Yesterday, rumors that the state party chair proposed a map which would force two progressive State Senators into a primary enraged progressives and provoked a caustic response from this blog. The district contained three towns—Woodbridge, Edison, and Metuchen—and two State Senators—Barbara Buono and Joe Vitale. The idea wasn't an original one. A Woodbridge-Edison district is probably the most feasible way to make the Perth Amboy-New Brunswick district work, and that district is a priority of Hispanic organizations seeking to increase that group's representation in the legislature. more below
When the day's work is done at the Heldrich Hotel, Blue Jersey hopes Democratic Chair Asm John Wisniewski reads this post. It concerns a rumor, hot all day, we hope was never true. If it was, we hope progressive and grassroots outrage has shifted some members of the redistricting commission off a certain highly questionable plan.
As Jay Lassiter wrote earlier today, the hottest rumor coming out the redistricting meetings in New Brunswick is that of Senators Barbara Buono and Joe Vitale being lumped together into one legislative district while Assemblyman and Democratic State Chairman John Wisniewski is left with a new district all to himself, from which he may ascend to the Senate. If true, this represents the worst kind of backroom treachery - rather than upholding the interests of the Democrats he's charged to represent, he's using the redistricting process to serve his own ambitions.
It's no secret that Senator Buono hasn't made many fans among the powers that be of late, on either side of the aisle. She's consistently stood up to Governor Christie's assault on working families, no matter what position her Democratic colleagues have taken. But ironically, it's Buono's willingness - as both a progressive and a woman - to stand up to the power brokers that leads us to support her as vigorously as we do. And, we fear, it's this same fighting spirit that's put her political career in the crosshairs.
The same is true, it should be said, of Senator Vitale. A solid progressive and a health care champion, Vitale was the architect of the NJ FamilyCare expansion that guaranteed universal access to quality health care to all New Jerseyans. He's spent his career in the Senate quietly, but steadfastly, working on behalf of children and working families. As he pointed out, it's ironic that two dedicated progressive public servants be threatened by insider political machinations in the name of assisting those they've both done so much to help.
It's likely that whatever the map-makers in the bowels of the Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick ultimately decide will stand as our next legislative map. But by no means do we here at Blue Jersey have to accept it. Our chief interests have always been progressive policy and honest governance. This move flies in the face of both of those tenets. That it is allegedly being perpetrated by the Chairman of the Democratic State Committee for his own political gain is a slap in the face of each and every progressive activist who has dedicated their time, effort, and hard-earned money to the Democratic Party.
We respectfully but firmly ask Chairman Wisniewski to denounce this planned assault on two of our state legislature's brightest progressive lights. If he does not, he will have lost the faith of all of us at Blue Jersey, if not all of us in the Democratic Party.
UPDATE::::::::::: The Democratic members of redistricting committee dropped the original Democratic proposal - On Sunday, April 3rd, the redistricting committee approved a map that does not pit Senators Buono and Vitale against each other.
Thank you everyone for your support!
Sincerely,
The 100+ signers of the below letter.
P.S. Below is statement from Senators Buono and Vitale
__________
Thank you.
Now that Professor Rosenthal, the Redistricting Commission's Supreme Court appointed member, has chosen the Democratic legislative map, we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who stood with us through this sometimes difficult process.
We are proud to stand with you to make health care more affordable and accessible for every woman, man and child. We are proud to stand with you in the cause to keep New Jersey a leader in public education. We are proud to stand with you in the fight to make sure corporations and multi-millionaires simply pay their fair share so middle class families and seniors get relief from their tax burden. We are proud to stand with teachers, nurses, cops, firefighters and all those who put public service first. We are proud to stand with everyone who works tirelessly to protect our air, water. open spaces and shore. And, most of all, we are proud to stand with all those who never stop fighting for justice, tolerance and the belief that New Jersey can be better tomorrow than it is today.
You touched our hearts by standing with us. And we want you to know we will always stand with you.
Thank you.
Barbara Buono and Joe Vitale
____________________
This was delivered yesterday. - Rosi
Over 100 Democratic activists, elected officials and party leaders have written a letter to Democratic State Committee Chairman John Wisniewski asking him not to move forward with a map that targets Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono and Senator Joe Vitale.
