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:
Weekend Watching
- Chairman Wisniewski will appear on News 12's Power and Politics this weekend to Christie's toll hikes and the downgrade of our credit rating. Check your local listings for viewing times in your area.
Christie's Toll Hike Follows Familiar trans-Hudson Dance
- Chairman Wisniewski discussed Christie's toll hike on the John Gambling show. (Audio)
- WSJ on Christie's toll hike plan: The new proposal comes after a familiar trans-Hudson dance that often takes place at the Port Authority. First, the Port Authority proposed a larger-than-expected increase. Next, the two governors who control the agency expressed outrage and dismay. Then the governors propose a much lower increase—a figure much closer to what the Port Authority had been considering internally for the past year.
- Senator Menendez asserted that Governor Chris Christie should veto the proposed toll hike. He also wants the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey to undergo and independent audit to show why these proposed toll hikes are supposedly necessary.
- Senator Turner called for a freeze in toll hikes: "The increase, which would largely impact low and middle income commuters from the area employed in and around New York City, is unaffordable. Additionally, the toll increase for truckers will be ultimately passed on to consumers, as the cost of transport of consumer goods, such as food and clothes, will increase in lockstep with the toll hikes."
- Doblin: This is not the time to further tax commuters and commercial truckers. And call it what you will Governor Christie, these hikes are user taxes. They are the most regressive of taxes because they impact low-income commuters most.
- Mulshine: Come on, Chris, tell the truth: You just raised taxes.
- The Record: In all, the authority estimates 122 million vehicles will pay tolls to cross its six bridges and tunnels in 2011. The George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln and Holland tunnels handle the overwhelming majority of those trips: about 53 million, 21 million and 17 million, respectively. More than one in five weekday drivers who cross the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln and Holland tunnels is from Bergen County, according to agency data. And New Jersey motorists make up 52 percent of toll payers on those crossings, while New Yorkers make up 42 percent. New Jersey voters opposed raising tolls, no matter what the economic conditions, by a 54 to 41 percent margin in a poll released by Quinnipiac University on Thursday.
- Star Ledger: Some observers suggested the announcement and the governors’ responses, including today’s agreement, were all part of an orchestrated scheme intended to provide the governors with political cover from commuters’ anger over the increase, while still providing additional revenues to the Port Authority to help pay for projects the governors support. “The deal sounds like better news, compared with $4, but we are still looking at $9.50,” said State Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, a Democrat from Bergen County. “I still think it’s an insult for commuters to be expected to believe that it was going to be $4, and now its down to $1.50. Those numbers were probably fantasy to start with.”
- ConservativeNewJersey.com: This would be only a 56% increase! Now that is really easing our pain!
After Christie takes away cap, tuition at NJ Colleges as much as 7.2%
- Press of Atlantic City: Undergraduate tuition and fees at the state’s 10 public colleges will increase an average of 4 percent for the 2011-12 academic year, data compiled by The Press of Atlantic City show. With no state legislative cap on tuition this year, the increases range from 1.6 percent at Rutgers University to 7.2 percent at New Jersey City University. Paul Shelly, spokesman for the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, said reductions in state aid over the last several years have put more pressure on the colleges to raise tuition.
"The Christie Downgrade": Governor sends staff to argue for NJ’s financial future
- Chairman Wisniewski on Christie sending surrogates to meet with the ratings agencies as a substitute for himself: “The most important job of any governor is ensuring the financial stability of the state,” said Wisniewski. “While the governor can travel around the country campaigning for his Republican pals, spend days holed up leading a failed Republican redistricting effort and can even helicopter across the state for meetings with Iowa admirers, I’m shocked he couldn’t make the trip to Manhattan to argue for our financial well-being."
- The Record: Fitch lowers NJ general bond rating from 'AA' to 'AA-'.
- Daily Record: Christie sent surrogates to speak with the ratings agencies instead of going himself.
