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Winners and Losers: Week of Nov. 29th
Another week in Christie country almost came to an end without another elected official in handcuffs.
It didn’t happen. (Staff, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/43278/winners-and-losers-week-nov-29th
Breaking: LoBiondo finance report shows $600,000 unaccounted for
U.S. Rep. Frank Lobiondo’s most recent campaign expenditure reports filed Thursday show a drop of more than $500,000 in cash on hand from the report filed by his campaign in October. (Isherwood, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/43276/lobiondo-finance-report-shows-600000-unaccounted
Christie goes after super pay at town hall
This afternoon, Gov. Chris Christie headed to the center of the storm and in his unique style, he took on all comers. (Carroll, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/43279/christie-goes-after-super-pay-town-hall
Runyan funded by oil and tobacco interests in election win
As Jon Runyan prepares for his freshman term in the U.S. House, he has some “thank yous” to send to his new colleagues, as well as to donors from the oil and tobacco industries. (Burton, The Philadelphia Inqurier)
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20101206_Runyan_funded_by_oil_and_tobacco_interests_in_election_win.html#ixzz17KOUHMt1
Women still lag in holding office
Swearing-in ceremonies today at the Statehouse welcoming Dawn Marie Addiego and Linda Greenstein to the state Senate will boost the number of women in the Legislature’s upper house to 10, the highest on record. (Symons, Asbury Park Press)
http://www.app.com/article/20101205/NEWS03/12050354/Women-still-lag-in-holding-office
Trenton divided over tax reforms
New Jersey’s latest cap on local property tax hikes goes into effect in less than a month, but Governor Christie and Democratic lawmakers remain deadlocked on reforms that both sides concede are crucial to make the cap work. (Reitmeyer, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/111366354_Trenton_divided_over_tax_reforms.html
Mounting debts by states stroke fears of crisis
The State of Illinois is still paying off billions in bills that it got from schools and social service providers last year. Arizona recently stopped paying for certain organ transplants for people in its Medicaid program. (Cooper and Walsh, The New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/politics/05states.html?_r=1
Christie to name new education commissioner by year end
Ever since Gov. Chris Christie ousted Bret Schundler as his education commissioner in late summer, trying to determine who he’ll name in his place has been something of a guessing game. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/10/1205/2141/
Cumberland County politicians stay busy urging each other to quit
The demand for resignations stands at one each for Cumberland County Republican and Democratic officials.
This time, it’s the Republicans’ turn to strike back for an earlier attack on their party leader. (Barlas, Press of Atlantic City)
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_4fa458f6-00e4-11e0-8426-001cc4c03286.html
Marlboro to take affordable housing issue to N.J. Supreme Court
The township is taking the fight over its affordable housing obligation to the state Supreme Court.
Township officials say the state is saddling the already overdeveloped municipality with a housing burden it cannot handle. (Williams Boyd, Asbury Park Press)
Old Bridge councilman named director of new environmental advocacy group
Councilman Patrick Gillespie has been named executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. (Staff, Home News Tribune)
Final hearing set on pay for superintendents
The last of four public hearings on the Christie administration’s proposals to cap school administrator salaries, establish performance bonuses and create strict standards by which county officials will review proposed contracts will be held Tuesday, 6 p.m., at Burlington County Institute of Technology’s Westampton campus. (Rothschild, Courier-Post)
Fiscal burden becomes crushing
Selma and Dr. Francis DiMaio planned to live their golden years peacefully in a yellow bungalow on an avenue lined with majestic oaks, one that could easily be mistaken for any suburban street in New Jersey. (D’Ambrosio and Mullen, Courier-Post)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20101206/NEWS01/12050337/Fiscal-burden-becomes-crushing
Public broadcasters face bleak budget outlook
In less than four weeks, NJN, the public radio and television network owned by New Jersey, will run out of state money to operate. Without a last-minute intervention, its outlets will go off the air on Dec. 31, and NJN’s 130 employees have already received layoff notices. (Jensen, The New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/business/media/06pbs.html?scp=6&sq=jersey&st=cse
From the Back Room
BCDO closes its headquarters
Several sources in Bergen confirmed last night that the Bergen County Democratic Organization (BCDO) headquarters in Hackensack has closed. (Staff, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/back_room/bcdo-closes-its-headquarters
Opinion
The sayings of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Maybe you’ve wanted to say it to an unfaithful spouse. Perhaps you’ve longed to shout it out to a shiftless co-worker. Or tempted to telegraph it to a disagreeable neighbor. (Cirucci, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20101206_The_sayings_of_New_Jersey_Gov__Chris_Christie.html#ixzz17KFyqTc0
State Sen. Paul Sarlo has growing competition for his 36th District seat
Former Lyndhurst Mayor Louis J. Stellato confirmed last week that he is being encouraged to run for the Senate seat in the 36th Legislative District next year, setting the stage for a possible Democratic primary showdown with Paul Sarlo, the incumbent from Wood-Ridge. (Stile, The Record)
Does ‘prevailing wage’ kill employment?
