Blue Jersey - Front Page

Veterans' Day in Newark

Hopeful — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:03:32 GMT

Members of the famed 69th Infantry Regiment observe Veterans' Day in Newark's Military Park by raising Old Glory at an 8 a.m. ceremony on November 11, 2009. At the start of the ceremony, the Essex County Emerald Society Police and Fire Pipes and Drums played the official anthems of all the military service branches as the Guardsmen slowly raised the "Stars and Stripes" on the historic "Liberty Pole" over Military Park. A crowd of Prudential and PSEG employees in attendance saluted as the flag unfurled, and observed a moment of silence as the flag was then lowered to half-mast to honor the 13 victims of the Fort Hood shooting incident last week. Veterans Day 2009 01
For more information on the City of Newark, please visit our website at www.ci.newark.nj.us

It's good to honor our nation's veterans today. I personally, though, always think of November 11 as the anniversary of the end, in 1918, of the greatest disaster in Western history, when the European nations turned all their industrial and scientific capabilities to killing their young men.

"Worn down by racism," Former South Harrison Mayor steps down from council

Jason Springer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:00:00 GMT

This isn't supposed to be what public service is about:

A man who says he endured slashed tires and death threats just before he became rural South Harrison Township's first black mayor is stepping down.
Charles Tyson announced Monday that he would leave the township council today, in part, because he said he is worn down by racism.
Tyson had already given up his position as mayor of the town of 2,700.

It wasn't enough they got him to step down from running the town, they had to get him off council from making any decisions at all.

Hundreds of Thousands of dollars being spent to defeat Marriage Equality in NJ

Jason Springer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:15:00 GMT

From the Star Ledger the other day, we heard about what some of the opposition to Marriage Equality is doing and planning:

The radio ad, warning that same-sex marriage would send the wrong message to children, played over a loudspeaker in a church gym Thursday in Asbury Park, as 200 gay-rights supporters listened in silence at a post-Election Day "emergency action" meeting.
Jenn Harris, a staff member for Garden State Equality, which advocates for same-sex marriage in the state, informed the crowd that the ad, playing on radio stations in New Jersey, was bought by the National Organization for Marriage as part of its $250,000 ad campaign in the state.

Here's more about the ad campaign from NOM. And that's not all:

Last month, members of the New Jersey Family Policy Council toured New Jersey in a Winnebago nicknamed the "Values Voter Express," stopping in a different county each weekday. The National Organization for Marriage paid for automated calls in every household in selected legislative districts. Catholic bishops had priests statewide distribute letters against same-sex marriage to parishioners, and 150,000 Catholics signed petitions against same-sex marriage last month.

Those groups are confident that if they can defeat marriage equality in lame duck, that'll be the end of the discussion in New Jersey for years:

"After the lame-duck session I think we're confident you're not going to see same-sex marriage brought up," said Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage. "Because Christie said he would veto it."

So now is the time. Garden State Equality is asking for just 3 minutes a day for Marriage Equality:

If you can spend just three minutes on weekdays between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm to call legislators to advocate for marriage equality - you can call from work, home or wherever you may be

GSE will contact you with information about how you can help once you fill out the form. If you care at all about making sure you friends, neighbors, family and people you don't know have equal rights in New Jersey, now is the time for you to get involved.

Christie tells NJEA "they need to get realistic"

Jason Springer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:15:00 GMT

Chris Christie wants the NJEA to know that there will be a new Governor in town and things will be different under his watch:

"They need to get realistic about the fact that change is coming, because it is," Christie said of the union, the New Jersey Education Association. "Frequently, the leadership of the NJEA has been a strong advocate for the status quo whether the status quo is succeeding or failing."

Christie used tough rhetoric when speaking about the NJEA and education throughout the campaign. You'll remember Christie declined to seek the NJEA endorsement last June, instead sending a letter:

The Christie campaign provided a copy of the letter. In it, Christie said he wanted to meet with union representatives to "engage in a frank dialogue about the future of our public education system," but that "doing so under the specter of an endorsement is difficult... that is why I will not be seeking the endorsement of your organization."
"Because I respect your members' contributions to our public education system, I want to speak honestly and openly with you to ensure you know exactly where I stand and for what I believe," he wrote.

You can see the whole letter Christie sent here. The NJEA ran ads talking about how they worried about a Governor Christie during the campaign as well. Christie is indicating that some of their fears may become a reality.

Redd and Christie both want to end state control of Camden

Jason Springer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:00 GMT

For the last seven years, the state has gotten the last word on local actions taken by governing bodies from the planning board to the school board to city council. Newly elected Camden Mayor Dana Redd wants to put an end to that state control:

Seven years ago, the state implemented a $175 million bailout designed to invigorate commerce in Camden, a city weighed down by poverty, crime and corruption. In exchange, the governor got final say over the actions of governing bodies from the planning board to the school board to city council.
Now that most of that aid has been spent, Redd says it's time to put the mayor back in charge.
"I fully expect to be in control of leading the city," Redd said in an interview days after her easy victory.

