The NJDSC Week In Review For May 6, 2011

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: The Death Of Osama Bin Laden On Sunday night, President Obama announced the death of Osama Bin Laden.  You can see video of his remarks here. (VIDEO) Chairman Wisniewski offered this reaction: "The news of Osama bin Laden's death is a profound moment for not only New Jersey families, but for every American. Hopefully this news can help the many New Jersey families who lost loved ones on that tragic day and in the years since continue the healing process. We owe a great debt of thanks to the members of our armed forces and intelligence community for this significant victory for our country.” Senator Lautenberg: “People across the civilized world will have great satisfaction and relief with news of the death of Osama bin Laden, one of the worst killers in the history of man. He was a ruthless terrorist responsible for a savage mission that killed thousands of innocent Americans and others around the world." Senator Menendez: Like all Americans, New Jerseyans, never forgot the heinous actions of those responsible, never forgot those whose lives were lost, never stopped asking questions of our government, and never ceased continuing the pressure on the importance of capturing Bin Laden and bringing justice to those responsible. The Senator also praised U.S. troops and elite Special Forces for bringing Osama bin Laden to justice and specifically singled out President Barack Obama's work. Jersey Journal: New Jersey's two senators and a Hudson congressman attend presidential wreath-laying at Ground Zero; one says it is "closing a circle that began on Sept. 11, 2001." Congressman Andrews: “The intelligence, military and law enforcement officials who serve the United States and the cause of freedom around the world are the heroes of this moment. We owe these heroes a great debt of thanks for their heroism and courage.”  Congressman Holt: “Osama bin Laden’s removal will not immediately end the threat of terrorism against the United States, but his death represents a crippling blow to the organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks. I congratulate President Obama and the dedicated and brave members of our military and our intelligence services for acting to eliminate this threat to the American people.” Congressman Pascrell: “He was responsible not only for 9/11 but a lot of other attacks, cowardly at best. He was the real infidel all along, not those he chose to kill, and those he chose to maim.” Congressman Sires: "I commend the brave men and women of our military and intelligence community for their unwavering pursuit of this dangerous man and his brutal agenda." Capitol Quickies had more reaction to the news. The State Conference is Just Days Away If you have not yet registered, just days remain and space is filling up. You don’t want to miss out on our interactive training tracks include Winning as a Candidate, New Media/Communications and Field Tactics, Targeting and Technology. You can see the full schedule of events by checking out www.njdemsconference.org.  Not only will the trainings be interactive and informative, you will have the opportunity to engage with our experts to learn the skills needed to run a successful grassroots operation. Come and network with our great Democratic Members of Congress, elected leaders from around the state and some of the best strategists from New Jersey and around the nation. The conference is a great tradition and we hope you will join us.  Wisniewski Congratulates New DNC Chairwoman Following her election, Chairman Wisniewski congratulated new DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and said, “I am thrilled to congratulate Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on her election as Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee,” said Wisniewski. “Her path to leadership exemplifies the American Dream. Her work in the Florida legislature, United States Congress and as a long time leader for our Party is an inspiration to Democrats in New Jersey and around the country. Here in New Jersey, we look forward to standing with her in the years ahead as we fight for working families, women's health and a better future for our state and our nation." Democrats.org: In her acceptance speech, Wasserman Schultz told those watching, both online and in person, about her background and how it helped shape her vision for our party's future. Video: Democrats picked the right person. Democrats Point Out Christie’s Hypocrisy And Draw A Line With Women’s Health As the Christie administration hosted the annual Governor’s Conference for Women, Assemblywoman Stender pointed to the hypocrisy of the event, given the Governor’s track record on women’s issues. She said “Chris Christie lending his title to this event is nothing more than a farce. He has a proven track record of putting ideology before the health needs of women throughout this state, regardless of the consequences. Senator Weinberg noted that something was missing from the Governor’s