News Round-up and Open Thread for Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Ethical Charges against Corzine ? (0.00 / 0)

This came from the Monday, March 19, Star Ledger and was written by Deborah Howlett:

The group of five also accused Katz of hindering negotiations because of her course load at Seton Hall University law school and of trying to circumvent the negotiating process by appealing directly to the governor.

"Throughout these negotiations Katz has put her personal interests before those of the members," the statement said.

Katz declined to address those specific claims.

But Corzine press secretary Anthony Coley flatly dismissed any suggestion of improper communications between Corzine and Katz: "All of the negotiating was done at the bargaining table," he said. "We stand by both the process and the product."

Is the Group of Five ,in their quest to discredit Katz, stating that they know Corzine interfered with the negotiations? If true, it runs counter to what Corzine has been saying and has serious ethical implications.

Either Corzine is telling the truth or the Group of Five is telling the truth. 

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by: firstamend07 @ Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 22:01:22 PM UTC

It doesn't make sense (0.00 / 0)

I'm no fan of the Carla & Jon thing, but the criticism of Carla does not make sense.

Have they given any examples of Carla "appealing directly to the govenor?"

Even assuming, arguendo, that she did, I don't perceive any change in the govenor's position.  Nor do I see any change in hers.

As people have suggested here, there may be other things in play.

But the criticims seem to be a lot of hot air, perhaps designed to sway CWA members during the voting period.

Or, Deborah Howlett isn't such a good reporter?

Help me out here.

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by: SmartyJones @ Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 22:30:49 PM UTC

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You are on the Money (0.00 / 0)

Howlett is actually a very good reporter who might be one story short of revealing the ethics breach.

Around Union gatherings the Group of Five have claimed to have witnessed direct contact ,via computer, of Katz and Corzine conversing about contract terms.

Needless to say , if this is true then  Corzine has a serious problem.

Is this true or is it being spread only to tarnish Katz and get CWA members to vote " yes" on the contract ? That is the question that will either destroy Corzine and Katz's reputation or the Group of Five's reputation.

Now that Katz has gone to Federal Court to prevent a vote on the contract the animosity level will reach new heights.

I am sure the Governor is wishing that this will all go away before anything else is said about the conduct of the negotiation team.

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by: firstamend07 @ Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 00:06:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

In Addition (0.00 / 0)

Kevin McArdle of NJ101.5 news reports :

The Governor is not hesitating to respond to allegations by the five union presidents that Katz tried, "to circumvent the bargaining committee." and that may have attempted to contact, "the Governor directly to discuss the contract." Corzine says, "It's not true. The idea that she is talking about contract terms is just not happening?..we said very clearly that contract negotiations took place at the table, they did and I think the result speaks for itself."

Asked again if there were zero private contract talks with Katz, Corzine testily responds, "I have not had conversations about the contract! The contract negotiations took place at the table. It's very simple.

Corzine fully understands that if the allegations that CWA President Carolyn Wade and the other CWA Presidents are putting out there that Katz circumvented the negotiations and compromised the tentative agreement are true then his Governorship is completely tainted.

The " ethics " Governor breaking his own rules?

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by: firstamend07 @ Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 00:17:27 AM UTC

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Am I missing something? (0.00 / 0)

I, for one, cannot believe that she actively participated in the negotiations with the governor, bargaining table or not. What would have been the harm if she sat this negotiation out and used her prior relationship as the reason for recusal? Was it really that important that she be in on these negotiations this time around? Certainly the union bargaining team could have acted as her surogate.
I just find this incredible. Regardless of her position on the contract, she had to know people would suspect the worst.
Please someone with knowledge of this tell us that the bruhaha is only over her opinion of the contract and not the fact that she actively participated in negotiations. Please tell me she did indeed recuse herself.

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 01:05:23 AM UTC

Like you I question (0.00 / 0)

She did not recluse herself. She sat in on all of the negotiations and played a very active part.

It all breaks down to who you believe.

Wade and the rest of the CWA Presidents are telling everyone who will listen that Katz was in direct contact with Corzine. They are saying this to discredit Katz, but they might very well destroy Corzine in the process if this is true. Probably in the next few days an enterprising reporter will attempt to confirm this story. The question is very simple. Ask the CWA Presidents to prove that they observed Katz conversing with Corzine on a computer during the contract meetings. 

Now if this story is being spread , and it is false, then Katz comes out on top and the other CWA Presidents lose all credibility and have made a serious enemy in Corzine for dragging him into this Union war.

Was Katz in contact with Corzine during the negotiations or is this a made up story by the CWA President to get " yes" votes by discrediting Katz?

I believe that these Presidents would make this up and drag both Corzine and Katz down to get this contract passed. I just can't see Katz and Corzine being that dumb. 

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by: firstamend07 @ Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 01:43:17 AM UTC

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Thank you (0.00 / 0)

Whatever else Carla and Jon are, or are accused of, they are not stupid.

I mean really.  Carla e-mailing Jon with "the guys" surrounding her?

Even the WH has better BS. And theirs is pretty bad, as we all know.

Will one or all of these guys testify to the aforesaid observation - under oath?

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by: SmartyJones @ Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 01:58:51 AM UTC

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Million Dollar Question (0.00 / 0)

The CWA Presidents who have made this serious accusation must now be willing to back up what they said. They must go "on the record "about what they have seen. 

The consequences of not doing so might very well be the political future of Governor Corzine.

If Corzine was involved , as they say he was, then he must suffer the consequences, and those consequences will probably destroy his political career.

If they are making these stories up then they must " fess up" to their membership, apologize to Corzine and Katz, and resign their positions as Union leaders.

There is no middle ground.

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by: firstamend07 @ Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 02:08:59 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Its even more serious than that (0.00 / 0)

While you are concentrating on the political consequences of these allegations, there are legal consequences as well.

If the allegations cannot be proven, except by all the guys ganging up on Carla, there is a basis for a civil law suit.

I'm not a criminal lawyer, but if they don't have their ducks all in a row, there may be a criminal law suit brewing as well.

They may be trying to take down Carla, but they may find themselves out of jobs if this blows up, not to mention fines and jail time.

Now, they may have something to say; I'm willing to listen. I'm taking Carla's position right now, just because their outbursts seem so illogical.

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by: SmartyJones @ Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 02:29:37 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Carla/Corzine/Logic (0.00 / 0)

Once again I totaly agree with your take on this.

It is hard to believe that Corzine and Katz would get caught up in a collusion situation regarding the contract negotiations. There is no logic behind it.

Wade, Rosenstein and the rest of those CWA might be in big trouble if they can't prove their allegations.

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by: firstamend07 @ Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 09:54:50 AM UTC

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Truly baffling... (0.00 / 0)

It's been written that Katz was awarded a scholarship based on a super LSAT test scores. With that kind of intelligence, I still can't believe she didn't have the good sense to recuse herself here.
Point being, enough was made of her relationship BEFORE Corzine was elected that I am truly baffled as to why she thought her involvement in negotiations would not be scrutinized.
Baffling...
But again, somehow in NJ, people seem to have a very strange opinion of what might or might not constitute a conflict of interest.

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 12:58:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]