It appears that the new Governor is willing to create a realistic timetable to hand back control:

New Jersey Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie yesterday described the state takeover of Camden as mostly a "failure" and said he would work with Camden's next mayor to shift power back to the city.
"I'd like to return control of Camden to the City of Camden as quickly as I possibly could," he said after meeting with high school students in Hamilton Township, Mercer County. "My fundamental position is, I don't believe that the state should be controlling municipalities in New Jersey."

The Inquirer article says that State Legislators have considered loosening controls even before Christie takes office. While many leaders in Camden supported the initial takeover, there is a feeling that the state monies were not well allocated and control should be returned to local authorities. What do you think should be done with state control of cities like Camden?

Remembering the fallen, honoring the living

vincent solomeno — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:40:50 GMT

Today, Americans pause to remember the sacrifice of the countless heroes who, through our country's 228 years of existence, took up arms in defense of liberty and our national interest. We mark this Veterans Day embroiled in the longest conflict in American history, one that pits our women and men in uniform against an adaptive, dangerous, and determined enemy. Regardless of one's politics, we ought to honor the sacrifices of those still living, and remember the fallen heroes who are no longer among us.

According to the Congressional Research Service, at least 1,009,041 Americans have died in major combat operations since the first shots sounded at Lexington and Concord in 1775. That number is staggering, especially when one considers the thousands of wounded veterans who returned home, many physically and mentally broken, never to live the life they intended to live. Indeed, the pain and suffering borne by so many families was and continues to be a festering wound that refuses to heal. These heroes sacrificed to secure a permanent peace as precious as it is elusive.

Unlike any other arena of human endeavor, soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen put their lives on the line to defend that which we hold dear. And we, by many measures the most prosperous and free people in the history of humanity, have those warriors to thank for the liberties we continue to enjoy. Yet, as a country, our thanks is too often half hearted. 1/3 of all homeless Americans, a number equal to 260,000 people, are veterans. Nearly two mllion veterans lack access to basic medical care. The greatest thanks we can offer the heroes still among us are the guarantees that they will be cared for in the shadows and twilight of their lives. Thus far, we have failed to honor that simple but profound commitment.

The nature of military conflict may have changed, but that nobility of service and the selfless devotion to one's country remains. For the echoes of Breeds Hill can be heard in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. The bugle call heard at Antietam still summons heroes to our nation's cause. These heroes, along with those who fought at Verdun, Normandy, Khe Sanh, and Anbar, did so that their children might live in a world unaware of the horrors of war. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, as the United States faces security threats from all corners of the world, some may say it was a hope born out of ignorance. Perhaps, however, it was born from the experience of those who saw the most degrading and base aspects of the human condition. War is terrible, unjust, and should be avoided at all costs. Those who wore the uniform at Yorktown knew it then, and those riding convoy duty this very moment know it now.

So today, let us thank our veterans and say a collective prayer that these wars end, expeditiously, and with honor. In the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes,

"Lord, bid war's trumpet cease; Fold the whole earth in peace."

News Roundup & Open Thread for Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

Rosi Efthim — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:19:00 GMT

Today is Veterans Day

Events all over NJ honoring vets.

Yesterday, a Hillsdale soldier shot by a sniper in 2004, now quadriplegic, got the keys to his new house, free and clear and green, and custom built for his needs.

Here's an idea: Keep the school open and talk to vets.

2,266 veterans under the age of 65 died in America last year because they did not have health insurance (Harvard Medical School).

Sen. Menendez holds a hearing about homeless vets

And Vietnam vet William Wise of South Jersey had some advice for him: expand programs like the one that helped him.

Adler's vote against health care reform bothers some Democrats

Indeed.

Are the Republicans thinking of running this guy against Adler?

Oh my, he looks mad.

Sheila Oliver calls for an up or down vote on Marriage Equality

The East Orange Assemblywoman, who will likely become NJ's first African-American woman Speaker in a few days, is already starting to lead.

Oh, hey ... ...

Do you have 3 minutes a day to forward marriage equality?

Christie mulls his inauguration fundraising options

Unbound by the pay-to-play restrictions governing his campaign, it's up to him whether to voluntarily follow them, and he hasn't made up his mind yet.

Diagnosing the diesels

Aging locomotives will get a cost-effective maintenance program at the cost of $6M, not a whole big overhaul.

Perth Amboy Council sits mute

There seems to be a power struggle over at the Perth Amboy City Council between Council and some of its residents.

Local News

Camden: Mayor-elect Dana Redd to state: Give me back control of my city.

Rutherford: Tied council race resolves to the Democrat's favor after provisional ballots counted, by just 2 votes. Loser, whose running-mate was elected, is already talking legal challenge.

Delaware River: N.J. steps up opposition to Delaware River dredging> Both Corzine & Christie oppose deepening the river.

Jersey City: Nidia Lopez uses campaign funds to pay legal bills.

