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
- On Sunday, October 2 Chairman Wisniewski will appear on New Jersey Now hosted by Brenda Blackmon where he will discuss New Jersey's legislative elections and politics. The show will air at 12:00 p.m. on WWOR-TV Channel 9 in the New York metropolitan area.
- Chairman Wisniewski will appear on next week's edition of New Jersey Capitol Report, which will begin airing on Saturday, October 1. Anchors Steve Adubato and Rafael Pi Roman will interview the Chairman about New Jersey political issues, including November's legislative elections. The show will be broadcast on various public television and radio outlets and on FiOS television.
Christie Continues His Anywhere But New Jersey Tour With Stops in Missouri, California and Louisiana
- Democrats are working to create jobs in New Jersey while Christie travels around the country looking for his next one, middle class residents are left asking "Where's Christie Now?"
- Chairman Wisniewski on Chris Christie at the Reagan Library: "The Chris Christie on display at the Reagan Library stands in stark contrast to the inflammatory, bullying rhetoric that is an every day fact of life for New Jerseyans. When he's not appearing at staged taxpayer funded campaign events and belittling middle class New Jerseyans, he's traveling the country fanning the flames of presidential ambitions. The Governor needs to decide whether he wants to satisfy his ego or do the job he was elected to. He can't have it both ways."
- Senate President Sweeney on Christie's speech at the Reagan Library:"I am glad Governor Christie was able to finally make it to a library, albeit one that is 3,000 miles from his office in Trenton. While the governor is at the Reagan Library, this might be a good opportunity for him to study up. I might recommend he take out books like ""How to Create Jobs" or "How to Jumpstart the Economy" or "How to Reduce the Unemployment Rate".
- Bashir: He ought to stop flirting with donors on the west coast and go home, where the unemployment is at 9.4%, above the national average. (video)
- Star Ledger Editorial: It's remarkable that Christie can look across the American landscape today and conclude that our priority should be to protect the interests of those at the top of the pyramid, the one group that is doing okay. What about the middle class? Their productivity at work is rising steadily, feeding growing corporate profits. But their incomes are dropping like rocks. And poverty is surging. It is not class warfare to point out these facts. It is class warfare to ignore them while fending off any attempt to ask more from top earners.
- Charlie Stile: With Nancy Reagan in the front row, Christie ignores her famous, pithy command.
- The Record highlighted Christie's real record as governor: high unemployment, rising taxes, partisan rancor, and lax government ethics.
- NY Times: Not All Buy Christie's Assertions of Bipartisanship.
- Senator Lautenberg and Congressman Pallone discussed the Governor on Hardball with Chris Mathews. (Video)
- Will he or won't he? Only Chris Christie can say… but while he continues his nationwide tour, we give you The Oddest Couple...
- The Hill: NJ Dems dub Palin and Christie the 'oddest couple'.
- Alaska Dispatch: NJ Democrats use Sarah Palin in 'Odd Couple' satire attack.
The Singular Importance of Job Creation
- Congressman Pallone appeared on the Kudlow report to talk about the need for a singular importance of job creation: "....we have to get together and talk about how we're going to create jobs. Let's not have these side shows. Let's talk about what we're going to do to get the economy going, reducing unemployment. We've got to get together." (Video)
- Committed to getting the state's economy moving again, the Senate voted out several pieces of legislation that will spur job creation and help small businesses grow in New Jersey.
- Senate President Sweeney: "Democrats and Republicans joined together to pass over a dozen bills that will help create jobs and spur economic growth. It is just unfortunate that the governor is half way across the country raising funds for his political party instead of being here working with us on these measures."
- A bipartisan bill which would create the "Grow New Jersey" program to provide tax incentives for New Jersey-based companies which maintain existing employment levels and create new jobs was approved by the Senate by a vote of 38-0.
- Legislation which would create a "Small Business Loan Program" to provide low interest loans to small businesses that commit to increase their workforce was approved by the full Senate.
- Legislation that would promote job creation among our nation's servicemen and women passed the full Senate. The bill, S-1015, would permit businesses that hire National Guard or reservists mobilized to active duty service to receive either corporation business tax or gross income tax credits. The amount of the credit would be equal to 20 percent of the employee's salary and wages paid during the privilege period, but would not exceed $2,000 for each qualified employee.
- Star Ledger Editorial: Obama's jobs plan could help prevent double-dip recession - Obama wants to revoke unnecessary tax benefits for wealthier Americans and corporations to pay for his $447 billion plan, which provides incentives for hiring and spending to jump-start the economy. Republicans, on the other hand, would rather protect the rich and prevent any government spending, even when they know it will worsen job losses.
