QOTD 
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Mon Mar 08, 2010 at 07:30:21 PM EST
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The problems of the broke unemployment fund have roots on both sides of the aisle, but the Christie Administration has focused on the actions of Democrats in recent years. The Auditor took a stroll down memory lane and found that people close to the Governor had a hand in creating the mess:But The Auditor has found a number of those controversial maneuvers were enacted when Republicans ran the Legislature in the 1990s, and Christie chief of staff Rich Bagger - then a state lawmaker - voted yes four times from 1992 to 2002.
Derek Roseman, spokesman for Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester), enjoyed this stroll through legislative history. "In Trenton," Roseman said, "politics is often like loading a mousetrap with dynamite: Even when making your point, you might accidentally blow up half your house." That revelation prompted a more subdued response from Christie's communications people saying that both sides created the mess and now everyone could join together fixing it. But lets see how long it takes before they go back to blaming all the ills of our state on the Democrats.
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Tue Mar 02, 2010 at 09:06:00 AM EST
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Sen. Loretta Weinberg explaining why she voted no on Chris Christie's choice for state Treasurer, gives the Quote of the Day:
Christie has the prerogative and every right to do as he sees fit in his role as governor, but to deny what the outcome of some of these acts are is a little bit Alice in Wonderland and I expected the Treasurer to be a lot more factual and appropriate.
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Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 08:27:59 PM EST
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Blue Jersey user Princetonblue asked, and now Democratic Chairman Wisniewski comes through with the quote of the day:
Once again Governor Christie is showing what his priorities are and unfortunately they don't include the middle class taxpayers of this state. He is asking New Jersey's unemployed for $50 a week to fix the UI fund, while giving huge tax cuts to those making $400,000 and over. That's wrong."
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Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 01:30:00 PM EST
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The smoking gun got a hold of some of the 550 complaints filed against NJ Toll Collectors in the last 18 months and some of them are eye opening. They've gotten the attention of Assemblymen Wisniewski and Moriarty, who want some answers about the complaints and customer service training for employees. Here's how Assemblyman Wisnewski characterized the complaints:"They range from rude to obnoxious to just unspeakable," I read some of them and that quote is pretty much right on. And then there was this runner up quote in response from the Transporation Commissioner:Simpson, who has been on the job for only three weeks, also was trying to learn specifics about customer service training. But he vowed that if motorists were abused by toll collectors and it could be corroborated, "I will personally rip the toll-taker out of the lane." The Assemblymen are asking for more stories to be emailed to them and said they may schedule hearings on the complaints. I use EZ Pass so I don't normally talk to the toll collectors, but it seems like I'm missing out.
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Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 01:39:42 PM EST
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The Philadelphia Inquirer continues the reporting on a disturbing story we began to share with you recently about alleged corruption within the Camden Police department that has caused people to be released without an explanation. There are so many disturbing stories and potential quotes to choose from in this piece, but I went with the one at the very end of the story on the consequences of it all:The hardest part, though, may be renewing confidence in the criminal justice system.
"If the police are no different from the thugs, who are we supposed to depend on when we need help?" Mills said. That's a good question. Granted, it's not all police. But that's similar to how all politicians fight the corruption meme because of the actions of a few. How do you restore the public trust when innocent people have been framed and served time for nothing more than being in the wrong place, at the wrong time to be busted by the wrong people.
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Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 01:21:27 PM EST
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This story in the Mercer County Community College Voice should not to be missed. A professor was teaching a State and Local politics class talking about how they would fix our budget problem. When the issue of double dipping came up, the Professor gave the example of the the county Sheriff, who can collect his salary as sheriff while collecting his pension in retirement at the same time.
A student in the class sent the Sheriff a text message regarding the comments, who then showed up with an aide at the class! After talking to the Professor outside and getting an apology in front of the class, we get this: Both Buckley and Grindlinger report Sheriff Larkin as saying, "This isn't over," on his way out of the classroom. According to Buckley, Larkin's aide, who was waiting outside the classroom, said as the classroom door was closing, "You're a terrible teacher, you should get your facts from a book." He couldn't have waited to voice his displeasure to the professor until after the class ended? I think the students learned more than they ever thought they would in that class after the interruption. The Sheriff just succeeded in making the story bigger by crashing the class.
