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Welcome to the latest installment of the NJDSC's week in review. Here's a look back at some of the news from this past week and toward the end, some of the upcoming events around the state next week:
Don't Miss the 2011 New Jersey Democratic State Conference - Don't Miss the 2011 New Jersey Democratic State Conference from May 12-14th. This annual event brings together leaders from around New Jersey and across the country and this year, we’re pulling back the curtain on organiz
 ing. We will give you an inside look from the best in the business at how to build a grassroots campaign from the ground up and execute your plan to win on Election Day. In addition, enjoy receptions and events with our Party leaders from New Jersey and beyond! Network with fellow Democrats from around the state and join us as we come together as one Democratic Party and prepare for victory this November. Please visit www.njdemsconference.org to register today and join us as we Pave the Way to Victory!
Help For Small Businesses To Hire Workers - Two Democratic business tax cut measures that will help small businesses to create jobs, which were previously vetoed by the Governor, were signed into law.
- Assemblyman Greenwald: “It’s unfortunate that the governor turned this into a sandbox tussle that delayed its implementation and hurt businesses, but we weren’t going to waver from our commitment to helping businesses create jobs.”
- Senator Buono: "A direct tax cut for small businesses will do much more to reinvigorate the economy than cutting taxes for wealthy individuals with the hopes that the benefits trickle down, which they rarely if ever do."
- Assemblyman Milam: “Anything we can do to give businesses the ability to hire, expand and invest in New Jersey is a smart approach,”
- Assemblywoman Pou: “We continue to fight for job creation, and this law is a key part of that effort,”
- Assemblywoman Spencer: "With this law, we will be giving the businesses that employ hard-working New Jerseyans a greater chance to succeed.”
- Daily Record Editorial: Bill to help jobless get their foot in the door.
Wisniewski Rallies Burlington County Democrats - Blue Jersey has video of Chairman Wisniewski speaking before over 200 Democrats at the Burlington County Jefferson Jackson Dinner: "Wisniewski addressed the faithful at the annual Burlington County Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Cinnaminson this evening. He started out by calmly telling the crowd of several hundred that to understand what it means to be a Democrat, one has to look at
 what the other side stands for.The Republicans believe that government is the problem and markets will self-regulate. They believe the private sector will look out for peoples’ needs. Wisniewski asked how well did that turn out? On the other hand, he continued, Democrats believe that there needs to be an outlet for people who have no voice in their fate. Democrats believe citizens should have access to quality health care and education." - The Chairman tweeted from the event: "At the Burlington County Jefferson Jackson Dinner with 7th district Senate candidate Gail Cook" and that the "event had great attendance with lots of energy."
Christie's claims on $271 million bill for Canceled ARC Tunnel are "Simply Not Accurate" - The Record: The Federal government ruled that New Jersey must repay $271 million for the ARC tunnel project canceled by Governor Christie: In a letter to the state’s congressional delegation notifying them of the ruling, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood emphasized that the state had been told the project could cost as much as $12 billion back in 2008. “Any notion that the potential for cost growth constituted new and emergent information when the governor made his decision is simply not accurate,” LaHood said.
- Asbury Park Press: Lautenberg and Menendez did broker a compromise in which LaHood said if the state repaid $271 million, the federal government would return $128 million or half of it in the form of Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grants for mass transit projects. The offer was off the table when the governor's legal team pursued a different course, they said.
- NJ Newsroom: LaHood made no attempt to hide his outlook toward Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to halt the tunnel work. "In this case, after the initial contract was entered into and later expanded at Governor Christie's request, the state of New Jersey broke the terms of the contract," LaHood wrote. "The governor's unfortunate decision will affect the commuters in New Jersey and the entire Northeast region for generations."
"I'm Looking at Shutting Off Streetlights" Mountain Creek Forked Over Campaign Cash To GOP Days Before Favorable Bill Made Law - PolitickerNJ: Eight days before Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill requiring helmets for skiers under 18 into law that exempted resort operators from liability, six investors in Mountain Creek, New Jersey’s largest ski resort, donated $150,000 to the state Republican coffers, state ELEC records show. Another $25,000 was donated by JRB Enterprises. A search of state records shows Julie Mulvihill is the president of JRB Enterprises and the company lists a Hamburg address. Julie Mulvihill is also the CEO of Crystal Springs resort, the new corporate owner of Mountain Creek.
Christie's Highlands Appointee Diametrically Opposed To Highlands Act - NJ Spotlight: What are Gov Christie's plans for the Highlands?
