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We wrote earlier about how Governor Christie is trying to eliminate the independent State Commission of Investigation, which is a part of the legislative branch and move it's responsibilities to the Office of the Comptroller, an Executive branch department. Senate President Steve Sweeney is not ready to go along for this ride and quips that it may be a slippery slope:
"We have a lot of things to fix and I am going to work with Christie . . . but this isn't one of the ones that's broken. So, we're not going to fix this. It is the Legislature's investigative arm. If I let him do this, maybe he will eliminate the Legislature next."
Each week, Blue Jersey Radio streams LIVE with New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.
This Week: It will be hard to follow up on last week's very nice interview with Deborah Howlett, but we'll do our best. Like most of the country, we've got primaries on our minds after last week's stunning outcomes by Joe Sestak and Bill Halter. Are there any primary upsets brewing here in New Jersey? We'll be finding out very soon, and tonight we'll be talking about some of the more notable ones. (Um, like this one.)
Plus - as a government shutdown is taken off the table faster than you can say "Hey, Jeff predicted that almost 2 months ago!" - we'll recap the latest in the Trenton budget wars.
Something special on your mind? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and maybe we can have some fun with them on air. Or, feel free to give us a call tonight, and share what's on your mind. Remember, it's all LIVE, so don't be afraid - join us!
PSEG Power and PSEG Nuclear today filed an Early Site Permit (ESP) application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as part of PSEG's ongoing efforts exploring the possibility of building an additional nuclear plant.
"This is an important first step in the regulatory process to determine if a new plant is viable," explained PSEG Power President Bill Levis. "Though it is not a commitment to build, it would determine that the location we have identified for a potential new plant is suitable from a safety, environmental and emergency planning standpoint."
This "fourth reactor" would be adjacent to the three existing ones. Such applications are not lightly done:
A dedicated nuclear development team has spent the past two and a half years developing the ESP application that is approximately 4000 pages.
The News Journal has the reaction from the Sierra Club:
"Nuclear is a bad investment for New Jersey's ratepayers," Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club director, said in a written statement. "Nuclear technology is too expensive, unsafe, and will undermine investment in clean energy sources and the creation of green jobs. It is not green if it glows! "
I understood from the public hearing that it may take up to two years for the site to be approved and I suspect site rejection is quite unlikely.
In Chris Christie's cold affirmation of disinterest in Saturday's 35,000 person State House rally, I heard the same thing 12mileseastofTrenton did: Nixon.
In the Fall of 1969, American protest against the Vietnam War ramped up. Earlier that year, the officious Richard Nixon inherited the costly and failing war from Lyndon Johnson. Nixon installed Henry Kissenger as Secretary of State, and though he announced Vietnamization, military personnel peaked and by autumn word had leaked out about the crimes of Lt. William Calley, and the inequity stirred more people.
On October 15th came the first Moratorium to end the war; tens of thousands of people walked silently past the White House, breaking only to shout the name of a dead soldier. Nixon was unmoved, saying afterward he expected protest, "however under no circumstances will I be affected whatever by it."
Days later, America tuned in to watch Nixon's considered response: an Oval Office speech, which he ended by calling on the "great silent majority" to support him as he continued the war he had promised to end.
Richard Nixon's "silent majority" is the resentful and strapped New Jersey that Chris Christie counts on now. He is running a strategy, as Nixon did then, of dismissing vast and vocal protest to his spending priorities by marginalizing the participants. Nixon dispensed Spiro Agnew (in speeches by Pat Buchanan & William Safire) to hurl alliterative insults at protesters - "nattering nabobs of negativism" - while he himself rigidly denied the protesters mattered at all. Christie sends Drewniak, or drops that hammer himself.
Christie should heed history. In an autumn of his own rigidity, Nixon didn't count on how his refusal to deal fairly would impact the peace movement. It grew exponentially, and took on new constituencies of people who hadn't railed at the War before. Days later, came the Second Moratorium, on November 15, 1969. And Nixon's arrogance made that the largest political rally in American history, even as Saturday's was the largest political rally in Trenton history. And again, Nixon, like Christie now, made his disregard clear, telling reporters he watched a football game that night, and never looked out the White House windows.
12mileseastofTrenton - in a Comment titled His Arrogance is in good company - heard the same bells ring that I did (listen to this audio clip 12miles found). Christie's arrogance reveals a brittle political force, too deeply invested in his own direction and his own words.
