Christie on Delays in Sandy Aid: "Please Be Patient"

Plans are being formulated at the state level for how to spend Hurricane Sandy relief aid, but the money hasn't come in yet.

The state is developing plans for how and where to best allocate Hurricane Sandy relief aid, writing proposals for putting together lists for its various relevant agencies, from Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Transportation. The money will come, Gov. Chris Christie told a crowd in Union Beach Tuesday, and it will be used to rebuild New Jersey and get residents back into their hurricane-ravaged homes. Be patient, he said, the check hasn't been written yet. Christie joined other local legislators in celebration after a $50.7 billion hurricane relief bill passed in a contentious U.S. House of Representatives in January before heading off to the U.S. Senate for approval and finally to President Barack Obama’s desk for a …

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NJ Senate OKs 'Clarence Clemons Day'

Resolution sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Beck

One of the Jersey Shore's most iconic musicians will be honored annually with a day named after him. Every Jan. 11 will now be Clarence Clemons Day. The state Senate last week passed a resolution sponsored by Senator Jennifer Beck (R-11) that memorializes the legendary saxophonist from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Clemons died last year at the age of 69 after suffering a stroke. “The New Jersey Shore would not be the same without the music of Bruce Spingsteen’s E-Street Band,” said Beck. “And the E-Street Band would not have been the same without the sound of a saxophone played by Clarence Clemons. For me as a resident of Red Bank, where he once owned a rock club, the loss rings ever more true. New Jersey lost an icon last year, an …

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Black Friday 2012: Show Us Your Lines

Find deals on Twitter and Instagram via our Black Friday New Jersey hashtag #bfnj

On Thanksgiving, timing is everything — proper coordination between bird, beans and stuffing can be the difference between the perfect stress-free meal with loved ones or a complete kitchen catastrophe. On Black Friday, getting on the right line at just the right time might save you hours and help you snag that perfect gift at a once-in-a-lifetime price. Patch is here to turn that dream into a reality and make smart shopping on Black Friday ridiculously easy. Find us on Instagram and Twitter and connect with us and local readers via our Black Friday New Jersey hashtag #bfnj.    We'll be sharing up-to-the-minute deals, 140-character anecdotes, and photos and video from the front lines of consumerism. Show us those long lines, share your …

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History Favors Obama in New Jersey

State has given its electoral votes to a Democrat in the last five elections.

If history is any indication, Barack Obama should have no problem winning New Jersey's 14 electoral votes in his quest for re-election on Tuesday.  In the past four presidential elections, the Republican candidate has never been within 240,000 votes, and only once did a candidate get within 500,000 of his Democratic opponent. A look at statistics kept by the state shows that in the last four elections, incumbent president George W. Bush was the closest at picking up the NJ's nod, still losing to John Kerry by more than 240,000 votes. The biggest winner among the Democratic candidates in that span was incumbent Barack Obama, who won the state by more than 600,000 votes in 2008. The closest vote in 20 years came in 1992, when Bill Clinton …

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Forecast: Colder Temperatures, But No Flooding

The weekend will be mostly cloudy with highs in the 50s.

Residents in New Jersey and New York can breathe a sigh of relief this weekend, as power restoration continues following Hurricane Sandy. The National Weather Service says some areas will experience colder temperatures, but no severe weather or flooding is expected. According to the forecast, scattered precipitation is possible in the interior northeast, eastern Great Lakes and central Appalachians. Rain and light snow could fall due to a cooler air mass, the weather service said. Any wintry precipitation should be less than two inches. Expect lows in the 30s, with temperatures climbing into the 40s and 50s throughout the weekend. In the event of any significant rainfall, you can watch flood gauges in the area.

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New Jersey Voter Registration Deadline Approaching

Those who haven't yet can do so by Oct. 16. Here are some resources.

The general election may not be until Nov. 6, but those who want to make their voices heard and haven't registered yet have even less time to make sure they can hit the polls. Registration must be received in New Jersey by at least 21 days before the election. That means that the deadline is Oct. 16. Those who haven't registered yet can head to register online before the deadline at rockthevote.com.    Those in the military and overseas can visit the website of the Federal Voting Assistance program to get started. 

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Report: 1.1 Million New Jersey Households Can't Afford Basics

United Way's ALICE Report takes a fresh look at economic plight across the state

More than one-third of New Jersey households struggle to afford basic necessities – and many of them are living in Essex County, a new report by the United Way has found. The just-released ALICE report, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, has documented the number, location and experiences of New Jersey families who are working, yet "live each day one crisis away from falling into poverty." According to the report, there are 769,900 ALICE households, defined as having a household income above the Federal Poverty Level ($22,113 for a family; $11,344 for a single adult) but below a basic cost-of-living threshold. For a single adult, that budget is $25,368. The families studied make more than the official poverty …

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Christie Officially Out of VP Contention

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan selected as GOP nominee, while NJ governor may serve as convention keynote speaker.

After months of rumors that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be tapped as the GOP vice president nomineee, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney instead chose Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan on Saturday for the spot. Christie may now have the opportunity to serve as the GOP convention's keynote speaker later this month in Tampa, Fla. Being named the keynote speaker could open the door for Christie to run in 2016 and still allow him to serve a second term as governor. “With Paul Ryan on the ticket, this is a team that understands the economic stagnation our country has been facing the last four years and the urgency with which we need to change course," Christed said in a prepared statement Saturday afternoon. "The Romney-Ryan team is uniquely …

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Searchable Databases

New Jersey 2012 Presidential Campaign Contributions

Search our interactive database to see how much your neighbors gave to Obama and Romney.

Patch has created an interactive database so you can see how much your neighbors are donating to the presidential campaign—and to which candidate they’re writing their checks. We’ve included communities across New Jersey, so if you want to see what the campaign contributions in nearby towns are like, go right ahead. The information in the database was downloaded from the Federal Election Commission’s website. The data is based on quarterly reports, and is current through July. The data will be updated in mid-October.

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Click Here to Watch, Discuss Gov. Christie's Speech

New Jersey's governor is giving his State of the State address today, outlining his goals for 2012.

Governor Chris Christie delivered his "State of the State Address" to the 215th Session of the Legislature and New Jersey residents at 3 p.m. Tuesday. In his address, Christie outlined his goals for the coming year and what he has accomplished his first two years in office. In his speech, he touched on hot button issues of education and pension reform and called for a 10 percent state income tax cut. For more details on Christie's speech, read our wrap-up article here. Patch live blogged the speech from 2:30 to about 5 p.m. You can read the minute-by-minute updates with commentary from Huffington Post Political Reporter John Celock in the attached blog. If you missed the live chat and want to leave a comment, please do in the comment …

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