After reading Tom Moran’s editorial column in the Star Ledger, it shows me that politics is local unless you pay attention to the issues that are not only going to affect the country, but also the state and local towns.
In case you have not had a chance to read his column, I am re-printing his column in its entirety. After reading his column, we cannot wait until next year but must start now in holding not only our Congressmen accountable, but all of our elected officials accountable. We cannot sit back and allow them to get a free ride.
So as Plainfield’s Democratic Chairman, I am not waiting until next year to get started in dealing with the issues that can cause this country and state hardships, because there are a handful of people have already made a decision, ‘my way or no way’. Their ‘way’ is not good for any middle income American which is why we need to begin to make our stand now.
I invite anyone who is interested in working with me to show our Congressman Frank Pallone Jr., and our President Barack Obama, that they have our total support. We are prepared now to speak out against those who are not standing up for what is good for ALL people.
If our opposition chooses to continue to play politics, we will draw our line in the sand and not wait until next year to put forward a movement. To have our country thrown into utter chaos is completely unacceptable.
Tom Moran Editorial
NJ Republicans in Congress have become Tea Party Foot Soldiers
As we watch the final days of this embarrassing dance with default, know that one thing is already settled: The Republicans won.
Neither of the two surviving plans raises taxes at all. The federal tax bite is now frozen at its lowest level in 60 years. And that means we are entering a new era of harsh austerity, with more than 14 million Americans already out of work.
This is radical stuff. So it’s been depressing to see New Jersey’s Republican members of Congress marching in formation without making a peep. These guys used to have a reputation as moderates, and now they are reduced to being foot soldiers of the tea party.
You would expect this from Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5th Dist.) because he has been doing crazy things for many years. He voted against relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, saying he was concerned some of the money would be wasted. Now that is small government.
But what about the rest of them? Once upon a time, this crew had an independent streak that fit New Jersey like a glove. Now, they seem to be channeling their colleagues from Texas.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th) is known mostly as an ardent opponent of abortion rights. But that misses a great deal. He is a principled human rights activists who bucked the Republican line on trade with China over its political persecutions. He has a pro-union voting record. And when he defied party leaders to defend veterans’ benefits in 2005, he lost his chairmanship of the Veterans Affairs Committee. He voted for the cap-and-trade bill to combat climate change. Now, he’s hiding in his office, turning down interview requests, and marching in formation when the small light in his office clock turns on, signaling that a vote is coming.
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd) is another moderate who has been missing in action. Like Smith, he has a pro-labor voting record, and supported the last increase in the minimum wage. He gets solid scores from environmental groups, and voted for the cap-and-trade bill as well.
Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th) is another case. His inspiring moment came in Trenton when he refused to support then-Gov. Christie Whitman’s pension bond deal, a move that so infuriated his Republican colleagues that he was removed as chairman of the state Senate Appropriations Committee. He also supported the cap-and-trade bill.
Lance, like LoBiondo, has cracked the door open to support ending some corporate tax breaks, including the ethanol subsidy. But for the most part, they are making no fuss as their party pushes this program.
Maybe they really believe this is the right approach. Lance and Garrett supported a budget plan that was even more extreme than the party leadership’s. Inspired by the tea party crowd, it would have savaged programs such as food stamps and health care for the poor and eliminated funding for the arts and public broadcasting, while cutting taxes on the rich.
But the political pressure to go along on the debt ceiling plan was crushing, so it’s hard to tell where their true sentiments lie.
“Both parties have made this a test of loyalty and strength,” says Stuart Rothenberg of the respected Rothenberg Report. “It happens a couple of times in a Congress, and this is one of them.”
It is true that some Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, are being as dogmatic as Republicans. But President Obama has made major compromises, and even the Senate Democratic plan contains no tax increases.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that Democrats have given more ground than Republicans.”
That brings us to the final depressing point: Republicans now have Obama’s number. They’re going to win the next round, too. Because in a game of chicken like this, it always comes down to a question of who is more nuts.
