Senator Ray Lesniak had some harsh words for the transition report put together by the Gaming, sports and entertainment subcommittee and their look at the situation in the state with sports betting:
"Having reviewed the transition team's report on sports wagering, I personally don't think it's worth the paper it's printed on," said Senator Lesniak, D-Union. "However, as a document intended to provide guidance to our State's new Chief Executive, this is very dangerous stuff. I urge Governor Christie to ignore the findings in this report, and do what's right for the people of New Jersey and the future viability of Atlantic City's casino industry."
Lesniak questioned the impartiality of those crafting the report as well as the conclusions:
"It's self-serving for the Vice President of Harrah's Entertainment to try to torpedo our efforts to provide fundamental fairness to the people of New Jersey," said Senator Lesniak. "Harrah's makes a mint every year on their ability to offer sports wagering to patrons at their Las Vegas casinos, and yet Mr. Satz would call on the Governor not to make those same opportunities available to the people of the Garden State. The transition team's recommendations on sports wagering are entirely off-base, and considering who's making those recommendations, are steeped in self-interest over the interests of the taxpayers of New Jersey."
The report cited the cost of a challenge, but Lesniak said that his law firm is handling the case at no charge to the state:
"We have not asked for one red cent from the State of New Jersey in our efforts to overturn the sports wagering ban. The only thing we're asking for is the State's support in our efforts - by joining as a plaintiff to give legal standing to our strongest constitutional argument, that the federal ban violates the 10th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States."
Lesniak is focused on the sports betting portion and is pointing to the conflicts on the committee, but separate from that the gaming industry as a whole needs to have a fresh look. The horse racing industry is struggling mightily and Atlantic City is losing market share to other states daily. Lesniak thinks sports betting is an answer to help solving those problems, but many of the debates that occur over gaming involve a regional subcontext, such as Senator Sarlo suggesting a Casino at the Meadowlands, which is sure to rankle Atlantic City. You can view the subcommittee report for yourself here.
An effort to abolish the state Council on Affordable housing will begin Feb. 1 when the state Senate Economic Growth Committee will begin hearing testimony on bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the agency.
Under the bill, affordable housing issues would be handled by the State Planning Commission.
Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union), the committee chairman and co-sponsor of the bill (S-1) with Sen. Christopher "Kip'' Bateman (R-Somerset), announced the hearing Wednesday.
The illusive bipartisanship has been achieved. Lesniak is aiming for a committee vote on his bill during their March 8 meeting and had some harsh words for the current system:
"The purpose of this bill is to repeal COAH's top down, micro-managed, and complex bureaucracy,'' Lesniak said. "For decades, COAH has burdened property taxpayers with millions of dollars in unnecessary cost of compliance by municipalities with its maze of ever-changing rules and regulations. And, COAH has discouraged job creation by adding housing requirements and fees based on the number of jobs created and private dollars invested.
So here's what he is proposing:
The Lesniak-Bateman proposal would allow municipalities to decide if they if they have already met their affordable housing goals and could adopt a simple ordinance to declare their compliance.
If a municipality finds that it does not meet housing requirements, it must adopt an ordinance to that effect and work to meet the standards prescribed by law. Municipalities that fail to adopt an ordinance would be subject to a use variance wherein a housing development would be deemed to have met affordable housing requirements to obtain a use variance by a low- and moderate-income housing component of the development application.
The municipality will decide? I thought we had that with RCA's and they were abolished. Lesniak says this will comply with the courts order, but I'll be interested to see how. What's to guarantee that municipalities don't say they reach their requirement when they really don't? Will the State Planning Commission have the resources to even monitor that? I'll be looking forward to the hearing, because no doubt people will have lots of questions about the balance this strikes between streamlining the process and ensuring affordable housing mandates are met. It looks like they're giving Christie the chance to do exactly what he said he wanted to do.
The uproar over nominations and appointments continues from the Republicans. The problem is, some of the situations have been caused by their own actions and created the opportunity for these reactions:
Kean also criticized Corzine's delay in filling the BPU spot. But The Auditor has learned the Republican himself prompted it. Earlier this year, the senator invoked "senatorial courtesy" to block Corzine's planned nomination of Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) to the post. All that was publicly known was that Corzine wanted to put Stender on the board, but backed off without explanation. She would have been easily confirmed if the nomination were allowed to go through.
