Dear Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and the Women's Political Caucus of New Jersey:
Ronald Reagan coined a phrase, "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican," when running for Governor of California in 1966, which became known as the 11th Commandment of Republican Party politics.
In a fundraising letter sent this week, the Gill campaign asked donors to "ensure that the New Jersey Congressional delegation will include at least one woman."
"Unless Nia Gill wins, it won't," the email sent to prospective donors proclaims.
Knowing that both Adler and Gill have been endorsed by both of you in the CD3 general election and the CD10 primary election, I would be interested to know what you think about one of your endorsed candidates disrespecting the candidacy of another endorsed candidate to the degree that Gill has.
I could be wrong, but I think that it is safe to assume that there is at least some crossover between Adler's and Gill's donor prospecting lists and it clearly does not benefit Adler, who probably needs to raise $1-2 million to be in a position to defeat Jon Runyan this fall, compared to Senator Gill, who is probably not going to raise much more than $100K during the primary election cycle and will not need to raise much at all if she is fortunate enough to win the primary election, considering the degree to which CD10 is a safe Democratic district.
I recognize that it might not be my place to say this, being male, but aside from the fact that it is not nice to spit on the efforts of other women who are running for Congress in NJ, particularly those of someone like Shelley Adler, who recently lost her husband, the late State Senator and Congressman, John Adler, and has been inspired by his example and memory as well as a personal commitment and dedication to public service and a desire to continue his legacy, I think that a very strong argument could be made that Adler has as good a chance of winning in November as Gill does, if not a better one, primarily because Adler is definitely going to be on the general election ballot in CD3. There is no such guarantee that anyone will be seeing Senator Gill's name on a general election ballot this year or in any other year to come.
Unless a miracle takes place this Tuesday and Republicans in LD1, LD3, and LD4 pull off major upsets, South Jersey party boss, George Norcross, will have more than enough votes to replace his primary adversary in the Assembly, Majority Leader Joe Cryan, with his top ally in the legislative body, Louis Greenwald, sending Cryan to the back bench.
What remains to be seen, however, is what Cryan will do once he is sent there. Will he unite with his fellow back bencher in the Senate, Dick Codey, to build an opposition movement that will contend not only for the Governor's office in 2013, but also all 120 legislative seats? As much as I would love to see this, I do not expect that this will happen. It is very possible that Dick Codey will run for Governor in 2013, but it is also possible that Cory Booker, Barbara Buono, and Steve Sweeney will run as well and it is unlikely that any of them will run opposition slates against the party lines that they do not win, which means that regardless of who wins the gubernatorial primary, there will not be much change in the legislative roster or its leadership.
If I am right about this, then Cryan will most likely remain on the back bench for most of the next decade. That is, unless he finds a new office for which to run or that office finds him. There have been times in the past decade when Cryan expressed an interest in running for Congress in the 7th district, but admitted that the current configuration of the district made it extremely difficult for a Democrat to win.
This is very true. Our best chance to win this district came in 2006 when a very popular Assemblywoman, Linda Stender, challenged a very unpopular Congressman Mike Ferguson in a year that Democrats were trending up and Republicans were trending down. However, despite these trends, Stender came a few thousand votes short of victory. Two years later, Stender did not run as strong of a campaign as she did in 2006 and faced a very popular State Senator, Leonard Lance. Despite huge turnout increases inspired by Barack Obama's candidacy, it was not enough for a Democrat to win the 7th and Lance defeated Stender by a much wider margin than Ferguson did two years earlier.
22,439 people were arrested in New Jersey for possessing less than 50 grams* of cannabis in 2009.
FreedomIsGreen.Com, a local blog devoted to advancing more enlightened cannabis policy in New Jersey is reporting an an intriguing new bill on the Assembly docket that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in the Garden State.
The bill, which already has 18 co-sponsors (5 from the GOP) was introduced by Assemblymen Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) and Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris), the same bi-partisan duo that introduced the state's nascent medical marijuana law.
