NY Times takes NJ to task over Civil Unions

by: Jason Springer

Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 02:41:39 PM EST

Civil unions are an inadequate substitute for marriage. Creating a separate, new legal structure to confer some benefits on same-sex couples neither honors American ideals of fairness, nor does it grant true equality. The results are clearly visible in New Jersey, which continues to deny same-sex couples some of the tangible civil benefits that come with marriage.

Shadowed by a national recession and plummeting state revenues, Corzine said issues like enacting gay marriage will be shoved to the sidelines while he tries to stimulate New Jersey's economy and push ethics reform through a reluctant Legislature.

Maybe we should be looking at the potential economic benefits of same sex marriage to help ease some of our budget pain. According to a Williams Institute Study:

Over the next three years, the direct spending from same-sex couples on weddings and tourism will generate approximately $19 million in revenues for state and local governments.

Spending on weddings by couples living in New Jersey, and tourism and weddings by out-of-state couples, will generate over $17.3 million in state and local sales tax revenues and occupancy fee revenues. This estimate is conservative in that it does not include increased revenue from many other taxes that are harder to estimate, such as New Jersey's motor fuels tax, earnings taxes, property taxes, excise tax on alcoholic beverages, or taxes on indirect spending or earnings.

In addition, the weddings of in-state and out-of-state couples will generate approximately $1.6 million in marriage license fees.

Separate from the fiscal impact, the Times also goes after the legislature for not advancing the bill:

We regret that the leaders of the state's Democratic-controlled Legislature do not view this issue with the same urgency. Senate President Richard Codey, for instance, said recently that progress in civil rights areas "is typically achieved in incremental steps." We suspect that political expedience is clouding Mr. Codey's sense of fairness. Next year in New Jersey, the governorship and all seats in the Assembly are up for grabs in an election. Some Republicans already are talking about making their opposition to same-sex marriage a campaign issue.

Second, I was watching ESPN yesterday and they were talking about integration in the 60's. One of the football players made the point that when a white player got cut, their blood was red, and when a black player got cut, their blood was red too.  That really summed up how I feel about this issue.  Their blood is red just like everyone else's, so what's the difference?

Pension deferral stalls in Senate Caucus

by: Jason Springer

Mon Dec 15, 2008 at 09:10:58 PM EST

Senate Majority Leader Richard Codey (D-Essex) today postponed a vote on a Corzine proposal to allow local and county governments and school boards defer pension payments over the next three years when he could not muster the 21 votes needed for passage on the Senate floor.

Following a lengthy Democratic majority caucus, Codey said any vote of the measure (S7) is off until January at the earliest and that he wants to confer with Assembly Democratic majority leaders before trying to move it again.

With all 17 Republican senators prepared to oppose the bill, at least four Democrats were initially opposed to it as bad policy: Senate Majority Leader Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Senators Fred H. Madden (Camden), Shirley Turner (D-Mercer), and Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May). As other members of the Democratic caucus realized the votes were not there for passage, the number of opponents grew to at least eight.

Earlier in the day, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., who just announced 43 layoffs as part of a plan to eliminate 150 positions, told The Star-Ledger the county would be forced to lay off 200 more employees if it cannot defer $14 million in pension payments.

"If they can't help, shame on them," DiVincenzo said in a noon news conference with Thomas DeGise, the Hudson County executive, and Bergen County Executive Thomas McNerney. "If we don't get the support of the state, we're going to have $14 million in additional cuts."

Before the Senate session, Corzine said he dislikes the idea of deferring pension contributions but he has few other choices to prevent big property tax hikes since the state may need to cut municipal aid to balance next year's budget. Those who vote against the deferral will have to explain to their taxpayers why their property tax bills are skyrocketing this year, he said.

"I see no prospect of increases in municipal aid and I see substantial prospects of cut municipal aid," Corzine told reporters at the Statehouse. "The people that vote against this are just saying that's what they prefer."