"Talk about hoisting yourself up by your own bootstraps," said Kean's fellow senator from Union County, Democrat Ray Lesniak, who supported Stender's BPU nomination. Lesniak noted that back in the 1980s he was criticized by Kean's father, the popular governor, for blocking nominations. "Governor Kean called me 'the King of Senatorial Courtesy'," Lesniak said. "I guess I've passed the mantle to his son."
- - Updated with great pix from Matt Zinader, hat tip Jay Lassiter.
This is what a muscle flex looks like.
More than 700 people showed up in Trenton today, ready to lobby their legislators and stand behind the change in New Jersey's marriage laws that will allow committed gay and lesbian couples in love to marry like the rest of us.
Steven Goldstein, breathless and jubiliant at both the turnout and the sea of marriage equality supporters in deep blue EQUALITY t-shirts, walked into the statehouse today, arm-in-arm with Marsha Shapiro and Louise Walpin, a long-time committed couple whose care for their seriously ill child was made more difficult because the civil union the state created to protect them as a couple, did not protect them well enough as a family. Behind them, flowed through the heavy doors of our statehouse gay and straight, young and old, experienced political organizers along with people who never lobbied for anything in their lives.
We have a timeline now. Sen. Ray Lesniak confirmed that the full Senate will vote Thursday, Dec. 10 - one week from today - on marriage equality. Lesniak:
On Monday in the Judiciary Committee, we're going to vote on marriage equality," Lesniak (D-Union) said, while making the announcement to a crowd of more than 650 gay marriagesupporters on the Statehouse steps today.
- snip -
And God be willing, we will have 21 votes.
As Senate President Dick Codey confirmed this morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider marriage equality legislation this coming Monday. The legislation must be approved in committee before being sent to the Senate floor for a vote. Take that as a victory, considering that Sen. Paul Sarlo said just days ago that he wasn't even going to bring up ME in the Judiciary Committee unless there were enough votes to pass it in the full Senate.
Here are some pix from South Jersey's Matt Zinader - the rest are after the fold. Thanks Matt!
Great mix of young and older in this, in front of the statehouse
Sen. Ray Lesniak, a solid supporter of marriage equality and a man who knows how to use power when he's got it to use, sent an email to fellow legislators on Friday, urging them to bring marriage equality to a vote in lame duck session and to do so without fear:
... neither the wrath of God nor of voters will descend upon you.
Let's vote our conscience. I hope your conscience says support marriage equality, but if it doesn't I understand your view. What I can't understand is not voting.
And in the end, this is not about gut feelings anyway. Gay people in New Jersey are not asking the Legislature for love and acceptance. They want equality under the law. And there is simply no justification for denying that.
Governor Corzine is ready to sign marriage equality. But he can't do that until the Legislature acts.
This is a gut-check moment. It's time for the people who work in our statehouse to lead, as they promised the voters they would when they were elected. Our leaders should go on the record regarding whether they support equality under the law for all of New Jersey's residents. Here's what Senator Lesniak had to say:
"There's no doubt that there are quite a few legislators who would rather see this go away than have to vote for or against it," said Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Union), who supports gay marriage. "I don't think we should duck this issue."
There aren't any acceptable reasons for delay or ducking. And we need that vote to say Yes to all our families. Gay and straight, we're counting on them now.
Promoted by Jason Springer: A very candid take from Senator Weinberg on the race that was. Thank you for the shout out and for running.
Let's get the negatives out of the way first: We lost! Property taxes, unemployment, property taxes, property taxes. That was it in a nutshell.
To some of my colleagues whose egos might be a little out of control: Ray, was it really necessary to trash the Governor within 24 hours? Perhaps if you had joined us just once on one of those 18 hour days on the campaign trail, we might have gotten a couple of more votes out of your home base. Dick, did you have to share that White House anecdote? We could have saved that one for "the book". How about the party officials who couldn't join us for a very graceful concession. And how about that Jeff Tittel? He seemed to go out of his way to be mean and condescending. The Sierra Club endorsement is one thing - your meaness of spirit another altogether. Jeff, it's not ALWAYS about you!
Now to some of the more positive recollections: Our stars who were always there in full force. Thank you to Assemblywomen Annette Quihano, Linda Stender, Grace Spencer, Milla Jassey, and Nellie Pou, Senators Theresa Ruiz, Nia Gill, and Mayor-elect of Camden Dana Redd and to Mayor Colleen Mahr of Fanwood, Mayor Wilda Diaz of Perth Amboy, Mayor-Elect Toni Ricigliano of Edison (who must be related to half her constituents), the "WeDo" women of Passaic County, the Demo women's groups of Bergen County and of Essex County and so many more. To our Congressmen Frank Pallone, Steve Rothman, Donald Payne and Bill Pascrell who joined us many times on the campaign trail. Another "shout out" to our two Senators Lautenberg and Menendez.
