One of the key differences that has emerged resulted from Cryan's push to restore a tax surcharge on the wealthiest New Jerseyans. Cryan is advocating for the so-called "millionaire's tax" both on the merits (it would raise money during a budget crunch) and on the politics (it would give Democrats a chance to portray Gov. Chris Christie as tool of the rich and enemy of the working class). But Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester), The Auditor is told by key Statehouse sources, has told Cryan he doesn't support it and Christie would veto it.
It makes no sense on any level. There is widespread support for a millionaires tax, including among the wealthy. Even Republicans are split down the middle on the issue. Cutting the millionaire's tax is an unpopular move, but it looks like Sweeney is about to give Christie a pass on it. So let Christie veto it and draw the contrast about who everyone is fighting for. I don't get the strategy on a practical or political level.
While millionaires get tax cuts, the working class faces higher bus fares, less funding for schools, and higher property taxes. If the Democrats aren't willing to show they will stand up and fight for the people that put them there and are taking it on the chin, why should those people keep fighting to put them in office? It's time for our leaders to stand up, not down.
"Career politician Joe Cryan is exhibit A of how MESSED UP Trenton is. The facts Gov Christie laid out are indisputable--except apparently to a guy with 2 Government jobs and a knack for sucking up to EVERY Union ...and special interest group in this state. Wake up Joe---it's about reality--not party politics...."
Let me see if I understand this. Chris Christie was a Freeholder, ran for Assembly, served as State Attorney for a Presidential campaign, then was appointed US Attorney, and now has been elected Governor. Yup, if anyone knows a career politician it would be Chris's brother Todd. He's going to be fun to watch for the next four years if this is the kind of reaction we are going to get each time his brother speaks and gets criticized.
Since the Blue Jersey community has clearly been buzzing with comments and opinions about the congressional and legislativeredistricting process that will unfold over the next year or so, I figured that I might as well offer everybody a third installment, which provides us with some interesting insight into how the members of the redistricting commissions are selected, the names of some individuals who have recently been appointed to the commissions, and lobbying for a spot on the one of the commissions that is currently being done, something that progressives should consider doing as well.
In PolitickerNJ's recent article, "Cryan appoints himself, Sarlo to legislative redistricting commission before stepping down as chairman", we learn that in one of his last acts as NJDSC Chairman, Assembly Majority Leader Joe Cryan appointed himself and anti-marriage equality and anti-progressive State Senator Paul Sarlo to the legislative redistricting commission, ensuring that Sarlo would be in control of his destiny for at least the next ten years.
More about Cryan, Sarlo, and this article below the fold.
John Wisniewski, Dana Redd, Janice Kovach, and Rubin J. Ramos, Jr. were elected last night - by unanimous voice acclamation - as NJDSC's Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary & Treasurer. Good luck to all four, and to Paul Bontempo, elected to the DNC to replace Wisniewski, who now votes as Chair.
I'll post Wisniewski's full remarks as soon as I get them. A good speech, hitting on a common theme last night of troubled times. On the losses in NJ,VA & MA, Steve Sweeney said: Don't be ashamed. This country is in turmoil right now; we'll get it back.
But among fighting words for party faithful, I thought the most moving story came from outgoing Chair Joe Cryan, who walked to the podium, and said:
Being a Chairman is awful.
Biggest laugh of the night. Then called out to me, mentioned Blue Jersey, and talked about how trying to translate Howard Dean's 50-State Strategy to 21-County Strategy came with painful choices.
Cryan told a story about his "worst day" as Chair, when he had to tell a Freeholder candidate running in a COP-dominant county, that he couldn't give her the money she needed to win. She was everything you could hope for; smart, full of ideas, great outreach, doorknocking hard like he always says to. The year was 2007. There weren't enough resources to participate in more than 2 counties. He didn't have the money she needed. And he knew his "no" effectively killed her chances.
He didn't say it, but I think Cryan was talking about Somerset County's Melonie Marano, whose loss was also a heartbreak for us at DFA-NJ; she got our statewide endorsement, and a check.
