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Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 04:15:00 PM EST
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It's been great watching Republicans spin about why Jon Runyan would be a good candidate for Congress. This latest attempt at logic has me scratching my head on why football players run and make good candidates for Congress:"They understand the importance of executing the blocking and tackling of political campaigns," said National Republican Congressional Committee Communications Director Ken Spain Huh? I know that politics is a contact sport, but what blocking and tackling will Jon Runyan be doing of John Adler if he wins his party's nomination. There have been successful candidates with a football background like Jack Kemp, Steve Largent, Heath Shuler and JC Watts. But then you also have unsuccessful campaigns like that of Lynn Swann. Runyan's ability to articulate a message, have the resources necessary and connect with the voters will determine his success or failure. Runyan may turn out to be a good candidate, but his ability to block and tackle won't be a factor.
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Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 02:10:44 PM EST
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I found this interview with former Governor Corzine very troublesome. Here's what Corzine said about last year's big scandal:
Pointing to the colossal N.J. sting operation in July and the fallout in Hudson, Corzine said that accepting campaign contributions in cash in exchange for favors is highly unacceptable.
"None of this is attractive," Corzine said. "The discussion of it undermines the credibility of government in the public's mind and makes even stronger the argument that we need to take steps to give people assurance that this behavior is going to change."
Pay-to-play, or commercial bribery, gets at defining what might be legal in today's context, but to the public, it looks pretty unethical on any basis, he said.
He also made this observation:
"People need to be very focused on the quality and character of the candidates," Corzine said. "At the end of the day, if somebody wants to cheat, we can probably write the strictest laws in the world and you will still find people circumventing those kinds of challenges."
That would be more convincing if he didn't go out of his way to excuse those who circumvent the law:
Corzine said he feels [Jersey City Mayor] Healy should absolutely not resign based on the available facts. Healy has made his case that he did nothing wrong within the context of the law, he said.
If our reformers excuse people like this, no wonder there's no achievements on the corruption front.
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Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 12:52:39 PM EST
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If you haven't heard yet, Garden State Equality's Board has voted to end the practice of donating to political parties, and is now going to dedicate its donating practices to those candidates and officials who share their views.
Personally, this is a great thing to see, as the Democratic Party (both on the local, state and national levels) have taken progressives for granted - using us as an ATM (or in this instance as coined by someone who I will certainly credit when I remember, a gAyTM) to elect their candidates because "the other party is worse" but then offering little in the way of real change.
"Better than the alternative" has gotten real old real quick - we have had large majorities as well as the Governorship here in NJ for quite some time now - and a good number of progressive issues and causes have gotten little traction. On the Federal level, this is the same story - first it was "we need a majority", then it was "we need a bigger House majority and 60 Senate seats", and even then it took a shitstorm to even get the repeal of DADT on the agenda.
The Democratic Party (again, here in NJ as well as on a national level) should see this as yet another sign of a wake up call. No longer are progressives happy to work and donate to the party structure only to get pushed aside. The rise of the national netroots has given progressives the ability to donate and promote individual candidates based on views, support of issues or to reward for "going to bat" for progressive causes.
Amazingly, equality is one that has to be pushed for over and over and over again - and is one that is pushed aside or given half-hearted "separate but equal" actions.
On the issue of marriage equality, AmericaBlog has already initiated a Don't Ask, Don't Give initiative, and as noted by Pam's House Blend (where you can also see the entire text of the resolution), this could lead to support for Republican Party candidates who support marriage equality.
National and State Democratic Party leaders should sit up and take notice - the progressive netroots and grassroots has been kicked around for long enough, and has been able to organize in one of the few ways that elected officials react to - money and donations. The tired excuses and lack of support by those who made promises in order to gain support and election will most certainly come back and bite them over time.
It may not be this November, but you can bet this is more of a blueprint for future netroots and grassroots campaigns and less of an aberration. The state and national Democratic Parties can ignore this or write it off, but they do so at their own peril.
