Morehead: ‘This is the year things change’

Middletown resident Matthew Morehead is the chairman of the Monmouth County Bayshore Young Democrats. According to Morehead, his organization, which includes 50 young people from the Brookdale Community College Democratic Club, numbers 150 people.

“The youth vote is the vote of this year, and I think the youth will make it known they do not like what has been going on in Washington, or in Monmouth County,” Morehead said.

Morehead said his group and the Brookdale Young Democrats have been organizing for this year’s election for over a year.

“This year the Bayshore Young Democrats and the Brookdale Democrats helped register more than 1,000 people to vote,” Morehead said.

While the youth vote has often been courted in previous years, many experts say it has never been fully realized nationally, and especially not locally. “The difference this year is that it is not indicator where youth is showing up, but many of them. Even early polls in other states show a record youth turnout,” Morehead said.

Morehead credits the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate for president. “There are also the issues of the war, college tuition, housing and the job market that are compelling young people to do their part in deciding America’s future,” he said.

Morehead said he predicts Obama will win the presidency, that there will be major Democratic gains in the U.S. Senate and Congress, and he expressed great confidence in the Democratic ticket in Monmouth County.

“I think this is the year when things change,” Morehead said.

Morehead pens piece about young people

Bayshore Young Democrats Chairman Matthew Morehead has written a column about young people and their growing involvement in the Democratic Party.

Matthew is a very involved person who has organized a growing group of Young Dems in Northern Monmouth.

Click on the headline to go to his column at The Courier Online.

Morehead posts about Middletown COAH

Matthew Morehead, chairman for the Monmouth County Bayshore Young Dems has penned a column for the ONline version of Courier. Click on the headline to go there.

Bayshore Young Dems take on COAH issue

PRESS RELEASE

April 11, 2008

For Immediate Publication

P.O.C. Matthew Morehead Chairman- Monmouth County Bayshore Young Democrats
639 West Front St., Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: (732) 693-1904

Middletown Fails To Pay For RCA With Red Bank

Middletown Township (Monmouth County, NJ) On April 11, 2008 Matthew Morehead, Chairman of the Monmouth County Bayshore Young Democrats announced that court documents relating to a Regional Contribution Agreement between Red Bank and Middletown were discovered by his organization while in discussion with the town leaders of Red Bank urging the town not to enter into any future agreements between the two towns.

The document discovered was docket number A-3326-04T3326-04T3, which was argued on January 9, 2007 before the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division and was decided on February 28, 2007.

It was discovered that on March 13, 2000, Middletown filed a petition with COAH for substantive certification of an affordable housing compliance plan. One component of Middletown's plan was an RCA between Middletown and Red Bank, under which Middletown would transfer 98 units of its affordable housing obligation to Red Bank. On June 14, 2000, the Red Bank governing body adopted a resolution authorizing the execution of the RCA with Middletown.

Several years passed without payment from Middletown due to the fact that Middletown failed to complete a "Credits without Controls Survey" and objections to Middletown's compliance plan that could require mediation. On January 4, 2003 Red Bank's governing body adopted a resolution canceling its RCA with Middletown.

"This document reflects badly on Middletown's governing body," Morehead stated. "This is just another example showing Middletown's reluctance to live up to its constitutional obligation."

"The money that is wasted by Middletown's governing body in litigation would be better spent in providing its constitutional obligation of affordable housing to young adults and seniors. Where we would have the opportunity to receive state and federal funds," Morehead continued.

"The costs that Middletown's majority places on the taxpayers without any benefit are shameful," Morehead concluded. ###

Morehead pens letter about COAH

The Inside Clamdigger received a letter from Middletown resident Matthew Morehead, a young man who is chairing the Bayshore Young Dems Group. Thank you, Mr. Morehead, for sending in a letter, please keep them coming.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
April 3, 2008

P.O.C. Matthew Morehead
Chairman- Monmouth County Bayshore Young Democrats
639 West Front St.
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: (732) 693-1904

The Real Facts About Middletown And COAH

To the Editor:

The facts that Middletown Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger and Steven Lonegan of Americans for Prosperity NJ are leaving out of their misleading rhetoric is that Middletown has around 260 units of affordable housing that it has not built from round one and two of its COAH obligation. Middletown has only completed 88 units of new housing, 122 rehabs of existing housing and has signed RCAs for 649 units of housing at $12.1 million going to other municipalities. This leaves a sizeable surplus from poor performance for the last 20 years.

At the rate that Middletown is going it will not meet its constitutional obligation by 2018. This is the real reason that Mayor Scharfenberger and his majority are worried about the “third round” obligation in my opinion. Middletown’s “gated community” approach to its affordable housing obligation has failed the town and its residents as well, do to the fact that if we do not meet our obligation we loose our protection under the FHA of 1985. This will mean that anyone wishing to develop, or in need of housing, will be able to sue Middletown, which will mean rapidly rising legal fees and rising property taxes for the residents of Middletown.

As for these mandates being unfunded, it is not true in my opinion. The federal and state governments have funds set up to relieve municipalities that build the housing in their communities. On the other hand, the municipalities who sign RCAs to get rid of their portion of affordable housing do not get to benefit from these funds, which in turn puts a heavy burden on tax payers. There is also a burden placed on residents by not having the housing in Middletown for our young adults starting out in life and our seniors who are facing rising costs on a fixed income.

In conclusion, is Middletown’s “gated community” approach to COAH in the best interest of Middletown’s residents or in the best interest of the majority of the governing body?

Matthew Morehead
Chairman- Monmouth County Bayshore Young Democrats
###
Blogger's Note: To send letters to "The Inside Clamdigger," e-mail them to: jimpurcell0309@yahoo.com.

Front-page editorial backs young Dem groups

I wrote a front-page editorial in this week's edition about some young people that are taking on a housing fight in Middletown.

I won't rehash the editorial here, but I do wish to give many props to Mr. Matthew Morehead, president of the Monmouth County Bayshore Young Dems, and Mr. John Swift, president of the Brookdale Community College Democrats, for the way they are going about expressing their argument.

These young people, green as they may be, are exercising their duties as citizens in a way that may not be polished, but is heartfelt. Personally, I think they have a point about affordable housing in Middletown.

Certainly, I have not before seen the Brookdale Dems come out into the community. Likewise, I have not seen a newly-minted group like Mr. Morehead's articulate an argument the way he has.

There is a time to especially listen to the young people, and the issue of housing in a community is one of great importance. Click on the headline to go to the story in The Courier Online.

Bayshore Young Dems making their mark

There is a new blog out there, organized by Bayshore Young Dems Chairman Matthew Morehead, Middletown, which is really worth reading. Click on the headline and go there. Good to see young people involved.