NJ Assembly Republicans / News Room / August '07

The hefty price of monetization
Editorial, Asbury Park Press, August 31, 2007

A Wall Street lawyer with expertise in finance has applied what little is known about Gov. Corzine's asset monetization plan to calculate its cost to the average New Jersey Turnpike commuter: an additional $1,440 more in tolls each year — a whopping 150 percent increase, attorney Peter Humphreys says.

That's not the kind of news Corzine wants to hear. But independent studies are what he has to expect as long as the details of his proposal to earn money from state highways through toll increases are kept under wraps.

The governor should end needless speculation by releasing all of the consultants' reports on the plan, even if in preliminary or draft form, and fleshing out his latest thinking on the idea for the public.

The reason for not releasing the reports — they are not complete until their scope and contract obligations are accepted by the administration, a Treasury Department spokesman said — is unconvincing. The reports are funded by the taxpayers, who should have time to digest the elements of selling or leasing state assets before the plan is finalized.

The administration has paid consultants $4.6 million to study monetization, which is designed to provide money to pay down the state's debt and free money for unmet needs. One report on the revenue potential of the Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and other state roads, and the impact of toll increases on traffic, has been sitting around since May. That one cost taxpayers $800,000.

Humphreys' report was commissioned by Save Our Assets NJ, a coalition formed to monitor Corzine's plan. In the absence of details from the governor, Humphreys based his analysis on legislators who said the plan could generate up to $15 billion. It would cost $25 billion with interest and the expenses if paid back over 20 years, Humphreys said.

Turnpike tolls would have to increase 150 percent to help meet that obligation, Humphreys calculated. "We just wanted to give an example of what it would be so people would get an idea," he said.

The public shouldn't have to rely on extrapolations from third parties to help understand the implications of a proposal that would affect every resident in New Jersey. The governor should put everything on the table now.

THE FERRIERO CHRONICLES IV
Say it ain’t so, Joe ... Ferriero attacks pay-to-play, hits Democrats , Editorial, The Record of Hackensack,
August 31, 2007

Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero has built up the county Democratic organization into a massive money-collecting -- and dispensing -- machine. That machine has been impervious to Republican attack. But now Ferriero has thrown a huge wrench into his well-oiled machine. What Republicans have failed to do, Ferriero has done all by himself.

Just months before a November election, when every state legislator is facing voters, Ferriero is contemplating a lawsuit against the pay-to-play reforms passed by fellow Democrats. This won't be a case of shooting oneself in the foot. Ferriero is aiming right at the reproductive organs of the county Democratic organization.

Not surprisingly, Democrats are outraged. Sen. Loretta Weinberg is leading the local charge, questioning how the organization's lawyer, Dennis Oury, could be filing a lawsuit without the consent of the organization. Ferriero appears to be going down this course alone.

Weinberg, along with Assemblyman Gordon Johnson and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, wrote a letter to Ferriero saying they are "particularly concerned about our party taking a stand on this issue without the input of our leadership and rank and file. It is bad government, bad politics and bad timing just before an election."

It's possible Ferriero is correct that the current pay-to-play reforms won't pass constitutional muster. So in the who's-a-better-lawyer contest, he may win. But this is a stupid political move.

Sen. Joseph Coniglio is under an ethical cloud because he was a paid consultant for Hackensack University Medical Center at the same time the medical center received funding from Trenton. Fellow Democratic Sens. Sharpe James and Wayne Bryant are under indictment. Former Democratic kingmaker John Lynch is doing time in prison. The corruption cookie jar is filled with Democratic paws. Now is not the time to undo the limited pay-to-play reforms that have been approved by the Legislature.

In a perfect world, the process of who gets hired and offered contracts would be completely transparent. This isn't a perfect world; it's New Jersey.

And the machinery of Bergen County clicks and whirls to the tune of Joe Ferriero and his Democratic organization. He and lawyer Oury may be right that the majority of voters care more about high property taxes and the cost of public education than about pay-to-play. They may be right that voters don't make a connection between the practice of making political contributions and receiving consulting jobs and no-bid contracts.