Of course, our President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton gave us so much of their time and insight. I'll tell you in my next posting what he suggested to me to follow up. Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Shultz and Loretta Sanchez joined us on the campaign trail and made women elected officials very proud. Fran Adubato runs a great progam in Newark. The labor community could not have done any more to help us. Charlie Wowkanich, Laurel Brennan, Ray Pocini and the building trades and my personal favorite, Buzz Dressel, were fully involved. The labor
bus with "the painter and insulator guys" was not a bad way to get around.
The campaign was energizing and I thank the Governor for giving me a wonderful opportunity to travel the great state of New Jersey, to meet many terrific NJ citizens, and for giving me a statewide voice to talk about the family values we share. I wouldn't change a moment of it.....oh yes, except the losing part!
I have so many anecdotes to share and hope to do that over the next few weeks. Jason Springer and Jay Lassiter along with those brave breast cancer survivors met me at the street fair rain and all. So we used pink umbrellas and carried the hand-colored pink Corzine/Weinberg signs right up the street.
The various Garden State Equality headquarters were always filled to the rafters and their members worked tirelessly. DFA came through for the Governor and me with a resounding endorsement. Rosi sent emails of encouragement. That picnic in Willingboro where I met 92 year old Miss Lizzie who is still actively engaged in civic life and their wonderful Mayor Jackie Jenkins. All those unairconditioned headquarters where folks worked in the heat of summer and never gave up. THANK YOU.
My friend and colleague, Rocco Mazza, put more than 12,000 miles on his trusty car. Rocco, the GPS and I traveled together for three months sometimes 14 or 18 hours a day. The only thing I got tired of was the voice in the GPS! My own campaign protectors Tory Singleton and Cecelia Fassano, made me feel comfortable every step of the way. Sometimes, there was a little too much "hovering" from the staff, but hey - it was great being part of an effort which had common goals.
Would I change anything? Perhaps better communication on the really good things Jon Corzine did these last four years. Perhaps one or two positive ads spelling these out a little more clearly. But that's all hindsight. I thank Governor Jon Corzine from all of us for working his heart out for New Jersey's residents.
Let's now join together with a newly installed Assembly, a newly organized Senate and figure out what the voices of our party should sound like; how we address the people's mistrust of their elected officials; how we make sure we have together taken a strong stand against corrupting influences in our body politic; and how we work with a Republican Governor on the things necessary to improve the lives of New Jersey residents.
"You just don't get the vote out at election time and be successful. It has to be a year-round communication, a year- round interaction," Lesniak said. "The governor turned his back on the political establishment that supported him throughout his political career. He was totally isolated by political reality and surrounded himself by people who were totally isolated by political reality."
Lesniak said there was a "bad tone" in the Corzine administration that carried through from the first days of the transition to the end.
Ouch. So the problem is that Corzine didn't suck up to the establishment enough? I think he means Corzine was isolated from political reality. Many would level that same critique against Lesniak and his colleagues. Corzine certainly had his flaws which contributed to difficulties in the campaign, but it takes two to tango and the establishment itself shouldn't escape some responsibility for the problems. While people look to continue placing blame for this loss, it's important they don't forget to take a peak in the mirror as well.
Lawyers for the US Department of Justice are asking a US District Court to block New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine (D) from joining a legal challenge to a Federal law preventing his state from offering legal sports wagering, as other states like Nevada and Delaware do.
"The constitutional claims that the Governor seeks to advance do not belong to him; they belong, instead, to the State of New Jersey," read the brief submitted by the DOJ, in opposition to Gov. Corzine's own motion to intervene in the suit, brought by the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA), NJ State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), and the state's horse racing associations.
"The Delaware case was determined on a statutory interpretation of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act federal ban on sports betting and not on the constitutional issues raised by New Jersey's challenge,'' Lesniak said. "Therefore, we plan on proceeding with the challenge as planned, and this latest development does not deter us from challenging (the law) as unconstitutional.