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Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 10:58:00 AM EST
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From Star Ledger's editorial this morning calling for voting machines that can produce a paper record of the vote, a physical record which can be checked against the tally of the voting machine's computer. Quoting Rep. Rush Holt:
Otherwise, in the words of Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th Dist.), "we have faith-based voting."
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Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 09:29:00 AM EST
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATES: Last week I wrote about our several year sojourn to bring the many "shadow governments" in New Jersey (such as the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission) into the sunlight along with veto power for the Governor. But this past week has been really interesting. I've had the opportunity to try to translate into law these very fashionable words, "transparency and accountability." I dropped two new bills to update the almost 20 year old Open Public Meetings Act (known as the Senator Byron Baer Sunshine Law) and the Open Public Records Act which we just named in honor of the late open government advocate, Martin O'Shea. Both laws needed to reflect the technology advances which didn't even exist when they were originally passed. For instance, the new OPMA will prohibit texting and emailing between and among elected officials during business meetings. One councilmember will no longer be able to discuss business with another councilmember on his/her blackberry during a meeting. Among other things, the new OPRA law will allow record requests to be filled by email or fax. By calling attention to these bills, we can help foster a culture that elected officials and record custodians will say "Yes" to the public's requests rather than looking for a reasons to say "No". Everything we do is owned by the public in one way or another, and the public's right to know what we're doing should be paramount.
The Senate Health & Human Services & Senior Service Committee, which I now chair, released a bill sponsored by Senator Bob Gordon and I requiring all hospitals to have public conflict of interest policies for Boards of Trustees which must include rules to govern when a member has a conflict in the awarding of hospital contracts. The bill requires the conflict of interest policy to be published on the hospital's web page and sets very strict parameters for board members. Doug Duchek, the CEO of Englewood Hospital, testified in support of the bill and announced that Englewood does not allow any of its board members to sell goods or services to the hospital. Good idea! Let's keep an eye on this one. I have a feeling that there might be a move to try to undermine its intent.
We also dropped the bill to straighten out that awful initiative law which puts a 10 year moratorium on the petitioning for a local government change to go before the voters. Senator Joseph Vitale of Middlesex joined me in sponsoring this reversal of our "lame duck" mistake which was an anti-democratic attempt to thwart some good government reformers in New Brunswick. I know Senator Theresa Ruiz will also sign on as a co-sponsor. Let's ask Senator Jim Whelan to post this asap in the State Government Committee.
So it's been quite a week capped off with a big birthday celebration for me. (February 6th was also Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman's birthday - happy birthday, my friend.) Thank you Blue Jersey for headlining my 75th birthday. The celebrations started when a group of my Bergen political women friends planned a great dinner. We drank plenty of wine; told many good political stories about some Bergen luminaries; and had lots of laughs. The next night was dinner out with son and girlfriend. And Sunday I found time to host my annual super bowl gathering. Wednesday, we're going to L.A. for a few days for a big family celebration. So I plan to enjoy every minute of all these parties. It is a little weird, cause the number of these years seems like they should belong to someone else. Life is still so full of more goals to reach; more adventures to share; the enjoyment of love of family and "best friends"; and most of all fun to share with all of them and with you!! Thank you for making it a special time for me. Thank you for helping to ready the next generation of leaders.
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Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 08:00:00 AM EST
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 It will be a busy day in Trenton today as both the Assembly and Senate will have committees meeting. They will hear testimony, consider legislation and hold confirmation hearings for the new Governor's cabinet members.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider the nomination of Paula Dow to serve as the State's Attorney General. If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first African-American woman to serve as the State's top law enforcement official. The will also interview Glenn K. Rieth to succeed himself as Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs.
The State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee will hear testimony from State Comptroller Matthew Boxer on his office's audit report on financial mismanagement in Atlantic City's municipal government. They will also consider a constitutional amendment allowing for in-person and account wagering on sports events at Atlantic City casinos and racetracks. The Military and Veterans Affairs Committee has invited Major General Rieth of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to update the Committee on departmental activities.