I was both moved and crushed by Cryan's remarks. Just 1 year later, Somerset County produced more brand-new Dems during the Obama surge than any county. What might have been possible with just a few more bucks behind good candidates like Melonie? Ending, Cryan said I never want John to have that feeling. What are the lessons here? What's the takeaway for Wisniewski? Cryan said he hopes his successor never has that feeling.
The race to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat is very close in Massachusetts. Political wire says the poll average is a dead heat and Nate Silver says the race is a tossup. Now the New Jersey Democratic State Committee is blasting supporters soliciting assistance to make a difference in Massachusetts:
You can call voters in Massachusetts and help Martha Coakley continue Senator Ted Kennedy's remarkable legacy.
As Massachusetts' first woman senator, Martha Coakley will help advance Kennedy's legacy - fighting for equal rights, a strong economy, and our families and communities. Without her vote, health care won't happen.
They're using mybarackobama.com for people to call and remind voters to get out and vote on Tuesday. Democrats never expected this race to be a contest and now they're doing everything they can to hold onto the seat in this special election. Bill Clinton was there campaigning for Coakley on Saturday and President Obama was there this afternoon. This will be viewed in the context of Bob Menendez and the DSCC as well, so no doubt he wants all the help they can get at this point. I'll put the full email from Chairman Cryan below the fold.
Democrats have chosen Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) as the next Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly. Ms. Oliver, who replaces outgoing Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden), is the first African-American woman to be elected to the office.
Assemblyman Joe Cryan (D-Union) has been elected Majority Leader. He replaces Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-Mercer).
On the heels of Republican Chris Christie's gubernatorial win, the coming session marks the first time an incoming New Jersey governor faces an opposite party controlled legislature since 1982.
In his first major speech since Election Day, Gov.-elect Chris Christie told local officials today they better step up and become part of the solution, or he would become their problem.
Something tells me we are going to see alot of tough talk from Christie as he attempts to use the bully pulpit the voters have given him. Christie said he wants to change the mindset in Trenton:
The entire country is facing enormous challenges, but the state of New Jersey is facing particular challenges, particular challenges which have been caused, in my view, by all of us asking the question, 'What's in it for me?' What's in it for me personally? What's in it for my town? What's in it for my county? What's in it for my trade group? What's in it for my union? What's in it for business?
"As a result, state policy has become over years, without particular blame to any one particular party or any set of particular leaders, state policy has become a hodge-podge, a patchwork of 'What's in it for me?
"And when times are good, we can survive 'What's in it for me?' We can paper it over, and we can survive it. We can even kid ourselves that we're doing the right thing. But when times of challenge come, as they have come, there is no more hiding that ill motive has brought us to this place.
It remains to be seen how he changes that mindset, past the rhetoric he is conveying. He's already lowering expectations and saying things are wore than they expected to find. Here's some video from his speech:
Responding to a joke in Christie's speech about not there with miracles, Assemblyman Joe Cryan had this to say following Christie's speech:
"Gov.-elect Christie may be saying not to expect miracles, but New Jerseyans do expect him to stick to his few specific promises, such as cutting income taxes for all taxpayers and reinstating property tax rebates."
Governor Corzine spoke after Christie, who didn't stick around for the speech and he talked about some of his accomplishments as well as some of the problems facing the state:
Corzine said his administration made strides - cutting spending, capping property tax increases and creating a new formula to fund schools. He highlighted the concessions he received from state workers' pay packages during a budget crisis. But he said the problems in the state are still "enormous" - the biggest being the state's debt, unfunded pension and health care obligations, and the highest-in-the-nation property taxes.
"Bold and unpopular actions are the only way - the only way - to deal with these issues," Corzine said. Reducing property taxes will require addressing the "fragmentation of government" with consolidations and shared services, he said.
It sure doesn't like a fun ride and that'll be made worse for Democrats by the fact that Christie will be driving.
I don't know who the next state Chair is going to be. I hear rumors. Then I don't hear them. And then I hear them again.