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Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 04:30:00 PM EST
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In the latest example of elections having consequences, a commission created by Governor Corzine to help provide advice on immigration matters is scaling back plans now that there is a new Governor in charge with a different agenda:"There's no sense banging our heads against the wall and asking for things that we know the governor has already stated he's in opposition to," said Frank Argote-Freyre, chairman of the Commission on New Americans But will scaling back be the only action the panel gets to take? The advisory panel is within the Department of the Public Advocate, which has been targeted for elimination. In the last round of budget cuts, Christie cut all funds to the Department for the rest of the budget year. So who knows if they'll even get to advise on a scaled back agenda.
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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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Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 04:15:00 PM EST
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It's always something in Jersey City. The latest dust up is over a selection by the Mayor to serve on a City Authority. Councilman Steve Fulop criticized the pick made by Mayor Jeremiah Healy to put ex Mayor Gerald McCann to a position at the Incinerator Authority:"The idea that the City would hire a convicted felon to its payroll during the same time period that key members of the administration are being tried in Federal court is incomprehensible," said Fulop. McCann was Mayor from 1981 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1992, when he was terminated from office following his criminal conviction. Fulop wants to withhold funding from the authority until Healy removes McCann from the position and that prompted this response:"I'm totally going to sue him. I'm going to make sure that every single nickel that he gets to run a campaign against anybody will be my nickel," said McCann. "...I'll have him in court for years. And since he's doing it as a political candidate, I will sue his campaign fund." McCann says some of Fulop's charges amount to defamation. Fulop didn't seem very concerned by the threat because he sent the article out as a tweet himself.
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Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 03:00:00 PM EST
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Solomon Dwek took the stand yesterday for the prosecution in the case of Former Jersey City Mayor Baldini and his testimony was eye opening, according to observers in the court. Within minutes of being questioned by the defense attorney, Dwek blurted this out and got testy when questioned on the legitimacy of evidence:"I was there -- and I performed." It has to concern the government that their key witness lost his cool on the first day of the trial. Bob Braun called his testimony "jaw dropping" and "almost absurdly funny." Dwek said he started bribing people as a teenager to get things he wanted. Other attorneys for those charged have to be licking their chops after seeing reports of how Dwek handled himself on the stand on the very first day. Dwek's credibility and how he holds up will be a key to the government making their cases.
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Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 09:17:03 PM EST
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A Christie spokesman responded to concerns raised by the NJEA about information contained in the transition subcommittee report this way:"We recognize some of the recommendations in the report are alarming to certain vested interests and constituencies ... but we're not here to maintain the status quo," said Christie press secretary Michael Drewniak. No one expects them to maintain the status quo, but that doesn't mean people need to accept the change they propose in whole because they've finally filled in the details. Some of the changes may be good and they should all be examined on their merits. But just because you propose change, doesn't mean it's better than what you currently have. Especially if the consequences of that change are worse than what you have right now.
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Wed Jan 20, 2010 at 09:39:45 PM EST
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Bob Menendez:
"You cannot dance with someone if they are not willing to dance with you," said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ. He called GOP complaints that the Democrats wrote a partisan bill "pretty lame, when they have made a political calculation that their path to victory is to have the president fail."
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Wed Jan 20, 2010 at 05:53:56 PM EST
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Shortly after his swearing in yesterday as Governor. State Senator Shirley Turner urged Chris Christie to call a constitutional convention in order to examine ways to bring about tax reform:"It's clear that politicians lack the political will to effect meaningful tax reform,'' Turner said after Christie took office in Trenton. "Governor Christie should lay the groundwork immediately for calling a Constitutional Convention on Tax Reform where taxpayers and fiscal experts who aren't looking over their shoulders at the next election have a say in reforming the broken system we have now. With all due respect, tax reform isn't the only thing our politicians lack the political will to effect meaningful reform on Senator. We'll have to see if there is any response to her call or if they lack the will to respond to that too.
