“New Jersey families are being crushed by some of the highest electric bills, property taxes, and cost of living in the entire country, and Sherrill’s answer is to spend more defending illegal immigrants,”
~Congressman Van Drew
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (CNBNews)(June 6, 2026)– Today, Congressman Van Drew released the following statement condemning Governor Sherrill’s decision to increase funding for New Jersey’s Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative by an additional $12 million, bringing the total taxpayer-funded program to more than $20 million. The funding is intended to provide legal assistance to individuals facing deportation and detention proceedings.
“New Jersey families are being crushed by some of the highest electric bills, property taxes, and cost of living in the entire country, and Governor Sherrill’s answer is to spend more than $20 million defending illegal immigrants,” said Congressman Van Drew. “It is a complete insult to every hardworking taxpayer in this state. New Jersey citizens should come first. If they can find $20 million for immigration lawyers, they can find money to lower utility delivery charges or provide relief to the people who actually live, work, and pay taxes here. Every dollar spent helping illegal immigrants avoid deportation is a dollar not being spent helping New Jersey families afford to stay in New Jersey.”
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FROM PEN TO PAPER
by William E Cleary Sr. (Author) Format: Paperback
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From Pen to Paper is a raw, fearless autobiography from a small-town journalist who spent more than
half a century telling stories others were afraid to print.William E. Cleary Sr., founder of Cleary’s Notebook News, traces his life from riding along to fires as a boy in Gloucester City, New Jersey, to becoming a reporter who exposed corruption, confronted organized crime, and stood his ground when powerful forces tried to silence him. With no college degree and no protection beyond his integrity, Cleary learned journalism the hard way on the streets, in city halls, and face-to-face with danger.
At the heart of the book is a chilling 1989 undercover investigation into alleged mob connections and the New Jersey State Police, in which Cleary discovered he wasn’t helping expose corruption—he was the target.
Woven throughout are deeply personal stories of family, love, military service during the Newark riots, community loss, loyalty, and the relentless responsibility of running a local newspaper while raising a family.
More than a memoir, From Pen to Paper is a tribute to independent journalism, a vanished America of neighborhood newspapers and corner taverns, and the courage it takes to tell the truth when it comes at a cost.
Honest, gritty, and unapologetic, this is the voice of a journalist who never stopped running toward the fire.