Monmouth & Ocean Counties for Councilman Ronald C. Rice and the Booker Team
Posted by admin - 01/04/10 at 09:04 pmI just returned from a reception in Spring Lake for Newark West Ward Councilman Ronald C. Rice. It was a nice affair, attended by about 50 people at the Spring Lake Manor. I got there just before 6:30 as the room began to fill and had the pleasure to be introduced to Councilman Rice before to many others came by.
The event was hosted by Ms. Sandra Salter, Ms. Stacy Lubrecht, Red Bank Councilwoman Juanita Lewis, Red Bank Councilman Edward Zipprich, Mr. John Amberg & Lacey Township Democratic Party Chairman Barry Bendar.
It was my first time meeting Councilman Rice and I hope that it wont be my last, he was warm, courteous and engaging, very down to earth and seemed to be at ease.
He talked about how Newark has been changing over the past few years under the leadership of Mayor Cory Booker, about how parks and neighborhoods all through out the city have been revitalized and how under the leadership of Cory Booker the crime rate has fallen. Newark has gone some 44 days since its last recorded murder which has been the longest period since 1966.
Councilman Rice spoke of how he first met Barack Obama before he was President and how impressed he was with him, he said that he was the first elected official in NJ to officially endorse him.
Many in the room expect great things from Councilman Rice in the future, some were saying that he is next in line to succeed Cory Booker as Mayor of Newark while others expect him to make the move to Washington as a US Congressman or possibly as US Senator one day.
This having been my first time meeting Councilman Rice, I wont go that far by predicting such greatness for him but he did impress me and I wouldn’t be surprised if someday Ronald Rice found himself somewhere other than on the Newark City Council, either as Mayor or in some other higher elected office.
Here are a few pictures:
"What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberals?" if by "Liberals" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then ...we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without ridgid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people--their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties--someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal"- John F. Kennedy [Sept.14,1960]