Washington Township

Republicans have lost majority control of the Franklin Township Committee. Deputy Mayor Peter Scapellato announced yesterday that he was switching parties, giving Democrats a 3-2 majority in the Gloucester County municipality of 15,466 people through 2007. It also means that longtime Mayor David Ferrucci will be ousted as Mayor when the local government reorganizes in January. Scapellato joins Gloucester County Clerk James Hogan, South Harrison Mayor James McCall, Washington Township Councilwoman Michelle Martin and Westville Councilman Michael Galbraith as GOP officeholders who have switched parties in recent years.

Franklin Township is considered politically competitive -- George Bush carried it by 60 votes in 2004 and Jon Corzine by 266 votes in 2005 -- and is in the fourth legislative district, where Republicans think they have a chance to compete for a Senate seat and two Assembly seats.

Camden County Republicans have changed their lineup for the fall elections and have brought back one candidate from each of the last three elections to run again for Freeholder. Former Cherry Hill GOP Chairman Christopher Carlson, who ran in 2003, has two new running mates: Bellmawr Board of Education member Louis Johnson, who ran in 2005, and '04 candidate William Mann; they will replace Tracy Conrad and Rob Stone, who dropped out of the race.

Republicans will run Jim Rinier, a Princeton University Professor and U.S. Army Reserves military police captain, for Camden County Sheriff. He replaces Gloucester Township GOP Chairman John Jonkowski, who filed last April in order to give the party more time to recruit a stronger candidate. Michael McLaughlin, under fire for lawsuits that charged harassment at the Sheriff's office, resigned in May; Democrats are running former Washington Township Police Chief Chuck Billingham in the general election.

BURZICHELLI BILL WOULD END 'DOUBLE TAXATION'
OF SCHOOL ACTIVITY FEES
Legislation Would Prohibit Districts from Assessing Surcharge
For Participation in After-School Activities on Top of Collecting Property Taxes

(PAULSBORO) -- With the announcement by a fourth New Jersey school district that it will charge students a fee to participate in after-school activities, Assemblyman John Burzichelli called for passage of legislation to prohibit schools from levying a "sports and activity tax" on the families of student-athletes and participants in other extra-curricular activities.

MAYER/MORIARTY WANT HOMELAND SECURITY INFO ON BACK OF INSPECTION STICKER
MOVE WOULD ALLOW DRIVERS TO BE VIGILANT AND REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES

(Turnersville)- On the heals of reports involving terror threats disrupted by law enforcement, Assemblymen Dave Mayer and Paul Moriarty drafted legislation to have contact information for the Department of Homeland Security printed on the back of Automobile inspection stickers. These stickers are typically placed inside the driver's side of the car's windshield. So, if motorists observe any suspicious activities, they would have the Hotline Number -- 1-866-4-SAFE-NJ -- readily available.

(Turnersville, NJ)- State Senator Fred Madden, Assemblymen Dave Mayer and Paul Moriarty issued comments following the Signing into law of A-1036/S-S1421 by Governor Corzine which will designate Route 55 as "Veteran's Memorial Highway."

Sweeney, Green, Moriarty call for 15% cut in compensation costs for state government employees
Government employees are getting nearly double the benefits versus the Real World
Instead of talking about raising the sales tax, we should be cutting the cost of government

(TRENTON , NJ) – Saying that the taxpayers have had enough of the excessive perks and benefits of state government employees, today State Senator Stephen M. Sweeney (D-3 rd LD), State Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-22nd LD) and State Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-4th LD) held a Statehouse news conference to launch their bid to cut state compensation costs by 15% and introduce specific measures to curb existing and further abuse for new employees and expiring government employee contracts. Sweeney, Green and Moriarty called on Republicans, Democrats and Independents to join them in their quest to reform a system that has driven up taxation for far too long. More specifically, and according to the Office of Legislative Services, state employee salaries and benefits account for $4.6 billion (Source: FY 2007 State of New Jersey Budget). The proposed 15% cut amounts to nearly $700 million in employee salaries and benefit costs. The benefits alone account for a mind-boggling 40% of total compensation.

Contact: Jason Springer
Phone: 856-232-6700
Mayer/ Moriarty Consumer Telephone Records Protection Act Clears Committee
Legislation would outlaw the practice of selling or purchasing consumer phone records

(Turnersville, NJ)- The Consumer Affairs committee today released A-2539, the "Consumer Telephone Records Protection Act of 2006," sponsored by Assemblymen Dave Mayer and Paul Moriarty making it a crime for any person to obtain or attempt to obtain confidential customer telephone records.

The legislation would make it a crime for any person to obtain or attempt to obtain information from a telecommunications carrier by making false or fraudulent statements to a telecommunications carrier, or by knowingly providing false documentation to a telecommunications carrier or by accessing customer records of a telecommunications carrier through the Internet.

MADDEN, MAYER, MORIARTY BEGIN FOURTH DISTRICT TOWN HALL TOUR

CONTACT: Jason Springer
PHONE: (856) 232-6700

(Turnersville, NJ)- State Senator Fred Madden, Assemblymen Dave Mayer and Paul Moriarty announced the first four locations of their "Fourth District Town Hall Tour". The town hall meetings will be open forums allowing constituents to interact with the legislators to voice their concerns and hear updates about the status of the situation in Trenton.

MADDEN, MAYER, MORIARTY RE-LAUNCH INTERACTIVE 4TH DISTRICT WEBSITE

(Turnersville, NJ)- State Senator Fred Madden, Assemblymen Dave Mayer and Paul Moriarty today announced the re-launching of their new interactive website to better serve the 4th Legislative District, www.maddenmayermoriarty.com.

The new site has many features including a calendar of events for the towns in the 4th District, the ability to report a pothole in your area, the chance to find the lowest gas prices, live-weather, an interactive poll for users to participate and provide feedback, links to prominent state departments, a "Frequently Asked Questions" section and the ability to contact the legislators with the click of a button.

Washington Township Republican Club