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.

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

LOVE & LAMPITT COMMENTARY ON BILL TO REGULATE CREDIT CARD SOLICITATION ON CAMPUSES

Measure Would Require Credit Card Companies to Register with Colleges; Students to Complete Education Courses before Credit Cards Could be Issued

(TRENTON) - Assemblywomen Sandra Love and Pamela R. Lampitt today issued a multimedia package on their legislation to allow the state Division of Consumer Affairs to regulate how credit card companies solicit card applications on college campuses.

The sponsors said the measure (A-3003) would help protect the credit ratings of students and parents and ensure students understand how to be responsible users of credit.

Lawrence, left, and DiCicco at Monday's event in Pitman

When Republican National Chairman Michael Steele and Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie came to their district on Monday, fourth district GOP Assembly candidates Dominick DiCicco and Eugene E. T. Lawrence were far from the center of attention.  But they were happy to see the state party at least paying some attention to their region.

"It opens the door for South Jersey. We don't get a lot of attention down here, and we don't really have a lot of intense representation that really goes to bat for issues the way that we should," said Lawrence.

When Republicans announced Lawrence's candidacy in the spring, they hailed it as a "game changer" in this suburban Philadelphia district with a nearly two-to-one Democratic registration advantage.  Lawrence, an African-American former councilman from Gloucester Township, switched from Democrat to Republican to join the ticket.  He was soon joined by DiCicco, who is the chief counsel for Zurich's North America Commercial division.

They're running against two-term incumbent Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Township), and Bill Collins, a former Gloucester Township school board president and track coach who is replacing outgoing Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Twp) on the ballot.

4th District Assembly Candidates Lawrence and DiCicco
Call on Democrats to Stand Up for Taxpayers
and Oppose Corzine's Budget

Lawrence and DiCicco say budget full of one-shot gimmicks
and unacceptable cuts in property tax relief

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP -- Eugene Lawrence and Domenick DiCicco, candidates for the General Assembly in the 4th Legislative District, called on Democrats to oppose Governor Corzine's $28.6 billion budget.

"Jon Corzine's budget is an embarrassment to New Jersey and is nothing more than a shell game, trying to fool the public in an election year," said DiCicco, a resident of Franklin Township. "To present a budget that guts property tax rebates for nearly all New Jerseyans, after pledging to expand those very same rebates, represents the absolute worst kind of politics. New Jersey deserves better than representatives who promise one thing during campaign season and then do the opposite once they are elected."

"Voters must ask themselves if they really want four more years of this nonsense from the Governor and an Assembly that supports him," DiCicco added.

The Corzine budget also raises taxes on some consumer goods as well as an income tax hike on New Jerseyans who are already paying some of the highest taxes anywhere in the United States.

"This budget hurts regular people," added Lawrence, a resident of Gloucester Township and a former Democratic councilman. "Under Jon Corzine, the average property tax bill in Gloucester Township has gone up almost 9 percent. In Washington Township, taxes are up almost 20 percent, and in Franklin Township, taxes are up almost 27 percent. Regular people are being taxed straight out of New Jersey, and this budget is just more of the same."

Corzine's budget represents no fundamental change from previous budgets, relying on ineffective, one-shot gimmicks to try to fill massive budget holes left by poor fiscal management and repressive taxation.

"Voters need to decide whether they want more of the same or if they want real change," Lawrence said. "We represent real change."

"High taxes and out of control spending are what got us into this mess," DiCicco concluded. "More high taxes and more out of control spending are not going to get us out of it. What New Jersey needs is fiscal responsibility in Trenton, and South Jersey deserves Assemblymen in Trenton who will do the right thing and vote against bloated budgets like this one."