But no matter who it turns out to be, there are a few things I want to put on the table. I didn't always agree with Chairman Joe Cryan, but I can't imagine anyone more driven, more alive, and more vibrant in the pursuit of victories. I hope the next Chair has a lot of Cryan's qualities, and maybe a little of his swagger too. I admire him. And looking ahead now, a few suggestions for whoever the next Chair is:
Pretend you're Howard Dean When Howard Dean became DNC Chair, he presided over a transformation in the way the party spent money (on local organizing, not pricey beltway consultants), and a shift in the culture from over-reliance in high Democratic performance areas/states to not conceding any voter, or any state, anywhere. We won everything on the back of that seismic shift. I'd love to see that here. But more importantly, I hope the next Chair has their own clearly defined idea of what the NJ Democratic Party can be. Imagine something different, cast that line far out in the water, and change everything. Because there's a lot in this party that needs to change, and everybody knows it. Imagine what's possible statewide like Dean did nationally. Stick to your guns, and surprise the hell out of everybody. Because that's what it's going to take.
Aggressively pursue 21-County Strategy Concede no voter. Concede no town. Concede no county. Be the sharpest, cleanest party with a mission that can be understood all over the state. And remember that red county parties need more resources to crack open those places and bring change. And in an atmosphere of crushing GOP infrastructure, the Chairs, county committees and candidates need all the training, and connection you can give them. Form a Red County Task Force at NJDSC.
Exist between elections for people - Have cool events NJDSC needs a vibrant events arm. Issues Town Halls, Democrat-sponsored book talks with authors on book tours, movies outside in a park in Trenton, or against an outside wall in Jersey City or Camden. Brainstorm. Keep the idea of Democrat alive in people's minds. Then employ or implore the people who can do it.
Get the Dem State Conference out of Atlantic City, and out of September I'll say this as plainly as I can: It's insane to take 1,000 of the state's most passionate Dems out of play for a whole half-week just as the rest of the electorate is waking up to the fact that there are candidates running. Move the thing to late spring/early summer (after the non-partisan elections). Nothing against AC, but move it out of there or at least revolve it all over NJ.
Make it a grassroots event, not an insiders' schmoozefest. Move it to a college campus. Make it a convention, not a conference. Use the opportunity to develop platform, bump up training, and let the people in attendance help set the direction of the party by involving them in decision-making, platform-writing.
Make part of the convention open source. Some of the most exciting meetings in the country are run this way.
Listen to The Citizens Campaign New Jersey has an idea factory for vibrant civic engagement and good government. They're about clean, fair politics, and they have the sharpest tools in the toolbox to get us there. They don't work for you - and that's good - but they have all the answers. Same suggestion, by the way, for my GOP brothers and sisters.
Play with New Media Webinars for skills-building. Twitter. Show up on political blogs. Write an internship for a vlogger to travel the state and make short videos asking people why they're Democrats, or interview vets about the country they fought for, interview workers on labor issues. Experiment. Do stuff I haven't thought of. This won't cost you much, if anything. It's not about that. Do it right and it'll be fun, and make people see you differently.
Give the party a platform Let the pro-choice ones battle the anti-choice side. Hash out differences on taxes. Make your stand clear on home rule. The party needs to stand for something, and voters need to see what that is. And not inconsequentially, active Democrats need a voice in setting your direction. That's their route in, how they can buy-in to who the New Jersey Democrats will be.
Transparency You have a nifty website. But it doesn't do enough. Publish the DNC bylaws, NJSDC bylaws and bylaws of every county party. Everybody needs to know the rules, and how to work them to get done what they want to. Knowing the rules levels the playing field, and if you want us to believe that Democratic is also democratic, you're going to want to level that field.
Post on your site every member of every Democratic County Committee and how to reach that person. This party should make it easy for Democrats to see who's supposed to be doing the work where they live, and if that person's unresponsive, then the party should make easy for someone to challenge and contribute that work.
