Morning News Digest: December 6, 2011
By Missy Rebovich
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Speculation heavy as redistricting deadline looms
The Cook Report today reported that New Jersey’s redistricting battle, scheduled to be decided the week of December 19, is leaning toward a combined district that includes U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett’s 5th and U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman’s 9th.
The two men would then presumably battle to represent the combined district in November.
But sources tell PolitickerNJ, the combined district is just one option under exploration by the committee, which includes six Republicans and six Democrats and counts Rutgers Law School Dean John Farmer Jr. as its 13th and tie-breaking member. (Isherwood, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/52980/speculation-heavy-redistricting-deadline-looms
Sources: Christie wants to showcase county chairs at Romney event
Republican sources say state committee emissaries want GOP county chairs to pack a stage next Monday when Gov. Chris Chris Christie and his allies formally launch a statewide effort on behalf of 2012 Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.
Romney is scheduled to be in Parsippany for the fundraiser, according to Bergen Record columnist Charles Stile.
Christie’s goal is to get party chairs to commit to Romney now rather than risk the penetration of Newt Gingrich siren songs.
Earlier this year, prior to Christie’s official endorsement of Romney, sources said some county chairs flirted with the prospect of backing then-presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty or Texas Gov. Rick Perry. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/52942/sources-christie-wants-showcase-county-chairs-romney-event
Lesniak wants Dems to replace Biden with Hillary Clinton
A prominent New Jersey state senator wants Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to replace Joe Biden as President Barack Obama’s vice presidential running mate.
“She’s a rock star,” said state Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-20), Elizabeth, who feels an Obama-Biden replay of 2008 might not be potent enough in these times.
Lesniak said he doesn’t know if there’s any talk going around about Clinton replacing Biden.
“But there should be, and it should be more than just talk,” the senator said. “While all the talking heads and pollsters focus on the unemployment rate, favorability numbers, right track, wrong track, yada, yada, yada, this election will be decided on the issue of President Obama’s competence: does he have the right stuff to get the job done…” (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/52939/lesniak-wants-dems-replace-biden-hillary-clinton
Gov. Christie receives leadership award in Washington
Gov. Chris Christie was in rarefied company today in Washington as he accepted a leadership award from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and The Washington Post.
Christie, who was termed an “unconventional state leader,” shared the honor with a Google director, a university president and a Nobel Prize winner. The occasion provided him with a stage to polish his growing national reputation.
“There is no denying his ability to get results,” the Post publisher, Katharine Weymouth, said when introducing Christie, noting that his blunt style also helped him to make enemies in Trenton.
Christie chuckled as he took the podium. “Brusque, enemies? Kind of a typical introduction for me,” he said. (Megerian, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/gov_christie_receives_leadersh.html
N.J. Democratic and GOP legislative candidates spend $13.6M in last days of 2011 campaign
Democratic and Republican legislative candidates spent $13.6 million in the final days of their election campaigns in October and November, almost 36 percent of the money spent during the entire campaign, the state Election Law Enforcement Commission reported Monday.
On a percentage basis, the amount of last-minute spending is only slightly smaller than during a comparable election four years ago when legislative candidates spent $15.8 million or 37 percent in the last days of the campaign,
“Particularly in competitive districts, it is not uncommon for candidates to delay their spending as late as possible to try to keep their opponents guessing,” ELEC Director Jeff Brindle said. “So the heaviest spending often takes place during the last several days.’’ (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)
Assembly restores aid to Camden, other fiscally troubled cities
The New Jersey Assembly on Monday approved restoring $139 million in transitional aid to fiscally troubled cities, including Camden, after legislative leaders used an emergency measure to put the bill up for a vote.
The vote was 67-11 with one abstention. There was no discussion on the measure.
The move comes more than five months after Gov. Christie, a Republican, cut all but $10 million in transitional aid from legislative Democrats’ proposed state budget over concerns that they had removed oversight funding from the program.
The bill that passed Monday adds $1.5 million for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to provide oversight of the 11 cities receiving the aid. (Rao, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20111206_Assembly_restores_aid_to_Camden__other_fiscally_troubled_cities.html
N.J. saves little on reform of health benefits
Governor Christie’s health care reforms will save less next year than expected after fewer than 1 percent of workers chose cheaper insurance options — just as new figures show the cost of providing benefits continues to spike.
Nearly all of the 397,809 eligible government workers chose to stick with familiar health plans and their higher premiums, Treasury figures from November enrollment show. Reluctant enrollees largely skipped the new choices Christie put forward, which would have reduced the premium cost shared by each worker and their government employers. Actuaries had predicted 2 percent of workers would make the shift this year.