But they are flat-out wrong if they think Republicans don't make that connection. Or if they think that in a state where corruption blows across the landscape like a high-pressure system, an anti-pay-to-play campaign in an election year isn't political suicide.

Critics of the Bergen Democratic machine often question whether the county party should stand for something more than winning elections. It's the wrong question because the county party has not built its reputation by standing for anything. It has become powerful because its mission is to stand by its loyal membership.

By pursuing this lawsuit at this time, Ferriero is making that clear. Rather than promoting social policy issues as the mainstay of county Democrats, he is promoting self-preservation. For the last year, many Republicans joked that their former party chairman, Guy Talarico, was really on Ferriero's payroll, because Talarico had run the local GOP into the ground. If Ferriero continues down this path, the joke will be that he is really working for Republicans.

This is how Ferriero will lose control of the county party. Maybe it isn't such a bad idea after all?

MERKT: JUST HOW SERIOUS ARE DEMOCRATS ABOUT PAY-TO-PLAY REFORM?
NOT AT ALL, IF YOU LISTEN TO THEIR PARTY BOSSES

Assemblyman Richard Merkt today said it is clear New Jersey Democrats have no real intention of ending “pay-to-play” in the state based on the comments and actions of powerful party bosses Bergen County Democrat Chairman Joe Ferriero and Democrat State Chairman Joseph Cryan.

“For years Democrats have assured voters that they would crack down on ‘pay-to-play’ abuses, but, in reality, behind the scenes, they are constantly plotting ways to protect and perpetuate that corrupt system,” said Merkt, R-Morris. “It isn’t bad enough that they have stonewalled comprehensive ‘pay-to-play’ reform for years. Now they also want to tear down what few piecemeal, watered-down ‘pay-to-play’ bans exist.”

In a column by Charles Stile in today’s Record of Hackensack, Ferriero talks of his plans to file a lawsuit in federal court within the next two weeks. Ferriero is quoted as telling leading Democrats that he intends “to challenge the constitutionality of pay-to-play [restrictions], and that “(n)o one in any way has tried to dissuade me from doing this.”

Cryan claims in the column that, “All of us know that those statutes have turned good people from government.” Not a surprise, given that Cryan has sponsored legislation (A-3774) to wipe out the state’s already pitiful restrictions on ‘pay-to-play.’

“New Jersey taxpayers should not be fooled by Democrat blather about supporting ‘pay-to-play’ reform,” Merkt said. “The Democrats know they need to say these things to appease public opinion, but, when push comes to shove, they go along with Democrat leadership in propping up the corrupt ‘pay-to-play’ system.

“As Joe Ferriero has said, he plans to file a lawsuit to preserve ‘pay-to-play,’ and no one in the Democrat party in any way has tried to dissuade him from doing so. Not all the public posturing in the world can hide the Democrats’ hypocrisy and complicity in continuing contract abuses that fuel political corruption in New Jersey.”

There is no question that the bond between Governor Jon Corzine and Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero remains especially close: Corzine attended Ferriero's 50th birthday celebration on Friday, and the two speak -- and dine -- together often.

THE FERRIERO CHRONICLES II
Ferriero support of pay-to-play stuns Democrats
Column by Charles Stile, The Record of Hackensack, August 30, 2007

Joe Ferriero has never disguised his disgust for New Jersey's pay-to-play bans on campaign contributions.

Bergen County's top Democratic power broker would love nothing better than to watch a judge cut those restrictions to ribbons -- much like the way he swiftly diced a pair of poached eggs at a Hackensack diner on Wednesday.

"I have made it known to party leaders of my intention to challenge the constitutionality of pay-to-play [restrictions]," he said, referring to his plans to file a lawsuit in federal court, possibly in two weeks. "No one in any way has tried to dissuade me from doing this."

Nervous Democratic Party officials are furious, puzzled and privately ambivalent about Ferriero's attack on pay-to- play limitations, the crown jewel of the Democratic Party's ethics reform platform.

Ferriero's legal jihad defies every fundamental law of campaign politics, they say. Why would the wily political strategist and his legal counsel, Dennis Oury, openly talk about such an idea -- let alone draft a lawsuit -- just as the scandal-battered Democrats hit the campaign trail to try to maintain their tenuous control of the Legislature?