We saw it today. The sliding approval ratings of our headstrong governor (more on this later) are being driven downward by New Jersey's women. Women unimpressed by gubernatorial bluster, who may wonder what Chris Christie's attitude towards their gender might be, given that he is incapable of speaking about or to women legislators - like Loretta Weinberg ("take a bat to her"), Valerie Huttle ("a jerk") Sheila Oliver ("liar") and Bonnie Watson Coleman (responsible for a murder) - without unprofessional conduct and insulting language.
On the other hand, maybe New Jersey women don't have to wonder, since everything in Gov. Christie attitude toward his female constituents, particularly those of lower income, is crystal clear. He removed from the state budget the $7.5 million the state was funding women's health and family planning programs, of critical need. He has ignored or resisted all attempts to find alternate ways to restore that funding, while spending freely on other things. And he's caused the state to lose $9 of federal funding for every $1 New Jersey isn't spending on these programs.
Fortunately, there is leadership in both houses of the legislature - with Sen. Loretta Weinberg & Asw Linda Stender in the lead - who will not give up. Yesterday was a killer day in Trenton, and the disgraceful votes in the Senate and Assembly Budget blotted out the rest of the day. So, reaching back a day, here are some pictures from yesterday's rally calling for a full restoration of the funds removed from family planning and women's health programs.
I want to note the delegations from National Council of Jewish Women and Planned Parenthood, who showed in numbers. And that among the men who showed up - sexy beasts all of them - was Rep. Frank Pallone, who towered over everyone else at the podium, and LD-8 candidate Carl Lewis, who pointed out that sometimes it takes a man to stand up for a woman. I have to say it: Feminist men are hot.
Twas a good convention. I was moved by speeches given by Chair John Wisniewski, our Senator Frank Lautenberg and most notably the one passionately delivered by Speaker Sheila Oliver. The theme of all was: remember why we're Democrats, and go back to the grass roots who share our values. Young people, candidates, vendors and many interesting folk in attendance. The breakout sessions were informative, and meeting other Dems was most satisfying. Made some great connections with other women throughout the state who want to help with the womens' access to health care issue. Also enjoyed meeting some of the very famous Blue Jersey bloggers in person. They were all over the convention. Rosi, with her trusty computer, kept all of you up to date in real time.
But why do some in our ranks continue to try to plant negative stories with the press? Not designed to help anyone!
Along with the Women's Political Caucus, we hosted the Women's Health Roundtable in Trenton this past week. Very well attended and representatives of the various groups including nurses and other health professionals, womens' organizations, and providers were outspoken in describing what the cuts to these health programs mean for women and their families. Thanks to Jay Lassiter for being there with his camera. I did describe the Governor as having initiated a "war on women". Mike Drewniak, Gov's press secretary, responded with: 'that's over the top - everyone knows Chris Christie is a loving husband and devoted father to two daughters'. I would assume that's very true, and would only add: And they have very good health insurance and access to health care! more below...
When the New Jersey State Department of Education was competing for $400 million in federal funds last Spring, then-Education Commissioner Brett Schundler reached an agreement with the teachers’ union on an approach to utilize the money. This didn’t sit well with Governor Christie, who abhors workers, especially those in unions. Consequently, Schundler was fired for having the temerity to negotiate with the union, Christie’s minions modified the grant application at the last minute, and New Jersey lost out on the federal funds.
This action apparently did not go unnoticed by Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson. At a hearing of the Assembly State Governance Committee today, it became apparent that Simpson got the message and in the last several months his office went from cooperation to obstruction in dealing with the toll collectors on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.
While the hearings, which were held in a packed meeting room, were ostensibly billed as a discussion of the privatization of toll collection services, it became quickly apparent that this initiative is another move by the Christie administration to punish union workers.
With the above words Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-37) welcomed pink-attired attendees to a rally in front of a Planned Parenthood site in Englewood which no longer has sufficient funds to open on Tuesdays or Saturdays. Family planning and women's health care are under assault both in the House where Republicans passed a bill to eliminate all federal funding for Planned Parenthood and in New Jersey where Governor Christie also opposed its funding. Senator Lautenberg said, "We're going to make sure Planned Parenthood can continue serving the health care needs of families in New Jersey and across the country."