- NJ 101.5: As unemployment claims drop nationally, they inch up in Jersey.
Instead Of Billions For The Arc Tunnel, Thanks To Christie New Jersey Now Has Nearly $100 Million In Debt
- The Record: Feds reach deal with NJ transit to reduce ARC tunnel debt to $95M.
- Chairman Wisniewski: “While the governor may tout his settlement as a win for New Jersey, the fact is the cancellation of the commuter tunnel project cost New Jersey billions in federal funds and tens of thousands of jobs. Every commuter stuck in the tunnel or delayed on their way to and from work knows how important this project was to our economy and quality of life. The governor can brag all he wants but there is no getting around the fact that New Jersey lost when the governor canceled the tunnel.”
- Senator Lautenberg on the agreement: "I thank Transportation Secretary LaHood for honoring our initial agreement to reduce New Jersey's liability by $128 million off the bat. The further reduction in the state's liability will take pressure off New Jersey taxpayers as well. The Governor's decision to kill the ARC tunnel project will hurt New Jersey in the long-term, but we were happy to work with the Department of Transportation to help reduce the costs of this mistake."
- The Record: Meanwhile, New Jersey taxpayers have shelled out more than $1 million to Patton Boggs, a Washington, D.C., law firm that Christie hired last year to fight the FTA's demands for repayment. The firm — whose lawyers are being paid $485 per hour — has billed the state more than $1.16 million for work performed from December 2010 to August 2011. Just over $1 million has been paid, according to invoices obtained by The Record.
- Secretary LaHood: "We appreciate the support and encouragement of Senators Lautenberg and Menendez in reaching an agreement that is good for the taxpayers of New Jersey, but also helps to improve infrastructure in the state,"
On the Trail
- Do you know how many times during the debate Republicans Vince Polistina, John Amodeo, and Chris Brown mentioned the middle class? ZERO. (Video)
- Check out the TV ad "Jim Whelan: Tough enough to fight for us."
- Blue Jersey: Amodeo collects unemployment, votes against unemployment benefits.
- Madden, Moriarty and Mosquera ask 4th district GOP, "Do you even know where you're running?"
- Asbury Park Press: Contenders for the 9th District state Senate and Assembly seats agreed they want New Jersey and federal regulators to hold tighter control over the Oyster Creek nuclear generating station and its post-2019 decommissioning. But in a meeting with the Asbury Park Press editorial board, the Republican incumbents and
Democratic challengers differ sharply on controversial legislation, vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie, that sought to protect Barnegat Bay by allowing local storm water utilities to be set up and raise money from fees on property owners.
- Trentonian: New Jersey Assemblyman Dan Benson recently visited Bret Stroman at Hamilton High School West to present him with a personalized letter and certificate of honor to commemorate Stroman's spectacular five touchdown performance against Lawrence High Sept. 18.
- PolitickerNJ: LD 23 Dem challenger says Doherty too extreme for New Jersey.
- Senator Codey and Assembly Candidate Marie Corfield appeared on the Al Sharpton Show on MSNBC. (Video)
- When Glenn Salka needed help and didn't know where else he could turn, Senator Bob Gordon delivered the kind of results that Glenn never expected that he'd receive. Bob's commitment to constituent services earned him Glenn's vote. Watch Glenn's testimonial. (Video)
- Since the first time he met Connie Wagner as a guidance councilor, Ace Antonio has seen Connie consistently go the extra mile for people. He explains how she isn't your typical politician, but a person who genuinely cares about the community's well being. Watch Ace's testimonial. (Video)
Congressional Corner
Senators Lautenberg and Menendez announced that New Jersey has been awarded nearly $2.6 million in competitive grants to support the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. With this grant, New Jersey has received over $4.5 million, allowing the state to expand its Home Visitation Initiative to more at-risk families.
- USA Today: U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Rep. Bill Pascrell announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed to study and develop national guidelines for managing sports-related concussions for student athletes.
- Senator Lautenberg marked 15 years since legislation he authored was signed into law to prohibit individuals convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from buying or possessing firearms. Since it was enacted in 1996, the law has succeeded in keeping guns out of the hands of spousal and child abusers on approximately 200,000 occasions.
- Senator Lautenberg and Congressman Payne announced that Newark has been awarded over $2 million for community based crime prevention programs.
- Senators Lautenberg and Robert Menendez announced 12 New Jersey communities will receive $20.8 million in U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant funding to hire police officers or avoid cuts to law enforcement personnel. The federal grant funding will provide New Jersey communities with the resources to put 78 officers on the streets, including 25 officers in Newark and 14 in Camden.
- Paramus Post: Menendez, Pascrell Want Tax Relief For NJ Victims Of Disasters.
