Here is the same story, different URL:

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie issues order curbing political donations by unions

Excellent! That is great news.

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie began his term today by testing the limits of his power, issuing an executive order curbing political donations by labor unions that Democrats and union leaders insisted would not withstand legal challenges.

Boo-hoo-hoo say Democrats and union leaders.

But his Executive Order No. 7 — broadening campaign finance rules to limit donations by labor unions that have state contracts — drew immediate objections from Democrats. Organized labor, a traditional Democratic constituency, worked feverishly against Christie during the campaign. [...]

“This will cut the legs out of Democratic fundraising. It will not go unchallenged and it will not stand,” said Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), a prolific fundraiser. “It’s clearly an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights of working men and women of New Jersey.”

Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), a prolific fundraiser.

When is he up for re-election???

Bob Master, a spokesman for the largest state workers union, the Communications Workers of America, also called the order “unconstitutional.”

“I don’t know what his motivation is. It seems to me to be way, way over the top,” Master said. “I just don’t see how it withstands legal muster.”

Christie said he was simply bringing unions in line with other “business entities,” such as law and engineering firms that have state contracts worth more than $17,500. Those businesses are barred from donating more than $300 to statewide campaigns, but freer to give in local races.

“It’s been unfair to the state of New Jersey to have one set of people who do business with the state be able to continue to contribute to campaigns, while another group of people can’t,” Christie said. “The idea of pay-to-play (reform) is to level the playing field.”

Adding unions to the pay-to-play restrictions was praised by the Election Law Enforcement Commission, the state’s campaign finance watchdog agency. “We’re very much in favor of strong pay-to-play laws,” said Jeffrey Brindle, executive director of ELEC.

Unions are businesses and IMHO, they should be illegal. What is the difference between “collective bargaining” and price fixing? How is it that the public schools do not run afoul of anti-monopoly laws? When public money goes to people, then to unions, then in the pockets of politicians spending the pubic money… how is that not racketeering?

Christie ROCKS!

What on earth do the last two paragraphs have to do with the story? Looks to me like gratuitous Republican-bashing.

But environmentalists said Christie — under the guise of promoting business growth and eliminating “red tape” — could harm preservation efforts across the state.

“They’re very dangerous when it comes to environmental protection,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

What media bias?

At the same time… I’m not exactly what you would call a “fan” of McCain-Feingold.

Supreme Court decimates McCain-Feingold campaign finance law; Update: Citizens United reacts to victory

Many of you may remember a scathing documentary by Citizens United about Hillary Clinton from 2007. I blogged about it at the time here.

The film became the center of a huge legal battle over the free-speech-stifling McCain-Feingold campaign finance scheme.

Parts of the law were struck down by the Supreme Court when the Wisconsin Right to Life group challeged advertising provisions in 2007.

Today, the law took an even bigger hit as a majority sided with Citizens United:

In a stunning reversal of the nation’s federal campaign finance laws, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Thursday that as an exercise of free speech, corporations, labor unions and other groups can directly spend on political campaigns.

Siding with filmmakers of “Hillary: The Movie,” who were challenged by the Federal Election Commission on their sources of cash to pay for the film, the court overturned a 20-year-old ruling that banned corporate and labor money. The decision threatens similar limits imposed by 24 states.

Ah… They can “directly spend.” Is that the same as bribing Democrats making campaign donations directly to politician campaigns?

http://wp.me/pFZU8-39

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Congratulations Chris Christie!

“New Jersey, you voted for change. And today, change has arrived,” Christie said in his speech at the Trenton War Memorial, steps from the Statehouse.

He repeated those four words – today, change has arrived – throughout his address.

And on the very same day, Massachusetts elects Republican Senator Scott Brown to Ted Kennedy’s seat!

Congratulations Scott Brown!

MMMMMMM-MMMMMMM-MMMMMMM!

It’s now January 20, 2010. One year ago today Barack Obama took the oath of office and became the 44th President of the United States.

Hey Washington… You-Hoo! Can you hear us NOW???

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Sussex County Tea Party Committee Announces Campaign to Recall Senator Robert Menendez

Were do I sign?

