John Burzichelli

In the third district, which has been largely ignored by state Republicans after their preferred candidates were defeated in the GOP primary, two daily newspapers have endorsed Republican challenger Dr. Robert Villare for State Assembly over the newly-elected incumbent, Celeste Riley (D-Bridgeton).

The Gloucester County Times and the Courier-Post today endorsed Villare, a surgeon, over Riley, who won a special election convention earlier this year after Douglas Fisher resigned his Assembly seat to become state Secretary of Agriculture.

Both newspapers are backing a Democrat, five-term incumbent John Burzichelli, for re-election.

The GCT says that Villare "would be an asset to the Legislature as it copes with coming real-world health care changes in Washington."

"Unabashedly conservative, Villare's views are unlikely to dominate the Assembly, no matter how the statewide results go next Tuesday. But anti-tax, anti-big-spending policies aren't given sufficient voice in Trenton, and their loudest advocates often can't be taken seriously," the editorial said.  "In contrast, Villare's measured comments, for example, against excessive state school aid for urban ‘Abbott' districts could influence this debate going forward"

Burzichelli, the GCT said, has "some difficulty moving good ideas through both houses," and as Mayor of Paulsboro, he is a dual officeholder.  But "at least Burzichelli thinks about this stuff coherently, which is more than can be said for some of his Trenton colleagues" and says he is too competent a lawmaker to remove him" because he holds two elective offices.

"Riley shows genuine interest in solving socio-economic problems that are pronounced in her part of the district, and would provide good constituent service. But Villare is the more dynamic newcomer and deserves a shot," the editorial said.  "The other Republican in the race, Lee Lucas of Gibbstown, has been disowned by his own party's leadership. He wears this as a badge of courage, but GOP leaders are right to reject his extreme survival-of-the-fittest views. Voters should, too."

The Courier-Post is less worried about Burzichelli's ability to move legislation through the Senate, now that his running mate, State Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) is poised to become the new Senate President.

BURZICHELLI & RILEY DECRY DECISION TO ALLOW DELAWARE RIVER DREDGING TO PROCEED

Back Corzine’s call to ready for legal action

(3rd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT) – Assembly Deputy Speaker John Burzichelli and Assemblywoman Celeste Riley on Monday decried the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to allow a dredging project to the Delaware River to proceed.

Burzichelli and Riley (both D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland) said they were disappointed the decision came before New Jersey has completed its environmental review. They backed Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s decision to direct the Attorney General to prepare legal action to stop the project.

Assembly Deputy Speaker John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) says that the Assembly Republican leader should follow his own example and criticize gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie for billing $400-per-night hotel rooms to the federal government while serving as U.S. Attorney.

The Assembly Republican office has frequently used the state Open Public Records Act (OPRA) to uncover wasteful spending in state government, Burzichelli says, noting that Minority Leader Alex DeCroce "questioned state education officials over hotel stays of $200 - less than half of the cost of Christie's rooms - and criticized one school employee for billing crab cakes to the taxpayers."

"When it comes to denouncing Chris Christie for exhibiting the exact same conduct he has been so quick to criticize before, it seems that Mr. DeCroce's desire is as cool as, well, the other side of the pillow," said Burzichelli.

But DeCroce says he finds it amusing that Burzichelli suddenly wants to talk about wasteful spending by government officials.

            Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce says Democratic Assemblyman John Burzichelli should be more concerned about the billions of dollars in state tax dollars that have been wasted under a succession of Democratic governors and the Democrat-controlled Legislature than shilling for Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

            “I find it amusing that Assemblyman Burzichelli, who has ignored every documented case of state waste that Republicans uncovered since he has been in office, is suddenly so interested in federal travel vouchers,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.

            “For years, Burzichelli has been missing in action while Republicans were exposing billions of dollars in state waste and fiscal abuse. His silence was deafening when Republicans proposed ways to save billions of dollars in state spending. His overnight conversion to the cause is nothing short of miraculous."

Raymond Zane, left, spent 28 years in the State Senate before losing his seat to Stephen Sweeney, right, in 2001.

Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford), who announced yesterday that he has the votes to depose Richard Codey (D-Roseland) as Senate President, went to the Senate eight years ago after prevailing in an internal political war in South Jersey.

The Inside Edge first reported political unrest in a deeply divided Gloucester County Democratic organization in early 2000 amidst a feud between Democratic County Chairman Michael Angelini and eight-term State Sen. Raymond Zane (D-Woodbury).  Angelini was backing former Gov. Jim Florio in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senator, while Zane was supporting a political newcomer, a mega millionaire Wall Streeter named Jon Corzine.

The feud between Angelini and Zane began during the 1999 general election.  Democrats were angry with Zane's refusal to back Paulsboro Mayor John Burzichelli in his campaign to oust two Republican Assemblymen: Speaker Jack Collins (R-Elmer) and Gary Stuhltrager (R-East Greenwich).  Political observers had long believed that an informal arrangement existed between the three District 3 legislators; they have not become involved in campaigns against the other for several years.