- Senators Lautenberg and Menendez announced the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) have awarded $4.6 million to Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Somerville through the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training program.
- Patch: Congressman Holt Introduces Legislation to Extend Battlefield Protection.
- Congressman Sires joined over 20 Members of Congress sending a bipartisan letter to the Chairman of the Spanish oil company Repsol urging it to immediately stop its plans to partner with the Cuban regime to drill for oil off Cuba's coast.
- New legislation introduced by Congressman Pallone would require federal regulators and their science advisers to offer more detailed reasons before restricting fishing limits on rebuilt stocks like black sea bass.
- Politifact NJ True: U.S. Rep. Rush Holt says government support of research and development has fallen by nearly two-thirds since the 1960s.
- Congressman Rothman announced a bipartisan bill to help towns pay for federally mandated emergency radio upgrades. The congressman noted that he first learned of the issue through his regular meetings with local authorities in his district.
- Gloucester County Times: As the several-year feud to deepen the Delaware River channel by five more feet continues between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Congressman Rob Andrews reaffirmed his unwavering opposition of the project Monday, describing it as "literally throwing money into a hole in the ground."
Under the Dome
Five Democratic legislators announced that they intend to introduce legislation to help low and moderate income home owners and business people offset the costs for flood and wind damage to their property caused by Hurricane Irene. The legislation also would enable local governments to use money they've been mandated to set aside for the development of affordable housing, something many municipalities have attempted to avoid going back as far as 1985.
- Senators Van Drew and Sacco said the cut to the Urban Enterprise Zone program, which the Senate failed to override today, will harm economic development efforts from the northern to the southern end of the state.
- The Record: Lawmakers call for more transparency from Port Authority.
- Star Ledger Editorial: NJ must pass Assemblyman Schaer bill to stop foreclosure swindlers.
- Assembly Speaker Oliver and Assemblyman Giblin called on residents, businesses and organizations in the 34th legislative district to support their 2011 Holiday Toy and Book Drive, which last year handed out hundreds of toys and books to kids ages 3 to 15.
- A bill to bolster protections for domestic violence victims gained final legislative approval by the full Senate and now heads to the Governor's desk. The measure (A-1491), which passed the Assembly last October and passed the Senate by a vote of 38-0 today, is aimed at deterring future acts of domestic violence by imposing more stringent bail restrictions for anyone charged with contempt of a domestic violence restraining order.
- The Record: Protecting women.
- Assemblyman Diegnan Op-Ed: Protecting student athletes from sports-related concussions.
- A bill which would permit counties to create identification cards for veterans living within the county, in order to allow them to more easily access special discounts and other offers extended to individuals who have served in the military was approved by the Senate by a vote of 39-0.
- Senator Turner said it's unfathomable that City of Trenton did not receive any funding through the federal COPS grant program to help rehire police officers.
- Legislation Assembly Democrats sponsored to allow more businesses to qualify for energy-related incentives and funding has been signed into law.
- Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Chair Quijano said she plans to sponsor a resolution urging the United States Congress to help better protect New Jersey and the country's first responders by passing the HEROES Act.
- A look at Assemblyman O'Donnell's law to protect newborns from heart defect.
- A day after legislation sponsored by Assemblywoman Lampitt to promote education over child pornography prosecutions in cases of teen "sexting" was signed into law, anti-"sexting" and anti-bullying advocates praised the measure.
- New Jersey Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle unveiled a bi-partisan, bi-state effort to create greater transparency and accountability at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
- Assemblyman McKeon Letter to the Editor: Jersey Fresh Farm to School week brings local produce to cafeteria.
- Legislation to protect the rights of senior citizens living in a state housing program has been signed into law.
- Star Ledger: The leader of the state Senate's environment committee Wednesday said he will introduce legislation that would require cities and towns to tell residents when outdated sewer systems overflow and spill a dangerous brew of raw waste into New Jersey's waterways. In addition, lawmakers plan to hold a hearing this fall on how to fix antiquated systems that dump more than 23 billion gallons of waste into rivers and the ocean each year.
- Speaker Oliver said she thinks it inappropriate to even consider pay hikes for leaders while the rest of the state is cutting back.
- Senator Codey and Assemblywoman Jasey discussed charter schools.
- October 2
Toledo for Surrogate Breakfast.
