Ron Rice

Finally, it looks like legislation will soon be approved allowing New Jersey drug users to exchange dirty needles for clean ones. Bill S494, sponsored by Senator Nia Gill (D-Essex), has been a long time coming. It doesn't go as far as it should, but it is better than nothing. Instead of a statewide clean needle exchange program, which is preferable, the legislation, passed this week by the Senate Health Committee (Senator Tom Kean Jr. voted against it) calls for a pilot program in six municipalities.

Two of the communities expected to take advantage of the bill (once it is passed into law) will be Atlantic City and Camden. In both communities, the spread of HIV from needle sharing among infected drub users has been a huge health problem. The lack of a state law allowing clean needle exchange has only made the problem worse in urban centers that have served as a haven for the spread of HIV/AIDS since the mid 1980s. For years, opponents of needle exchange have argued that such a program would increase drug use or crime. Well, the fact is, that couldn't be further from the truth.

What is true is that clean needle exchange programs reduce the transmission of the HIV virus, hepatitis and other diseases acquired through needle sharing. The reason we know this is that 49 out of 50 states currently allow for some form of a needle exchange program. That's right, New Jersey, is the ONLY state in the nation without such a program�this despite the fact that our state has one of the country's highest AIDS/HIV rates stemming from needle sharing. The problem has been particularly bad for women and their children, infected with the virus in the womb. To say that New Jersey not having a needle exchange program is a disgrace is an understatement. It's insane.

The legislature has allowed a few ill-informed, pigheaded legislators to block this much-needed public health program. Chief among them has been Senator Ron Rice (D-Essex) who sits on the Health Committee. Rice has continually argued that needle exchange will make the drug problem worse and has proposed a bill to provide $100 million for drug treatment and HIV/AIDS related programs. That part of Rice's legislative agenda is positive, which is why it is a great thing that the current needle exchange legislation to allow the pilot program in six municipalities also calls for $10 million for drug rehab.

Simply put, S494 is a compromise between the needle exchange philosophy and the drug treatment approach. It never should have been an either-or proposition, but somehow Rice and those who supported his point of view have struck enough fear into their colleagues to stymie any effort to move forward. State Senators have been convinced that any effort to pass a needle exchange program would make them vulnerable to being characterized as "soft on drugs" in future elections. That's crazy. What happened to all those legislators in 49 other states who supported needle-exchange programs? Nothing.

So, our legislators have been spooked by a political phantom for nearly a decade and now have finally done something. As I said, in many ways it is way too little. However, it isn't too late, particularly for those ill drug addicts who are currently sticking dirty needles into their arms and transmitting this deadly disease, not just to themselves, but to their babies. Let's only hope that the pilot initiative is passed in the next few weeks and the Corzine Administration, lead by Health and Senior Services Commissioner Dr. Fred Jacbos, leads the effort to make the needle exchange program statewide as soon as possible. Lives are at stake and they have been for too long. There is no excuse not to act. I'd like to congratulate the Senate for finally moving, but that would be like patting an employee on the back for doing the absolute bare minimum their job requires. Then again, this needle exchange legislation is better than the status quo.

COMMUNITY & URBAN AFFAIRS PANEL TO HEAR NEW HOME HORROR STORIES ON THURSDAY

GLASSBORO- Senator Fred H. Madden announced today that the Senate Committee on Community and Urban Affairs will hold a public meeting at Rowan University this Thursday to hear testimony on a package of bills aimed at curbing the frequency of defects occurring in newly built homes.

The committee meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m., August 10, 2006 in the Eynon Ballroom of the Rowan University Center located at 201 Mullica Hill Road in Glassboro.

EMINENT DOMAIN FOES CALL ON BOOKER, RICE TO CLOSELY EXAMINE REDEVELOPMENT DEAL THAT HELPS CONVICTED DRUG DEALER
Urged to Take Independent Look at Projects’ Financial Benefits

Newark –Members of the city’ Mulberry Street Coalition have written to Corey Booker and Ron Rice asking them to take a hard look at the city’s plans to condemn property for a redevelopment scheme headed by former City Council aide and convicted drug dealer Emilio Farina

A funeral service for the late Donald Tucker, a Newark city councilman and assemblyman from the 28th District, is scheduled for next Tuesday. Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen is expected to announce soon that the special election convention to fill Tucker's Assembly seat will be held after the November 8 election, so as not to distract from the gubernatorial race. If the vote takes place immediately after the general election, the new assemblyman or woman could be sworn-in in time to take part in what is expected to be a close Democratic caucus vote for majority leader. Two Essex candidates -- Wilfredo Caraballo and William Payne-- are expected to seek that post. Caraballo and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman are considered the front-runners.

Tucker's widow, Cleopatra Tucker, is publicly lobbying for both of her husband's seats. She has also begun making phone calls to party leaders. However, Essex insiders say that she has not been active in the party and is a longshot for either job.

The 28th District includes Irvington, Belleville, Bloomfield and about one-third of Newark. The district's Senate seat now belongs to Ron Rice, who is from Newark's West Ward. The other Assembly seat is occupied by Craig Stanley of Irvington. Belleville and Bloomfield make up about 40 percent of the district, and could unite behind a candidate at the special election convention. But if a suburbanite wins the Assembly seat, it could provoke a primary challenge next year from a Newark candidate. It also might splinter the party, possibly prompting a primary challenge to Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, who will run in next June's primary with the new Assembly member. Insiders say DiVincenzo is likely to push for the seat to go to a woman who could become a consensus candidate. One insider said the early favorite is Evelyn Williams, the Democratic leader in Newark's South Ward and a former school board member. Williams apparently is on good terms with most of Newark's competing power brokers.

Tucker's city council seat could potentially remain vacant until next May's municipal elections, unless 5 of the 8 remaining members can agree on someone to fill the at-large position. The main stumbling block figures to be the reluctance of at-large council members to create a new incumbent who would essentially become their competition next May. Besides Tucker's widow, two names being mentioned are Ras Baraka, the son of controversial poet Amiri Baraka and a deputy mayor, and Rice, the state senator and another deputy mayor. Baraka apparently has strong support from the younger crowd, though Rice, who would probably abandon his plans to run for mayor next year if he snared the $80,000-a-year council post, is apparently spreading the word that he has the votes.