Ruben Ramos

WISNIEWSKI / PRIETO / RAMOS BILL TO PROTECT MOTORISTS BY REQUIRING ICE OR SNOW BE REMOVED FROM VEHICLE NOW LAW

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen John Wisniewski, Vincent Prieto and Ruben J. Ramos Jr. to protect motorists by making it a violation to not remove accumulated ice or snow from a motor vehicle has been signed into law by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

Two Hudson County Democrats say they will support Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) for Assembly Speaker.  That brings Oliver's hard count up to 20 votes.

Ruben Ramos (D-Hoboken) and Caridad Rodriguez (D-West New York) say that Oliver would be a groundbreaking choice who would bring passion and fresh perspective to state government.

"This is an exciting opportunity for the state of New Jersey to have someone of Sheila Oliver's background and vision in this important position," Ramos said. "She has been a champion for the average person who struggles every day and needs a strong advocate speaking for them in Trenton. It would be hard to imagine a better person to be our Speaker."

DIEGNAN / BARNES / CONNERS / RAMOS BILL TO HELP VETERANS MAKE TRANSITION INTO CLASSROOM NOW LAW

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., Peter J. Barnes III, Jack Conners and Ruben J. Ramos Jr. to help veterans make the transition from the battlefield to the college classroom was signed into law Sunday by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

The law (A-3360) requires the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, in consultation with the Department of Veterans’ and Military Affairs, to establish the Troops to College Program.

The program will assist New Jersey’s public institutions of higher education in coordinating a comprehensive array of services to help veterans make the transition into the college classroom.

“Our veterans deserve the best, and that includes access to higher education,” said Diegnan (D-Middlesex). “This plan would make that transition easier and is the right thing to do for those who have sacrificed their time and energy to defend our nation.”

RODRIGUEZ/RAMOS/VAINIERI HUTTLE BILL PACKAGE TO IMPROVE CERTAIN HEALTH CARE SERVICES SIGNED INTO LAW

New Laws Improve Way Obstetricians are Paid by Insurers; Grant More Responsibilities to Nurse Midwives

(NEWARK) - A legislative package sponsored by Assembly members Caridad Rodriguez, Ruben J. Ramos, Jr. and Valerie Vainieri Huttle to improve health care services given by obstetricians and midwives was signed into law today by Governor Jon S. Corzine during a public ceremony at the Newark Community Health Center.

Mayor/state Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-Union City), left, in the ring with Gov. Jon Corzine.

UNION CITY - Gov. Jon Corzine campaigned here this evening with Mayor/state Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-Union City), his caravan pulling up to the blockade on New York Avenue moments after his rival, GOP candidate Chris Christie, departed with a contingent of Republicans who had just walked with Stack.

To Union City diehards like Henry Munker, Corzine's presence as a Democratic incumbent governor at the annual National Night Out street festival in a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans around 14,800 to 1,400 was less of an eye-opener than Christie's hour-long stride through with Stack.

"Never," was Munker's blunt response when asked when he last saw a Republican candidate for governor make the trek into Union City in search of votes. 

"I heard you had a vistor here," Corzine told Stack after the two men shook hands.

"Yes, we did," Stack said.

Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hoboken)

A onetime ally of Peter Cammarano's who called for his resignation after the feds charged Cammarano with taking cash bribes, Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hoboken) said he called Council President Dawn Zimmer yesterday and pledged to work with her to unite a fractured city. 

"I think it's going to take an effort from all sides to restore people's faith in government right now," said Ramos. "I've spoken with (soon to be acting) Mayor Zimmer and offered my support. It's the right thing to do. The past is the past. The fact is, she and I have a lot more things in common than different."

Of Cammarano's resignation, the assemblyman added, "It's the right decision for the City of Hoboken. It's a town where everyone comes together we need to bring people together."

He wouldn't speculate about who he intends to support in the November special election for mayor. 

"I'm not even at that point yet," said Ramos. "Whoever's thinking about running at this point, shame on them. Right now, this needs to be about government, not politics."

Hoboken Council President Dawn Zimmer would become acting mayor in the event that Mayor Peter Cammarano resigns, and it does not appear, at least for the moment, that anyone's big enough to threaten her in the special election. 

Gov. Jon Corzine today said Cammarano will be gone tomorrow, but no one's yet heard that publicly from Cammarano.

If he steps down prior to Sept. 4th, the mile-square-city will hold a special on Nov. 3rd, the same day as the gubernatorial contest between Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie.

Most people assume Zimmer will run for mayor.

She was the top vote-getter in the May election, and in the runoff beat Cammarano on the machines only to lose by 161 votes after the Board of Elections factored in absentee ballots. Her supporters will be more revved up than ever with a sense of righteousness. Cammarano was already an opponent. Now, charged with allegedly taking cash bribes, he departs as an outright villain.

If Peter Cammarano refuses to resign, there is not much the people of Hoboken can do to oust him as mayor right now.  New Jersey law prohibits a recall election during the first year in office, and there is no mechanism for the impeachment of a mayor.  The only way to limit the legal authority Cammarano exercises as mayor would be for one of his constituents, Gov. Jon Corzine, to call the Legislature back into session and propose a state takeover of Hoboken.

Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, the Hoboken Democratic Municipal Chairman, has already called on Cammarano to resign.  So has Corzine.   

Union City Mayor/State Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-Union City), last year.

UNION CITY - Union City Mayor/state Sen. Brian P. Stack has not endorsed a candidate for governor.

Somewhere a crowd gathers in Bergen, but here in a gazebo in Hudson County, a solitary figure in white shirt sleeves stands at the precipitous edge of the palisades with the maw of the river and Hoboken and Jersey City and Manhattan below as he talks on a cellphone.

It's Stack.

"I didn't even know there was a rally today," he says, folding the phone in one hand, referring to Gov. Jon Corzine's rollout of running mate, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck). "Where is it? What's going on?"

It's not as though Stack's home turf is stagnant in the blaze of summertime, or as if Stack ever really has a tendency to gravitate away from Union City.

"I'm always here," he says with grin, but on this occasion it looks like an especially lonely vantage point, considering the fact that on Thursday, sections of the Democratic Party infrastructure caved with the FBI arrests of numerous political operatives and officials, most of them from Jersey City. 

Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hoboken), who left his at-large Hoboken City Council seat this year under mounting public pressure to end his dual office holding status, received the news about the arrest of Mayor Peter Cammarano today while on vacation with his family down south. 

"It's extremely diasppointing and sad for the citizens of Hoboken and for all of us," said Ramos. "It's a blight on the whole town. It's a sad and depressing day. I'm taking everything in right now. I'm not going to call for someone's head at this point. It's all in the city council's hands at this point."

Ramos said Cammarano would have to do what's best for Hoboken and for his family.