Senator Lautenberg went on to say, "Planned Parenthood is under attack by Tea Party Republicans who have put their extremist ideology above women's health." A smaller contingent of opponents held a particularly nasty sign which said Planned Parenthood was aiding and abetting underage sex trafficking. Sen. Lautenberg engaged the protesters and quieted them as he asked if they support mammograms, cervical exams and other routine health services the agency provides. more below...
Hey Blue Jersey! Anyone around to tomorrow to show off a little pink?? Please join the big pink Planned Parenthood bus along with U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey Senator Loretta Weinberg, Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, and Assemblywoman Linda Stender in standing up for women's health TOMORROW, Tuesday, March 22nd.
We'll be holding a rally to show our elected officials that New Jersey is opposed to these attempts take away preventive and lifesaving care - including cervical cancer screening, breast exams, and HIV testing for women throughout our state.
Gather the women who are important to you, along with other friends and loved ones, and meet us at 11:00 a.m. at the Englewood Planned Parenthood Health Center to make your voice heard. Just look for the pink bus!
Rally for Women's Health
11:00 a.m.
TOMORROW, Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Englewood Planned Parenthood Health Center
46 Van Brunt St.
Englewood, NJ 07631
If you can't make the rally, you can join us online at www.womenshealthmattersnj.org. For questions or to RSVP contact jessica.ohanlon@ppfa.org
I live in Hunterdon County. Leonard Lance, whom I've known for years, is my congressman. It's hard to explain to someone outside this crimson geography Hunterdon's relationship with Lance. He's a known presence on the street, as his father Wesley Lance - who preceded him in both the Assembly and Senate - was. A friendly person, even if you don't always agree.
Why then is Lance ducking a debate with his Democratic challenger, Ed Potosnak, here on Hunterdon home turf? I'm bamboozled.
Potosnak's asked Lance to debate for months. Hearing nothing back, Potosnak accepted 6 debate invitations himself. Potosnak finally heard from Lance last week, a friendly call but without Lance agreeing on the number of debates, location, or dates. (Potosnak also invited Lance on a side-by-side grassroots tour of the District together - yes, he declined).
Now comes word Lance will accept just 2 debates - one for TV (hosted outside NJ-7), and only one in NJ-7 - in Union County. Far away from Lance's home turf. Why is that? You'd think Lance would insist on at least one matchup here where he's served the public his entire adult life, where his father's political legacy still commands respect, where Chris Christie had victory just 11 months ago. Is he concerned his support in the reddest part of NJ-7 has eroded? Lance had 3 Tea Party-inspired opponents - the most of anyone in NJ. Two are from Hunterdon; David Larsen (Tewksbury), the strongest, who's already signaled he's running in 2012, and Alonzo "Lon" Hosford (Milford).
Still, I'm surprised Lance declines to stand up here in this county he's represented for years, and face his opponent. Looks like Middlesex and Somerset get snubbed, too. Two years ago, he wanted more debate with Linda Stender.Is this the same guy? What happens next?
Monday's Senate failure to override Gov. Christie's veto for women's health funding was infuriating - for the women and men who may lose access to crucial medical care, screening and advice, and for the apparent sacrifice of reason & responsibility to pure zombie party discipline. I have so much appreciation for legislators who fought the good fight, for women and men who showed their support, and for the resilience of lawmakers like Loretta Weinberg and Linda Stender, who refuse to get mowed down and continue to propose solutions. Just after the vote, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Democratic legislators announced new legislation, for only $5M of $7.5M Christie cut from the budget, requiring the state to apply for federal matching dollars for Medicaid-eligible health care consumers. Too early to know how that will fly, but it would be welcome to see movement now on the GOP side. It's been a disappointing few weeks watching some of them.
In the fight to retain needed funding for health care access for women and men who often have nowhere else to turn, here are some of the things legislators on the right side of this issue have done:
answered a Governor's veto with a solid alternative plan;
found revenue-neutral plan suggested by non-partisan OLS;
asked NJ Treasurer his reasoning why that funding source wouldn't work;
invited him to testify, messaged him, took a delegation to his office;
When he would not answer, OPRA'd his documentation;
gave requested extensions for that OPRA'd info - twice;
ran a full Senate override vote and lost - Monday;
lost by the # of GOP Senators who yanked support for GOP party discipline;
undaunted, will now approach funding from another angle.