Republicans made it clear that they would not lift the debt limit unless Democrats caved on taxes. That would have wrecked the economy, but they did seem ready to do it. And with that gun pointed to the hostage’s head, Obama decided to yield.
That is an ugly tactic. Too bad none of the Republicans from New Jersey stood up to object. It will be interesting to see how the state’s moderate voters react next November.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Barnes on Gov. Christie's Budget Cuts to Legal Services Programs
**MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE**
(Trenton) - Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Peter J. Barnes III (D-Middlesex) issued a multimedia package Thursday in which he discusses the impact the budget cuts Gov. Christie made to legal services for low-income New Jerseyans.
The multimedia package consists of a video of Assemblyman Barnes' comments and audio and a transcript of same.
The video can be accessed directly via our website - http://www.assemblydems.com/ - or by the following link: http://www.vimeo.com/27054561
A transcript of comments by Assemblyman Barnes is appended below:
Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes III (D-Middlesex), Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman:
"Legal Services has always provided legal representation to those below the poverty line and, over the last three or four years, that group has grown substantially.
"The cuts in the budget were $10 million. And that $10 million cut really has had a devastating impact. The reduction in staff of lawyers and paralegals and support staff will mean that even more of our fellow citizens who are below the poverty line are not going to be represented.
"And so, if one party has a lawyer and the other doesn't, the one that doesn't is really at a tremendous disadvantage.
"The governor has shown some flexibility by reconsidering his line item vetoes in other areas of the budget. This is yet another category that we would respectfully ask him to reconsider."
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A Letter from Senate President Stephen Sweeney
Dear Friend,
As the weather heats up all across New Jersey, so too has the over-heated rhetoric of the Republicans running for the State Legislature. As we expected, this first glimpse of their playbook exposes their plan to try and hoodwink the voters with a campaign of innuendo, distortions and outright falsehoods.
I want to assure you that we're going to meet the Republican misinformation campaign head-on. We will challenge them in the newspapers, through the mail, on television and radio, and via the Internet. We know, however, that the best way to set the record straight is to bring the truth directly to you so you can tell your family, friends and neighbors when Chris Christie and the Republicans are trying to pull a fast one.
By following New Jersey's Democratic Legislative Majority on Twitter, you'll get information to challenge the GOP in real time. I also encourage you to follow the Democrats running for the State Senate and Assembly in your home district, share your thoughts and interact throughout the campaign with the men and women who want to represent you and your family in Trenton.
It's really no surprise that the Republicans are trying to deceive and otherwise manipulate the voters in an attempt to protect their positions in Trenton. Over the past 18 months, they have voted over and over again to increase rather than lessen the hardships on the middle class. They have slashed funding for programs for seniors while at the same time raising their property taxes; cut money to adequately fund our schools; decimated programs ensuring cancer screenings and other critical health-care services for thousands of women and children; and slashed spending for the disabled, veterans and others who are among the most vulnerable in our state. At the same time, they inexplicably voted to protect lucrative tax breaks for multimillionaires -- siding with the state's very wealthiest residents while turning their backs on the middle class.
As Democrats, we have different priorities: Yours. Over the last 18 months, we have waged a relentless fight against the Republicans across New Jersey as they have inflicted blow after blow against the vast majority of this state's residents. We are determined to continue fighting to make New Jersey more affordable, with a better quality of life, for everyone.
On August 1, there will be exactly 100 days until Election Day, when New Jersey voters will go to the polls to elect a new State Legislature. The choices will be very clear: Republicans who will rubber stamp Chris Christie every step of the way -- or Democrats who will stand up for the interests of you and your family.
Won't you please follow along?
Sincerely,
Senate President Stephen Sweeney
As the weather heats up all across New Jersey, so too has the over-heated rhetoric of the Republicans running for the State Legislature. As we expected, this first glimpse of their playbook exposes their plan to try and hoodwink the voters with a campaign of innuendo, distortions and outright falsehoods.