A “Committee to Recall U.S. Senator Robert Menendez,” sponsored by the Sussex County Tea Party has announced plans to launch an effort to recall Senator Robert Menendez from his position in office. Helping to lead the charge is New Jersey Tea Parties United, the state’s grass-roots coalition of county and regional Tea Party groups representing several thousand members in support of fiscal responsibility, individual liberty and limited government. The Committee filed a formal Notice of Intention to Recall with the Secretary of State’s office on September 25, 2009. While the office of the Secretary of State acknowledged receipt of the Committee’s Notice of Intention to Recall in a letter dated October 5, 2009, it has since provided no further communication. NJ state law requires that administrators respond either with an approval or with a notice of non-compliance stating the reasons within three business days of receiving the Notice, which was October 4, 2009. Since no response had been received, on November 25, 2009, the Committee filed a civil complaint in the Essex County Superior Court of New Jersey against Nina Mitchell Wells, Secretary of State and Robert F. Giles, Director of the Division of Elections, demanding that the defendants be ordered to immediately and forthwith comply with state law by issuing a response to the Committee’s Notice of Intention. To date, the Secretary of State has ignored the Notice and the Complaint in violation of state law and the Committee is awaiting a decision from the court. For up to date information, go to: njrecallnow.blogspot.com, www.defendingamericanfreedom.com, or www.njteapartiesunited.com.

njrecallnow.blogspot.com
www.defendingamericanfreedom.com
www.njteapartiesunited.com

From:

njrecallnow

NJ drunken driver ignition lock bill approved

(AP) — TRENTON, N.J. – Some first-time drunken drivers will have to install ignition interlock devices under legislation approved by both houses of the New Jersey Legislature.

The Assembly and Senate both overwhelmingly passed the bill on Monday, sending it to Gov. Jon Corzine’s desk.

It will require first-time drunken drivers with a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 percent or higher-nearly twice New Jersey’s .08 limit-to install the device. The ignition interlock won’t let the vehicle start until the driver blows into the Breathalyzer-like device and is deemed sober.

N.J. lawmakers approve creation of program to entice drivers to pay fines

TRENTON — The Motor Vehicle Commission will be required to create promotional incentives to entice problem drivers to pay their fines, lawmakers said today.

The legislation, which passed 60-14 in the Assembly, abandoned the original proposal to create a 60-day amnesty program where drivers could fork over overdue payments in full without interest or collection fees.

New Jersey lawmakers OK medical marijuana

TRENTON – The Legislature yesterday approved a bill that would make the state the 14th to allow chronically ill patients access to marijuana for medical reasons.

Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine supports the legislation and could sign it before leaving office next week, making it law.

The bill allows patients with ailments such as cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis to buy up to 2 ounces of marijuana a month at state-monitored dispensaries.

N.J. Lawmakers Pass Mandatory Sentencing Reform Bill

A bill that gives judges discretion to override mandatory sentencing rules for drug sales in drug-free school zones has passed both houses of the New Jersey legislature, the Asbury Park Press reported Jan. 8.

The measure, which also allows inmates currently serving mandatory prison terms to appeal their sentences, was approved 46-30 in the Assembly and 25-11 in the House, then sent to Gov. John Corzone.

Camden bill goes to Corzine

TRENTON — Acting in just one week’s time, New Jersey legislators on Monday approved sweeping changes to the law that put Camden under state control eight years ago.

The measure, which would dramatically boost the power of Camden Mayor Dana Redd, now goes to Gov. Jon S. Corzine. The governor, who leaves office next week, will review the revisions, said Chris Donnelly, a Corzine spokesman.

“Clearly, the current law needs to be changed — especially with Dana Redd as Camden’s new mayor,” Donnelly said.

What happens in the future when there is a new mayor?

The proposed changes would allow for an early exit of Camden’s state-appointed chief operating officer, currently the most powerful figure in city government. A COO has overseen Camden since 2002, when the state launched a $175 million turnaround effort under the Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act.The COO’s departure would launch a five-year “economic recovery period,” in which Redd would regain her mayoral authority and some of the powers held by the COO. During that period, state aid would decline and city taxes could rise up to 3 percent annually.

N.J. lawmakers OK bill pushing back start date for water quality rules

New Jersey legislators in both the Senate and Assembly overwhelmingly passed a land-use bill on Monday that federal environmental officials called “troubling,” but supporters say will stimulate the economy.

The bill, approved in the final hours of a lame-duck session, now heads to Governor Corzine’s desk for consideration during his last week in office.

At issue are water-quality rules that ultimately will be overseen by the Department of Environmental Protection. The bill would push back the starting date for those regulations until April 2011.

If it is signed into law, the placement of sewers — and the residential and commercial developments that follow — could be approved, leading to development of hundreds of thousands of acres now considered worthy of protection.

