John Wisniewski

Mayor Wilda Diaz, center, with her sisters, Lourdes O'Donnell, left, and Nancy Diaz.

PERTH AMBOY - There were days over the course of her first year in office in which Mayor Wilda Diaz wondered whether she could run Perth Amboy for a full four years.

She began to get a deepening sense that the problems were too entrenched, the solutions too troublesome and, in some cases, too hurtful to the people.  

Her 2008 grassroots take-down of City Hall fixture Mayor/Assemblyman Joe Vas proved to be but the beginning of an ongoing and intensifying drama in which Diaz and her administration uncovered an inherited $10.6 million budget shortfall and helped state and federal authorities pull together a corruption case against Vas.

"On this stage last July I could never have envisioned that we would discover a financial crisis so deep, or a web of tangled deals so wide," Diaz said tonight in her first state of the city address at Perth Amboy High School, where she attended school and graduated.

Once running and now continuing to insist on honest and open government, the new mayor in this first year enacted unpoplar measures to reverse course on a local miasma made doubly injurious on residents here by a national recession. Her policies have included a 26% tax increase, water rate increases, wage freezes and layoffs of municipal employees.

SWEEPING STATE ECONOMIC STIMULUS MEASURE
CLEARS ASSEMBLY BUDGET PANEL
Would Place Moratorium on Nonresidential Development Fee,
Expand Transit Hub Tax Credit, Fuel Redevelopment,
Allow Colleges to Partner with Private Firms To Build Infrastructure

(TRENTON) - Landmark legislation that would maximize New Jersey's federal stimulus investments, promote economic growth and development efforts vital to pulling the state out from the current recession and positioning it for long-term prosperity was released today by the Assembly Budget Committee and sent to the full Assembly for a floor vote.

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ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS ON BILL TO INCREASE PUBLIC INPUT ON HEALTH INSURER CONVERSIONS

(TRENTON) - Assembly members Gary S. Schaer, John F. McKeon, John S. Wisniewski, L. Grace Spencer and Jack Conners - the Democratic members of the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee - today issued a multimedia package on legislation that would require increased public participation and independent analysis of any health insurer wishing to convert to a for-profit company.

The measure (A-3729) would provide more transparency in any potential conversion of a health insurer to a for-profit company by requiring the state to complete an independent health impact study, analyzing the impact of the conversion on the health status of New Jersey residents, increasing the number of public hearings to at least three and granting the Office of the Public Advocate access to all the material included in the conversion process.

WISNIEWSKI/SPENCER BILL ENCOURAGING BANKS
TO LOCATE IN UNDERSERVED AREAS ADVANCES
Measure Would Create 'Banking Development Districts'
To Push Institutions to Open Branches

(TRENTON) - Legislation Assemblyman John Wisniewski and Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer are sponsoring to encourage banking institutions to open branches in underserved communities was released by the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee.

STENDER / WISNIEWSKI / RAMOS / GIBLIN PEDESTRIAN SAFETY LEGISLATION CONTINUES ADVANCING

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members Linda Stender, John S. Wisniewski, Ruben J. Ramos, Jr., and Thomas P. Giblin sponsored to enhance pedestrian safety throughout New Jersey continues advancing toward law.

The bill recently passed the Assembly 76-0 and has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.

“The number of pedestrian deaths in our state has been increasing instead of decreasing despite our best efforts in recent years,” said Stender (D-Union), vice chairwoman of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee. “This measure will clearly give pedestrians the right of way so that school children and people on foot can safely walk to their destinations.”

Barry Adler, a Woodbridge veterinarian who challenged now-indicted Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy) at the 2007 Middlesex County Democratic Convention and lost 200-65, has filed to run as an Independent candidate for State Assembly in the nineteenth district.  The son-in-law of former Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Nicholas Venezia, Adler raised $100,000 for his Assembly bid two years ago and has $90,000 remaining in his account.  He'll face incumbent John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) and his new running mate, South Amboy Mayor Jack O'Leary, and Republicans Peter Kothari and Richard Piatkowski.

WISNIEWSKI & LAMPITT BILL ADDING DRIVER INATTENTION TO POLICE REPORTS MOVES FORWARD

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members John S. Wisniewski and Pamela R. Lampitt sponsored to require police accident reports to include whether drivers were distracted at the time of an accident is moving forward.

The Assembly voted 61-14-1 to approve the bill during a recent session.

The measure now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

“A quick glance at directions, a newspaper, a family pet or even the radio dial can mean the difference between a safe trip and a car accident,” said Wisniewski (D-Middlesex). “With distracted driving becoming the rule rather than the exception for many motorists, details concerning driver inattention should be required information on all police accident reports.”

DEMOCRATIC BILL TO EXPAND URBAN TRANSIT TAX CREDIT CLEARS COMMITTEE HURDLE

An Assembly committee today released legislation that would expand the qualifications of the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit to allow more corporate capital investment and development projects to be sited alongside the state's mass transit centers.

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WISNIEWSKI & DR. FRANK FIELD TURN UP THE HEAT ON IMPROVING FIRE EDUCATION IN NEW JERSEY

Duo using Message as Part of Comprehensive Effort to Change the Way Fire Safety Education is Taught

(TRENTON) - Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski, chairman of the New Jersey Fire Safety Commission, today issued a multimedia package featuring a 60-second video press release in which he is joined by fire safety advocate Dr. Frank Field in recommending changes to the way fire safety education is taught in New Jersey schools.

WISNIEWSKI: N.J. RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES TO BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL $50M FOR LOCAL TRANSPORTATION WORK

$207.5 Million Total Will Create Jobs, Ease Property Taxes

 (TRENTON) – Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee Chairman John S. Wisniewski on Tuesday praised plans to provide an additional $50 million to help counties and municipalities pay for transportation improvements, noting the money will create jobs and ease property taxes.

The additional money for the fiscal year starting July 1 was allocated after discussions between Wisniewski, Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (D-Camden) and New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Stephen Dilts.

Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) released the following statement as the Assembly Budget Committee considered proposed spending for the Department of Transportation and NJ Transit:

“This additional money will equate to a New Jersey stimulus package for counties and municipalities by putting residents and businesses to work and easing property taxes during this challenging global economic recession..."