In media reports on March 30th, Senator Vitale issued the following statement: "The latest map submitted ironically at the direction of the Democrat chair, puts at risk one of two Senators whose public careers have been in part dedicated to shaping policies that benefit minorities, women and the disenfranchised. It does not enhance opportunities for minorities, and only potentially enhances a political career."
Since the petition was announced at 2:00pm on March 30th, over 100 Democratic activists have signed on and are prepared to follow through.
This scenario would pit two powerful progressive lawmakers against one another while providing DSC Chief John Wisniewski a clear path to a to the Senate. For himself.
I guess being chairman of the Democratic Party's reapportionment committee -- Wiz' other other job -- has its perks?
I'm a fan of this kind of roundup to Dems. Nice work. - Rosi
Each week, the New Jersey Democratic State Committee compiles the Chairman's week in review, recapping the news of the past 7 days. You can subscribe by email, view on our website or find and share on social media. In this week's installment, we highlight:
The Jefferson Jackson Dinner is fast approaching with special Guest, Governor Martin O'Malley
The Philadelphia Inquirer examines Chris Christie's 24% property tax increase in South jersey
The Star Ledger says it's time for the Governor to End the Blame Game
The AC Press looks at the "most blantly political Governor" and his use of taxpayer funded campaign events he calls town halls
Chairman Wisniewski responds to Chris Christie's stance on collective bargaining being non-negotiable
Democrats continue standing up for Women's Health against Republican attacks
The Court says Christie's Education cuts are unconstitutional
Democrats examine Christie's budget proposals, their true impact and real costs
Congressional Corner looking at our members of Congress and their work fighting for New Jersey
The Roundup from Under the Dome in Trenton with Legislation
The Governor is trying to end-run negotiations with the state's largest public employee union. Chris "I love collective bargaining" Christie wants to take off the table proposed changes in health care benefits for 38,000 New Jerseyans, precisely the sort of issue meant to be worked out in negotiation. For a hundred reasons, Christie gives the state plenty of reason to doubt his word about his love of collective bargaining. Add to that, the tag team of Christie and Senate President Steve Sweeney; the union man's alliance with the union-busting governor is a relationship that has produced a howl in two very large pro-union rallies outside the State House. From inside the State House, here is what NJ Democratic State Chair Asm John Wisniewski had to say today:
Despite relentless and factually incorrect attacks by the Governor, the CWA has come to the bargaining table and laid out a proposal through the collective bargaining process that will save taxpayers millions of dollars by gradually increasing the contributions made by workers for their healthcare," said Wisniewski. "While the Governor talks about his support for collective bargaining, his actions show he is in lock step with his union busting pal, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, by failing to obey New Jersey law and negotiate in good faith with New Jersey's workers. Public workers are willing to do their part to help solve our state's budget crisis by bringing thoughtful, innovative and cost-saving proposals to the table for discussion. Unfortunately, the Governor seems more interested in arguing and scapegoating than negotiating. That's not bargaining, it's dictating and it certainly won't solve our problems.
As thousands of New Jersey's first-responders - firefighters, police, corrections officers emergency medical services members & many of the people they protect every day - rallied outside the State House, many of their signs expressed their disgust with Senate President Steve Sweeney, members of NJ's other legislative body were out in force at yesterday's massive rally.
Below, in video shot by the Assembly majority office, Democratic legislators look out at a sea of blue:
The United States Constitution is pretty succinct on the requirements for a decennial census:
The actual enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. (Article 1, Section 2)
This sounds simple in theory, but in practice, this clause requires each state to go through what has turned out to be an often contentious, politically-driven kabuki dance. The “gerrymandering” that we learned about in middle school has been supplanted by “packing” and “cracking” of electoral districts as the maps are drawn. (These terms are explained below.)
So perhaps they should be forgiven for being a bit out of practice on the facts. Like in today's first meeting of the state's Legislative Redistricting Commission. There, Republican Commissioner Irene Kim Asbury claimed that the African-American population in New Jersey had decreased in New Jersey since the last Census, thus inferring that African-American representation was less important than representation of growing Latino and Asian populations.
Only problem is - the comments have no basis in reality. More on that - and the broader story of redistricting strategy - below the fold.
Last week, then-Republican Chair Jay Webber sent a public letter to Democratic Chair John Wisniewski to "get the process jumpstarted" on redistricting public hearings, stating that "we believe those hearings have been delayed long enough" and that they were "eager to hold multiple hearings to listen to New Jerseyans' views on this once-a-decade event.