I want to assure you that we're going to meet the Republican misinformation campaign head-on. We will challenge them in the newspapers, through the mail, on television and radio, and via the Internet. We know, however, that the best way to set the record straight is to bring the truth directly to you so you can tell your family, friends and neighbors when Chris Christie and the Republicans are trying to pull a fast one.
By following New Jersey's Democratic Legislative Majority on Twitter, you'll get information to challenge the GOP in real time. I also encourage you to follow the Democrats running for the State Senate and Assembly in your home district, share your thoughts and interact throughout the campaign with the men and women who want to represent you and your family in Trenton.
It's really no surprise that the Republicans are trying to deceive and otherwise manipulate the voters in an attempt to protect their positions in Trenton. Over the past 18 months, they have voted over and over again to increase rather than lessen the hardships on the middle class. They have slashed funding for programs for seniors while at the same time raising their property taxes; cut money to adequately fund our schools; decimated programs ensuring cancer screenings and other critical health-care services for thousands of women and children; and slashed spending for the disabled, veterans and others who are among the most vulnerable in our state. At the same time, they inexplicably voted to protect lucrative tax breaks for multimillionaires -- siding with the state's very wealthiest residents while turning their backs on the middle class.
As Democrats, we have different priorities: Yours. Over the last 18 months, we have waged a relentless fight against the Republicans across New Jersey as they have inflicted blow after blow against the vast majority of this state's residents. We are determined to continue fighting to make New Jersey more affordable, with a better quality of life, for everyone.
On August 1, there will be exactly 100 days until Election Day, when New Jersey voters will go to the polls to elect a new State Legislature. The choices will be very clear: Republicans who will rubber stamp Chris Christie every step of the way -- or Democrats who will stand up for the interests of you and your family.
Won't you please follow along?
Sincerely,
Senate President Stephen Sweeney
Christie: Motor Vehicle Commission Fact Check
Gov. Christie reportedly claimed on Tuesday that the Legislature cut $35 million from the budget for MVC technology improvements, but here's a simple fact check.
The Democratic budget included $5.5 million in cuts to information technology, but nothing that the administration said was directly related to MVC computers.
A press release from the governor's office even stated that $5.5 million figure on July 13. It was sent out at 5:35 p.m. that day. Go back and check. (You won't find that release on the governor's website.)
Now please consider the following:
*In Christie's first year, FY 2011, the state spent almost $80 million less in total IT spending than it did the year before. So Christie is trying to blame others when in reality he did major damage in FY 2011.
*The MVC chief seemed quite pleased with the current state of information technology when he testified before the budget committee. See below:
"In speaking of the advancement of a technology investment such as the DARTSS system, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the major progress we've seen on our MATRX project, which is already in the second phase of a three-phase roll out. As we've noted in the past, this is a complete system overall that will provide improvement to every facet of motor vehicle services..."
And:
"Whether it's a new venture such as sports plates, security enhancement projects or technology and infrastructure investments, there have been a great amount of progress once again at the MVC, progress that we will take into the next fiscal year..."
And don't forget this:
*In the FY 2012 budget, more than $136 million in MVC revenue was raided for other use - $65 million more than in FY 2011.
*$85.8 million goes directly to the general fund.
*$20 million is transferred from the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Fund to NJ Transit.
*$30.9 million is transferred from MVC revenues to a variety of other departments
*If the administration believes MVC has such a great need for IT funding, why didn't it let MVC keep more of its revenue instead of raiding almost twice as much as last year?
Perhaps the governor should spend more time trying to fix the MVC problem as head of the executive branch and less time blaming others with figures that cannot be supported.
The Democratic budget included $5.5 million in cuts to information technology, but nothing that the administration said was directly related to MVC computers.
A press release from the governor's office even stated that $5.5 million figure on July 13. It was sent out at 5:35 p.m. that day. Go back and check. (You won't find that release on the governor's website.)
Now please consider the following:
*In Christie's first year, FY 2011, the state spent almost $80 million less in total IT spending than it did the year before. So Christie is trying to blame others when in reality he did major damage in FY 2011.