OLIVER / LAMPITT / GREENWALD / LOVE / CRUZ-PEREZ BILL REQUIRING STATE TO REPORT ASSAULTS & DEATHS AT STATE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS ADVANCES

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly members Sheila Y. Oliver, Pamela R. Lampitt, Louis D. Greenwald, Sandi Love and Nilsa Cruz-Perez to require the state to publicly report assaults and deaths at state psychiatric hospitals has been approved by the Assembly.

The legislation (A-2949) is a direct response to delays in the release of statistics on assaults at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Camden County. Lawmakers had requested the information following several high-profile incidents at the hospital, including a patient escape and several deaths.

“The well-being of patients at state-operated hospitals should never be in doubt and breaches in the safety net cannot be hidden from view,” said Oliver (D-Essex). “Any violent incident at a state hospital must be made part of the public record so health officials and legislators can take appropriate and immediate action.”

LOVE / MORIARTY / VAINIERI HUTTLE BILL ELIMINATING ALIMONY, INHERITANCE RIGHTS FOR MURDERERS & ABUSERS NOW LAW

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members Sandra Love, Paul D. Moriarty and Valerie Vainieri Huttle sponsored to block alimony payments to convicted killers and eliminate inheritance rights for parents who abandon or abuse a child was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

“This law really serves a simple and singular purpose: to keep money out of the hands of those who would go so far as to beat and kill their own family and then expect to receive an alimony payment from a former spouse,” said Love (D-Gloucester.). “Convicted killers should not be able to profit from their misdeeds.” 

PolitickerNJ.com has prepared a Casualty List for the New Jersey Legislature for each year since 2001.

Fourteen-term Republican John Rooney, the senior member of the State Assembly, becomes the fifth legislator not seeking re-election in 2009.  Three Assemblymen are seeking another office: Richard Merkt (R-Mendham) is running for Governor; Michael Doherty (R-Washington) is seeking State Senate seat; and L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City) is a candidate for Mayor. Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Township) is retiring. And Eric Munoz (R-Summit) passed away earlier this month at the age of 61.

South Jersey Democrats have picked Bill Collins, a popular former high school track coach and the local School Board President, to replace Sandra Love as their candidate for State Assembly in the fourth district.  This is the second time Collins will seek to replace Love; in 2006, when she stepped down as mayor of Gloucester Township, Love became the Camden County Democratic organization candidate to replace her in a non-partisan race, but he lost to Republican Cindy Rau-Hatton.  His running mate in that election, then-Councilman Eugene Lawrence, was also defeated.  Lawrence switched parties last month and will be one of Collins' opponents in the fall Assembly contest.

Petitions were circulated on behalf of Collins and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Township) today.

Former Gloucester Township Councilman Eugene E.T. Lawrence will switch parties and run as a Republican for State Assembly in the 4th district.

Camden County Republicans have picked up a former Democrat to run for State Assembly in the 4th district.

At a rally tonight, the party plans to announce that former Gloucester Township Councilman Eugene E.T. Lawrence will switch parties and run as a Republican against incumbent Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Twp.) and whomever Democrats pick to replace outgoing Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Township). Lawrence's candidacy has been kept under wraps by Camden County Republicans, but they hyped it as a "game changer" last week.

In a statement, Lawrence aimed squarely at Governor Corzine's budget proposals, criticizing him for eliminating the property tax deduction.

"The people of Gloucester Township and the 4th Legislative District are suffering today, and they are suffering because Jon Corzine has decided to try to balance his budget on the backs of middle class families," said the former Camden County Chamber of Commerce and NAACP leader.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) has removed indicted Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy) as Chairman of the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee.  Four other Democrats serve on the panel, but two of them are not really contenders: Upendra Chivukula (D-Franklin) is unlikely to give up the chairmanship of the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee, and Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Township) is a freshman who is not seeking re-election.  That means Roberts will likely choose between Pamela Lampitt (D-Cherry Hill), a two-term legislator who represents a neighboring Camden County district, and Albert Coutinho (D-Newark), the panel Vice Chairman who was elected in 2007 after serving briefly in 1997.