- Senator Lesniak: “Gov. Christie has refused to take action to bring long-term job growth and economic vitality back to New Jersey’s economy. He’s made some quick fixes, but his administration has not made job growth a priority that brings revenue growth and fiscal stability.”
- Business Insider: Chris Christie For President Is DOA As New Jersey Just Got Its Credit Rating Downgraded.
- AP: Fitch is 3rd rating agency to downgrade NJ bonds in the last year under Christie.
Wisniewski Goes on Offense on Obama's Behalf
Chairman Wisniewski at PolitickerNJ on the GOP field: "The Republican Party's normal is being set by the Tea Party. I believe Gov. Perry stated it was not unconstitutional to secede from the union. This is the guy who wants to be president of all the United States. That's like having Jefferson Davis step in for Abe Lincoln. No thanks. I don't think that party has a lot to offer other than blind rage at the President." As for Obama's response during the debt crisis, "The President did have a four trillion proposal, and then (Speaker John) Boehner got his head handed to him by the Republican Tea Party zealots."
- More Wisniewski on Christie attacking the President: "That's the obscenity of Chris Christie: demean and devolve the debate into a food fight. I didn't get into government to speak down to people or to call people names, and as difficult a task as that is to resist when you have the Tea Party still denying the president's birth certificate, we ought to give the president credit for trying to raise the level of debate in this country."
NJDSC Women's Equality Event
- Please join the New Jersey Democratic State Committee for our 3rd Annual Women’s Equality Event honoring County Chairs Charlotte DeFilippo, Liz Muoio, Peg Schaffer and Lois Zarish with special guest, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz at the home of Marcia Marley on Thursday, August 25th from 6 to 8 pm. Contributions are $91 commemorating 91 years since women received the right to vote. To purchase tickets please click here or to RSVP or for more information, please email Heather at hdejong@njdems.org or call 609-392-3367. You can view the full invitation here.
Warren Buffett calls for true Shared Sacrifice
- Warren Buffett says its time for government to get serious about shared sacrifice: Stop Coddling the Super-Rich.
- President Obama on Warren Buffett calling for government to get serious about shared sacrifice: “He said we’ve got to stop coddling billionaires, That’s what Warren Buffett said. He pointed out that he pays a lower tax rate than anybody in his office, including the secretary. He figured out that his tax bill, he paid about 17 percent. And the reason is because most of his wealth comes from capital gains.”
- Blue Jersey: Warren Buffett rebukes Chris Christie.
- Philadelphia Inquirer: Buffett’s call on taxes falls on deaf ear.
Christie's Double Standard
- Christie's Double Standard: "I’M SORRY, governor. But you can’t have it both ways. You have been in office for more than a year and a half. And you can no longer get away with blaming the sad state of affairs on your predecessors while claiming credit if the sun rises on the Garden State."
Over 80 women attend the NJDSC STEP-UP Training
- Over 80 women attended the 5th Annual STEP-UP Democratic Women's Advanced Training in New Brunswick. You can see a photo of the participants below:
Judge Rejects Tea Party Challenge to Legislative Map
- PolitickerNJ: Judge dismisses tea party's request for injunction on new legislative map.
- Star Ledger: A superior court judge today refused to stop the state from using the newly adopted legislative district map while a tea party group challenges its constitutionality. Judge Linda Feinberg also said she’s likely to grant a motion by the state and the commission that redrew the state’s legislative districts to toss the lawsuit, but will not make an official ruling until late next week.
- Chairman Wisniewski: “We are pleased that the court denied the Bayshore Tea Party’s request for an injunction. It is evident that Judge Feinberg understands the issues in this case from her insightful questions at this hearing. As we have said from the start, we remain confident that the map the majority of the Commission adopted will withstand this Tea Party challenge because it satisfies all Constitutional requirements including the ‘one person, one vote’ mandate.”
Congressional Corner
Senators Lautenberg and Menendez announced the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $4,533,100 to the New Jersey Department of Transportation for projects through the Federal Highway Administration.
- Senators Lautenberg and Menendez announced the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded nearly $2 million to local New Jersey airports for safety improvements and to increase capacity.