The Democrats say they’ll concentrate on jobs, which is a good thing in this economy. But that is no excuse for not getting Gov. Christie’s toolkit passed to lower property taxes. We need that toolbox too, it’s not either or. (Ingle, Asbury Park Press)
http://blogs.app.com/politicspatrol/2010/12/06/does-prevailing-wage-kill-employment/#more-13555
Christie may need a boxing ring next time
The governor’s recent town hall meeting in Parsippany ended with Chris Christie going face-to-face with a critic on stage as if they were two guys yelling at each other in a bar. (Snowflack, Daily Record)
NJ school boards overflowing with conflicts of interest
New Jersey is a state where routine business would be viewed as serious conflicts of interests elsewhere, and nowhere is it more apparent than in local government, especially the school boards — of which there are about 600, and which have a big say in how much property taxes are paid. (Ingle, Daily Record)
All the president’s captors
Those desperate to decipher the baffling Obama presidency could do worse than consult an article titled “Understanding Stockholm Syndrome” in the online archive of The F.B.I. Law Enforcement Bulletin. (Rich, The New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/opinion/05rich.html
Is Christie ready for the White House?
This is how a would-be presidential candidate gets noticed. There are speeches to key groups in Washington, then more speeches around the country to political party gatherings. (Kelly, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/columnists/kelly/kelly_120510.html
In case you missed it
Christie faces foes in combative town hall
Gov. Chris Christie took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and warned the crowd: This, he said, is when his explosive town hall moments happen. (Gibson, The Times)
http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-16/129145472273580.xml&coll=8
Christie out-Tweets his foes
Gov. Chris Christie continues to pwn the opposition with his skillful use of social media to bulk up his political profile. If you don’t know what that sentence means, you’re probably as out of the loop as his foes appear to be. (Roh, Courier-Post)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20101203/NEWS/101203136/Christie-out-Tweets-his-foes
NJ lawmakers focus on jobs, economic development
New Jersey lawmakers will soon be focusing on legislation aimed at creating jobs and keeping businesses from leaving the Garden State. (The Associated Press)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/120510_NJ_lawmakers_focus_on_jobs_economic_development.html
Christie to New York: ‘Stop screwing with us’ on Tappen Zee Bridge upgrade
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he’ll block attempts to have state taxpayers pick up any of the tab for a planned $16 billion upgrade of the 55-year-old Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson River north of Manhattan. (Dopp, Bloomberg)
N.J. firefighters, police taking hit
When Camden announced last week that it could lay off nearly half of its police officers and a third of its firefighters next month, the news was surprising only in its scope. (Lu, The Philadelphia Inquirer_
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20101205_N_J__firefighters__police_taking_hit.html#ixzz17KCCjpIC
Port Authority of NY, NJ to cut 200 jobs in 2011
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s 2011 preliminary budget calls for 200 job cuts and investing $3.9 billion on capital projects including the World Trade Center. (The Associated Press)
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP611d728c651d49a4b89b66781b770cca.html
Medical Marijuana is closer to market in New Jersey
A standoff between Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and advocates for medical marijuana has ended in a compromise that could put marijuana on the market for seriously ill patients by next summer. (Hartocollis, The New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/nyregion/04marijuana.html
Union County, state officials taking new approach to prisoner re-enty
The legislation state Sen. Raymond Lesniak plans to introduce Monday, which annually would allow 2,000 formerly substance-abusing inmates out of prison and into treatment programs as long as they can meet a list of benchmarks while incarcerated, was motivated in part by his and others’ general stance that New Jersey’s prisoner re-entry process is in need of reform. (Spivey, Home News Tribune)
Municipal jobs, raises at risk in New Jersey when tax cap takes effect Jan. 1
The demand for resignations stands at one each for Cumberland County Republican and Democratic officials. (Spahr, Press of Atlantic City)
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/top_three/article_5eccbb90-0024-11e0-85b6-001cc4c03286.html
Shades of gray in debate over earmarks
There is little doubt that Congress will spend public money differently next year, when Republicans take control of the House and Democrats lead the Senate. (Jackson, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/111339534_Shades_of_gray_in_debate_over_earmarks.html
N.J. Gov. Chris Christie gets an average grade
After nearly a year in office, it’s time to give Gov. Chris Christie his first report card.
In a poll, almost half of the state’s voters give him an A or a B, and half approve of the job he’s doing. That might not sound impressive, but it is. (Moran, The Star-Ledger)
http://blog.nj.com/njv_tom_moran/2010/12/chris_christie_an_average_grad.html
In 2000, PoliticsNJ.com (now PolitickerNJ.com) entered the political stage, changing how New Jersey’s power elite received its daily political fix. Starting in January 2011, we’re shaking up Trenton once again. Stay tuned for State Street Wire.
