Earlier this week the Latino Action Network joined with the Women's Political Caucus, Latinas United for Political Empowerment - Political Action Committee, New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association, Latino Coalition of Monmouth County, and Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO to file an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in In re Contest of November 8, 2011 General Election of Office of New Jersey General Assembly, Fourth Legislative District, the New Jersey Supreme Court case in which Gabriela Mosquera's election as 4th District Assemblywoman in November 2011 is being challenged despite her having won more votes than her opponents.
On Wednesday, January 26, 2012 we heard that the Supreme Court has accepted our amicus brief.
One of her opponents, Shelley Lovett, argues that because Ms. Mosquera moved to the 4th District 11 months prior to the election, she violated a requirement in the New Jersey Constitution that all candidates must live in their district for at least a year. However, a federal judge back in 2002 had held that provision invalid under the United States Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. As such the Secretary of State (Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno) had told Ms. Mosquera that she could run for office, without challenge, and in fact every candidate since 2002 has been told the same thing.
Watching the NJTV coverage of Governor Christie's State of the State Address was like watching a train wreck. It's no surprise that the station, run by Christie's Adubato clan, made this broadcast just the opening salvo in the governor's re-election campaign.
Of course, Christie is an excellent orator. That's part of his appeal to the average voter. But it's NJTV's job to inform the average voter, not to provide an unchecked platform for the governor. And the Democrats are just abettors in this process.
Conventional wisdom says that one way to defeat Congressman Jon Runyan this year is to fight fire with fire. That is, instead of the Democrats standing up a run-of-the-mill politician against Runyan, they should nominate a celebrity. The thinking is that there's really no one in the Burlington/Ocean county political establishment that has the name recognition, fundraising ability, and gravitas to compete with the ex-NFL "bad boy" and his bottomless source of campaign funds from the corporatists.
There is a celebrity athlete in Runyan's congressional district - one who has dabbled in politics before., and can be orders of magnitude better than Runyan. Olympian Carl Lewis ran for state senate last year, only to be denied the opportunity to serve because a judge ruled that the long-time New Jerseyan did not strictly fit the residency requirements.
Photo of Lewis' announcement of his senate run - April, 2011
(Left to right: Orange, NJ Mayor Eldrige Hawkins, Carl Lewis, Christopher Walker - Executive Director of the Carl Lewis Foundation, New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney)
(Marie's piece here has been getting a lot of buzz around the Twittersphere today, so it's well worth promoting. Follow the links she provides to some other responses to the S-L's editorial; I've added some others below. - promoted by Jersey Jazzman)
I was very disappointed to start my New Year off this morning by reading a fact-less and biased op-ed piece in The Star Ledger about the Voucher Bill. It had already lit up the Twitter and Facebook feeds long before I had my first cup of coffee, with Save Our Schools NJ and NJParents1 posting fact-filled responses.
It is reprehensible and irresponsible for the state's largest newspaper to publish such a work of fiction. Anyone could do a quick Google search to find plenty of evidence to refute their claim that vouchers offer 'a lifeline for poor kids'. I do hope Politifact New Jersey does their homework on this one.
This is not a Democrat vs. Republican or state vs. NJEA issue. This is an issue of our government offering false hope to families of struggling students, financial aid to struggling private and parochial schools, and tax breaks to big corporations. This program that has been tried in various cities around the country for 20 years with no measurable success does nothing to address the crushing effects of poverty on a child's ability to learn. And according to both the US Census Bureau and the NJDOE, poverty, or lack thereof, is a major factor in a child's success in school.
If Trenton is serious about helping struggling students, why not let corporations give those tax breaks to programs that will help the poor live decent lives including affordable health insurance, housing, jobs, and ESL classes? Or how about giving that money directly to the school districts not only to invest in measures that have been proven to work such smaller class sizes, rich, deep curriculums, and strong half day pre-K and full day kindergarten programs, but to help them buy much needed materials and fix broken down, dilapidated buildings?
Newspapers are supposed to uncover the truth, not perpetuate lies. The Star Ledger can and should do better.
As the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, "You are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts."
This past week, we've seen a lot about the impact of congressional redistricting and the positioning of candidates in North Jersey for the upcoming election. Congressman Steve Rothman has declared that he will move and challenge his colleague Bill Pascrell in a primary rather than face incumbent Republican extremist Scott Garrett. Whether or not Rothman's decision is a good one, it hurts me to see two Democrats spending a million dollars to knock each other off when the money could be better spent in an all-out effort to oust Garrett, one of the worst members of Congress.
It also bothers me that the Fourth Estate has virtually ignored the important race in the Third District. Another member of the "worst congressman's club" is former NFL bad boy and current congressman Jon Runyan. Runyan's voting record is as bad as Garrett's, and over time if Runyan builds up seniority in the House, his impact will be just as deleterious.
U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9th Dist.) is telling Democrats he plans to challenge Bill Pascrell (D-8th Dist.) in the June primary, according to two Democratic sources with knowledge of the congressman's thinking.
A few anonymous sources are quoted for the article. An announcement from Rothman is apparently due this week.
