The New Jersey Association of Counties sometimes fights legislation designed to help reduce property tax bills, but an investigation by The Record shows taxpayers are subsidizing the association although it is a private lobbying group. County governments kick in about 20 percent of the annual budget, about $200,000 a year. [...]
Brian Stack
For some time I've maintained the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards is a waste of time and should be dismissed as a farce, then disbanded. This proves it. A complaint against Sen. Brian Stack was dismissed unanimously for frivolous reasons. Some background:Â Steve' [...]
It's been a while since the first Thanksgiving feast on our shores, back in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts. You think it's a hassle now? That one lasted for three days. And they didn't have a game to watch (or anything to watch one on) because it' [...]
David Rousseau
October revenue collections for New Jersey fell $222 million. That's a 11.6 percent drop. Treasurer David "Let Them Drink Beer" Rousseau says for the year, revenue is $400 million or 5.1 percent under projections. He says more must be done to keep the budget [...]
Alex DeCroce
My colleague Rob Jennings of The Daily Record reports Gov.-elect Chris Christie may be in a position to scuttle New Jersey's awful red light camera experiment. Corzine signed that into law in '08 but it is just now getting started. Newark went first with' [...]
Anne Milgram
A paid political consultant has been charged with impersonation in connection with "robocalls" that attacked two Republican incumbents in the June primary for the Assembly's 40th District. Attorney General Anne Milgram's office said Kevin Collins, 39, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged with violation of [...]
Paul Sarlo
They're beginning to question whether Sen. Paul Sarlo has the temperament or the manners in public to run the Judiciary Committee. Sarlo was trying to ram through quadruple-dipper Nicolas Fargo of Hudson County for a place on the county tax board. Fargo is a' [...]
Bad news from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. The 1,400 Jersey employers who responded to the NJBIA's annual poll expressed little hope for a quick turnaround in the economic crisis. Most respondents said they don't expect to hire additional workers over the next 12 months. Sales, profits and' [...]
Middlesex County Sheriff Joseph Spicuzzo has been cleared for a seat on the Sports and Exposition Authority but not without controversy. Spicuzzo, who also chairs the Middlesex County Democratic organization, was asked by Sen.
Gerald Cardinale about Spicuzzo's connection to former state Sen. John Lynch, who Chris Christie sent to [...]
Rob C. has a knack for summing up things quickly with a keen sense of humor. His latest production zips through the governor's race in 1:26. I think I hear the voice of a newspaper columnist asking in a TV debate about raising taxes and a radio news director questioning [...]
Chris Christie
Gov.-elect Chris Christie went across the Delaware River today to meet with another former prosecutor, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. Christie went to Fairless Hills and stood outside a business that went from New Jersey to Pennsylvania . Christie said New Jersey should mimic Pennsylvania's' [...]
Dana Redd
CQ Press looked at FBI crime data and concluded Camden is the most dangerous city in the nation for 2008. Camden always seems to make the top 10 of dangerous city lists. St. Louis, Oakland, Calif., Detroit and Flint, Mich., round out the top [...]
Steve Sweeney
Today begins the legislative session known as lame duck, the time between an election and when the new Legislature takes over. In years past, it has been used to slip bad legislation through, although not all lame duck activity is such. There is some [...]
As a reminder that he hasn't left yet, Gov. Corzine signed two dozen bills into law Friday. You can read about them elsewhere. One of them made it illegal to sell and distribute novelty lighters. What are novelty lighters? And why are they a danger to' [...]
Nothing better illustrates what's wrong with the New Jersey education system than the case of the former Keansburg schools superintendent Barbara Trzeskowski. She left with a $119,000 annual pension, a Cadillac health plan for life and $184,586 for unused sick and vacation time. In addition, the school board gave her [...]
Weysan Dun, who has led the FBI in Newark since 2007, is heading to Omaha, according to a report on NorthJersey.com. He was at the helm during the gang of 44 arrests last summer, a roundup so massive it shocked the world. He was presented the 2008 Presidential Meritorious Executive [...]
Why is it that Jon Corzine makes sense on his way out? In addressing local officials in Atlantic City yesterday he spoke of the need for local government consolidation and shared service. He said New York City is about the same population as New Jersey but [...]