In retaliation for Zane's actions, some Gloucester County municipalities stripped the Senator of more than $100,000 worth of legal work, and Zane's son, Gloucester County Freeholder Raymond Zane III lost his position as Freeholder Vice President.

The split between the two widened in 2000 when Zane attempted to switch local party organizations from Florio, a former South Jersey Congressman, to Corzine. Zane was heavily criticized when Salem County Democratic Chairman Thomas Pankok went public with allegations that Zane offered campaign contributions to Salem Democrats on behalf of Corzine in exchange for dropping their support of Florio.

Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-South Brunswick), left, campaigning in 2007.

Clarifying a release issued yesterday concerning the Middlesex County delegation's endorsement for Assembly Speaker of Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville), Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-South Brunswick) said she has made no endorsement in that emerging contest, and does not intend to endorse anytime soon. 

"I'm focused on my election and the governor's election and I have made it clear that I wont issue any public endorsement until after the election," said Greenstein.

In addition to Wisniewski, sources say Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Assemblyman Joe Cryan (D-Union Township), Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D-Cherry Hill), Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), and Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) are all potential candidates for the Speaker's chair to be vacated at the end of this year by retiring Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden).

Paulsboro Mayor/Assemblyman John Burzichelli

PAULSBORO - Mantua Creek hugs the northern border of this blue collar river town where in years past, the locals say, you either worked for Essex Chemical, DuPont, Mobile or BP, companies that once had a toehold on this 190-acre sandy stretch - vacant now on the Delaware side with the dockworks rusting as the tankers drift by with the seagulls, and the Mantua empties.

"I worked here as an electrician," said Donald Norcross, gazing at the dunes as top-to-bottom dignitaries, labor leaders, workers, and politicians tottered down steps, disgorged mini buses and crowded the area around a makeshift stage where shovels stood at attention in a packed mound of sand with the river and the distant outline of Philadelphia in the background.

Tired of watching the tankers pass on their way to Philly, South Jersey wants to bring this place back as a working port, which will economically impact this area long-term - a projected 2,500 jobs onsite, 20,000 jobs in the region; and short-term, gin up 3rd District votes - 46,845 Democrats against 27,372 Republicans with 59,000 undeclareds, for a polls-harried Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, who's losing a dogfight with Republican challenger Chris Christie, according to the latest numbers from Quinnipiac University.

BURZICHELLI , MILAM, DeANGELO & MORIARTY CONTINUE FIGHT FOR BILL TARGETING ABUSIVE DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES

(TRENTON) – Citing a new survey showing debt collectors remain a top consumer complaint and the need to close gaps in federal law, Assemblymen John J. Burzichelli, Matthew W. Milam, Wayne P. DeAngelo and Paul Moriarty on Thursday continued pushing for a new state law combating unscrupulous debt collection.

The New Jersey Fair Debt Collection Practices Act would eliminate abusive debt collection practices and provide consumers a way to dispute and validate debt information to ensure its accuracy. The bill sponsored by the four Assembly Democrats was approved 61-17 by the Assembly in June and has now been referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.

“We’re doing nothing here to relieve a consumer of a rightful debt, but this is a fairness bill that’s needed more than ever to ensure consumers aren’t harassed by unscrupulous debt collectors,” said Burzichelli (D-Gloucester). “What we’re doing here is creating guidelines under which debt collectors may conduct business, defining the rights of consumers and prescribing penalties for violations. At it’s core, this is simply consumer protection.”

BURZICHELLI & CRYAN ON LAWSUIT AGAINST NJ’S EFFORT TO ELIMINATE NON-OPERATING SCHOOL DISTRICTS

(TRENTON) – Assembly Education Chairman Joseph Cryan and Assemblyman John Burzichelli on Wednesday criticized Rocky Hill and Millstone for filing a lawsuit against a new law to eliminate non-operating school districts.

The law (A-4141) gives county superintendents authority to merge a non-operating district with the district in which it participates in a sending-receiving relationship.

“The lawsuit by Rocky Hill and Millstone is not only disappointing, it is inexplicable,” said Cryan (D-Union). “The public has long called for reform and less government, and eliminating non-operating school districts and merging them into existing ones was a positive step by Gov. Corzine and Democrats toward school district consolidation..."

George Norcross, the leader of the South Jersey Democratic Organization, whose brother Donald has the organization's backing to run for the 5th District Assembly seat that Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) will vacate at the end of this year, called Roberts's retirement a "sad day" for New Jersey.   

"He's the finest legislator in my lifetime to serve in the South New Jersey delegation," said the political boss who along with Roberts, U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) and others built the party machine.

"Speaker Roberts's governmental legacy has to do with laws he's proposed and enacted augmenting services for those unable to provide them for themselves," Norcross said of his longtime friend. "On the political side, he led a South Jersey delegation from two assemblymen and a senator in the 5th District to 18 members strong. Most of those districts were occupied by Republicans and were Republican-leaning districts. Joe helped devise the blueprint for how Democrats capture suburban districts and helped elect Adler, Madden, Sweeney, and Van Drew."

Norcross's brother will have the party backing for Roberts's seat, and will attempt to occupy a place most Democrats say the 22-year veteran Roberts served with distinction.