Needless to say, I am sorry to have found this out, and I hope a strong Democrat will come forward to take on Garrett. It's obviously going to be someone without a $1.5 million war chest, but we need to support them all the same.
Jay Lassiter's Blue Jersey diary, Paging Bill Pascrell, posted at 09:43:28am today, is already out-of-date.
And that's good news.
Garden State Equality just announced a few minutes ago, that the Respect for Marriage Act, intended to repeal DOMA, is now a clean sweep of support by NJ Democratic members of Congress:
BREAKING NEWS: Every Democrat in the New Jersey Congressional delegation is now a sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act to repeal DOMA. That includes Senator Lautenberg and Senator Menendez, and Congressmen Andrews, Holt, Pallone, Payne, Rothman and Sires - and Congressman Pascrell just told us that he, too, will sponsor. (To facebook supporters, it urges): Click LIKE to thank our unanimous Democratic Congressional delegation.
I don't know if Jay's diary helped edge Rep. Pascrell into our column on this, or if his decision was already made. Doesn't matter. His support on this issue is very welcome.
Just yesterday, Jeff Gardner wrote about Senator Bob Menendez joining the marriage equality efforts, long in coming, and gratifying.
For disclosure's sake, as I've said here before, I'm a member of GSE's board. I'd be writing about this anyway. It's exciting stuff.
If you want to go as a delegate, the state Democrats are offering two free workshops this month to walk you through the process. The Democratic National Convention, which is expected to confirm Barack Obama as the party's nominee against whatever wholly inadequate nominee the GOP throws up in their infinite wisdom. The Democrats meet in Charlotte, North Carolina - Sept. 3-7, 2012.
At the workshops they'll review the delegate selection process and go over the deadlines requirements. These are the first two workshops. More will be scheduled after the new year.
NJDSC Bergen County Delegate Selection Workshop Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, 687 Larch Avenue, Teaneck
NJDSC Middlesex County Delegate Selection Workshop (following MCDO county committee meeting)
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Woodbridge Hilton, 120 Wood Avenue South, Iselin
Here's a couple links to the docs that lay out how delegates will be selected. Enjoy:
As KendalJames points out, OSA, on the legislature's plate this month as a side dish to lame duck with gravy, sounds harmless. He tells it:
Opportunity! Scholarships! Action! All of these things sound awesome, and even moreso when you string them together - "Opportunity Scholarship Act" - it just rolls off the tongue, like "Madoff Investment Securities," or "House Un-American Activities Committee."
Somebody actually wants to know. Democratic State Chair Asm John Wisniewski wants to hear what you think about education. Honestly, I don't know if the votes are already aligned for some of the ed 'reform' we've heard is coming in lame duck. History teaches me to be as wary of Democrats in this issue as the GOP (not Wiz). But if I'm being honest, I don't remember anyone of his standing asking for this kind of input, either. It's good.
I'm told responses are pouring in. Parents. Teachers. School Board members. Activists. Education experts. People without kids in the schools. What they're writing about is broad - not just about charters, or vouchers, but suggestions on parent involvement, what kids are learning, etc. Of course, the test for me will be whether how all this info will get out of the NJDSC HQ on West State Street and across the street to the legislators who will be voting. And of course, the degree to which they take it in. We'll see.
As the debate over New Jersey's education system continues across our state, your ideas and input are needed now, more than ever.
Recently, I hosted representatives of New Jersey's education community for a roundtable discussion on the state of public education in New Jersey.
The event, held at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in New Brunswick, examined education initiatives and issues expected to be part of the upcoming legislative debate. Representatives of various constituencies involved in and/or affected by the state's education policies, along with members of the general public were invited to participate in and observe the roundtable discussion. You can see a short video featuring some of the discussion here.
Prior to the discussion, participants heard from Dr. David Driscoll, Chairman of the President's National Assessment Governing Board, past president of the Council of Chief State School Officers and former Commissioner of Education in Massachusetts. Dr. Driscoll discussed his experience in Massachusetts when that state implemented its landmark education reform law. You can see Dr. Driscoll's remarks here.
What we need now is input from you! I am asking for your suggestions on what needs to be considered as we move forward in this debate over our children's future. Submit your ideas to educationideas@njdems.org
We need to ensure this process isn't about ideology, but rather about making education better and your feedback is crucial to crafting a plan that works. There are a variety of opinions and it's essential that we bring everyone to the table in order to develop the best solutions.
Thank you for everything you do. I look forward to your suggestions.
John
Video from the Education Roundtable that inspired Wisniewski's outreach efforts - below the fold.
When you think of pollsters in New Jersey, one of the first names that comes to mind is Patrick Murray of Monmouth University. Yet, even an iconic figure like Murray has succumbed to the Tea Party propaganda. Check out this video snippet from his interview on NJ Today:
"Republican voters are against any tax hikes. Democratic voters are against any cost cuts."
The first part of Murray's statement is true, as we have seen with the so-called "super committee" and Governor Christie's justifying his double veto of the millionaire's tax based on the false assertion that it would drive wealthy people out of the state. But stating that Democratic voters are against cost cutting is just plain wrong and Murray should know better.