They apparently weren't all THAT eager though, based on my experience today. More details below the fold.
It seems like Governor Christie's State-of-the-State oration is posted on a gazillion internet sites, while the Democratic response is difficult to find. Bill Orr posted some responses yesterday.
Below are two videos, one from NJN where Michael Aron interviews Senator Sarlo and Assemblyman Cryan right after Christie's address. The second video is from the Star-Ledger and is a press conference among several Democratic leaders commenting on Christie's assertions.
There is an old adage in legal circles that "If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither on your side, pound the table." This Governor has done an awful lot of table thumping this past year. As we head to the end of Christie's first year leading the state, we now have a much larger sample by which to judge his work. While many here at Blue Jersey were among the first to be critical of the Governor, polls show that the more people who didn't have an opinion of his style and policies see, the less they like. Not only has Christie's approval dropped over the year, but his disapproval has risen by 18 points as people learn more about him.
The Governor would tell you that he has been successful regardless of the results because the debate has changed. He has laid out his case just like a prosecutor, giving only the facts that make his point and omitting or attacking anything that undermines his claims. While the debate may have changed, the solutions of this Governor have only further placed the burden on struggling middle class families and seniors at the expense of giving away more money to millionaires. And the style with which he goes about developing those solutions serves to distract from the true impact they will have.
The Chairman of the NJ State Democratic Party wants 50-State Strategy back. And so do I.
When Howard Dean was Chairman of the DNC, the Democratic infrastructure was challenged by the paradigm shift he oversaw. Money flowed out of the hands of beltway insiders and to state Democratic organizations, some that had struggled understaffed for years, and freshly trained organizing and communications talent, trained and salaries paid by DNC, fanned out across the country. It was the first time, perhaps in decades, that DNC pulsed with a sense of mission. And during Dean's tenure, we took both houses of Congress and the White House on that, and the hard work of thousands of Democrats who were themselves ready for change. The paradigm shift Dean presided over did not always go down easy in D.C. - (then) DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel had a temper tantrum of embarrassing proportions, but nobody put Howard Dean off his plans. Underlying 50-State Strategy was the radical idea to concede no vote, no town, no state, no election. It was fresh hope for red states full of Democrats who also wanted change; in New Jersey, it provided an already well-staffed state party with more staff that could be deployed to work miracles like this one in Flemington.
With Obama in the White House and Emanuel positioned as his Chief of Staff, it was obvious one of the elements of the change the President promised would actually be the deconstruction of 50-State Strategy.
Two very interesting articles about redistricting were posted on PolitickerNJ.com today that could provide anyone interested in the redistricting process with some insight into the developing drama as Republicans appear united in their efforts to reclaim majorities in the State Assembly and State Senate that have been out of their grasp for the last decade against Democratic adversaries who seem to be anything but that.
After a year that has seen the Democrats in Trenton capitulate to our state's Republican Governor on issue after issue, thanks primarily to overly cozy relations between the Governor and acolytes of Steve Adubato and George Norcross, the two most powerful Democratic Party bosses in the state, the unholy alliance between Adubato and Norcross seems to be fraying at the most dangerous possible time for all Democrats, when division could result in a legislative district map that could guarantee Republican dominance in the state for most if not all of the next decade the way that the last map, conceived by then-Senate Minority Leader, Richard Codey, who would go on to become Senate President and Acting Governor before being unceremoniously ousted from his leadership position in a coup, led by his fiercest adversaries, Adubato and Norcross and their acolytes, enabled the Democrats in Trenton to enjoy the majorities that they have held and squandered for the last decade.
Thanks, I had enough defeat Tuesday night. Let's have us some hot-damn juicy victory. Senate Dems via Michael Muller put this together. That's him in the white shirt and tie, yelling Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! in the war room in the moment they knew they won. We have a lot of friends in that room. Big congratulations to them, and Senator Greenstein.
An Amtrak VP has confirmed to Asbury Park Press that Amtrak is in talks with NJ Transit to salvage the largest infrastructure project in the country - ARC Tunnel - after Gov. Christie pulled the plug a few days ago.
The plan could recycle NJ Transit's design, developed over many years of planning, engineering and environmental work, as part of Amtrak's first phase of a national high speed network. NJ Transit's already spent $500-$600 million of state and federal money on tunnel design, planning and securing environmental permits, in addition to construction work on an overpass to take Routes 1 & 9 over the tunnel mouth in North Bergen.
