Be Careful What You Wish For!

Who is minding the Asylum!

Read more >>

Oroho Asks Corzine for His New Backup Plan if Union Rejects Furloughs

The question is the governor will act on his tough talk and really impose 7, 000 layoffs on state workers during an election year, or will he cave in again and come back with an even more generous counteroffer as the budget deadline of June 30 looms. The Legislature is running out of time, and the Constitution won't let us approve a budget that is $300 million out of balance, Senator Oroho points out.

Read more >>

Tom Kean Asks Corzine Why He Won't Give Taxpayers Details of Biden Buyout

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean asked why Governor Corzine has not released cost estimates of the concessions he agreed to before a campaign rally with Vice President Joseph Biden. According to a letter written by state union leaders to all their members, the concessions included putting hundreds of temporary workers into permanent positions at an unspecified cost to taxpayers. Kean called on the governor to live up to his promises of transparency and accountability, and release the Treasurer's best estimates of how many workers will become permanent and how much this policy change will cost taxpayers.

Read more >>

Sweeney Statement On Agreement On Wage Freeze And Furloughs

SWEENEY STATEMENT ON AGREEMENT ON WAGE FREEZE AND FURLOUGHS

Senate Majority Leaders Applauds Corzine Administration for Saving Taxpayers Money, Negotiating Give-Backs

TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem, issued the following statement today on Governor Corzine’s announced agreement with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) for wage freezes and 10 unpaid furlough days in the fiscal year beginning July 1:

“This agreement is good news for the State of New Jersey at a time when we can use all the good news we can get. Our economy is suffering due to the national recession, our State revenues are lagging behind even the most conservative estimates put forth earlier in the year, and our unemployment figures are through the roof. In a few weeks, I and my colleagues in the State Legislature are going to have to advance a balanced “Doomsday Budget” for FY 2010 that slashes State spending to the bone.

“It’s about time something went right for the taxpayers of our beleaguered State.

Read more >>

Tom Kean: Corzine Must Say Whether He Traded Taxpayer Dollars for Biden's Appearance

It's one thing to make concessions to public employee unions to win long-term benefits for New Jersey. It's quite another to do so to avoid one day of bad publicity for the governor. Taxpayers should be told today how much it cost them to get Joe Biden to speak at Governor Corzine's political rally.

Read more >>

WEINBERG CALLS FOR FURLOUGHS FOR PART-TIME MEMBERS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

TRENTON – Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) said today’s adoption of an emergency rule by the Civil Service Commission to give state and local governments the ability to mandate furloughs for employees is further evidence that part-time members of boards and commissions should also waive a portion of their salary and benefits.

Weinberg is the author of a Senate Resolution urging board and commission members who work fewer than 25 hours per week to forgo their pay or per diem for three months as part of an effort to help close a gap in the state budget. The resolution (SR-114) also calls on them to reimburse the boards, commissions, and authorities for three months’ worth of pension contributions paid by the public entity into a state-run retirement system.

Read more >>

Sweeney Statement On Public Employee Furloughs

TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem) issued the following statement following today’s adoption of emergency rules by the Civil Service Commission giving state and local governments the ability to impose mandatory furloughs:

“Today’s action by the Civil Service Commission will give state and local leaders the flexibility they need to maneuver through the worst financial crisis in recent memory. The commission’s finding today that an emergency exists allows us to immediately move forward with plans for temporary furloughs in the current budget and in the budget that will take effect July 1.

Read more >>

8th District staff will work through furlough days

Assisting struggling constituents is a priority,even if it means working without pay

Read more >>

O'Toole: Legislators Should Share Pain of Furloughs

Senator O'Toole calls on legislators to lead by example and give back the equivalent of two or more days of their salaries if Governor Corzine's plan for furloughing state workers is approved. 

Read more >>

Wake-Up Call

Morning News Digest: March 19, 2010

Christie vetoes 5 service contracts approved by Turnpike Authority  Governor Christie on Thursday vetoed five professional services contracts that were approved by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority a month ago. The governor’s office said Christie exercised his eighth veto because the contract fees ranged from...

