What are you thinking, Blue Jersey? - promoted by Rosi.
"Women, you increase your odds of keeping your men by being faithful, a lady in the living room and a whore in the bedroom." "Tell your women they can't talk to you but they can moan." "Your new survival philosophy toward women should be pay, play, now get the F-k away."
This disgusting language comes directly from the Twitter account of Republican senate candidate Phil Mitsch. I want to apologize to you, Blue Jersey community members, for sharing such foul sentiments. I'm sharing these remarks with you because, frankly, I am outraged. And you should be, too. Not only for the remarks themselves, but because of the deafening silence of the Republican Party on Phil Mitsch's comments.
On Friday, I stood with local female elected and community leaders in my home town of Cherry Hill to condemn Mr. Mitsch's remarks:
Incomprehensibly, Mr. Mitsch has downplayed his remarks as though making such derogatory anti-women comments is acceptable because they were intended as a joke. As I explain after the jump, he couldn't be more wrong.
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:
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.
There's a rally being planned outside the State House. Noon, Monday September 20th, the day of the veto override. More later. - promoted by Rosi
Blue Jersey, it's been a while since my last post here--too long, really--but I'm writing today on an issue I know you'll agree is of the utmost importance to our state. On September 20th, the state Senate will vote on whether or not to override Governor Christie's veto of life-saving women's health care funds.
You all know the statistics associated with this funding. $7.5 million. 136,000 patients served. $150 million in savings to the state last year. $9 in federal funds brought in for each state dollar spent.
But this issue is about more than statistics. It's about people. Keep reading below
Whenever I get my fill of whining about Government, I simply strap on my bitchboots, grab my videocamera and head to Trenton. Sometimes there's a juicy issue cooking that I want to follow. Like today.
It's no secret; our economy is struggling. The troubles on Wall Street have rebounded to Main Street, as declining stocks have devastated some retirement accounts. Unemployment is rising; wages are stagnant. And as our President-elect Barack Obama has said, it will likely get worse before it gets better.
Here in New Jersey, we're facing a truly urgent economic moment. And as a story in yesterday's Asbury Park Press explored, the solution may lie in emerging green industries that promote energy efficiency and power from renewable sources. If haven't read this story, I urge you to click here. It's a great article that ties together the potential for green jobs to help both our economy and our environment.
With the economy in tatters, hitting blue-collar and white-collar workers alike, there's a push for more workers who wear another colored collar.
The color is green.
"This is an opportunity to take a problem in terms of the economy and the work force and marry it to something that can be something great, like green renewable energy, green jobs," said Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt, D-Camden, during a panel at last week's 2008 Governor's Conference on Workforce & Economic Development in Atlantic City.
Still, there are some who don't believe that we need to pursue a green economy here in New Jersey. I couldn't disagree more. I believe those who criticize the potential of green jobs fail to grasp the urgency of the moment we're in.
The truth is the renewable energy industry is already benefitting New Jersey and becoming a vital part of our economy. More and more high-tech firms are making their homes here. According to the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, New Jersey ranks behind only California as the nation's leading host for solar firms.
Years ago, New Jersey made a commitment to invest in a budding pharmaceutical research industry; today, New Jersey is a global leader , the "World's Medicine Chest. " Aggressively positioning New Jersey as a hub for green-collar jobs will not only combat global warming and ensure we pass on a healthy environment to our children and grandchildren, but leave them with a stronger economy, as well.
As the Center for American Progress and the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts estimates, New Jersey could create more than 57,000 jobs through investments in alternative energies, among other green initiatives. By supporting green education and workforce training, New Jersey will be better positioned to attract more green industry to our state.
New Jersey's goal of producing 22.5 percent of the state?s energy through renewable energy sources by 2021 will take massive investments by cutting-edge companies. We should help these firms through stronger tax incentives for, and investment in solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, and other renewable power sources.
For our economy, our environment, and our future, investing in renewable energy is an opportunity we can't afford to miss.
UPDATE: Whoops, I almost forgot to include this video, produced by the Assembly Majority Office, in which I talk about green jobs:
UPDATE:I totally loved Asw. Lampitt - she was a great guest, and her idea is one to really consider. Listen and see if you agree. -JG
Each week, Blue Jersey Radio streams LIVE with New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.