Let young people in I know the party celebrates its youngest. But I think we can be doing more to provide opportunities, access and resources to them - to College Dems, to Young Dems and to the high school kids working their hearts out in local Dem HQs all over the state. Create committees for them to serve, with real participation, direction and responsibility. Ask the Cory Bookers and the Loretta Weinbergs and the Steve Sweeneys of this party to host Open Houses for kids interested in politics, if they're not already doing that. Do what we did in the 2005 Corzine Connection part of his campaign: host First-Time Voter events where 18-year olds get access to your Senators, your congressmen, your stars. When national political hotshots come here, don't just run a fundraiser, tack on a free event for young people to meet that person and ask questions. Be creative. See where kids get interested, then find ways to up the ante for them. Above all, listen to them. In about 5 minutes, they're going to be running the show. Invest now.
That's it for now. There will be more. This is an Open Thread.
A campaign can never control its surrogates, but the Corzine campaign opened the door to a flood of idiocy when they started obliquely referring to Chris Christie's obviously unhealthy weight problem in an ad last month. The Corzine campaign seemingly wanted to be sure people knew it, but didn't want to be called on it. They tried to do the Rovian dog-whistle thing where they could pretend not to have said what they implied, but the media and Christie partisans glommed onto it in a successful effort to distract from various mini-scandals like abuse of power to avoid tickets, over-paying for hotel rooms and travel, poor policy statements from the primary, etc.
But when you whistle, dogs hear it and start to bark. Unfortunately, we now see a series of barks on Twitter and other places. Democratic state chairman Joe Cryan asked how it would feel to have the heavy Christie as Governor. Steven Goldstein, who is supposed to be a champion of tolerance, told a joke suggesting people mistook Christie for a large balloon floating over the state.
Sure, dog whistling worked great for Bush for six years, but it imploded and we see the results. We're supposed to be better than that, fighting for the issues that matter for people and not just doing whatever disgusting thing is needed to win elections. Corzine, who is a good and decent man (sometimes to his detriment), is better than this.
There are so many issues in this campaign that matter to New Jersey and our future. A Christie administration would gut education and health care, the foundations of a good place to live. The environment, contrary to the Tittle-ing crowds, would get short shrift and likely irreparably damaged. Whatever political good will there is in this state would be removed under Christie's My Way Or The Highway attitude.
Added to that, Corzine has a good story to tell. He has cut the budget by almost 15 percent during his time, and reduced the state workforce. While there are more types of taxes, there are fewer dollars collected. Our math scores are up, our air is cleaner, more money is going to property tax relief, and more people -- including children -- have health insurance while the national trend is for people to lose it.
There are a thousand reasons to oppose Chris Christie in this election, and just as many to support Jon Corzine. Christie's health should be a concern for voters as the health of any candidate is, but it should not be a campaign issue.
Not surprisingly, elected Democrats liked Corzine and Republicans liked Christie. First we have the Governor's running mate, Lieutenant Governor Candidate Loretta Weinberg:
"Tonight, Governor Corzine demonstrated clearly that he is the candidate who will fight for what matters to New Jersey in these tough economic times. He's fought every day for New Jersey families- expanding health care coverage for almost 100,000 additional children and passing paid family leave. These are the right choices for New Jersey and the right priorities for the next four years.
Chris Christie, on the other hand, is more concerned with lining the pockets of insurance companies than protecting the families and children of New Jersey. Christie has repeatedly said that he would give insurance companies free rein to drop coverage for critical procedures like mammograms and autism treatments.
Time and time again, Christie shows he continues to be wrong when it matters most."
Congressman Frank Pallone:
"Tonight's debate highlighted the very clear choice facing New Jersey voters in November. While Governor Corzine has fought for what matters for New Jersey families over the past four years, Chris Christie has been wrong when it matters most. He said he'd reject President Obama's stimulus funds, driving up property taxes by $2 billion and now he says he still backs the Bush policies that got our country into this mess."
State Chair Joe Cryan:
"Governor Corzine proved tonight that he is the right man for the job. He succeeded in passing the nation's first economic recovery plan and worked with President Obama to bring over $17 billion in new federal stimulus funds into New Jersey, helping to balance our budget and generate and save over 40,000 jobs. Chris Christie once again showed he would rather score cheap political points than fight for what matters to New Jersey."
I'll put more reaction from Democrats and Republicans below the fold. Nothing surprising, but what do you think?
