William Payne

PAYNE TEAMS UP WITH CONGRESSMAN & RADIO HOST TO RALLY AGAINST GENOCIDE IN DARFUR
Assemblyman's Landmark 2005 Sudan Divestiture Law Jumpstarted U.S. Recognition of Sudan Problem

At a press conference today in the South Ward, Assemblyman Bill Payne announced that he will be introducing legislation to give the state the authority it currently lacks to ensure environmental justice in low income and minority communities when the Legislature reconvenes in November, according to a press release released by the Payne campaign.

"Environmental injustice impairs the health, economic well-being and quality of life of the urban and diverse residents I represent and I will not sit still for that," said Payne, who is running for state Senate in district 29.

Steve Adubato, executive director of the North Ward Cultural Center and one of New Jersey's most powerful political insiders

When his political foes deride Steve Adubato as a Renaissance overlord who controls his fiefdom through a bruising combination of ego and Machiavellian panache, Adubato offers as a counter-argument the work of the North Ward Center.

They may argue with the man, but no one argues with his life’s work - at least not here in Newark where the effects of poverty are up close and all too personal.

Tuesday was special for Adubato. The 74-year old political boss and executive director of the center welcomed child advocate Marian Wright Edelman to Newark to officially open the Casa Israel Child Development Center, and Roseville Child Development Center. These buildings are two of four schools that compose the North Ward Child Development Center, which serves 600 students and is the single largest Abbott School-funded provider of pre-school education in the state.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzoRunning in a crouch familiar to old-timey Newark sports fans, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr., heads out onto the grass - and this time approaches a half circle of women who have stationed themselves outside his press conference at the Turtle Back Zoo. They’re protesting his decision to allow a deer hunt early next year in the South Mountain Reservation.

"I don’t like guns, but I have no choice," he tells them. "We’ve tried trap and transfer. We’ve tried birth control. Nothing works. We have to reduce the deer population."

Senate President Richard Codey is seeking an African American woman to replace Mims Hackett in the State Assembly-- a move that could eliminate Black men from the Essex County Assembly delegation, and make State Senator Ronald Rice the only African American man in the Essex delegation.

Assemblyman William Payne has played the race card, suggesting that Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan's call for Sharpe James' resignation from the State Senate was an insult to African Americans may be a little unfair.  Cryan, who has a strong record of supporting minority candidates for public office, also asked that indicted State Senator Wayne Bryant step down, and that he be replaced by the Democratic nominee, Dana Redd. Bryant and Redd are African-American. 

And in the 29th district, Cryan wants James to be replaced by the winner of the Democratic primary, Teresa Ruiz, who would become the first Latina in the Senate, and just the second Hispanic in state history.  Payne's problem is that he is running against Ruiz as an Independent and would prefer that she not gain the advantages of incumbency.

Assemblyman William Payne said he was "disturbed by the intrusion" of State Democratic Chairman Joseph Cryan into the state Senate race in the 29th district when Cryan last week called for indicted state Sen. Sharpe James to stand down.

"That Joe Cryan had the nerve to suggest Teresa Ruiz be appointed to that position," said Payne, "how dare he. The very fact that he would make such a statement tells me he has no regard for African-American voters. I think this state chairman has his head in the sand."

Newark City Councilman At-Large Luis Quintana today confirmed that he will run with former Newark Councilwoman Bessie Walker in his independent state Senate bid. Walker had already filed as an independent candidate for the state Assembly.

Now they're joined.

"We've always been friends," says Quintana of the former councilwoman who sought re-election in 2006 in opposition to Mayor Cory Booker's council candidates and lost. Quintana ran against her that year as part of the victorious Booker team.

They don’t make anything in Newark anymore, at least not in the classic manufacturing sense.

But those who are still tied to this biggest of Jersey cities hope to be able to craft something out of what’s left.

In the midst of a political battle to decide what that will be, M. Teresa Ruiz says her opponents want to inflate North Ward boss Steve Adubato into a poster-sized target to obscure the fact that they’re running against a Puerto Rican woman who was born and bred in the City of Newark.

Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan says that Sharpe James should resign his State Senate seat now. "Enough's enough," Cryan said. "I believe he should resign.

James, who served as Mayor of Newark from 1986 to 2006, was indicted last week on federal corruption charges. He is not seeking re-election to his 29th district Senate seat, which expires in January.

"Why not bring in somebody new and have them represent the district," said Cryan. "Teresa Ruiz would be excellent in that role. Why not step in now."