Passed in the Assembly… Don’t know about the Senate or if the Governor will sign these bills:

Assembly passes Booker-championed prisoner reentry bills

TRENTON – The Assembly on Monday approved a series of bills vociferously trumpeted by Newark Mayor Cory Booker, aimed at cutting recidivism by improving inmate education and job training, as the big city mayor heads into a reelection contest come May.

N.J. Legislature approves welfare benefits, job training for ex-offenders

TRENTON — Lawmakers approved today three bills aimed at reducing the number of former inmates returning to prison.

The legislation (A4202 and A4197) would allow ex-offenders to receive welfare benefits and require most inmates to receive job training and high school educations while behind bars. The third bill (A4201) would ensure inmates receive copies of personal documents like birth certificates upon release.

Tuition bill for undocumented immigrants dies in New Jersey

(CNN) — A controversial bill that would have allowed some undocumented immigrants to pay in-state college tuition in New Jersey died Monday evening.

Gay marriage bill defeated in NJ Senate

TRENTON, N.J., Jan 7 (Reuters) – New Jersey’s state Senate defeated a bill to legalize same-sex marriage on Thursday, a move that likely stalls the proposal in the legislature but puts it back in the hands of the courts.

The Senate, after an afternoon of debate, voted 20 to 14 against the bill. Backers had hoped to get it approved and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, a supporter, who leaves office on Jan. 19.

There isn’t much in the news, except for the medical marijuana news. That is all over! However, just as an example, here are laws that affect truck drivers. It really makes me wonder what else was voted on. Anyone have time to look it up?

NJ session ends: federal truck rules, DUI bills go down to final hours

The New Jersey Legislature is scheduled to wrap up its two-year session Monday, Jan. 11. As the final hours were ticking away on thousands of bills that have been offered during the past 24 months, lawmakers spent Monday working to get any bills with a chance at passage through the statehouse and to the governor’s desk.

The first effort – A4282/S3091 – would make various changes to state law concerning commercial driver’s licenses to comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

Fines for violating out-of-service orders would be more straightforward. Instead of first offenders facing a fine ranging from $1,100 to $2,750, they would be responsible for paying $2,500 fines. Anyone caught twice or more would be on the hook for $5,000 and would face the possibility of up to 90 days behind bars.

Motor carriers would also face greater punishment. [...]

Another effort – A3073/S1926 – would toughen the penalty for driving under the influence. It is intended to increase the use of ignition interlock devices for drunken drivers.[...]

A603/S1404 authorized “appropriately trained” local law enforcement officers to conduct random roadside inspections of trucks.

A792/S1656 allowed sheriffs to weigh, measure and inspect commercial vehicles.

A1022 required port terminals to ensure containers are not overweight or improperly loaded.

A1023 prohibited ports from making a truck wait longer than 30 minutes before beginning loading or off-loading container cargo at a terminal.

A3084/S2243 would have made an exception from the state’s cell phone law for truck drivers to assist in national security efforts.

S2636/A2415 called for prohibiting commercial trucks from being driven in the state unless they are equipped with speed governors.

A3838/S2810 required sobriety tests for all drivers in “serious” wrecks.

S2903/A4155 offered a 60-day grace period for drivers with outstanding motor vehicle surcharges to pay those surcharges without facing interest or collection costs.

New Jersey lawmakers can introduce new bills for consideration during the 2010 regular session, which opens Tuesday, Jan. 12.

A state plan to cut school funding to help balance the New Jersey budget could have some districts scrambling if it goes through — then again it may not affect some districts at all.

Districts it could hurt — including those that have been diligently putting aside funds to offset possible tax increases in future years — are crying foul and asking where the parity is in the plan.State officials last month announced a plan to rebalance the state budget in part by cutting state aid to schools by $260 million. The move would require districts with surpluses exceeding 2 percent of their own budgets — the maximum allowed by state law — to tap the extra funds.

If a school district were to save a “surplus” for something like a new school roof… can they do that with this scheme?

Administration officials said school programs, operations and local property taxes shouldn’t be affected by the aid-for-surplus swap, but contention has been brewing because the plan would also force districts that have not followed the state’s 2 percent cap to make cuts or raise school taxes.

Because of the State Government’s financial mismanagement, if ya ask me. It’s ironic… on the same day the news talks about hoe the State is cutting funding for schools:

NJ gov to highlight gains in children’s programs

TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine will highlight gains in children’s programs during his term when he delivers his final State of the State address Tuesday.

