Francis Bodine

BODINE-CHATZIDAKIS EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT DEMOCRATS
'VANISHING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF' PLAN

WITHOUT COMMITMENT TO RECURRING STATE REDUCTION,
PROPOSED 20 PERCENT CUT COULD VANISH IN FOUR YEARS

Assemblymen Francis Bodine and Larry Chatzidakis today expressed their concerns that the 20 percent property tax relief plan being discussed by Democrat leaders may simply vanish after four years - gobbled up by continued increases in local taxes.

"While the idea to cap local property tax increases at four percent will help, simple math dictates that without a recurring state funded cut, the initial 20 percent reduction will soon vanish," said Bodine, R-Burlington. "If the state provides a 20 percent reduction this year, but not in subsequent years, after just four years of these four percent increases property tax bills will start climbing again."

BODINE OPPOSES SELLING OR LEASING OF NJ TURNPIKE

Assemblyman Francis Bodine, R-Burlington, a member of the Assembly Transportation Committee, expressed his opposition today to the possible sale or lease of the New Jersey Turnpike. "It is one thing for the State to sell or lease property that is no longer needed, but it is all together different for the State to get rid of a profitable well-run asset."

Republican Assemblymen Francis Bodine and Larry Chatzidakis view themselves as potential State Senate candidates when embattled incumbent Martha Bark finally announces next year that she will not seek re-election to a fifth term. But GOP sources in Burlington County say that not only are Bodine and Chatzidakis -- neither viewed as legislative giants -- not under serious consideration for the Senate seat, but they could get tossed from the Assembly as well.

The 77-year-old Bark is reportedly the subject of a state Attorney General's investigation into her employment with the Burlington County Bridge Commission and the Burlington County Institute of Technology between 1997 and 2003.

Bodine, who turns 71 next month, has been in the Assembly since 1993 and in public office for thirty years, wants to move up to the Senate. Burlington Republicans historically move people up the ladder -- Mayor to Freeholder, Freeholder to Assembly, Assembly to Senate -- but it's been years since the last opening. By virtue of his seniority, Bodine views the Bark seat as his.

Chatzidakis didn't impress his party earlier this year when he missed all the state budget votes. He was on vacation in Greece and refused to return to Trenton, even though state government was forced to shut down during the budget impasse. At the time, some Republicans from his home county suggested that his $49,000-a-year part-time job should at least ensure his attendance during budget votes.

But Burlington Republicans are running things a little differently these days, especially after losing the race for Surrogate (their first loss in a countywide election since 1989) and the recent admission by lobbyist and ex-GOP operative Robert Stears that he over billed the BCBC for hundreds of thousands of dollars. In response to the threats to their electoral future, Republicans last week picked a political unknown with few ties to party heavyweights to succeed Garfield DeMarco , once the Burlington GOP boss, as BCBC Chairman.

Voter registration in Burlington is almost evenly divided between Republicans (52,078) and Democrats (50,825), with 58% of the voters without party affiliation. Democratic U.S. Senator Robert Menendez won Burlington by 7,063 votes and a Republican statewide candidate hasn't won there since Bob Franks' 3,721 vote win six years ago.

Next year, Republicans will have to defend the seat of five-term Freeholder Vincent Farias, who lost his bid for Surrogate. Many Republicans believe Farias will not run in 2007.

There is some speculation among Republicans that Col. Michael Warner, the County Chairman, could decide to push Bark, Bodine and the 57-year-old Chatzidakis into retirement. Ironically, the problem for Warner is the huge backlog of talent that comes from the same three legislators serving together for a dozen years. By picking three fresh faces to represent the solidly-Republican eighth district, Warner would have to turn down the dozens of others who want to move up. For a party leader, sometimes it is easier to do nothing than to say no.

Warner could opt to pick himself as the GOP Senate candidate. The retired Army Colonel and former state Deputy Commissioner of Military and Veterans was on the short list of legislative candidates before he succeeded Glenn Paulsen as Republican County Chairman in 2004. The conventional wisdom has been that Medford Mayor (and current Deputy Mayor) Scott Rudder is a likely candidate for an open seat, as are Freeholders Dawn Addiego and William Haines, Jr., whose whose father represented the district in the Assembly and Senate from 1981 until his death in 1996.

CHATZIDAKIS-BODINE BILL INTRODUCED TO LIMIT GOVERNMENT EXPANSION, PROMOTE MERGERS

Assemblymen Larry Chatzidakis and Francis Bodine have introduced a constitutional amendment prohibiting the establishment of any new municipality or other taxing district such as school districts or fire districts.

BODINE, CHATZIDAKIS FIGHT ON BEHALF OF
SENIOR WORK FORCE
SENIOR LABOR TASK FORCE BILL ADVANCES

Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen Francis Bodine and Larry Chatzidakis that establishes a Senior Labor Task Force to study the skill requirements and challenges seniors face when coming back or entering the labor force, was released by the Assembly Labor Committee.

CHATZIDAKIS-BODINE BILL FOR
COST SAVING STATE LANDSCAPING ADVANCES

Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen Larry Chatzidakis and Francis Bodine, which requires State landscaping projects to use low maintenance landscaping design and grasses, was released today by the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee.

There seems to be a consensus among South Jersey GOP leaders that 76-year-old State Senator Martha Bark -- who has spent much of the last year battling ethics issues -- will not be a candidate for re-election in 2007. Republicans have not yet picked a successor, and the elevation of one of the two Republican Assemblymen -- Francis Bodine and Larry Chatzidakis -- to the Senate is not automatic.

Bodine and Chatzidakis: Special Session on Property Taxes Now, not 2008

Governor Corzine is Missing the Point: Property Taxes Need to be Addressed Now, Not After Everyone has Moved Out of the State

BODINE AND CHATZIDAKIS TO CORZINE: SELF-SERVE GAS IS NOT THE ANSWER TO CURRENT GAS PRICES SPIKE

SHIFT TO PERMITTING SELF-SERVICE WILL NOT HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON LOWERING GAS PRICES

BODINE SAYS STATE LEGISLATION NEEDED
TO STABLIZE GAS PRICES, SUPPLY

With crude oil prices topping $75 a barrel and gas prices at the pump already exceeding $3 a gallon in parts of the Garden State due to geopolitical and technical factors, Assemblyman Francis Bodine is calling on Governor Jon Corzine to take action that would require New Jersey refiners and suppliers to establish gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil reserves.