"While I'm relieved, as a New Jersey official, that Delaware gambling interests will not be given the opportunity to get a head start on sports betting - thereby attracting tourists away from Atlantic City's casinos - I continue to find it ridiculous that consenting adults in New Jersey, Delaware and forty-five other states cannot legally bet on sporting events, while citizens in three states essentially maintain a monopoly on legal sports betting,'' the senator added.
"Everyone should have a level playing field, and right now, (the federal ban) tips the odds in favor of just three states where legal sports betting is allowed. It's in everyone's interests to overturn (the law) and allow states to take a measure of control over their own destinies when it comes to sports betting."
This move by Corzine, who would become partner in Lesniak's lawsuit once the brief of support is filed, would be significant because:
Historically, sports betting hasn't been at the forefront of discussions about legalized gambling. But Corzine is reacting to Delaware approving it, the nationwide financial crisis and a recent poll indicating the majority of New Jersey residents want it.
This enhances the lawsuit's chances of winning and the federal betting ban being overturned. Some legal scholars say the suit wouldn't be a legitimate threat to existing law until a state claimed Congress was violating its rights. Now one is.
The article also provided some additional information about the history of the ban and NJ's role in it:
The betting ban, officially called the Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), was proposed by former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley in the early 1990s and passed in 1992. It prohibits states from being in the bookmaking business but exempts Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Delaware, the only four states that had existing sports betting laws when the act became law.
And while the Governor and members of the Legislature try to move forward to overturn the ban, a Gloucester County Times editorial points out some voices have been surprisingly silent:
Again, we're scratching our heads as to why the casino owners, who stand to benefit most if the ban ended, are not taking the lead here.
It is surprising that the casino's aren't pushing harder for this potential new revenue source, especially given their recent struggles. It does appear there is other momentum to take another look at sports betting:
The move comes in the midst of an unprecedented run of support for legalizing gaming of all forms. In recent weeks, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank's bill to regulate and tax Internet gambling, specifically poker, has gained more than 30 co-sponsors. It is expected to be debated in the Finance Committee, which Frank chairs, sometime in mid-July.
That's around the same time the Department of Justice is expected to issue its response to Lesniak and Corzine's lawsuit.
So stay tuned, we'll see what the Justice Department has to say.
Governor Corzine said on Friday that he will intervene and join Senator Lesniak's lawsuit seeking to overturn a federal prohibition on sports betting:
"The federal government's prohibition on sports betting for some but not all states is fundamentally unfair," Governor Corzine said. "There should be uniformity in the application of federal law. If one state is allowed to legalize betting on sports events, all states should be allowed the same opportunity."
[snip]
"Delaware's entry into sports wagering and table games is a serious threat to the both the casino and horse racing industries in New Jersey," Governor Corzine said. "We must do everything in our power to stay competitive. We simply cannot afford to sit back and let neighboring states press an unfair advantage against us anytime, and certainly not in the midst of this global economic crisis."
Senator Van Drew had a good deal to say on Corzine joining the lawsuit including a call to Senator Codey to post the bill for a vote because he thinks pushing legislation will move the lawsuit quicker:
"While I think Senator Lesniak will ultimately be successful in arguing the unconstitutionality of the federal sports betting ban, I think now is the perfect time for New Jersey to make a statement right here within our own borders that we won't let our casinos become uncompetitive and obsolete when compared to gaming establishments in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York.
"During the last three legislative sessions, I've sponsored bills to legalize sports betting in New Jersey, regardless of the federal ban. That legislation has passed the Assembly this session, but remains stalled in the Senate.
"Today, I'd like to call on Senate President Codey to post the bill, so we can jump-start the discussion of legalized sports betting within the Garden State.
"Posting the bill is a calculated risk. If Senator Lesniak is successful in court, we want to have the legislative framework ready, so we can begin legal sports wagering at our State's casinos as soon as possible.
"However, if the bill moves through the Legislature and becomes law before Senator Lesniak ultimately wins in court, our efforts to implement legal sports betting would most likely garner a court challenge - giving us another opportunity to weigh the constitutionality of the federal ban in court, and hopefully, speeding up the process in terms of deliberation of Senator Lesniak's suit.
New Jersey lawmakers dropped the ball on this by not taking action against the federal law sooner. We just hope the mistake doesn't cost too many more jobs in an already battered Atlantic City.
They could have challenged the law sooner, but I don't know if that would have made a difference necessarily. Maybe the thinking now is that even if they can't get it legalized or win the lawsuit, they can say they did everything to try and get it done with the decision being out of their hands. And if they do actually win the suit, jackpot.