Corzine’s speech is expected to highlight accomplishments in education, child welfare and health care.

He ran on the promise of cutting property taxes. He had a plan, he said. Never happened did it?

http://wp.me/pFZU8-2W

for now…

(CNN) — A controversial bill that would have allowed some undocumented immigrants to pay in-state college tuition in New Jersey died Monday evening.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ronald L. Rice, said he removed the bill from the agenda during the final hours of the legislature’s session because it fell about four votes short of the required 21.[...]

Meanwhile, New Jersey Assemblyman Samuel Thompson, a Republican who opposed the bill, said, “You can call it undocumented. You can call it whatever you want. But you are not legal, and you are not entitled.”

They aren’t paying an out-of-country rate? They can’t legally work, can they? The same is probably true for their parents.  SO how are they paying for college?

How do things like this become law?

Advocates had hoped to pass the measure before Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, a supporter, hands over the governorship to successor Christopher J. Christie on January 19. Christie, a Republican, had said he opposed the bill.

Rice said he will reintroduce the bill in the new session, nonetheless.

“We’ll have to talk to the new governor to get him to understand the bill,” the senator said. “I don’t think [Christie] looked at a lot of these bills in depth, because he’s transitioning. But I think once he gets in, he’s going to scrutinize all of the things we want and make an objective determination.”

Rice brought forth a similar bill in 2006, but it didn’t go anywhere.

“You’re always disappointed when you can’t get it moved,” he said. “But I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ve pushed bills that have taken eight to 10 years just to get them passed.”

Corz backs call to charge ‘illegals’ in-state tuition

Governor Corzine likes the idea, he must have some good buddy lobbyists who want it.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

In Jersey City yesterday, Gov. Jon Corzine welcomed a state immigration panel’s recommendation that undocumented, or illegal, immigrants be charged in-state college tuition rates. But Corzine was cooler to other ideas that might clash with federal policy.

Speaking at the Gilligan Student Union Building at New Jersey City University, Corzine supported most of the recommendations by the Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy.

His BLUE RIBBON PANEL recommended it. I guess when a liberal left wing progressive socialist politician has a BLUE RIBBON PANEL, it give it an air of legitimacy.

Fast forward to today, when Governor Jon Corzine is a lame duck, having been defeated in November’s election. Looks as if he wants to appoint cronies and pass crazy legislation now. It sure doesn’t matter to him if all if the voters oppose it, he’s out of office.I can think of reasons why this is a bad idea.

Bill would grant immigrants in-state tuition

Why does the headline omit the word “Illegal?”

TRENTON — Residents are eligible to pay much lower tuition to attend a public college in the Garden State. Out-of-state students often pay tuition several times higher to attend the same school.

So out-of-state legal American citizens would pay higher tuition rates than illegal aliens? A student from Mexico or Yemen or Iran… who is here illegally (not a legal “resident”) would pay a lower tuition than a student from a far away exotic place such as… New York or Delaware or Pennsylvania.

The bill, which advocates are pushing to be heard in committee on Monday, would apply to New Jersey residents who have attended high school in the state for three years.

Rev. R. Lenton Buffalo, Jr., of the Union Baptist church in Elizabeth and a member of the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, said the bill isn’t just about immigration but also about discrimination.

“It wasn’t that long ago when money prohibited so many talented African Americans from going to college,” he said. “The bottom line is if a student has bought into the American dream, it shouldn’t be a nightmare when it’s time to go to college.”

Is that the argument the lobbyists used to convince the liberal left wing progressive socialist politicias that this is a good idea?

Acceptance into colleges is competitive. There are only so many seats available. These politicians think that students that are not in the country legally can bump American Citizens and State residents out of acceptance to State colleges?

In-State College Tuition For Illegal Aliens?

It’s a bad idea.

The officials of some state universities and colleges, and even some state legislators, seem to think they can get by with openly disobeying federal law. They are flagrantly violating the law that prohibits giving subsidized college tuition rates to illegal aliens.

Shouldn’t our public officials, of all people, respect the rule of law? Texas, California, New York and Utah have legislatively thumbed their noses at the federal law by passing a state law that grants in- state tuition rates to people living in our country illegally.

This gives a taxpayer benefit to illegal aliens that is denied to U.S. citizens in the 49 other states. The monetary difference, which varies from state to state, can be as high as $11,000 per year, and this windfall is given even though most state governments are crying about budget shortfalls because of the current state of our economy.

Federal law (Title 8, Chapter 14, Sec. 1623) states: “an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a State … for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.”