*The MVC chief seemed quite pleased with the current state of information technology when he testified before the budget committee. See below:
"In speaking of the advancement of a technology investment such as the DARTSS system, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the major progress we've seen on our MATRX project, which is already in the second phase of a three-phase roll out. As we've noted in the past, this is a complete system overall that will provide improvement to every facet of motor vehicle services..."
And:
"Whether it's a new venture such as sports plates, security enhancement projects or technology and infrastructure investments, there have been a great amount of progress once again at the MVC, progress that we will take into the next fiscal year..."
And don't forget this:
*In the FY 2012 budget, more than $136 million in MVC revenue was raided for other use - $65 million more than in FY 2011.
*$85.8 million goes directly to the general fund.
*$20 million is transferred from the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Fund to NJ Transit.
*$30.9 million is transferred from MVC revenues to a variety of other departments
*If the administration believes MVC has such a great need for IT funding, why didn't it let MVC keep more of its revenue instead of raiding almost twice as much as last year?
Perhaps the governor should spend more time trying to fix the MVC problem as head of the executive branch and less time blaming others with figures that cannot be supported.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Greenwald: Christie's Cuts to Legal Service Put Vulnerable Residents at a Greater Disadvantage
(Trenton) - Assembly Budget Chairman Lou Greenwald (D-Camden) released the following statement Wednesday after hearing testimony on the impact of the governor's cuts to Legal Services of New Jersey and other legal assistance programs for the poor.
The governor cut $10 million from Legal Services of New Jersey. The governor also eliminated funding for clinical legal programs for the poor at Rutgers School of Law in Camden and in Newark.
Both programs lost $200,000 under the cuts:
"We heard from a gentleman from Camden today who said he's heard people talk about needing to turn to prayer in response to the governor's budget cuts and as they weighed the impact to legal services on their community. He is turn told them, "God doesn't need the money. Legal services do.'"
"I too am a big believer in prayer, but also in taking appropriation action."
"His story reminded me of the old joke about a man who seeks refuge on the roof of his house during a flood. He turns away a person in a canoe, a boat and then a helicopter, telling each that God is going to save them. At the pearly gates, he asks God why he didn't save them, and God tells him he sent help for him three times and he refused."
"The moral of the story is we must take action into our own hands, and we have done this with this budget that responsibly boosted funding for Legal Services and maintained funding for vital health clinics for the poor. It's unfortunate that the governor could not understand that, but perhaps after hearing today's testimony he will do the right thing and reconsider these cuts, as he has with others."
The governor cut $10 million from Legal Services of New Jersey. The governor also eliminated funding for clinical legal programs for the poor at Rutgers School of Law in Camden and in Newark.
Both programs lost $200,000 under the cuts:
"We heard from a gentleman from Camden today who said he's heard people talk about needing to turn to prayer in response to the governor's budget cuts and as they weighed the impact to legal services on their community. He is turn told them, "God doesn't need the money. Legal services do.'"
"I too am a big believer in prayer, but also in taking appropriation action."
"His story reminded me of the old joke about a man who seeks refuge on the roof of his house during a flood. He turns away a person in a canoe, a boat and then a helicopter, telling each that God is going to save them. At the pearly gates, he asks God why he didn't save them, and God tells him he sent help for him three times and he refused."
"The moral of the story is we must take action into our own hands, and we have done this with this budget that responsibly boosted funding for Legal Services and maintained funding for vital health clinics for the poor. It's unfortunate that the governor could not understand that, but perhaps after hearing today's testimony he will do the right thing and reconsider these cuts, as he has with others."
Barnes: Cuts to Legal Services a Blow for Working Class New Jerseyans
(Trenton) - Assembly Judiciary Chairman Peter J. Barnes III (D-Middlesex) released the following statement Wednesday after hearing testimony on the impact of the governor's cuts to Legal Services of New Jersey and other legal assistance programs for the poor.