Sure, he has a point, some say. Many remain furious at Jim McGreevey for imposing an executive order on pay-to-play one month before the ethics-challenged governor left office in disgrace. McGreevey's last-ditch attempt to restore his name deprived his party of thousands of dollars.

In contributions from professionals -- from lawyers to engineers to architects -- who do business with state and local governments.

Some even believe it's time to have a full debate over whether those contractors' First Amendment rights are being violated by pay-to-play bans.

Democrats know they are about to be painted as comrades of a corrupt party machine that produced Sens. Sharpe James of Newark and Wayne Bryant of Camden, both indicted on federal corruption charges. They are also the party of Ferriero protege Joe Coniglio of Paramus, who is in the crosshairs of a federal probe. And that's just for starters -- expect some opponents to roll out a McGreevey-era roster of rogue fund-raisers and friends.

So about the last thing Democrats want or need is to have Ferriero and the Bergen County Democratic Organization, which derived its power from an aggressive pursuit of contractor cash, trying to dismantle the new laws.

Tom Wilson, the Republican State Committee chairman, is already hatching a strategy: If Ferriero sues, he says, the GOP will challenge every Democratic candidate to take a position on the lawsuit. If they oppose it, he will call on them to return all BCDO contributions. (And the organization has been very generous in the past.)

Then there are the headlines such a lawsuit would generate. Think of how easily GOP strategists can cut and paste those screamers into campaign ads.

"All of us know that those statutes have turned good people from government,'' said Joe Cryan, chairman of the Democratic State Committee, striking a diplomatic tone. "However, our party is best served by our record of accomplishment, including ethics reform and the culture-changing Clean Elections campaign."

News of the suit, first reported in this column Tuesday, also reopened the public rift between Ferriero and his Bergen County nemesis, Sen. Loretta Weinberg of Teaneck, who has beaten back two challenges by his handpicked candidates. She and her running mates fired off a letter to Ferriero and the BCDO, criticizing him for pursuing the suit without input from county committee members. In other words, this was yet another example of Ferriero The Boss, a label he vehemently rejects.

Weinberg, who sponsored a key pay-to-play law in 2005, called opposition to it "bad government, bad politics and bad timing just before an election."

"The governor is not going to support the lawsuit,'' said Lilo Stainton, his spokeswoman, adding: "He's more concerned with the potential corrosive effect of campaign cash than the possibility of debate within the Democratic Party."

Apparently stung by Weinberg's criticism, Ferriero said Wednesday that he will survey BCDO leaders, either through an executive committee meeting or by phone, before deciding whether to move ahead. But he remained unapologetic about his disdain for the laws, which he described as "unconstitutional and totally unnecessary."

He rejects suggestions that the bans are needed to halt the practice of rewarding donors with lucrative government spoils. Reformers argue that the practice inflates the cost of government, drives up property taxes and drains public confidence in government.

"It's an absolute absurd assertion to say that because people contribute to an election that it increases the costs,'' Ferriero said. "And I would defy anyone to prove that."

He added, "Contracts are not awarded in a vacuum. They are awarded in a public meeting subject to the scrutiny of the public and the press ... to determine whether the professional is qualified -- and what those rates are."

Ironically, Ferriero might find a sympathetic federal judiciary. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a strict Vermont campaign finance law last year, and justices recently expressed disdain for the McCain-Feingold reforms on campaign advertising during oral arguments in a Wisconsin case.

Maybe that buoys confidence for Ferriero's prospects in a courtroom. It provides little comfort for Democrats defending themselves on the campaign trail.

THE FERRIERO CHRONICLES I
Lawyer asks: What's wrong with pay-to-play?
Column by Charles Stile, The Record of Hackensack, August 29, 2007

It has been the mantra of politicians throughout New Jersey as they scrambled onto the bandwagon of ethics reform these last few years: Pay-to-play is bad.

Now along comes Dennis Oury, the lawyer for the all-powerful Bergen County Democratic Organization. His message: Attempts to ban it are worse.