conference: “We're at a conference for women and a very important issue for women has been left out to the dialogue” The Auditor said Speaker Oliver did not even receive an invite to participate in the Governor's Conference for Women: “For the first time in the history of the state, we have a woman serving for a length of time as speaker. You would suspect that I could have added something to the conversation when they talk about women and women in leadership.” Star Ledger: A group of female Democratic lawmakers said they will not let the budget pass without a major fight unless Gov. Chris Christie includes $1 million for women’s health. The money would be matched by $9 million in federal funds for family planning centers to care for women between 133 percent and 200 percent of the federal poverty level. A Women's Health Care forum, including experts in the field of women's health, will be held on May 11 to discuss the impact of proposed state funding cuts and the potential consequences of public policies that limit access to a full range of preventive health care for women.  Star Ledger: Senate Democrats sharply questioned Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed 10 percent rate cut on government-funded health centers while he expects them to accept new patients after five family planning clinics closed because of last year’s budget cuts. PolitickerNJ named Low Income Women a "Loser" of the week under Christie: "Veteran state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-37) continued her fight this week against the Christie administration, which does not plan to include $1 million to treat lower-income women at health centers - a sum that would be matched by $9 million in federal funds. Weinberg questioned the priorities of an administration that would cut women's healthcare funding while seeking $200 million in business tax cuts." Under Christie, NJ Job recovery "especially fickle" with hiring trend "particularly elusive" Star Ledger: N.J. unemployment claims rise to most in the nation. Chairman Wisniewski offered this reaction to the latest unemployment numbers: “While jobs remain on the back burner for Chris Christie, New Jersey saw a 52% increase in weekly jobless claims and that’s after 165,000 residents have already exhausted their benefits altogether,” said Wisniewski. “New Jersey saw the biggest increase in new claims for unemployment of any state in the country and that reflects the failure of Christie’s policies. It’s time for the Governor to stop saying he’s turned around New Jersey’s economy and start taking some responsibility for his inability to put New Jersey back to work.” Stile: Christie’s bid to lure jobs looks like a bust. Commenting in the Stile column on whether the Governor’s bid to lure jobs was a bust, the Lieutenant Governor said "We don’t keep track of specifics." Chairman Wisniewski responded to the comments from the Lieutenant Governor: “This administration likes to talk about the need to run the state like a business, but what business wouldn’t track the outcome of its efforts. This is just the latest example of how the Christie administration is more concerned with getting attention than they are in getting results. The fact is that New Jersey workers need jobs, not publicity tours that only serve to benefit the Governor’s political agenda.”  Blue Jersey: Running New Jersey like a business. Democratic Legislation to help small businesses was signed into law. No One is Above the Law, but Christie is trying to be Star Ledger: N.J. attorney general faces questions on Christie's threat to defy Supreme Court over school funding. Assemblyman Greenwald questioned the Attorney General about the Governor's statement that he might ignore the court on education funding: "no one is above the law and the law of the land is interpreted by our Supreme Court. I'm not asking you to opine on decisions that are pending before the Supreme Court and I specifically referenced in my question that it is not about this Governor. It's about any Governor. Any Governor who sits here today or in the future who would ignore and order from the Supreme Court. This Governor has said publicly that if he's order to pay this he may ignore that order." Stile: Christie's latest target was just doing his job. Senate President Sweeney: "Can he write his own constitution? I think he wants to. He wants someone like a crier at town hall to come out and hold a document and say ‘King Christie declares, so be it law.’" Gloucester County Times Editorial: Christie should stop harping about "unelected" justices deciding the school case. President of NJ State Bar Association: Christie should show the Supreme Court some respect. Star Ledger Editorial: Chris Christie blinked during court contretemps. After throwing away billions on ARC, Christie continues to waste taxpayer dollars and pay off his politically connected law firm: In addition to the legal fees, which amounted to more than $800,000 for December and January alone, interest is accruing on the $271 million owed to the government