Statements on Civil Unions Commission Report

by: Hopeful

Wed Dec 10, 2008 at 12:38:23 PM EST

"As I have said many times before, same-sex marriage in New Jersey is only a matter of 'when,' not 'if.'

"The Commission's report should spark a renewed sense of purpose and urgency to overcoming one of society's last remaining barriers to full equality for all residents."

Senate President Codey's statement is positive but lacks the urgency:

"As I have said before, the history of civil rights progress - whether it's the rights of women, minorities or same-sex couples - is one that is typically achieved in incremental steps. I believe that society's view of this issue is coming around in favor of same-sex marriage and this report, underscoring the many inequalities that still exist, will further advance that belief."

Assemblyman John F. McKeon (D-Essex) gets right to the point, calling specifically for New Jersey to become the first state to legislatively legalize same-sex marriage:

"While the civil union measure was an important step in advancing individual liberty, today's report underscores how a vast number of same-sex couples believe it renders them 'separate but not equal.'  It's time for New Jersey to complete the journey toward equality by providing all committed couples the same basic right to marry."

Step down

by: Thurman Hart

Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 04:49:12 PM EDT

I called for Javier Inclan to resign or be fired because he testified in court that he had assisted David della Donna in committing numerous felonies.  I went after John Shinnick because there is no way he puts in the hours to earn his pay (which is still true) and because I had information that he was violating the rights of people that worked for him.  There has to be a reason for wanting someone to give up their position.

There's a reason for wanting Dick Codey to step down as President of the State Senate.

Codey won't invoke executive privilege with Grant Program

by: Jason Springer

Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 05:43:47 PM EDT

"Although legally we have the right to invoke executive privilege, to the contrary we want this information to be released.  People have a right to know how their money is being spent.  I think the public will see, as they scrutinize these lists, that this money helped support many good causes.  Furthermore, the release of these documents will help clarify many questions surrounding the grant program.

"The Property Tax Assistance and Community Development Grants program evolved from the past practice of legislators from both parties adding millions of dollars to the budget at the 11th hour without any transparency.  Since then, we've radically transformed how we craft the budget.  As a result of the reforms we instituted in 2007, New Jersey's budget process is one of the most open and transparent in the country."

This doesn't sound good

by: Jason Springer

Thu Oct 02, 2008 at 08:42:12 PM EDT

Masked by an obscure state budget account dedicated to property tax relief, key state lawmakers were given millions of taxpayer dollars to hand out to their constituents as they pleased, testimony in the corruption trial of former Senate Budget Committee Chairman Wayne Bryant revealed today.

The $40 million Property Tax Assistance and Community Development grants program lawmakers added to the state budgets in 2004 and 2005, was parceled out directly to individual lawmakers for them to spend on pet projects, George LeBlanc, Democratic budget officer, testified.

Bryant, a Camden County Democrat, was allotted $4 million from the fund. Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny, Jr., (D-Hudson), was also given $4 million from the fund, which he shared with other lawmakers, LeBlanc testified. Both Kenny and Bryant left the Senate last year.

The testimony contrasts with claims by lawmakers that individual grant recipients had to apply to the state Treasurer for funding from the $40 million pool, and that grants were awarded competitively.

"To my knowledge, individual legislators were the deciders," LeBlanc told jurors. "They were the ones who designated which entities would receive amounts of money from the accounts."

"We're not aware of the specifics of today's testimony, but in recent years we've implemented new rules and regulations that open up the budget process more than ever before and let the public see every requested budget change and exactly who is proposing it."

Corzine unveils Ethics reforms

by: Jason Springer

Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 07:56:27 PM EDT

Governor Corzine signed two executive orders designed to close loopholes in the pay-to-play ban and impose a new and impose a new ban on pay-to-play for all state redevelopment contracts.  The Governor also signed a third executive order to create a task force to recommend ways to strengthen local government ethics and improve enforcement, compliance and training.