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Sat Jan 16, 2010 at 05:29:41 PM EST
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After announcing the positions in his administration for Paula Dow and Kim Guadagno, many of Chris Christie's nominations that followed had been white men. He was asked about that fact at a press conference the other day and here was his response:I'm not going to take a Noah's ark approach to filling my cabinet. I'm going to look for the best possible people I can find. Diversity are (sic) one of the factors that you consider in doing that but I'm not going to just look at the class picture and decide what's missing.
Christie says he's going to pick the best people he can find. He says the choices will include gender, ethnic, and racial diversity. To be fair, we should probably wait and see who the rest of his selections are before we pass judgement on the whole lot. He has added additional women to the team since that statement including Michele Brown last night.
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Fri Jan 15, 2010 at 09:01:56 AM EST
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This can never ever happen again, because in a few days New Jersey will have a brand-new line of succession, and absent governors will be filled in for by LG's, with Kim Guadagno first up at the plate. But for now, with Gov. Corzine in Switzerland until just before Chris Christie's inauguration, we have the new Abstainer-in-Chief Senate President Steve Sweeney stepping into the governor's shoes. But this is Sweeney, and that means he's a busier than the average NJ politician.
Gloucester County Freeholder-Director.
State Senator.
Acting Governor.
Steve Sweeney:
I'm a trivia question.
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 03:04:31 PM EST
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Joey Novick put this status up on his facebook page comparing the MTV show Jersey Shore to the NJ State Senate and he comes up with this:
Ouch! Thurman Hart reminded us in the comments that thankfully we don't have to watch the Senators shake their money makers. When Babs questioned why Joey was demeaning neanderthals, he offered this clarification:1-The only members of the State Senate who were actually referenced in the joke above were the 20 who voted to oppose ---6 Ds and 14 Rs. They were the only Neanderthals.
2- I apologize to any Neanderthals who felt demeaned by the comparison to members of the State Senate. I regret any harm done, which was unintended. Joey has a way with words, thats for sure.
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Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 07:10:04 PM EST
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In the response of the New Jersey College Democrats to the vote on Marriage Equality yesterday, the President of the TCNJ College Democrats put things this way: (h/t to Jay Lassiter for pointing out)"I can only find solace in the fact that the next generation of Democrats, which overwhelmingly support marriage equality, will not balk at the opportunity to confer civil rights on their fellow citizens." It's inspiring to know that our next generation of leaders understand what our leaders today can't seem to comprehend.
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Sat Jan 02, 2010 at 03:48:30 PM EST
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The question of when a vote might come for Marriage Equality has been hotly debated recently. Following the comments of Speaker Roberts on New Years Eve that he wanted the Senate to go first, Senator Codey had this to say:"Obviously there's a lot of punting going on," he said. "Sounds like a ballgame, and somebody's got to decide who's going to take the kick."
Codey said he will talk with other senators, but added they may not be willing to vote because of a perceived lack of support in the Assembly. It's just a game they're playing with people's lives to avoid taking a stand. They'll say they can't have a vote because there is a perceived lack of support. But they won't make people go on the record and take a stand on whether they support or not because they won't call a vote. Many people have made statements along the way and have not lived up to their words, so how do you know where they truly stand until the chips are down. Since Dick Codey is one of the more integral players in the game, maybe he should take his own advice and decide to take the kick already. There are only a few players who can step up and make it happen.
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Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 12:30:00 PM EST
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With the new year in 2010 will come a transition to our new Governor, but some believe that the honeymoon he receives will be very short:As is customary, Democrats and Republicans will genuflect before the altar of bipartisanship, which will be as enduring as an egg under the foot of an elephant. I think the current fiscal climate coupled with the political climate will make it seem like they never even took a honeymoon at all.
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Mon Dec 28, 2009 at 03:15:21 PM EST
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In Dave Barry's Washington Post story about the lowlights of a downer year, he makes this note during the recap of July after talking about Sara Palin resigning as Governor of Alaska:"Elsewhere in state politics, the FBI arrests pretty much every elected official in New Jersey on suspicion of being New Jersey elected officials." Our corruption and Sara Palin were the highlights of July? What a bad year.
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