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Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 06:41:51 PM EST
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Pitchers and catchers report in about a week, but the first home run of the season was hit by my favorite senator, Loretta Weinberg. She was interviewed tonight by Mike Schneider on NJTV - here's the link.
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Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 04:34:00 PM EST
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In the middle of the marriage equality debate and the controversy over Christie's ill chosen words, it was easy to miss this: according to the Christie Administration, property taxes are up 20% since Chris Christie took office.
Why? Mainly this: prior to Christie taking office, the state's property tax credit program rebated the average New Jersey homeowner $1,000 a year off property taxes.
Now? The average homeowner gets only $480 a year in rebates instead.
The difference? A total of $1.1 billion a year - the same cost as Christie's proposed tax cuts that are focused disproportionately on people making over $1 million.
This isn't that complicated - in fact, it's surprisingly simple given the two numbers are the same. Christie has a choice - between stopping the runaway increase in property taxes under his watch and cutting income taxes for millionaires. And he's choosing cutting income taxes for millionaires. Meanwhile, we all keep paying, and paying, and paying more property taxes.
It's rare in politics that choices are this clear. Let's hope that there's some serious focus on this as budget season begins.
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Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 08:45:55 AM EST
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promoted by Rosi
Today the NJ Giants are having a parade in New York City and a celebration at the Meadowlands, and as a NJ Giants fan I am totally stoked. I have my Giants Super Bowl hat, my Giants Super Bowl shirt, and my crappy two year old Sports Illustrated Giants windbreaker.
But I also have an American flag in front of my home, a memorial flag for a family member who died in combat, and I am saddened that the veterans of the Iraq War are not having a parade.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg explains that the Pentagon has asked that there be no parade while there are still soldiers in Iraq. I find this incredibly specious and astonishing, and just a little ahistorical.
We had a parade after World War II, yet we still have soldiers in both Germany and Japan 55 years later. We had a parade after the Korean War, yet we still have soldier serving in the DMZ.
So why wouldn't we have a parade at the end of this war?
Please sign the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America petition to get these soldiers their due thanks.
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Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 02:18:33 PM EST
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Garden State Equality is using a decision in the California court system that came minutes ago as a jumping off point to ramp up activity and create waves to impact the NJ legislature, even as two dates loom which could change everything for gay couples in love in this state. The full Senate will consider NJ's marriage equality bill Feb. 13. The full Assembly follows 3 days later. Both come after companion bills were passed out of both houses' Judiciary committees over the last few days, following 10 hours of often-emotional testimony. Chris Christie, his sights set on his national GOP street cred at least as much as his responsibility to do the right thing in this pro-equality state, has signaled his intention to veto. Unknown if there are enough votes to overturn that veto, and some of those votes may still be in flux.
Less than an hour ago, a 3-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, serving California, ruled that state's Proposition 8, banning marriage equality, is a violation of the United States Constitution. The case is widely seen as destined to be decided in the United States Supreme Court.
In a message sent wide to GSE's NJ supporters, founder Steven Goldstein wrote this:
Jump with me ...
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Mon Feb 06, 2012 at 11:52:07 PM EST
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Feedback from the Rutgers & Rowan communities is invited and encouraged. - Promoted by Rosi
The proposal to merger Rutgers Camden and Rowan University, with its new medical school, is one of several proposals made by Gov. Christie's Advisory Committee on the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Their report, a 57 page pdf, is available on the web.
The bulk of the report concerns the restructuring of UMDNJ. Two of the committee's charges pertained to South Jersey. One was "whether UMDNJ.'s South Jersey .-based schools should be merged with any
of the senior public higher education institutions in South Jersey" and the other "how graduate medical education should be delivered in South Jersey."
UMDNJ has a medical school in Stratford (Camden County), the School of Osteopathic Medicine. The Advisory Committee decided against merging that school with any other institution and essentially leaving it as an independent school.
Cooper Hospital in Camden had had an agreement with another UMDNJ institution, Robert Woods Johnson Medical School, that allowed medical students to do two years of their school program at Cooper. Cooper decided to open its own full medical school which became attached to Rowan University. (For the full story behind this read "How Camden got a medical school" on nj.com.) It is this medical school which forms the basis of the Advisory Committee's recommendation that Rutgers Camden be separated from Rutgers and subsumed under Rowan University. Another Adivsory Committee proposal is that Robert Woods Johnson Medical School leave the UMDNJ umbrella and become a part of Rutgers University. There are other proposals in the Committee's report and none are dependent upon or linked to any of the others.
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Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 09:30:00 AM EST
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Like a father reluctant to hand over the keys to his 17-year-old, ACTING Education Commissioner Chris Cerf says the people of Paterson just aren't ready to run their own schools yet:
The state's top education official brushed aside an ambitious proposal from the school board Monday that sought to end state control of the district by the fall.
Acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf said the city should manage its own schools, but such a rapid transition would not be in the best interest of the district's students.
[...]
Under state control, the board can act only as an advisory body to the superintendent.
Board member Jonathan Hodges expressed concern about low scores reflecting poorly on the board when the state is ultimately in control of the schools.
