Dana Ferriera and Nick Falzone, Engagement Photo

When the Ocean County College Theatre Company presents Arthur Miller’s drama “All My Sons” next month it will feature two high school sweethearts from Beachwood who are about to tie the knot this summer.

Coincidentally, Nick Falzone and Dana Ferriera, who met in theater at Toms River High School South, will be playing husband (Frank) and wife (Lydia) supporting characters in the searing drama. Fierra says the roles that they had gotten were completely by chance. “When we had gone in for our call-backs we had read together as the husband and wife and it was funny because Arthur Waldman who’s directing the show, he made a comment about how much great chemistry that we have together and I was like, of course we have chemistry, we’re getting married in July. and he was like really? Like he had know idea and we were cast as the role.”

Ferriera admits that it’s a poetic beginning to their new life as a married couple. “We’re getting married in July and we wanted to do a show together, you know, one more time before we were married. You know like we don’t know what that might bring. So we don’t know if we’ll have time again after the wedding and so we wanted to do it together, so we did.”

In the play, Falzone and Ferriera play characters who bring levity to families struggling with the war-related loss of a loved one. Their roles also imitate their lives in that she says “We are the happy couple. We are the family that wasn’t really, the past that what happened in the war, didn’t really have an effect on us. So any time we enter, we always enter with a smile but we are important in the fact that we symbolize everything the Keller’s don’t have.”

Ferriera says she believes the play is relevant, especially nowadays when people are losing loved ones in overseas conflicts. She says she and her family have also been impacted by a wartime loss.

Nick and Dana are also OCC graduates and finished their Bachelors Degrees in separate colleges. She now works as a substitute teacher in the Plumsted School District. Nick is a Videographer for and entertainment company in Toms River.

The couple also has another special connection, they were leaders of the Speech and Theater Club at OCC and they started a benefit called “Laugh for a Cure” that raises money and awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society every year. 

The play opens Thursday March 22nd and runs for two weeks until March 31st at the Arts & Community Center Black Box Theatre, OCC Main Campus, Toms River, NJ. Get ticket information at (732) 255-0500 and online at http://tickets.Ocean.edu

confiscated fireworks are destroyed with the assistance of the Township Public Works Department and the Fire Company. (photo courtesy Brick Township Fire Dep)

Brick Township is in the middle of a fight over its entire public works department. Mayor Steve Acropolis is proposing laying off the entire seventy seven person staff to save money, while John Ducey and the rest of the Democratic majority township council is looking for a way to keep the workers.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) which covers the drivers, repair crews, janitors, and other assorted employees within the townships public works department isn’t sitting idly while the mayor and council spar over the issue. Chairman of the TWU local 225 Branch 4, John Menshon, says their organization has already filed a formal grievance complaint against the township.  He notes that is only one of the avenues the union will go through in dealing with the matter.

“Others [measures we could do] such as the civil service appeal. We can also file an unfair practice with the Public Employee Relations Commission which is the other state entity.” Says Menshon.

Retaining public works employees was already a hot button issue in the borough, with the department being a crux point in the voter approval of last year’s budget. However while Brick managed to retain many of its services, it also increased spending eight million dollars, causing property tax rates to jump twenty four percent. The issue of property taxes was a reason voters elected four democrats (John Ducey, Jim Fozman, Susan Lydecker and Robert Moore) into the Township Council.

This budget, created by Mayor Acropolis and Administrator Scott Pezzaras, looks to chop eight million dollars in costs and return to pre-increase numbers.

Menshon however says that the Mayor is unfairly targeting the Public Works employees, even after resident voted to keep the services intact.

“They passed a referendum recently and twice there was polls taken through referendum’s and the residents clearly indicated they wanted their services, and this mayor does not listen to the people, that’s the problem.” Argues Menshon.

Menshon believes that Acropolis’ decision to put Public Works on the chopping block is disrespect to the township employees and the voters.

“He’s just railroading the union, he’s railroading the community and he’s not listening to the very people who put him in office. We’re going to pursue whatever means it takes to get justice and fairness.”

He adds the TWU has been cooperative in trying to work within the means of the economy, noting that they have made concessions in the past.

“For example we took a wage freeze last year; we gave back our largest pay increase of the contract. We froze steps. We’re really going out of our way; we’re contributing to our healthcare.”

Menshon notes that taxes went up 8.6 million dollars on the referendum, which people approved because they didn’t want to lose public works.

