Buono v Vitale?

Yes it Does :) (3.00 / 1)

Leaving personalities aside for a moment, a map with this configuration does essentially two things:

1.) Creates a majority Hispanic district in central NJ which conforms to a.) changes in the NJ census counts & b.) Professor Rosenthal's stated (apparently) desire to have 2 majority Hispanic (and one majority African-American) LDs.

2.) Ensures geographic continuity by a.) lumping Edison and Woodbridge together --- where they really should be, and b.) creating a new Raritan River oriented district that runs from the Raritan Bay to New Brunswick,where the tidal portion of the Raritan ends.  There are multiple rationales for a Raritan River oriented district, all of which meet Professor Rosenthal's tests.  

The real problem then becomes what happens to Frank Pallone in congressional redistricting.

NJ Spotlight; Redistricting: The Inside Game

Does the odd person out in Woodbridge/Edison then run against Pallone in a newly reconfigured sixth?

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by: JackHarris @ Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 13:40:20 PM UTC

There are other ways to accomplish a second Latino district (0.00 / 0)

They could write out that DINO Stack, for instance.  But to the powers that be, being a traitor to your party is nothing compared to challenging the wishes of the party bosses.

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by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 22:16:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

anyone else find this disturbing? n/t (0.00 / 0)

activist for hire.

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by: Jay Lassiter @ Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 19:03:12 PM UTC

Yes (0.00 / 0)

A political vendetta by Sweeney, Norcross, DiVincenzo ad Adubato.  Just saying those names makes me want to take a shower.

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by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 22:13:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Very.... (4.00 / 1)

It never seems to end.  Establishment Democrats consistently spitting in the faces of progressives standing up for middle class families.  

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 19:42:31 PM UTC

They might not be the only 2 Dems thrown together (0.00 / 0)

a source in the redistricting process says the matchup of the hour - state Sen. Joe Vitale (D-19) of Woodbridge v. state Sen. Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D-18) of Metuchen - is unlikely to happen, while state Sen. Robert Gordon (D-38) of Fair Lawn v. state Sen. John Girgenti (D-35) of Hawthorne is possible - maybe even likely.

The fate of former state Senate President Richard Codey (D-27) of Roseland remains a question mark.

Also,

Some basic principles from Rosenthal in the hash-out period as of this morning: He doesn't want Vineland and Atlantic City in the same district; he doesn't want Bayonne reaching across the river to join with Elizabeth; he wants two Hispanic and one Black districts; he doesn't want Atlantic City joined to Ocean County.

http://www.politickernj.com/46...

The latter sounds like Rosenthal has rejected both party's plans for the 2d district.

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by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 22:34:48 PM UTC

I hate to say... (0.00 / 0)

...that I told you so, but I told you so.  Actually, that is not entirely true.  I completely underestimated the brazen hubris of John Wisniewski, who I have consistently given the benefit of the doubt since he ascended to the NJDSC's chairmanship, because he was an early supporter of Howard Dean's, but if this rumor becomes reality, that ship will have clearly sailed.

However, this situation is a direct result of the progressive community's failure to organize itself with a laser-like focus on the 2011 legislative elections in general and the redistricting process in particular.

When Steve Sweeney and Sheila Oliver stole the legislative leadership in 2009, I said that we should start organizing.

When the Senate, including 9 Democrats, voted against marriage equality, I said that we should start organizing.

When the members of the legislative redistricting commission were named, I said that we should start organizing.

When Democrats were delivering votes for a Republican budget, I said that we should start organizing.

When it became clear that the 11th member was a hoax and commissioners were just running out the clock to prevent insurgencies from having enough time to organize, I said that we should start organizing.

How many times do we have to be disappointed by our Democratic leaders before we start becoming proactive instead of reactive with our vision for what Democratic Party politics and policymaking should look like?

Blue Jersey is a fantastic blog, but it is still just a blog.  It provides the progressive community with a voice, but without a coherent and cohesive vision and the will to organize around it, that voice will only be heard, but never listened to.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Fri Apr 01, 2011 at 14:25:51 PM UTC