Now in its 100th year, the annual St. Ann's Festival has arrived. This year's festival will feature musical entertainment every night—and of course, their famous zeppoles.

With Frank Sinatra at his side, Ronald Reagan visited the festival as he was campaigning for re-election in 1984. The president explained how they decided to work the stop into his frenetic schedule:

"A few weeks ago I got a letter from a Mr. Santo A. Milici, and even the letterhead was appetizing. It said, 'St. Ann's Festival, A Feast for the Senses.' Nancy saw it, and she said, 'Honey, I think you ought to go to Hoboken.'

"We kept reading, and the letter told about what a great American city Hoboken is—of course, Frank Sinatra had already told me about that—and how you're the most dynamic town in the tri-state area. We read about the outdoor continental cafe and the midway with rides and games and special entertainment. And my staff saw it, and they said, 'Let's go to Hoboken.'

"But I'll tell you what did it. I'll tell you about your secret weapon. I heard about your zeppoles. And so, here I am in Hoboken."

So as you stroll through the festival this weekend, have a zeppole for the Gipper.

Reagan did make a few serious points during his otherwise light-hearted remarks. For instance, he asked:

"Why do some who claim to represent the party of compassion feel no compassion whatsoever for the most helpless among us—the unborn? How can they parade down the street wearing compassion as if it were a cloak made of neon and they have no compassion for the most helpless of God's creatures?"

Does that sound "too conservative" for Democratic Hudson County? Reagan won Hudson County, decisively.

In March, Governor Christie signed Executive Order #17, which created a statewide Privatization Task Force. The commission, chaired by former U.S. Representative Dick Zimmer, sought to apply the "Yellow Pages Test" to all services rendered by the state. That is, if there's a service listed in the phone directory, the government probably shouldn't be directly providing that service. Instead, the government should contract out the delivery of that service in a transparent, competitive manner. This principle, made famous by former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith (now Deputy Mayor of New York City), has saved taxpayers millions of dollars when implemented in a competent fashion.

Today, the findings of our state's Privatization Task Force are in. As it turns out, various privatization initiatives could save taxpayers at least $210 million annually. In reality, taxpayers would save even more if the commission's recommendations are fully implemented. As the Reason Foundation's Leonard Gilroy (who served as a task force advisor) has explained, their report does not attempt to quantify the value of all recommendations, nor does it estimate revenue yielded from unused state land if sold.

The release of this report constitutes a real victory for the state's taxpayers. It reveals, in concrete terms, how much we're currently overpaying for a plethora of services. As Gilroy notes, the commission's proposals are not self-implementing. They do, however, provide a clear roadmap for a reform-minded administration.

It remains our hope that we can replicate our state's Privatization Task Force on a municipal level. Early this year, Mayor Zimmer indicated that privatization studies were underway. She was loathe to discuss any potential areas for privatization, however. We haven't heard of any developments since. Hopefully, the release of the state's report will provide new impetus to local privatization initiatives.

Today we mark the 234th anniversary of our nation's birth. Those of us here in the Mile Square City are fortunate to have front row seats for Macy's annual fireworks display. Whatever your plans, all of us here wish you and yours a happy and safe Independence Day.

Amid the fireworks, cookouts, and other festivities, let's pause this weekend and reflect upon the principles set forth in our nation's founding documents. More than ever, we need to understand, explain, and defend those ideals. As Ronald Reagan reminded us:

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

Property rights across the nation are under ferocious assault, especially in the aftermath of Kelo v. New London. In the fall of 2005, we discovered a particularly offensive case right next door. The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency had already seized the title of a Malaysian immigrant's land. The intended recipient was none other than Saint Peter's Preparatory School, which coveted this man's property in order to add seven yards to its existing athletic field.

In response, Hoboken Republicans organized a rally in defense of property rights, held at Mr. Tan's Golden Cicada Tavern. Since then, his case received a lot more media attention, which eventually erupted into a media firestorm. In the face of this PR nightmare, Mayor Healy finally came out and called for the city to cease and desist. To thank all of his supporters, Mr. Tan hosted an "appreciation party" at his tavern. He specifically thanked the Hoboken Republicans for their unwavering defense of his constitutional rights.

We then learned that, while the city had opted not to confiscate Mr. Tan's land, he was still not allowed to make any improvements to his property. As part of the city's attempt to steal his land, they downzoned his property to "recreation/open space." Clearly, his rights were still being violated. This is a case that we have followed with interest over the years.

Finally, it appears that common sense has prevailed. The city has reversed the downzoning, allowing Mr. Tan to construct up to five stories on his land. He plans to make the case for a seven story development that would include senior housing. And don't worry, a new and improved Golden Cicada Tavern would remain on the ground level.

If you'd like to check out the Golden Cicada for yourself, it's located on the corner of Grand and Marin in Jersey City, near the Marin Boulevard Light Rail and Grove Street PATH stations. The drinks are cheap, and the dumplings are tasty.

These words, from Reagan's classic 1964 speech, are as powerful today as they were forty-six years ago.

The Hoboken Republicans today endorsed the “Real Results” slate of fiscally conservative, reform-minded candidates for school board—Kathleen Tucker, Perry Lin, Liz Markevitch and John Forsman.

“Tucker, Lin, Markevitch and Forsman are the only candidates I trust to lower my taxes,” explained Peter Morgan, co-founder of the Hoboken Republicans. “In fact, their opponents aren’t even promising to cut taxes.”

“We spend far more, per student, than most school districts,” Morgan lamented. “And yet, our schools are not first-rate. We need leaders to start putting the interests of students ahead of the unions. Tucker, Lin, Markevitch and Forsman are prepared to stand up for students and taxpayers alike. They understand that our district doesn’t need more taxpayer money—it needs better management.”

In addition to endorsing the “Real Results” team, the Hoboken Republicans urge residents to vote down a budget that Morgan called “more than just bloated.” He asked, “Why does it take $58 million to run a district with fewer than 2,000 K-12 students?”

Polls open on Tuesday, from 2 to 9 PM.