Oury says he will soon ask a judge -- on behalf of the BCDO -- to strike down the state's landmark pay-to-play restrictions on campaign contributions from state, county and local contractors.

Most critics of the law say it doesn't go far enough to effectively stop the practice of rewarding donors with lucrative government spoils -- which in turn inflates costs and drives up property taxes.

But Oury says the law already has gone too far -- and that it's unconstitutional.

In fact, Oury, a pugnacious and unrepentant defender of the old guard that thrived in the heyday of pay-to-play, believes the much-heralded reforms are a menace to Democracy with a capital "D," a heavy-handed government intrusion into politics.

His argument -- a blend of populism, constitutional theory and resentment -- boils down to this: Pay-to-play is a myth manufactured by the press and government do-gooders who never ran a race for dogcatcher, let alone a costly street fight for a county freeholder seat.

"This is another example of government saying to the individual, 'You can't get it right. You can't do this right so we're going to do this for you,' " Oury said in an interview in his Hackensack office. "Every poll we have seen -- the average guy in the street doesn't care about pay-to-play, nor probably should he. He cares about if my taxes are going to go up. Am I going to have health care coverage? ... That's what he cares about."

And if voters rank government rules for picking contractors at the bottom of their priority list, Oury says, why rob a contractor -- anyone from a lawyer to a street paver to an architect to an engineer -- of the right to participate in politics through his wallet?

Furthermore, Oury says, it will only make it harder for the "little guy" to launch a career in politics -- with the help of a well-oiled county organization, of course. Only millionaires, such as Governor Corzine or Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Forrester, will be able to afford the costly advertising and consultants.

Oury, a municipal lawyer himself and a generous dispenser of campaign donations in his own right, says voters can simply boot council members out of office if they are unhappy with their choice of lawyer or other professionals.

"The politician should get up and say, 'If you don't like it, don't vote for me,' " he said. "Let the voters decide the issue, because, at the end of the day, this is what this is all about. ... That's the litmus test."

Certainly, the Bergen County Democratic Organization -- whose rise to power was subsidized by a statewide surge of special-interest money -- stands to lose a bundle of cash and influence, especially if more communities take advantage of a provision in the state law that allows them to impose even stricter pay-to-play regulations locally. So far, only eight towns in Bergen and Passaic counties have passed the stronger limits, but a push to let voters in Teaneck approve a tough new ban is likely to inspire other towns to follow suit.

That forecast spells trouble for the BCDO, whose stable of attorneys, engineers and other contributors landed long-term, lucrative municipal appointments after the organization bankrolled victorious local government slates.

Contractor donations have dropped significantly for the state Democratic Party and county committees since the ban was imposed by executive order in 2004. Perennial party givers, some of whom donated more than $100,000 to the BCDO before the ban, have simply stopped giving, according to campaign finance documents analyzed by The Record.

"What makes people think that because I made a contribution, I'm not a good lawyer?" he asked. "Why can't I contribute to a campaign and be a good lawyer and do a good job for the community? Why is it mutually exclusive?

Ironically, that could be the reason Teaneck voters adopt an even stronger ban on the practice. If they do, wouldn't that be an expression of the public's will?

MERKT CALLS ON CORZINE TO STOP PLAYING POLITICS
WITH TOLL ROAD SCHEME
AP REPORT: TOLLS COULD INCREASE 150 PERCENT

In response to an Associated Press article released today in which a Wall Street attorney says a 150 percent Turnpike toll hike is plausible under Governor Jon Corzine’s secret scheme to sell the state’s transportation assets, Assemblyman Richard Merkt said it’s time the governor stopped playing politics with the state’s finances and revealed the details of his highly unpopular and controversial proposal.

“Everyone knows the governor and state treasurer (Bradley Abelow) are Goldman Sachs alumni. For them to claim they do not yet know the operational details of a plan Corzine announced in January is utterly absurd,” said Merkt, R-Morris. “The governor’s continued denial illustrates the hypocrisy of this Administration, which preaches openness and transparency, but practices ‘cloak and dagger’ politics.”