Cerf acknowledged the state's failure, saying "the state did not effectively discharge its duty to the children of Paterson." [emphasis mine]
Got that? Cerf says the state has done a poor job of running Paterson's schools, but he still doesn't want to give up control. Apparently, there are ambitious new plans for the city's schools under the Christie administration.
Well, how's that going?
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Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 07:21:00 AM EST
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Assuming you're not tired of celebrating, Giants return to NJ for a 3pm rally today after a downtown ticker-tape parade in NYC. Already some unofficial joy at Newark Airport and in the Meadowlands - capes, tattoos, the whole 9 yards.
Phillip Kwon & Bruce Harris
7 senators could hold up Christie Supreme Court nominations with senatorial courtesy.
Front office scandalized by public discussion of info in nominees questionnaires, blaming Dems, but the press has them, too.
2 different career paths define nominees.
Must read
Christie's hypocrisy evident on proposed gay marriage, charter school referendums (Bob Braun)
Watchdog group seeks audit of Rep. Rob Andrews' spending
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in D.C. wants a review of two costly trips paid out of campaign funds.
State judge reverses dismissal of ethics charges against assemblyman
State panel action resulting in dismissing ethics charges against Scott Rumana was scuttled by a judge because a panel member was allowed a vote by phone.
3-way LD-16 Dem race
Convention set for March 11 in Somerset County, the bulk of the district.
Marriage Equality
Dem Assembly leadership tells caucus votes are there for marriage equality bill.
Full Assembly vote Feb. 16.
Full Senate vote Feb. 13.
Education
End result of background checks on 5,000-plus school board members & charter school trustees - NJ disqualifies 29 people.
Senate Ed Chair Teresa Ruiz reintroduces her bill - mirroring part of Christie's ideas - dramatically shifting teacher tenure.
At the Senate Higher Ed Committee hearing
Measured responses from university officials, strong objection
from Rutgers students and still no details from Christie.
Merger costs? Still unknown.
Rutgers-Rowan merger moves forward.
Additional Assorted Christie
Shut Your Mouth, Chris Christie:
The whole Jersey fat-guy authenticity thing is over. (Slate)
Poll: Is Christie too concerned about his own political future?
NYC city council speaker Christine Quinn calls on Christie to stop playing games with gay marriage.
But a trans woman from Canada wishes for a referendum on ENDA.
Koch brothers conservatives AFP scorecard gives Christie low marks.
Twitter skirmish, Christie 'n Snooki.
Bob Ingle takes issue with Weinberg lyric change suggestion
to update Rutgers' song to include the other half of its students.
Proposal to create NJ Office of Taxpayer Advocate clears committee
Sen. Diane Allen's proposal.
Tepid support as Sweeney renews call for shared services
Bill creating voluntary county hubs for education programs clears Senate committee.
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Mon Feb 06, 2012 at 05:46:00 PM EST
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I was a big fan of NJN, the state-funded television and news network that Governor Christie gave to his cronies last June. So, like others, I held the station's new incarnation, NJTV, to the same high standards that its predecessor followed.
What I liked about NJN, and what I expected from NJTV was:
1. Balanced reporting
2. In depth (live) coverage of important legislative proceedings
3. Professional-quality television
I was disappointed on all three fronts.
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Sun Feb 05, 2012 at 09:44:16 AM EST
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I wouldn't agree with the writer's suggestion that not attending college makes anyone ignorant. That said, Sweeney's was a poor, thoughtless and inaccurate description of students acting the best way they know how to defend their school against a plan they don't support. Thanks for the diary. - promoted by Rosi
In a stunning example of racial insensitivity, Steve Sweeney called Rutgers Camden students and faculty protesting the end of their school's affiliation with the state's university a "lynch mob."
Characterizing Thursday's rally at Rutgers-Camden as an irresponsible "lynch mob" reaction, the Senate leader said he hopes to see the confusion remedied with a clear picture of the proposal.
This in a school whose full time students are less than 50% white. Where 1 in 10 are African-American. More than at Rowan. Where students were merely exercising their right to protest this Norcross-Christie backroom deal.
Sweeney should be made to apologize for his insensitive remark.
Of course, since he never went to college, it may be ignorance and not racial insensitivity, that led to Sweeney's comment. Either way, like Christie, Sweeney should apologize for his improper comparison to Jim Crow.
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Mon Feb 06, 2012 at 10:52:04 AM EST
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Going on right now in Committee Room 4 at the Statehouse is the hearing of the Senate Higher Education Committee to discuss the proposed merger of Rutgers-Camden and Rowan University.
You can listen live here.
Note: You'll need Windows Media Player, which you can download quickly with the link at the bottom of the media page.
Opposition to the proposed merger - behind which South Jersey Democratic power totem can clearly be seen - was swift from the Rutgers community. Students - as you can read in this diary. Professors. Alumni. And the Rutgers-Camden chancellor Wendell E. Pritchett - all have denounced the plan. Rowan seems happy for the attention but probably bristling from being dissed like it's a kiddie kollege.
This was rolled out with very little information, and the sense among some in the Rutgers community particularly that the questions haven't been well-addressed, and the plan's going to be rammed down New Jersey's throat (Gov. Christie says this will happen).
This is an Open Thread. If you're an alum of Rutgers or Rowan, let us know.
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