Out of the 309 workers who did change plans — less than 1 percent — only 15 of them chose the highest-deductible plans, Treasury officials said. (Fletcher, The Record)
N.J. Assembly measure to allow cities and towns to buy flood-prone properties
The Assembly Monday approved bipartisan legislation designed to give local governments the opportunity to purchase properties that repeatedly flood with money earmarked for open space preservation.
The measure (A-4267), which was approved 79 to 0, would require that the vacated land be used for either conservation or recreational purposes only. The legislation has the support of environmental groups and local governments. The measure mirrors a similar “Green Acres” measure instituted by various local governments wherein cities and towns would be allowed to establish open space trust funds specifically for the purchase of flood-prone properties. In order to establish such a fund, local governments would have to seek voter approval for an annual levy at a rate deemed appropriate. (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)
N.J. Assembly passes bill to allow over-the-counter sale of hypodermic needles
Nearly two decades after it was first introduced in New Jersey, lawmakers today gave final approval to a bill that would allow intravenous drug users to buy needles without prescriptions in an effort to stem the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.
Under the bill (A1088), which passed the Assembly 54-24, pharmacies could to sell up to 10 hypodermic needles to adults over the counter. Supporters say intravenous drug users should have easy access to clean needles because sharing used ones increases their chances of getting blood-borne diseases.
The measure now advances to Gov. Chris Christie, who has not said whether or not he supports it. (Friedman, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/nj_assembly_passes_bill_to_all.html
Assembly approves bill to create N.J. small business loan program
Legislation to create a state Small Business Loan Program to provide low interest loans to New Jersey small businesses that commit to increase their workforce was approved by the Assembly Monday and sent to Gov. Chris Christie for consideration.
The proposal (S-3052) would direct the state Economic Development Authority to establish the program and provide 2 percent or lower interest loans of up to $250,000 to small businesses which commit to increase employment levels by at least 10 percent within the next four years. The loans could be used for capital purchases, employee training and salaries for new positions. (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)
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N.J. Assembly Democrats approve their ‘Back to Work NJ’ legislation 47 to 32
The Democratic-sponsored “Back to Work NJ” legislation, an attempt to create jobs and bolster New Jersey’s economic growth was approved by the Assembly Monday by a vote of 47 to 32.
The bill, which received Democratic support and Republican opposition, moves to the Democratic-controlled Senate for consideration.
“Gov. Christie still has the chance to finally do the right thing and join Democrats in helping put New Jerseyans back-to-work,” Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex), a prime sponsor, said. “This is an innovative program that will allow out-of-work New Jerseyans to develop the skills to stay in the workforce in the face of unemployment. It will help workers and businesses alike to jumpstart our economy and move our state forward.” (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)
Proposal caps outside earnings for disabled cops, firefighters
A new Democratic bill aimed at reforming police and fire disability pensions would cap outside earnings and set up a law enforcement unit to investigate pension fraud.
The new measures are expected to be included this week in a proposal by state Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, according to a source familiar with the decision.
The initiative comes amid rising disability claims in the aftermath of state Supreme Court decisions that loosened requirements.
Under the proposal, former police officers and firefighters who are receiving two-thirds of their salary under an accidental pension would be capped from earning more than the extra one-third in a second job after retiring. (Method, Gannett)
Schools Development Authority: Shovels in the ground—almost
For the first time since Gov. Chris Christie revamped its management, the Schools Development Authority yesterday put out to bid a new construction project for one of the state’s neediest districts.
The proposal is for the first phase of the Academic High School in Elizabeth, among the 31 districts targeted for the court-ordered construction program. A second project for a new Long Branch elementary school remains under final review, but continues to be promised for the end of the year.
“That’s still the target,” said Kristen MacLean, the SDA’s communication director.
The deliberate restart of SDA’s work has been eagerly awaited and long criticized by Democratic and even some Republican legislators. Christie put a pause on new work while his administration revamped the beleaguered agency, but even after naming a dozen projects last spring that would proceed, none had yet to be put to bid, let alone broken ground. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/1205/2331/
Medford Mayor Chris Myers resigns amid sex scandal
Medford Mayor Chris Myers, plagued by allegations of a sex scandal involving a male escort, cited “work commitments” when he resigned Monday.
He did not elaborate about those commitments in the letter he submitted to the town clerk and manager. Shortly after the scandal broke in late October, Myers stopped returning calls for comment and began missing town meetings.
Myers, a Republican and a family man, was vice president of international business development at Lockheed Martin’s Moorestown campus before being placed on administrative leave last month.