New Jersey's unemployment rate is down to 9.7 percent. Good news, a slight improvement. Private sector employment is down by 4,400 jobs. But government employment is up by 2,600 jobs. In addition, the job loss figure for September was reduced from losing 12,700 jobs to losing 10,600. That last one [...]
Steve Sweeney
Sen. Steve Sweeney says marriage equality legislation is important but should not be a priority at this time. The economy, he said, should be the main priority. It was thought for months that the lame duck Legislature would tackle gay marriage and other controversial [...]
The Delaware River Port Authority, operator of four bridges across the river and a commuter rail line, raised tolls not long ago. Now it may have to pay $111 million to cancel an interest-rate swap that backfired. Dusty McNichol, reporting for Bloomberg, said DRPA's board, with representatives from NJ and [...]
Chris Christie
Gov.-elect Chris Christie is in Lost Pines, Texas, for the annual Republican Governor's Conference (and this year added, a victory barbecue). Does that mean that Lieutenant Gov.-elect Kim Guadagno is now Gov.-elect since Christie is out of state? Christie won't have much time to' [...]
Jeanne Fox
Congratulate BPU prez Jeanne Fox. She just got the EPA's "Energy Star Award". Surprised me, I thought they only gave that to refrigerators and water heaters. Fox was recognized for spearheading the Clean Energy Program. That's been nominated by the Swiss for the Cayman [...]
Chris Daggett
A second lawyer has asked the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission to look into the robocalls reportedly made by the Democratic State Committee suggesting a vote for Chris Daggett for governor. Margaret Catalano, lawyer for the Daggett for Governor Campaign, wrote ELEC that [...]
The latest Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll contains a piece of information that probably sent Jon Corzine & Co. to the locker room. New Jersey 101.5 FM radio's audience considers itself to be mostly politically independent -- 29 percent are Democrats and 18 percent Republican. In [...]
Former Seacaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and a political associate, Ronald Manzo, have been indicted on charges they took $15,000 in corrupt payments in exchange for assistance on development deals. They were among 44 people arrested in July.
[...]
The 94th annual meeting of the municipalities league this week in Atlantic City will hear from Gov.-elect Christie but mayors and other town officials also will get a chance to tell Christie and Lieutenant Gov.-elect Kim Guadagno about the state regulations that are strangling [...]
Chris Christie
Gov.-elect Chris Christie says after meeting with Treasury officials the state's projected $8 billion budget deficit could be the low end of the range. He said it was too soon to say where the budget will be cut except that to repeat "everything is" [...]
Stu Rabner
On Veterans Day I was talking about the launch of a new program from Legal Services of New Jersey to help low-income veterans with VA disability compensation and pension claims. A friend who knows I have a warm spot in my heart for vets [...]
Chris Christie
A new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll shows New Jersey residents think Gov.-elect Chris Christie's top priority (27 percent) should be cutting property taxes in the first year. That was followed by (at 20 percent) cutting other taxes. Reducing unemployment was next followed by fighting corruption. Almost' [...]
Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason smells a rat in Senate legislation that would enable NJ Transit to bypass municipal zoning and local land use authority to constructive massive development projects. It's Senate Bill 2972 and she thinks those fine "public servants" in the Legislature are trying to give developers an early [...]
John Adler
Jon Runyan who is out of the NFL after playing for Houston, Tennessee and Philadelphia, says his next running might be on the campaign trail. Runyan says he may take on first-term Congressman John Adler for the seat he has in the 3rd District. [...]
NJPIRG has taken a look at how the feds distribute highway funds and finds campaign contributors seem to be calling the shots with bridges in need of repair taking a back seat to highway widening. NJPIRK says its research leads it to believe that campaign contributions to politicians in New [...]
It didn't get a lot of notice, but on Veterans Day Legal Services of New Jersey announced the launch of a new Veterans Legal Assistance Project. It will provide legal representation to eligible low-income veterans with VA disability compensation and pension claims. Melville Miller Jr., LSNJ' [...]
Christie Whitman
Former Gov. Christie Whitman has taken on Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele over his promise to "come after" incumbents who support President Obama. Whitman calls it inexcusable. She wrote on politico.com:Â "Our party has recently lost plenty of seats in Congress; many of" [...]