And the Governor - whose actions here seem more and more wrapped in anti-choice disapproval and distortions and less and less (as he insists) a function of budgetary concern - has done nothing but stay silent as his GOP party chair muddied discussion with warped rhetoric. No, that's not even what he did. Asm Jay Webber went on a major nutty about sex, and implied somehow that family planning advocates are trying to prevent poor women from having babies. Gov. Christie's silence made him complicit, and brand him an ideologue.
Today, Republican Senators, who were for this before they were against it before their orders from on high refused to override the veto of a governor whose ascendant power they apparently view as more powerful than their own ability to decide, whose executive branch they may take more seriously than the branch of this government they serve. It failed by pure party line vote. A show of GOP party impressively disciplined and disappointingly reasoned.
Some people are more culpable than others. Jay Webber's so far gone on this issue he sees abortionists hiding under every bed and in every closet. Gov. Christie, likely ditto. GOP senators Diane Allen, Christopher "Kip" Bateman, Andrew Ciesla, Christopher Connors, Sean Kean, Robert Singer traded in some dignity August 3rd. Jennifer Beck joined them today. I'd like to think that some of these GOP Senators will redeem themselves, if they see possibility in this compromise. I'm going to say there's hope there.
After the fold, I'll post the full statement of Sweeney and colleagues' statement, which offers more detail about the compromise solution, and quotes. Also after the jump, a short video of Asw Linda Stender's response to the loss. So, jump:
UPDATE: Veto override vote failed 23-17. Senators Jennifer Beck and Diane Allen both indicated they would have interest in finding alternative funding. We'll post more detail as we get it.
I'm listening - or trying - to the live feed from the NJ Senate session, which is now taking up an override vote on Gov. Christie's veto of women's health care access funding. The link is not embeddable and I'm having all kinds of trouble hearing it. Listen Live - maybe you'll have better luck. Jay is at the State House and we'll be getting some color commentary later.
Already Senator Weinberg, with Assemblywomen Linda Stender, Pam Lampitt and Linda Greenstein at her side has talked about her frustration getting straight answers from the NJ Treasurer whose response to her Open Public Records request for the figures and documents detailing his decision that alternative funding for women's health cannot be provided via the route suggested by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Service. Weinberg had some figures of her own to cite, among them:
136K women and men able to access basic health care through family planning centers.
40,000 unplanned pregnancies prevented through this program.
70,000 women received breast exams. 4,000 referred to mammograms through that initial testing, providing the crucial prescription from a physician which is the only way to have access to mammogram.
130,000 testing for sexually transmitted disease.
More than 70,000 people cared for there, that have no health care coverage otherwise.
Senator Buono also took the floor, disparaging an Op-Ed by the leader of NJ Right to Life which called Planned Parenthood "radical."
Mammograms, vaccinations, and prenatal care are just a few of the services that are unavailable to poor people in New Jersey thanks to Governor Christie's veto of a recent women's health care bill.
It's hard to imagine a more sensible use of money than investing it on preventative health care, which is why activists are lining up outside the State House (above) and in the Senate gallery (below) to urge NJ's upper house to overturn Christie's Veto.
It takes twenty-eight votes to override a veto and today the prospects look pretty grim and according to my mathskillz we don't have the votes for it anyway. Which is a shitty deal for poor people (who can't get care) and taxpayers who end up with massive charity care bills.
As we're waiting for news of a planned veto override vote in the NJ Senate on Gov. Christie's veto of women's healthcare funding, I wanted to post this picture taken about noon during the pre-vote rally outside on the State House steps. That's Assemblywoman Linda Stender speaking. Photo's courtesy NJDSC. The session of the full NJ Senate - scheduled to start 1pm - is still listed as pending.
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.
Loretta Weinberg has had it with the Christie administration's delaying tactics.