Many of the proposed reforms require legislative action and the Governor will seek comprehensive legislation to enact those reforms.  The Governor?s ethics reform package would close loopholes in the pay-to-play law that applies to county and local governments and also ban wheeling.

"New Jerseyans want and deserve a government that is responsible only to them and which represents the public's interest, not the special interests.

"With this reform package, we can make that ideal a reality sooner rather than later."

"I would go further; I would make the anti-wheeling measure stronger," said Codey, who said he did not attend today's press conference with the governor because of a scheduling conflict.

Not only does Codey support a ban on wheeling across county lines - but across state lines."I would say 'you can't wheel money in, and you can't wheel out," the former governor said.

"We welcome the governor to the dance, albeit in the third year of his term," said Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. (R-Union).

"Republicans should get their act together and go after this with a vengeance, because this is an assault on liberty," he said.  "I think it's an all-out assault on freedom of speech, freedom of association and the whole American system and tradition of open and competitive elections."

The proposal was put together without input from Democratic County Chairs, and a scheduled briefing for the party leaders for this morning was canceled.

Quote of the Day

by: Hopeful

Sun Sep 21, 2008 at 04:19:03 PM EDT

As long as the team does well, it's a great investment -- not only for the football program but for the university as a whole.

That's reassuring.  

Corzine won't rule out gas tax hike

by: Jason Springer

Mon Aug 11, 2008 at 09:40:21 PM EDT

I'm not taking anything off the table or putting anything on the table, the governor told reporters at the Council of State Governments meeting in Atlantic City today. We have a major, major shortfall in investment in our infrastructure, and it's time for us to face up to that, and that's going to come with some costs.

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) said there is "no way" the Legislature could consider raising the tax when drivers are already facing sticker shock at the pump. Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) called it the "least likely possibility" among an array of options.

Lesniak said those other options include hiking rates on the state's toll roads, adding tolls on roads that are now free and letting private investors operate some lanes on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Is it time to increase the minimum wage?

by: Jason Springer

Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 06:30:07 PM EDT

The commission found New Jersey's cost of living has risen 56 percent faster than the state's minimum wage and stated failure to increase the wage amounts to "an inflation-induced pay cut."

In the middle of a recession and with the cost of everything rising quickly, especially fuel, employers can't absorb the financial impact of raising the minimum wage, said Kevin Friedlander of New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. It would cripple already struggling businesses, especially the smaller ones.

We want to make sure it is allowing our people to have at least a reasonable quality of life, and if you look at the minimum wage even at New Jersey's level after the change, it's not a living wage.

We just did paid family leave, and in fairness to the business community we've got to let them breathe a little bit, said Sweeney, D-Gloucester. I don't anticipate making a push this year.

The economy is bad already, said Codey, D-Essex. We have to be considerate of that.

Corzine said he didn't think they would be imposing "a requirement that is unreasonable."

Quote of the Day

by: Juan Melli

Thu May 29, 2008 at 03:34:16 PM EDT

"We're willing to examine any proposals as long as they're realistic. Telling the Turnpike Authority they have to fund a multi-billon dollar widening project by tightening their belts is like telling Steve Wynn to fund his casino by collecting loose change along the AC Boardwalk."

Byrne Poll Details Revealed

by: Juan Melli

Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 11:57:39 AM EDT

Beson, who is a personal friend of Byrne but is supporting Lautenberg, said that the poll tested the name recognition of Congressman Rob Andrews, Senate President Dick Codey, State Senator Bob Gordon, Senator Frank Lautenberg, and "Brendan Byrne".

Beson asked repeatedly if the pollster meant Brendan Byrne Sr (the former governor) or his son Brendan "Tom" Byrne Jr, but the pollster did not know.

The poll also asked whether he had a positive or negative view of each of the potential candidates.