There was no misunderstanding about what this law means, either when Congress passed it or when President Clinton signed it in 1996. Conference Report 104-828 stated, “this section provides that illegal aliens are not eligible for in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher education.”

So will the Governor and any Senate and Assembly member who votes for this bill be arrested and led away in handcuffs for conspiring to break federal law?

I’ll say it again…  A student from Mexico or Yemen or Iran… who is here illegally (not a legal “resident”) would pay a lower tuition than a student from a far away exotic place such as… New York or Delaware or Pennsylvania. WTH?

How can anyone support this? If you don’t support this, call your representatives and let them know.

FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES

Thanks for visiting. Comments welcome.

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If you said improve the economy, you would be wrong.

Here’s what the plan appeared to be. His plan was to hire people. Ya know, hire people to lower unemployment. Pay the with taxpayer money.

Start “shovel-ready” projects, such as a tunnel under the Hudson River. Honest… increase the number of government employees. Dunno who he expected to pay for them, but that was the philosophy. No wonder he was fired.

Cash-strapped N.J. pushes off $70M routine transportation repairs onto nearly bankrupt fund

TRENTON — New Jersey can’t afford to inspect bridges, repair drainage systems or even fill potholes so it’s pushing off nearly $70 million in routine repairs onto a trust fund that is nearly bankrupt.

Last week that fund agreed to borrow another $1.2 billion for its work, raising even more concerns about the state’s record debt and the tax money needed to pay it off.

But lawmakers say they have no choice but to turn to the Transportation Trust Fund, which relies on borrowed money along with tolls and gas tax revenue to keep it afloat.

The state budget simply does not have enough money to cover things like patching potholes, and the maintenance projects keep the state’s aging transportation infrastructure safe, level and secure, lawmakers explain.

The trust fund collects more than $800 million that is supposed to pay for large-scale, long-term projects. But the fund itself is expected to dry up by mid-2011, when all the toll and tax revenue would go to making debt payments.

“The problem is there is no money,” said incoming Senate President Steve Sweeney. “We have budgets that can’t maintain the infrastructure we have.”

That is the money-line right there. We can’t afford the infrastructure we have, so why are we borrowing money to waste on “shovel-ready” jobs such as a tunnel under the Hudson River? And more light rail?

How about a new courthouse in Woodbury. Oh. Wait. Incoming Senate President Steve Sweeney is also a “County Freeholder,” and his office is in a courthouse in Woodbury. He’s also President of the Ironworkers Union.

Hmmmmmm… I dunno. Something smells awfully fishy… but I’m sure it’s on the up-and-up, with NO conflict of interest. It just doen’t

There is never, ever any corruption in New Jersey politics, is there? (tee-hee-hee)

What is it about Governor Corzine… he always seems to be accuracy-challenged. “Spending Cuts?”

Corzine announces new spending cuts

The budget must, by law, be balanced. Since the amount of revenue was wrongly forecast, and the state committed to spend too much, of course he needs to do something.

In the waning days of his administration, Corzine targeted a wide range of programs, including employee pension plans, charter school aid, cancer research, and school surplus funds.

Charter school aid cuts are just another cheap shot for the NJEA school monopoly.

Corzine’s plans would cut state aid to school districts and require schools in turn to dip into their surpluses, which function as rainy day funds, to the tune of $260 million.

Forcing towns to spend their school surplus funds is not a “spending cut.”

Cutting state aid is not a spending cut. It means the towns get less money from the state, so unless there IS a spending cut, it is simply an increase in property taxes.

School districts, which, according to state law, are supposed to keep no more than 2 percent of their annual operating budgets on hand as surplus balances, expressed concerns yesterday that dipping into already-slim rainy day funds could put them in precarious positions as they finish the year.

That is a dumb state fiscal law. One of the schools needs a new roof. The old one had a 15 year warrantee – which expired 7 years ago. So the school had 21 years to save up enough to replace the roof – it would have been a small amount each year. BUT NO!!!! Now they want to BORROW money and pay attorneys to sell the bond and pay interest instead.

The state would eliminate the $100 million it had planned to contribute to government employees’ pensions. Originally, Corzine’s budget scheduled a $1.1 billion contribution to the pension funds, already less than recommended by actuarial calculations.

Those are not cuts. Not putting money into the retirement fund isn’t a “spending cut” if the amount of money committed to pensions hasn’t changed.

Belluscio said that in addition to the $260 million from surpluses, an additional $60 million in cuts to areas such as special education and debt-service aid also would affect schools.