- Senator Lautenberg and Congressman Pallone were in Belmar Wednesday to introduce the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2011. The legislation would reauthorize and improve the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, which was written by Lautenberg and Pallone in 2000.
- South Jersey hospitals can relax now that there has been a successful push by federal lawmakers to extend a provision for the Garden State that keeps Medicare reimbursements on par with nearby urban healthcare providers. The provision, tailor-made for the Garden State, was set to run out next month. But legislators, including Congressman Andrews and Senator Menendez, worked with the White House and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to get the provision extended to 2013.
- Senator Menendez got a tour of the Surgical Pavilion at Shore Memorial Hospital and offered his support of the project and the ongoing effort for veterans to receive care there.
- Congressman Holt wrote an opinion piece calling for support of funding for military suicide prevention.
- Continuing in his commitment to supporting small businesses and infrastructural renewal, Congressman Pascrell announced a $847,860 federal grant for the redevelopment of the Bloomfield Central Business District.
- Congressman Rothman reminded seniors to check if they qualify for lower prescription drug prices.
- Congressman Andrews announced $300,000 in federal grant money for job training in Camden that will create 72 green jobs. The grant comes from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants Program, and was awarded to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) through an annual grant competition.
- Congressman Rush Holt toured several manufacturers in Tinton Falls and Eatontown Thursday to get ideas from managers and workers on ways to keep the companies in New Jersey and create new jobs.
- Congressman Payne spoke with Vermont Public Radio about a bipartisan congressional committee is calling for more U.S. dollars to be sent to Somalia. (Audio)
- Asbury Park Press: Runyan punts in Berkeley on jobs, economy and entitlements.
Under the Dome
- NJ Spotlight: Democrats Challenge Administration's Draft Energy Plan.
- Assemblyman Schaer urged Gov. Christie to sign his bill protecting New Jerseyans from foreclosure-related fraud.
- Speaker Oliver will join the Alice Paul Institute as they celebrate Women's Equality Day, the 91st anniversary of women's right to vote, on Thursday, Aug. 25.
- Legislation to ensure victims of sexual assault aren't responsible for paying for forensic sexual assault exams was signed into law on Thursday.
- Assembly Democrats touted new legislation to encourage New Jersey’s best and brightest college graduates to stay in New Jersey to start their careers.
- Senator Lesniak announced he would re-introduce his online betting legislation, which Governor Christie vetoed earlier this year, to pump over $200 million of profits into the casino industry, add tens of millions of dollars to the state treasury and provide a bridge to self sufficiency for three years through purse enhancements to keep the horse racing industry alive.
- Senator Smith and Assemblyman John Mckeon said they will be sponsoring legislation to help foster consistency, deal with some of the issues that are not addressed in the plan and to change the alternative energy goal.
- Legislation that will allow taxpayers to make voluntary contributions on their income tax returns to provide support to our state’s National Guard members and their families has been signed into law.
- Several measures that keep New Jersey green by providing $90.6 million in grants to counties, towns and nonprofit organizations to preserve farmland across the Garden State and fund State-initiated farmland preservation projects were signed into law.
- Legislation to promote donations to a fund that helps the families of New Jersey soldiers called into active duty was signed into law on Friday.
- Legislation allocating over $10 million to help preserve many historic buildings and landmarks throughout New Jersey was signed into law on Monday.
- Legislation to prohibit commercial operators from plowing snow off private land and dumping it onto public areas, where it can be a major public safety hazard, has been signed into law.
- A measure repealing obsolete and derogatory state statutes pertaining to the status of women was signed into law on Friday.
- With news that the state's largest commercial racehorse breeder in New Jersey will be going out of business, Assemblywoman Wagner called on Gov. Christie to correct erroneous policies that are threatening the horse breeding and racing industries in New Jersey, and allow slot machines at the Meadowlands Racetrack to allow these industries to flourish amidst competition from neighboring states.
