Weinberg

A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BAN ON ALL DUAL OFFICEHOLDING – IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE  

Rarely has an idea had such universal support in New Jersey as the current topic of banning all Dual Office Holding, including a ban for current incumbents. Nearly every non-partisan good-government group and nearly every expert on good governance best-practices agree that Dual Office Holding is not in a public’s best interest, creates distortions and conflict-of-interests, and puts too much power in the hands of certain individuals.  Only a handful of states in the USA even allow Dual Office Holding and New Jersey has more Dual Office Holders than any other state.

Sen. Weinberg is a creature of the corrupt political system she is now saying needs to be changed.  But where was she before? I’ll tell you where. She was like everyone else in Trenton, taking tens of thousands of dollars from special interests -- including those companies regulated by her committee,” 

"I am concerned that Sen. Weinberg is co-mingling Clean Election campaign funds with other money at her disposal to essentially carry out a political vendetta,”  

It is time for a change in New Jersey politics.

There is a growing movement to call for a Special Session of the New Jersey Legislature on ethic reform. Voters in the Legislative District 37 would like to know what incumbent legislators position on ethic reform is. Present Democratic incumbent legislators voted for the “pay-to-play” legislation, although one of them is still in conflict with the spirit of the law by holding dual elective offices. 

 Assembly Democrats increased taxes on Retirees in 2005

Cifarelli and Siemaszkiewicz pledge Repeal in 2008 

In a legislative session which spanned from July 1-July 2 of 2005, (because the Democrats missed the budget deadline of June 30th of that year), a particularly bad piece of tax legislation was inserted into that budget deal, which severely hurt New Jersey's competitiveness with regard to encouraging retirees to remain in our state. Forty-one Assembly Democrats voted Yes for the tax increase, Five Assembly Democrats voted No and One Assembly Democrat abstained. All Thirty-three Assembly Republicans voted No. This vote tally translated into the bill passing by a 41-38 margin. Had Frank Cifarelli and Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz been in the Assembly at the time to vote No, instead of Ms. Weinberg (Loretta Weinberg was in the Assembly at the time)  and Mr. Johnson voting Yes, with everything else being equal, the bill would have actually been defeated 39-40 and the tax increase would not have taken place.

It is time for a change in New Jersey politics.

There is a growing movement to force dual office holders to resign one of their jobs. Voters in the Legislative District 37 have joined this movement and are asking incumbent assemblyman Johnson to resign one of his jobs. He recently voted to ban such dual office holders.

Lack of respect for incumbent legislators representing District 37 voters came to its heights. The Bergen County Democratic Organization and its chairman Joseph Ferriero will meet with its executive committee to discuss planned lawsuit against “pay-to-play” legislation approved by the state assembly and senate.

After months of showing a public display of unity with the Democratic political machine, incumbent District 37 legislators realized that the deal they reached with Chairman Ferriero a few month ago to save their positions has come back to haunt them.

District 37 Legislators to Ferriero/Oury: "You have no right to take action...."

In response to BCDO attorney Dennis Oury's announcement that he is filing a lawsuit on behalf of Bergen Democrats to stop the state's pay-to-play laws, Senator Loretta Weinberg, Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle wrote the following letter to Chairman Joseph A. Ferriero:

SENATE APPROVES CODEY/WEINBERG BILL TO COMBAT HIV TRANSMISSION TO NEWBORNS

Bill is Designed to Inform Women, Detect More Infections, Still Gives Freedom to Opt Out

            TRENTON  –  In a move that could put New Jersey at the forefront in the national fight against HIV transmission to newborns, the Senate today approved a bill sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) and Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) that will require all pregnant women to be screened for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), as well as newborns whose mother’s HIV status is either positive or unknown at the time of delivery.