tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-209930462024-08-29T11:55:48.126-07:00Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-5840679093749390632008-02-25T12:50:00.000-08:002008-02-25T12:58:47.184-08:00

Investigator details wasteful spending at NJ collegesCary Edwards, chairman of the State Commission of Investigation (SCI), told the Assembly Higher Education Committee that wasteful spending is rampant at New Jersey public colleges and universities and urged lawmakers to impose stricter oversight.New Jersey has 31 public colleges that enroll more than 385,000 students and will receive $2.2

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-867003720752717662007-05-05T07:09:00.000-07:002007-05-05T07:14:10.454-07:00

Returning to fiscal sense on homeland security Star-LedgerFriday, May 04, 2007Remember when the bulk of state homeland security money was doled out mostly to Democratic towns? Turns out that in the rush to stuff cash into town coffers, little was done to figure out how to spend it.Now a certain Democrat with a background in finance, namely Gov. Jon Corzine, wants the money back.The funds were

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-24817844704323459062007-04-22T08:46:00.000-07:002007-04-22T08:48:05.645-07:00

Lawyer lied to government to help hundreds of illegal aliensJonathan Saint Preux, an attorney specializing in immigration law, has pleaded guilty to falsely representing that his clients had lived unlawfully in the United States before 1982 so that they could qualify for legal residency under a 1986 federal illegal alien amnesty program. Preux admitted that the scheme which ran from 2004 to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-11575924972227559142007-04-21T20:37:00.000-07:002007-04-22T13:45:21.818-07:00

Civil-union applicants jump 62 pct. but N.J. law is called flawed by gays After a landmark lawsuit in which seven same-sex couples argued they had the right to marry, the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously ruled in October that same-sex couples should be granted all the rights and responsibilities of married couples, but left it to the Legislature to determine the nomenclature for the unions.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1141926522336242482006-03-09T09:36:00.000-08:002006-03-09T09:48:42.353-08:00

SCC alleges the price of school site inflated:Assemblyman and Union City Mayor Brian Stack along with political allies in his hometown helped coordinate the hasty construction of an apartment building that added more than $1million to the cost of property the state purchased for a new elementary school, state attorneys claim in new court documents.Attorneys for the state Schools Construction Corp

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1141672070530142662006-03-06T11:02:00.000-08:002006-03-06T11:10:41.893-08:00

N.J. paying for fiscal inaction: States that made tough choices during tough times have surpluses. New Jersey has a big gap.A report released by the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services this week estimated that New Jersey would end the fiscal year with more than a $600 million surplus. Yet, Gov. Corzine has said the state is "pretty much broke" and has been bracing the public for tax

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1141597140091579172006-03-05T14:14:00.000-08:002006-03-06T11:08:42.380-08:00

When 2 jobs add up to 1 big pensionIn New Jersey’s Legislature 42 of the 120 lawmakers have two -- or three -- elected or tax-paid positions, a search of public and legislative records by The Star-Ledger found.After conducting an ethics review last year at the request of Gov. Richard Codey, Seton Hall professor Paula Franzese and former Supreme Court justice Daniel O'Hearn called for banning dual

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1141449075323095202006-03-03T09:09:00.000-08:002006-03-03T21:12:09.730-08:00

Cash-poor state, swelling payrollNew Jersey now has 84,458 state government employees, compared with 78,282 when Jim. McGreevey took office as governor in January 2002 promising leaner government. Most of the job growth has been in child welfare and motor vehicles services.More than half the increase - 3,722 workers - came in the Department of Human Services as part of the overhaul the Division

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1140216502382947772006-02-17T14:47:00.000-08:002006-02-17T15:43:51.400-08:00

$250G scam at Social Services:Kim M. Flowers, a social worker from the Salem County Board of Social Services in Penns Grove and five other people, including her sister were arrested Thursday and charged with stealing and conspiring to steal more than $250,000 from the Salem County Board of Social Services over a three-year period.Flowers, who began working in the Social Services Office in 2000,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1139437338336860042006-02-08T14:21:00.000-08:002006-02-08T14:22:18.336-08:00

Witmer's" alleged offenses detailed:Middletown Schools Superintendent Dr. David Witmer was suspended for misappropriated nearly $23,000 worth of vacation and personal days and removing damaging information about himself from reports, according to administrative charges filed Tuesday with the state Department of Education. Last week the Board of Education suspended Witmer, 68, for 120 days without

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1139329747818018702006-02-07T08:28:00.000-08:002006-02-08T14:23:01.400-08:00

Ex-official at Paterson schools pleads guilty to taking bribes:James Cummings, the former Paterson schools facilities chief pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to two counts of bribery, making him the highest ranking official yet to be swept up in the ongoing corruption probe of the state's third-largest district. Cummings, 59, who headed the facilities office until 2003, admitted taking $

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138727770121597822006-01-31T09:12:00.000-08:002007-05-05T07:17:36.781-07:00

U.S. Senate opens probe of UMDNJ:A U.S. Senate committee has opened an inquiry into allegations of serious fraud, corruption and mismanagement at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.In a letter to Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday, leaders of the Senate Committee on Finance -- which has jurisdiction over the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs -- said they were "alarmed and deeply

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138682428444823022006-01-30T20:36:00.000-08:002006-01-30T20:40:28.453-08:00