“Now the mayor turns around says ‘Well we’re going to keep these services but we’re going to keep your money.’”

Mayor Acropolis has said that if public works employees are laid off, the town would be able to hire outsourced third party contractors at a savings to tax payers. Menshon however says that in reality it won’t be much of a savings.

“It’s been proven that we provide the sanitation and recycling in house cheaper than, and this is from the township, this is what they said; We are actually cheaper doing it in house than the private contractor so it’s awful funny how that has changed.” Says Menshon.

He’s tired of the towns hard working Public Works employees being the target of the layoffs.

“They want the bottom to do all of the sacrifices, the guys that are picking up your bulk stuff, your Christmas trees, fixing your pot holes, and fixing your drains and your basements, and picking up your brush and leaves. These are not the guys making the big money, these are guys making thirty five forty thousand a year. They need to go after the guys making the one hundred fifty thousand dollars a year. “

Flickr User Bes Z

Energy conservation at school begins at an early age with teachers barking “turn out the light’s when you leave the room”, but New Jersey Natural Gas is beginning a pilot program to schools which not only educates about the importance of conservation but actually shows them their progress as they save.

The See the Light energy awareness program, a developed by KCG Energy LLC is a behavior based nationally spanning program which will be available to thirty school districts within New Jersey Natural Gas’ service area, and will help students and teachers reduce their energy cost and lower their carbon footprint.

To enter, schools need to contact New Jersey Natural Gas (tel 732 378 4928) to sign up.  If chosen as one of the thirty pilot schools, they will receive a toolkit valued at one thousand dollars (New Jersey Natural Gas picks up the tab) which contains benchmarking software as well as resource handbooks, tips, and even printed material to spread the message of conservation to students and faculty.
New Jersey Natural Gas spokesman Michael Kinney says that program reinforces some of the basic habits many of us have been doing for most of our lives.

“It encourages best practices such as encouraging to turn the lights off, to adjust the thermostat, things that are simple but need to be reinforced at every level. ” says Kinney.

However he says what makes the program extra enticing for students and teachers alike, is that participants will actually be able to track their progress and see the savings.

“It also provides benchmarking tools so you can identify how you’re doing, charts to graph the reduction in energy schools and municipalities are using.” Noting that “it’s a comprehensive approach that provides basic tips and encourages energy efficiency as part of schools and municipalities operations. ”

In addition to the environmental advantage, municipalities will also see an improvement to their bottom lines. Recipients of the kit can also be shows what incentives they may be eligible for from New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program.

Above all Kinney says most important part of the program is the message of energy conservation.
“We all need to do our part to protect our environment, to protect our natural resources to ensure the quality of life for us and our family and future generations. ”

Interested school districts and municipalities within the NJNG’s service territory may be eligible to participate in a See The Light pilot program at no cost and receive the toolkit for free (a $999 value).

For more information, contact Raquel Phillips, NJNG outreach program specialist at 732-378-4928 or rphillips@njng.com <mailto:rphillips@njng.com>.

Rick Santorum campaigning in Ohio. (Jay LaPrete/Getty Images)

Rick Santorum is mocking Mitt Romney as a “Johnny come lately to the conservative cause.”

Ahead of Wednesday night’s GOP presidential debate in Arizona, Santorum told a tea party gathering in Tucson that Romney proposed a lower corporate tax rate only after Santorum had done so.

The crowd of 400 laughed and clapped when Santorum said America doesn’t need a leader who has been “a well-oiled weather vane.”

The former Pennsylvania senator urged Arizonans to support a courageous conservative rather than politicians who tell voters what they want to hear.

Santorum aimed his sharpest barbs at President Barack Obama. He said the president’s economic plan is  more food stamps and government dependence.”

Arizona’s presidential primary is Tuesday.

Santorum Surges, Obama Leads GOP – Poll

A new survey shows that a surging Rick Santorum is running even with Mitt Romney atop the Republican presidential field, but neither candidate is faring well against President Barack Obama.

The Associated Press-GfK poll shows Obama topping 50 percent support when matched against each of the four GOP candidates and holding a significant lead over each of them eight months before the election.

• NJ Decides: Presidential Election 2012
• INTERACTIVE: GOP Campaign
• INTERACTIVE: AP-gfk Poll

Republicans are divided on whether they’d rather see Romney or Santorum capture the nomination, with Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul lagging behind. It’s a troubling sign for the better-funded Romney as the GOP race heads toward crucial votes in his home state of Michigan, in Arizona and in an array of states on Super Tuesday, March 6.

