Governor

If support for independent candidate Christopher Daggett is soft, as indicated by this morning's Quinnipiac University poll, then the race for second choice among those who say they are likely to vote for Daggett remains important.  Republican Christopher Christie leads Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 40%-33% among Daggett supporters who list a second choice.  Nearly six out of ten Daggett (39%) voters say they might change their mind before Election Day.

Former Republican assembly candidate Stepfanie Velez-Gentry made national headlines for her unusual occupation, but she would be willing to put that job aside if offered one by the incoming Chris Christie administration.

“I would absolutely be interested,” she said.  “I want to help make changes in the community, and if something was offered to help make changes I would take it.”

Velez-Gentry, 29, runs Nookie Parties, LCC – a company where traveling salespeople host parties to sell sex toys and other adult novelties – or, as PolitickerNJ.com described it when it was first reported in the Inside Edge, a “naughty Tupper Wear party.”  

Rather than generate controversy, however, Velez-Gentry’s business won her favorable press for her entreupeunerial spirit.  The Associated Press picked up the story, as did the New York Daily News, and it ricocheted to several other media outlets and blogs.  Howard Stern even talked her up on his radio show.  Velez-Gentry said she even got a $50 campaign donation from a woman with a similar business in Utah.

She was later endorsed by the Gloucester County Times, which said that, beyond the “snickering” about her job, she had “much to offer.” 

Gov.-Elect Chris Christie today named the 19 issue subcommittee chairs for his transition team.

The 19 chairs include the 10 members of Christie’s transition team that have already been announced, but whose specified roles have now been made public.  Newcomers include state Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan), who was defeated by Michael Doherty (R-WashintonTwp.) in the June GOP primary; former U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-Warren), who has a lobbying firm in Washington, DC; and former State Supreme Court justice and Attoney General Peter Verniero.

Below is the full list, taken from the transition team's press release:

Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik, left, and his ally, Councilman Jeffrey Cantor, who is currently serving in the Middle East while continuing to serve on the local governing body via satellite.

While his fellow party members took a frontline beating from Chris Christie on Election Day in Monmouth County, Mayor Jon Hornik quietly won two out of three council seats in Marlboro to preserve his majority in western Monmouth's largest, most voter-concentrated town.

"Gov. Jon Corzine lost Marlboro by over 30%, but I think Marlboro voters were smart enough to acknowledge what we're doing, said the 39-year old Democrat. "Notwithstanding the Christie tsunami, they believe Marlboro is moving in the right direction. We've cut operating expenses by 15%, and we've reduced total payments by 11% through furloughs, layoffs, attrition and retirement. Government is running well and lean. By year's end, we hope to dissolve our water authority, a completely unnecessary layer of government with 14 people working there set up for political patronage at a total annual cost of $5 million. We're really treating government like a business and we've acted more like a Republican than a Democratic administration.

"I have not spoken to him but I am fully behind Chris Christie right now, Hornik added. "I hope he stands firm and makes the tough decisions. You can't worry about getting elected in four years, that's a sure way to failure. He needs to 100% deliver on COAH (the Council on Affordable Housing, which Christie in the campaign promised to reform), a big factor for my residents. Christie has to undo COAH, it does not work."

As Christopher Christie begins to assemble an administration, it makes sense for local elected officials who want a full-time job to remember the Governor-elect's opposition to dual office holding.  The convention wisdom seems to be that Christie will allow a mayor or councilman, for example, to join his team, as long as they agree to not take a salary for their part-time post.

New Jersey voters repudiated Governor Jon Corzine's policies of the past four years on November 3rd.  Republican Chris Christie and Independent Chris Daggett received nearly 55% of the votes cast.

The anti-Corzine voters played it safe on Election Day, pulling the lever for Christie instead of Daggett who had a "plan" to lower property taxes by widening the sales tax.

The Christie campaign effectively demolished Daggett's candidacy in the last two weeks of October with a series of commercials, and his support plunged like a rock in the days leading up to November 3rd.

To bolster New Jersey's economy in 2010 governor-elect Christie will have to rein in the overspending, onerous taxes, and unnecessary regulations that have made New Jersey one of the least business friendly states in the nation.   In short, Christie has to restructure New Jersey's state government and overhaul the state budget so entrepreneurs know they will not have to shoulder the burden as individuals and as business owners/managers to pay for the state's irresponsible spending.

Christie must order his transition team to draw up a plan to decentralize.  In other words, some state government functions have to be streamlined, some have to be abolished and some have to be returned to counties, municipalities, communities, families and individuals.

This is the list Christie's transition team has to develop immediately.  If Christie has less than a total commitment to a much leaner state government, a less costly state government, and ending unfunded state mandates on municipalities, he will have lost the opportunity to turn New Jersey's economy around.

A book signing tour for former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin does not included any appearances in New Jersey, according to a schedule released by her publisher.  In remarks at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Texas yesterday, Gov.-elect Christopher Christie said that he used national GOP surrogates sparingly and only invited people with whom he had a previous friendship, or those who came from a state where Democrats win elections.

Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford), right, with Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden)

ATANTIC CITY - Ready to be the next Senate President, state Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) just told a crowd of mayors, council people and govenrment types that now is not the time to drive marriage equality through the legislature.

"It's an important social issue," Sweeney tells NJN Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron in response to a question.

"If we learned anything in this last election it's that the main issue right now is the economy," Sweeney adds.

He says the legislature should consider marriage equality at another time.  

From left: Roberts, Sweeney, Aron, Kean and DeCroce

ATLANTIC CITY - NJN Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron has a panel on a stage here in one of the break-out-rooms of the Atlantic City Convention Center.

It's a familar group of legislative leaders, but in place of Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) sits Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford).

The Sweeney for Codey swap for this public television show taping anticipates Monday's senate Democratic caucus vore when Sweeney figures to defeat Codey.

So it's Sweeney and outgoing Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) versus Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Westfield) and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) on an Aron-anchored On the Record episode to air this coming Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

It's just starting.