Senator Ray Lesniak appeared on the ESPN show E:60 to talk about his lawsuit against the Federal Government to overturn their sports gaming ban. Here is the segment:The same day as the show aired yesterday, the Delaware Senate passed a bill that would allow for legalized sports gambling and the Governor is anxious to sign it:
Whenever it's signed, Delaware will become the first state east of the Mississippi to allow sports wagering. It's estimated that sports betting will generate about $50 million annually for Delaware, which Markell said will help with a projected $755 million shortfall in next fiscal year's budget.
But while NJ has legislation under consideration to legalize sports betting, Federal law prohibits it:
Delaware is one of only four states in the country -- along with Nevada, Oregon and Montana -- that had sports betting laws on its books when Congress passed the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which banned states from being in the bookmaking business. Markell, whose state is facing a nearly $800 million budget deficit, hopes that bringing sports betting to his state will generate more than $50 million in the first year alone.
Delaware had a sports lottery -- basically parlay betting -- for one football season, back in 1976. It failed miserably. But for years the state legislature has been trying to bring it back to take advantage of an increased interest in gaming both nationwide and locally, especially along the condensed mid-Atlantic seaboard, where several states have gaming of some kind. However, former Governor Ruth Ann Minner opposed the idea.
Not like this will sway the federal government very much, but FDU is out with a new public mind poll today talking abouew how New Jerseyans favor legalized sports betting. From the polling memo:
According to the latest results from Fairleigh Dickinson University?s PublicMind, 63 percent of voters say they would favor making sports-betting legal in New Jersey at Atlantic City casinos, while 32% say they would oppose it. Men favor it by more than a 2-1 margin (69-27), more strongly than women (58-36). Self-described liberals favor it (70-27) more strongly than conservatives (56-38).
[snip]
By a similar margin of 63 percent to 30 percent, voters also say they would favor making sports betting legal in New Jersey at horse-racing tracks.
But voters split 48 percent to 43 percent on the question of legalizing sports betting at off-track betting parlors.
By a wide margin, voters oppose legalizing sports betting by telephone and the Internet. Just 26 percent said they would favor sports-betting by telephone and Internet while 66 percent said they would oppose it.
It's interesting to see just where people will draw the line even though they know it's going on regardless of where they would allow it. Last month, Senator Lesniak filed suit to overturn the federal sports betting ban. He says sports betting exists and will continue to exist whether states tax it or not. Assemblyman Greenwald threw his support behind the lawsuit as well. He was a sponsor of the legislation that passed the Assembly in 2008 to give New Jersey's voters the ability to decide in a November General Election referendum whether Atlantic City's casinos should be able to accept in-person wagers solely on professional sports.
I'll put the poll breakdown and methodology below the fold.
Yesterday morning, radio commentator Laura Ingraham said this about the Navy Seal team that rescued the ship captain held hostage by pirates off the coast of Somalia:
"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency could have taken these teenagers."
"The SEALs are highly trained and dedicated US Servicemen who are counted on for precision fire from concealed positions, including taking aim from a ship at a small boat riding the waves. They are also trained to wait for the right moment so as to minimize the risk to any hostage, like Capt. Richard Phillips.
"They deserve as much praise as we can give them, and more, not cheap shots by master cheap shot artists like Laura Ingraham.
"Ingraham so much wants America to fail under President Obama's leadership that she is willing to make fun of and minimize the heroic rescue by our men and women in the Armed Services."
Lesniak is calling for an apology, but if I were him I wouldn't hold my breath. Imagine the uproar on the right if a Democrat were to make the same statements Ingraham did.
"Regardless of my personal opinion about the death penalty, I do not have confidence in the criminal justice system as it currently operates to be the final arbiter when it comes to who lives and who dies for their crime," Richardson said.
The move brought reaction from people and groups all over the state including New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty:
The strong bipartisan vote in the New Mexico Legislature comes amidst a growing chorus of concern about the death penalty across the country. New Mexico's decision to end capital punishment brings to 15 the number of states that no longer carry out executions. Other states have put executions on hold or enacted studies. With executions and death sentences on decline since 2000 in every region of the nation, and with public opinion moving away from support for capital punishment, it is clear that America is rethinking the death penalty.