- Senator Smith slammed the decision by the Christie administration to appoint a member to the Highlands Commission who opposes the act altogether: "Leadership be damned. We have a responsibility as senators to do the right thing. You are going to appoint someone who is opposed to the law. Do you think that’s good government? I think we’re making a terrible mistake,"
- Star Ledger: Environmental groups complain of being outnumbered by 'special interests' at DEP meetings.
Christie's Budget Targets NJ Family Care and Working Families - Star Ledger: The decision to close the FamilyCare program to parents with a household income above the federal poverty level — about $18,530 annually for a family of three. The state also plans to raise premiums and co-pays on FamilyCare participants.
- Last year, the Christie administration froze entry into the program for parents who earned above 133 percent of the poverty level — $24,645 for a family of three — a move that did not require federal approval because the money came from the state. As a result, nearly 50,000 residents were denied coverage.
- Senate President Sweeney: "Until we know the details and make sure there is a proper level of care, it’s not a budget savings."
- Assemblyman Greenwald: "We want to ensure there is no disruption in care that would damage client health and ultimately lead to much higher costs for taxpayers."
- Center For American Progress: The Not-So-Secret Conservative Plot to Raise Taxes on the Middle Class.
- Star ledger Editorial: "But yes, vindicating constitutional rights can cost money. When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down segregated schools in Brown v. Board of Education, the remedy required money. When it found that poor defendants were entitled to a lawyer, that remedy was costly as well. Is the governor really arguing that those decisions were wrong, that courts can protect only those rights that cost no money to vindicate?"
- Asbury Park Press: NJ Democrats' leader wants pension promises kept.
- Responding to attacks by Republicans for suggesting that NJ honor its promises to workers, Chairman Wisniewski said: “I’m too busy fighting off Gov. Christie’s attacks on the middle class to respond to such Republican nonsense, but if Assemblyman O’Scanlon actually thought about the policies he advocates instead of mindlessly parroting whatever script he is given by the governor’s office, he would see that the future he wants involves a state economy devastated by the governor’s anti-middle-class policies, senior citizens fighting to pay to keep their homes under the governor’s property tax hikes and a state pension system crippled by the governor’s failure to live up to his obligations. Assemblyman O’Scanlon may find that amusing, but he’s the only one.”
- Senate President Sweeney: There is nothing that is left in that 'Tool Kit' that can make up for the billions of dollars that was cut by Governor Christie that is causing higher property taxes."
- Reverend Sharpton at a rally in Trenton: "We can cut back people’s pensions. We can lay off workers. We can close hospitals, schools, psychiatric centers. We can deal with changing tenure for teachers — but don’t touch the rich. They have become the sacred cow that can’t be touched ... while workers become the slaughtered lamb."
- Assemblywoman Pou expressed concern over the continued elimination of more than $5.5 million in funding for the state's School Breakfast and School Lunch programs in Gov. Christie's FY 2012 proposed budget. (VIDEO)
"As Transparent As Hundreds Of Blacked Out Details" - The Courier Post had a column by Jeremy Rosen that looked at the over $56,000 in taxpayer travel expenses for Chris Christie and said the administration's disclosures were "as transparent as hundreds of blacked-out details or the 179 full pages that have been redacted from Christie's out-of-state travel and lodging records."
Congressional Corner - Senators Lautenberg and Menendez announced that New Jersey has been awarded $1. 5 Million by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Family Self Sufficiency Program (FSS). The largest recipient was the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, set to receive $275,040 in funds.
 - The Record: Newark airport security chief vows review after meeting with Lautenberg.
- Amid reports that the Department of Homeland Security misled local governments to coerce them into participating in the Secure Communities program and ignored concerns with the program’s impact on crime fighting efforts and encouragement of racial profiling to target illegal immigrants, Senator Menendez supported calls for an investigation.
- In his continued push to close the "terror gap," Senator Lautenberg released new data showing that, in 2010, individuals on the terror watch list were cleared 247 times to purchase guns in the United States.
- Congressman Holt joined 29 other Members of Congress in writing to Speaker of the House John Boehner to request that he schedule an up-or-down vote on legislation that would save American taxpayers $40 billion over the next 5 years by ending tax breaks to big oil companies.
- Congressman Pallone and the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) sent letters to Governor Chris Christie asking him to direct the Department of Environmental Protection to approve the 2011 summer flounder regulations before the scheduled opening of the fishery on May 7.
- Private First Class Henry Svehla, who died in 1952, will posthumously receive the Congressional Medal of Honor after a 3 year effort by the family and the office of Congressman Pascrell.
- Congressman Sires spoke to the Hoboken High School Hispanic Club about his path to becoming a member of Congress.
- Congressman Pascrell spoke with seniors about Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the future of the 8th congressional district.