According to the Associated Press report, Peter Humphreys, who has worked as an attorney on Wall Street for 25 years and is considered one of the world’s leading securitization lawyers, said it is very possible that Corzine’s “asset monetization” plan will cost the average Turnpike commuter $1,440 more in tolls each year. He currently pays $960 to use the Turnpike.

It will cost taxpayers even more, noted Merkt. If Corzine issues bonds to bring the state a quick windfall of cash estimated by some to be $15 billion, Humphreys calculates it will cost taxpayers up to $25 billion in interest and other expenses to pay off the bonds over 20 years.

“Call it whatever you want, but it’s another Corzine back-handed tax hike,” said Merkt. “The money to pay off the bonds will have to come from somewhere, and you can bet the Democrats will pick taxpayer’s pockets once again. Corzine-the-candidate promised no tax hikes, but just look at his track record! He’s become adept at tax hikes both above and below the radar.”

“His refusal to come clean with the public about his secret plan is hypocritical to say the least,” Merkt continued. “It’s a classic double standard. Transparency in Trenton only counts when Corzine and the ruling Democrats find it convenient. But when their dubious deals attract public scrutiny and criticism, suddenly it’s back to the bad old days of smoke-filled rooms and stonewalling questions.”

Merkt observed that Corzine only recently criticized mortgage bankers for irresponsible borrowing practices, yet he is doing the very same thing by borrowing billions in yet another “buy now, pay later” scheme.

Merkt said Corzine’s refusal to reveal details of his toll road sale proposal before November 6, has made his secret plan the defining issue of this fall’s legislative election.

“This election is now about one issue, and one issue only,” explained Merkt. “Do the people of New Jersey want this Administration to sell off its toll roads? A Democrat victory in November guarantees the sale of our toll highways, while a Republican majority will absolutely block that from happening.”

Merkt added that, either way, the governor owes it to residents to share details of his proposal, exposing it to public review, discussion and debate.

“Governor Corzine keeps telling us to “trust” him with the plan details. He promises he will show us his plan after the election,” remarked Merkt, adding, “Frankly, I’m not at all comfortable with his assurances. But you can take this to the bank: If Corzine and his Democrat buddies in the Legislature get their way, the Garden State Parkway will soon be the ‘Goldman Sachs Parkway.’ The initials ‘GSP’ may remain the same, but just wait until you get a load of the mega toll hikes they have in store for you!”

Remember how Treasurer Bradley Abelow wrote mayors a few weeks ago, “advising” them to hold off on criticism of Gov. Corzine’s asset monetization plan. Well, it doesn’t appear that Abelow’s criticisms have had much affect.

So far, 38 municipalities, four counties, eight American Legion posts, one union, and the New Jersey State Union Industrial Council have come out in opposition to the plan, according to a press release from the Assembly GOP.

That doesn’t include the fact that a new coalition has started: SaveOurAssetsNJ.com, a group of business, transportation and labor leaders who say they are “concerned” about the fate of the toll roads.

Nor does it include the groups who have joined the coalition, including NJ Motor Truck Association, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (Local 196, Chapter 1),International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (Chapter 2), Teamsters Industrial and Allied Workers Union (Local 97), Garden State Parkway Toll Supervisors (Local 193 TSA), NJ Turnpike Supervisors Association (Local 200/200A), Garden State Parkway Crew Supervisors & Equipment Trainers (Local 193C), Citizens Against Tolls, NJ Warehousemen & Movers Association, American Trucking Associations, South Jersey Transportation Authority Supervisors (Local 193A).

In other words, it sounds like neither Abelow or his boss, communicate well by letters.

BIONDI BILL INCREASING UNIFORMITY IN HOME INSPECTION PROCESS SIGNED INTO LAW
NEW LAW REQUIRES THE SAME INSPECTOR WHO FINDS A CONSTRUCTION CODE VIOLATION TO DO RE-INSPECTION

Legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican Conference Leader Peter Biondi that will help to increase uniformity in home inspections by requiring the construction code inspector who identifies a code violation to conduct any required follow-up investigation was signed into law by Governor Jon Corzine last week.