Keith Little, spokesman for the defense contractor, said Myers left the company Dec. 1 “to pursue other opportunities.” Little declined to go into specifics of his departure. Myers’ job had been in the realm of missile systems and sensors and involved frequent travel, he said. (Hefler, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
N.J. solar-energy companies face challenges
It was the early 2000s, and Steve Masapollo was about to take the leap and quit his job managing a chain of psychiatric-treatment centers and start his own solar-installation company.
The market was wide open, and the combination of state and federal incentives was an alluring package for homeowners who could afford solar’s hefty up-front price tag. By early 2009, Masapollo said, his company was approaching $100 million in sales.
But almost three years later, as incentives for homeowners to go solar have diminished, he has watched the industry shift. It has gone from a small cast of homespun contractors installing modest, rooftop systems to large projects undertaken by big out-of-state solar companies and the utilities themselves. (Osborne, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
It’s flu season, and Trenton wants to do something about it
More than 400,000 New Jerseyans could get the flu this year, according to an estimate from the state Department of Health, which wants to see everyone over the age of six months vaccinated. But it’s likely that far fewer will heed the advice: about 43 percent of the U.S. population and just over 63 percent of healthcare workers get the flu vaccine, according to estimates from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC’s goal is to get 90 percent of healthcare workers vaccinated, and a bill that passed the state Senate Health Committee last month requires healthcare facilities to offer flu vaccine to their workers. The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is among a number of hospitals that have boosted compliance by offering on-site flu vaccinations around the clock, according to Dr. Iris G. Udasin, director of employee health at the UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway. (Fitzgerald, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/1205/2349/
DRPA to return some economic-development funds and spend the rest
Most of the Delaware River Port Authority’s unspent $29.9 million in economic-development funds will go to non-transportation projects, according to a plan announced Monday.
The biggest payment, $6 million, is set for a new cancer center at Cooper University Hospital, whose board chairman is South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross.
The DRPA has delayed for more than a year a decision on what to do with its unspent economic-development money, the remnants of about $500 million borrowed and spent over the last 13 years on projects such as sports stadiums, concert halls, and museums. (Nussbaum, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
DRPA to spend nearly $20 million on Camden County projects
The Delaware River Port Authority has unveiled long-awaited plans to spend close to $20 million on economic development projects in Camden County, including $6 million for construction of a cancer center at Cooper University Hospital.
The list of projects, which will be funded by previously collected bridge tolls from motorists, was published Monday on the authority’s website in the form of a resolution to be acted on Wednesday at the authority’s finance committee meeting.
The authority had originally set aside the funding for a project to deepen the channel of the Delaware River from 40 to 45 feet. The panel is no longer funding that plan. (Stilwell, Gannett)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20111206/NEWS01/312060021/7-DRPA-projects-criticized
Sen. Lautenberg appeals for fugitive George Wright’s extradition
A U.S. senator from New Jersey is urging the Portuguese government to return an American fugitive who escaped from a state prison in 1970 and spent more than 40 years on the lam before being captured in September in Portugal.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg said Monday he has sent a letter to Portugal’s prime minister asking him to send George Wright back to the U.S. to serve the rest of his 15- to 30-year jail sentence for the 1962 killing of a gas station attendant during a robbery in New Jersey. (Associated Press)
Plug-in electric vehicles that can pump power back onto the grid
In the not-too-distant future, the so-called smart power grid may want to have a quick conversation with your plug-in electric vehicle.
In a demonstration in Trenton yesterday of emerging technologies that are driving the development of electric vehicles, the University of Delaware and others showcased prototypes that not only draw electricity from the power grid, but also can deliver rapid bursts of power the other way. And the vehicles get paid for that power.
The technology, dubbed Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), can help grid operators like PJM Interconnection correct short-terms changes in electricity use, an issue that can affect the stability of the power system. Although the problem, dubbed frequency regulation, is largely unknown to the public, it has attracted the attention of grid operators and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/1205/2325/
Study: Postal closure would save $11.3M annually
Nearly half of the more than 200 employees at the U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Eatontown could lose their jobs next year if the service follows through on its plan to close the facility.
The Postal Service would save about $11.3 million a year if that facility is closed, according to the results of a feasibility study done on the proposal.
A public hearing on that plan is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls.
Also being studied for closure is the Kilmer Processing and Distribution Center in Edison. That study is still in its early stages and no savings or projected job losses have been made, said postal service spokesman George Flood. (Bowman, Gannett)
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State surplus computer bill held
Legislation was held from an Assembly session today that was designed to ensure the state wipes out sensitive information about taxpayers and clients that are stored in state computers later put up for sale as surplus or are discarded. (Hooker, State Street Wire)
http://www.politickernj.com/52979/state-surplus-computer-bill-held
Don’t hold your breath for changes in DUI breath test requirements
A move to make it tougher to avoid penalties for refusing a breath test when arrested for drunken driving has hit the end of the road for the lame duck session.
