Joseph Cryan

Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan has named Paul Josephson, a partner at the politically influential Princeton law firm of Hill Wallack and a former Chief Counsel to the Governor, as General Counsel to the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.

In 2008, Josephson served as Counsel for Barack Obama's presidential campaign in New Jersey.

"One of our cornerstone projects has been helping insure that every vote is counted.  Most of that work takes place on Election Day, but in close races it involves post-election work like recounts and insuring that provisional ballots are recognized and counted.  Over the years, Hill Wallack created the go-to reference manual for Election Day lawyering that has been distributed to thousands of lawyers," Josephson said.  "We've recruited scores of attorneys to help campaigns.  We've trained well over a thousand lawyers around the state in how to assist voters and protect the electoral franchise.  This appointment allows us to continue that tradition, and to help the NJDSC institutionalize its efforts to protect the right to vote."

CRYAN: COURT'S SCHOOL FUNDING DECISION 'ABSOLUTE VICTORY' FOR NEW JERSEY'S KIDS

(TRENTON) - Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) - chairman of the Assembly Education Committee - released the following statement after learning of the state Supreme Court's ruling upholding the school funding formula and validating the approach of providing aid to children in every school district:

"The Court has handed down an absolute victory for New Jersey's school children.

"The Legislature and Governor Corzine made a promise to ensure every child has access to a quality education, regardless of where they live. Now that promise can be fulfilled.

"To those who have spent their lives opposing our efforts, the time has come to focus on improving educational outcomes for all children across the state and not on dollars, cents and lawsuits that have divided New Jersey for a generation."

The New Jersey Supreme Court, in a unanimous ruling, today accepted Gov. Jon Corzine's plan to revise the state's school funding plan that has been in place since the 1970's Abbott decision, as long as the state makes extra money available to 31 urban districts for at least three more years. 

"The Court holds that SFRA is constitutionally adequate school funding scheme and that it may be implemented in the Abbott districts. Furthermore, the Court recognizes that SFRA is meant to be a state-wide unitary funding system," the decision read.  "Because continuation of supplemental funding may undermine or distort the effectiveness of SFRA, and because the Abbott districts will be the recipients of a considerable amount of federal and other non-SFRA funds during the period of time until the look-back review occurs, the Court declines to order the continuation of supplemental funding until SFRA's review occurs."

Assembly Education Committee Chairman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the Democratic State Chairman, called the ruling an "absolute victory for New Jersey's school children."

The last 28 days of June will be exciting times in New Jersey politics, as both gubernatorial nominees pick running mates, state party chairs, and as Gov. Jon Corzine looks to pass his state budget before the July 1 deadline.  There is only one certainty for June: Corzine will keep Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) as the Democratic State Chairman.  That would make Cryan the first two-term Democratic State Chairman since Gov. Robert Meyner picked Camden Mayor George Brunner in 1953 and 1957.

From the time the polls close next Tuesday, the Republican nominee for Governor will face a critical 28 days and four hours.  On Election Night, he'll get a rare opportunity to address voters watching on New York and Philadelphia TV news stations (as long as they don't cut away for an interview with Vice President Joseph Biden, who will be in New Jersey helping Corzine).   He will need to nominate a candidate for Lt. Governor, pick a GOP State Chairman, and focus on economic issues as the Governor and the Legislature debate the details of a state budget that includes a $1.5 billion revenue shortfall.

DIEGNAN/CRYAN/LAMPITT BILL FOR STANDARD
SCHOOL OFFICIALS' CONTRACTS PASSES ASSEMBLY
Greatly Varying Perks, Salaries Underscore Need  For  Statewide Boilerplate Language

(TRENTON) - The Assembly today cleared legislation Assembly members Patrick J. Diegnan, Joseph Cryan and Pamela Lampitt sponsored to implement a statewide contract template for the hiring of all public school superintendents by a vote of 74-1 with one abstention.

McKEON /  

McKEON / CRYAN / BARNES / COUTINHO / POU BILL TO SPEED CLEANUP OF CONTAMINATED SITES NOW LAW

New Law Aims to Expedite Clean-Up Of More Than 20,000 Toxic Sites

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members John F. McKeon, Joseph Cryan, Peter J. Barnes III, Albert Coutinho and Nellie Pou sponsored to expedite the clean-up of contaminated sites through improved licensing and oversight of remediation professionals was signed today by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

Would you believe this is Victor Scudiery?

PolitickerNJ.com strongly stands by our report that State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) and Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) are involved with a legal defense fund for Union County Democratic Chair Charlotte DeFilippo, despite denials by Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor Scudiery.

"I've known Charlotte for years. She's a friend of mine. She called and asked me to help her and I agreed. I don't know where the Lesniak and Cryan stuff is coming from," Scudiery, the Treasurer for the legal defense fund, told the editor of moremonmouthmusings.com, a political web site. "Charlotte sends me the checks and when there are bills to pay I pay them out of the fund."

It's possible, according to sources familiar with the fund, that Scudiery doesn't know who is raising the money to pay DeFilippo's legal bills. 

McKEON/CRYAN LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH ‘LUNG CANCER RESEARCH FUND’ ADVANCES

Measure Would Provide For Voluntary Contribution On Gross Income Tax Form

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assemblymen John McKeon and Joseph Cryan sponsored to establish the New Jersey Lung Cancer Research Fund and allow voluntary contributions to the fund by taxpayers on state gross income tax returns was released today by an Assembly panel.

“In 2008, an estimated 215,000 individuals nationwide were diagnosed with lung cancer,” said McKeon (D-Essex.) “More people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. Making it an option for a voluntary contribution to donate to this cause could save countless lives”

UnionCountyDems.org

Union County Democratic Chairwoman Charlotte DeFilippo

Some prominent Democrats have set up a trust to pay the legal expenses of Union County Democratic Chairwoman Charlotte DeFilippo, who is under investigation by the State Attorney General's Office.

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Elizabeth), Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) and Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor Scudiery are organizing and administering the fund, according to two sources.

In November, 2007, The Star-Ledger reported that the Attorney General's office subpoenaed documents relating to DeFilippo's "public and private business dealings" - including documents from the Union County Improvement Authority, which she heads; information on her duties as a legislative aide to former Assemblyman Neil Cohen, who has since been indicted on child pornography charges; documents relating to the Union County Democrats' involvement in the 2006 Roselle primary; and a client list a financial records from Camelot Title Agency, in which DeFilippo and Cryan hold minority stakes.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie is promising "massive spending increases" and "tax breaks for the super-wealthy and big corporations are the same policies that left the federal government with a trillion dollar deficit under President Bush, says Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan.

"Chris Christie was a Bush pioneer, a Bush contributor, a Bush appointee, and a Bush policymaker.  We don't need another round of Bush policies inflicted on New Jersey," said Cryan, who is also an Assemblyman from Union County.   "Just like Bush, Chris Christie refuses to level with the people of New Jersey," said Cryan.  "He knows what he is saying doesn't add up, but he's saying it anyway."

Cryan says that Christie has pledged the restoration of 75% of Gov. Jon Corzine's $4 billion spending cuts, and that the former federal prosecutor has rejected Corzine's proposal to increase a tax on millionaires.

"It's not that he can't say what he will cut and what he will keep, it's that he won't."