Leigh-Ann Bellew

BELLEW FOR CONGRESS
FRANK PALLONE IS NO LONGER THE MAN FOR THE JOB!
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www.BellewforCongress.com

CONTACT:
Leigh-Ann Bellew
Phone: 732-670-9839
info@bellewforcongress.com

UNION BEACH: “I want your vote on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 because I am clearly the better candidate,� Leigh-Ann Bellew tells voters. “Congressman Pallone has had eighteen years to make your life better. I think he failed and failed miserably.

Pallone is a partisan leader who enjoys the power and influence of office and his only goal is to keep being re-elected. Bellew promises to be a legislator; a representative who has a deep concern for the district and our country and wants to be a true servant to the constituents of the 6th District.

“Pallone’s record paints a picture of a Congressman that introduces feel-good legislation that never goes further than committee. Yet he uses them for political bragging purposes,� says Bellew.

She feels that if he’s not playing politics with these bills, then he is the most ineffective Congressman in Washington, unable to convince even his Democratic colleagues to co-sponsor his bills.

“There is the real difference between myself and Congressman Pallone,� says Bellew. “I want to work for my constituents while he is looking to score political points for his party.�

Either way, Mr. Pallone was given an opportunity to serve the people of the sixth District, Yet, there is nothing in his record that doesn’t smack of partisan politics. This means he puts his colleagues before his constituents; those same constituents who put their trust in him for 18 years.

“I want to alleviate the middle class tax burden by eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax and the Marriage Penalty Tax. I want to keep the child tax deduction increase, keep tax relief in place for low-income Americans who were removed from the tax rolls, and keep Education Savings accounts in place,� says Bellew. “Frank’s voting record shows he does not support one of these initiatives�

“In contrast,� says Bellew, “I want to secure our nation’s borders and enforce our immigration laws. He voted against both measures; preferring amnesty and Social Security benefits for illegals who would undercut American workers,�

“I love America. I believe in her strength and in her future. I believe that as a middle-class daughter of a retired GI, wife of a small businessman, and mother of two young boys, I understand the struggles of young families and senior citizens and I am asking you to give me the opportunity to serve you. I promise I won’t let you down.�

BELLEW FOR CONGRESS
WHAT HAS FRANK PALLONE DONE FOR YOU LATELY?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.BellewforCongress.com
CONTACT: Leigh-Ann Bellew Phone: 732-670-9839 info@bellewforcongress.com
“I want your vote on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 because I am clearly the better candidate,� Leigh-Ann Bellew tells voters. “Congressman Pallone has had eighteen years to make your life better. I think he failed and failed miserably, but I will let you decide.�

Here is just a small sample of what he supported in his last Congressional term:

He sponsored HR 2059 which prohibits the commercial harvesting of Atlantic striped bass in the coastal waters. Introduced in May, 2005 the bill has only 3 co-sponsors and is sitting in the House Resources committee.

He sponsored HR 2197 which would provide health benefits for workers and their families. Introduced in May, 2005 there are no co-sponsors. It sits in five different committees.

He sponsored HR 3917 which would force employers pay for employees and their dependents who are covered under SCHIP. Introduced in September, 2005, the bill has only 13 sponsors and sits in House Energy and Commerce committee.

He sponsored HR 4088, to impose limitations on the use of eminent domain for purposes of economic development. Introduced in October, 2005, there are no co-sponsors. It sits in the House Judiciary and Financial Services committees. Simultaneously he voted NO to the Private Property Rights Implementation Act to allow homeowners the right to challenge eminent domain in federal court. This version passed the House.

He sponsored HR 4518 to deny Federal retirement benefits to Government officials convicted of a crime. Introduced in December, 2005 there are NO co-sponsors. It sits in the subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security

“The picture here is of a Congressman that introduces feel-good legislation then doesn’t work at getting them passed, but uses them for political bragging purposes,� says Bellew.

