Christine Whitman's blog

I was very sad to hear the news that Congresswoman JoAnn Davis passed away on Saturday after a battle with breast cancer. Congresswoman Davis was a model public servant ­ - one unimpressed by the vanity of Washington, DC and always mindful of her constituents' local concerns.  Congresswoman Davis was a true product of the district she served ­ - a country girl filled with great patriotism and an allegiance to the United States military, particularly the Navy.  She was a tireless advocate for the Navy, shipbuilders, and the men and women of our armed forces; she could always be counted on to defend their best interests.  Virginia and our nation benefited greatly from her service. My thoughts and prayers are with her family in this difficult time.

Last week was a busy week in international politics, triggered by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s backward-looking speech on foreign affairs and human rights and capped with the White House conference on climate change.

Watching the latest eleven arrests to come out of U.S. Attorney Chris Christie’s office last week, I can’t help but wonder when NJ voters are going to say “enough is enough” when it comes to public corruption.  Perhaps New Jerseyans are numb to the arrests at this point, but other states don’t regularly see public officials indicted for bribery and misuse of public funds.   Watchdog groups estimate that $1 billion dollars are wasted every year in New Jersey on pay-to-play and related misuse of public funds. That’s $1 billion that could be reducing our debt, replenishing the Transportation Trust Fund, or hopefully someday, reducing taxes. Why has New Jersey accepted this behavior? Why are there not protests in the streets and radical shifts at the ballot box? Why do officials suspected of corruption continue to get elected here?

Wesley Lance’s contributions to our state have been, and will continue to be, felt for many years.  Although many New Jerseyans will remember Lance for his service in the State Assembly and at the Constitutional Conventions in 1947 and 1966, those closest to Lance will remember him as a dedicated husband and father, teacher, athlete, coach, veteran, lawyer, and judge. 

In the debate over stem cell research in New Jersey, it is important to keep a tally of what politicians promise and what politicians deliver.  Assemblywoman Amy Handlin has done a terrific job exposing these gaps when it comes to the new $110 million facility at the UMDNJ’s Newark Campus that is quite literally half empty.

The tragic killings in Newark and the debate over illegal immigration that has followed show the need for quick and accurate determinations of individuals’ legal status in the United States.  Although the federal government handles the immigration issue broadly, and local governments address specific, local crimes, there must be clear communications between these different levels of government.  Illegal immigrants who enter the American judicial system should be held until their legal status is determined and, if necessary, the INS is notified.

With Tommy Thompson ending his campaign for the presidency, I'm reminded of his commitment to substantive policy-making and positive leadership.  I worked with Governor Thompson both as a governor and  in President Bush¹s first term cabinet.  Day-to-day partisan bickering was  inconsequential to him  compared to important issues such as healthcare and disease prevention.  We always had a productive relationship and I was glad that he later joined the Advisory Board of the It's My Party Too organization. Tommy  Thompson would study every aspect of a new issue whether it was welfare reform or  healthcare and  he always put policy before politics.  Governor Thompson was a tremendously successful governor and cabinet secretary; while he may not now be elected president, I'm confident that he still has a lot more to contribute to our country.  I congratulate him on a well-run campaign and look forward to his next endeavors.

This past week in North Carolina, state legislators were working on a plan to change the way the state allocates its electoral votes.  Instead of awarding the winning presidential candidate all electoral votes from the state, the votes will be allocated based on the winner in each Congressional district.  The legislators who pushed this plan - all Democrats - suggest that this will make the state more competitive and will serve as an incentive for more candidates to spend time in the state.

The bridge collapse in Minnesota last week was a terrible tragedy that disrupted many families’ lives; my thoughts and prayers go out to all those who were affected.  It also exposed the need for more prudent planning when it comes to transportation and infrastructure. 
What the tragedy should not be is an opportunity for political gamesmanship.  Unfortunately, we are already seeing bits of that from some of our elected officials.  I was disheartened to hear members of the press and members of Congress tie this tragedy to President Bush or the Iraq War, neither of which was responsible for the bridge’s collapse.

A new nationwide poll shows that, among young voters, support for the Republican Party is in a free fall.  On every issue about which respondents were questioned, the Democratic Party earned far more support than the Republican Party.  And these were not just divisive social issues; the Republican Party is losing on taxes and terrorism, two of our party’s signature issues.   In order to win back the support of the next generation of voters, Republicans have to speak out on the issues important to young people and put themselves forward in media settings that reach young audiences.