These are not cuts in spending, they are cuts in state aid. The debt-service isn’t reduced, just the amount that is coming from the state. It’s another PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, isn’t it?

A bit of transition… letting tax hikes expire is a good thing!

And Corzine’s latest revisions would allow the income tax surcharge on the 1 percent of New Jersey residents earning more than $400,000 per year to expire at the end of this month, as intended. The administration estimated that an extension of that surcharge through the end of June would have generated $250 million to $300 million in revenue, but Corzine opted against the extension because Christie has said he would end it.

Awesome!

Now for more good news!

Gov.-elect Chris Christie compiles plans to slash N.J. spending up to 25 percent

Awesome! That is great news, right before Christmas too!

TRENTON — Gov.-elect Chris Christie and his transition aides are compiling plans to slash New Jersey state spending and state programs by as much as 25 percent in response to the continuous flow of dim financial news from the New Jersey Treasury Department, according to an internal document obtained by The Star-Ledger.

Even before he takes office next month, his team is looking for programs that can be eliminated entirely and calling on state administrators to find untapped federal funds to cover whatever they possibly can.

That’s a welcome breath of fresh air after the fiscal mismanagement of Governor Corzine.

We need a smaller Government. We need less spending. Here’s wishing you the best, Chris Christie.

Local News:

N.J. GOV-ELECT CHRIS CHRISTIE: Time of transition

The New Jersey State Budget

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In a scathing report issued today, the state Inspector General said a Democratic county chairman from South Jersey who took the stand in defense of former Sen. Wayne Bryant during his federal corruption trial received a salary and pension credits for legal work he did not perform.

Gloucester County attorney Michael Angelini worked for state, county and municipal government over a 27-year period — holding as many as seven public jobs at one time — and boosted his annual anticipated public penson payment to more than $100,000, the inspector general said.

Angelini, of West Deptford, said in a statement he acted appropriately and under the law.

Took the stand in defense of Bryant? Wasn’t Bryant’s defense “everybody does it?”

State report questions Gloucester County Dem Party chief Angelini’s public jobs

A prominent Gloucester County Democrat was the subject of a scathing report released on Tuesday by a state agency that questions his 27 years in the state pension system.

The 62-page report against county Democrat Party Chairman Michael Angelini looks at his public jobs as an attorney for multiple municipalities and agencies – including seven at one time – and questions whether he should be eligible for the nearly $100,000-a-year pension he is seeking.

“A scathing report.” I’m sure it is. I think that there is something wrong if attorneys get hired by a municipality or agency, have their firm perform most of the work, but the attorney gets paid and receives benefits (including pension) as an “employee.”

“There were a few different types of arrangements, but for one thing, getting pension credits for work he did not perform himself seems to me to be problematic,” said state Inspector General Mary Jane Cooper, who issued the report. “These raised a concern.”

When an Inspector General says “Different types of arrangements,” “seems to me to be problematic,” “raised a concern,” you know the IG is being… polite. They have to use words such as Reportedly, allegedly, supposedly, etc…

Angelini, who has held these public jobs dating back to 1981, became the subject of this investigation following a look into the South Jersey Transportation Authority – one of the agencies which had hired him as its solicitor. [...]

At issue is whether Angelini, a partner in Woodbury-based Angelini, Viniar and Freedman, was an actual employee for these governing bodies or an independent contractor.

Depends on what your definition of ‘NJ politician’ is.

The report accused Angelini’s “employers” of using “novel and contrive arrangements, often proposed by him,” to make it so the West Deptford Democrat received pension credits for the jobs.

“Novel and contrive arrangements.” Uh-huh.

WHY SHOULD PART-TIME EMPLOYEES EARN PENSIONS?

They do because the part-time legislators make the laws.

No wonder the state pension system is vastly underfunded compared to it’s obligations. Doesn’t make it right.

Anything like Former Sen. Wayne Bryant’s “Novel and contrive arrangements?” That was a year ago. His was a case of pension-padding too, if I recall correctly.

Former Sen. Wayne R. Bryant was found guilty today of selling his office as one of New Jersey’s most influential lawmakers for a medical school job that padded his pension, in a case that also put on trial the secret political horse-trading of the state budget process.

A federal jury in Trenton convicted Bryant of bribery for soliciting a job at the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Camden County and using his influence to help the school acquire $10.5 million in state grants between 2003 and 2006.

