Jay Webber

CHRISTIE OBSTRUCTIONISTS OPPOSED PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

“Christie’s Leadership Would Have Meant No Property Tax Relief”
 
TRENTON- Democratic State Committee Chairman Joseph Cryan today blasted Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie and his campaign leadership team, including Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean Jr., Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce and newly anointed Republican State Chairman Jay Webber for voting against direct property tax relief for New Jersey residents.  Along with 16 other Christie Right Wing Republicans in the legislature, Kean, DeCroce and Webber all voted against the Tax Amnesty bill that today yielded hundreds of millions of dollars that will be returned to New Jersey homeowners in the form of direct property tax relief.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie says it's clear that Gov. Jon Corzine "has no control over the budget or our government."

"He promised four years ago to change the way Trenton budgeted, but this budget uses billions in one-shot gimmicks, including this latest tax amnesty windfall, that will have to be made up in future budgets," Christie said in a statement released today.  "This kind of haphazard governing by chance just doesn't cut it when we're facing 8.8% unemployment, skyrocketing property taxes and real pain for all middle class New Jerseyans."

Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the Democratic State Chairman, criticized Christie's legislative allies from voting against the tax amnesty bill which he says "yielded hundreds of millions of dollars" in new revenues.

One of the perks of being the new GOP State Chairman: Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) gets to appoint the five Republican members of the Legislative Redistricting Commission, which will redraw districts for the 2011 elections.  That could help Webber move up to the State Senate.

The conventional wisdom is that State Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Boonton) will retire in 2011 and that three Republicans - Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Twp.), Morris County Freeholder John Murphy, and soon-to-be Assemblyman Anthony Bucco, Jr., the son of the Senator - will compete for his seat.

But with just some minor tinkering of the two Morris County-based legislative districts, Webber could find himself without substantial opposition for the Senate seat.  Morris Plains and Parsippany could move from the 26th to the 25th, and Morris Township, Morristown, Boonton Township and Boonton Borough could shift from the 25th to the 26th - a nearly even exchange of population, based on 2006 census estimates.

That would mean a 26th district ticket of State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Montville), Carroll and Bucco, Jr.  In the 25th, it would be Webber for Senate, running with Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) and an open seat. Murphy, who sought the 2005 Republican gubernatorial nomination, lives in Morris Township.  Shifting his hometown to District 26 could easily block his legislative ambitions.

The New Jersey Republican State Committee is expected to ratify gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie's recommendation of Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) as the new GOP State Chairman.  Webber will replace Tom Wilson, who won the post in 2004 in a contest with Richard Kamin, a former Assemblyman, Morris County GOP Chairman and state Motor Vehicles Director.  Lynda Pagliughi, a State Committeewoman from Cape May County, is expected to be re-elected to another term as Vice Chairwoman.

Don Povia was told last week that he will not be retained as Executive Director.  His replacement is expected to be Daniel Centinello, who won rave reviews from GOP insiders as Field Director for Christie's 55%-42% primary victory. The 27-year-old Centinello was the Northeast Regional Political Director for Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign, and later served as State Director of the GOP coordinated campaign in California.  In 2006, he was the Deputy Field Director for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign. 

Conservatives Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp), who will soon move up to the state Senate after beating the moderate state Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) in this month’s primary, gave Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie high marks his pick of Jay Webber for Republican State Chairman.

“I think Jay Webber is a great pick. He’s a Ronald Reagan conservative and has been a leader on all the conservative issues that The Republican base looks for and will do a great job,” said Doherty.

Christie tapped Webber last week to succeed Tom Wilson, who represented the more moderate wing of the party.  The move was applauded by conservatives, many of whom supported Steve Lonegan in the primary against Christie. 

GOP gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie, center at microphone, with, from left: Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, Assemblyman Jay Webber, and Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean.

TRENTON - Presenting him as an emblem of youth, GOP gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie today unveiled 37-year old freshman Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) as his recommendation to the Republican State Committee to be the party's next state chairman.

"It's time for the party to have a generational turn," said Christie, standing at a Statehouse podium with state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Westfield) and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany), hours before a private Christie fundraiser headlined by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who Webber backed for president in 2008. 

"Jay is one of the leading young leaders in our party," said Christie. "I like his instincts. Symbols are important in politics. ...I appreciate Jay's support since February, and he has played a key role in terms of being a surrogate for me. I have a great deal of faith and trust in him. He exemplifies the principles we believe in in the party."

The party committee is scheduled to formally embrace Webber next week.

A Ronald Reagan conservative who put the exclamation point on Christie's formal declaration of his gubernatorial candidacy - and broke some hearts in the camp of movement conservative Steve Lonegan - when he likened Christie's leadership mold to Reagan, Webber said he was humbled and honored by Christie's backing to succeed Chairman Tom Wilson.

Christopher Christie, the Republican nominee for Governor, today announced that Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) is his choice to become the Republican State Chairman.

"With unemployment rising, taxes increasing and spending through the roof, taxpayers know Jon Corzine's abysmal record and failed policies," said Christie. "With Jay's help, I will continue to be straight with New Jerseyans about the tough decisions it's going to take to fix our broken economy and provide real relief to hard-working families."

Webber, a 37-year-old former political operative serving his first term in the State Assembly, is one of the Legislature's most conservative members. 

Jay Webber as a congressional aide in the 1990's, with House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his boss, U.S. Rep. Bill Martini.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie has called a 2PM news conference where he is expected to announce that Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) will be his choice for Republican State Chairman.  Webber will succeed Tom Wilson, who has held the post since late 2004.

Gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie is expected to pick Jay Webber, a freshman Republican Assemblyman from Morris County, as the new GOP State Chairman.  Webber, a strong conservative, would replace Tom Wilson as head of the state party organization.

Webber's selection, which must be ratified by a vote of the Republican State Committee, will likely please conservatives who made up most of Steven Lonegan's 42% in Tuesday's primary election.

Webber, 37, was an early supporter of Christie's bid for the Republican nomination for Governor.  He was elected to the State Assembly in 2007, four years after losing a primary challenge to State Sen. Robert Martin.  A Harvard Law School graduate, he served as a Law Clerk to New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Peter Verniero and as an aide to U.S. Rep. Bill Martini.

Lou Signorino of West Milford

WHIPPANY – A Sunday afternoon Steve Lonegan house party goes well until the campaign introduces Lou Signorino, a young Republican businessman running for office, who at first receives instantaneous good feeling as a well-spoken young conservative presence who appears committed to taking the fight to Trenton.

With Lonegan out of commission and in the hospital fighting a kidney stone* – Signorino briefly assumes a more central role in the packed house of Lonegan backers Bill and Barbara Eames.

“Who are you running against?” asks a smiling former Mayor Bob Steiger – apparently ready to hear the name of a well-heeled Democrat from a neighboring county.

This town hasn’t gone “D” locally since the 1950s, and a crowd of close to 50 people here ready to do battle on Lonegan’s behalf figures Signorino intends to topple one.