SCUTARI LEADS LOCAL OPPOSITION TO RE-CONSTRUCTION IN CONGESTED NEIGHBORHOOD

Says Community Cannot Support Development on this Magnitude in an Area Already Over-Developed

LINDEN, NJ – Last night, Senator Nicholas P. Scutari personally appeared at the meeting of the Linden City Planning Board and, along with more than 50 city residents, led the charge in opposition to a proposed variance allowing an expanded parking lot at 125 Lexington Avenue, which would allow for the formation of a new church in an already congested area.

“We have to look at the facts,” said Senator Scutari. “The neighborhood in question simply cannot support re-construction of this magnitude, and allowing the church project to move ahead would pose an undue hardship on the residents and businesses already in place.”

Democratic sources say that Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) has the inside track on becoming Senate Majority Leader.  She committed to support Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for Senate President before Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) did.  If Sweeney wins - he has fourteen of the 23 votes in the Democratic Caucus - and if Buono takes the number two post, it opens up the Appropriations Committee chairmanship.  There is some talk that Sarlo will take the Appropriations post and that Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) will become Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman.

There is speculation among key Democrats that Senate Judiciary Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) will endorse Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for Senate President, possibly as early as this week.  Sarlo had previously refused to publicly state his preference, but late last week supporters of incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland) had listed the Bergen County Democrat as one of their likely votes in the upcoming leadership fight.  Sarlo would represent a major defection from the Codey camp.

Sarlo's relatively early endorsement of Sweeney extends an alliance with South Jersey Democrats that began when he backed U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) over incumbent Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) in the 2008 U.S. Senate primary.  That alliance could help him win a race for Majority Leader, with Sweeney's backing.  Sarlo was Codey's candidate for Majority Leader in 2007, but was defeated by Sweeney.

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STENDER/SCUTARI PROMOTE ADOPTION OF SAFER TECH FOR USE BY GOVERNMENTS AND UTILITIES

(LINDEN) - Assemblywoman Linda Stender and Senator Nicholas P. Scutari (both D-Union) today issued a multimedia package on their legislation (ACR-239) to urge governments, water utilities and chemical companies to use inherently safer technologies in their daily operations.

According to Scutari and Stender, the hazardous materials currently used by these entities represent one of the largest threats to public safety in the state, as hazardous chemicals - like chlorine - often are shipped in vulnerable, conspicuously marked containers and rail cars.

STENDER & SCUTARI UNVEIL MEASURE URGING GOVERNMENTS, UTILITIES TO USE SAFER TECH TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY

Resolution Aims to Reduce Chances of Unintended Hazardous Substance Release

(SCOTCH PLAINS) – Assemblywoman Linda Stender and Senator Nicholas Scutari today unveiled legislation urging governments, water utilities and chemical companies to use safer technologies to mitigate risks of terrorist attacks or the unintended release of hazardous substances.

Such hazardous substances often travel in vulnerable, conspicuously marked rail cars, and Stender described that practice as arguably one of the largest threats to public safety. Chemicals such as chlorine are purchased by governments and utilities for water purification.

“Transporting dangerous chemicals by rail when alternate solutions exist is a catastrophe waiting to happen,” said Stender (D-Union). “Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, there has been growing concern regarding the transport of chemicals by rail and the security of our rail cars. If a graffiti artist can get to a railcar carrying toxic chemicals, what is to stop a terrorist from doing much worse as the railcar travels past our homes, schools and hospitals?”

There are not many legislative districts that are expected to be competitive this year, but Republicans think they might have a sleeper in District 22.

Former Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks, a dentist who ran for state Senate in the district in 2003 and for the Republican 7th District congressional nomination in 2008, is running for state Assembly with political newcomer Bo Vastine against incumbents Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) and Jerry Green (D-Plainfield).

It's a traditionally safe Democratic district, containing cities like Plainfield and Linden that help give the party a registration advantage of more than two to one over Republicans.  But with an unpopular Democratic governor at the top of the ticket, and with Stender having been bloodied by two back-to-back congressional race defeats, state Republican officials are paying attention.