Arizona finally gets GOP candidates’ attention

A Mitt Romney supporter holds up a sign. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Rick Santorum is looking for another upset while Mitt Romney is hoping to keep his leading rival at bay as they prepare for the 20th debate of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Santorum arrived ahead of any of his rivals for pre-debate campaigning in Arizona, a state that has long been assumed safe for Romney.

Polls have long shown Romney with a solid lead in Arizona, where all 29 delegates at stake are reserved for the top vote-getter in the primary. None of the candidates has devoted much time to the state, and television ads have been scarce.

In Michigan, on the other hand, Romney, Santorum and their allies have poured money into television ads.

Both Arizona and Michigan hold primaries on Feb. 28.

Unions gearing up to spend big in 2012 election

President Back Obama with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Labor unions are gearing up to spend more than $400 million to help re-elect President Barack Obama and back other Democrats at the federal and state level in a fight for labor’s survival.

Union leaders say they have little choice as they try to beat back GOP efforts to curb collective bargaining rights or limit their ability to collect dues.

The nation’s largest public employee union has already spent $1 million on television ads aimed at weakening GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, the candidate they expect to win the nomination.

But union resources are being spread thin after they spent millions last year to fight anti-union measures in Ohio, Wisconsin and other states. They are also spearheading a recall of Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Flickr user Alaskan Dude

We’re back with another edition of Ocean County Paranormal with Garden State Ghost Hunters founder Boni Bates. This time you can watch as we focus on an investigation that GSGH conducted in one of the most haunted areas of the US, Gettysburg, PA, where the team captured a ghostly figure on film and strange voices on audio. Watch the show, listen for yourself and check out the pictures all here:

Segment 1 – Justin Louis and Boni Bates talk about Gettysburg, PA

Segment 2 – We listen to an “EVP” and discuss pictures captured at the investigation

Take a look at the photos (click each picture to see a larger version):

Garden State Ghost Hunters

Garden State Ghost Hunters

Segment 3 – We take listener questions and wrap up:

(Video Segments Produced and Directed by David L Goldstein)

That does it for this episode of Ocean County Paranormal. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, etc, feel free to let us know in the comments section below or email Justin by clicking here!

Brick Mayor Steve Acropolis (Jason Allentoff/Townsquare Media NJ)

BRICK - Brick Township Mayor Steve Acropolis presents his proposed $82 million  operating budget for 2012 that calls for laying off 77 public works department employees. Acropolis says the move would save almost $8million. Council President John Ducey is against the plan and he says the Council will examine other ways to save money.

OCEANPORT - The New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association is close to finalizing an agreement to take control of Monmouth Park racetrack. Report say the group has agreed on lease terms with the New Jersey Sports And Exposition Authority. It should be finalized very soon.

TOMS RIVER – A Stafford-based home contractor heads for trial, accused of fleecing investors for more than $1,000,000. David Haugland was indicted this morning in Ocean County Superior Court on charges of theft, money laundering, and issuing bad checks. Prosecutors contend that Haugland conned investors – and tried to float a fraudulent loan – ostensibly to build homes on three Long Beach Island properties that neither he nor his company owned or controlled. Haugland is free on $75,000 bail.

TRENTON – A lawyer and an investment broker from Marlboro head for sentencing for scheming to skim more than $2,500,000 from mortgage lenders through false applications. Attorney Mark Bellotti, 55, and broker Jonathan Domash, 41, pleaded guilty Tuesday here to charges of theft by deception. Bellotti admitted to an additional count of conspiracy. Prosecutors will recommend five years in prison for Bellotti, and 364 days in jail with five years’ probation for Domash. A third defendant from Hillsborough appears headed for probation.
JACKSON – Solar energy returns to the talking stages in the township’s school district. Officials reportedly are weighing the advantages of renting school roof space to private solar contractors in exchange for discounted energy costs. If an agreement can be developed, the renting firms would receive solar energy credits. School officials anticipate paying about $3,750,000 to power the district next year unless methods are developed to reduce costs. Voters last year rejected a $7,000,000 solar power referendum.

TRENTON – ANew Jersey police officer who calls Matawan home is sentenced to three years in state prison for stealing cocaine from an evidence room he ran. Albert Annuzzi, 47, must serve two years before parole eligibility in accord with the plea agreement he struck last month. Annuzzi served 22 years on the Piscataway police force. He admitted swiping the drugs for personal use.