So you think there is nothing to Friday the 13th or 13 being unlucky? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
-- The British Navy built a ship named Friday the 13th. The vessel left the dock on Friday the 13 for its maiden voyage and hasn't been heard' [...]
Chris Christie
Gov.-elect Christie has named his transition team. Heading it is lawyer David Samson of Wolff & Samson, who was attorney general before Peter "See No Evil" Harvey. The others are:
Susan A. Cole, President, Montclair State University
Sen. Sandra Cunningham, 31st District
Debra P. DiLorenzo, President/CEO of [...]
The Pew Center on the States says New Jersey is one of a hand-full of states on the brink of economic disaster. The nine states account for more than one-third of the nation's population. The Pew Center says it can mean higher taxes, layoffs of government workers, crowded classrooms and [...]
Bloomberg is reporting an employee of the hedge fund run by N.J. Investment Council Chairman Orin Kramer has been charged with stealing more than $1.3 million from the fund. Bloomberg reported Ezra Levy, chief financial officer of Boston Provident Partners, LP, was arrested on charges he stole $1.3 million from [...]
If you enjoy coming here, expressing your opinion about what's on your mind, thank a veteran for his or her service. And to those who wear our country's military uniforms around the world, especially those in harm's way, you are in our thoughts and prayers.
[...]
Gov-elect Christie said during a visit to Hamilton that he is not bound by the no-layoff agreement reached with unions by the Corzine administration. "I want to leave my options open to reach a fair and appropriate resolution in light of the economic circumstances that" [...]
Wayne Bryant
In any other place, this would be a no-brainer. But in The Soprano State, former senator and current felon behind bars Wayne Bryant has gone to the state Supreme Court to see if he can use leftover campaign donations for his defense. Election officials [...]
Diane Allen
Sen. Diane Allen has been diagnosed with what is described as "an aggressive cancer". She could undergo surgery as early as this week. She asks for privacy for her family and for prayers for a healthy return to the Senate. You have my prayers, [...]
David Matthau
In January, we will have a new entity in state government -- a lieutenant governor. The first to hold that office, Kim Guadagno, will spent the first three months reviewing unfunded mandates, rules and regulations that run businesses out of the state. After that? [...]
John Adler
John Adler, the Congressman from Boss Norcross, is getting praise for opposing President Obama's health care plan. The Independence Hall Tea Party Association sent out a press release saying, "We applaud Congressman Adler. He has heard us, his constituents, speaking out against ObamaCare. And" [...]
Jim Gearhart
Gov.-elect Chris Christie stopped by the Jim Gearhart show on 101.5 FM radio and dropped a bomb: There are no transition funds. He told the morning radio legend: "Interestingly, the state didn't fund the transition. They didn't put any money in the budget for" [...]
Gov. Corzine is on vacation, which leaves Senate President Dick Codey in charge, again. No word on where Corzine is going but it's a safe bet it won't be Belmar, Point Pleasant or any Monmouth/Ocean County resort. He will probably ignore Gloucester County too. Perhaps he [...]
Louis Greenwald
Haven't heard lately from Assemblyman Lou "The Empty Suit" Greenwald, but apparently he hasn't changed much. He is assuring us that the Democrats won't "repeat what happened in 2001, when Republicans went on a wild and chaotic feeding frenzy and at the last minute'" [...]
A new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll finds 65 percent of us think New Jersey politics is corrupt. It shows 65 percent think there is "a lot" of corruption, 26 percent says there is "some" and 5 percent says there is "little" which causes one to ask who the heck is that 5 [...]
The web site politico.com must have been acting on a tip from the White House when it ran an item in late October about how the Obama folks were running the Corzine campaign. It was old news in New Jersey, dating back to early September. There [...]
Gov.-elect Christie talked to the media first after his election at a Newark charter school. He said after taxes and the budget, education reform is his priority. Good for him. He has seen Bob Bowdon's "The Cartel" about what's wrong with schools, especially in this [...]
Take some time to savor the victory. Then hit the ground running. You have a massive task ahead and there is no time to waste.