Corzine faces money fight:Gov. Jon Corzine faces a state budget between $5 and $6 billion in the hole, but as he works to close the gap, the biggest obstacle will be the spending habits of his own party’s lawmakers.Two years ago, then-Gov. James E. McGreevey proposed a $26 billion budget in March. By the time it was enacted in early July, it had swelled by $2 billion in spending added on in the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138657722651564642006-01-30T13:45:00.000-08:002006-01-30T13:50:02.840-08:00

Democrats try again to fill Assembly seat:The Essex County Democratic Committee is holding a third special election for the 28th District Assembly seat after the committee's most recent election, held on Jan. 9 was called into question for not following bylaws.The seat is open because the late Assemblyman Donald K. Tucker was elected posthumously and the committee’s first replacement, Evelyn

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138653528836114162006-01-30T12:34:00.000-08:002006-01-30T12:38:48.846-08:00

Party leader and the debatable donation:A Union resident who hoped to develop a vacant property in the township said he gave then-Assembly candidate Joseph Cryan $2,000 in cash as a political contribution in 2001 -- a donation not reflected in the legislator's campaign finance reports. Cryan, now the Assembly deputy majority leader and a favorite to soon be named chairman of the state Democratic

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138643423992267672006-01-30T09:46:00.000-08:002006-01-30T09:50:24.000-08:00

COMMENTARY: Farber says she may need analysis:It's not often a politician admits she may need psychoanalysis, but that's what Zulima Farber told the Senate Judiciary Committee before it approved her nomination to be attorney general.Questions about her go beyond her highway hijinks. With no background in law enforcement, she also has some quirky ideas. When asked about the use of deadly force if

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138563279539571912006-01-29T11:33:00.000-08:002006-01-29T11:37:57.860-08:00

Gov. Jon Corzine’s Budget and Reengineering Government Transition Policy Group report states:The severe and complex budget problem posed by the State's pension and post-retirement healthcare obligations requires swift action. The State has unfunded liabilities in its retirement and health care programs that probably exceed $30 billion.In conjunction with reducing the gap between the assets and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138561054587067492006-01-29T10:52:00.000-08:002006-01-29T11:41:15.443-08:00

After November’s election, Gov. Jon Corzine appointed 19 policy advisory groups to produce recommendations on a range of important policy issues facing the state. Each group has now released a report with their analysis and recommendations. Links to each report below:Agriculture Transition Policy Group Budget and Reengineering Government Transition Policy Group Child Welfare Transition Policy

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138477799306366582006-01-28T11:36:00.000-08:002006-01-28T11:50:52.430-08:00

Highlights of selected reportsThe following are highlights from transition reports to Gov. Jon Corzine containing policy recommendations on a range of issues, including budget, ethics reform, anti-terrorism efforts and child welfare.Each advisory group was asked to study a particular issue or topic, then report back to the governor by Jan. 17 on how he could best implement his agenda. The

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138476315526563202006-01-28T11:19:00.000-08:002006-01-29T11:44:41.986-08:00

New sales taxes cut from proposal:Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday released 19 reports from his transition team's policy advisers on some of the toughest issues facing the state, but stressed they are only suggestions, not the agenda for his administration.The final report from budget advisers drops some of the most controversial suggestions from an earlier draft: a proposal for phasing out the state

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138434325880243462006-01-28T00:11:00.001-08:002006-01-29T11:45:46.143-08:00

Newark official retires from troubled agency as audit report looms:Harold Lucas, Director of the Newark Housing Authority, announced his retirement yesterday, a week before the federal Office of Inspector General is expected to issue the results of an audit of the agency.The Authority has been under federal investigation since Lucas announced in September 2004 that 99 employees were being laid

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138383941126246862006-01-27T09:42:00.000-08:002006-01-27T13:16:59.466-08:00

Governor will push drug needle program:Gov. Jon Corzine will urge the Legislature to pass a law giving intravenous drug users access to clean needles and would consider using his executive power to force the issue if lawmakers fail to act.In his first major interview since taking office, Corzine yesterday said he believes needle exchange programs save lives and establishing needle giveaways in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138383128454866792006-01-27T09:28:00.000-08:002006-01-27T09:32:08.466-08:00

Tax increases and job cuts urged for N.J.:Saying "pain will have to be shared," Gov. Jon Corzine's transition team is urging him to increase taxes, lay off some state workers and cut the pay of others to help get state finances under control. The report suggested expanding the sales tax to cover clothing; tanning, massage, limousine and cable services; and purchases from the Internet, including

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138385584135603912006-01-27T08:53:00.000-08:002006-01-27T10:15:37.066-08:00

Enlighten-NewJersey - Wake Up New Jersey Republicans:Ninety-two percent (92%) of New Jersey voters believe the state's budget problems are serious, and most would prefer that it be balanced by cutting services rather than raising taxes, according to a newly released Quinnipiac poll.Voters say 57 - 28 percent that they would rather cut services than raise taxes to balance the state budget.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993046.post-1138380810460147322006-01-27T08:51:00.000-08:002006-01-27T08:57:12.266-08:00

Enlighten-NewJersey - Report: New Jersey Is A Financial Basket Case“The fiscal health of the state of New Jersey has plunged perilously close to ruin”, begins a “politically explosive” report from Corzine's “budget and re-engineering government” policy group. The Press of Atlantic City obtained a copy of the report Wednesday.The report portrays a grim picture of state finances, estimating the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0