TOMS RIVER – That whooping cough advisory we told you about last week is developing some legs. Ocean County health officials report 14 cases, mostly in northern-end communities including Lakewood. But they don’t rule out any community for vulnerability to the bacterial lung infection. It’s hazardous for any age, but especially for infants. The Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends a five-stage d-Tap inoculation series. Four shots are given between two and 18 months of age, and a booster is given between ages four and six.

MAYS LANDING – Four months after a suspect was jailed in connection with a fatal shooting in Atlantic City, four more are rounded up. Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel today announced the arrests in connection with the death of Corleone Hayes last November, one of two homicides in the city on the same night. Haneef Graves, 29, has been in custody since his arrest.

BARNEGAT - A 25-year-old from Barnegat is charged with a pair of home burglaries in the past month. Police say they charged Kerri Conroy with theft after tracing a laptop that vanished from a Village Drive home to a third party who claimed to have bought it from Conroy. A Deck Street resident accuses Conroy of taking $210 from a purse while in the victim’s house to use the phone.

ATLANTIC CITY - Atlantic City’s Steel Pier receives final approval for a $6.1 million loan. The pier’s owners will use the money from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to renovate and expand the historic site. The three-year project is expected to cost about $102 million. It calls for new rides, a midway and a food court.

TOMS RIVER – Plans for a homeless shelter on the grounds of a church in the township are being shelved. Leaders of the First Assembly Church of God reportedly got a cool reception to the idea at a community forum that included homeowners beyond the mandatory 200-foot notification radius. Church elders sought parish and community agreement, and support for the mission from local, state and federal government sources. Space in the Youth Ministry Building would have temporarily housed up to 50 men and women.

LONG BRANCH - A Long Branch man remains in the Monmouth County Jail, accused of running down a man on a bicycle with his truck. Reports say 64-year-old Glenn Frattin is charged with attempted murder in the Saturday morning incident on Garfield Avenue. The unidenitifed victim was taken to Monmouth Medical Center.

JERSEY CITY - Snooki and J-Woww have officially arrived in Jersey City for the filming of their new reality show. The spinoff of MTV’s Jersey Shore was originally set to shoot in Hoboken but the Mayor denied producers a filming permit. Security on set is tight. The production company is footing the bill for extra police officers.

LINCROFT – Brookdale Community College’s new president is Maureen Murphy, currently the head of San Jacinto College South in Houston, Texas. She emerged over numerous candidates in a nationwide search following the departure of Peter Burnham last March, amid corruption allegations. She takes office July 1.

TRENTON - For now, shore-based Congressman Jon Runyan remains the only former pro footballer representing New Jersey on Capitol Hill. Ex-Giants linebacker Harry Carson today told Bergen County officials that he’s decided not to oppose five-term Republican Scott Garrett this November. The 58-year-old Hall of Famer now runs a sports marketing and consulting firm.

11 days ago Manasquan beat St. Rose by four points in a matchup of the shore’s top two girl’s basketball teams. That victory earned the Warriors the #1 seed going into the Shore Conference Tournament and left many hoping that the two schools would eventually meet again in the SCT Championship game. That rematch will happen after both came up semifinal winners last night at Brookdale Community College.

Robert J. Collins Arena at Brookdale Community College (Brookdale Community College)

Manasquan topped three-time defending champion Neptune 49-40 as sophomore Katelynn Flaherty scored 23 points and then it was the Purple Roses rallying from 11 points down to edge St. John Vianney 30-27 in overtime as Sarah Kurtz hit three late free throws to provide the winning margin. St. Rose will get its second crack at Squan on Friday night at Monmouth University (6pm), in a game we will broadcast on our Shore Sports Network.

We’ll be back at Brookdale tonight for the Boys Semifinals with top-seed Colts Neck facing Middletown North at 6pm followed by Manasquan versus Neptune.

Both games will be broadcast on 1160/1310AM and also at shoresportsnetwork.com

The Region VI Wrestling Championships begin at 5pm today with preliminary round action at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River. Tonight’s action features wrestlers who finished 2nd or 3rd in last weekend’s districts and winners advance into the quarterfinals on Friday against district champions, who automatically get byes into the quarters.