In a generation since President Nixon, the GOP has become a laboratory for smarter, stronger communication than in Nixon's day. Christie learned from sharp mentors. And so his pugilistic swagger looks different than Richard Nixon's sweaty-lipped and uncomfortable superiority.
But make no mistake, nothing that brittle stands without breaking. In the discussion we've been having post-rally, my suggestion is gather constituencies unmoved by this struggle before - NJ's teenagers have already given you an opening - and build on that. That's my 2 cents.
New York/New Jersey Super Bowl is virtual slam dunk
Even if you're not a football fan, the Super Bowl would be a large economic generator for the region as a whole with air travel, food, lodging, parties and more. You can watch the NFL announcement live:I personally like the idea of a Super Bowl being played in the possible elements of a northeast winter. You can watch the NY/NJ NJ/NY presentation here. And in case Senator Lesniak is able to legalize gambling by 2014, who wants to set the over under on how long it takes to become just the NY Superbowl?
On the floor of the US Senate, right now, Sen. Menendez is laying out a case to eliminate any cap on the amount of economic damages that oil companies would have to pay for spills they've caused. He is due shortly to be joined by Senator Frank Lautenberg and Sen. Bill Nelson.
The Democrats' proposed legislation, called the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act, is a revision of earlier legislation from Menendez which would have raised the cap from $75 million to $10 billion. This jacks up the heat on British Petroleum, although as expected it has already been objected to on the other side of the aisle, as there was opposition to Menendez' earlier proposal of the $10 billion cap. President Obama has not so far named a figure to raise the cap to, though they have discussed raising it.
Now these are only primary endorsements, so it's not like the CC GOP neglected to publicize an endorsement of a Democrat over a Republican. In fact, they neglected to say the chosen candidate of the bosses in the 3rd district was passed over:
The Third District's Republican primary is getting a lot of attention because it includes former Philadelphia Eagles player Jon Runyan, who faces Tabernacle lawyer Justin Murphy.
The two match up pretty evenly in their positions, but because he seems to have a better grasp of the issues before Congress, the endorsement goes to JUSTIN MURPHY. Navy veteran Murphy came in a close third in his 2008 bid for this same nomination.
I'm sure this is just an innocent oversight and am glad I could be there to remind them of all the endorsements made by the Inquirer. I guess the Inquirer wasn't moved by Runyan's pocket constitution.
Maybe Assemblyman DiCicco as a new legislator isn't familiar with how the idea of video works. See if you say something that they record on video and then do the opposite, that video will make its way out to the public for further questions. Check out this exchange from a May 5th town hall with Seniors in Gloucester Township and pay attention to how the Assemblyman answers the question he gets:So he says he disagrees with the Governor, attacks the proposals and says that's not how he was raised. But then Democrats gave DiCicco the opportunity to restore the property tax rebates for seniors by extending the millionaires tax. Instead of living up to his word by restoring the rebates, he turned around and voted against it with his felllow Republicans. District members Senator Madden and Assemblyman Moriarty didn't let DiCiccio's tall tale to seniors pass without offering this comment:
Said Moriarty, "He sold out to the governor and the super-wealthy and stuck everyone else with the bill."
Madden continued: "I am well aware that facts at times can come forth that would change a legislator's position. I firmly believe that based on the Assemblyman's sudden reversal on this major legislation, 12,000 plus seniors and disabled residents of the 4th District deserve to know why he withdrew his support for their most needed cause - the restoration of the rebates."
The most amazing part of the video is just how far apart DiCicco's statements and actions are. He attacks the proposed cuts as "going after Seniors" and expresses personal outrage by claiming he "wasn't raised that way" only to later on vote in support of the cuts he just finished slamming.
There are so many ways to "do something," this one's particularly wonderful. - Promoted by Rosi Efthim
If you're in Collingswood anytime soon, go check out the library. Then glance up and marvel at the craftsmanship and dedication that went into the shiny brand new ceiling. And then spare a thought for the people who made that progress happen: the members of Garden State Equality, whose south Jersey headquarters is located a few short block away.
In light of Governor Chris Christie's drastic budget cuts to libraries, it's up to the community to "step up" and fill the gap caused by an administration whose values and priorities do not include things like local libraries or food banks. (Click the link. I dare you.)
In this photo, members of the gay rights group Garden State Equality give their our weekends to community service projects that recognize Gov. Christie's neglectful ways.