First, many Democrats are in favor of cutting the bloated defense and homeland security budgets, but have been stymied by the Republican minority. But even ignoring this obvious fact, Democrats have long been willing to compromise (some say too willing) on social programs to get the Republican votes they need to unjam the Senate filibusters that have been crippling our economy.
I can only assume that Murray has fallen victim to the biases about the economy that are pervasive within the mainstream corporate media.
Here they are in their first public appearance together, the new leadership teams in both the Assembly and Senate. (Note: incoming Senate President Pro Tempore Nia Gill was not present).
"If you don't know where you're going,
you'll wind up somewhere else."
- Yogi Berra of Montclair, New Jersey
I've written and deleted six versions of this diary about the maneuvers that discarded two people who distinguished themselves this year by exhibiting core Democratic values, when it wasn't always simple to do so. Frankly, it's hard to think about this without wanting to pick the broken glass out of my teeth; Even with solid Democratic wins, this has been an awful week. A tense week for some people we admire greatly.
It was easier, and perhaps more profitable this year to bind with the Christie collaborationists. To fall in line. To hear Tea Party activists screaming in one ear about the cost of government, and New Jersey's unelected power brokers whispering soft directions in the other ear. Plenty of our Democrats fell in line. On more than one issue. Barbara Buono and Joe Cryan did not.
In the Senate Democratic caucus, the vote has just been taken. By a unanimous vote, Steve Sweeney is re-elected as Senate President. Senator Weinberg is the new Senate Majority Leader in this session.
Our best wishes to both, and to outgoing Majority Leader Barbara Buono.
UPDATE: Now posted under the fold: Letter from Senator Buono to her colleagues in the New Jersey State Senate this morning regarding her decision to not seek re-election as Majority Leader.
See also Unanimous: Sweeney Senate President, Weinberg Majority Leader politickernj gets it in print before we do, Majority Leader Barbara Buono has, as this morning's caucus meeting to determine leadership gets underway, taken herself out of the running.
This morning, votes are lined up to elect Loretta Weinberg Majority Leader for the next Senate session, after a power-sharing arrangement was suggested by Senate President Steve Sweeney, and rejected by Sen. Buono.
Assemblyman-elect Troy Singleton was previously the chief of staff to then-Speaker of the Assembly Joe Roberts. Roberts was at the victory party on election night, and I spoke with him briefly following the event.
He was once touted as a possible replacement for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. He was the solidly progressive United States Senator whose progression to New Jersey governor was once seen as a stepping stone to a White House run. He is a top bundler in Barack Obama's re-election. And he, and the generosity he showed with his ample checkbook, built the New Jersey Democratic Party during his rise, funding downballot candidates and struggling local parties. But as CEO of the securities firm MF Global, Jon Corzine presided over a company that eventually bet too heavily on European sovereign debt, was rocked by credit rating downgrades and investors pulling out, filed for bankruptcy protection just yesterday amid rumors that $700 million in client funds were missing, then confirmation that federal regulators were indeed investigating $700 million - $700 million! - unaccounted for.
Now multiple news sources (here's WSJ and Associated Press) are reporting that MF Global has admitted to federal regulators that money had been diverted out of customer accounts, which is against the law.
Impossible to know at this point how deep this goes, who if anyone will be held culpable, and what will happen in the Chapter 11 filing, or in the future of the man running the show at MF Global. The press on this 8th largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history and on MF Global's chief have been brutal (see Wow, Jon Corzine - Way To Fly Your Company Into A Mountain at Business Insider). And may get worse. You'd expect that. This sounds like a clusterfuck of gigantic proportions. That said, we don't know what facts will eventually shake out here, or who the pointy knives will come out for. But I'm for more regulation of of financial institutions that gamble big for bigger payouts.
Imagine that you are invited to a wedding reception at a snooty Five-Star restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. You know the chef is one of the best in the world, internationally famous, and you are looking forward to sharing a top-notch meal with your friends.
Imagine, also, that you are a vegetarian on a low-carb diet. You arrive at the reception and find that your dinner choices are filet mignon or pasta. What do you do?
Clearly, you can't order the meat. You're hungry, so you can't choose to skip the dinner. You reluctantly get the pasta, which tastes so good that you overindulge on carbs that evening. You opted for the lesser of two evils and had a satisfactory but not satisfying dinner.
Found this 1-minute floor statement by Rep. Rush Holt at the website RH Reality Check (that's RH as in prescription, not for Holt's initials).
Holt reminds us the GOP-majority House is still short on jobs creation and once again indulging themselves in yet another version of their legislative assault on women's health rights, with the Orwellian-titled "Protect Life Act" (H.R. 358).
CREDO Action's pointed out the hypocrisy of the DCCC using H.R. 358 as a fundraising tool (calling it the "Let Women Die" Act, then giving money to 15 Dem candidates, 3 of whom in fact voted to "Let Women Die" - voting for H.R. 358.