[...]Tonight at 7 p.m. we launch the joint Gannett New Jersey Newspapers/101.5 FM radio coverage of Election 2009. Gannett reporters and 101.5 correspondents will be reporting their stories as the returns come in.
You'll be able to see behind the scenes at 101.5 and observe what's happening at the headquarters of [...]
Chris Christie
Republican Chris Christie's campaign is asking the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission to investigate robocalls made on behalf of independent Chris Daggett by Democrats. A letter from the Christie campaign's law firm said, "It has just recently come to our attention that the" [...]
John Fund, columnist for The Wall Street Journal, says the controversial ACORN group might be here. He wrote the following on the paper's web site:
"Groups associated with Acorn in neighboring Pennsylvania and New York appear to have moved into the state. An independent candidate for mayor in Camden has already'" [...]
Today you have to get out there and vote as if your future depends on it. Because it does. If you like the past four years, vote for Corzine and you will get four more. A vote for Daggett is a vote for Corzine because [...]
Chris Daggett
Yesterday when it became public, the Democrats denied paying for robocalls on behalf of independent Chris Daggett that slammed Republican Chris Christie. Today, Democrats admitted they lied, says Politickernj.com, which reports they are continuing. Party Chairman Joe Cryan, appointed to that post by Jon [...]
Anne Milgram
The big news from the office of Attorney General Annie "Got No Guns" Milgram is it has followed through on Corzine's promise to sue the Army Corps of Engineers to block dredging and deepening of the Delaware River. How dumb is that? Sunday, Corzine [...]
Another Monmouth/Gannett Poll just out. Still a dead heat, but now Corzine has a 43-41 lead over Christie. That's statistically insignificant. It's still a tie. Independent Chris Daggett has 8 percent. Monmouth/Gannett Poll Director Patrick Murray says, "This race is still as close as it can" [...]
Chris Daggett
Our friends at inthelobby.net, have an incredible story about how independent candidate Chris Daggett on MSNBC claimed that Sarah Palin of Alaska had urged him to drop out of the New Jersey governor's race. Palin said it was wrong. And then Daggett's campaign had to admit [...]
The New York Times, which endorsed Corzine, ran a news story in which the governor was quoted as saying he might bring back his disastrous Turnpike leasing proposal -- the one that led to the Flying Pigs rally at the Statehouse. From Bergen County to Cape [...]
Chris Christie
Today's Monmouth University/Gannett Poll has Christie leading Corzine 43-42, which is statistically insignificant. It's a tie. Daggett is getting 8 percent among likely voters. “This election will be defined by turnout like few others before it. Many Democrats are sitting on the sidelines and [...]
In his frantic effort to back off from the interview in which The New York Times said Corzine indicated he would consider returning to the lease the Turnpike proposal, the governor said there would be no toll hikes in his second term. Except there will be. Corzine approved 50 percent [...]
Just in time for the undecided voters to make a decision about Tuesday's election, Corzine says he may bring back the plan to lease the Turnpike. That's what he told The New York Times. Quickly, he was taken to the cleaner's. Tom Kean, leader of the' [...]
Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind Poll out today shows a tight race with Corzine getting 44 percent of likely voters and Christie getting 43. That's statistically insignificant. They're in a dead heat. Daggett is getting 6 percent and 4 percent are undecided. Peter Woolley, director of the poll, summed it up' [...]
The web site Politico is reporting today what followers of the Corzine campaign have known since the summer -- the Obama administration sent in a pollster/campaign adviser to turn things around for Corzine. Word was the Corzine campaign checked in with the White House every day, [...]
John Adler
An attempt by Congressman John Adler of New Jersey's 3rd District to exempt four out of five publicly-traded companies from a post-Enron requirement that they get external audits has been killed, at least temporarily, the Huffington Post reports. Under Adler's plan, "in essence, 83'" [...]
The Washington, D.C. based Tax Foundation is out with median property taxes for the Corzine years -- 2006, 2007, 2008. Seven of the top 10 U.S. counties in median real estate taxes are in New Jersey:
1Â Westchester County NYÂ ($8,404)
2Â Hunterdon County NJÂ ($8,347)
3Â Nassau County [...]