This confirms for the first time that a second set of rail tubes to join the 100-year-old single-track tunnels built by Pennsylvania Railroad are in Amtrak's Northeast Corridor High Speed Rail Plan. But besides the costs associated with delay, it looks like Christie's decision will still cost New Jersey big. Assembly Transportation Chair John Wisniewski:
I encourage Amtrak and NJ Transit to continue their discussions, but the bottom line is Gov. Christie mismanaged this project so badly that we've apparently already lost the $3 billion in federal aid allocated for this project. That stunning lack of foresight on the governor's part will hurt our taxpayers and economy for years to come.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg is trying to negotiate a reduction in the amount NJ Transit will have to repay the federal government for $350 million in stimulus funds used toward the ARC Tunnel. Already gone is that $3 billion in Federal Transit Administration "new starts" money. Officials said that money cannot be used for a joint Amtrak-NJ Transit tunnel. NJ Transit spokesman Paul Wyckoff:
The new starts money can't be repurposed. That program is competitive, and projects are ranked. We can't roll it (over to another project) and the FTA can't. It is a statutory process.
In July, Joel Stein wrote a piece for Time Magazine about the town he grew up in, My Own Private Edison. It chronicled hometown changes from the time everybody he knew there was white, to present day as new spicy smells waft out of new restaurants, and Bollywood plays at the multiplex. Stein didn't sound too welcoming to all of Edison's residents; his humor fell flat.
That article vexed a lot of people, only some of whom live in the now vibrant and diverse township of Edison. Ed Potosnak, whose NJ-7 district includes North Edison, was one. And he put together a petition to Time objecting to Stein's racial stereotyping.
Support for Potosnak is strong in NJ's South Asian community. And Potosnak has a couple of great gets calling NJ-7 voters that not every candidate has access to - one is his old boss Rep. Mike Honda, Chair of the Asian Pacific Congressional Caucus and DNC Vice-Chair. Another is Kal Penn, who left the cast of House to work in Barack Obama's White House and is now returning to acting.
If you live in NJ-7, You might be getting a robo call from Kal Penn - born Kalpen Suresh Modi in Montclair, NJ - for his fellow New Jerseyan Ed Potosnak. (You might also get calls from Sen. Bob Menendez, Sen. Barbara Buono, Chair John Wisniewski, Education Committee Chair Asm Pat Diegnan, and the candidate's mom Joan Potosnak, who nearly every volunteer has worked alongside by now). Kal Penn's involvement comes via PCCC - Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Here's PCCC's founder, Adam Green (also from NJ, and the former NJDSC Communications Director):
In the last couple days, over 500 PCCC members chipped in over $5,000 to help Ed Potosnak's high-energy, progressive campaign finish strong -- and defeat Leonard Lance. Folks in the 7th district should sign up to help Ed Get Out The Vote in the final days. And progressives around New Jersey can help Ed get this new Kal Penn robo-call to key voters and run a strong GOTV operation by chipping in $4 to his campaign. Every donation goes a long way.
You can join PCCC here (I highly recommend it). Kal Penn's calls:
As suspected, ( see my earlier diary today) there is no surprise here. Yet even a cynical person might be amazed that the governor claimed on October 7 that there was a projected overrun of up to $5 billion on ARC when OPRA documents reveal his most recent report of October 5 indicated the project was on budget.
Assembly Transportation Chairman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) released the following statement Thursday afternoon on documents provided by the Christie administration through an OPRA request.
The documents provided by the governor's own administration fail to provide any justification for the governor's claim of billions in cost overruns on the tunnel project. That claim seems as though it was simply pulled out of thin air by the governor. The governor is risking New Jersey's economic future with numbers that, at least according to these documents, have no basis in reality.
"Over-the-top sound bites by Gov. Christie aside, the fact is the OPRA documents include reports dated July 30, Aug. 24 and Oct. 5. All of the reports include the following statement: 'The overall project remains within budget.' The next sentence in each report indicates the total project budget is $8.7 billion. Note that the Oct. 5 report came two days before the governor announced the alleged cost overruns.
"This project is vital to New Jersey's economic and transportation future. Now that we know for certain that the governor cannot support his cost overrun claims, it's time for him to act like a leader and get this project moving forward."