Monmouth University mens basketball team (Monmouth University athletics)

Monmouth University has clinched a spot in the upcoming Northeast Conference Basketball Tournament and the Hawks close out the regular season with two home games this week. St. Francis of NY comes into the MAC tomorrow night and then first-place LIU visits on Saturday night. After a slow start Monmouth is 8-8 in the NEC and currently in a three-way tie with Quinnipiac & Central Connecticut for 5th place in the conference standings.

COMEDY NIGHT

The Toms River Elite Baseball Team will hold a Comedy Night Fundraiser this Friday at the East Dover Firehouse on Fischer Boulevard. Featured comedians for the evening will be Gino-T, Adam Kerr and Joey Callahan. Tickets are $25. Click trelite.org for tickets and additional information.

It includes a modest increase in state aid to schools and the largest ever payment into the public workers’ pension system, but it’s two tax-related proposals that are garnering the most attention and Democrats are bashing both of them.

The $32.1 billion spending plan is more than $2 billion above the current budget. It provides $213 million more for schools over last year. The Christie Administration is projecting revenue growth of 7.3% in the coming year. It is with that revenue that the Administration hopes to fund the first phase of the 10% state income tax cut which is expected to cost $183.3 million in the first year. The legislature would need to approve the tax cut.

“The people have spoken, and they want lower taxes,” says Christie. “So in this budget, I have included the proposal I outlined for you a few weeks ago in the State of the State address. I propose to reduce personal income tax rates, across-the-board, for every New Jerseyan, by 10%, and I propose to begin the three-year phase-in of the cut with this budget. A 10% tax cut for every working New Jerseyan will help families to keep more of what they earn. It will make us more competitive with other states and attract more new jobs to New Jersey. Every New Jerseyan deserves a tax cut. Lower tax rates will relieve over- burdened middle class families. They will keep job creators here.

The Governor also proposes increasing the earned Income Tax Credit from 20% to 25% to provide help for New Jersey’s working poor. Christie explains, “Some hard working, low-income New Jerseyans pay no income tax at all. In this budget I am proposing relief for them, too. In 2010, our disastrous budget situation forced us to trim the Earned Income Tax Credit. With this budget, I propose to increase it, from 20% to 25% over the next two years. With my proposed increase, New Jersey will have one of the most generous state tax programs for the working poor in the nation – with an average annual benefit of 550 dollars.”

Christie’s tax cut and tax credit plans drew huge applause from those in attendance yesterday, but if he was planning a victory lap, he probably doesn’t need to go all the way around the track. The tax reduction proposal requires legislative approval, but Democrats who control both houses are essentially saying it is dead on arrival. They also say Christie is taking credit restoring the Earned Income Tax Credit after he was the one who slashed it in the first place.

Video by Dino Flammia

The Democratic Reaction

• More reaction to the NJ Budget Address

Asked his thought son the income tax cut plan, State Senate President Steve Sweeney said, “He’s wrong and we’re not going to stand back and support an income tax cut that’s only going to benefit the wealthy and give crumbs to the middle class.”

Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver says “No matter how the Governor dresses it up, a 10 percent across-the-board income tax cut is still a disproportionately generous gift for the wealthiest among us, one that will have little-to-no impact on the lives of working class New Jerseyans. Even more puzzling is the lack of details on how the Governor intends to pay for his millionaires’ gift. The most glaring omission in his speech, however, was the complete and utter absence of a plan to address property taxes.”

“The governor’s budget plan is just more of the same – tax cuts for the rich at the expense of the middle-class,” says Assembly Democratic Leader Lou Greenwald. “Governor Christie just doesn’t get it. His zeal for tax breaks for the rich while middle-class families struggle with the highest property taxes in the nation is wrong.”

Democrats agree with Christie that the people of New Jersey want lower taxes. They just think he picked the wrong tax to cut. They feel the focus should be squarely on property taxes. They say the average Jersey resident would be lucky to see $100 in savings from the income tax cut plan while millionaire’s would receive over $7,000.

As expected, Christie’s fellow Republicans are very supportive of his spending plan. Senate GOP Leader Tom Kean says, “Reducing the income tax is an investment in our state just like education, state colleges and universities, property tax relief, and support for the disadvantaged. It is a needed investment in job creation for the still far too many workers seeking employment. The Governor’s budget presents us with a choice: continuing to do what has been working for New Jersey’s economy and job market, or return to the days when unchecked taxes, spending, and borrowing turned our state into an economic disaster.”

Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick says, “Governor Christie outlined a fiscally responsible budget that will advance the New Jersey recovery for taxpayers and businesses. The Governor’s budget increases state educational aid to its highest level in history, makes the required pension payment of $1.1 billion, and cuts income taxes by 10 percent. As a result of Governor Christie’s leadership, we have a budget that funds core priorities and provides tax relief for every New Jerseyan.”

Municipal aid is down slightly, but the Governor proposes increasing property tax relief aid by nearly $50 million. He plans to reduce transitional aid to the state’s distressed cities by over $56 million. There will be no changes to homestead rebate programs or eligibility for the Senior Freeze program.

Funding for higher education will increase $107 million over the current year. Funding for the state’s hospitals will remain flat at $986 million.

The budget plan includes a payment into the public employees’ pension system of $1.1 billion, the largest single payment in New Jersey history. In the current fiscal year the payment was $484 million.

The spending plan calls for $1 million to recruit and select two State Police training classes. There’s $89 million to support Christie’s $1.6 billion Transportation Capital Plan. $2.5 million would be allocated to establish a mandatory drug court for non-violent offenders all 21 counties. Almost $35 million would be set aside for new community placement for New Jerseyans with disabilities. The State Rental Assistance Program would get $21 million in funding.

The spending plan also includes the continuation of business tax cuts and job growth incentives.

The budget proposal anticipates a $300 million surplus, but State Treasurer Andrew Eristoff says Christie expects to be able to add to the surplus as the year goes on.

Sue Moll, Townsquare Media

Hi, I’m T.  Sue’s my Mommy.  So I have to thank you Mommy and Daddy’s for all of the ideas where my family can take me for a walk and where I can meet new friends.  The Ocean County Dog park was such a fun place.

There were lots of dogs there running around.  When i first got there, I howled.  Yep I’m a howler.  Nope not just a howler but a HUGE howler.  My knees were tired when I was done playing.

So to me there’s nothing better than human hugs.  Do you know what human hugs do for me and other dog friends.  It gives us confidence that we are good dogs, it keeps our hearts healthy and makes us feel good all over.  So I wanted to take this time in my blog to say, “Thank you for loving your pets.” 

Hmmmmm…I was wondering do you know why the top of my ears have been warm, but the tips of my ears are cold.  Because I’m 10, do you think I have bad circulation.  I am 70 in human life. 

Hug your pets and we definetely hear you saying, ” I love you, good girl.”

Until I write again…my tail’s a wagging!

Governor Christie with CNN's Piers Morgan (CNN)

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie made the national TV rounds, spending an hour with CNN’s Piers Morgan on Tuesday night and doing a short segment on ABC’s Good Morning, America on Wednesday morning talking about gay marriage and his support of Mitt Romney.

On ABC, Christie said he continues to be courted privately to jump into the 2012 presidential race, but says he’s only interested in having Mitt Romney secure the nomination.

Christie tells George Stephanopoulos of ABC’s “Good Morning America” he hasn’t changed his mind about not entering the race. Christie predicts Romney’s sputtering campaign will regain its momentum and that he will be the clear front runner by April. He says the long primary season, something he voted against,  is hurting the Republican candidates and hopes that a lesson will be learned.

Stephanopoulos asked Christie about recent comments by both Rick Santorum and Romney about Obama’s religion. He says the comments are relevant and count, as are all comments by a Presidential candidate, but isn’t someplace he would like to see the race go.

The economy is the important issue in both New Jersey and across the country, according to Christie, and putting people back to work so they can support their families and contribute to the economy.

When asked about the “New Jersey Comeback” he touted in Tuesday’s budget address and if President Obama could make the same “comeback” claim about the US economy, he said the Garden State has added jobs while the country overall under the Obama administration has lost jobs.

“I DON’T COMPROMISE MY PRINCIPALS FOR POLITICS”

Christie discussed gay marriage with CNN’s Piers Morgan on Tuesday night and continued to support putting the issue to a referendum.  “I know this is a very emotional issue and a very divisive issue in my state. The only way we have to amend our constitution in New Jersey – which is by referendum – let’s put it on the ballot and let’s let the people decide.”

Morgan suggested that Christie might be “out of step” with the 7 states that have legalized gay marriage. Christie said he is still in the majority and that he will not compromise his principals for politics. He admits to having “robust discussions” with gay friends but says they do not accuse him of being bigoted.

Additional Christie segments:

The Associated Press contributed to this story.