Bill Gormley

Bogota Mayor Steven Lonegan, a former gubernatorial candidate who has emerged as the leader of the state GOP's most conservative faction, has filed an ethics complaint against Republican State Senator William Gormley -- long viewed as an icon of the party's moderate wing. Lonegan alleges that Gormley used his political influence to help his wife's employer, Atlantic City Medical Center, receive state funding.

Lonegan has filed complaints with the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards against more than a quarter of the member of the New Jersey Legislature.

GORMLEY AND O'TOOLE EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR BENEFIT REFORMS, BUT SAY MORE CAN BE DONE

APPROVE FINAL REPORT, BUT ALSO RECOMMEND SEVERAL STRONGER REFORMS

Senator William Gormley and Assemblyman Kevin O'Toole said they support most of the reforms proposed in the final report adopted today by the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform, but added that they believe the committee could have gone further and would have preferred stronger recommendations in several key areas.

The '06 race for Atlantic County Freeholder was not the first time a countywide candidate won the machine vote, but lost after a record number of absentee ballots were cast. In 1968, Democrat William "Lefty" Dunbar thought he had been elected Atlantic County Sheriff, but after about 4,000 absentee ballots were counted, the seat went to the Republican incumbent, Gerald Gormley. That was Gormley's last term; he retired in 1971.

Sheriff Gormley is the father of William Gormley, who became at Atlantic County Freeholder in 1975, an Assemblyman in 1977, and has served in the State Senate since 1982.

GORMLEY AND O'TOOLE: STOP STONEWALLING ON BENEFITS REVIEW TASK FORCE REPORT
CALL ON SCUTARI AND POU TO ALLOW VOTE ON INDIVIDUAL REFORMS

Senator William Gormley, (R-2), a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Pensions and Benefits Reform issued the following statement regarding his request for a list of the top recipients of multiple pensions.

More than a month ago I asked the director of the Division of Pensions and Benefits for a list of the pension system’s top 400 double dippers. I received the first 200 names last week. The time has come to release numbers 201 to 400. I believe this information is available. The document listing the first 400 names was captioned as pages 1 through 19 of a 35-page report. I call upon the director to act in good faith and release the second set of names.

This is not a frivolous request. Pension padding and tacking are abuses of the current system that costs millions of dollars a year, which adds to the property tax burden and compromises the financial health of the state’s retirement system. New Jersey tax payers have a right to see this list and to demand change.

I have proposed legislation to end the abuses, to ban padding and tacking and pensions for independent contractors. Reforming the pension system must be part of the property tax solution. I expect the Pensions and Benefits Committee to endorse this legislation.

Senator William Gormley, (R-2), a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Pension and Benefits Reform, today issued the following statement in response to published comments from a public employees’ union official that changes to the health benefits plan proposed by Senator Gormley could lead to a strike:

Some members of the Communications Workers of America have badly misjudged Governor Corzine. The Governor has shown he wouldn’t be intimidated by threats. I hope my Legislative colleagues will not be cowed by illegal and heavy-handed threats.

The changes I have suggested are essential if we want to slow the growth of property taxes and realize some savings without compromising the quality of health care for public employees. The proposal is not draconian and would simply bring the State Health Benefits Plan in line with most private employers in this state. The plan currently costs tax payers $4 billion a year. New Jersey tax payers would expect and support an update to the program so that it mirrors changes in the private sector. By adopting this proposal now, we can achieve savings that would alleviate the need to reduce the coverage provided to public employees.

We can not deliver property tax reform without squarely addressing spiraling health care costs. I hope my fellow legislators will ignore the bullying of the CWA and approve the modernizing of the Health Benefits Plan and that Governor Corzine will sign it into law.

Senator Gormley’s proposal would eliminate the point of service plan presently known as New Jersey Plus, which requires employees to select a primary care physician and requires referrals to all other health care providers. The plan would provide more flexibility to the state and other members of the State Health Benefits Program. It would permit, and in some cases require, cost sharing between employers and employees; include a number of cost-saving provisions that have long been used in the commercial insurance market; and give the State Health Benefits Commission greater flexibility in terms of managing or altering the plan. Currently state employees pay no premiums for participation in New Jersey Plus.

Senator William Gormley, (R-2), a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform today introduced legislation that would make substantial changes to the health benefits plan offered by the State of New Jersey to public employees:

His proposal would eliminate the point of service plan presently known as New Jersey Plus, which requires employees to select a primary care physician and requires referrals to all other health care providers. The plan would provide more flexibility to the state and other members of the State Health Benefits Program. It would permit, and in some cases require, cost sharing between employers and employees; include a number of cost-saving provisions that have long been used in the commercial insurance market; and give the State Health Benefits Commission greater flexibility in terms of managing or altering the plan. Currently state employees pay no premiums for participation in New Jersey Plus.