Rick Newman of U.S. News & World Report has written an article about nine signs America is in decline. He writes:Â "But all empires end, and the warning signs of American decline seem to be blinking more consistently. In the latest annual "prosperity index" published by the Legatum" [...]
Another one bites the dust. The Star-Ledger reports a former Hudson County union official has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for embezzling more than $2 million from union members for a boat, a house and a condo on Martha's Vineyard. Carmelo Sita, 66, was executive manager of benefit [...]
The controversial plan to tear down the waterfront prison in Camden and develop the site has become more controversial. Gov. Corzine plans to sell the property in a no-bid contract instead of an auction. Sen. Gerald Cardinale said, “The governor has opened the door to corruption [...]
Jim Gearhart
Chris Christie dropped by Jim Gearhart's show on 101.5 FM this morning. Christie said the state has to spend less at all levels but the leadership of the teachers union fights reform for school districts. He says billions of dollars are wasted through corruption [...]
New Quinnipiac Poll out today. Shows Corzine leads Christie 43-38 with Daggett getting 13 percent with 5 percent undecided. Even though he leads the poll, New Jersey voters disapprove 54 – 39 percent of the job Corzine is doing. More than two-thirds of New Jerseyans don’t think Daggett can win. [...]
Here in The Soprano State we know there is a corrupt medical and dental school and even the SPCA has come under scrutiny. Now comes word that a National Guard recruiter has pleaded guilty to defrauding a federally funded program for recruiting new soldiers. Attorney General Anne Milgram says Gregory [...]
John Adler
John Adler, a tool of the Boss Norcross machine in South Jersey when he was chairman of the NJ Senate Judiciary Committee in Trenton, is now in Washington as a first-term congressman trying to weaken a badly needed investor protection bill, says The Huffington [...]
Don't get too excited about a Suffolk University poll that has Gov. Corzine leading Republican Chris Christie by 9 points, 42-33, with Chris Daggett getting 7 per cent. Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray says the poll is based on a 93 percent turnout. When is the last time 93 percent' [...]
Stu Rabner
A federal judge has slapped down Stu Rabner and the state Supremes, at least temporarily. The ruling the federal court suspended bans exit polling near voting sites. News organizations including The Associated Press, CNN, Fox, ABC, NBC and CBSÂ challenged the ruling. U.S. District [...]
Here's another reason the state is headed for financial disaster. We owe about $1 billion to municipal workers for not taking sick and vacation time -- at least the time they claim they're due. Record keeping is sloppy. When the time for public school employees is added in, that could' [...]
Jim Gearhart
This morning on 101.5 FM's Jim Gearhart show a caller asked independent candidate Chris Daggett if he would take a pledge not to accept a position in the Corzine administration. Daggett refused. Gearhart asked if he were unhappy with the Corzine administration why not [...]
New Jersey law already requires bare-bones insurance policies to be available. And get this, my colleague Michael Symons reports those "Basic and essential" individual-market insurance plans aren't without mandates -- state law requires them to have two dozen features -- but they do not guarantee coverage' [...]
Remember the reaction when it was learned that Gov. Corzine's foundation had given the head of the Black Ministers Council, Reginald Jackson, $87,000 for his church? The council endorsed Corzine although Jackson had disagreements about the Corzine administration's lack of enthusiasm for charter schools and vouchers [...]
Bloomberg News has uncovered a tidbit about how the Corzine administration is paying Goldman Sachs ( Where did we hear that name before?) about $1 million a month because the state entered a risky financial agreement. Bloomberg reporter Dusty McNichol said the agreement performed so badly [...]
One of the more interesting questions during the radio debate last night was how much each candidate spends on property tax:
Corzine $35,000
Christie  $38,000
Daggett $18,000
Which of those people do you think lives in the most expensive digs?
[...]After Bergen County political boss Joe Ferriero was convicted of felonies by a federal jury, the man who ran the U.S. Attorney's Office when the indictment came down noted Gov. Corzine's money helped finance Ferriero's party when he ran it. "Should he (Corzine) get credit as " [...]
Newark -- New Jersey political boss Joe Ferriero was found guilty of fraud conspiracy. The federal jury took three days to reach a verdict. Ferriero is the former head of the Bergen County Democratic Party. He was convicted on one count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of mail [...]