Finally, the poll did a comparative between Lautenberg and Byrne - first one that was positive of both, followed by a more aggressive one that highlighted Lautenberg's age and noted that the other was always against the Iraq war, was a successful businessman, a champion on education, and an early supporter of Barack Obama.

As word of the poll spread yesterday, one party insider pointed out that it would be interesting to see if the poll was a true test of support, or a poll designed to give Byrne the answer he might be looking for -- that he should run. That Byrne polled the name recognition of 'Brendan Byrne' -- a name Brendan Thomas Byrne, Jr. does not often go by -- is telling.

Update: A reader writes in to note that if Byrne does decide to run, he would not be in the party column in his home county of Mercer since they endorsed Lautenberg at the convention on March 18.

Everything I Know About the Death Penalty, I Learned From Pope John Paul ii

by: Jay Lassiter

Sun Mar 02, 2008 at 11:03:52 AM EST

Last Wednesday, NJ lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to suspend executions while a task force studies the ethical issues and costs associated with imposing capital punishment. When Gov. Codey signs the measure on Monday, NJ becomes the second state behind Illinois to suspend executions, but the first to do so through legislation. (Illinois' moritorium was done by executive order.) The bill had bipartisam support in Trenton. Said Democrat Sen. (sic) Joseph Roberts, "The injustice of the current system, the steep price tag as well, means we ought to take a look at it."  His Republican colleague Sen. Diane Allen went further, "We've heard about people who were put to death and (later) found innocent. We've looked at the cost, which is enormously more for someone on death row than for a person who's imprisoned for life without parole. In New Jersey, there has been a sea change in how people view the death penalty."

While I appreciate that lawmakers need to factor the cost of any program into their decisions, I did find it curious that both Senators cited economic factors in their decision. I believe the most persuasive argument against the death penalty is a moral one.

I am against capital punishment and I feel it should be abolished. But that hasn't always been the case. Until a few years ago, I believed the state reserved the right to impose the death penalty on offenders who commit the most henious types of crimes. It wasn't until about three years ago when I heard a speech made by the late Pontiff John Paul II, that I began to re-evaluate my own position on this compicated matter.

(the juicy bits beneath the flip!)

Quote of the Day

by: Juan Melli

Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 03:43:33 PM EST

"I expect the Ferris wheel to become a major tourist attraction, with visitors from throughout the world paying big bucks for the opportunity to ride 287 feet in the air to enjoy spectacular views of the roof of a shopping mall and a Pepsi Cola logo.  I think it's wonderful that now we have the circus here year round.

"I accept the Pepsi Challenge.  Now we should see if Coke is willing to top that by putting a Coke bottle on top of the Statehouse dome so we can use the revenues to help us pay down our debt.  If Pepsi is willing to pay $100 million, I'm sure Coke would be willing to pay twice as much if it can be viewed from two different states.

Update 2: noodletalk shares his rendering in the comments. I think he wins:

Lawmakers react to civil unions report

by: Juan Melli

Tue Feb 19, 2008 at 05:21:47 PM EST

Senator Loretta Weinberg:

"The term 'civil union' isn't specific enough, and it's time to change the name to what it really should be - marriage.

Senate President Dick Codey:

"[The Civil Union Review Commission] raised a number of red flags concerning the implementation of the law and its ability to provide true equality for same sex couples."

"I look forward to working closely with our counterparts in the Assembly to determine how best the Legislature should proceed in order to ensure that same sex couples are not being marginalized or denied the rights they so richly deserve."

Governor Jon Corzine:

"...the report does raise significant concerns about whether the law has effectively granted same-sex couples the same rights and benefits of every other family in the State.

"It is disheartening that the first anniversary of New Jersey's civil union law brings with it so much evidence that the law is not living up to even the most modest of hopes.

[...] "We will not tolerate anything less than equal treatment for all committed couples."

Negative Checkoff For Organ Donors? No.

by: huntsu

Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 08:44:14 AM EST

See if you read it the same way:

New Jersey would require people applying for driver's licenses and identification cards to state whether they want to be an organ donor under a plan to be debated Thursday by a Senate panel.