Representatives of the Department of Environmental Protection have been invited to discuss the draft water discharge permit for the Oyster Creek
nuclear generating station in the Environment and Energy Committee. The Economic Growth Committee will have Senator Lesniak's bill to abolish COAH up for discussion for the 2nd time. The release contained this note: Senator Lesniak stressed that the bill is still "a work in progress," and noted that he was open to input from all sides to ensure his proposal is more successful than COAH's failed bureaucracy which has created unwieldy mandates on municipalities and failed to build necessary affordable unit for the State's residents. The Assembly Financial Institutions Committee will receive testimony concerning various issues related to reimbursements by health insurance carriers to out-of-network health care providers. The Higher Education Committee will conduct a discussion with invited participants concerning the positive economic impact institutions of higher education have on the State. The Regulatory oversight and gaming committee will hear testimony from invited speakers concerning the regulatory process in New Jersey and problems that it has presented for businesses in the State.
There is also plenty of legislation up for consideration. I'll put the full list of bills on the agenda below the fold. As always, if you can't make it to Trenton, you can listen to the hearings here.
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Sun Feb 07, 2010 at 09:01:02 PM EST
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White Jersey
50K residents still without power in South Jersey., with the Governor now saying he will declare a state of emergency.
And are your shovels poised for more?
Senate Judiciary Committee interviews Paula Dow today
Loretta Weinberg wants to know if you have questions you think she should ask. Drop them in Comments if you do.
Can the Tea Party people recall a United States Senator?
It's complicated. And heading to court Feb. 26.
(Unrecoverable disk error!) (Abort, retry, fail?)
Star Ledger says it's about time voting machines New Jerseyans cast their ballots on produce a paper record like most voters in the country have.
I got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere
Legislation that would allow New Jersey's horse racing tracks and Atlantic City casinos to accept bets on sporting events will go before an Assembly panel this week.
Scott Rumana attacks panel that employs his close ally
Charlie Stile writes about the assemblyman's very public campaign into the "waste and out of control salaries" at the Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority, and Rumana's pirouette away from the fact that his own godfather, Passaic congressman turned lobbyist and consultant, pulls in $120K/year as a grant writer for them - an 11 year financial relationship.
It can be cushy at the top
Some upper-level school officials are raking in some very lucrative perks and golden parachutes.
Credibility of some plaintiffs in Ground Zero illness suits falters
As the first cases of first responders and other workers involved in rescue and recovery after the attack at World Trade Center, there may be reason to question the truth of some plaintiffs' claims.
Paul Mulshine finds something cool about Leonard Lance
The congressman from NJ-7 is the only congressman from NJ who's joined the House Small Brewers Caucus.
Want to be as tan as The Situation? It's gonna cost ... somebody
In New Jersey, one of the few states that already taxes tanning salons, a provision buried deep in the US Senate version of health care reform lays an extra burden on salon owners here, in what is already a rough business to make a living in.
Kidney cancer, non-Hodgekin's Lymphoma, and dropping property values
Housing values in the hazardous plume area by the former DuPont munitions factory in Pompton Lakes are falling faster than nearby communities. Exposure to pollution that may make them sick, and a harder time unloading their homes to get away.
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Sun Feb 07, 2010 at 05:10:55 PM EST
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If environmentalists had concerns about the direction of the DEP under the leadership of Christie nominee Bob Martin, they aren't going to feel any better after reading a Q & A with him in the Star Ledger where he says this:"I never anticipated being at the DEP. ... I thought I'd probably end up at the BPU (Board of Public Utilities) since I had dealt with utilities at Accenture," Martin said. The article says he'd be the first to say "he's not a big greenie" and he thought he'd end up overseeing the utilities. He talks about simplifying the permit process so that business aren't hindered. If that's not sending a message, I don't know what does.
