-10 billion surplus. This would support print and social media advertising directed at veterans so that they can benefit from the programs already in place for them.

Gov. Murphy’s proposed budget includes $12 million to help build a French art museum upstate called the “Centre Pompidou × Jersey City.” While I have nothing against French art, I don’t see it as a priority over our state’s veterans. I think we can take 1/24th of that money to benefit vets, which is what my budget request does.

I’ve also written in these pages about the incredible work being done by an Ocean County nonprofit, as well as nonprofits across the state, to help homeless people – many of whom are veterans – get temporary shelter when it’s very cold outside. This is done under the state’s “Code Blue” program. I was surprised to learn that grants to these groups from the town and the county are not matched by the state, which after all enacted the program. So another budget request asks for $1 million to provide up to 20 matching grants of up to $50,000. This is based on my bipartisan legislation (A5118) that would do the same, and would again take some money from the French art museum to keep people alive during the winter. While a bipartisan team of senators introduced my Assembly bill and got it out of a Senate committee unanimously, the process can be slow, and I’d love to see this funded in the new state budget. the panel applied for the program, “we knew there was a chance that we may not make it into this exciting citizen science program, but we applied anyway. Upon investigation of sites, the review showed that our lake was already experiencing blooms of some nature, being up so close to the headwaters of Crosswicks Creek.”

Finally, another budget request is for $12 million to place a veterans’ nursing home in Ocean or Monmouth county, which would be named after my predecessor and great veterans’ advocate, Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer. According to census figures, Ocean and Monmouth have among the highest numbers of veterans in the state.

This mirrors my bipartisan legislation, A5119. The funds would be taken from federal Covid-related aid, as the State Auditor reported in April that the state has $5.14 billion in such funds still uncommitted. Vets should be able to stay near their family, friends and loved ones if they need nursing home care.

French art is nice, but it didn’t fight for our country.

Alex Sauickie is a life-long Jackson resident who represents his home town and 13 other towns in the State Assembly.

The data that is collected will go to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The program is sponsored by Montclair’s Traveling HAB Lab and funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and members of Congress.

Tallon said this “could potentially open us up for funding and future aid and resources. We are partnering with Americorps and the

New Egypt High School and community on this. This is truly citizen science at its finest.”

She noted that the program will require a huge commitment from volunteers willing to step up. “What we are asking of people is considerable. We could also use this program to promote stormwater education and social media exposure for being proactive on the protection of livestock, pets and humans who wish to use or recreate in our beautiful lake.”

“We will be testing three to five locations along the creek from the Wide Ocean to Volunteer Park from July through October a total of 10 times and each sampling will require tech calibration, on-site field sampling and then lab work to analyze the water samples for cyanobacteria,” Tallon added.

Grant Awards Received

In other news, Mayor Bowen also announced that the township received a $75,000 grant from the NJDEP “for enhancing our stormwater management. It will be a multi-year project and will include more active monitoring and management of our stormwater intakes and retention basins. This state-wide initiative has a goal of minimizing the adverse impacts of stormwater runoff produced by the flood runoff of storms and improve water quality,” the mayor added. “Our initial step was to award a contract to our municipal engineer to create a plan for these required projects.”

Plumsted also received a $13,668 local recreation improvement grant that will be combined with the monies from the Ocean County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to resurface the basketball court at the recreation field.

“Because the amount of funding from the CDBG was less than we hoped for we were able to secure an additional grant to allow us to resurface the rec field, the basketball court, and hopefully the municipal parking lot on Main Street next to Scott’s Market,” Mayor Bowen added.

Jackson Elks To Host Concert

JACKSON - The Jackson Elks Lodge 2744 is hosting a concert featuring “The Mangos” on June 17 at their lodge located at 1059 E. Veterans Highway. The $20 per person donation will help raise funds for various veterans charities. The gates open at 3 p.m. with the concert beginning at 4 p.m.

Attendees should bring a lawn chair. Food and refreshments will be available and there will also be gift baskets raffled off. During the concert you will have the last chance to purchase a raffle for two half-day fishing trips on “The Gambler” out of Point Pleasant.

Tickets are available at the lodge on Friday and Saturday nights after 6 p.m., at the gate, or on eventbrite.com Jackson Elks Veterans Fundraiser. Call the lodge at 732-363-4101 for more information.

The Jackson Elks is a not-for profit organization that is part of the National Elks which is America’s premier charitable organization. Elks invest in their communities through programs that help children grow up healthy and drug-free, meet the needs of today’s veterans, and improve the quality of life.

The Elks programs include scholarships, veterans services, Americanism, and drug awareness.