Nowhere in your article do you mention the devastating impact that this dredging will have on the environment. While you report on the court case toward the end of the article, there’s no indication to the reader who initiated a request to block the dredging or why they did so.
According to a former federal official who has performed Environmental Impact Studies in New Jersey, past dumping of dredge spoils has caused intrusion of salt water in fresh water areas, resulting in the killing of insects and plants in environmentally-sensitive regions. He also points out that with a deeper Delaware Channel river, larger tankers will be bringing their contaminants further up the Delaware River, making any accidental spill even more egregious.
Although I understand the needs of those who ply commerce on the river as well as the concerns of the environmentalists (and I would personally side with the latter), the purpose of this letter is not to engage in that debate. Rather it is to express my disappointment with your news article that only presented one side of the issue.
I subscribe to the Inquirer because it is a decent newspaper that usually provides fair reporting. Unfortunately, today’s article is an exception – a one-sided account of an issue that impacts all of us.
(We all saw what happened to the economy when the Republicans eliminated financial protection regulations. Now, we can't let Governor Christie and his Koch Brother cronies do the same to the environment by gutting environmental regulations. - promoted by deciminyan)
As you know, earlier this year Governor Christie set out to change the rules and allow corporations to end-run long-standing environmental laws. Essentially, this would weaken over 100 necessary protection guidelines. The Christie's Administration's radical, regressive push would put not only New Jersey's land, air and water in harm's way, but the health of our families, as well.
As reported by Tom Johnson of NJ Spotlight, Hal Bozarth, executive director of the Chemical Council of New Jersey and an opponent of offshore wind development recently said,
"Without big federal subsidies, you cannot make wind power affordable."
That's a lot of chutzpah from someone whose industry receives big federal subsidies.
His statement was in response to NRG Energy's withdrawal from the offshore wind business in New Jersey. NRG's rationale was the uncertain regulatory climate and the lack of subsidies for offshore wind developers.
How hypocritical that Bozarth is opposed to subsidies for this clean technology. After all, the oil and gas industries, on which Bozarth's members depend, have received government subsidies for decades. And the taxpayer has been repeatedly called upon to spend billions to clean up oil, gas, and chemical spills and to pay for health care due to chemical pollution of the atmosphere.
Below is the second half of my interview with Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri-Huttle (recorded yesterday). She talks about the environment, affordable housing, marriage equality, and the political landscape in Trenton.
If you missed part 1 yesterday, you can find it at this link. Vainieri-Huttle discussed her accomplishments with Anti-Bullying legislation, the status of legislation on women's health, education, and the Port of New York New Jersey Authority.
I went to Trenton this morning to observe a couple of Senate committee hearings and to tweet what was going on. First was the Senate Education Committee which addressed a number of issues, none of which were the front-page items like tenure, vouchers, and charter schools. Senator Ruiz chaired the short meeting which addressed things like including cheerleaders in school injury safety programs, school disaster preparedness plans, and pension contributions for instructors in institutions of higher learning. All important, and there was not much contention in the meeting. The highlight was hearing the chants of the Catholic school students outside expressing their support for taxpayer-funded vouchers.
When the history books (or e-books) are written about the twentieth century, one of its legacies will be the impact that we inflicted on the air, water, and forests around the world. And when the history of the first decades of the twenty-first century is documented, it will either describe mankind's universal effort to stem the damage, or the irreversible downward slope that we embarked on that will fundamentally change life as we know it.
Protection of the environment has always been challenged - by "progress", by perceived job creation, and by luddites who refuse to believe established scientific facts.
New Jersey has within it a microcosm of these debates. Businesses that have investments in dirty technology downplay the environmental effects to maximize short term profits. Politicians who benefit from the contributions of these businesses contend that any regulation automatically means loss of jobs.
The New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club has been a voice in Trenton for protection of the environment. I spoke with their Director, Jeff Tittel, earlier today.
In the first part of the interview (below the fold), Tittel talks about some of the issues and challenges being debated in Trenton, including hydraulic fracturing, the Governor's abandonment of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, renewable energy such as solar and wind, and the impact of the Oyster Creek nuclear plant and other factors in the Barnegat Bay.
Do you oppose flammable drinking water and widespread illness caused by environmental contamination? Do you like free movies?
As noted previously by Blue Jersey (here, here and here) the controversial natural gas extraction method called "fracking" (slang for "hydraulic fracturing") has been trying to extend its craptacular tendrils in our general direction for a couple of years now. But on Monday 11/21, the Delaware River Basin Commission will vote on new rules that could pave the way for nearly 20,000 fracking wells to be built in the river basin.
Yeah, not good for fans of safe water and good health. So along with some local partners, environment and sustainability watchdog Food and Water Watch is sponsoring two screenings of the the HBO documentary Gasland, which is to fracking what Supersize Me is to fast food. Not sure you understand the issue and it's potentially devastating consequences? Or maybe you're just cheap and need something to do this week. Either way. You can catch the New Brunswick screening today at 10 a.m., and the Princeton screening tomorrow at 7 p.m. Full details below the YouTubes.
