Oliver ready for Nov. 23 leadership vote, wants up or down vote on marriage equality
By Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ.com Reporter
Her early critics quietly grumble that she's a political neophyte - the preferred Essex County term of art for someone who rises too quickly in politics.
But Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), a veteran of local East Orange politics, said she is more than ready to assume the lead role in the lower house come Nov. 23rd, when both the Assemby and the senate are scheduled to vote on leadership.
Her rapid ascent coincides with the fast dimming political career of lame duck Gov. Jon Corzine.
"He genuinely wanted to effectuate glaring social issues of interest to a broad cross section to advocay groups, but did not understand the complexity of navigating the shark and barracuda filled waters of New Jersey politics," said Oliver when asked to reflect on Corzine's legacy.
Poised with a sufficient number of caucus votes to become the Assembly's first African American woman speaker as succesor to Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden), Oliver said she received a phone call yesterday from Gov.-elect Chris Christie but was unavailable. She said she intends to return his call today.
As state Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) this afternoon considers what to do in lame duck about a gay marriage bill championed by outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine, the assemblywoman said the bill should receive an up or down vote.
"If the bill stands a chance, it stands a chance now," Oliver said. "Gov. Christie isn't going to sign any bill on his desk to this effect and there are concerns now with how anti-groups have pumped up the volume across the state. Legislators are afraid to move forward, but I think that there should be an opportunity to vote up or down. Without question, in the assembly, there are a significant number of members who would not support the bill.
"I support the bill because I believe gay marriage is a civil rights issue," added Oliver, who also favors up or down lame duck session votes on a long languishing wrongful death bill, and on a bill enabling people who are adopted to have access to their birth ceritificates.
During his successful campaign for governor, Christie propounded his support for charter schools and vouchers. The day after he defeated Gov. Jon Corzine, the gov-elect traveled to the Robert Treat Academy, a Newark charter school founded by North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato.
Adubato, father of the television personality with the same name, posed with New Jersey's incoming chief executive to the chagrin of some Democrats who felt he was too friendly with the enemy.
An ally of Adubato's, Oliver dismissed the criticism.
"Anyone that knows Steve Adubato would know historically, over the last 30 years, that he has had an open-ended embrace for any and everyone who can support his objective, which is service delivery through his organization," said the assemblywoman, who enjoyed the key political support of Adubato acolyte Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo in her leadership launch.
"They get angry," Oliver acknowledged of critics, "but from a textbook point of view, Steve practices pragmatic politics. Some people saw it as shocking, but the reality is Steve is trying to keep his institution intact."
As for Christie's advocacy for education reform, Oliver said she's essentially willing to meet him halfway.
"Opportunity needs to be given to alternatives, and I have no problem with charter schools, recognizing, of course, that not every charter school is good," Oliver said. "I'm leery about vouchers."
Six days removed from Christie's triumph over her party's governor, Oliver said New Jersey's independent voters clearly swung away from Corzine in a national economic downturn. But she also observed the relative lack of party engagement for Corzine, and suggested that party operatives rose too late in the game to give Corzine his best shot at winning.
From an organizational standpoint, she said, "You don't run for re-election the year you are up for re-election."
The presumptive speaker has not recently spoken with Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), who had herself sought the speaker's job in the wake of Roberts's retirement announcement, and who last week on Election Day wouldn't comment on her status in that regard.
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Will Codey do the right thing?
Codey cannot be the next State Senate President unless he sells himself out to Tom Kean and the Republican caucus.
He just does not have the votes.
In politics it is customary to concede to your opponent. Codey had a good run.
It is time to move on.
Codey should do the time honored thing and release those who are reluctantly standing with him to support Steve Sweeney.
This is not about HIM. His decision will effect the Democratic leadership in Trenton.
Will he be selfish and sell out his fellow Democrats ?
Yeah
But Sweeny is a thug and is in the pocket of George Norcross...I dont think that either of these guys should be Senate Pres, but if it has to be one it should be Codey
Oliver = puppet...Or George W. Bush
"He genuinely wanted to effectuate glaring social issues of interest to a broad cross section to advocay groups..."
Huh? Effectuate an issue? You can effectuate change...you can effectuate action on an issue...but you can't effectuate an issue. What next...nucular energy?
"Oliver said she received a phone call yesterday from Gov.-elect Chris Christie but was unavailable. She said she intends to return his call today."
For real? The Governor calls you and you're not available...for 24 hours?
Christie is going out of his way to make it clear he's ready to work with Democrats to deliver on the mandate voters delivered on election day. Meanwhile, Speaker-in-waiting Oliver is playing the same old Trenton games.
