Wally Edge's blog

Charles Kuperus is expected to resign his cabinet post as New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture.  A Republican, he was serving as a Sussex County Freeholder when Democrat James E. McGreevey appointed him after the 2001 gubernatorial election.  Kuperus is the lone Republican in Gov. Jon Corzine's cabinet, and since Corzine pledged during his 2005 campaign that he would make bi-partisan cabinet appointments, its possible that he'll pick a Republican for Secretary of Agricuture, or to replace Lisa Jackson at the Department of Environmental Protection.  

For the record, Corzine doesn't actually appoint the Secretary of Agriculture.  In New Jersey, Governors make recommendations to the State Board of Agriculture, who actually votes on the cabinet post.

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The Asbury Park Press is reporting that "federal and state law enforcement officials are investigating activities connected to the previous city administration headed by former Mayor Joseph Vas."  Wilda Diaz, who ousted Vas in the mayoral election last spring, confirmed that prosecutors have requested certain information.  This won't help Vas keep his State Assembly seat in 2009. Read More >

There's a report in tomorrow's edition of Inside EPA, a Washington-based publication that follows the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, that former New Jersey Commissioner of Environmental Protection Bradley Campbell is on the short list to become EPA Administrator if Barack Obama becomes President. Campbell served as Regional EPA Administrator in the Clinton administration before Gov. James E. McGreevey named him to his cabinet in 2002. 

Campbel's desire to run the EPA is not exactly a secret.  But don't expect Campbell's name to remain on the short list for long, if it's really there now: he's made some powerful enemies among New Jersey Democrats after Campbell went public with his opposition to the controversial EnCap project in Bergen County.

Campbell told The Record last October that he viewed EnCap as a "terrible bait and switch" by the developer and wanted to stop public financing of the plan because it was "a scandalmonger's dream" that could cost taxpayers upwards of $70 million. And Campbell says that the deal "could expose 'pay to play' aspects of the financing plan by drawing attention to the involvement of the politically connected DeCotiis law firm."

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The New Jersey Supreme Court has tentatively scheduled oral arguments in the Appeal by Earle Asphalt Co., which is challenging New Jersey's pay to play laws on November.  The matter involves a contribution made to the Monmouth County Republican Committee by Walter Earle III, the owner of Earle Asphalt, which later barred his firm from winning state contracts.  Upon finding out that his contributuion (made at the request of former Co-Senate President John Bennett) would violate pay to play laws, Earle asked for his money back.  Still, the state invalidated the award of a state Department of Transportation contract -- on which Earle Asphalt was the lowest bidder.  New Jersey prohibits the award of public contracts of more than $17,500 to any business that has contributed more than $300 to certain candidates and party organizatons.

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This week's Winners & Losers: Click here

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Ledger Live, The Star-Ledger's daily webcast, has asked asked Alex DeCroce and Dick Codey to take a polygraph test "to
settle heated dispute that has erupted between the two men."  DeCroce accepted, but Codey is "still mulling it over."

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If John Adler and Linda Stender win their races for Congress, they'll accomplish a feat that rarely occurs in New Jersey -- winning the seat of a retiring Congressman from the other party in a contest unrelated to the drawing of new districts. The last time this happened was in 1994, when Republican Frank LoBiondo won after Democrat William Hughes retired.

The last time the GOP failed to hold the seats of retiring incumbents was in 1964, when Democrat James Howard succeeded Republican James Auchincloss, and Democrat Paul Krebs followed Republican George Wallhauser.

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A Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll says voters aren't entirely familiar with Jon Corzine's service as head of one of Wall Street's largest and most successful investment banking firms.  Just 55% know Corzine has Wall Street experience (33% specifically mention Goldman Sachs or say he headed a firm), 22% say they're aware he worked on Wall Street but are unaware of any specifics, and 18% said the Governor had no Wall Street experience.   More than one-quarter of the state's voters (27%) say they don't know if he did or didn't.

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Senate President Richard Codey will record an automated phone call targeting senior citizens in Ocean County on behalf of Democratic congressional candidate John Adler.  The calls will begin next week.  Adler's decision to use the popular Codey to seek senior votes comes as Republican Christopher Myers seeks to make Adler's use of a controversial budget item controlled by Codey an issue in the race for Jim Saxton's House seat.

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Eleven months after James Devine, a Union County Democratic operative/newspaper publisher, was arrested for owing $20,000 in child support and alimony, he has lost his home.  A Superior Court Judge today ordered the eviction of Devine from his Elizabeth apartment for non-payment of rent.  A Superior Court Judge signed an order this month telling Devine to vacate his residence by October 24, pay $2,700 to the court, and said he can not apply for additional extensions. Earlier this year, Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan described him as “a sleaze ball, the worst in politics.”

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