She feels that if he’s not playing politics with these bills, then he is the most ineffective Congressman in Washington because he was unable to convince even his Democratic colleagues to co-sponsor his bills.

Either way, Mr. Pallone was given an opportunity to serve the people of the sixth District, Yet, there is nothing in his record that doesn’t smack of partisan politics. This means he puts his colleagues before his constituents; those same constituents who put their trust in him for 18 years.

“He betrayed that trust for political ambition,� says Bellew. “What can I say that would make you put your trust in me?� I can say that I love America. I believe in her strength and in her future. I believe that as a middle-class daughter of a retired GI, wife of a small businessman, and mother of two young boys, I understand the struggles of young families and senior citizens and I am asking you to give me the opportunity to serve you. I promise I won’t let you down.�

BELLEW FOR CONGRESS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.BellewforCongress.com

PARTISAN POLITICS vs. TRUE REPRESENTATION
VOTE NOV. 7, 2006

Leigh-Ann Bellew
info@bellewforcongress.com
Phone: 732-670-9839

UNION BEACH: There are two kinds of representatives in Congress: legislators and politicians. Politicians are partisan leaders who enjoy the power and influence of office and their goal is to keep being re-elected. Legislators are those who have a deep concern for the district and our country and see their role as servants to their constituents. Leigh-Ann Bellew wants to serve.

“There is the real difference between myself and Congressman Pallone,� says Bellew. “I want to work for my constituents while he is looking to score political points for his party.�

Bellew feels she is closer to the voters because she and her family struggle with the same middle-class issues that most of the residents in the district struggle with, while Pallone, as she puts it, “watches from a perch on Capitol Hill.

Bellew calls herself a Mom on a Mission whose differences between her and her opponent are stark.

“I want to alleviate the middle class tax burden by eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax and the Marriage Penalty Tax. He does not. I want to keep the child tax deduction increase, keep tax relief in place for low-income Americans who were removed from the tax rolls, and keep Education Savings accounts in place. He does not,� says Bellew. “His voting record shows all this.�

She is emphatic about the differences. “I want to secure our nation’s borders and enforce our immigration laws. He voted against both measures. I want American workers to be able to compete fairly for jobs. Mr. Pallone wants Amnesty for illegals who would undercut American workers, and he wants to give them Social Security benefits in the process,� she says.

Bellew watched the tragic events of 9/11 from the beach at Union Beach where, amid the odor of the fires, she and others waited for neighbors to come home. “Some did not,� said Bellew, “and the shock of it clearly showed me that we are all sitting on a target zone. Mr. Pallone’s partisan voting on security issues has put all of our lives in danger. It is time for a change.�

BELLEW FOR CONGRESS

NORTH KOREA’S TESTING OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR AN EFFICIENT NATIONAL DEFENSE SYSTEM
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www.BellewforCongress.com
CONTACT: Leigh-Ann Bellew
Phone: 732-670-9839 info@bellewforcongress.com

“After the very public testing of nuclear weapons by North Korea, there are few of us who don’t share great concern over our safety from foreign missiles,� said Leigh-Ann Bellew, while talking to constituents who voiced their fears.

“We are living under the threat North Korea and other rogue states such as Iran, and even threats from non-states, and I believe the United States must be prepared to defend itself against any missile strike through the development and improvement of an anti-missile defense,� she said.

She believes the immediate and strong sanctions being called for by the United States, Japan and other countries against North Korea are an important high priority, but do not guarantee that they will stop future tests, nor rein in other rogue nations.

“Consider this,� says Bellew, “North Korea’s nuclear program began in 1952 and although they signed the Agreed Framework treaty with the United States in 1994, they defiantly continued developing nuclear facilities. It is, therefore, difficult to believe they will just abandon them now.�

Unfortunately Frank Pallone’s voting record indicates he is not only anti-defense, but plays partisan politics with the defense issue. She believes his yea vote for this year’s defense budget (FY2007), was politically motivated because his past records shows otherwise.

