Alex DeCroce

The Assembly Republican caucus this morning reelected Assembly Mniority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) to a fourth consecutive term. 

Support was unanimous.

After threatening, Assembly Conference Leader Pete Biondi (R-Hillsborough) ended up not challenging DeCroce, who is rumored to be a short list candidate for the cabinet of Gov.-elect Chris Christie.

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) this morning received his caucus's backing to be conference leader and Assemblyman Dave Rible (R-Wall) moved up to become whip.

Expect increased speculation over the next few weeks that Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) will seek a cabinet post in Gov-elect Christopher Christie's administration.   That would trigger a contest for his Assembly leadership post, and a special election convention for his District 26 Assembly seat.  Through the campaign, DeCroce has maintained that he was not interested.  That could change now. 

DeCROCE TO CRYAN: COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany)

If Republicans fail to make significant gains in the legislature this year, the political fate of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) becomes a question mark, despite the avowed strength he has in his own caucus.

A coup launched by Assemblyman Pete Biondi (R-Hillsborough), the Republican conference leader, and Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham Twp.) fizzled last month when Biondi, working in tandem with Merkt, couldn't scrape together sufficient support to threaten DeCroce.

But Assembly Republicans in conversation lay out the contests where they hope to win, and a list that has at various times included districts 14, 19, 36 and 22, now most emphatically begins with District 1, with the other theatres of endeavor offered more faintly in a hard luck economy where the GOP has failed to match the Democrats in fundraising.

DeCROCE: ARE DAGGETT AND CORZINE CONSPIRING TO DECEIVE VOTERS?

            Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce said today that two new reports by independent research organizations show New Jersey’s economy continues to suffer despite Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s claims that his policies have put New Jersey on a path towards recovery.

            “There has been wave after wave of bad news about New Jersey’s economy but the governor continues to pretend that conditions are dramatically improving,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “No matter how hard he tries to spin a yarn about the ‘Corzine recovery,’ people who have lost their jobs and their homes know better.”

            Statistics released by RealtyTrac show home foreclosure filings in New Jersey rose 44.5 percent from the level posted in the second quarter of the year, placing the state 10th in national rankings. Figures for New York and Pennsylvania were considerable smaller, and Delaware even reduced its foreclosure rate.

            “Once again, New Jersey’s performance is weaker than every one of our neighboring states,” DeCroce noted. “This week we found out that our unemployment rate is continuing to rise while the number of jobs in the private sector is dropping. None of our neighbors are doing as poorly as we are under Jon Corzine. Yet the governor insists that his decision to impose higher taxes on people and businesses in the midst of a recession has nothing to do with the fact New Jersey continues to under-perform.”

            Another disappointing sign is that New Jersey continues to rank high on the latest “Adversity Index” prepared by Moody's Economy.com and msnbc.com. According to latest index, the state of New Jersey is still listed in the “recession” column. Out of 384 metro areas in the nation, 79 are in recovery, according to the August data on jobs, manufacturing and housing. Only two of the 10 “metro areas” that cover New Jersey showed any sign of improvement. The rest are still considered to be in a full-blown recession.

Assembly Deputy Speaker John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) says that the Assembly Republican leader should follow his own example and criticize gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie for billing $400-per-night hotel rooms to the federal government while serving as U.S. Attorney.

The Assembly Republican office has frequently used the state Open Public Records Act (OPRA) to uncover wasteful spending in state government, Burzichelli says, noting that Minority Leader Alex DeCroce "questioned state education officials over hotel stays of $200 - less than half of the cost of Christie's rooms - and criticized one school employee for billing crab cakes to the taxpayers."

"When it comes to denouncing Chris Christie for exhibiting the exact same conduct he has been so quick to criticize before, it seems that Mr. DeCroce's desire is as cool as, well, the other side of the pillow," said Burzichelli.

But DeCroce says he finds it amusing that Burzichelli suddenly wants to talk about wasteful spending by government officials.

            Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce says Democratic Assemblyman John Burzichelli should be more concerned about the billions of dollars in state tax dollars that have been wasted under a succession of Democratic governors and the Democrat-controlled Legislature than shilling for Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

            “I find it amusing that Assemblyman Burzichelli, who has ignored every documented case of state waste that Republicans uncovered since he has been in office, is suddenly so interested in federal travel vouchers,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.

            “For years, Burzichelli has been missing in action while Republicans were exposing billions of dollars in state waste and fiscal abuse. His silence was deafening when Republicans proposed ways to save billions of dollars in state spending. His overnight conversion to the cause is nothing short of miraculous."

WHEN IT COMES TO CHRISTIE'S TRAVEL SPENDING,
DeCROCE PULLS THE COVERS OVER HIS HEAD

(Trenton) – Following the revelation that Chris Christie lived well off the taxpayers' credit card while traveling as United States Attorney, Assemblyman John Burzichelli today challenged Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce to follow the lead he and his own office have set and denounce the extravagant spending.

DeCROCE SAYS NEW JERSEY CANNOT AFFORD

DEMOCRAT CONTROL ANY LONGER;

CHANGE IN TRENTON IS NEEDED NOW