Actually Firstamnd..
I know. Steve has been saying this to a lot of us lately. so either you have a good memory or you take notes very well. that was almost verbatim.
I think it would be fun to see a lot of them, especially with higher office aspirations have to go on the record and vote against Codey. I'm sure it will play well in their districts.
advocay groups?
Is that some form of sodomy?
Not Bonnie!
The best thing about Shiela Oliver is that she is not Bonnie Watson Coleman. Another waste of oxygen who needs to move on.
Bonnie, your day of influence is over.
If Corzine didn't pass it in
If Corzine didn't pass it in 4 years, why would he rush to pass it in the little time he has left? Just to spite Christie? I think the Democrats have a bit more class than to pull those kind of tricks. Corzine is on an island vacation now, I don't think he cares about anything Sheila Oliver wants to do.
Vouchers, YES!
After 40 years of failing schools in urban areas, why would anyone be leery about vouchers? Becasue the teacher's union told her to be leery?
Fact is, in the antebellum period, Democrats passed laws making it a crime to educate slaves. For the 100 years following the Civil War, Democrats practiced segregation. And since the late 1960s, Democrats have done everything the could to keep poor, urban kids trapped in awful schools.
Maybe Democrats are afraid of an educated public!
"We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work!"
- FDR's Treasure Secretary, Henry Morgenthau, in 1939, on 8 years of New Deal spending as an attempt to end the Great Depression.
Governor George Norcross in Control - Take all our Money
Norcross enjoys his Florida home FOR $10.9 MILLION. He's going to control the state now. New Has a new Governor, It's Norcross, get ready he's going to call the shots.
Interior designer Ann Downey has sold her home on Everglades Island for $10.9 million.
The buyer is Cherry Hill, N.J., millionaire George E. Norcross III, CEO of Commerce National Insurance, a division of Commerce Bancorp.
The deal closed Monday for 601 Island Drive, a one-story five-bedroom Bermuda-style house built in 1954 and revised by architect John Volk. It has 6,142 square feet of living area, with sweeping views of the Intracoastal Waterway. Amenities include a large covered cabana.
Liza Pulitzer, a sales associate with Martha A. Gottfried Inc., had the $11.47 million listing. Rebecca Bruder of The Corcoran Group represented the buyer, who took title through Premier Holding Group LLC. Norcross and his wife, Sandra, also have an oceanfront home in Loveladies, N.J., on Long Beach Island.
Norcross, 50, a member of The Mar-a-Lago Club and Trump International Golf Club, said he asked his friend of 20 years, Donald Trump, for a developer's opinion before he signed the contract.
"I looked at a host of properties. I wanted lakefront and deepwater, and Everglades Island has great views. I took Donald to this house; we walked through three properties. He said it was spectacular, an exquisite location," Norcross said. "At night time, with all the lights, it reminds me of being on a boat approaching Manhattan."
Also a director of Commerce Bancorp, he said buying a house in Palm Beach was "a good excuse," given the bank's rapid expansion in the area. Commerce Bank recently opened six locations in Palm Beach County, including one on Bradley Place. In addition, Norcross said his division is "searching for insurance firms to buy in southern Florida."
This is Norcross' first purchase in Palm Beach, after scouting properties for a year or so. He has been a frequent winter visitor for many years, as a houseguest at Mar-a-Lago, along with friends and fellow tennis buffs Joy and Regis Philbin.
"We love Palm Beach. It has everything you could want within 4 miles of your house: great tennis and golf, the spa, and 10 great restaurants," Norcross said.
"This house has quite a history. It was Frank Sinatra's hangout in the winters before he got married," Norcross said. "Ann Downey has been so kind to my wife and me. She's delightful, a lovely, classy, engaging person."
Downey, a successful designer in New York and Palm Beach, had decorated Sinatra's apartment at the Waldorf Towers. When Sinatra was in town, he stayed with the Downeys -- Ann and her late husband, Irish tenor Morton Downey.
Ann Downey created the look for the Poinciana Club when it was resurrected in 1995. At the time, she said the club south of the Royal Poinciana Playhouse should be "informal, fun," bringing back the charm of Palm Beach.
Everglades Island is enjoying a surge of interest. Norcross cited a house on the market for $12.5 million, "and the price was just raised to more than $16 million."
"There's only one Palm Beach. There's no supply [of available homes], and enormous demand. I've already been offered to sell it at a very attractive, quick profit," Norcross said. "But we're very happy. We want this to be a place where we'll spend a considerable amount of time in the future."