Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread for March 6-7, 2010

A couple reminders from Jay (3.00 / 1)

Jay Lassiter fired off a Letter to the Editor to the Courier Post, posted today. He reminds readers that Cherry Hill mayor Bernie Platt's extended out-of-town vacation during snowy February - directing his staff to mislead the press to believe he was present and engaged - is more than just an partisan gotcha opportunity for the GOP.

And it's also a good reminder that you can get onto the Opinion pages sometimes with just a sentence or two.  

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 14:47:10 PM UTC

Women's History Month (3.00 / 1)

Alice Paul, a sufferagette (sp?), was recently inducted into the NJ Hall of Fame.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.s...

In a nice little article, the author gives us a brief glimpse of Paul's life and work.

She also talks about the Women's Heritage Trail which celebrates, in a geographic manner, some of the known and less well known women who made history and who came from NJ.

Anyone know how Molly Pitcher got her name?  Hint: move over CC Sabathia.

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by: SmartyJones @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 15:49:45 PM UTC

love the beads (plus comment on schools) (3.00 / 1)

As for the Race to Top, it's an experimental program that only goes to a handful of states. No one should worry about "losing" it, and frankly the experiment might not even be positive for the children.


Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

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by: Hopeful @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 15:58:06 PM UTC

Paterson pardons Qing Hong Wu (3.00 / 1)

I don't know if you saw this story before, but Mr. Wu was going to be deported over some teenage arrest, even though he is now a upstanding member of society. Gov. Paterson pardoned him, so he won't be deported and perhaps will get his citizenship.

His family is celebrating but apparently he is still being held in Monmouth.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03...


Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

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by: Hopeful @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 16:19:03 PM UTC

"No effing way" (0.00 / 0)

Our legislature should not allow the tax cut for families earning more than $400,0000 to expire. Studies have debunked the notion that this rate causes the wealthy to flee NJ. In fact, there should be an added intermediate tax rate for those earning over $250,000.  Such a move will not stop the rich from eating cake, but it will provide more revenue to the treasury so that others can eat something better than gruel.  

Our Democratic legislators are our last line of defense. They must not cave in.

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." - Sen. Ted Kennedy

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by: Bill Orr @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 16:44:31 PM UTC

Steve Sweeney and Leadership (0.00 / 0)

In Tom Moran's article above, he writes

"Sweeney is keeping his options open, as careful politicians usually do. Democrats will embrace most of Christie's spending cuts because the deficit demands it, he says. The only big play left would be to resist that tax cut [for those making more than $400,000] to at least soften the blow.

And Democrats probably won't do that, he says, unless groups like hospitals, school districts, and universities step up to resist as well."

There's something very weird about the Senate leader expecting school districts and universities to lead the fight when Sen. Sweeney has led the fight to reduce their pension and health care benefits.   Did the Senator not expect that when his first step as leader was to go after these groups, that they might not be in the mood to help fight along with him?

I do think both communities should be part of the fight.  But I think we're waiting to see leadership from our Democratic leaders first.

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by: princetonblue @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 22:42:32 PM UTC