- Congressman Rothman hosted the 2011 Congressional Art Competition at Hackensack Cultural Center in Hackensack, NJ.
- Congressman Pallone appeared "On The Record" to discuss the Federal budget.
Under the Dome - 52 members of the Legislature formally called on the Governor to make an immediate public apology and retraction to the threatening comments he made last against Senator Loretta Weinberg during an April 13 press availability.
 Legislation that would allow municipalities to restrict the ability of known sex offenders to live near places where children congregate was approved by the Senate. - A bill that will permit the use of service dogs in school for students who are eligible for special education programs and services for certain developmental disabilities was approved by the State Senate.
- Legislation that would allow a local public contract set-aside program for business enterprises that are owned by or that employ veterans passed the State Senate.
- Gov. Chris Christie has signed Democratic-sponsored legislation into law that sets over 40 rights for senior and disabled New Jerseyans living in assisted living facilities.
- Legislation that will make it easier for towns to merge was signed into law.
- Democratic-sponsored legislation designed to provide relief for New Jerseyans confronting long-term unemployment due to the economic recession is now law.
- 1st District Legislators called for a report on how departments and authorities purchase and procure everything from material goods such as fuel and food to long-term contracts.
- Senate President Sweeney was honored as “Legislator of the Year” by the New Jersey Conference of Mayors. The honor came as part of the Conference of Mayors’ Annual Conference Legislative Reception.
- Senator Gordon introduced a Senate resolution calling on the state to apply for federal funds in order to help create a pilot program that would assist children in need of mental health services.
- A bill that would upgrade the criminal penalties for the crime of invasion of privacy and eliminate the presumption of non-imprisonment was cleared out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- Legislation to help residents find work by creating a searchable Internet database listing all available government contracts received final approval in the Senate.
- A bill that would reduce the amount of money employees pay into the Temporary Disability Insurance fund was passed by the full Senate.
- 1st District Legislators sent a letter to Governor Christie asking that he request federal disaster assistance for the South Jersey region - particularly, Cumberland County - to offset cleanup costs associated with the April 16 storm that battered the area.
- The State Senate approved a bill that could make New Jersey a leader nationwide in the movement to implement a non-invasive, low-cost test that will save newborns' lives.
Upcoming Events  May 1:
11am to 2pm Please join Freeholder Amy Mallet and Freeholder Candidate William Shea for Brunch
204 Conover Road, Morganville, New Jersey 07751
Hosted by Ed Gibson
$20/per person. For more information please call 732-739-8888.
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May 3:
Monmouth County Dems ELEC Treasurer Training 6:00 PM
Staff members from the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission will be conducting a training session which will include proper procedures for account setup, committee naming, bank account setup, ELEC reporting, all relevant finance and compliance laws and more. Everyone who participates in the training will receive a ELEC Treasurer Training Program Certificate which is mandatory for Treasurers of State Senate and General Assembly Candidate and Committee
accounts. RSVP is required. To RSVP please call 732-739-8888.
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May 4:
Assemblyman Wisniewski Dinner Reception 6:00 PM
Steakhouse 85
85 Church St, New Brunswick
$1000/pp
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May 5:
Cocktail Party in Support of Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell 6-9 PM
The Chandelier Restaurant
1081 Broadway, Bayonne
$125/pp
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May 7:
Monmouth County Dems Fundraising 201 1:00 PM
This is an advanced fundraising course that will not cover compliance. This is designed for candidates/municipalities that have a grasp on fundraising but want to take it to the next level.
Chairman's Conference Room, Airport Plaza
For more information or to RSVP please call 732-739-8888
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May 9:
Nellie Pou Candidate for NJ Senate 35th Legislative District 6:00 PM
Brownstone, Paterson
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May 10:
Women Empowered Democratic Organization Meeting 6:45 PM
PCDC Headquarters, 668 McBride Ave., Woodland Park
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May 11:
Friends of Terry Duffy Spring Fling 5:30 PM
Brownstone, Paterson, $125pp
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May 12:
Scotch, Cigars, and Your Surrogate Candidate Bernice Toledo 6-8 PM
Hamilton and Ward Steakhouse, Paterson
Donation: $150
RSVP: 201-774-8812 or Nelly.Celi@yahoo.com
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May 15:
Hunterdon County Democratic Committee Spring Brunch Noon-3:00 PM
Beaver Brook Country Club, 25 Country Club Dr, Annandale
Special Guest Congressman Frank Pallone
Tickets are $75.00
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We will continue to have updates about news from our elected officials and the many campaigns across the state. There will certainly be more to come next week. Have a great weekend.
Sincerely,
John Wisniewski, Chairman
New Jersey Democratic State Committee |
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