Newark

ASSEMBLY PASSES STANLEY/PAYNE/STACK BILL EXAMINING HAZARDS OF HIGHWAY RAMPS

(TRENTON) -- The General Assembly today passed legislation Assemblymen Craig A. Stanley, William D. Payne, and Brian P. Stack sponsored to require the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to study public safety hazards posed by highway entry and exit ramps near school facilities.

By Steve Adubato, Ph.D.

There is something about New Jersey politics that sets us apart from the rest of the country. I'm not talking about "pay to play" or even the wacky budget circus that goes on every year that threatens to shut down state government. Rather, it is the absurd practice of allowing, in fact encouraging, politicians in our state to hold more than one office at a time.

Consider the numbers. Let's start with the legislature. 33% of New Jersey legislators received income from a government agency other than the legislature. And 20 of 120 legislators hold another office. While five Republicans in the legislature hold a public office, three times as many Democrats, 15 to be exact, have another public title. (Okay, so the Democrats are worse than the Republicans when it comes to dual office holding.)

A new report put out by New Jersey Policy Perspective (www.njpp.org) entitled "One to a Customer: The Democratic Downsides of Dual Office Holding," written by Tom O'Neill, attacks the problem head on. There has never been a serious effort to ban dual office holding in the state. What's worse, outgoing Newark Mayor, Sharpe James, who is also a State Senator representing Newark, cynically put in a bill immediately after he was elected to the State Senate calling for a ban on dual office holding. Only catch was that Mayor/Senator James knew that there was absolutely no way his bill would ever see the light of day. That's because the legislature protects its own.

Sure, Democrats will blast Republicans in an election for the Republican holding two offices and the Republicans will do the same to the Democrats. That's just campaign politics. It's a charade. What would be real is if after the election, those same politicians would seriously pursue an effort to put an end to dual office holding.

So why is holding two offices so bad? Consider a few facts cited in the "One to a Customer" report. First, it's just simple logic that no citizen should get a public salary from more than one source. If you are elected to the legislature, your other job shouldn't be in elected government. You are supposed to be a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, a social worker, anything other than a local elected official�Just not a local councilman or mayor in the same geographic area you represent in the legislature. It is an obvious conflict of interest.

Think about it. How is a legislator supposed to look at his or her own 180,000 constituents all in the same way if they also represent a particular community in their district? Clearly, they are going to favor the community they represent. Further, when it comes to voting on state aid to local governments, that same legislator/local government official will have his or her judgment skewed by his or her status. Also, his or her ability to bring in more "pork-barrel" projects (that's state money going to a particular local project) is enhanced. Some think that is a good thing, but not when the state is $4 billion in the hole and everything, particularly pork-barrel projects, needs to be on the table. It's bad enough if a state legislator represents a small community with a population of under 50,000, but it is insane when a legislator is the council member, or worse, the mayor, of a big city.

Consider Sharpe James. Newark is the biggest and in many ways the most troubled community in the state. How was Sharpe James supposed to govern the city of Newark as its chief executive but still be an active and contributing member of the State Senate? The answer is that he wasn't. James consistently missed votes and didn't attend legislative sessions. But that didn't matter, because his political base as mayor of Newark virtually ensured his election to the State Senate. So much for political accountability.

And Senator Joe Doria is a great guy. In fact, as a former legislator, I served with him in the lower house. But as talented and smart as Joe Doria is, it doesn't make sense that he is also the mayor of Bayonne. The fact that he can be both a senator and the mayor because of his political clout still doesn't make it right. Aren't there enough talented citizens in this state so that so that there can truly be "One to a Customer?"

And notice, every single dual office holder in the last legislative session was a man. Like I said, just because you can do it, doesn't make it right. Further, dual office holding in New Jersey has clearly stood in the way of more women being elected to public office. In fact, New Jersey lags way behind the rest of the country in the number of women elected to public office.

So here's the deal. For years, politicians in the state have been threatening to end dual office holding. New Jersey citizens are largely apathetic and clueless as to the extent of the problem. Translation -- Other than compelling reports like "One to a Customer," there is not much impetus to change the status quo, but that still doesn't make dual office holding right.

I say, as soon as Governor Jon Corzine and the legislature get finished with this latest budget mess, the governor, along with those of us in the mainstream media, launch a campaign to put an end to dual office holding. And forget about that whole "grandfathering" thing that allows those currently holding two offices to keep them. Rather, it should end immediately. One office to a customer, starting now. No exceptions.