With the news last week that Speaker Roberts would not seek another term in office, the jockeying has already begun for who would be in the running to replace him leading the Assembly should the Democrats retain control.
"I've got a job that I'm going to focus on as chairman of the party, working to get Democrats elected," he said. "I'm as accountable as anyone for making sure we retain the Assembly majority, so I'm just going to keep my focus there and see where things go."
"Having had the opportunity to serve the caucus in a leadership position in legislature, I believe ascending to the speaker's position is a natural extension based on the work I've already been doing," Watson Coleman told PolitickerNJ.com in a conference call.
Look for a fourth candidate in the race for Assembly Speaker: Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) has spent the last two days testing the waters to seek the post. Oliver is the Assistant Essex County Administrator, which means strong ties to County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and Newark Democratic leader Stephen Adubato. Essex County has the state's largest Assembly delegation - nine votes.
But Oliver could really only be Speaker if Dick Codey were not Senate President, a separate shoe that would still need to drop in the other house. Assemblyman Wisniewski has also expressed his interest, but also reminded people that there were other elections first:
"I am interested in making the case to my colleagues, however there's a little detail called a general election we have to get though first," Wisniewski added. "It's all interesting and noteworthy, but let's win the election then talk about leadership. Is the question, 'Am I interested?' Yes, of course, I am interested."
That's right, let's win the election and we can talk about who leads next. While some say within the party for leadership could distract from the effort to re-election Corzine, Senator Lesniak thinks it could work to his advantage:
"What he can do - and what he better do - is keep out of it, and he's smart enough to do that," said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, a party power broker who holds considerable sway in the leadership disputes. "It could actually work on the governor's behalf, if it's perceived that those who do the best in terms of vote production for Corzine will get him on their side."
That scenario only works if Corzine wins re-election. And that election comes before any other party jockeying. Take the poll and tell us who you think will be the next Speaker of the Assembly and how you think it factors into the Governor's race.
Joe Cryan wants an an immediate investigation by ELEC into Christie's failure to disclose a personal loan of $46,000 to Michele Brown, currently the first assistant to the United States Attorney, promoted since Christie's resignation.
"Christie continues to fail to live up to the ethical standards he sets for others," said Cryan. "He is running for Governor -- failing to report a personal loan to a close colleague is a serious transgression and breaks both federal and state ethics rules. Christie, of all people should know - he has prosecuted public officials for similar offenses, yet, he dismisses his own unscrupulous behavior as a simply an 'oversight.' This situation demands an immediate and thorough investigation."
[snip]
"Christie also must come clean about the questions this blatant conflict of interest raises - does he discuss his campaign with Brown?" said Cryan. "How have their financial ties affected his candidacy? It raises serious concerns about the stark contrast between what Christie says and what he actually does. Despite Christie's dismissal of this serious violation he is not above approach and just like any other New Jerseyan who violates the law Christie must be held accountable for his actions."
"Add this to the growing list of Christie's capers," said Pascrell. "Is it mere coincidence that Mr. Christie's personal life is again in conflict with his public obligations? A prosecutor at his level should know that once he gave that loan, no matter how well-intended it was, it changed the relationship between Mr. Christie and Ms. Brown. We have a right to know to what extent it changed. At the very least, this is a conflict of interest."
The Governor for his part has stayed focused on the Rove ties to Christie, stressing that he thinks the Hatch violations are the most serious. But his campaign did comment on the situation and tied it to their larger request for information that still hasn't been met:
"Serious questions remain about the loan Chris Christie gave to Michele Brown. Chris Christie had at least four opportunities to comply with the law and disclose this loan, yet he failed to do so each and every time. There seems to be no mystery that he was determined to keep it secret. The question is, why?"
"Christie and the U.S. Attorney's Office need to begin providing answers. They can start by immediately providing the specific dates of the promotions and salary increases Christie gave Michele Brown. We have filed a Freedom of Information Act request requesting this information, but our previous requests for such basic public information have been bottled up by Christie's friends for more than five months. The public shouldn't have to wait a day longer."