Lawrence Twp: Committee replaces Sheppard with ... Sheppard.

Garrett Talks Health Care

rmfretz — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:40:05 GMT

Promoted by Jason Springer: An interesting exchange with Congressman Garrett talking healthcare and more great work by rmfretz keeping an eye on the Congressman at Blog the Fifth.

Cross-posted at Blog the Fifth.

Representative Scott Garrett chats with Fox 5 about his vote against the health care bill. Garrett talks almost exclusively about Medicare Advantage as his reason, which as I've written before can currently charge taxpayers up to a 40% mark up on services.

It's good to see Garrett using the full term, as opposed to earlier, but I still can't understand how someone who claims he is a fiscal conservative can defend taxpayers paying up to 40% more than something actually costs for anything.

Although the House bill is dead in the Senate, taking the 40% mark up will be out no matter what bill comes back to the House for reconciliation.

While Garrett claims the program will be taken from those enrolled, nothing in the bill eliminates the program. What it eliminates is the 40% mark up. Now should insurance companies only participate due to their ability to gouge taxpayers, one could see them cease to offer the program, as the Chief Actuary for Medicare and Medicaid noted.

That aside, Garrett's interview is interesting in that it shows his true feeling on the Bill and overhaul in general.

Blue Jersey Radio - One Week Later - LIVE Tonight at 8:00 p.m.

Jeff Gardner — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Each week, Blue Jersey Radio streams LIVE with New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.

This Week: one week since Election Day, we're LIVE at 8:00 p.m. tonight with our 3-man roundtable - me, Jason and Adam - breaking down what happened, what's happening, and what happens next.

They say a week is an eternity in politics. I guess that explains how in just one week, John Adler could lose his mind, Dick Codey could have one last laugh, Loretta Weinberg could show her enduring class, Scott Garrett could vote against helping people, and Chris Christie would threaten a state of emergency - all in a week's work!

So, go ahead and drop in a comment with your thoughts. Or, feel free to give us a call, and share what's on your mind. Remember, it's all LIVE, so don't be afraid - join us!

That number again is: 646-652-2773.

Talk to you then!

Hey, hey - Thank you, from Blue Jersey

Rosi Efthim — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:09:38 GMT

So ... we had this little election. And lost the biggie, and a lot of downballot races local people were counting on. I want to say something about - and to - the frontpage writers here. Then something to the rest of you.

The relationship between the Corzine campaign and some of the organized grassroots and netroots infrastructure was not what it could have been. I'm at a loss to explain it. We heard murmurs repeatedly during the campaign that 2009 was not 2005, and that this was an insiders campaign, with less room for roots involvement. Yes, 2009 wasn't 2005; we won 2005. One of the beauty parts of Corzine's first governor's campaign was something called the Corzine Connection which several people here worked on. It was an imperfect, but exciting, effort by Corzine to put himself and high-level surrogates into rooms with people who usually don't have that access. Smart. This blog, it should be said, also had its birth during that campaign and was an unofficial driver of its movement forward.

This year, very different. We wish the ties between us were closer. We very much enjoyed the opportunities we did have with the Governor, and his team. Some of the campaign's best and most forward-thinking idea-people may have been drowned out in the noise of the campaign's daily engine. We don't know. But we're proud of this campaign staff, who worked so hard. And we sure as hell wish our Governor and his kick-ass running-mate won. Hurts like hell.

Here at Blue Jersey, all the people you see in that list to the right - Staff Writers - stayed up late, sneaked away from work, and ignored their families to find new ways, new angles and hard info to help that campaign and more importantly to keep supporters informed, engaged, and supplied with arguments to make with their Christie-voter neighbors.

So, to the Blue Jersey frontpagers, a big and hearty Thank you. If I could send you all to St. Barts for post-election vacation, which is where the Governor sent himself, I would, oh yes I would. You were nothing less than an unpaid oppo team. You worked till you were tired and cranky; you were tough and you rocked.

Thanks, too, to the Blue Jersey community. We're a community blog, and there was a sharp uptick in participation we all hope continues. You gave as good as you got. Clued us in to what was going on by you. Pointed us to the local candidates who mattered. Traffic was through the roof - higher than Obama's election. But here's what we want now:

1. If you haven't already, grab yourself a Blue Jersey account.
2. Then jump into the conversation, or start one by writing a diary.
3. Advertise here. Got a business or a group you want to tell Jersey progressives about? Do it here. Tell us what you have in mind. We discount for members of this community.
4. While you're at it, you'd look so hot in Blue Jersey blue.

Got your own thanks? Please drop them here. I want to close thanking Garden State Equality. Facing down a vote in lame duck, everything's on the line, because Chris Christie is no friend of this movement. GSE chose to spend some hard-earned advertising money here, which the Corzine campaign for whatever reasons, did not.We already back equality. But GSE spends here to engage you, because it values you, and needs you now. That means a lot to us. And it's what's next.