Albert Coutinho

Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer (D-Newark) this evening in the South Ward.

NEWARK - The late push has begun in Newark's five wards. Anything slow early was explained away with the emphatic point that after work numbers will swell the outcome.

In the East Ward, after playing basketball with children outside a polling place, Mayor Cory Booker climbs into a car and squeals away - bound for East Side High School.

On Adams Street, in party headquarters, the core of the East Ward Democratic Party brain trust sits in their usual Election Day chairs around a table in a back room: veteran political operative Joe Parlavecchio, Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark), and East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador, among others.

"We are projected to do a little better than the 2005 gubernatorial election," says Coutinho.

In the troubled Central Ward, which lost its party chairman this past summer, Councilman Charles Bell says their numbers are not tracking as well as the 2005 election.

Essex County Corzine Campaign Coordinator Leroy Jones, left, and Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark) Thursday in the East Ward.

NEWARK - After months of mostly unobservable underground movements and five days in front of President Barack Obama's appearance at the Rock, there is evidence of effort on behalf of Gov. Jon Corzine in a city the governor needs to win amply in order to land another four years in office.
 
Of course, Democrats are leaning heavily on Corzine-Obama linkage.

In 2005, Corzine defeated Republican challenger Doug Forrester in Newark, 39,573 to 3,336, while carrying Essex County overall, 131,312 to 45,789 on his way to statewide victory.
 
By comparison, Obama punished Republican Sen. John McCain in Newark by a vote of 77,112 to 5,957 last year, as he carried Essex County, 240,127 to 73,975, recording a larger number of votes here than in any other county on his way to winning New Jersey by a 15% margin. 

"Certainly for Obama, people had a clear and distinguishable reason for coming out," says Essex County Democratic Party chairman Phil Thigpen. "Now, it's not as visible when you talk about quality of education or property taxes and you're a renter, for example. So we've got to jazz it up."

COUTINHO BILL TO PROTECT NEW JERSEY CHILDREN NOW LAW

Law Signed by Gov. Corzine Bars Sex Offenders from Youth Groups

(NEWARK) – Legislation Assemblyman Albert Coutinho sponsored to protect New Jersey children by prohibiting sex-offenders from serving in youth organizations was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

The law (A-1731) prohibits those who have been convicted, adjudicated delinquent or found not guilty by reason of insanity of committing a range of sexual offenses from working or volunteering for youth sports teams and groups that provide recreational, educational, cultural, social, charitable and other activities to those under 18 years of age.

“This new law is, very simply, a common sense step toward further protecting our children,” said Coutinho (D-Essex). “Clearly, sex offenders shouldn’t be working closely with our children and teen-agers, and this new law will help ensure that stays the case.”

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) is playing a key role in a statewide effort to increase voter turnout among Latino voters for Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign.  This weekend, Menendez presided over a meeting in New Brunswick that was attended by over 200 statewide Latino leaders, including U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York), State Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), Assemblywomen Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Camden) and Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth), Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark) and Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, Paterson Mayor Joey Torres, and Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco.

JOHNSON / DeANGELO / EVANS / CONAWAY / COUTINHO BILL TO PROMOTE FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS NOW LAW

Bill creating check-off for food pantry donations signed by Gov. Corzine

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly members Gordon Johnson, Wayne DeAngelo, Elease Evans, Albert Coutinho and Herb Conaway to address recent shortages and closings at food pantries was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

The law establishes the “Community Food Pantry Fund” in the Department of the Treasury and allow taxpayers to voluntarily donate a portion of their income tax refund to it.. The bill passed the Assembly in October and the Senate in June.

“The global economic meltdown means hunger isn’t being limited to the poor,” said Johnson (D-Bergen). “New Jersey is a generous state, and we can and should make it easier to spread that generosity and do whatever we can to ensure no one in this state goes to bed hungry.”

RUIZ/COUTINHO/SPENCER: CHRISTIE'S REFUSAL OF $2 BILLION IN EDUCATION FUNDS WOULD SHATTER STATE’S EDUCATON SYSTEM, WORKFORCE & ECONOMY

(NEWARK) – Senator Teresa Ruiz, Assemblyman Albert Coutinho and Assemblywoman Grace Spencer today decried Bush Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie for his rejection of billions of dollars from President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to assist the State in its recovery from the current global economic crisis.

CAPUTO/TUCKER/COUTINHO/SPENCER SLAM CHRISTIE’S
REJECTION OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO HELP
OUT-OF-WORK NEW JERSEYANS

(BLOOMFIELD) – Assembly members Ralph Caputo (D-Belleville), Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex), Albert Coutinho (D-Essex) and Grace Spencer (D-Essex) today joined local elected officials and unemployed North Jersey residents to take Bush Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie to task for aligning with prominent Bush Republican governors to reject billions of dollars in federal funding from President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

COUTINHO & NEW JERSEY COLLEGE STUDENTS BLAST CHRISTIE FOR REFUSING MILLIONS IN STUDENT AID

Conservative Right Wing Candidate’s Partisan Politics Would Cost New Jersey Students Millions in Federal Aid

    (EWING) – Assemblyman Albert Coutinho today teamed up with more than 25 college and university students from across New Jersey to slam Chris Christie’s higher education policy which includes refusing $74 M in federal student aid at a press conference held at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. 

ECONOMIC STIMULUS BILL SIGNED INTO LAW

(TRENTON) - Landmark legislation that takes a broad approach to jumpstarting local economic development projects and creating new jobs by maximizing New Jersey's federal stimulus investments and promoting growth and development efforts vital to repositioning the state for long-term prosperity was signed into law today by Gov. Jon Corzine.

McKEON / CHIVUKULA / COUTINHO / GREENSTEIN PROMOTE CLEAN ENERGY

Measure To Deem Wind, Solar as ‘Inherently Beneficial’ Gets Final Legislative OK

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assemblymen John McKeon, Upendra Chivukula, Albert Coutinho and Linda Greenstein sponsored to promote alternative energy systems by deeming the technology as “inherently beneficial” when considered by local planning and zoning boards has received final legislative approval.