As far back as 1996 he voted against the defense authorization bill that among other things gave a 3% pay raise for our military personnel. In 2002 he voted to block funding of missile defense programs and more recently voted to cut National Missile Defense by almost 50%. In the last two Congresses, he didn’t sponsor one bill that addressed the safety of those living in the 6th District. He even opposed the 2006 Defense Budget because, according to his press release, it contained a provision to permit leasing of land in ANWR with the potential of future oil drilling. Obviously, Mr. Pallone is more concerned with the possible need to protect the caribou than with the very real need to protect his own constituents.

“The cost of partisan politics may be more than Americans can afford,� Bellew tells her constituents. “When we have politicians who don’t put national defense on the top of their list of priorities, we have a weak spot.�

She believes that the citizens in the 6th District need a representative that will support a pro-defense agenda to protect Americans at home, support Americans fighting abroad and keep Americans working to root out terrorists organizations armed with the necessary tools to do their job. As a Congresswoman, she will work to deliver all three.

BELLEW FOR CONGRESS

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www.BellewforCongress.com

EMINENT DOMAIN IS A REAL THREAT TO N.J. HOMEOWNERS

Leigh-Ann Bellew
info@bellewforcongress.com
Phone: 732-670-9839

New Jersey residents, particularly those in the shore area, don’t have to look to New London, CT to study eminent domain abuse in all its glory. They can take a walk down Marine Terrace in Long Branch where older, but well kept homes on that street have been taken by town officials to be replaced with the state’s largest coastal development project.

Long Branch officials justified their action by declaring these homes blighted, which under NJ law, has been redefined from meaning run down eyesores to homes that are “underutilized.�

“Underutilized is a cagy word that’s hard to define,� says Leigh-Ann Bellew. “It is scary to think that if a home doesn’t have three bedrooms or two baths it can be considered underutilized and snatched from the homeowner for a higher tax ratable.�

“There is a difference between eminent domain and eminent domain abuse in the latter the government is taking from the poor to give to rich developers.� says Bellew.
“I think this is not only an abuse of the law, it’s an abuse of power,�

Congressman Frank Pallone does not seem to share that belief. He seems to believe in the redistribution of property, a socialist ideal. Although he voted in favor of the Private Property Protection Act, the legislation he introduced on the issue is more telling of where he stands. His bill, called the “Protect Our Homes Act� states that a governmental entity may not use the power of eminent domain to take private property for economic development purposes “unless…..� then goes on to set parameters for exceptions. Mr. Pallone also voted against giving land owners greater leeway in challenging the federal government over seizures of private property, against an amendment to allow local government to challenge the taking of land by the federal government under the Land and Water Conservation Fund, against an amendment restricting the federal government from owning more than 50% of the land, and against the Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006, which allows private property owners expedited access to the federal courts to protect property.

“One look at Pallone’s FEC reports and we can see why, because Developers and Builders are some of his largest contributors,� claims Bellew.

Leigh-Ann Bellew believes that our founding fathers recognized that to be truly free government must protect their citizens’ person and property in order to protect their liberty. Redistribution of property, just as the redistribution of wealth, robs citizens of their right to liberty. When private property is forcibly redistributed the very foundation of a government begins to decline because their role as protector no longer exists.

As a Congresswoman, I pledge to work hard to bring America back to the basic doctrine that citizens have unalienable rights, one of which is the right to own property. The importance of private property rights far exceeds a concern that the town may not be able to pay its bills or attract new home buyers, or whatever reason they use. Eminent domain abuse adds to the already overburdened and overtaxed citizen a fear of their government. American citizens have lost the trust that they should have in the people they elect to represent them. We need to repair the damage big government has done to that trust and the best place to start is to reassure our citizens they are safe in their homes.

BELLEW FOR CONGRESS
Op ed by Leigh-Ann Bellew

LOSING THE FIRE SERVICES, HAZMAT TEAM AND TESTING LAB AT FORT MONMOUTH WILL LEAVE OUR COMMUNITIES DANGEROUSLY VULNERABLE!

