My Speech at the Reorganization of the 214th State Legislature

by: Barbara Buono

Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 11:00:58 AM EST

Senator Barbara Buono Speech at the Reorganization of the 214th State Legislature from Barbara Buono on Vimeo.

Earlier this month I was honored to be sworn in as the New Jersey State Senate's first female Majority Leader. Along with our new Speaker Sheila Oliver, two of the four leadership positions in our State Legislature are held by women. It is a truly historic moment for our State and I am confident that we can both provide unique viewpoints to make our government more effective. I can promise you I will be fighting every day in my capacity as Majority Leader to make our State government is more transparent and accountable, while making New Jersey a more affordable place to live. I hope you will enjoy the speech I gave at the reorganization on January 12th as we move forward in the new year and decade.

Barbara Buono :: My Speech at the Reorganization of the 214th State Legislature

Tags: Senator Barbara Buono, State Senate, new jersey, 214th Legislature, reorganization, Senate Majority Leader, (All Tags)

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My Speech at the Reorganization of the 214th State Legislature | 1 comments

Lovely Speech...... (0.00 / 0)

....I can understand the totally positive celebratory tone. One wants to be optimistic and cheerful at the opening of a new job and a new legislative session.

I hope, however, that you/we don't forget that we Democrats lost the governorship for a number of reasons, not all of which were the fault of Jon Corzine.

We have (in my opinion) failed to be sufficiently aggressively progressive. We have failed, as a party, to be sufficiently and substantively aggressive in passing the kind of serious and profound reform agendas that the PEOPLE of this state were and remain desirous of/hungry for.

You spoke of bipartisan co-operation with Christie and the Republicans......and yes, that can be a good thing IF they actually come around to some practical and valid policy initiatives. But if by that you meant that you are going to try to "out Republican" the Republicans by compromising on core Democratic principles (like environmental protection which Christie is ALREADY beginning to gut); then that's bad policy and bad politics.

Do NOT be afraid/timid about taking on the Republicans/Christie on the floor in a REAL Public debate.

Do NOT be afraid to hold real hearings where real experts on all sides will be closely and aggressively questioned. Do NOT be afraid to go public and to take your case to the people if Christie becomes an obstinate obstruction to progress!

Do NOT be afraid to take on the old line (morally if not legally) corrupt machine party bosses of BOTH parties when their desire and hunger for more power and more money for their business clients is in conflict with the needs of and what's best for THE PEOPLE of New Jersey.

The LAST thing NJ needs is some kind of "bipartisan consensus" that is really just the Dems rolling over and being chicken because Corzine lost and you're now running scared. THAT would be a mistake!

And finally, do NOT underestimate the sheer overwhelming disgust and distrust that many New Jerseyans feel toward government and politicians. Just because they didn't come out for Corzine does NOT mean that they want Christie to simply "have his way" with our state. He just happened to be the guy who got the benefit of the wish for change.

Again, that was a very sweet speech; but it's going to take more than nice words and a cheerful countenance to get any real good done in Trenton, the time are rough for many people. There's a lot of SUFFERING going on. The stakes are REAL.

Politics as usual will not cut it any more. There are too many people suffering too much to allow that state of affairs to continue.

by: Nick Lento @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 18:03:57 PM UTC