Weinberg - prime Senate sponsor of legislation to restore $7.5 million in state funding to women's health and family planning programs - has filed 3 Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests with State Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristof, looking for information behind the Christie administration's objections to budget-neutral funding source identified in her bill (S-2139). Weinberg:
If the Treasurer can't bring himself to work with us to identify funding solutions for critical women's health programs, than we'll use the tools at our disposal to access public information and hopefully dispel the myth that our funding source doesn't work.
State funding was cut from the budget by the governor. An alternative revenue-neutral source suggested by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS), taps surplus funds in the State Employee Prescription Drug Program. The funding would provide greater access by women and men to basic health services including cancer and high blood pressure screenings, HIV testing, pre- and post-natal care, treatment for sexually-transmitted disease, and contraception. Abortions are off that list; the funding does not cover their payment.
Weinberg's right to get to the bottom of the Christie administration's truculence. If Sidamon-Eristoff has reason to dispute the alternative funding source, he should be able to provide those reasons beyond the vague and unspecific short letter he provided to Weinberg (the Treasurer skipped a request to answer questions publicly before the Senate Health Committee, which Weinberg chairs).
What Weinberg is looking for, if the funding source is faulty as they say it is, is cooperation from the administration to work with her and Asw Linda Stender - the go-to in the Assembly - to replace that funding with a better solution. The OPRA requests, she says, are the administration's opportunity to either produce documentation for their objections or admit Christie's real opposition is driven by "his out of touch, far-right political ideology."
What I want to know is why the New Jersey Democrats could spare 10 lawmakers for a Summit in Atlantic City, to spend one entire day chattering about gambling, horses and tourists. And let Loretta Weinberg and Linda Stender walk into a room by themselves to be ambushed by GOP staffers one-upping them with news that women's health funding just lost all key GOP support.
What about this confuses you Democrats, in terms of priority?
Does nobody in the Democratic Party get the disastrous optics of this? All that Dem firepower all day long to rescue gambling industries that on their best day are fun places to spend leisure money and on their worst are a regressive tax on poor saps we tempt into risking their mortgage money while distracting them with half-dressed women, colored lights and booze? While what's at stake for the women of New Jersey is maintaining access to health care for at least 40,000 women? That is necessity, not leisure. Are you kidding me?
Tell me all you want that the AC Summit was about jobs. Union jobs. Good.
Shut the GOP out of your summit because Christie's Hanson Commission was hand-picked and secretive. Whatev.
Suit up to fight off a Christie takeover AC plan that's GOP incursion on your Democratic-controlled city. If you must.
But you did not look good doing this. You let the conversation in the papers be about your decision to shut out the GOP. No less outrageous than the governor's choices, but way more public, and thus more publicly petty. Particularly when you start trotting out old turf wars North v. South, which was some time after the bugler dressed in a red costume get-up opened the summit like he was blowing the start of some race. Do you feel me here?
Legislating with the Governor from Hell must be demoralizing and frustrating. But it's time to get your act together. And leaving two women legislators hanging in the wind to advocate for the most at-risk members of half your citizenry is not it.
I don't know if the Dems have the legislative strength to overcome this veto, now that Christie pulled the leash on GOP senators Diane Allen, Kip Bateman, Andrew Ciesla, Christopher Connors, Sean Kean & Robert Singer, and stopped them thinking for themselves. Is this override just a sinking ship you don't wanna be on? If so, think again. You want to be Democrats, you're going to have to show up for women, and for people at risk. You're not going to do that, you'll have to call yourself something else.
Because the GOP's dominated by the Christies and the Jay Webbers, for whom Roe v. Wade isn't settled law, it's law they don't feel like recognizing. Access to birth control and the prevention of unplanned pregnancy isn't access to health care for them, it's an excuse to inflict their opinions about morality on the rest of us on women, never risking their own lives. Forget pap smears, breast cancer screenings - that's not even on their radar.
We see you Dems who came out for women. Thank you. But, Democrats, for most of you - Your house is burning, and you left your women inside while you went to the track. Get straight.
