ROBERTS: COMPREHENSIVE ETHICS REFORMS NECESSARY
TO RESTORE TRUST IN GOVERNMENT

(TRENTON) -- Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. said the comprehensive ethics reform proposals announced today by the Governor would help restore resident's trust in government and make New Jersey a national model for good-government reform.

Governor Corzine is talking about the right moves when it comes to ethics reform. Republicans who have been advocating these reforms for the past three years welcome his decision to join the fight, and hope he can sway the members of his party who have blocked reform.

RUTGERS EXPERT ALAN ROSENTHAL NAMED CHAIRMAN
OF LEGISLATIVE ETHICS COMMITTEE
Respected Expert on Ethics and State Legislatures To Lead
Reconstituted, Empowered Ethical Watchdog

(TRENTON) - Senate President Richard J. Codey, Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr., Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce today announced that Rutgers University professor Dr. Alan Rosenthal will be been named chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards.

IN RESPONSE TO CLEAN ELECTIONS COURT DECISION, WEINBERG SAYS: ‘NJ SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON PAY-TO-PLAY AND ETHICS REFORM’

Teaneck – In response to today’s announcement regarding the U.S. Appeals Court’s decision ruling that the ‘rescue money’ in the Clean Elections law is unconstitutional, State Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) announced that she agrees with Speaker Joe Roberts in the suspension of all future Clean Elections pilot programs in New Jersey until the courts have made their final rulings on this issue.

“There is much to do in New Jersey in the way of reforming our pay-to-play laws,” said Weinberg. “I agree with Speaker Roberts. Our state should concentrate on improving the integrity of our government by passing strict pay-to-play legislation, while we await the court decision on Clean Elections funding.”

12th District Legislators Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande today sent a letter to Senate President Richard Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts asking them to immediately post a bill they are sponsoring- which would prohibit school employees from receiving salary increases for obtaining advanced degrees from institutions which are unaccredited by an agency accepted by the U.S. Department of Education, or being reimbursed for tuition from an unaccredited institution- when the Legislature reconvenes for the fall session.

Five state senators ask the judge in the Sharpe James case to strike a blow against the corruption that is costing this state tax dollars, economic growth and its reputation.

In Case You Missed It:
Courier-Post Exposes Andrews’ Quid Pro Quo

Reform candidate Dale Glading
first to demand accountability from
career politician Andrews on unethical earmark

BARRINGTON – Dale Glading, candidate for U.S. Congress in New Jersey’s 1st District, was the first to reveal Rep. Rob Andrews’ unethical earmarks, now under investigation by The Courier-Post.

According to The Star-Ledger, Rob Andrews has directed $2.27 million of our taxpayer money to the law school since 2001. (“Lautenberg campaign questions Andrews' earmarks for Rutgers”, The Star-Ledger, May 13, 2008)

In exchange, The Courier-Post exposed the fact that Rob Andrews has received $16,500 in political contributions from employees of the Rutgers University Law School since 2002 and an additional $3,250 since 2005 from Rutgers’ lobbying firm. (“Andrews cites benefits of earmarks”, The Courier-Post, June 11, 2008)

“This blatant misuse of taxpayers’ dollars is just one in a series of unethical earmarks sponsored by Mr. Andrews,” Glading challenged. “Virtually every time Rob Andrews requested federal money for a private company, that company’s lobbyists and its employees contributed to his campaigns.”

“Apparently, Mr. Andrews was far more interested in getting elected to higher office than in serving our district,” Glading alleged.

“If nothing else, Rob Andrews’ unethical earmarks have afforded Camille Andrews one thing: job security,” Glading added. “That’s job security that the citizens of his district no longer have in today’s tough economy, because Rob Andrews would rather invest more than $2 million of our money in his wife's law school program than try to fight high gas prices and outrageous property tax bills.”

“This much is clear: neither Rob nor Camille Andrews have our best interests at heart,” Glading concluded. “Rob Andrews has failed to properly represent us, taking our money and funneling it to his wife’s program. And Camille Andrews’ participation in this shady deal proves that she is unfit to represent us, too.”

Glading Demands Answers from
Andrews Clan About Unethical Earmarks

Congressional candidate calls on machine politicians
to level with constituents about
multi-million dollar giveaways

BARRINGTON – Dale Glading, candidate for U.S. Congress in New Jersey’s 1st District, today called for Rob and Camille Andrews to come clean about the millions of dollars in unethical earmarks allocated to Camille Andrews’ employer from 2001 through 2005.

As reported by The Star-Ledger, Rep. Rob Andrews acquired $2.27 million in federal earmarks for the Rutgers Law School and “consistently directed taxpayer money to a program his wife controls.” (“Lautenberg campaign questions Andrews' earmarks for Rutgers”, The Star-Ledger, May 13, 2008)

“The citizens of this district are tired of hearing Mr. and Mrs. Andrews spin this story to their advantage,” said Glading. “The simple truth is that they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. It’s time for the Andrews clan to level with the people they have failed to represent.”

“The hard-working people of our district are tired of career politicians treating our money as their own,” Glading added. “For Mr. Andrews to hand-deliver our hard-earned money to his wife’s program at Rutgers is both arrogant and reprehensible.”

“Mr. Andrews’ previous attempts to spin his indefensible conduct have been unconvincing," Glading continued. “Camden is the poorest and third most dangerous city in America, and all Mr. Andrews can think of doing to help its citizens is to send millions to his wife's law school.”

“Of course, we can't expect a couple that declared nearly half a million dollars in income last year to understand how the rest of us live,” Glading concluded. “They simply can’t relate to the day-to-day struggles that we face, with gas prices rising out of control and the highest property taxes in the country.”

12th District Legislators Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon today expressed outrage over news reports that Keansburg School District Superintendent Barbara Trzeskowski will receive a combined severance and benefits package worth nearly $750,000.

12TH District Legislators Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon said today that a report by a state auditor outlining numerous failures to comply with state statutes governing the program confirm exactly what they’ve been saying for months.