“Too many questions came up about it in caucus,” said Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, following today’s Assembly session. (Hooker, State Street Wire)
http://www.politickernj.com/52978/dont-hold-your-breath-changes-dui-breath-test-requirements
It’s no secret, New Jersey Trade Secret Act headed to governor
New Jersey companies and innovators could strike back in the courts for the theft of trade secrets under an Assembly bill, passed unanimously, that’s designed as one more weapon for businesses to use during some of the worst economic times since the Great Depression. (Hooker, State Street Wire)
http://www.politickernj.com/52977/its-no-secret-new-jersey-trade-secrets-act-headed-governor
From the Back Room
Tell the truth and shame the devil
The Asbury Park Press reported Friday that the Jackson Township School Board is considering a proposal that would allow them to talk only to journalists who comport with the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics.
The measure would allow board members to request that a news outlet provide a different reporter to cover the board and if the demand is not met, shun the reporter altogether. (Isherwood, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/back_room/tell-truth-and-shame-devil
Opinion
Energized Democrats don’t hold all the cards
New Jersey Democrats strutted like roosters after the recent election and with some justification – the great Christie juggernaut failed to dent the Democratic majorities in the Legislature.
But with the post-election “lame duck” session hitting full stride in Trenton on Monday, pressure is on to show if there is any real power behind that post-election preening. Will they be a new, effective counterweight to Governor Christie, or will they roll over and hand him victories, like last time, at the order of their power broker-gamekeepers?
Not surprisingly, Democrats resent being depicted as neutered pawns in the great New Jersey Uni-Government, a non-partisan alliance between Christie and the Democratic power brokers George Norcross in South Jersey, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and his patron, Newark’s North Ward Democratic Leader Steve Adubato Sr. (Stile, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/135077943_Energized_Democrats_don_t_hold_all_the_cards.html
Cash-strapped cities still awaiting aid
When Gov. Chris Christie used his line-item veto to cut $139 million in transitional aid from the state budget in June, municipalities were at a loss as to how they were going to make up for the money they thought they were going to get.
They’re still wondering.
Despite Christie’s call months ago for a supplemental spending bill to add the money back into the budget, no action has been taken yet, save for the introduction of bills to restore the aid in the Assembly and Senate last week.
The hang-up had been the governor’s insistence that 1 percent of the original aid amount (approximately $1.5 million of $149 million in aid) be set aside for oversight. Christie maintains that oversight, to be supplied by people on site in the nearly one dozen municipalities slated to get the aid, is needed to make sure the money is spent properly. Democrats in the Legislature say the Department of Community Affairs already has systems and personnel in place to provide that oversight. (Schoonejongen, Gannett)
http://www.app.com/article/20111204/NJCOLUMNIST25/312040014/Cash-strapped-cities-still-awaiting-aid
Legislative mega-races here to stay
Number 2 is Number 3.
This year’s contentious 2nd District legislative race — headlined by the Senate race between sitting Assemblyman Vincent J. Polistina, R-Atlantic, and incumbent Sen. James Whelan, D-Atlantic, a race Whelan won — is now one of the three most expensive campaigns for the Legislature New Jersey’s history.
More than $5.1 million was spent in the South Jersey district, according to an analysis by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. Another $4.6 million was spent in the 38th District, where incumbent Sen. Robert Gordon, D-Bergen, fended off a challenge from Bergen County Freeholder John Driscoll.
These two were easily the top-spending races in the state, during a year when actual cash spent on legislative campaigns dropped 12 percent compared to 2007. (Schonnejongen, Gannett)
http://www.app.com/article/20111206/NJCOLUMNIST25/312060017/-1/NJCOLUMNIST/Legislative-mega-races-here-to-stay
A draft Jeb Bush movement in 2012?
The year 2012 will mark the 60th anniversary of two milestones in American politics. The 1952 Democratic National Convention in Chicago selected Adlai Ewing Stevenson, the Governor of Illinois as its presidential nominee. This was the last major party convention in which the presidential nominee was drafted by the delegates, rather than being an announced candidate who pursued the nomination.
It took three ballots at that convention for the Democrats to select Stevenson, who lost the general election to General Dwight David Eisenhower. Since then, every national convention of both major parties has selected its nominee on the first ballot. (Steinberg for PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/alan-steinberg/52983/draft-jeb-bush-movement-2012