"I think we've got great candidates there. I think Marty Marks and Bo Vastine are putting together a nice campaign in a district that has some local issues at play in a year that will be Republican," said Republican State Chairman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), who's also an assemblyman.  "I think it is a race to watch."

Republicans also like the fact that there are no competitive municipal races in Democratic strongholds to help turn out their base there.

They also have a ready-made campaign issue: the closure of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield, in part due to lack of state aid.

The Inside Edge made a mistake.

Six years ago, when Joseph Suliga dropped his bid for re-election to the State Senate following an incident in at an Atlantic City casino, the Union County Democratic leadership picked Freeholder Nicholas Scutari to run for the seat over Assemblywoman Linda Stender.  This website dismissed Scutari as a hack, calling him the "Senator from Gregorio," a reference to his association with then-Linden Mayor John Gregorio.  Upon reflection, that was unfair.  Since going to the Senate in January 2004, Scutari has emerged as a thoughtful and independent thinker.  The Inside Edge views the 40-year-old legislator as a rising star and regrets our earlier characterization of him.

Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) is under consideration for a seat on the Board of Public Utilities, according to several Democratic sources familiar with her interest in the state post.  The speculation seems to have annoyed her Republican opponent, former Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks, who could face a replacement candidate for the second time in six years. There has been talk of Stender's interest in a pension boosting job since she lost a bid for Congress last year by nine percentage points for an open seat she nearly won two years earlier. 

Marks and his running mate, Bo Vastine, have asked Gov. Jon Corzine not to appoint Stender to the BPU.  "By being complicit in this quid pro quo to get a politician in danger of being voted out of office a cushy state job, you would directly contradict the two priorities you set for yourself upon becoming governor," Marks wrote in a letter to the Governor.  We ask you not to abet yet another end run around the electoral process, like those we saw in the 2002 Lautenberg for Torricelli U.S. Senate candidate switch and the 2003 Scutari for Suliga State Senate candidate switch that occurred right here in the 22nd district. If such a switch occurs again -- this time connected to the promise of a lucrative state job for Mrs. Stender -- the citizens of New Jersey and especially here in the 22nd Legislative District will not accept any reason other than New Jersey politics as usual."

Republicans can stop the appointment of Stender, if Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) refuses to sign off on her nomination.  Kean has senatorial courtesy over Union County appointments that require Senate confirmation.

Two Democratic Senators seemed a bit piqued yesterday when the Hudson County Assignment Judge implied that the Senate Judiciary Committee was dragging a Superior Court Judge through the mud as they questioned him during a confirmation hearing that would give Frederick Theemling tenure until he reaches the mandatory retirement age of seventy.  The reaction of State Sens. Raymond Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) and Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) sends a signal that the Judiciary Committee, in a change of direction, is prepared to question judicial nominees about their records.

Theemling, a former Hudson County Prosecutor and a candidate for Congress against Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) in 1992, seemed incredibly unprepared for any questions from Senators regarding his nearly seven years on the bench.  Scutari was seeking an explanation for what appeared to be an unusually large number of appeals to his decisions - 114 of his cases were appealed since becoming a Superior Court Judge.

In Trenton to support and defend Theemling, Assignment Judge Maurice Gallipoli accused the Senators of treating Theemling harshly.  "I earnestly suggest to you that this is a good man who should not be dragged through the mud," Gallipoli told the panel.

That bothered Lesniak, who told Gallipoli that the role of the Judiciary Committee was to question nominees about their "qualification, character, ability and record." 

"Asking legitimate questions about that record has nothing to do with dragging a person through the mud," Lesniak said.

State Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) thinks that New Jerseyans, the ones who already live in Bartelsland where 90% of the districts are general election safe, would be better served by giving voters less oppprtunities to decide who holds public office.  Scutari wants to increase Senate terms to five years; since 1971 Senators have run for two-year terms in the election after reapportionment, followed by two four-year terms.  

New Jersey voters have routinely rejected efforts to increase terms of office for elected officials.  A 1956 referendum to increase the Sheriff's term from three years to five went down 65%-35%, by a margin of 449,903 votes.    Supporters of the initiative tried again in 1962, losing by 195,266 votes, 59%-41%.