While it is nice to solicit input from constituents, it would be even nicer to be up front about your positions or defend those that are contrary to the persona that has been carefully crafted when called
It's amazing that a perception still exists that pretty much ANY Congressional Republican is anything other than completely beholden to the far right base - and won't pass up an opportunity to pander with votes in favor or more pollution, a bigger ability to rig the system and impose heartless regulation over people's private medical decisions -unless someone can profit off of it.
Much like the rest of their party, Lance, LoBiondo and Frelinghuysen relish at the fake persona they have created for themselves (see Bush, George W.) while fooling the "swing" constituents with meaningless votes. The three bills - the "TRAIN" Act, which would indefinitely delay the clean-up of toxic power plant pollution; H.R. 2681, which prevents clean air standards that lower mercury and other toxic air pollution from cement plants; and H.R. 2250, which would prevent standards to reduce toxic pollution from industrial incinerators and boilers at power plants.
If one is going to position themselves as "reasonable about" or "sympathetic to" or "in favor of" making it harder to die from harmful toxins in our air, then bills like this should be no brainers to support. All three of these Representatives have at least attempted to demonstrate an interest in the very things they just voted against. If there was any issue that these three would get "a pass" on from the extreme right wing for their vote, it would be this one. The problem is that all three of them face uncertainty either in their bid for reelection or the prospect of losing their seat as a result of redistricting and therefore have to pander to the unreasonable and militant wing of their party.
Environment New Jersey has called them out on this, and you can too if you click on their ad here at Blue Jersey. Their press release is here too.
And don't even expect a Republican's definition of "moderate" to be anything close to what "moderate" actually is.
This past Saturday, I sat down with Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula to conduct a video interview. Part 1 was posted on Blue Jersey here. Part 2 appears below the fold.
Following the interview, I met with the Assemblyman and his press aide for over an hour for an off-the-record discussion of New Jersey politics and other topics. I don't know if there's a word in Hindi or Punjabi for "mensch", but I came away realizing that the assemblyman from Central Jersey is one. He may not have the pizzazz that some of his colleagues exhibit, but I believe he has a passion for service, both in his legislative life and his "civilian" profession - developing learning software for autistic kids. He may be the first Indian-American to serve in the New Jersey legislature, but his concerns transcend ethnic boundaries.
Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula was born and educated as an engineer in India, and came to the United States at age 24. He has represented the people in his Central Jersey district for 10 years. When he's not working to serve the people of his district, he develops software to assist autistic children in the learning process. Yesterday, I spoke with him at the Akbar Restaurant in Edison about many of the issues facing New Jersey.
My interview appears in two parts. In Part 1, below the fold, Chivukula discusses two areas that he is passionate about - telecommunications and energy. He brings an engineer's expertise to these topics, and explains the complex technical and economic issues in layman's terms.
Part 2 will appear on Tuesday and there he will discuss education, the budget, New Jersey's competitiveness, and marriage equality. He will offer comments on the 2013 gubernatorial election and what he hopes to accomplish in the legislature next year.
promoted by the_promised_land - Thanks for drawing our attention to this important upcoming event!
Over recent weeks, Governor Christie has set to cut back on his campaign promises of a more energy efficient New Jersey by working toward scaling back the state goals of becoming more energy efficient. This issue is not something that only affects this great state, but also the other citizens of the US, and in the future, these actions will also affect the citizens of the world. The Governor's move to use inefficient practices in order to "save money" needs to stop in order to save our planet, and it is our duty as citizens to come together and work to promote better energy practices. We need to stand up and take action in some way. BUT, what if you want to do more than just pick up the phone to call your state legislators, how can you take your own action steps? The way that I learned how to create my campaign was by attending an Activist Workshop in Massachusetts where I learned a lot, not only about how to get a campaign like this started, but also how to engage more people. Not only this, I also learned a lot about myself, and that even though I was alone- I really wasn't because there were more people out there that also wanted to help, but just didn't know how. I know from experience that by learning how to create a great campaign, you can ultimately produce better results, have fun doing it, and make a major impact in your community. I urge you all to go to the Activist Workshop, sponsored by Environment New Jersey, in conjunction with New Jersey PIRG and The Public Interest Network, this Saturday because this is an opportunity of a lifetime, and you shouldn't pass it up! This is also a great way to meet people who are interested and excited about the same issues as you! Please come and learn how we can all work together to better the state of New Jersey in more ways than one. The information for the workshop is below, and I hope you all will attend. I promise- you won't be disappointed!!
Who: YOU!! Along with your other fellow activists and leaders.
What: An Activist Workshop. Learn how to create and work your own issues campaign.
When: THIS SATURDAY!! September 17th, 2011
Time: 11am - 2pm
Where: Rutgers University in New Brunswick, Douglass Campus
RSVP: https://secure3.convio.net/eng...
I hope that each of you reading this will find your voice within and come join Environment New Jersey to learn how to be better activists and leaders!