CHIUSOLO SAYS HE WILL PROVIDE REAL PROTECTION FROM EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE
Chide's DiVincenzo for Failing To Stand Up For Property Rights

"How can our county executive bury his head in the sand on this very important and very basic issue of property rights?�

PROPERTY RIGHTS ADVOCATES
WILL FIGHT EMINENT DOMAIN BILL PASSED TODAY
WILL ASK CORZINE TO VETO LEGISLATION

The fact is that the developers are still the winners. Their money and their influence are winning the day with the lawmakers in Trenton,� says Bill Potter, a lawyer and leader of the eminent domain coalition.

Newark Mayor-elect Cory Booker has named Assistant Attorney General Aney Chandy as the city's new Corporation Counsel. Chaney was the Counsel to Booker's 2002 campaign. She will leave the Department of Law and Public Safety next week to prepare for her new post, which will begin when Booker takes office on July 1.

PENNACCHIO ON NEWARK HOCKEY ARENA: I TOLD YOU SO
Team, builder fail to negotiate final price; cost expected to increase

While he finds no satisfaction in saying, "I told you so," Assemblyman Joe Pennacchio said he is not at all surprised by today's Star Ledger report that the New Jersey Devils hockey team dismissed the builder of its new multi-million dollar Newark arena when the two sides failed to negotiate a final price tag.

Six incubent members of the Newark City Council lost their bids for re-election this year, and Democratic insiders say that Governor Jon Corzine and Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo will feel some pressure to find something for them. For Mamie Bridgeforth, Gayle Cheneyfield-Jenkins, Charles Bell, Ras Baraka , Bessie Walker, and Hector Corchado, the loss of a $64,766-a-year job (not including a nearly $20,000 annual expense account, health benefits and a car) will be a tough hit. With the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey no longer able to handle ex-Newark politicians on their payroll, and state and county political leaders anxious to work with Mayor-elect Cory Booker (who could quickly damage his reformer image by hiring his old rivals), Newark's defeated five -- especially Corchado -- might not be taken care of in the tradition of other former Newark elected officials.

SHERIFF CANDIDATE MASTRANGELO
COMMENDS NEWARK PATROL OFFICERS' BRAVERY
IN ROBBERY SHOOT-OUT

Detective Calls For More County Police Patrols;
Echoes Mayor-elect Cory Booker's Vow,
"We're Not Playing Around"

(Newark, NJ) -- Lifelong Essex County resident Rich Mastrangelo today applauded the actions of Newark Police Officers Carlos Silva and Sergio Perreira in their valiant efforts to subdue two armed robbers over the weekend. Officers Silva and Perreira came upon an attempted robbery during their patrol of the North Ward in the early-morning hours. The officers pursued the gunmen in their car and on foot at great personal risk. Detective Mastrangelo highlighted the incident as proof of the effectiveness of regular patrolling.

"When good cops walk the streets, criminals start running," said Mastrangelo, candidate for Essex County Sheriff. "The more regular patrols there are, the more we can stop crimes in the act or convince criminals to not even risk trying in the first place. But as this incident shows, Newark police already have their hands full. Municipal police can't be everywhere. That's why as Sheriff I would increase County Police patrols and make sure the Sheriff's Office took more of the burden for our County Parks and roads."

"It was a Sheriff's Officer on regular patrol at South Mountain Reservation who found that bag of body parts in January," Mastrangelo continued...

A very old joke is often tailored to fit the Essex County Sheriff: what's the most dangerous place in New Jersey? Between Armando Fontoura and a camera. But some Newark insiders are becoming increasingly annoyed by Fontoura's public comments concerning the security of Mayor-elect Cory Booker -- who has allegedly been threatened by the Bloods, a Newark gang. While the Newark Police Department has declined to comment -- as do the U.S. Secret Service when it relates to presidential protection and the New Jersey State Police when it involves the Governor's protection unit, Fontoura has been more than willing to speak with reporters. Before joining the Sheriff's Department, Fontoura was the spokesman for the Newark Police Department.

Newark Mayor-elect Cory Booker opted not to mess with Congressman Donald Payne in Tuesday's primary, preferring to reserve his arsenal for next week's City Council runoffs. Payne's candidate for State Assembly in the 28th district, incumbent Oadline Truitt, defeated Newark Board of Education member Anton Wheeler -- who supported Booker for Mayor -- by a massive 81%-19% margin. Booker has forged an alliance with the veteran Congressman for the runoff; he is backing Payne's son, Essex County Freeholder Donald Payne, Jr., for an At-Large City Council seat, and it is expected that the Payne family (which includes Assemblyman William Payne and Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen) will help Booker capture a clear majority on the Council.