Albio Sires

SENS. LAUTENBERG, MENENDEZ, REP. SIRES, MAYOR SMITH ANNOUNCE $3.56 MILLION IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW BAYONNE FIREHOUSE

Assemblywoman Caridad Rodriguez (D-West New York), who served as Albio Sires' executive assistant when he was the Mayor of West New York, and as his office manager when he won election to Congress, is in line to chair the Assembly Human Services Committee.  The current chair, Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) appears to have the votes to become the next Assembly Speaker.  Rodriguez, who is now the panel's vice chair, endorsed Oliver for the post yesterday.

New Jersey's congressional delegation voted 8-5 along party lines in support of a House resolution voicing disapproval of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who shouted "You lie!" during President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress last week.  Democrats John Adler, Rob Andrews, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Steven Rothman, and Albio Sires voted yes.  Republicans Rodney Frelinghuysen, Scott Garrett, Leonard Lance, Frank LoBiondo and Christopher Smith voted no.  The resolution passed 240-17.  Seven Republicans voted yes and twelve Democrats voted no.

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.

Senate President Dick Codey (D-Roseland) said that the next Assembly Speaker will “have large shoes to fill” after Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) retires.

“Joe Roberts’ leadership and commitment will be sorely missed in Trenton.  He has been one of the most steadfast and dedicated public servants that Trenton has seen in nearly a quarter of a century,” said Codey, who lauded Roberts’ record on legislation that dealt with property tax relief, affordable housing and autism.  

"While there were times when we had policy differences, they never became personal and Joe and I always got along.  Joe was the consummate legislator and a true gentleman to work with whose sole goal was always to help the citizens of New Jersey,” read the rest of Code’s statement.   “I have been very fortunate to be able to say that, like Congressman Albio Sires before him, Joe is a friend. The next Assembly Speaker will have large shoes to fill and I look forward to continuing the working relationship Joe and I forged as Speaker and Senate President with the next Speaker.”

Former Perth Amboy Democratic Municipal Chairman Raymond Geneske, a longtime political advisor to indicted Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy), pleaded guilty today to charges that he participated in a straw-donor scheme to funnel campaign contributions to Vas' 2006 congressional campaign.  He faces a maximum two year prison sentence. 

Vas, who was Mayor of Perth Amboy for eighteen years before his 2008 defeat, challenged Albio Sires for the Democratic nomination for Congress in District 13 in 2006.  He received 25% of the vote. Geneske admitted to a role in a scheme to circumvent federal campaign contribution limits by accepting approximately $30,000 in cash from a "prominent developer in Perth Amboy" and trading the cash for personal checks from other individuals.   Geneske, in his court appearance, alleged that Vas was aware of the straw-donor plan.

The decision of Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) to remove his name from consideration for Lt. Governor removes one of the top names from Chris Christie's list, and makes State Sen. Diane Allen (R-Edgewater Park) and Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan more serious contenders.  Kean was reportedly one of the leading contenders to become Christie's running mate.

Democratic sources say that Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) remains a strong candidate to run with Gov. Jon Corzine. Other names being mentioned by party leaders this week include two Republicans, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce President Joan Verplanck and Rev. DeForest "Buster" Soaries, a former N.J. Secretary of State.  It's hard to imagine Soaries is a real contender: he was an early supporter of George W. Bush for President in 2000, and national Republicans helped him in his congressional campaign against Democrat Rush Holt in 2002.  His presence on the ticket might make it more difficult for Democrats to tie Christie to Bush, as they did at Corzine's campaign kickoff on Tuesday.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) at a green building ribbon-cutting in Hoboken this morning.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie says he hasn't thought much about U.S.-Cuba relations, but agrees with state Attorney General Anne Milgram that stepping up efforts to extradite convicted cop killer Joanne Chesimard is a good idea.

"If we're moving toward normalizing relations with Cuba, it would be a sign of goodwill for that country to extradite Joanne Chesimard," Christie said yesterday. "There are a lot of issues on the table."

Asked if he believes the United States should normalize relations with Cuba, Christie said, "I haven't thought that deeply about it. It's not a state issue."

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), the state's ranking Cuban American, disagreed.

"It is a state issue," Menendez told PolitickerNJ.com, noting that the Governor appoints members of the Free Cuba Task Force.  "While it may not be the most popular issue of the day, the Governor will have to appoint the head of the advisory council and charge what its mission should be."

Cuban-born U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York) had another take on Christie's position.

"There are a lot of issues he hasn't thought deeply about," Sires said.

U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York) last Friday evening, working the room in Perth Amboy.

PERTH AMBOY – He straddles four fundamental statewide Democratic Party building blocks in Hudson, Essex, Union and Middlesex, and, if asked, U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York) “would consider” running for lieutenant governor on a ticket with Gov. Jon Corzine, he told PolitickerNJ.com.   

It’s the politic answer, of course, meaningless perhaps in assessing the core of a public will, as it’s the same response most elected officials would give to the question. It insults no one, offers little discernable in the way of true ambition, yet admits a large enough ego - often useful in this game - to keep the option afloat, while enabling the politician to move humbly forward with the job immediately at hand - in this case, constituent services.

In his favor, sources close to the 58-year old Sires note that his formation was as an executive, not as a legislator. He served 12 years as mayor of West New York, which might make it easy for voters to envision him comfortably assuming the role of governor. 

Perth Amboy Mayor WIlda Diaz works the room at her foreclosure conference on Friday.

PERTH AMBOY – The rivers run into each other there and disgorge urb and burb remnants alike into the bay.

In the middle of a global economic crisis, in the middle of a local budget crisis, in the middle of state corruption charges leveled against her predecessor, Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz stands in the parish center of Our Lady of Fatima Church in front of a crowd of 400 residents Friday night and urges them to work with government to keep their homes. 

“Tell your friends not to be embarrassed if you can’t pay your mortgage,” she says, in English and Spanish. “If you wait two or three months, the situation will only be much worse.”

The bank teller turned bank manager turned first year mayor has welcomed several guests to speak, including representatives from Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York).