The jury also found Bryant, 61, of Lawnside, guilty of 11 counts of mail and wire fraud stemming from the scheme to land the $35,000-a-year “low-work” job at the school, run by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Prosecutors said Bryant used the mail to apply for the job, get paid, and file a financial disclosure form for 2003 that omitted his UMDNJ job — all in an effort to defraud the state Division of Pensions and Benefits.

U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, who leaves office next month, said that of the 132 public corruption convictions his office has won, the Bryant case may be the most significant.

Ah, “The Garden State.” Chris Christie will be our new Governor! Yay!

Seems as if, on any given day…

2 more indicted in NJ corruption probe

Two more people arrested in last summer’s sweeping corruption bust in New Jersey have been indicted.

Former Republican Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt of Ocean County is charged with allegedly accepting a $10,000 payment from an undercover government witness posing as a corrupt developer.

Van Pelt’s attorney, Robert Fuggi Jr., said the government has ignored evidence that would clear his client.

A former candidate for Jersey City Council was also indicted Thursday. Lori Serrano is charged with taking $10,000 from the same government witness.

Attorney Terry Ridley said Serrano will vigorously defend against the charges.

Forty-four people were arrested July 23 in a two-track investigation into political corruption and money laundering.

I wonder what party Lori Serrano belongs to? The article is quick to point out which party Van Pelt belongs to.

Another guilty plea in massive NJ corruption case

NEWARK, N.J. – Another man arrested in New Jersey’s largest-ever corruption probe has pleaded guilty.

Charles Ammon of Lakewood admitted Monday to one count of conspiring to commit extortion.

The 33-year-old once managed Lakewood properties for Solomon Dwek, a failed real estate developer who turned government witness after being charged with federal bank fraud in 2006.

Ammon was among 44 people arrested July 23 in the two-track investigation into political corruption and money laundering.

Prosecutors say Ammon arranged meetings between Dwek and a Lakewood building inspector also arrested in the probe. The inspector allegedly accepted cash bribes in exchange for clean inspection reports.

Ammon faces up to 18 months in prison when he is sentenced Feb. 18.

There. See, ya can’t tell what party he belongs to either. Imagine that.

We know what party prominent Gloucester County Democrat Party Chairman Michael Angelini belongs to… isn’t he one of the “party boss power brokers” or whatever the correct terminology is?

Ah. New Jersey.  “The Soporano State.”

NJ Newspapers have their very own “Corruption” section.

http://wp.me/pFZU8-2B

The Cartel

THE CARTEL WINS AGAIN! | Just announced – The Cartel won the Silver Screen Award at the 2009 Nevada Film Festival AND Best Full-Length Documentary at the 2009 Downbeach Film Festival.

“The Cartel” in New Jersey

New Jersey is #1 in spending per public school student. Where does it go?

The state spends around $55,000 on average for teachers’ salaries at Paterson’s JFK High School. But total per classroom spending in the school runs to $313,268.

Here are classroom spending numbers for other schools:

Keansburg High, Keansburg, $339,592

Asbury Park High, Asbury Park, $346,569

Trenton Central High, Trenton, $366,716

James Ferris High, Jersey City, $398,666

Memorial High, West New York, $417,919

Abington Avenue Middle School, Newark, $436,096

Where does the money go, and why so much?

Perhaps because New Jersey has 616 school districts. In contrast, Maryland has only 24 school districts.

E3 (Excellent Education for Everyone)

Excellent Education for Everyone (E3) is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization devoted to improving urban public education through the powers of parental school choice. E3 promotes school choice in several different ways. E3 is organized into four major groups, each operating to achieve particular school choice goals. Each functions both autonomously and to support the activities of the other groups.

teachersunionexposed.com

The Newark teachers union boasts that it offers “The Most Comprehensive Public Employee Contract in New Jersey” as one of the benefits of membership. But the union benefits to Newark’s children fail to make the grade. Click here to see the damage done.

The Union Protects Bad Teachers

School district records show that in a four-year period (school years 2001-02 through 2004-05) only one or two tenured teachers were fired each year — a total of five teachers fired in four years.

Detroit Parents Demand Jail Time for Teachers Over Low Test Scores

Parents in Detroit are demanding jail time for teachers after the release of a report showing fourth and eigth-grade students with the lowest math scores in the nation, MyFoxDetroit reported Monday.

Sharlonda Buckman of the Detroit Parent Network is reportedly pushing for prison time and civil lawsuits against teachers and officials in the school district who are not doing enough to educate the city’s youth.