Upcoming Events
- August 24
Doug Dickinson for Atlantic County Freeholder "Green" Fundraiser
6 to 8 pm
Atlantic County Parks, Mays Landing (behind Young's Skating Rink)
Light Vegan Refreshments
Give as little or as much as you would like
More info call 609-418-5887
Fundraiser for Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan
Midori Japanese Restaurant
Cesaro
1392 Centennial Ave, Piscataway, NJ 08854
$750/person
Fundraiser Supporting District 11 Candidates Ray Santiago for Senate, Vin Gopal and Marilyn Schlossbach for Assembly
Special Guests Congressman Frank Pallone, Assembly Majority Leader Joe Cryan,
Assemblyman Jason O'Donnell and Hudson County Democratic Chairman & Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith
6:30pm-8:30pm
IBEW 400 Labor Hall, 3301 Highway 138 East, Wall Twp.
Individual: $50
RSVP to Grace Paras at 732-540-2293 or campaign@demsin2011.com
- August 25
Cocktail Reception Celebrating Governor Richard J. Codey
6-8pm
Home of Mayor Ed McKenna, 36 Buena Place, Red Bank, New Jersey
$500/per person
Please RSVP to Stephanie at 732.674.4199 or swohlrab1@gmial.com
6-8pm
3rd Annual Women's Equality Event
Home of Marcia Marley, 139 Union Street, Montclair, New Jersey
$91/per person
For more information or to RSVP please contact Heather at 609.392.3367 or hdejong@njdems.org - August 27
Morris County Democrats Summer BBQ and campaign kickoff
2pm-3pm
NJDSC Chairman Wisniewski guest speaker
Lake Parsippany Park, 12 Elmwood Court, Parsippany, NJ 07054
$40 per person, $30 per senior/student, $75 per couple, $90 family maximum
RSVP to dave cochran at davecochran00@hotmail.com
Jim Schroeder for Atlantic County Freeholder BBQ Fundraiser
2 to 5 pm
1000 Elwood Ave., Mullica Twp
$25.00 pp
More info call 609-418-5887 - August 28
Meet & Greet with 40th District Assembly Candidate Sandi Lazzara
11:00am-1:00pm
The Mill, Main St., Little Falls
Somerset County Afternoon Fundraiser with Special Guest Cory Booker in support of our State, County, and Local Races!
Sunday, August 28th VIP - 3:30-4:30 PM, General Admission - 4:00-6:00 PM
Residence of Zenon Christoudoulou, 34 Fox Chase Run. Somerville, NJ 08876
Price: General Admission - $100 VIP - $1,000
RSVP by Friday, August 26th to joseph.kostecki@gmail.com
Checks can be made out to Somerset County Democratic Committee
& mailed to 150 Morristown Rd. Suite 105, Bernardsville, NJ 07921 - August 30
Summer Roast of Jim Whelan
5:30 to 7 pm
Chelsea Hotel, Atlantic City
$75.00 pp - August 31
16th District Legislative Candidates Meet & Greet
7:30-9:30 PM
5 Tufts Court, Kendall Park, NJ
RSVP to jlerner@elianmed.com
Rock the Voters! Voter Registration and Festival/Fundraiser for Marilyn Schlossbach for Assembly
Stone Pony, Asbury Park NJ
Join Nicole Atkins, Outside the Box, Xol Azul, Sonni Shine, Carl Chesna & Co., The Boardwalk Social Club (feat. Sonny Ken, Billy Hector & Stringbean), Underwater Social Club, Marc Maurizi and Bethany Smith & The Gun Show for a great event.
18 to Vote $18 to Enter!
Fore more information please call Grace at 732.540.2293 - September 1
"Fundamentals of Effective Fundraising" Class
7:30-9:00 PM
Manville SCDC Headquarters - 19 S. Main St., Suite 3. Manville, NJ 08835
All Democrats are welcome.
Free Admission for candidates running in Somerset County. All others are asked to donate $20.
Light food & refreshments will be served.
Please RSVP by August 30th to joseph.kostecki@gmail.com or call 908-231-9001
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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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