The two point people working to override Gov. Christie's veto on women's health care funding say they're not done fighting - and won't give up in the face of some Republicans peeling off to back their party's governor. Loretta Weinberg:
We will continue to appeal to lawmakers of good conscience on both sides of the political divide, because failure on this override would be a catastrophe of epic proportions for health care in NJ.
Yesterday, as Weinberg and Stender were about to start a news conference, Senate GOP staffers came in to distribute a release announcing that 6 of the 7 Republicans who backed the funding when the bill came up in June would now vote against the override (the 7th, Sen. Jennifer Beck, is out of the country). Weinberg & Stender say there's strong-arming going on by GOP leaders ideologically opposed to funding women's health care (scroll for it). And those 6 are their first mission.
Linda Stender:
For our part, this battle's not over until the vote is taken, and legislators are called on to either stand with us, or against uninsured women in NJ.
Both continue to ask Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff's for an explanation of the reasons he opposes their bill, and believe the flip-flops partly traceable to him. They cite a letter he released yesterday citing unspecific and vague actuarial concerns for the State employee prescription drug program - more than 1 month after the legislature voted.
That's relevant because the suggestion of how to generate funding - using surplus funds in the prescription drug program - was actually suggested by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services. And the Treasurer's 3-paragraph letter never addressed that, or much else. (Actually, failure to fund would cost us money).
As promised earlier, here is the video of Senator Loretta Weinberg and Linda Stender at their news conference this morning, talking about the "tough uphill battle" for bi-partisan support in the legislature to override Gov. Christie's veto of $7.5 million funding for women's health care at family planning centers.
There's some levity at the governor's expense. Then, the serious businesss, calling out the Republican governor wrapping his own ideology inside a hypocritical, and faked, excuse that New Jersey can't afford not to cut tens of thousands of New Jersey women loose, and exercising party discipline at the expense of good policy.
Late this morning, Loretta Weinberg and Linda Stender stepped up to a microphone and launched an effort to generate enough support from responsible legislators of conscience - of both parties - to override the veto of Governor Chris Christie. A letter from them both (posted after the jump) went to every legislator in both houses today.
We should have video later today - I'll post when I get it. There was apparently a little satire prologue.
As this effort gets off the ground, Chris Christie is pulling in GOP senators who previously supported restoring the state's funding to women's health care centers. A simple, cold demonstration of party unity. Six senators - Diane Allen (a particular disappointment), Christopher "Kip" Bateman, Andrew Ciesla, Christopher Connors, Sean Kean and Robert Singer - all now say they would reverse their yes votes in an override because state Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff convinced them that the money Democrats had earmarked to pay for the restoration would put the state's prescription drug program in a $5.6 million deficit. And by the way, the Treasurer, who skipped a request to appear in public before the Senate Health Committee has never told the legislators why he differs with the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services, who suggested the $7.5 could be generated by taking surplus cash from the state employee prescription account.
At stake is the health of more than 136,000 Jersey Girls - the number served last year by family planning centers whose funding is now in doubt. Many of those women have had nowhere else to go.
Also at stake, the number of abortions NJ's likely to see next year if Christie's veto holds. The legislators cite research from the Guttmacher Institute demonstrating that without family planning funding to support contraceptives, NJ will actually see an increase in abortions due to an explosion in unplanned pregnancies. Legislators who claim the pro-life mantle should think hard. Last year, these centers helped prevent 40,000 pregnancies, 19,000 abortions.
At stake, too, is access to services that include not only birth control and routine gynecological exams but also prenatal care, screenings for high blood pressure, anemia, diabetes, sexually transmitted infections, and breast and cervical cancer, and critical education & outreach to people who need it.
Money's also at stake, but it's not Christie says. By providing publicly-funded contraceptive services, NJ saved $156M in state & federal Medicaid dollars in 2008, the legislators say, money NJ would have had to spend on pre- and post-natal care, delivery and infant care. NJ would save an estimated $4 for every $1 spent, by allocating $7.5 million, or 1/10th of 1% of the total budget. Weinberg and Stender also said they would require the state to apply for 90% match in federal dollars - funding we are eligible for right now - which would save an additional $90M over the next 5 years. Weinberg/Stender letter after the jump.
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