Morning News Digest: May 11, 2011
By Missy Rebovich
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Potosnak files to run for Congress in 2012
North Plainfield educator Ed Potosnak filed today to run for Congress in the 7th District, setting up a potential Democratic Primary showdown between Potosnak and former Edison Mayor Jun Choi. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/47576/potosnak-files-run-congress-2012
Christie on prez buzz: ‘Nobody from Iowa was coming here to beg Jon Corzine to run for president’
Even though Gov. Chris Christie has been clear that he is not running for president, he doesn’t mind the Iowa Republican organizers coming in to recruit him. (Carroll, PolitickerNJ)
Gov uses gas tax to defend opposition to millionaire’s tax
Gov. Chris Christie, in his town hall remarks today, told the crowd that if he lets his “foot off the throat” of the Democratic Legislature regarding the millionaire’s tax surcharge, then the gas tax would be next. (Carroll, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/47575/gov-uses-gas-tax-defend-opposition-millionaires-tax
Christie: Democrats not helping on local taxes
A year to the day after he proposed a “tool kit” of legislation intended to lower property taxes, Gov. Christie used his bully pulpit Tuesday to blast Democratic legislators for not taking action on the measures, while Democrats served up proposals of their own. (Rao and Katz, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Gov blasts Democrats at town hall
Gov. Chris Christie called legislative Democrats pickpockets in a display of confrontational rhetoric Tuesday that was not without contortions. (Roh, Gannett)
http://www.app.com/article/20110511/NJNEWS/305110010/Gov-blasts-Democrats-at-town-hall
Gov. Christie to speak at Seton Hall commencement
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will be the commencement speaker for Seton Hall University. (The Associated Press)
http://www.app.com/article/20110510/NJNEWS10/305100065/Gov-Christie-speak-Seton-Hall-commencement
Senate leader set to push reform plan Despite slim Democratic support, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney is prepared to move forward with a plan to overhaul public employee pensions and health benefits before the end of June. (Renshaw, Herald News)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/121617058_Senate_leader_set_to_push_reform_plan.html
Town sales, income tax gain backing
To lower property taxes, towns might want to raise some other taxes, Assemblyman Lou Greenwald said Tuesday. (Friedman, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/121617083_Town_sales__income_taxes_gain_backing.html
Analyst: State bonds garner more interest
An analyst for a Philadelphia-based brokerage says fear about New Jersey’s financial condition has led to an oversold condition for state bonds. (Gannett)
Lewis case may be heard by jury
A federal judge who will decide whether Olympic superstar Carl Lewis has lived in New Jersey long enough to run for the state Senate said Tuesday that he could call a jury to hear parts of the case. (Delli Santi, The Associated Press)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110511/NEWS01/105110347/Lewis-case-may-heard-by-jury
First DOE job postings hint at restructuring to come
They are just advertisements at this point, but the first job postings for senior New Jersey education department positions are giving some of the first looks at acting Commissioner Chris Cerf’s expected reorganization of the department. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0510/2338/
Urban enterprise zone officials and mayors oppose cuts to UEZ program
Proposed changes in funding the state’s urban enterprise zones could have dramatic effects in the Wildwoods, limiting public improvements in tourist areas and possibly stalling the development of a $13 million roller coaster, a program director said Tuesday. (Fletcher, Press of Atlantic City)
LoBiondo, Runyan support oil drilling off Mid-Atlantic coast
Local lawmakers are among supporters of federal measures designed to open up drilling off the Mid-Atlantic coast. (Miller, Press of Atlantic City)
N.J. to aid jobless with mortgages
Unemployed homeowners in New Jersey struggling to make their mortgage payments can now get interest-free government loans. (Gannett)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110511/BUSINESS/105110314/N-J-aid-jobless-mortgages
Lautenberg hosts forum at Rowan on responses to bullying
On Tuesday, the office of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg hosted a forum at Rowan University featuring panelists from the United States Department of Education, the Federal Trade Commission, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association and the New Jersey State Police to discuss the problem of bullying and provide information about resources available at the federal and state level. (Driscoll, The Gloucester County Times)
http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-6/130510231145771.xml&coll=8
Advocates praise N.J. plan to provide housing for hundred of developmentally disabled people
A state plan to use affordable-housing dollars to move 600 developmentally disabled people into renovated homes over the next two years earned praise Tuesday from advocates, who called it a step toward alleviating a severe housing shortage. (Goldberg, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/advocates_praise_nj_plan_to_pr.html
The man keeping an eye on Camden schools
For more than 20 years, Mike Azzara has been New Jersey’s resident troubleshooter when it comes to schools in the biggest trouble. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0510/2334/
New Jersey to announce new, more secure driver’s licenses
New Jersey officials can tell you all about why they are introducing a new digital driver’s license with enhanced security features. But what’s changed? Well, that’s a secret. (The Associated Press)
Port ID program may compromise security: senator
A federal investigation has found serious problems with the worker identification program at U.S. ports that could compromise security, a U.S. senator from New Jersey said on Tuesday. (Nichols, Reuters)
Horsemen support for NJ Meadowlands questioned
Tom Luchento, the head of the Standardbred Owners and Breeders Association of New Jersey, is worried that trainers and owners are being lured away from the Meadowlands by racinos in other states. (Jordan, Gannett)
http://blogs.app.com/capitolquickies/2011/05/10/horsemen-support-for-nj-meadowlands-questioned/
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Belittling Greenwald tax plan, Christie again mentions gas tax
Following today’s re-announcement by Assemblyman Lou Greenwald, (D-6), of Voorhees, of his plan to give local towns the option to levy income and sales taxes, Gov. Chris Christie laughed off the Democratic option – in Greenwald’s hometown, no less. (Carroll, State Street Wire)
http://www.politickernj.com/47585/belittling-greenwald-tax-plan-christie-again-mentions-gas-tax
Needing front office review, Adoptees Birthright Bill has personal meaning to Christie
His sister was adopted, so Gov. Chris Christie said the Adoptees Birthright Bill literally hits home for him. (Carroll, State Street Wire)
Virtua triples hospital size; Christie gives credit to Corzine administration
Gov. Chris Christie showed up Tuesday to open the 750,000-square-foot expansion of Virtua’s Voorhees Hospital, but humbly turned down the credit. (Carroll, PolitickerNJ)
15th District legislators cite closing of charter school as cautionary tale
Fifteenth district legislators cited the closure of a Trenton charter school as reason for the Christie administration to move with caution as it pushes for more charter schools. (Staff, State Street Wire)
Opinion
Deal over state Supreme Court justices not really a compromise
A day short of a year after it started, the ice cracked in what had been a glacial standoff between Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney over retooling the state Supreme Court into a body that interprets laws, instead of making them. It shows the governor knows when to move on. (Ingle, Gannett)
Dow should have told Lou who needs to find that money
I was reporting on another aspect of that Assembly Budget Committee meeting last Friday at which the committee heard from Attorney General Paula Dow. (Mulshine, The Star-Ledger)
http://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2011/05/dow_should_have_told_lou_who_n.html
Xanadu is history, say hello to the American Dream
In Xanadu did Christie Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree,
Where Hack-n-sac, a river, ran
Through swamps measureless to man,
Down to a junk-strewn sea.
He did do that. Our governor, Christopher Christie, self-styled master of all he surveys in New Jersey, decreed last week that good things were about to happen to Xanadu, the giant pleasure dome that never opened. (Ahearn, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/columnists/ahearn/ahearn_051110.html
