And hopefully there will be! I am supporting and will be working for Nia Gill for Congress and I am supporting and will be working for Shelley Adler for Congress. I hosted a fundraiser for each of them.
I have not seen Senator Gill's fundraising letter and it does sound like it might have been inappropiately worded. Neither Senator Gill nor I believe there can be "only one". I know Shelley Adler and I know Nia Gill. They are both busy raising money and running their respective campaigns, not trying to create issues where they don't exist because of the use of some inartful language in a fundraising letter.
However, I also resent the completely unsubstaniated suggestion that Senator Gill is in this race to somehow "divide" some voting segment to prevent another candidate from winning the primary. That is an outrageous statement and utterly without proof.
So I'm not going to add to the creation of issues where they don't exist. I am going to suggest to Senator Gill's letter writing folks that they be more careful in their wording.
And I'm going to root on both Senator Gill and Ms. Adler that they continue to do what they set out to do - win their respecive races! Then New Jersey will have two women in our Congressional delegation!
Perhaps Assemblyman Greenwald would like to join Team Blue Jersey at this year's Equality Walk for Garden State Equality? You'd be the first legislator to sign up to walk with us, as befits an Assembly Majority Leader of Democrats. Plus, Team Blue Jersey is the defending champ in the pub quiz afterward. BOO-yah! Who wants to walk with us? Who wants to see some of our legislators in their sneakers? Team Blue Jersey! - promoted by Rosi
Last Thursday, President Obama made history, becoming the first President of the United States to announce support for marriage equality on national television. As I said during the debate of the marriage equality bill in the Assembly, our Constitution stands for a fundamental truth--that each and every single one of our citizens has the fundamental right and expectation to be treated equally under the law. That's why I strongly supported marriage equality, and that's why I'm proud of President Obama's announcement.
Unfortunately, the President's historic announcement drew nothing but sarcastic joking from Governor Christie at a town hall. It's disappointing that the Governor seems to regard full equality under the law as nothing more than a punchline (or worse, as part of a platform to curry favor with national Tea Party Republicans).
There has been a great deal of commentary on President Obama's evolution to supporting marriage equality. Whatever your thoughts are on the President's motivation in doing so, whether you think he should have done so quicker or more forcefully, we certainly can all agree that the President came down on the right side of history. And he deserves our thanks and our support for that.
In the past, Governor Christie has defended his opposition to marriage equality by saying his feet were "firmly planted right next to President Obama' on this issue. Today, this is no longer true. Yet in classic Christie fashion, the Governor chose to attack the messenger rather than face the fact that he's on the wrong side of history. But no amount of distraction changes the fact that there's only one person obstructing full marriage equality in New Jersey today--Governor Christie.
The reality is simple: the Governor's veto of marriage equality is indefensible. Our state's thousands and thousands of LGBT families don't deserve to be treated like a political punchline in a stump speech. And they certainly don't deserve to have their constitutional rights as a minority subjected to the whims of the majority. That's why we have a Bill of Rights, and that's why everyone's rights -- especially those with whom we might disagree -- should be upheld and respected.
I hope the Governor will reflect further and truly look into his heart on this issue. I hope he will look beyond cheap 30-second sound bites and national Republican ambitions. I hope he will realize that all our families deserve full equality under the law, and they deserve it without delay.
With the redistricting of Bergen County, many residents are being confronted with having to choose new congressmen/women to represent them in the newly configured districts. Both Congressional Districts 5 & 9 are confronting this situation.
On Sunday, May 20, three democratic hopefuls will be present for a debate/forum in Teaneck, NJ. The candidates, (listed in alphabetical order) Jason Castle, Adam Gussen, and Diane Sare will be attending as they vie for the Demiocratic votes in District 5. Whoever the Democratic Primary winner is will be the Democratic Committee of Bergen County's (*DCBC) candidate to run against Garrett.
Jason Castle is a political newcomer. The DCBC's candidate, Adam Gussen, is deputy Mayor of Teaneck, and LaRouch Candidate Diane Sare, has 20 years experience spreading the political beliefs of LaRouche.
The Candidates will answer questions from the audience and will have the opportunity to debate one another.
This debate/forum begins at 3 PM and is open to all citizens of Congressional District 5.
(*DCBC - The Democratic Committee of Bergen County was formerly called the Bergen County Democratic Committee.)
Tax revenue did grow by 2.7%, but the decrease from budget of $230 million is larger than the $183 million Christie budgeted for his ill-conceived 10% tax cut. It remains possible that this revenue shortfall may end both Christie's plan for a tax cut and the legislature's plan for property tax relief. As of this morning the
Senate and Assembly had reached no agreement on which of their separate property tax relief plans should be promoted. Governor Christie had earlier scheduled for today a press conference with Senate President Sweeney to discuss a rumored deal similar to what Sweeney proposed but the press conference was cancelled.