at an annual rate of 1 percent — or $225,000 a month. Chairman Wisniewski questioned the wisdom of Christie's stand: "The governor is being “reckless” by going to court, rather than pursuing a compromise. My concern is that the federal government has a far bigger arsenal of tools at its disposal. It’s really a David versus Goliath fight. I’m not sure that the governor’s digging his heels in and claiming to fight this to the end is in the best interest of the taxpayers.” Democrats Protecting NJ Residents From Christie’s Budget Cuts Assemblyman Schaer questioned Christie’s higher education cuts and their impact: "At a time when we should be investing in higher education, Governor Christie has gone in the opposite direction, once again proposing that funding remain at about $170 million below the level when he took office." He discussed the need to invest in Higher education in this VIDEO. Assemblywoman Watson Coleman pointed to the removal of the cap on tuition increases by the Governor: "We already know this governor doesn't hesitate to raise taxes on working class families, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that he has no qualms about hiking tuition on them too. The governor's budget proposal sustains the significant cuts in higher education from last year, except this time he doesn't even want a tuition cap to try to control costs for families." Star Ledger: N.J. lawmakers question Christie's refusal to restore $1.7B cuts to public education. While Governor Christie plans to cut Medicaid funding, NJ Spotlight noted that 11 % of NJ gets healthcare through the program. Senate President Sweeney: "The governor cut more than $2.4 billion in funding to schools and municipalities last year. That is why your taxes are going up." Congressional Corner On MSNBC, Senator Lautenberg questioned how Pakistan missed Bin Laden’s hideaway? He said the only thing missing was a neon sign. (VIDEO) Star Ledger: A Q&A with ... Robert Menendez: What’s next with Pakistan? Senator Menendez and Congressman Pallone hosted a roundtable with New Jersey law enforcement, elected officials, housing officials, members of the boards of education of various municipalities, and community leaders to discuss gang prevention in the state.  Stakeholders addressed past successful actions as well as the state of affairs as described in the 2010 Street Gang Survey. Sen. Lautenberg is planning a Senate hearing on rail security after new intelligence found at Osama bin Laden's compound revealed a threat of attack on U.S. passenger trains. "We have a handwritten note from Osama bin Laden's compound targeting rail systems in the United States. When it comes to threats to our national security, trains are a prime target and must be better secured." Senator Menendez commended the Justice Department for taking action against Deutsche Bank, which is accused of defrauding taxpayers of at least $1 billion by “recklessly lying” to a federal agency when securing taxpayer-backed insurance for thousands of mortgages. Paramus Post: Menendez, Lautenberg Announce $2.8 Million in Federal Funding to Connect Bergen County Homeless to Shelters and Job Skills Campus Progress noted that 600,000 young adults get health insurance thanks to Health Care Reform passed by the Democratic Congress and signed by the President. The DCCC pointed out that Republicans voted to end Medicare but protect tax breaks for Big Oil and the ultra rich. Congressman Holt said he is proud to stand with and honor New Jersey’s veterans at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation annual Remembrance Day ceremony in Holmdel. A bill that would reopen offshore drilling in Virginia and the Gulf of Mexico passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives mostly with Republican support, 266-149 with 17 abstentions. New Jersey's congressional delegation split along party lines, with Democrats opposing the measure. Senator Menendez said the bill will be dead on arrival in the Senate. Congressman Rothman joined colleagues to introduce the SEAM Act to Rebuild American Manufacturing Base and Greener Economy. Star Ledger: A Q&A with Rep. Rob Andrews: Afghan exit should be easier with Osama bin Laden gone. The Record: President Barack Obama bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor to U.S. Army Private Henry Svehla, a Belleville native, posthumously. The ceremony marked the end of a 10-year effort by U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell's office and Anthony Svehla, the soldier's nephew, to properly honor the 19-year-old, who jumped on a grenade to save his platoon in the Korean War. Eight students from Millburn High School have their artwork on display at the Newark Art Museum as a part of the Congressional Arts Competition sponsored by Congressman Payne and open to students living within the 10th Congressional District.  