One could hypothesize that in some casual conversation or document still in preparation there was broached the likelihood of overruns. However, without clear, supporting data and with the October 5 report to the contrary, for Christie to claim overruns up to $5 billion as a basis to stop ARC is at best misleading and irresponsible.
To read the documents go to this site. Strangely many documents appear upside down.
In the lead up to a show-down on Gov. Christie's decision to cut out state funding for un- and under-insured women's access to basic health care, the Democrats are announcing a phone bank:
Tuesday, Sept. 14
5:30-8:30pm NJDSC HQ
196 West State Street, Trenton
The purpose of the calls is to reach out to supporters to remind them to ask their own elected officials to vote Yes for to override Gov. Christie's veto on women's health care a few days later, on September 20. No doubt many of you who show up - men, how cool it would be if you'd be there too - are experienced phone bankers. But I should also point out that calls to allies - as these calls will be - are the most rewarding calls to make. Easy.
Blue Jersey's own Senator Loretta Weinberg has been front and center, the strongest advocate in the Senate to find and get approval to replace the funds and continue to make cancer screenings, HIV testing and pre-and post-natal care available to people who have no other reliable place to go for care. The Christie administration has nixed the alternative funding source suggested by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) but thusfar has provided no reason why those funds should not be used. The governor wants this to go away.
Can you be there? Email Heather or call 609-392-3367.
A letter came to light today, via politickernj, from a Somerset County Democratic state committeeman to John Wisniewski, suggesting Wisniewski resign from the NJ Assembly, and bylaws be drawn to keep elected officials from serving the state party committee forevermore. And at least one Democratic County Chair - Somerset's Peg Schaffer - is on board with that.
Frankly, that's a hard case to make. Joe Cryan, Joe Roberts and Bonnie Watson Coleman all ran the Party from the Assembly. And Asm Jay Webber runs NJ GOP. That begs the question why the hell the Dems should alter bylaws for what only may be an issue right now - if it's an issue at all.
And the public relations here is dicey. Awful, maybe. I'm sure Joel Shain - former Orange mayor, who once primaried and lost to Dick Codey - didn't intend this, but a letter asking the Democratic State Chair to demote himself and have less power than he is already perceived to have, well ...not cool. Even though, face it, with notable exceptions the Democrats have a serious swagger deficiency, despite their number advantages. That's what Shain's getting at, asking Wisniewski to choose, and pick only the Party. But I think there's another problem.
Transparency & accountability: Try to find the state committee folks who represent your county, people in Shain's position -
Or the wiki. Note: NJDSC parliamentarian Regan McGrory is thorough & very responsive to requests for info. I've asked her for that list, and I expect to post it - but I think those names should be listed on their site, and nobody should have to ask for it.
Who runs the show? The reality is that the state committee is a rubber stamp. In theory, NJDSC's primary function - and Wisniewski's - is to enact the will of its members. And committeemen like Shain are elected to express that will - our will. And the Chair's supposed to be guided, at least in part, by those locally-elected to the state Party. In practice ... very different. The state committee may have power they don't exercise, and at any rate we never hear about it. It's top-down, all the way. We know that the people running the show - really running it - are the professional Dems, the class comprised of high-level state electeds, and Democratic staffers. They're good people - don't get me wrong, from time to time, Blue Jersey even lobs a person or two into the front office - and they're fully committed, good Democrats. It's reasonable that key daily decisions are made by them - they're there every day.
The problem is, in their party capacity they're not answerable - except to each other, and for their jobs. They don't report to you. County & state committee people can be a key to change, and greater accountability, but they have to hear from the rest of us that we expect that. And the beginning of expecting them to exercise their power, is seeing who they are, and locally contributing feedback to them. And I expect the NJDSC to work overtime to promote that.
A good start ...I want more: The Party Democracy Act has been a lever to dislodge centralized control, giving party activists (on both sides) a better shot at tracking what really goes on. It's a good process. And if the state committee is actually nothing more than a rubber stamp - except on rare occasions when they make news, or shock the hell out of the party Chair - then maybe we should be asking why that is, and how actually to have our voices heard when our Party takes action, defines itself, or does battle with an impudent Governor who thinks it's his way or the highway.
I'll post the elected members of the NJ Democratic State Committee, reps from all 21 counties, when I get it. Meanwhile, consider this an Open Thread on Shain's letter to John Wisniewski.
Blue Jersey, what do you think? Text of the letter is after the jump.
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