There is considerable uncertainty as to what will happen next. What remains clearer is that the state is not reaching its revenue projections and that Christie's vaunted NJ comeback, like the guy driving to see Rosalita, is stuck in the mud.
(JackHarris says, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." - promoted by Bill Orr)
The "secret" working group meeting behind closed doors on the Rut-Row merger has come up with a"conceptual plan" that bastardizes the Rutgers name and allows an opening for undue political influence in New Jersey's flagship public university research system.
In what is essentially an end-run around the 1956 Rutgers Act, which establishes Rutgers as the state university of New Jersey while maintaining an independent Rutgers Board of Trustees to oversee Rutgers assets and historic ties to the Royal Charter of 1766 creating Rutgers, the proposed "compromise" creates a new independent board to oversee the combined Rut-Row operations in South Jersey. The kicker is that the newly combined entity would be allowed to retain the Rutgers name in some fashion.
What's being asked of Rutgers is unconscionable and unheard of in American Higher Education. Rutgers is essentially being coerced into licensing it's name and almost 250 year legacy as a colonial college and land grant institution to a former teachers college that has held university status for less than 20 years.
The Purdue/Indiana University merger example they use to justify this blatant attempt to hijack the Rutgers brand is so far-fetched it defies the imagination.
This proposal would be more like merging East Stroudsburg University with Penn State and allowing East Stroudsburg to use the Penn State name with no oversight from the central administration and governing boards in State College Pa, then it is the existing Purdue--Indiana University alliance in Fort Wayne Indiana.
It defies logic and lays clear a lack of knowledge about higher education and the role of public AAU research universities among New Jersey's political leaders.
Unfortunately, this may be the death knell for New Jersey's ability to innovate and compete in the 21st century. By so politicizing higher education and diluting New Jersey's flagship public university, ranked 81st in the world according to the Times of London's 2012 WW ranking of universities, I suspect it will be very difficult to develop the critical mass and attract the top-flight talent needed for the creative class economic clusters so vital to 21st century success.
The question this weekend was How will Marriage Equality arrive first in NJ? Of the 19 votes cast, the majority of respondents (10 votes) said "through a NJ Supreme Court ruling." Three respondents chose through "NJ Legislature's override of Christie's veto." Two respondents each voted for the "US Supreme Court," a "voter referendum," and "some other venue."
The fact that a majority of poll respondents believe we will get Marriage Equality through a NJ Supreme Court ruling highlights the importance of the nomination process underway. Of the current five justices two are Democrats (Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and Justice Barry Albin), two are Republican (Justices Helen Hoens and Anne Patterson) and one is Independent/Republican (Justice Jaynee LaVecchia). Governor Christie has already nominated out gay Bruce Harris, who it is said will recuse himself on marriage equality if he receives Senate confirmation. Governor Christie has yet to nominate a second candidate, and it seems that if Christie has his way the nominee will not support marriage equality. We may be headed toward a Supreme Court of seven members with only two Democrats.
In 2006 the court unanimously agreed that the state marriage law was unconstitutional with respect to the equal protection of same sex couples. Three Democratic justices argued that the only constitutional remedy was an amendment of state marriage law to include same-sex couples, but none of these justices remain on the bench. Four justices, the majority, ruled that the legislature could either amend marriage laws to allow ME or create civil unions. Two of these justices who were comfortable with civil unions are still on the bench (Justices Rabner and LaVecchia), and the other two have left.
There has been substantial change in the public's attitude toward ME since 2006, and what the court might decide is anyone's guess. To review the poll and comments go here, or for more information on the current Supreme Court go here.
Supporters of Dharun Ravi gathered in front of the State House to urge the court not to send Ravi to jail. Ravi was convicted on several charges for using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate's activities. If he gets a jail term, Ravi is subject to deportation.
Ravi is not the only one looking for a break from the courts.
The "C" in their name stands for "conniption". JC Penney has 15 stores in New Jersey and the conniption is coming from the bigots. Here's why you should shop there.
Blue Jersey writer Senator Loretta Weinberg on Marriage Equality and Equal Pay. She spoke with Mike Schneider yesterday, before the press conference brouhaha.
What does environmental protection have to do with matzah? Plenty - but you'll have to watch my interview with Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, to find out.
On a more serious note, following today's press conference (What the Frack?) Jeff talked about the record of the governor and the legislature as it relates to the environment, how some of the rollbacks hurt not just our air and water, but the economy as well, and the future of solar energy in the state. He concludes with what citizens and businesses can do to improve the quality of life in the Garden State.
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