Just in case Jersey Jazzman's excellent series on Education Reform is not enough for you, dear reader, Blue Jersey is launching another series called Blue Jersey Focus. To help you stay informed on Garden State issues, we will be featuring government officials, political figures, and other movers and shakers, in exclusive video interviews. These interviews have run over successive days, today's is the final installment
It is fitting that as we move into the holiday weekend to recognize the contributions that organized labor has made to America's prosperity, our first guest is labor leader Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo of the 14th Legislative District.
Just in case Jersey Jazzman's excellent series on Education Reform is not enough for you, dear reader, Blue Jersey is launching another series called Blue Jersey Focus. To help you stay informed on Garden State issues, we will be featuring government officials, political figures, and other movers and shakers, in exclusive video interviews. These interviews are being run over successive days.
Who wants to go to this tomorrow? - promoted by Rosi
Join the Fracking Ban Caravan and say NO TO FRACKING IN NJ AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY!
In less than one month, the Delaware River Basin Commission could be voting on plans to allow fracking in thousands of acres of land in NJ, NY and PA that are under their control. In addition to destroying open space and polluting the air, this move would put the Delaware River, the drinking water source for over 15 million people, at risk of serious contamination.
Many people from across the region will be convening in Philly on September 7 to rally against fracking. If you are coming from New Jersey, we hope you can join us for this carpool to the demonstration. We will have signs, window paints and stickers you can use to personalize your own anti-fracking message on your car so you can tell the world why you support a ban on fracking!
Just in case Jersey Jazzman's excellent series on Education Reform is not enough for you, dear reader, Blue Jersey is launching another series called Blue Jersey Focus. To help you stay informed on Garden State issues, we will be featuring government officials, political figures, and other movers and shakers, in exclusive video interviews.
Just in case Jersey Jazzman's excellent series on Education Reform is not enough for you, dear reader, Blue Jersey is launching another series called Blue Jersey Focus. To help you stay informed on Garden State issues, we will be featuring government officials, political figures, and other movers and shakers, in exclusive video interviews. These interviews will be run over successive days.
It is fitting that as we move into the holiday weekend to recognize the contributions that organized labor has made to America's prosperity, our first guest is labor leader Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo of the 14th Legislative District.
My interview with Assemblyman DeAngelo will be presented on four consecutive days from today through Saturday. Each segment will be posted around 6:00 PM.
Today, the assemblyman discusses politics, the tension between the governor and legislature, collective bargaining, and the governor's response to Hurricane Irene.
Thursday's segment is devoted to education - including charter schools, tenure, and testing. My thanks to Jersey Jazzman for his assistance in providing information and questions for this segment.
Friday's segment is about jobs and the state's energy policy, and how they are inexorably interrelated. Assemblyman DeAngelo also discusses the state's transportation policy.
Finally, on Saturday, we hear about the assemblyman's views on the transition from NJN to NJTV, marriage equality, his opinion on a full-time legislature, and his priorities for the General Assembly after the November elections.
Watch for future installments of Blue Jersey Focus where we talk to other decision makers and prominent personalities that impact our lives.
As Rosi reported in this morning's roundup, Sen. Barbara Buono is proposing to block the Christie Administration's "waiver rule" from going into effect. This rule would allow broad exemptions from any of the state's environmental laws on a case-by-case basis. It sets a troubling precedent because, well, when you can deal with regulatory applications on a case by case basis, it becomes a whole lot easier to treat your friends' cases differently from your enemies, continuing this Administration's attempt to centralize power at the top.
But this ain't any ordinary legislative proposal. It's a new exertion of legislative powers. And that makes it really interesting. More below the fold...
I wrote this diary for my blog, but what's true for the federal gas tax is also relevant to New Jersey's state gas tax. We can increase revenue and create jobs in the state while not impacting those who can least afford it. The dollar figures cited would be different for New Jersey, but the concept of increasing the gas tax has lots of benefits if it's done right.
The federal gas tax of 18.4ยข per gallon is set to expire at the end of September. Today's New York Times has an editorial titled The Clear Case for the Gas Tax, enumerating several reasons why this tax should not be allowed to expire. The money collected goes to the Highway Trust Fund, which in turn creates jobs and upgrades our deteriorating infrastructure.
No doubt, the Tea Party Republicans will oppose a proposed extension of this tax, claiming that in these tough times we need to reduce the amount of money that the government collects. They will most certainly ignore the fact that by further depleting the Highway Trust Fund, we will move construction workers from the role of tax payer to the role of unemployment insurance recipient.
I went to Trenton this morning to observe a couple of Senate committee hearings and to tweet what was going on. First was the Senate Education Committee which addressed a number of issues, none of which were the front-page items like tenure, vouchers, and charter schools. Senator Ruiz chaired the short meeting which addressed things like including cheerleaders in school injury safety programs, school disaster preparedness plans, and pension contributions for instructors in institutions of higher learning. All important, and there was not much contention in the meeting. The highlight was hearing the chants of the Catholic school students outside expressing their support for taxpayer-funded vouchers.
