Wayne DeAngelo

Claim of Independence by Greenstein & DeAngelo Runs Into Stubborn Thing Called “The Truth”

The race for Assembly Speaker is causing political headaches for Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro),  who will  steer clear of an endorsement until her own re-election campaign is over.  On Friday, Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Joseph Spicuzzo announced that the entire Middlesex Democratic Assembly delegation would back John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) for Speaker.  That put Greenstein, a five-term Democratic lawmaker from Middlesex, in hot water with Mercer County Democrats, who are backing Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) for the post.  Greenstein's district is evenly divided between Middlesex and Mercer.

Spicuzzo's announcement that Greenstein was backing Wisniewski upset Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, who is backing Watson Coleman.  Hughes convinced Greenstein to back off her pledge to Spicuzzo and remain comfortably on the sidelines.    For Wisniewski, it means that a campaign that was just hours old already had a defection.

This is bad news for Watson Coleman, who was assuming the support of Greenstein and hoping for the backing of Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton).  With African American legislators sidelined as another candidate, Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) mulls a bid for Speaker, all Watson Coleman really has at this point is one vote from her running mate, Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton), and her own. 

Taxes Going Up & People Losing Jobs …Greenstein & DeAngelo At Odds Over Next Speaker

Calabro & Harvey Call on Opponents to Disavow Middlesex Dem Chair's Praise of Convicted Felon Lynch

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

DeANGELO ON BILL TO CREATE A 'SILVER ALERT' SYSTEM TO AID MISSING SUFFERING FROM MENTAL DISORDERS

(TRENTON) - Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo today issued a multimedia package on his legislation to create a "Silver Alert" system in New Jersey to notify the public about missing persons who are believed to be suffering from dementia or other cognitive impairments.

The legislation (A-2844) is based on the state's successful "Amber Alert" system, used by state police to locate missing or abducted children.  The system would be a voluntary, cooperative effort between state and local law enforcement agencies and the broadcast media.  Upon notification by the state police, broadcast media would transmit an emergency alert to inform the public of the disappearance of an elderly person or a younger person suffering from a cognitive impairment, like autism.

19 Days & Counting: Silence from DeAngelo on Who He Spoke to Regarding New Frontier PAC $$$

Prominent County Dem Chair and Treasurer were forced out after news report revealed they had undue influence over PAC, which one did DeAngelo speak to?

BURZICHELLI , MILAM, DeANGELO & MORIARTY CONTINUE FIGHT FOR BILL TARGETING ABUSIVE DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES

(TRENTON) – Citing a new survey showing debt collectors remain a top consumer complaint and the need to close gaps in federal law, Assemblymen John J. Burzichelli, Matthew W. Milam, Wayne P. DeAngelo and Paul Moriarty on Thursday continued pushing for a new state law combating unscrupulous debt collection.

The New Jersey Fair Debt Collection Practices Act would eliminate abusive debt collection practices and provide consumers a way to dispute and validate debt information to ensure its accuracy. The bill sponsored by the four Assembly Democrats was approved 61-17 by the Assembly in June and has now been referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.

“We’re doing nothing here to relieve a consumer of a rightful debt, but this is a fairness bill that’s needed more than ever to ensure consumers aren’t harassed by unscrupulous debt collectors,” said Burzichelli (D-Gloucester). “What we’re doing here is creating guidelines under which debt collectors may conduct business, defining the rights of consumers and prescribing penalties for violations. At it’s core, this is simply consumer protection.”

JOHNSON / DeANGELO / EVANS / CONAWAY / COUTINHO BILL TO PROMOTE FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS NOW LAW

Bill creating check-off for food pantry donations signed by Gov. Corzine

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly members Gordon Johnson, Wayne DeAngelo, Elease Evans, Albert Coutinho and Herb Conaway to address recent shortages and closings at food pantries was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

The law establishes the “Community Food Pantry Fund” in the Department of the Treasury and allow taxpayers to voluntarily donate a portion of their income tax refund to it.. The bill passed the Assembly in October and the Senate in June.

“The global economic meltdown means hunger isn’t being limited to the poor,” said Johnson (D-Bergen). “New Jersey is a generous state, and we can and should make it easier to spread that generosity and do whatever we can to ensure no one in this state goes to bed hungry.”

George Norcross, the leader of the South Jersey Democratic Organization, whose brother Donald has the organization's backing to run for the 5th District Assembly seat that Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) will vacate at the end of this year, called Roberts's retirement a "sad day" for New Jersey.   

"He's the finest legislator in my lifetime to serve in the South New Jersey delegation," said the political boss who along with Roberts, U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) and others built the party machine.

"Speaker Roberts's governmental legacy has to do with laws he's proposed and enacted augmenting services for those unable to provide them for themselves," Norcross said of his longtime friend. "On the political side, he led a South Jersey delegation from two assemblymen and a senator in the 5th District to 18 members strong. Most of those districts were occupied by Republicans and were Republican-leaning districts. Joe helped devise the blueprint for how Democrats capture suburban districts and helped elect Adler, Madden, Sweeney, and Van Drew."

Norcross's brother will have the party backing for Roberts's seat, and will attempt to occupy a place most Democrats say the 22-year veteran Roberts served with distinction.

Mercer County Republicans are hoping that some of the bad news that Burlington County Democrats had to deal with this week over the New Frontier PAC will rub off on Mercer Democrats.

Involvement in the PAC – which was founded to help south Jersey campaigns but drew scrutiny after it donated tens of thousands of dollars to Hudson County candidates, including arrested former Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano – forced Burlington County Democratic Chairman Rick Perr to announce his impending resignation, weeks after the party’s former treasurer, Jeff Meyer, quit.

Republican freeholder candidates Cindy Randazzo, Joe D’Angelo and Russ Wojtenko, Jr. noted that New Frontier gave County Executive Brian Hughes $2,500 in May, 2007 – four days after Royal Printing gave the PAC a donation of the same amount.  Royal Printing, they said, was given a no-bid printing contract worth $200,000 by the freeholder board the year before.