President Obama came to Farleigh Dickinson University to try to help Corzine get re-elected and to protect the Democrats nationally because a failure here will reflect on Obama. But ironically, the event caused a long-planned Career Fair to be canceled. So while Corzine was contending he [...]
Corzine went to Atlantic City and talked to a clean energy conference. As a result, the NJ Environmental Federation gave him this advice:Â talk less and act more. "While the governor has agreed, often reluctantly, to important goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean renewables" [...]
Tonight, Rutgers bigwigs plan to officially open a new, two-story $7.5 million visitors center in Piscataway. The Star-Ledger says a giant white "R" against a red background is designed to be easily seen from Route 18. During these times when many students can't afford classes because of rising tuition and' [...]
Republican Chris Christie visited 101.5 FM's Jim Gearhart today and defended his campaign. All of these Monday morning quarterbacks have never had to do anything themselves, he said in response to columnists critical of his election efforts. He pointed out former Gov. Christie Whitman never [...]
Republicans have zeroed in on Corzine's foundation after word that Corzine gave $87,000 last year to a church run by the Rev. Reginald Jackson, who endorsed Corzine last week. Jackson is head of the Black Minister's Council and has favored school vouchers and charter schools which Corzine's administration opposes to [...]
David Rousseau
There is a gap between what the state expected to collect in taxes and what it actually did. The shortfall is $190 million and growing, the state says. The first-quarter gap is 3.1 percent. If maintained for the rest of the 2010 fiscal year [...]
New Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll out today. It shows the race for governor has tightened two weeks from Election Day. Corzine and Christie are tied at 39 percent among likely voters. Daggett gets 14 percent. Independents from both parties have been moving to Daggett although almost no one thinks [...]
Last week the Rev. Reginald Jackson endorsed Corzine's re-election although Jackson has been critical of the administration's foot dragging on charter schools and vouchers which Jackson supports as way of educating urban school kids. Turns out Corzine gave Jackson $87,000 in donations last year. The Star-Ledger [...]
The second televised governor's debate was less stiff and more lively than the first although no new ground was plowed. My colleague Michael Symons reported this exchange:
Chris Daggett
Independent Chris Daggett:Â "I've got to buy you a calculator, Mr. Christie, because your numbers don't add up." [...]
Six major news outlets are asking a federal court to stop enforcement of a New Jersey state court ruling banning exit polling near voting sites. The suit is backed by the National Election Pool, a consortium that includes The Associated Press, CNN, Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS. The state Supreme [...]
Schundler
A familiar voice from the past is hitting the airwaves to urge voters to choose reform candidates next month. Republican Bret Schundler, a former Jersey City mayor who took on Jim McGreevey in the race for governor, is promoting the shared platform of 42 Assembly candidates. [...]
Not only is the New Jersey unemployment rate climbing -- now at 9.8 percent -- but the home foreclosure rate is going up too. RealtyTrac shows foreclosure filings are up 44.5 percent from the second quarter of this year. "Once again," said Republican Assembly leader Alex DeCroce, "New Jersey's performance" [...]
In this gubernatorial campaign that has focused mostly on trivial, around the edge stuff, nobody is talking about the state Supreme Court. The next governor will have the opportunity to re-nominate or name four members. If Corzine is re-elected, by the end of his second term, [...]
Chris Daggett
The Quinnipiac Poll shows independent Chris Daggett and Gov. Corzine are going against the voters with their suggestion to possibly hike the gasoline tax for road and transportation projects. More than 60 percent of New Jerseyans hate the idea. And 36 percent support it. [...]
Amy Handlin
Two Assembly members have requested an Ethics Commission probe of whether the Corzine administration is illegally working on his re-election campaign at taxpayer expense. Assembly members Amy Handlin and David Rible referred to a memo made public first by Casey Bartholomew and Ray Rossi [...]
Chris Christie
New Quinnipiac Poll shows Chris Christie remains ahead of Jon Corzine, but just barely. Christie had support of 41 percent of likely voters, Corzine had 40 and independent Chris Daggett had 14. Pollster Patrick Murray of the Monmouth University/Gannett poll says every percent over [...]