"Finally, as the number two in command in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Michele Brown must be objective about pursuing criminal cases in New Jersey in a non-partisan manner. But how can she possibly be objective when she remains indebted - literally - to the Republican candidate for governor? U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra is also reportedly facing questions about whether he inappropriately helped Christie's campaign. This whole episode raises grave questions about impartiality in our justice system, and the public deserves answers."
It's clear that the Democrats smell blood after the most recent weeks news and that's a question they will keep asking. The more they broaden the issue to show how connecting all of the dots continues to undermine who Christie wants people to believe he is, the more effective it will be I think.
The Senator should be proud. His daughter, Alicia Menendez went on MSNBC yesterday afternoon to defend Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in a segment they called Face Off:While Menendez was busy standing up for Sotomayor, comments made by Chris Christie returned to the news. This is what he said in the primary about Sotomayor:
During a Republican primary debate on WOR 710 AM radio May 27th, Christie was asked his outlook toward Sotomayor. "She wouldn't have been my choice, no," he replied.
When asked to elaborate, Christie said, "Well, no, I mean listen, that's the question. She wouldn't have been my choice. Absolutely not. Not my kind of judge.''
As Sotomayor's confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee began Monday, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told the nominee, "Unless you have a complete meltdown, you're going to get confirmed.''
"Judge Sotomayor has received the highest praise from well-respected members of the legal community, civic groups and political leaders on both sides of the aisle, withstanding intense scrutiny since being nominated by President Obama in May," Cryan said.
"It is appalling that despite her vast experience and unquestionable qualifications - qualifications that his own honorary campaign chairman recognizes - Christie would align himself with right wing conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich in rejecting Judge Sotomayor, the first Latina nominated to the highest court in the nation, without as much as an explanation beyond tersely dismissing her as "not my kind of judge.'"
Well, she wasn't his kind of judge in the primary, but that's when he still had shared values. The Sotomayor debate will continue this week as she is questioned further before Congress during her confirmation hearings.
State Democratic Chair Asm Joe Cryan's statement - posted after Chris Christie's testimony today on deferred prosecution agreements - is a blow-by-blow account of Christie's lies. Yes. Asm Joe Cryan is accusing Chris Christie of making false claims to the United States Congress. NJDSC:
Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan today called into question statements made by Conservative Right Wing gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie during his testimony today before Congress.
Cryan: Christie cannot keep his facts straight. In his testimony he said things that directly contradicted his previous statements and e-mails. From the time he sat down until the time he abruptly left in the middle of questioning, Christie continues to be confused by the facts.
It is very telling that Christie got up and walked out as he began to be questioned about the multi-million dollar no-bid contract given to the former U.S. Attorney that refused to charge his brother. If Christie tried to answer for all the other multi-million dollar no-bid contracts he gave out to friends he would have been testifying until Election Day and none of his statements would have matched. It is clear that Christie was either not telling the truth before, or he was not telling the truth today. One of those scenarios could be considered a violation of the law.
Make the jump for Christie's false claims, then the truth, point-by-point.
The warm-up act was Assemblyman Joe Cryan, the chair of he state Democratic Committee. And he was brimming with confidence.
"We Democrats are going to kick Chris Christie's ass in November," he said.
I knew that Showtime had Friday Night boxing in Newark a few weeks ago. While their announcer would say "It's Showtime", others would prefer "Let's get ready to rumbleeeeeeeeeee." Take the poll below and tell us if you agree with Cryan.
Some of the largest gains in the 2008 election for Democrats were seen in Burlington County. We saw a great many firsts for the party. Congressman Adler became the first democrat elected for the NJ3 in over 100 years. Two democratic freeholder and County Clerk were also elected on the county level for the first time in over 20 years. Now we look to this election year, where control of the freeholder board will be up for grabs. Rumors abound that at least one Republican incumbent is not planning to seek re-election. That served as the backdrop to a visit this morning before a packed house for the County Committee breakfast by Governor Corzine and State Chairman Joe Cryan. Also in attendance were the new Democratic County Freeholders and the Assemblymen from the 7th District, Herb Conaway and Jack Conners.
The Governor talked about everything from SCHIP and the stimulus, to transportation funding and veterans issues. He touched on the upcoming election and the opportunities Burlington County Democrats will have.
