Stephen Sweeney

State Sen. Jim Wehlan (D-Atlantic)

As he prepares to join the ranks of other Democrats lining up to reelect Gov. Jon Corzine next year, state Sen. Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic) highlights the governor’s efforts to rein in state spending, combined with  the Democratic Party’s preparedness to create public works projects to deflect the impact of hard economic times.  

“I think unfortunately the reality of what New Jersey was experiencing has now gone to the entire economy,” said Whelan. “This state was overspending for 15 years, using a credit card mentality in its approach to the budget, and I think Gov. Corzine started moving things in the right direction. He has restored fiscal sanity to our state.   

“This administration and we as a party have made a statement that we’re not just going to tax our way out of this problem,” he added.     

“…In addition to a business stimulus package to create a bigger pie, we need New Deal-style public works projects. A guy told me the other day, ‘that’s not really what ended the Depression, it was WWII.’ Okay, but if you do projects that are essential now, it’s a good opportunity because with the economy dead, the contractors are willing to work for a little less and you can get better deals with labor.”

Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester)

Although they represent different parts of the state, County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and state Sen. Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney with a few exceptions – the sales tax fight two years ago comes to mind - usually end up on the same side.  

This time, however, it’s not looking as though the two men are going to get eyeball to eyeball on the state pension deferral, which Sweeney opposes and DiVincenzo supports.   

It’s one of those moments when two politicians whose careers have run along parallel lines suddenly veer into each other’s path and create an unmistakable flashpoint.   

DiVincenzo desperately wants the legislature to sign off on Gov. Jon Corzine’s brainchild bill enabling counties, municipalities, and school boards during an economic downturn to defer their state pension payments by 50 percent over a three-year period, which would total $1.3 billion.

BILL COMBATING EXCESSIVE POST-FATAL-CRASH FEES NOW LAW
Law Crafted in Response to $640 Bill Handed to Family of Teen Killed in I-295 Crash

(TRENTON) - Legislation Assemblymen John J. Burzichelli, Douglas Fisher, and Nelson Albano and Senator Stephen Sweeney sponsored to protect the surviving families of victims of fatal auto accidents from exorbitant wrecked-vehicle storage and handling fees was signed into law by Governor Jon S. Corzine.

Gov. Jon Corzine

TRENTON - Emerging from passing six bills, part of a larger, nine-bill $245 million economic recovery plan championed by Gov. Jon Corzine - senators in both parties agreed that the work today represents only a small part of what’s required. 

Predictably, Democrats and some dissenting Republicans diverged starkly on fundamentals, with key GOP reps doubtful about enabling government to work as a problem solver, and Democrats digging in to take another big crack at the problem with that all-purpose tool: government.

“I think today New Jersey took a step in the right direction,” said state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), whose EDA Main Street Assistance bill dishes $50 million to help jumpstart small businesses. “We recognize this needs to be solved on the national level. But although a lot of Republicans talked, many of them came with us in the end.”

State Sen. Paul Sarlo could be Dick Codey's choice for Senate Judiciary Chairman

Paul Sarlo, a three-term State Senator with close ties to indicted Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero appears to be the leading candidate for chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to sources close to Senate President Richard Codey, who has not made a final decision on one of the state's most powerful committee chairmanships.  Codey must decide by January who will replace John Adler, who was elected to Congress.

Sweeney should hold Bryant to the same standard he held others who cost the county money.

It is interesting to note that the Gloucester County Times and the Courier-Post, both newspapers that have editorialized in support of a ban on dual officeholding, have endorsed dual officeholders in the 2008 general election.  Both papers are backing Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney for re-election to the Gloucester County Board of Freeholders, and the GCT is backing the re-election of Freeholder Frank DiMarco, who is also a West Deptford Councilman.

A summary of daily newspaper endorsements in local races:

SWEENEY/BURZICHELLI/FISHER DECLARE COUNCIL'S RULING ON RURAL STATE POLICE PATROLS 'A WIN'

Third District Legislators Say Council on Local Mandates' Decision Marking Municipal Funding of Patrols an Unfunded Mandate Protects Taxpayers

(TRENTON) - Third District legislators Senate Majority Leader Stephen M. Sweeney and Assemblymen John J. Burzichelli and Douglas H. Fisher (all D-Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem) called today's ruling by the state Council on Local Mandates that language in the fiscal year 2009 state budget constitutes an unfunded mandate "a win for the wallets of rural taxpayers."

The budget language in question would have required the 89 rural municipalities that rely on State Police patrols to pay for the $12.6 million service or risk losing the patrols.  The council, in a verbal statement, ruled that "line 8 on page 158 of the Annual Appropriations Act to line 17 on page 159, inclusive, constitutes an unfunded mandate and is null and void."

GOP Freeholder candidates call on Stephen Sweeney to tell the voters how much he knew