This week: Our guest is Asw. Pam Lampitt, the Assembly sponsor of a bill to eliminate the sales tax on "green" products. Supporters see the bill as a great way to encourage responsible purchasing. Opponents say it is a gimic that will cost the state valuable tax dollars. What do you think?
Give us a call tonight at 8:30 p.m. and have your say with Jeff, Jason and Asw. Lampitt (who is just over the line from NJ's First Congressional District - not that there's any questions we'd want answered about that). Should be fun!
We're live in primetime one more time from 8:30p-9:00p tonight, and would love to hear from you. Just call: 646-652-2773
Governor Corzine was at Camden County College today to sign a bill that'll streamline the transfer from a 2- to 4-year college.
This new law -- sponsored by Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt -- will go a long way towards ensuring that kids who take the community college route are able transfer all their credits towards a Bachelor's degree at any state school.
Governor Corzine strikes a serious pose after the bill signing.
This may sound like a no brainer but remember that community colleges are a relatively new phenomenon and the policies vary from one institution to another. So until today some credits would transfer and others wouldn't with the rules varying from school to school. It was a huge mess and a big barrier that meant students having to retake (and repay) for classes at a 4-year program.
Corzine cited the example of a biology major who had $3,ooo worth of credits that didn't transfer.
"That's half the average property tax bill," Lampitt quantified.
"Let's keep this positive," someone hollered out from the crowd.
It was Lou Greenwald. I had to laugh.
Anyway, 2-year schools are increasingly the best option for lots of students here in the Garden State. (Student debt, hello!) And now we have a uniform policy that'll benefit the current crop of NJ undergrads.
"By this time next year, the hurdles will be eliminated," said Lampitt.
A rookie legislator, Pam Lampitt had every reason to be proud. Still a relative unknown quantity in her district (where I live, btw) this law was the culmination of her two years in the Assembly. And judging from the remarks of the college presidents on hand, she's a durable ally to academia.
Rowan University chief Dr. Donald J. Farish was effusive calling the new law a "magnificent piece of legislation. I am proud it was created by a South Jersey legislator."
And what's not to like? If this law succeeds, it'll mean more of our kids graduate on time with a smaller student debt load.
If you can think of a more sensible policy goal than that, please share in the comment box.
Nice to see my assemblyman Lou Greenwald has a pulse. According to the Courier Post Greenwald and Asw Pam Lampitt drafted legistation "in direct response to Cherry Hill's legal battle with a businessman who wants to open an adult video and sex toy store in a vacant commercial building along Route 70, the township's main thoroughfare."
Lampitt: "adult sexually oriented businesses may have First Amendment rights, but that doesn't give them carte blanche to exploit children or erode the property values of nearby homeowners."
Now we can all agree on the exploitation of children part. But the erosion of property values got me thinking. Maybe the best way to lower property taxes is to open up dirty bookstores all over the state?
(Our second entry in the series
- promoted by Hopeful)
New Jersey's Sixth Legislative District is comprised of 16 municipalities which include Audubon Park Borough, Berlin Borough, Berlin Township, Cherry Hill Township, Chesilhurst Borough, Collingswood Borough, Gibbsboro Borough, Haddon Township, Haddonfield Borough, Oaklyn Borough, Pine Hill Borough, Pine Valley Borough, Tavistock Borough, Voorhees Township, Waterford Township, and Winslow Township.
The Sixth District has 131,803 registered voters of whom 28.5% are registered Democrats, and 14.7% are registered Republicans. The Sixth has an overwhelming population of elderly and student voters, but has the lowest concentration of Hispanics in the State. The largest township in the Sixth is Cherry Hill, which has almost seventy thousand citizens, nearly doubling the amount of the second highest town, Winslow Township. Cherry Hill serves as a Democratic stronghold in the 3rd Congressional District as well as the 6th Legislative, electing a Democratic Mayor and all Democratic Town Council for more then decade. The Sixth is almost home to unusual municipalities including Pine Valley and Tavistock, each with a population of less then 25.
