John McKeon

LIVINGSTON, NJ -- Yesterday, Barry Funt and his Assembly running mate Mark Meyerowitz attended the North Essex Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Business & Industry Association's monthly Essex County and ELC Legislative breakfast in West Orange.

Funt and Meyerowitz spoke out on important economic issues, such as the degradation of the business environment in New Jersey and steps that can be taken to lower taxes and encourage new job creation.

As promised, incumbent Assemblywoman Mila Jasey was in attendance and addressed the group. Despite repeated confirmation of his attendance, Mayor/Assemblyman John McKeon refused to be in the same room as his Assembly opponents and decided at the last minute not to attend. Apparently John McKeon is too busy stumping for Jon Corzine to defend his record to his District's citizens.

"Since the beginning of our campaign, Barry and I have been calling for debates with our opponents, and Mila Jasey and John McKeon have not responded," Mark Meyerowitz said. "McKeon's last minute cancellation is disrespectful to the Chamber of Commerce and to residents of the 27th District. McKeon's failure to address his policies that have hampered New Jersey businesses is yet another insult to the business community," Mark added.

At the breakfast, Funt said, "A business manager who was responsible for increased expenses, plummeting revenues, loss of customers and employees and was also caught in a web of conflict of interests that called into question the ethics of the company would not have his contract renewed. That is John McKeon's record in the Assembly, and his contract should also not be renewed."

"Our business climate is the worst in the nation, and this is an issue of enormous significance to New Jersey's hardworking families and business owners. McKeon's disrespectful dismissal of this Chamber of Commerce event is evidence that he knows he has failed the business community, and he is relying solely on his special interest friends to secure his re-election. McKeon is not someone who represents us. The people of the 27th District deserve better. "

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“I'm proud of the citizens who stood up to put an end to reckless government borrowing. What we are witnessing throughout the nation are regular citizens standing up to entrenched and self interested politicians like John McKeon to take their government back."

From left: Assembly Majority Whip John McKeon (D-West Orange), John Dovey, president of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, and Independent candidate Chris Daggett

WESTFIELD - When Environment New Jersey elected not to endorse a candidate for governor this year, most political observers interpreted the move as a snub of Gov. Jon Corzine, but not having a horse in the race allows the advocacy group to focus, they argue, on creating neutral ground for public discussion of the most important green issues facing the state.

Tonight they sponsored one such forum at the Westfield Public Library, where independent candidate Chris Daggett; Assembly Majority Whip John McKeon (D-West Orange) as a surrogate for Corzine; and ACUA (Atlantic County Utilities Authority) President Rick Dovey as a surrogate for GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie; fielded a cross-section of specific questions from seasoned environmental experts on the subject of energy.

Following the speakers' congratulations of one another for environmental work well done, including McKeon's identification of the "great" job Daggett did while serving as commissioner for the state Department of Environmental Protection under then Gov. Tom Kean and Daggett's admission that under Corzine "New Jersey has stepped up on issues of energy," this audience hit hard.

Julia Somers of the New Jersey Highlands Coalition asked the candidates if they were for or against the Susquehanna-Roseland power line, which PSE&G argues would upgrade the transmission line that runs between the Susquehanna switching station in Pennsylvania and Roseland.

The family of the late Senator Edward Kennedy will be gratified to know that Assemblymen John McKeon (D-West Orange) and Upendra Chivukula (D-Franklin) issued statements late this afternoon paying tribute to Kennedy's lifetime accomplishments. The comments of the two legislators, issued at 4:46 PM and 5:55 PM, respectively, join similar statements made earlier today by other world leaders.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts will have no problem keeping his job, if Democrats hold the Assembly and if he wants it. But there is some speculation that Roberts is eyeing Dana Redd's State Senate seat, which is almost certain to open up in January.

Some Democrats think Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) might be interested in moving up to the Senate in January, if Dana Redd wins her race for Mayor of Camden.  Roberts has been Speaker for nearly four years, and while he is fully engaged in the campaign to retain the Democratic majority in the lower house, more than a few Democrats sense that he's ready to move on.  Redd is an almost certain winner.

Roberts move to the upper house would trigger an election for Assembly Speaker, with Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), and Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) as the leading contenders. 

Sources say that Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees), Nellie Pou (D-Paterson), and Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) are also possible Speaker candidates, although clearly in a third tier category.  Even below them on the list are John McKeon (D-West Orange) and Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), who fancy themselves as future Speakers, but appear to be just pretenders to the throne.  (Prieto's own Assembly seat could be in danger in 2011 if Democrats fail to win the Secaucus mayoral race following the arrest and resignation of Dennis Elwell.)

Part of the race for Speaker will be influenced by the results of the gubernatorial campaign and closely tied to the potential contest for Senate President between incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland) and Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford).

McKEON / JASEY / EVANS NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION BILL SIGNED INTO LAW

Law Signed by Gov. Corzine Promotes Redevelopment, Economic Activity

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman John F. McKeon and Assemblywomen Mila M. Jasey and Elease Evans to improve neighborhood revitalization, create jobs and provide tax breaks to more businesses has been signed into law by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

The new law (A-2623) extends the Neighborhood Revitalization State Tax Credit program to areas adjacent to those approved for a preservation and revitalization plan, provided it doesn’t increase the eligible area by more than 25 percent.

“It doesn’t make much sense to limit the revitalization of New Jersey’s distressed cities just because one area of a struggling neighborhood does not fit within the lines on a map,” said McKeon (D-Essex). “This change decreases disparities between neighborhoods and extends tax breaks to even more businesses, promoting redevelopment and economic activity in these tough financial times.”

Assembly candidate Barry Funt

An Assembly candidate in a clearly uphill race has made an interesting proposal on campaign finance reform: don't allow incumbents to accumulate war chests by carrying over unused campaign funds, and limit fundraising to the year before Election Day.

Barry Funt, a Republican running against incumbents John McKeon (D-West Orange) and Mila Jasey (D-South Orange) in District 27, says that "continuous fundraising creates an unfair advantage and restricts regular citizens from challenging incumbents."  Funt wants candidates to return excess campaign funds to donors and donate the money to charity.

According to Funt, Assembly incumbents began the cycle with $3 million cash on hand, and added another $8 million during the primary.  Challengers, he says, have raised just $350,000 combined.  "Much of that money came from PACs, unions, and special interest groups whose political activity poses a serious conflict of interest," he said.

BARRY FUNT SIGNS TAXPAYER PROTECTION PLEDGE

OPPONENT HAS VOTED FOR 116 TAX INCREASES

LIVINGSTON, NJ – Twenty seventh District State Assembly candidate Barry Funt today announced an important commitment to taxpayers. Barry signed the Americans for Tax Reform Taxpayer Protection Pledge, promising that he will “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.”

MCKEON / OLIVER BILL ESTABLISHING INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT TO OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FOR PERSONS IN NEED NOW LAW

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assemblyman John F. McKeon and Assemblywoman Sheila Y. Oliver sponsored to allow for the involuntary commitment to outpatient treatment for persons with mental illness in need was signed into law today by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                         CONTACT: Chris Pordon

Friday, August 7, 2009                                          (609) 651-0748

 ETHICS REFORM BEGINS WITH ENDING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

LIVINGSTON, NJ – Twenty seventh District State Assembly candidate Barry Funt today called on Mayor/Assemblyman John McKeon and Assemblywoman Mila Jasey to renounce their endorsement by the NJEA...