Corzine commended his fellow Governor:
"I want to commend Governor Richardson for signing legislation repealing the death penalty in New Mexico. Governor Richardson's decision to abolish the death penalty in his state, regardless of his own personal opinion on the matter, demonstrates the true character of a leader.
Governor Richardson understands that the criminal justice system is not perfect and innocent people are, at times, wrongfully accused of crimes they did not commit. I firmly believe replacing the death penalty with a sentence of life in prison without parole best captures our highest values and reflects our best efforts to search for true justice."
Senator Lesniak had this to say:
"I applaud Governor Bill Richardson and the members of the New Mexico State Legislature for recognizing that no good comes from the death penalty. As New Jersey decided in 2007, capital punishment exposes the innocent to execution, causes more suffering for the family members of murder victims, serves no penal purpose and detracts our society from addressing serious problems of crime and the effectiveness of our prison system.
I am proud that the Garden State lead the way in abolishing our death penalty statute. And I am pleased to welcome New Mexico as the second state to abolish the death penalty since the Supreme Court reinstated it in 1976. I hope that Governor Richardson?s actions today will serve as an example for the 35 other states and federal government that still practice capital punishment."
Democratic US Senator Russell Feingold on Thursday introduced legislation to put an immediate halt to federal executions and abolish the death penalty for violations of federal law.
"It is truly unfortunate that we are in a shrinking minority of countries that continue to allow state-sponsored executions," he said, noting that capital punishment has been banned in 123 countries around the world.
"The sponsor of that bill is nuts," Florence administrator Richard Brook said. "I don't know what the state is thinking trying to get municipalities to return the money."
Maybe the administrator thought Scott Garrett was the sponsor of the legislation since they know what a fan he is of affordable housing. Either way, suspension of the fee won't put an end to the issue. From the looks of it, the GOP candidates for Governor have already made attacking COAH a regular talking point.
"I hope and believe this award will help efforts to abolish the death penalty where ever it exists," said Lesniak. "I'm am also proud as an American to receive this award for the defense of human rights at Le Memorial de Caen, the famous museum dedicated to honoring the D-Day invasion and the soldiers who lost their lives fighting for our freedom."
Lesniak said he will contribute the award of $9,740 to The Road to Justice and Peace (http://www.theroadtoabolition.com/), a non-profit he created whose purpose is "to advance the abolition of the death penalty around the globe, to support the families of murder victims, and to promote humane alternatives to incarceration."
"The death penalty is a random act of brutality," said Lesniak during his speech before a panel of international judges, which can be viewed online. "Its application throughout the United States is random, depending on where the murder occurred, the race and economic status of who committed the murder, the race and economic status of the person murdered and, of course, the quality of the legal defense."
He continued, "I'm proud of the people of the State of New Jersey for electing political leaders who ended this random act of brutality."
During the Civil War, a number of Democrats in Northern States opposed the war. Among other derisive names, they were often called "Butternuts" (the color of Confederate uniforms). But the lingering term of derision is "Copperhead."
The name was taken, obviously, for the copperhead snake. Copperheads are true ambush predators. Snakes with stronger venom, like rattlesnakes, will strike an aggressive pose and attempt to intimidate a threat. Snakes with lesser poison (or no poison) will either try to escape or will play dead. Copperheads earned a more notorious reputation because they simply depend on their coloration and stillness to pass undetected - until an unwary pedestrian steps too close to the snake. Then it strikes, injecting a poison that, while not threatening to the life of a grown human, is still painful and can cause damage to both muscle and bone tissue. It is potent enough to be a source for cancer treatments.
This is where I introduce you to the reigning Copperhead in the state legislature, Ray Lesniak. While calling himself a Democrat, Lesniak is actually doing little more than serving as a Republican mouthpiece. He's New Jersey's version of Joe Lieberman. Take the jump and I'll explain.
Promoted by Jason Springer: A thought provoking, well written post on the politics of Affordable Housing.
Democrats must be prepared to transform the statewide mandate of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) or else ready for Republican criticism that may diminish our support among suburban voters.
On Friday, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan traveled to Freehold to stump for votes in his campaign for the Republican nomination for Governor. Lobbing rhetorical grenades is the conservative gadfly´s specialty. He likened his campaign to the American Revolution and compared Governor Corzine and the Democratic majorities in the Legislature to the tyrants of Europe and Asia. The twenty-first century Washington continued with a blistering attack on COAH and promised that when the general election is through, the self-financed Corzine will be living in one of the program´s 40,000 units.