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Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 09:13:59 AM EST
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Okay, Bill's got an interesting reason to root for the Saints. Works for me, but I was already behind the Saints. Here's some more on Fujita's politics - here, here, and here. Go Saints! Go Fujita! Who are you rooting for today, Blue Jersey? - Promoted by Rosi
As people gather Sunday for the annual ritual of watching the Super Bowl, I can't help but support the Saints - a team from post-Katrina New Orleans. Then there's the Saints' star linebacker Scott Fujita, a socially conscious athlete who has been outspoken in support of pro-abortion rights, gay rights and civil liberties. Talk about a progressive athlete... wow!
In an October 6, 2009, interview with David Zirin of the Nation Magazine, Scott explained why he was supporting the upcoming National Equality March for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights in Washington DC. "By and large in this country the issue of gay rights and equality should be past the point of debate." On other people's opposition to gay adoption, he indicated, "what that is really saying is that the concern with one's sexual orientation or one's sexual preference outweighs what's really important, and that's finding safe homes for children." On religion he stated, "I don't like it when people use God or Jesus Christ in this whole debate, if you could even call it a debate. Jesus Christ to me, is probably the most compassionate and revolutionary thinker of all time."
In the NYTimes (02/02/10) he talked about another football player Tim Tebow (Quarterback - Florida Gators) who will be featured in an anti-abortion Super Bowl commercial. Scott Fujita said, "The idea of focusing on the family - who wouldn't agree with that? But the means of doing so, he and I might not see eye to eye all the way." In its infinite wisdom CBS will air the anti-abortion commercial but has refused to air a gay dating service commercial.
A self-described "big white guy with the Japanese name," he traces his concern for civil liberties to his family's experience with Japanese internment camps during World War II. As an infant he was adopted by a Japanese-American family. His grandmother had been placed in such a camp and his adopter father was born in the camp. Scott Fujita said to Michel Silver of Yahoo Sports, "It's a horrible chapter in our history... and I wasn't even taught about it in school. It's something I feel very strong about, especially after 9/11, where there were so may similarities with people's civil liberties being violated."
Off hand I can not think of a NJ pro athlete who is nearly as progressive. Can you?
Go Saints! Go Scott Fujita!
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Sun Feb 07, 2010 at 12:36:23 PM EST
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The Governor is still driving around the state to assess the damage from the snow storm and said yesterday he wanted to see more before deciding whether to declare a state of emergency. This is his latest tweet:Just met with Atlantic County officials and surveyed storm damage. Over 2 feet of snow. Now on to Cape May County. Ok, over 2 feet of snow. Maybe you need to see more:Christie said he had also been in touch with Atlantic City Electric and discussed efforts to help restore power to the more than 50,000 customers in the region still without electricity. That's down from 90,000 people who had power out at some point, but still a large amount of people in the dark and cold for over a day. Rob Andrews called on the Governor to declare a state of emergency yesterday when he was in Camden County seeing first hand they had received over 2 feet of snow:"As the snow persists, the cost of plowing, cleaning and protecting our neighborhoods continues to mount," Andrews said in a statement. "With more and more families out of work and struggling to make ends meet, taxpayers cannont afford to pay the costs resulting from another blizzard -- emergency assistance will save money for taxpayers and decrease the burden on overstretched local budgets." This is what the Governor's association says about assistance on just snow removal if you make a emergency declaration:Other circumstances, such as heavy snowfall over an extended period of time, severe winds and extraordinary drifting, extraordinary ice formations, and the cumulative effect of snow on the ground may warrant assistance even if the snow depth does not exceed record snowfall levels. Snow removal assistance will be provided for a 48-hour period to address the most critical emergency needs. This isn't just a partisan question. The Republican Governor of Virginia and Democratic Governors of Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania have already declared a state of emergency. Parts of New Jersey, which the Governor has already seen, arguably got hit just as bad if not worse than some of those areas. Some counties made the declaration on their own. What is the Governor waiting for? It's not like he has to stop touring the state once he makes the declaration. If over 2 feet of snow and over 50,000 without power the day after isn't an emergency, what is?
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