The Courier - December 20, 2007

Azzolina seeks committee reversal about measure
Former state senator says committee resolution amounts to personal attack

By J.J. SULLIVAN III

    On Monday, Dec. 17, politics became personal when former state Sen. Joseph Azzolina, Sr. took Middletown Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger to task during a Township ¬Committee session.
    According to Azzolina, Scharfenberger discriminated against his family by placing statutory limitations on their ability to participate in local elections.
    "[The committee] passed a resolution stating that an individual with a liquor license is not allowed to contribute to a political party," Azzolina said.
    Azzolina is not only a resident of Middletown, but also headquarters his chain of 10 Super Foodtown stores in Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean counties from the township. Azzolina is the long-time president of Food Circus Supermarkets, which has operated from Middletown since the 1950s.
    As the owner of multiple liquor stores, one in Middletown, Azzolina said he believes the resolution was tailored to prevent his family from donating money to municipal Democratic election campaigns.
    "Middletown Republicans assumed that I would donate money to the Democratic campaigns, and this year, I would," he added.
    The restrictions imposed on liquor stores were included in the township's Pay-to-Play (PTP) ordinance. The PTP ordinance was developed to better regulate campaign contributions from local businesses.
Gerard Scharfenberger
    According to the Mayor's Message from the October 2007 edition of the official township newsletter, Middletown Matters, the ordinance prevents all "liquor establishments or applicants for a liquor license from contributing to any municipal candidate, municipal political party or county committee." The PTP ordinance excludes family members, business partners and benefactors of liquor establishments, as well.
    The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2008.
    ''I've never heard of such a ridiculous law," Azzolina said. "I want that [resolution] reversed, or I'm taking the issue to court."
    Azzolina accused Scharfenberger of allowing his partisan allegiance to stall the economic development of Middletown.
    "Taxes are too high," Azzolina said. "I pay over $200,000 a year in property taxes, and my family and I are still subjected to unethical treatment by town officials."
    The former senator said Scharfenberger provides nothing but "lip service."
    "All [Scharfenberger] does is talk about economic development and the revitalization of businesses," Azzolina said. "There were numerous opportunities to boost the township's economy. These opportunities were ignored because of partisan considerations.
    According to Azzolina, a major company wanted to construct a cedar-fenced, high-end development along Kings Highway East. Instead, Azzolina said Judith Stanley, director of the Middletown Planning Board, and other local Republicans had the project scrapped.
    "That development would have been something really great for this town," Azzolina said.
    In addition, Azzolina said Scharfenberger uses Middletown Matters as a marketing tool for partisan propaganda. "State money should not be going toward the publication," he added.
    According to Azzolina, New Jersey legislation prevents government officials from sending informational materials in the mail two months prior to elections.
    Azzolina also took issue with Scharfenberger's staff of public relations personnel.
    Scharfenberger both increased the size and adjusted the content of Middletown Matters to promote his partisan agenda, Azzolina said. "It is unethical for an active political figure to control an official township newsletter the way Scharfenberger has," he added.
    Azzolina said it's inappropriate for Scharfenberger to be in the midst of an election campaign, as he most recently was, and appear with disproportionate frequency throughout a taxpayer-funded publication disseminated so widely in the municipality.
    Azzolina said he has been extremely generous with the township, financing recreational events whenever asked. His donations are unilaterally unrecognized on most occasions.
    "Every time I've been approached by the Middletown community for financial assistance, I've given it," Azzolina said. "My family was asked to donate to the townships libraries, and we gave $100,000. Never did I hear a single 'thank you.' I even offered to become head of the township's fundraising committee."
    Azzolina originally attended the meeting to address concerns about the township's leaf collection program.
    Instead, certain critical comments made against Committeeman Patrick Short by the mayor during the course of the meeting led Azzolina to address Scharfenberger directly.
    "Since you decided to call [Patrick Short] out, I have to call you out," said Azzolina, when he addressed Scharf¬enberger. "Short served in the military for 20 years. [Committeeman-Elect] Sean Byrnes served in the military for 20 years, and [Scharf-enberger] lied about it. That was an issue I had to address," said Azzolina, referring to a campaign mailer that was distributed before the General Election last month.
    During the election, which was held on Tuesday, Nov. 6, Democrat candidate "Byrnes was elected, along with Scharfenberger, a Republican. Meanwhile both Byrnes' running-mate, Janet Moscuzza, and Scharfenberger's running-mate, Tristan Nelsen, failed to gain election.
    Notably, this is the first recorded instance of a 'split vote' at the polls in Middletown for more than 20 years.