Next November´s election will not only determine who occupies the front office in the State Capitol. It will test New Jersey Republicans´ability to make inroads into the Democrats´legislative majority. As New Jerseyans sweat under the burden of economic recession, unless Democrats present a compelling narrative for affordable housing, COAH and its cumbersome regulations have the potential to unite the feuding factions of the GOP and erase our party´s gains in suburban battlegrounds.
From a policy perspective, the need for affordable housing remains as clear today as it was when the Supreme Court ordered state action on the issue in 1984. According to the U.S. Census, New Jerseyans pay 30 percent or more of their income for housing, the fourth highest percentage in the nation. However, members of both parties recognize that in its current form COAH often results in continued overdevelopment and an increase in property taxes as municipalities struggle to fund essential services and public schools.
Democrats in the Legislature have already indicated their willingness to take on the challenge. In his capacity as Chair of the Economic Growth Committee, State Senator Ray Lesniak (D-Union) introduced legislation (S2485) that directs the State Housing Commission to take into consideration the impact of its assessments on local property taxes. Lesniak also wants COAH to provide housing not only to low income individuals, but to those in the middle class who do not qualify for the program but nonetheless struggle with New Jersey´s high cost of living. Called work force housing, the change will allow individuals such as secretaries, firefighters, and recent college graduates to qualify for assistance while remaining in and contributing to the economies of their hometowns.
In his recent State of the State address, Governor Corzine indicated his willingness to "allow for maximum flexibility and ample time for collaborative review" of affordable housing plans. In the coming months, the Governor and Democrats will face the challenge of articulating the need for COAH regulations to a public that is leery of continued development.
Affordable housing may be an issue that Republicans can use to their advantage, but thus far they have offered no policy alternative other than S2292, a bill re-establishing the regional contribution agreements that circumvented the intent of affordable housing in the first place. Their advocacy of a return to the failed status quo does nothing to address the real problem. On the other hand, Lesniak´s call for work force housing demonstrates the Democratic Party´s understanding that suburban housing is not only out of reach for the working poor, but for many sons and daughters of middle class suburbanites.
New Jersey is a blue state and New Jersey Republicans are a party rife with ideological divisions. Criticism of COAH presents them with an issue that they can rally around. However, they will need more than bombastic rhetoric and stale policy solutions to convince voters of their ability to solve the problem. Democrats have demonstrated our willingness to ease the burden on municipalities without abandoning our commitment to providing affordable housing to those who are struggling under our state´s high cost of living. The remaining challenge for lawmakers is to deliver on the promise of reform and communicate the results of that work to the residents of our state.
"We have given serious thought and consideration to your request but have determined that an across-the-board extension of the deadline would not be consistent with COAH's statutory obligations under the Fair Housing Act," Doria said in the letter. "As we have stated, COAH is committed to continuing to work cooperatively with municipal officials in the planning process, and that cooperation certainly will continue as we move forward."
In a letter to municipal officials, Dressel notified the towns the request has been denied despite the backing of state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R-Somerset), Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) and Assemblyman Gerald Green (D-Union).
"The commissioner's decision means that municipalities will need to file revised third-round plans by December 31 or face 'builders' remedy' lawsuits," Dressel said. The so-called "builder's remedy" allows dense, market-value developments in exchange for providing a smaller number of affordable units.
I don't know that some of these towns would ever be happy with a deadline to meet for affordable housing. There is opposition to the fact that we have an affordable housing mandate and no matter when the deadline comes, that opposition will be voiced.
The lack of an extension doesn't settle the matter by a long shot. There are legitimate questions that have been raised. Hank Kalet recently discussed this issue. Just yesterday, Senator Lesniak sent out a release talking about his bill to "fix the faults in the current COAH guidelines.
"I have proposed a bill (S 2485) which would fix the faults in the current COAH guidelines that are stifling job growth and economic development in New Jersey. The bill would suspend the 2.5% development fee strangling our economic recovery as well as direct the State Housing Commission to recommend sound planning and economic principles sorely lacking in the current COAH mandates and regulations."
A quick looks shows 44 bills waiting for their time to be heard in the legislature regarding affordable housing. There will be plenty more discussion and debate going forward, but maybe they should wait until after the guidelines go into effect to fix them. On top of that, the deadline says municipalities have to submit a plan. If the guidelines and rules are "fixed" down the road, those plans could be modified accordingly. No one is saying they have to put shovels in the ground on January 1.
