Monmouth Poll: 8-in-10 Americans agree ethnic discrimination a problem
This morning’s Al Jazeera America/Monmouth University Poll finds that nearly all Americans agree that racial discrimination continues to be a problem for the nation, but they are divided by race on whether greater social integration is an important element in fixing the problem. The national poll – the first conducted by Al Jazeera America, with Monmouth University – also found that Americans, by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, are more likely to say that race relations have worsened rather improved since Barack Obama moved into the White House.
Fully 8-in-10 Americans agree that racial and ethnic discrimination is a problem in the United States, with half (51%) saying it is a big problem, and 30% saying it is a small problem. About 2-in-3 blacks (69%) and Latinos (66%) say discrimination is a big problem, while just under half of whites (45%) feel the same. (PolitickerNJ)
MLK Day in Roselle with Fulop and Sweeney
The two Steves running for governor showed up this morning in Roselle at the same Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial service. (Pizarro/PolitickerNJ)
MLK Day in Roselle with Fulop and Sweeney | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis
Christie comes in behind Bush, Romney in latest poll
New polling indicates that Gov. Chris Christie’s national standing may have taken a hit in recent weeks, first in the aftermath of his affair with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones but also since two of his closest competitors hinted at jumping into a 2016 presidential contest. (Brush/PolitickerNJ)
FDU Poll: 68% oppose a gas tax hike
With gas prices below $2 a gallon in some parts of the state, policymakers are considering raising the gas tax. Legislators say the additional revenue would go to fund much-needed bridge and road repairs in the state. However, the public isn’t buying it. The most recent statewide survey from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind finds respondents oppose the idea of additional taxes by a more than two-to-one margin, with many (31%) saying their opposition is driven by skepticism that the funds would be used as intended, and the belief that residents are already overburdened by taxes (45%). (PolitickerNJ)
FDU Poll: 68% oppose a gas tax hike | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis
Yudin strikes back at Stellato over Izod Center closure vote
After getting shellacked by Bergen County Democratic Chairman Lou Stellato for his January 15 vote to close the Izod Center at the Meadowlands Complex in his capacity as a board commissioner of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, Bergen County Republican Chairman Bob Yudin struck back at Stellato, laying the blame for the Izod Center closure on both circumstances and “failed Democratic policies.” (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
Chris Christie Reviews Plan for School Vouchers in Run-Up to 2016 Election
As New Jersey Governor Chris Christie moves toward a decision on whether to run for president, he is touting his education success stories, including tenure reform and more charter schools. Yet one victory has eluded him – the Opportunity Scholarship, a voucher program for students in the worst-performing public schools. (Sullivan/Forbes)
Chris Christie and 2016: Jockeying for position
WHILE covering various races in the run up to the midterm election last year, I kept running into Chris Christie, New Jersey’s governor. One week I spied him in Michigan, the next I saw him in Illinois and then I think it was back in Michigan. We could have car-pooled. As head of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), Mr Christie spent a lot of time and money campaigning for his fellow Republicans. The RGA spent $130m on 2014’s elections, including about $14m in Michigan and a whopping $19m in Florida. He helped defend most of the Republican gubernatorial incumbents and even helped win seats in Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois, all states with voters that lean Democratic (not unlike his home state). Most everywhere he went he was greeted with loud cheers—sometimes louder than the candidate he was campaigning for. Occasionally he was treated like a rock star. The reception he received even in blue states like Illinois made me realise that Bridge-gate—a year-old scandal over lane closures on a commuter bridge connecting New York and New Jersey—did not much matter to many people outside of New Jersey. (The Economist)
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/01/chris-christie-and-2016
Will Larry Logan lead like Chris Christie?
Gov.-elect Larry Hogan has given New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a special place in his inaugural ceremony this week, testifying to his gratitude for Mr. Christie’s work on behalf of Mr. Hogan’s underdog campaign. A nice gesture, to be sure. But here is a warning to the people of Maryland: Hope that your new governor does not lean on New Jersey’s governor for guidance on what to do once in office. (MacInnes/Baltimore Sun)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-christie-hogan-20150119-story.html
Governor Chris Christie Commemorates The Life Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today issued the following statement in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:
New Jersey’s economy is still too weak for some
EWING, N.J. (AP) – Gov. Chris Christie zeroed in on the bright spots in New Jersey’s economy in his State of the State address last week, but the economy remains too sluggish for many across the state.
Christie’s State of the State address highlighted New Jersey’s tumbling unemployment rate – down to 6.4 percent from 9.7 percent when he took office in 2010 – and came as he considers running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. (Catalini/Associated Press)
Dems agree Christie can run for president and run NJ
Gov. Chris Christie has said that if he decides to run for president in 2016 he will not leave office. A run for the White House would entail a tremendous amount of out-of-state travel, but Christie has insisted he can govern the state from anywhere. This may surprise many, but top Democrats in the New Jersey legislature actually agree with the governor. (McArdle/NJ101.5)