9am
Tropico, 27 Park Ave, Paterson
$35
Senator Menendez Second Annual Celebration in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month
Featuring Special Guest Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis
New Jersey City University, 2039 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City
4:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Meet and Greet for the 16th District Legislative Candidates
6:30-8:30 PM
27 Woods Way, Princeton - October 5
New Leaders Council Institute Info Session and Happy Hour
6:00-8:00 PM
Tumulty's Pub, 361 George Street, New Brunswick
RSVP: Jackie Cornell-Bechelli at jcornellbechelli@gmail.com
Middlesex County Federation of Democratic Women Meet the Candidates Night
7:00-9:00 PM
Mike Baker's Barn, East Brunswick
$25/pp
RSVP: Cathy Nicola at seababa@aol.com
- October 6
Senate President Sweeney hosts a breakfast in support of the District 11 Election Fund
8:30am-10am
Eleven Front Bar & Grill, 11 West Front Street, Trenton, New Jersey
$500/Individual, $1,000/Host-Committee, $2,600/Co-Chair
Please RSVP to rafijafri@gmail.com or 973-368-3264
Somerset County Democratic Committee Gala
Cocktail hour: 6:00 PM Dinner: 7:00 PM
Live Auction by John Graf
The Dolce at Basking Ridge, 300 North Maple Avenue, Basking Ridge
Gala Dinner VIP Patron -$500.00
Gala Dinner Benefactor -$250.00
Gala Dinner Patron -$100.00
Checks can be made out to Somerset County Democratic Committee: 150 Morristown Rd. Suite 105. Bernardsville, NJ 07924.
To purchase tickets online or receive more information, go to somersetcountydemocrats.com
Assembly Candidate Shavonda Sumter Fundraiser
6:00-9:00 PM
218 Heywood Avenue, Orange
$250/pp
A Night in Spain on the Toledo for Surrogate Campaign
Featuring Flamenco Dance Troupe, Sangria, and Dinner
6:30-9:00 PM
Paris Inn, 1292 Alps Road, Wayne
$100/pp
RSVP: Maria at 973-278-6700
Fundraiser in Support of Freeholder Amy Mallet
6:30-8:30pm
Mahoney Residence, 286 Everett Road, Lincroft, New Jersey
$30/per person, $50/per couple, $50/friend
Meet & Greet Assembly 40th District Candidate Sandi Lazzara
7:00pm-9:00pm
Hosted by Eda Ferrante, Wayne Education Assoc.
7 Van Vleck Street, Unite #3, Montclair
Donations Accepted
- October 8
Meet and Greet for 40th District Assembly Candidate Sandi Lazzara
Hosted by Eda Ferrante, Wayne Education Association
7:00-9:00 PM
7 Van Vleck Street, Unit 3, Montclair
Donations Accepted
- October 11
Golf Outing with Assemblyman Wisniewski
Sea Oaks Golf Club, 99 Golf View Drive, Little Egg Harbor
RSVP: Mary Lou McCormick at 732-525-1400 or mmccormick4@aim.com
- October 12
Assembly Candidate Benjie E. Wimberly and Team H.O.P.E. Support Democratic Candidate for Passaic County Freeholder T.J. Best, Jr. at a Networking Reception
6:00 pm,
The Bonfire, 999 Market St., Paterson, N.J.
Assembly Candidate Shavonda Sumter
6:00pm-9:00pm
Home of Dr. Juan Riestra, 9 High Mountain Trail, Lincoln Park
$100pp
- October 13
Forum on the Future of Legislative District 35
Hear Candidate Wimberly's Platform on Business, Industry and the Private Sector
6:30pm-9:30pm
Bonfire Restaurant - 999 Market Street - Paterson
Contribution: $250
- October 14
Hunterdon County Democratic Committee Fund Raiser Comedy Show
7:00 PM
The Old York Cellars, 80 Old York Road, Ringoes, NJ 08551.
Price $30.00 per person or $50.00 Per Couple.
The price includes a glass of wine and the Show. Snacks will be served..
Contact Lois Zarish at lzarish@hcdems.com or 908-782-3940. RSVP by Oct. 12.
Make checks to HCDC and Mail to PO Box 473, Flemington, NJ 08822
- October 15
Gala Dinner for the Democratic 24th Campaign Team
6PM - dinner at 7PM
Suggested Donation $40
Ballroom Magic, 4 Franklin Lane, Vernon, NJ 07461
RSVP to Lisa Murphy
(973) 459-2374
Donate or line at http://democratic24.org/
Or send your check, with the notation "Gala" to: Democratic 24th, 12 Saddle Ridge Road, Sparta, NJ 07871
- October 16
40th District Candidate Sandi Lazzara Event
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Home of Christine Ordway, 102 Evergreen Court, Franklin Lakes
$100pp
- October 17
2011League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area
NJ 16th District Political Debate
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm (Debate time: 60 minutes)
The Princeton Township Municipal Building Main Meeting Room
Support the New Jersey Democratic State Committee
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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