CHRISTIAN BOLLWAGE

In a city that Jon Corzine carried 74%-22% four years ago, eight of the nine elected members of the Elizabeth Board of Education today endorsed Republican Christopher Christie for Governor.

"Many of the Board members endorsing Chris today are Democrats, but we all know that when it comes to providing a quality education and a hopeful future for our children, party and politics aren't a factor," said school board president Francisco Gonzalez.  "Governor Corzine has failed our kids in the last four years when it comes to education policy in our state and it is time for a change in leadership if we're going to ensure our children receive the quality education they deserve."

Joining Gonzalez in backing the Republican candidate are Carlos Trujillo Raul Burgos, Armando DaSilva, Rafael Fajardo, Marie Lynn Munn, Fernando Nazco and Elcy Castill-Ospina.  Joining the elected officials were former Union County Freeholder Donald Goncalves, former Elizabeth City Councilman Robert Jaspan, and former Board of Education member Tony Monteiro.  All three are Democrats.

In 2005, Corzine defeated Republican Douglas Forrester by 8,014 votes in Elizabeth, one of the state's largest Democratic strongholds. 

The Christie campaign says the mostly Democratic school board members are frustrated with Corzine's failure to assure funding for critical education programs as their reason for supporting the GOP candidate.   

"Corzine heavily favored stop-gap measures to fill the gaping holes in his FY 2010 budget, including funding roughly 10 percent of the education budget with one-time federal stimulus funds.  This reckless accounting puts New Jersey children's education at risk by funding the education budget with $1 billion that will not be there next year," the Christie campaign said in a statement.

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) says that Christie's new supporters are the "same Board Members were recently slapped around by the New Jersey Appellate Division for spending over $80,000 of tax dollars for political purposes"

"If they cared about education instead of politics, they wouldn't be supporting Christie who would turn down $2 billion of federal funds for education," Lesniak told PolitickerNJ.com.

MAYOR BOLLWAGE STATEMENT ON
CHRISTIE VISIT TO ELIZABETH

Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage today released the following statement following Bush Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie’s visit to Elizabeth:

“Christie has called pre-k education ‘baby-sitting’ and, on the issue of our children’s education, he continues to be wrong when it matters most.  His refusal of $2 billion in education funding from President Obama’s stimulus plan concerns me because it would lead directly to a $2 billion property tax increase and would jeopardize 35,000 teacher jobs across the state.  Governor Corzine has made investment in education a priority since taking office because he recognizes the importance of ensuring our children are best prepared for the ever-changing job market.  His commitment to our children is evident in his dedication to providing increased education funding in the classrooms as well as his authorization of almost $4 billion to build schools and provide the best possible learning environment for students across the state.”

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DENVER - Republicans who feel that New Jersey just might be winnable for John McCain sometimes look back to 1984, when Ronald Reagan carried Elizabeth over Walter Mondale.

Back then, Elizabeth Mayor Thomas Dunn endorsed Reagan. J. Christian Bollwage, then a Councilman, was there when Reagan held a rally in town - his first public appearance since being shot, he said.

"I said to him 'President Reagan, we're all Democrats here!' He said 'You should jump in. The water's fine."

But since Reagan's visit the demographics of this town have shifted significantly, with a huge influx of Hispanic immigrants. Its black vote, expected to go heavily for Obama, remains unchanged, while the working-class white "Reagan Democrats" are fewer.

Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage has ruled out a bid for Neil Cohen’s Assembly seat, according to Union County Democratic sources.  Under the new dual office holding ban, he would have to give up his more powerful mayoral post.  That’s something Bollwage might only do if Raymond Lesniak were to leave the State Senate.

Joe Cryan calls Jim Devine "a sleaze ball, the worst in politics."In December 2007, James Devine, a Union County political operative/newspaper publisher, was arrested for owing $20,000 in child support and alimony.

It was the latest fall from grace for Devine, a former Union County Democratic insider. Devine had been, as recently as a few years ago, a somewhat important operative in local political circles, running three weekly newspapers in Union County that depended heavily on financing from county advertisements and legal notices. But when that revenue stream abruptly ended, Devine was out of business and out of luck - a turn of events he blames on Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, a former political ally who he had a falling out with in the early 1990s.

Now he's working to beat Bollwage, who is seeking re-election in the June 3 Democratic primary.

But Devine's detractors hold nothing but venom for a man they characterize as a charlatan who has mucked up the political scene in Union County for decades, and who recently had his bank account frozen for owing tens of thousands in back taxes - something Devine blames on bad legal advice and child support payments.

Some public officials who are used to choosing their words carefully don't hesitate to go on the record slamming Devine.

"He's a sleaze ball, the worst in politics," said Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan, who also represents Union County in the State Assembly. "If they pay him anything, I hope he used it towards his child support."