Paul Moriarty

Political problems for the state's largest teacher's union continue to mount.  After going all out for Gov. Jon Corzine in the recent election, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) knows they have a potential problem with voucher-backing charter school enthusiast Gov.-elect Christopher Christie.  And in the Senate, it looks like Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), a protégé of Newark political leader Stephen Adubato, might replace Shirley Turner (D-Lawrence) as chairman of the Education Committee.  A fair assumption is that Ruiz will share Adubato's fervent support for charter schools. 

Turner could wind up a casualty of the contest for Senate President; she backed incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland), while Ruiz supported the likely winner, Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford).

Christie's problem with the NJEA might be more than just politics - he appears to have different views on how to fix New Jersey's public school.  And he might have the upper hand, especially with a potential political ally running the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), who is expected to become the next Assembly Speaker, has not yet indicated who she will pick as the new Assembly Education Committee Chairman.  The incumbent, Joseph Cryan (D-Union), a strong NJEA supporter, is expected to vacate the post to become Majority Leader.  Oliver also has strong ties to Adubato - she is the Assistant Essex County Administrator (and Ruiz is the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Essex County Executive) - but statehouse observers say that Oliver is likely to pick a new chairman who would be supportive of the teachers union, a key player in the state's Democratic base vote.

Reportedly not under consideration to head the Education Committee is Joan Voss (D-Fort Lee), who spent forty years as a public school teacher and is now vice chair of the panel.  Voss, Democratic leaders say, lacks intellectual heft to take on the post.  Instead, Democrats could turn to Patrick Diegnan (D-South Plainfield), a Cryan/Oliver ally and the current chairman of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.  If Diegnan turns it down - the Middlesex County Democrat might want to stay where he is, considering the importance of Rutgers University to his district, the leadership might go with the highly-regarded Mila Jasey (D-South Orange), a former school board member but an ally of outgoing Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland), or Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Twp.), a member of South Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross' political organization.

MORIARTY PRAISES FED FOR NEW RULES POLICING DEBIT CARD OVERDRAFT FEES

(4th Legislative District) - Assemblyman Paul Moriarty applauded today's announcement by the Federal Reserve of new banking rules that will protect consumers from excessive debit card overdraft fees.

Although Democrat Bill Collins trailed by 1,021 votes as of last night, Democrats say that there may be enough uncounted mail-in ballots out there for him defeat Republican Domenick DiCicco in the 4th Legislative District.

Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee (DACC) Executive Director Mike Muller said that mail-in ballots counted since last night have given Collins another 440 votes. 

"There are reports of 1,000 more that are still out there," he said. 

"The one thing we don't want to do is assume [a loss]," said Muller.  "There was such an effort vote-by-mail-wise that in that district alone there were something like 6,500 or 7,000 who applied for vote by mail applications, that we want to make sure we have a good, accurate count of everything that came in."

Incumbent Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Twp.) was the district's top vote getter.

MORIARTY DECRIES DREDGING DECISION; VOWS FIGHT TO KEEP DREDGED MATERIAL OUT OF SOUTH JERSEY

Backs Governor’s Call to Ready for Legal Action

(4th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT) – Assemblyman Paul Moriarty on Wednesday decried the decision by the Army Corps of Engineers to allow Delaware River dredging to begin before New Jersey has completed its environmental review of the plan.

“It’s extremely disappointing to see New Jersey’s strong environmental review process being trampled for a project that may threaten the health and well-being of South Jersey families,” said Moriarty (D-Gloucester/Camden). “I support the Governor’s call to prepare legal action to stop this project from proceeding. This project is moving along way too fast with too many unanswered questions. South Jersey residents deserve better.”

The Courier-Post has endorsed a split ticket in the fourth district State Assembly race, backing incumbent Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Twp.) and attorney Domenick DiCicco, a Republican who is seeking the open seat of retiring Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Twp.).

"(DiCicco) gets our nod because of his passion for reducing the size and cost of government. He wants any state tax increases over a set percent to have to be voted on by all New Jerseyans -- a great idea. He wants to cut programs that aren't working, have an elected, independent state auditor and give New Jerseyans more power to put legislation on the ballot themselves. He wants New Jersey to have a Web site like one in Colorado that allows people to go online and see how the state spends every tax dollar," the editorial said.  "DiCicco gets it. He wants to put power in the people's hands and make New Jersey more affordable."

The newspaper said Moriarty "has stuck his neck out for good causes," including a plan to cut state worker salaries and benefits by 15%."

"Moriarty took a beating from unions. But it was the right idea then, and it remains so today," the Courier-Post said.

DeANGELO, MILAM, ALBANO & MORIARTY PUSH CONSUMER PROTECTION LEGISLATION

Measure Would Invalidate Any Consumer Contract That Requires Consumers to Give Up Their Right To File A Complaint

(TRENTON) – Amid continued concern about consumer fraud, Assemblymen Wayne P. DeAngelo, Nelson T. Albano, Matthew W. Milam and Paul Moriarty are pushing legislation to invalidate any contract that requires customers to waive their right to file a consumer fraud complaint.

South Jersey is hemorrhaging jobs and the Corzine – Moriarty Team isn’t helping

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS PRAISE RELEASE OF LANDMARK HOSPITAL SAFETY REPORT

Commend Governor for Posting 1st Report with Hospital-Specific Error Data

(TRENTON) – Assembly members Paul Moriarty, Linda Greenstein, Herb Conaway, Lou Greenwald and Nilsa Cruz-Perez today praised a new state report that for the first time details hospital-by-hospital medical errors. They urged New Jerseyans to use the report when making health care decisions.

Paul Moriarty needs to do what is right for South Jersey.

Paul Moriarty’s loyalty to Jon Corzine continues to hurt Fourth District families.