The Raritan Bay sits in the high risk corridor of New Jersey when it comes to potential terrorist attacks. When Fort Monmouth closes in 2011, this area will lose many important assets from fire safety personnel, specialized equipment and the only hazmat response unit from Boston to Washington, D.C.

The loss of the Fort means a loss of jobs and a loss of a source of revenue for the area. But most importantly, it is costing surrounding communities the protection of the fort’s fire and hazmat services that will cost millions of tax dollars to replace.

The Fort Monmouth Fire Department, with facilities in the Oceanport and Tinton Falls portions of the fort, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with at least 15 firefighters on duty at any time. They answer hundreds of fire, rescue, and EMS calls a year, including dozens of calls off-post on a "mutual aid" basis, assisting local volunteer fire departments on structure fires, collapses, and other "major incident" calls, especially during the daytime when many volunteers cannot respond due to work.

Fort Monmouth is also home to a state-of-the-art hazardous materials response truck that can be brought into a wide variety of incidents, from spills to explosions to weapons of mass destruction issues involving chemical, biological, and radiological incidents. Since the New Jersey Turnpike is utilized by trucks carrying hazardous materials coming through our seaports, having this response truck is not just a convenience, it is a necessity and it is imperative that we keep it.

Yet this issue has not been championed by Frank Pallone or Rush Holt. They worked on the fort's BRAC closure. Shouldn’t they know what's there? The FBI and other branches of the Department of Homeland Security have expressed an interest in keeping a presence at the Fort due to its proximity to New York. Keeping the Haz-Mat lab and team would add to the security presence in this high target area.

I am a strong proponent of this idea because I believe that New Jersey, especially the Raritan Bay and surrounding areas, are high profile target zones for terrorists. We have many chemical plants, pharmaceuticals and two of the largest seaports in the country. To lose Fort Monmouth, and especially these specialized security and safety services at a time when we are so vulnerable, is nonsensical. With all that Fort Monmouth has to offer Homeland Security could have a top notch training ground for a variety of disciplines and keep a top notch emergency response unit up and running at the same time. Everyone would win.

Another win is that the local towns won’t be forced to spend tax dollars upgrading first responder equipment and facilities to make up for the loss of the Fort’s services. We’ll be able to keep the current level of service using tax dollars we’ve already sent to DC that are already budgeted for these services. It's win-win-win-win!

Leigh-Ann Bellew is the Republican Candidate for Congress from New Jersey’s 6th District which includes parts of Monmouth, Middlesex, Union and Somerset counties. CONTACT: Leigh-Ann Bellew Phone: 732-670-9839 info@bellewforcongress.com

BELLEW FOR CONGRESS
BELLEW RECEIVES NATIONAL SENIOR CITIZEN AWARD!
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CONTACT: Wayne May Phone: 732-670-9839 info@bellewforcongress.com
Union Beach: Calling Leigh-Ann Bellew a “fighter for the elderly,� James L. Martin, President of the 60 Plus Association, a national non-partisan senior citizens group presented Leigh-Ann Bellew, the group’s Honorary Guardian of Seniors’ Rights Award.
Martin cited Bellew’s support for senior friendly issues such as repealing the 1993 tax on Social Security benefits, lifting the limit on what seniors can earn without penalty, repealing the Death Tax and especially her support for abolishing a 108 year-old tax imposed to help finance the 1898 Spanish American War when telephones were a luxury item.