Detroit students took the National Assessment of Educational Progress test in 2009; 69 percent of fourth-graders scored below the basic level in math, while 77 percent of eighth-graders scored below average, according to the station.

Buckman and others are now calling for educators to be held accountable for the abysmal scores.

Some people wonder why NJ has one of the the highest state income taxes in the Nation. 100% of the income taxes go toward “property tax relief.” Some people wonder why NJ has the highest property taxes in the Nation. Over half of my property taxes go toward the local schools.

The Cartel. The Movie. 5 Stars. Oldhardhead recommends it.

http://wp.me/pFZU8-2s

Remember the scandal over Corzine’s appointment of Jeanne Fox to to BPU?

It seems that now he’s trying to see how many patronage jobs he can appoint at the last minute for left wing liberals friends.

Corzine was defeated in the November election. Now he’s still in office until the new governor is sworn in on January. So how much of a minefield can Corzine leave for the Governor-elect?

Christie, Corzine picking a fight over picks

Gov. Jon Corzine and Gov.-elect Chris Christie, though publicly committed to a “smooth” transition of power, are locked in a behind-the-scenes battle over nominations to posts ranging from judgeships to coveted spots at state authorities.

In the waning days of his term, Corzine intends to nominate dozens of people to paid and unpaid posts and has privately notified Christie and key legislative leaders. That process began 10 days ago when the governor Ð without warning to the Christie team Ð submitted the name of his chief of staff, Ed McBride, for a judgeship in South Jersey.

His chief of staff? Appointed to a judgeship? If that seems unprincipled, you have to remember, This is New Jersey. “What’s a judge? A Lawyer who knows a politician!”

“Jon Corzine has had four years to make these appointments but now, to put up BPU or the Sports Authority or Port Authority, to me, is just bad form on the way out the door,” Kean said.

Since the election, Christie and Corzine have disagreed over emergency funding for food pantries and soup kitchens, had disputes over state bonding and education funding, and waged a heated public disagreement over Corzine’s nomination of Middlesex County Democratic chairman Joe Spicuzzo to the Sports Authority. Despite Christie’s criticism, the Senate confirmed Spicuzzo Thursday.

The nominations, however, loom as the most serious issue separating Corzine and Christie. To resolve it, top aides to both men have been negotiating for two weeks and will meet again tomorrow. Time is running out: Key appointments require confirmation by the Senate, which isn’t slated to return until after the holidays and concludes its two-year session at noon Jan. 12.

The State Senate is filled with left wing liberal Democrats, I would expect them to confirm a ham sandwich if Corzine appointed one.

Notice I was polite and said ‘ham.’ Gee, these people int the paper are so restrained…

“The incoming governor and outgoing governor are going to have to work together to come to a compromise,” said Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen. “What the Corzine administration is trying to do is, they’re trying to be reasonable here.

Wouldn’t that would be the first time they’re trying to be reasonable in 4 years?

Christie and Corzine at odds over lame duck appointments

“To try to rush appointments through that will impact the policy-making ability of the incoming administration smacks of inappropriateness,” Kean (R-Union) said. “These are people who are going to impact policy in the upcoming four years. That is a role that is best left to the incoming governor.”

Kean said he is specifically disturbed about Corzine’s plans to nominate or renew members of the Board of Public Utilities, the Sports and Exposition Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — key government agencies with large budgets or regulatory authority.

“Jon Corzine has had four years to make these appointments but now, to put up BPU or the Sports Authority or Port Authority, to me, is just bad form on the way out the door,” Kean said.

“Smacks of inappropriateness.”    “Is just bad form.”   So polite and respectful!

Complicating the situation, Sarlo and Kean said, is a massive backlog in nominations that was already built up in Corzine’s office before the governor lost his re-election bid.

Political and legal authorities say Corzine’s delays have led to more than 35 vacancies on the Superior Court bench — nearly 10 percent of the entire corps of trial-level judges. Among the 65 appointments at issue between Corzine and Christie are five Superior Court judges whose terms will expire by May if they are not granted tenure.

“Unfortunately, these seats should have been filled,” Sarlo said.

I say leave the appointments for the new Governor.

http://wp.me/pFZU8-2o

Then there is the Brazen attempt to force the “Marriage” Movement to be legislated during the lame duck’s session. We should change the state motto to “The Soprano State.” It appears that Governor Corzine isn’t the only one trying to mine the harbor for the Governor-elect. Frickin’ shameless.

“Smacks of inappropriateness.”    “Is just bad form.”