Democratic Assemblyman pulls a "Palin"

Now it can be told (2.50 / 2)

When I met with Scalera last year about marriage equality, and described the stigma that same-sex couples and their children endure because of the second-class label of civil union, Scalera said he didn't understand what astigmatism had to do with the issue.

I wish him all good things.  

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by: Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality chair @ Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 12:42:25 PM UTC

i wish him all good, too (4.00 / 1)

I just wish his colleagues knew how awkward it is -- from outside the bubble -- to hear such praise for a half-term rendered.  

activist for hire.

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by: Jay Lassiter @ Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 12:51:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

conflict of interest? (0.00 / 0)

I think that the praise is pro forma.  In fact, they probably have form letter templates for this very occasion, although they are usually used when their colleagues have to step down due to indictments or convictions.

Even though I have no reason to do so, I am going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt until I read otherwise and assume that there would be some conflict of interest involved in the full-time private sector job that he will be doing and his "part-time" legislative job, which is refreshing considering how many "part-time" legislators have full-time jobs that are directly benefitted from the power that comes from having a legislative office.

Also, if you have been following the story in PolitickerNJ, it looks like Paul Sarlo is doing everything that he can to remove Scalera's town of Nutley from LD36 to prevent former Assemblyman and gubernatorial candidate, Paul DiGaetano, from running for his State Senate seat next year.  Unless Scalera was willing to switch parties and run as a Republican, it seemed pretty unlikely that he would have survived redistricting as Nutley doesn't deliver a ton of Democratic votes.

The only reason Scalera was able to get the seat in the first place was that he was next in line when then Assemblyman Sarlo worked behind the scenes in 2003 to force Garry Furnari out of the Senate seat that he won in 2001.  Furnari wound up getting a judgeship out of the deal and Scalera got Sarlo's Assembly seat.

Since the post 2000 redistricting, there has always been a candidate from Bergen County (Sarlo), Nutley (the only Essex County town), and Passaic (the only Passaic County town) on the ballot, but Passaic wasn't represented in Trenton until Gary Schaer, who lobbied both Democrats and Republicans to be on the ballot (The Democrats took the bait; The Republicans blew him off once they heard that he was talking to the Democrats), won his seat in 2005 after DiGaetano chose to run for Governor instead of re-election.

Under the circumstances, I don't think that a comparison to Palin is fair, but maybe someone like Scalera, who doesn't understand the difference between "a stigma" and "astigmatism", doesn't deserve fairness.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 18:43:06 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What's the new job? (4.00 / 1)

I've read in many places that he's going to the private sector.  I've just never been able to find out what his new job is.  Anyone have an idea?

I enjoyed Scalera in the Assembly when it came to public safety and homeland security issues.  He was pretty much the "go to" guy in the Assembly for legislation in those areas.  Hopefully someone else can fill that role when he is gone.

It is kind of lame that he's quitting in the middle of his term. I find it hard to believe that his new employer wouldn't make arrangements to allow him to finish his term.  Who wouldn't want an employee who is a member of the legislature?

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by: southernbluedog @ Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 12:57:47 PM UTC

pensions? (0.00 / 0)

Scalera is a retired Nutley firefighter so there is a government pension there, does he get any sort of pension or benefits from the government for this last gig?

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by: johnleesandiego @ Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 14:46:30 PM UTC

Praise (0.00 / 0)

I think that the praise is pro forma.  In fact, they probably have form letter templates for this very occasion, although they are usually used when their colleagues have to step down due to indictments or convictions.  

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by: genialnosiker @ Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 08:10:27 AM UTC

PLAGIARIST!!!!! (0.00 / 0)

That said, I agree wholeheartedly.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Fri Dec 03, 2010 at 01:57:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]