The governor cut $10 million from Legal Services of New Jersey. The governor also eliminated funding for clinical legal programs for the poor at Rutgers School of Law in Camden and in Newark. Both programs lost $200,000 under the cuts:
"The governor's second significant funding cut in as many years to Legal Services of New Jersey - combined with the new cuts to the legal clinics - couldn't have come at worse time for working class New Jerseyans.
"This situation has unfortunately become a major concern, and it didn't have to be this way. Our responsible plan would have helped ease this crisis, but the governor not only cut the $5 million funding increase we approved for Legal Services, but cut another $5 million and then targeted the legal clinics for the poor in Camden and Newark.
"Our justice system rests upon the belief that each citizen deserves adequate representation in the courts, but the testimony we heard today shows many of our poorest residents won't have access to such representation as they fight concerns like foreclosure and domestic violence. That's not right.
"This is a matter of fairness. Cutting costs in these difficult economic times is a must, but we do so in a way that ensures all New Jerseyans receive justice. Everyone - not just New Jersey's wealthiest residents - should have access to proper legal representation.
"I will continue to work on a legislative solution, hopefully with cooperation from the governor, but the governor also needs to reconsider these cuts."
The governor cut $10 million from Legal Services of New Jersey. The governor also eliminated funding for clinical legal programs for the poor at Rutgers School of Law in Camden and in Newark. Both programs lost $200,000 under the cuts:
"The governor's second significant funding cut in as many years to Legal Services of New Jersey - combined with the new cuts to the legal clinics - couldn't have come at worse time for working class New Jerseyans.
"This situation has unfortunately become a major concern, and it didn't have to be this way. Our responsible plan would have helped ease this crisis, but the governor not only cut the $5 million funding increase we approved for Legal Services, but cut another $5 million and then targeted the legal clinics for the poor in Camden and Newark.
"Our justice system rests upon the belief that each citizen deserves adequate representation in the courts, but the testimony we heard today shows many of our poorest residents won't have access to such representation as they fight concerns like foreclosure and domestic violence. That's not right.
"This is a matter of fairness. Cutting costs in these difficult economic times is a must, but we do so in a way that ensures all New Jerseyans receive justice. Everyone - not just New Jersey's wealthiest residents - should have access to proper legal representation.
"I will continue to work on a legislative solution, hopefully with cooperation from the governor, but the governor also needs to reconsider these cuts."
Quigley: Christie Cuts Will Jeopardize Protection for Domestic Violence Victims
Assemblywoman Stresses Importance of Restoring Funding for Legal Services
(Trenton) - Assemblywoman Joan Quigley (D-Bergen/Hudson) on Wednesday stressed the importance of restoring funding for legal services to aid the poor after listening to testimony during the Assembly Judiciary Committee on how the Governor's cuts, in particular, will harm victims of domestic violence.
"In what appears to be a sad trend, the Governor's budget cuts fall disproportionately on the backs of women, particularly poorer women in this state," said Quigley. "When representatives from Legal Services of New Jersey say they may have to turn away 9 out of 10 domestic violence cases because of these cuts, it raises a serious red flag. Jeopardizing public safety to balance the budget, while allowing the state's wealthiest to scapegoat any sacrifice, is a sad commentary on the Governor's priorities."
Christie cut $10 million from Legal Services of New Jersey, which provides legal assistance to low-income New Jerseyans for their civil legal problems. This cut comes after the governor cut $9.7 million from the program in 2010, creating staff cutbacks and other concerns amid rising demand for legal services and increased poverty.
The governor also this year eliminated funding for clinical legal programs for the poor at Rutgers School of Law in Camden and in Newark. Both programs lost $200,000 under the cut.
"Legal Services of New Jersey provides immeasurable assistance to those who can't afford the means to protect themselves or combat legal injustices," added Quigley. "The Governor's cut to this program will make it extremely difficult to victims of domestic violence to get assistance in obtaining restraining orders and other vital services. As we've seen already, when the Governor is so inclined, he finds a way to restore funding to some of his more egregious cuts. This is one of those areas that should be given the same attention."
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