These changes are essential if we want to slow the growth of property taxes and realize significant savings without compromising the quality of health care delivered to public employees, said Gormley. Public employers and New Jersey tax payers can no longer afford the astronomical costs of the current health benefits plan. The legislation that I have introduced today is the most practical solution to fulfill the committee’s mandate to reduce property taxes.

There are currently 804,000 enrollees in the State Health Benefits plan. This number includes; active employees, retirees, and their dependents.

Senator William Gormley, (R-2), today issued the following statement regarding New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits figures that list the top 200 double dippers in the state pension system.

This list is a perfect example of the current abuses in the pension system, which have brought it to the brink of financial ruin. Limiting public employees to a single pension based on one job is a common sense approach to ending this fiscal mess. In addition, as the Murphy Report recommended, contractors, vendors, and those that provide professional services should not be eligible for pensions.

On Thursday I will introduce legislation to end these practices. The bill that I am having drafted will eliminate pension tacking and ban independent contractors from receiving a pension. This should begin to restore fiscal integrity to the pension process.

Pension abuse costs New Jersey tax payers millions of dollars; helping drive up the already highest in the nation property taxes. Ending these abuses is one of the ways to achieve property tax relief. That’s why I am expecting the Joint Legislative Committee on Pension and Benefits to endorse this change.

There is a plausible, though unlikely, scenario that has as much as a turnover of as much as half of the New Jersey State Senate after the 2007 general election.

District 1: Republican Senator Nicholas Asselta could lose to Democratic Assemblyman Jefferson Van Drew.

District 2: Democrats are pledging a competitive Senate race against GOP incumbent Bill Gormley -- possible candidates include Assemblyman (and former Atlantic City Mayor) James Whelan, Republican-turned-Democratic former Assemblyman Paul D'Amato, and Sheriff Edward McGhettigan. Gormley is also a possible candidate for voluntary retirement.

District 3: Democrat Stephen Sweeney appears to be strong at home, but the possibility that some key public employee labor unions could back a primary or general election challenger keeps Sweeney off the safe list for now.

District 4: There continues to be speculation that freshman Democratic Senator Fred Madden won't seek re-election, and that some unions are talking to former GOP Senator (now Administrative Law Judge) George Geist about running again.

District 5: Allegations that Democratic Senator Wayne Bryant had a no-show job at UMDNJ to lobby himself increases the possibility that this safe Democratic district will get a new nominee.

District 8: Similar allegations against 75-year-old Republican Senator Martha Bark has many insiders assuming she will not run again.

District 11: Republican Senator Joseph Palaia has already announced that he won't seek re-election.

District 12: Freshman Ellen Karcher, who beat embattled Senate Co-President John Bennett in a GOP-leaning district, could be the most vulnerbale member of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

District 14: Republican Peter Inverso is a possible retiree.

District 16: Republican Walter Kavanaugh, in poor health over the last few years, is a possible retiree.

District 17: Some Democrats say that Senator Robert Smith, a longtime ally of convicted ex-Senate President John Lynch, could have a problem if reform Democrats can get their act together.

District 21: Several independent polls show Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. ahead in the race for the U.S. Senate.

District 24: Republican Robert Littell, in poor health over the last few years, is a possible retiree. He could also lose a primary to Assemblyman Guy Gregg.

District 26: Republican Senator Robert Martin said last year that he won't run again.

District 28: Democratic Senator Ronald Rice seems unlikely to keep party support in a bid for an eight term; he won just 25% of the vote in his race for Mayor of Newark against Cory Booker earlier this year.

District 29: Sharpe James, who dropped his bid for re-election as Mayor of Newark, could fight to keep his Senate seat -- or again, choose to leave quietly.

District 31: Senator Joseph Doria was forced into a runoff campaign to win a third term as Mayor of Bayonne and some Democrats think he might get pushed out.

District 33: The conventional wisdom is that Senate Majority Leader (and Hudson County Democratic Chairman) Bernard Kenny is the underdog in a primary with Assemblyman/Union City Mayor Brian Stack, who has all-but-announced his intention to run.

District 35: John Girgenti is probably in good shape, but he has a Peter Rodino problem: a white Senator in a district where minorities are the majority of voters.

District 36: Democratic Senator Paul Sarlo will be hard to beat, but he's not at all safe if the Republicans can recruit a quality challenger -- like former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano, Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan, or Nutley Mayor Joanne Cocchiola.

District 37: Democratic Senator Loretta Weinberg is facing a primary challenge from former Assemblyman Ken Zisa.

District 40: Again, much specualtion that Republican Senator Henry McNamara will retire.

REPUBLICAN MEMBERS CALL ON DEMOCRATS TO TAKE DIRECT ACTION ON STATE HEALTH BENEFITS PACKAGE REFORM

Senator William Gormley, (R-2), and Assemblyman Kevin OToole, (R-40), transmitted a letter to Governor Corzine and the Democrat Chairs of the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform, Senator Nicholas Scutari and Assemblywoman Nellie Pou. The letter details several proposed reforms for the State Health Benefits Plan. A copy of the letter is attached.