He also took questions from the audience on foreclosure issues and received an invitation to participate in a debate during the general election from the Veterans for Education, who sponsored Adler/Myers and Andrews/Glading debates last cycle.
Students attending New Jersey public colleges are now paying as much as 65 percent of the cost of their education after state aid dwindled during the past four years.
You can view the whole report here. It's not surprising that students are carrying more of the load, but the burden of debt they will be walking out of school with can be staggering.
The report notes that students are spending more, and arguably getting less, as less money is spent in the classroom and slightly more is being spent on administration and support services. As colleges also work to provide more scholarships and financial aid, it is often the students themselves who are subsidizing those funds through higher tuition and fees.
And they're paying those higher tuition fees with more difficult to secure loans.
"The privatization of higher education has most benefited those (colleges) with a research mission which have multiple revenue sources and the most endowments," Wellman said. "Students are spending more and arguably getting less as less money is put into the classroom. There is a slow erosion of funding to instruction."
She said the colleges cannot solve the financing issue on their own, and there must also be recognition of the role of lawmakers in the process.
"State spending on higher education has been on a glide path for 20 years," she said. She said New Jersey has a reputation for spending large amounts on kindergarten through twelfth-grade education, but far less on higher education. As a result, students are paying a higher proportion of their college costs.
To implement the SCI's recommendations for effective state oversight of public higher education, the measure would reestablish a cabinet-level position responsible for the oversight the state's public higher education network, the first such post since the former state Department of Higher Education was disbanded in 1994. The new Secretary of Higher Education also would serve as executive director of the Commission on Higher Education, which would see its own membership increase from 11 to 15.
We'll have to see where this legislation goes and if it really helps solve the problem if passed. Senator Sweeney wants to see colleges and universities get a piece of the bailout to help relieve pressure. Unless changes are made, the cost increases will continue falling on the backs of the students. That's going to keep making higher education a much heavier lift.
"I think we compare the qualifications of both candidates, it's clear that Barack Obama's judgment is clearly better suited for the nation," he said. "I don't even know how many people there are in Alaska."
According to 2007 Census population estimates, some 683,478 people live in Alaska. Only North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming have fewer. Eighty-five counties in 28 states boast larger populations than Alaska, as do sixteen cities. In New Jersey, Middlesex, Essex, and Bergen counties all have more people than the entire state of Alaska. By this measure, Joe DiVincenzo and Dennis McNerney have more substantial "executive experience" than Sarah Palin.
Just 6,311 people called Wasilla, Alaska home in 2002, the last year Sarah Palin was mayor of that town. Some 92% of New Jerseyans live in a town with a population larger than 6,311.
There are a lot of political sides to the Neil Cohen situation where his colleagues and office mates Joe Cryan and Ray Lesniak turned him in for having child pornography on his office computer.
I'd like to ask the Blue Jersey community to discuss these in the comment section.
Some come up based on this year's presidential election. Neil Cohen was one of the earliest to back Barack Obama, and was elected a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Cohen will likely not go to the convention no matter how this turns out, but in the current political climate it could still come up.
Neil Cohen's law partner is Nia Gill, also a State Senator who has had a number of political fights on her hands over the years. She is one of Blue Jersey's favorites for her tough stands on issues and against bosses, but it's possible this will erode support if anything comes out regarding their shared law office as well.
Cohen will also likely resign sooner rather than later, meaning that a replacement will need to be chosen by the County Committee. Ray Lesniak -- who, as we recall, turned Cohen in -- is pretty powerful in the district and can likely direct the process if not choose Cohen's successor. In a district that has a lot of urban areas and minority population, it would be a good thing for a Black or Hispanic to be chosen to round out the team. Frankly, given our poor but improving showing on women in state elected office we should look to nominate a female as well.
Cryan is also a Union County Under Sheriff, which makes him two kinds of lawman. He is both a creator and enforcer of the law. I'm not sure how that impacts this issue, but there were laws broken in his own office and he reacted quickly and responsibly to report them.
That's all I have before work. Any other thoughts?