Martin said, “I am pleased to present this award to Leigh-Ann Bellew. She will be a tax cutter, protecting the pocket books of senior citizens. 60 Plus calls on nearly 4.5 million seniors for support nationally, with over 10,000 in New Jersey’s District 06, so I believe I can speak on behalf of seniors when I say that they can count on Leigh-Ann Bellew. Clearly, seniors will have no finer friend in Congress than Leigh-Ann Bellew.�
The 60 Plus Association, whose national spokesman is Pat Boone, is a 15 year old, non-partisan organization that is committed to senior friendly issues and publishes a quarterly magazine, Senior Voice. 60 Plus has been called “an increasingly influential senior citizen’s group and can be researched at www.60plus.org.
“I am honored to be the recipient of the Guardian of Seniors’ Rights Award from such a prestigious organization,� said Bellew, who believes that we owe our seniors a great deal.
“The seniors of the 6th district deserve better than they’re getting. They raised their families here while struggling through enormous rises in property taxes and costs of living. It was under their watch that the 6th district saw its greatest growth. Today’s seniors are the ones responsible for the current high quality of life that the next generation enjoys,� she said.

BELLEW FOR CONGRESS

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LEIGH-ANN BELLEW STANDS WITH UNION WORKERS!
PALLONE NOTICEABLY MISSING AT UNION RALLY!
CONTACT:
Wayne May
info@bellewforcongress.com
Phone: 732-670-9839

Asbury Park: Today, Leigh-Ann Bellew joined with union workers in Asbury Park to rally with union labor at a construction site in that city.

“My opponent boasts that he is pro-union, but where is he today?� questions Bellew. “He should be standing shoulder to shoulder with these men and women.�

Bellew is a Mom on a Mission seeing to it that Asbury Park remains one of the bright spots of the 6th Congressional District, recognizing that this city’s beaches and boardwalk have played an important role in the New Jersey tourism industry. As such, she strongly supports proper redevelopment of Asbury Park by using only Union Trades.

“It is a matter of safety and quality,� Bellew said. “Union workers provide high quality labor because they have to meet tough union standards, which means years of apprenticeships and licenses. In addition, union labor is protected because unions provide workers with healthcare, a living wage and safe working environments. “

In contrast, non-union laborers are not held to the same standards and their inferior work can be dangerous, particularly when wiring for electricity. Non-union laborers can easily be taken advantage of by disreputable contractors. They are often underpaid, illegal, are not provided healthcare and their working environments are not safe.

“In light of the numerous construction and reconstruction sites in Asbury Park, I am truly surprised that my opponent chose to ignore this important rally.� said Bellew. “As the sitting Congressman his presence would have gone a long way to give these workers a boost. Evidently he didn’t think it important enough.�

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BELLEW FOR CONGRESS

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WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE?
CONTACT:
Mike Lencsak
info@bellewforcongress.com
Phone: 732-670-9839

Union Beach: In a press release dated December 7, 2005, Congressman Pallone issued a statement, announcing his introduction of legislation that would, in his words, call for “instituting tougher penalties for government officials convicted on federal corruption charges.� This was as a result of a federal investigation into lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and the resignation of a Republican congressman who confessed to taking $2.4 million in bribes from Abramoff.

“As always, Frank Pallone’s words don’t match his actions. Just a year earlier, Pallone took money from the same lobbyist,� said Leigh-Ann Bellew, his opponent in the upcoming election.

On January 12, 2006, the Capitol Eye newsletter reported that in 2004 Pallone received $2,000 from the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and $4,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, both of whom were listed as clients of Abramoff. In fact, according to Newsbusters review of the FEC reports, Pallone received a total of $13,600 from Jack Abramoff.

Locally, Pallone received a $2,000 contribution from John Westlake, a Red Bank businessman who pleaded guilty to tax evasion this year and is awaiting sentencing. Westlake owned Alma Corporation and partnered with former State Senator John Lynch in a company called Executive Continental. Federal prosecutors claim both were dummy companies through which Westlake and Lynch funneled money and defrauded the IRS.

“Where does Frank Pallone stand on taking money from corrupt individuals? His actions speak much louder than his rhetoric, especially in light of the fact that he has NOT returned the money.� added Bellew.

House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, called Jack Abramoff’s “trading money for official acts, a despicable action that strikes at the heart of our democracy.� If Pallone’s own leadership says that then Frank needs to account for his money. Where’s the money, Frank?