Under the Dome The Assembly State Government Committee voted to move New Jersey's presidential primary back to June. Chairman Wisniewski said "moving the primary back to June just makes sense, from both a relevance and economic perspective." AG's report: Teen decal hasn't attracted predators. The Record: 'Spirit of Humanity' award goes to Sen. Weinberg. A bill which requires the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to issue all orders in writing, and to post those orders on the Internet was signed into law. School districts throughout New Jersey will have to make anti-dating violence part of the curriculum for their middle and high school students, under a bipartisan bill signed into law. Jersey Journal: Bayonne Assemblyman Jason O'Donnell submits testimony to federal committee that calls for requiring testing of all newborns for congenital heart defects; his son was diagnosed only because doctor was especially diligent. Seeking to remove what advocates call a tool of revenge, the Assembly Judiciary Committee advanced a bill that would extend laws that protect domestic violence victims to also include family pets. A trio of bills designed to control worker and employer taxes and protect unemployment help for New Jerseyans was approved by the Assembly Labor Committee.  Star Ledger: N.J. Sen. Codey leads call to shut down Newark boarding home following attack on resident. Many questions remain on the State's plan for Vineland Developmental Center.  A bill which would direct the State to conduct a study of the current use of High-Volume Basic Computing (HVBC) systems in government agencies, and examine whether or not viable, cost-effective alternatives exist was signed into law. Legislation to cut local government costs by extending the timeframe under which municipalities are required to conduct a review of their municipal master plans has been signed into law. Senator Weinberg once again called on Governor Christie and Administration officials to release detailed plans for the development formerly known as Xanadu. Governor Christie participated in a news conference with site developers to announce the rebranding and repackaging of the site as “The American Dream,” but failed to provide details about the cost to taxpayers or plans to improve local infrastructure. The Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee advanced a bill that would help New Jersey address the long-term needs of residents with Alzheimer's Disease. An Assembly panel approved a measure to help nursing homes save money and reduce their carbon footprint by investing in energy efficient improvements. Assemblyman Chivukula, chairman of the Assembly Telecom & Utilities Committee, said he hoped to find answers to pressing questions as the state attempts to transition to using more green power rather than relying on foreign oil or aging power plants. Upcoming Events May 9:  Nellie Pou Candidate for NJ Senate 35th Legislative District 6:00 PM Brownstone, Paterson May 10:  Women Empowered Democratic Organization Meeting 6:45 PM PCDC Headquarters, 668 McBride Ave., Woodland Park May 11:  Friends of Terry Duffy Spring Fling 5:30 PM Brownstone, Paterson, $125pp 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 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 May 16: Golf Outing with Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo 11:00 AM Mercer Oaks Golf Course $150/pp RSVP: 609-571-8302 May 17: MCDO Breakfast Reception 8:00 AM The Metuchen Inn, 424 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen $1,000/pp RSVP: 732-906-3680 May 18: Senator Greenstein’s Cocktail Reception 6:00 PM Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Drive, Monroe $500 RSVP: 609-865-2094 Assemblywoman Nellie Pou’s 15th Annual Birthday Celebration 7:00 PM Brownstone, Paterson $100pp May 19: District 26 Candidate Social Featuring Senate candidate Wasim Khan, Assembly candidates Joseph Raich and Elliot Isibor and Freeholder Candidate Truscha Quatrone 7:30 PM Montville Senior House, 356 Route 202, Montville, NJ RSVP:  Truscha@gmail.com Passaic County Democratic Committee Annual Golf Outing 11:00am Registration – Lunch – 5:00pm Cocktail Reception The Knoll West Country Club, Parsippany Contact: Rita Pascrell 973-279-4647 pcdemsrita@optonline.net May 20: Women Empowered Democratic Organization Wine & Cheese Party 6:00-8:00 PM Paterson Museum, $40pp RSVP To Ritzy Moralez or Joanne Graziano Sussex County Democratic Committee Spring Dinner 6:00 PM Sussex County Technical High School $40 ($45 at the door); $20 for students RSVP: Call Ed Selby at 973-948-9201 or go to www.sussexdems.com May 21: Keith Kazmark for Mayor Headquarters Grand Opening 12:00noon –3:00pm (Ribbon Cutting 1:00pm) 968 McBride Ave., Woodland Park May 22: MCDO Vice Chairs’ Breakfast 10:00 AM The Pines Manor, 2085 Rt 27, Edison $40 RSVP: 732-906-3680 Support the New Jersey Democratic State Committee                   Follow us Are you following us on Social Media yet? If not, you're missing out on the latest news as it happens.     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   Paid for by the New Jersey Democratic State Committee 196 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

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