The measure would also require high schools to teach about organ donation.

The bill's sponsor, Senate President Richard J. Codey, and Howard M. Nathan, president and CEO of the Gift of Life Donor Program, said New Jersey would be the first state to impose such requirements.

"We are mandating a discussion, one that can and will save lives and make everyone a hero,'' said Codey, D-Essex.

That's not just a discussion.  That's forcing people who don't understand or, at a young age, don't care to think about it to donate their organs.  Seriously, when was the last time an 18 year old filling out a driver's license form turned to their parent and said, "Hey, about this organ donation thing?"

Or what if your spouse is an avowed supporter of organ donations, but you find it scary and weird and don't want them to know?  You might check it off to avoid a family fight even though you don't want to be a donor.

I'm a declared organ donor.  I believe in organ donation. I support the government spending money to promote and extend organ donation.

But I support it as an individual choice where people affirm that they want to participate, not where they are forced to deny that they want to participate.

That is peer pressure, and something as precious as our own body and it's use after death should not be determined because someone is worried how it will look if donating their eyes to someone else is creepy or against their religion.

Right now the question is asked, and people can answer yes.  That is enough.  Forcing people to answer no is an invasion of one of the most personal choices a New Jerseyan can make.

Codey to endorse Obama on Thursday

by: Juan Melli

Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:09:44 PM EST

Senate President Richard Codey is expected to endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to sources close to Codey, who had served as New Jersey Chairman of John Edwards? campaign. [...]

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, co-chair of the Obama Campaign, said he had not heard directly from Codey that the Senate President intends to endorse Obama, but said he believes what he's hearing from other sources about an official announcement on Thursday.

"I'm hearing the same things you're hearing," said Healy. "It's a terrific endorsement, and it's very important."

Senator Joe Vitale -- like Sweeney, an erstwhile Edwards booster -- has followed suit.

Update 2: Edwards' state coordinator Mike Beson also endorsed Clinton.

Why Dick Codey and Others Should Stick With Edwards

by: huntsu

Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 08:29:36 AM EST

I back John Edwards, and want him to become President.  However, after he lost both NH and IA then polled four percent in Nevada yesterday the odds are incredibly long.  Anyone who is looking at this race pretty much has to admit that.

But neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton is running away with this one.  It looks like the delegate race is really close, Hillary is leading national polls and Obama has some leads in important upcoming states.  There is a great possibility that this will result in a brokered convention with no nominee until then.

And that's why, despite all the urging by Obama supporters, I still support John Edwards in the Democratic Primary and suggest that anyone who wants to see this party and its platform move to the left do the same.  Don't abandon him on February 5 so you can be with the eventual winner.  

If you believed in his positions, in his fight, in his temperament, in his history, in his mission before he started falling behind then you have a chance to continue the fight for all these things by staying the course.  Even if you think Edwards can't win, the things he and we stand for can if we don't back down and do some bandwagon jumping on Feb. 5.

Codey/Roberts Have Big Plans for 2008

by: Juan Melli

Fri Jan 04, 2008 at 04:16:34 PM EST

Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. today announced that they will make a united push for loophole-free pay to play reform, a wheeling ban, clean elections renewal, an overhaul of the legislative ethics committee, and a modernized legislative ethics code in the new session beginning January 8.

The Legislature's presiding officers also said they will make it a priority to pass a  paid family leave insurance bill and legislation to promote affordable housing in 2008. [...]

"We have a unique opportunity to restore the public's confidence about the integrity of their government institutions and their elected officials," said Roberts (D-Camden).  "We need to harness the Legislature's sweeping membership turnover as a vehicle for establishing higher ethical standards and new laws to fight corruption, malfeasance, and influence peddling."

Codey signs anti-HIV measure into Law

by: Jay Lassiter

Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 01:03:22 PM EST