Wally Edge

Democratic State Chairman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) put out a statement today accusing GOP congressional candidate Jon Runyan of “hiding from the press while trying to privately impress party bosses, and taking advantage of thousands of dollars...
The passing of Warren Wilentz means that David Norcross becomes the earliest nominated U.S. Senate candidate currently living.  Wilentz was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 1966 against Clifford Case, and Norcross was the Republican U....
The national political environment favored the GOP in 1966.  It was the mid-term election of Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson, and the war in Vietnam had just begun to divide the nation.   In New Jersey, Republican Clifford Case was...
Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo issued a press release today urging the State Assembly to pass pension and health insurance reform bills, but did not mention in his 574-word that the person blocking the legislation, Assembly Speaker Sheila...
Two Republicans will formally announce campaigns for Congress this evening against Democratic incumbents: John Runyan, a retired NFL star who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, is challenging freshman U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill), and Diane...

Contributors

This is going to be a budget that is going to be unlike any other you’ve probably seen in NJ in at least the last 20 years and maybe... more »
Everybody needs to start a new job with a list of priorities and Chris Christie is no exception. There might be a thousand things that need to get done... more »
On Tuesday, Governor Christie outlined a strategy to rescue New Jersey from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Like other states, we were not immune... more »
Governor Christie seems to have played the rotten fiscal cards he inherited fairly well. As reported by the Star-Ledger, he is proposing to cut school aid by more... more »
It's impossible to support consolidation of government services and also support COAH.S1 paints with a broad brush and thus will miss some fine points.  COAH paints with... more »
As part of his solution to New Jersey’s current budget deficit, Gov. Chris Christie announced that, effective yesterday, he will not allow any additional parents to enroll in FamilyCare,... more »
Do I love Governor Chris Christie’s budget proposal?  Of course not.  Who would?  I’m sure he doesn’t like it, but that’s not the point, is it?  How could you... more »
The budget speech given on Tuesday by Governor Christie clearly illustrates his priorities – including disproportionately shifting the tax burden away from businesses and the wealthy, and... more »
On Rebate Issue, Christie Will Win.  The leading New Jersey Sunday newspapers yesterday confirmed that Governor Chris Christie will propose in his FY2011 budget the... more »
You’ve got to hand it to Christie; he calls it as he sees it.  I don’t mean the newly crowned Governor, Chris Christie, but his nine-year-old son, Patrick.  ... more »
Anyone involved in governing and administrating a town or county in New Jersey understands the economic problems outlined in The Star-Ledger editorials of February 28 and March 1.  The... more »
It is widely anticipated that Gov. Chris Christie’s first budget message, to be delivered on March 16, will show the harsh reality of New Jersey’s bleak financial outlook. No... more »
In keeping with the commitment I made to you in the November election, I am looking at every possible way to cut wasteful government spending and relieve your tax... more »
Wanted:  Courage to Pass Healthcare Reform In 1935, they spoke out against Social Security.  In 1965, they spoke out against Medicare.  And now in 2010, they are taking a politics-first... more »
Our new Governor suffers from no lack of advice.  Much of it, contained in the transition reports, deserves prompt attention.  Obviously, economic prosperity benefits everyone, and – as... more »
I have to genuinely wonder if this legislature will go down as the most taxing legislature in the history of the state of New Jersey surpassing the legislative actions... more »
Now that  the dust has finally settled after the grueling campaign for governor, there are a number of lessons that we can draw from this election. First and... more »
 March 18, 2010   Stop screaming. You’ll wake up the neighbors.If you're a local town mayor in New Jersey and you think that screaming about the impact Christie’s budget... more »
Limited government principles and fiscal conservatism are philosophically sound, because they preserve the people’s natural rights and they prevent government from overspending, over borrowing and overtaxing.   For more than... more »
New Jersey is in severe financial crisis because for years elected officials have been able to make irresponsible and short-sighted decisions without any restraint.  Future governors may... more »
On January 6, 2010, several newspapers published articles with titles like “no more aid for struggling cities”, “Christie will cut state aid” and the like; furthermore, in the body... more »
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, you target teachers. That’s not a positive note to start your tenure. You forget that the Teachers’ Union makes decisions on its own, such... more »
On the day of his inauguration, Governor Christopher Christie inherited a gaping $2 billion hole in the state’s budget and swiftly set about the people’s business in meeting our... more »