“This new law will ensure that there is a more uniform process for dealing with construction code violations,” said Biondi, R-Somerset, Morris. “Rather than having two different inspectors look at the same problem, the inspector who finds the violation would be responsible for determining that it has been corrected.”

Biondi’s bill amends the State Uniform Construction Code Act to require that when an inspector or team of inspectors finds a violation of the code at the premises, the same inspector or team will be assigned to carry out any necessary re-inspection concerning that violation.

The bill also specifies that if the same inspection team or inspector is unable to perform the follow-up, the re-inspection would be limited to just the area of violation, and the bill excludes three subcodes under the Uniform Construction Code, plumbing, electrical and fire, from the provisions of the bill.

“It is logical that if an inspection team finds a violation, that they would be the ones who determine whether it has been corrected,” Biondi said. “Relying on a second inspector who didn’t identify the original problem only adds uncertainty and inconsistency to the inspection process.

The bill was approved 80-0 by the full General Assembly and 33-1 in the State Senate in June and was signed into law by Corzine on August 21.

THOMPSON TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION CREATING AIRLINE PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS
WOULD PROVIDE BASIC CONSUMER RIGHTS FOR AIR TRAVEL

Assemblyman Sam Thompson today announced that he will be introducing legislation creating a “Bill of Rights” for airline passengers in New Jersey in response to a number of recent incidents where airline passengers have been stranded on runways for excessive periods of time and airplane conditions have become intolerable.

“We have seen too many instances in recent months where airlines failed to provide passengers with the basic courtesies and respect that should be extended to any consumer,” said Thompson, R-Middlesex and Monmouth. “This legislation will hold airlines accountable for those actions and will force airlines to more carefully attend to the well-being of their passengers.”

After a severe winter storm in February hundreds of airline flights were cancelled leaving some passengers sitting on runways for up to 10 hours with little or no food and water. Such incidents have been repeated in subsequent months as a result of other delays, and those stranded on the tarmac have been subjected to poor ventilation and overflowing toilets on the stalled flights.

Under Thompson’s bill, airline passengers on board a scheduled aircraft for more than three hours must be provided with electric generation service to provide power for fresh air ventilation and lights, waste removal service to keep toilets operating, and adequate food and drinking water.

The bill also would empower the Attorney General, or any other person, to bring suit for a violation of this act with a civil penalty not exceeding $1,000 per passenger, per violation of this bill. Complaints could be made through the Division of Consumer Affairs and a new office of Airline Consumer Advocate within that division. A similar bill was signed into law in New York earlier this month.

“Ideally airlines would take account for the well-being of their passengers without this government intervention, but we have seen too many cases where they have failed to do so,” Thompson said. “It is my hope that this bill will put the airlines on notice that they owe an obligation to their passengers and will reduce the number of these incidents in the future.”

Thompson will formally introduce the legislation at the General Assembly’s next quorum call.

CHATZIDAKIS BILL TO SAVE ENERGY THROUGH USE OF COMPACT LIGHT BULBS BECOMES LAW
LAW WILL EXPAND USE OF FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS

Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Larry Chatzidakis requiring the State to replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs and directing the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to educate the public on the benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs was signed into law last week by Governor Jon Corzine.

“One important way for the state to save on energy costs is to adopt more energy efficient practices,” said Chatzidakis, R-Burlington. “At a time when we are seeking to cut government costs this proposal is a common sense way to do so within state government. And at the same time we should be educating the general public on the advantages of these energy efficient light bulbs for their own use.”

The new law, believed to be the first such program in the nation, would require the Division of Purchase and Property, the Director of the Division of Property Management and Construction, and any State agency having authority to contract for the purchase of goods or services, within three years after the date of enactment to replace all incandescent light bulbs used in State buildings with compact fluorescent light bulbs whenever possible.

Noting that only 5 percent of the bulbs sold in the United States are compact fluorescent, this law requires the Board of Public Utilities, within 30 days of the Governor’s signing, to undertake a public education and awareness campaign to inform businesses and homeowners of the benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs.

“Studies indicate that compact fluorescent light bulbs use two-thirds less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer,” Chatzidakis said. “These studies state that replacing a 100-watt incandescent light bulb with a 32-watt compact fluorescent light bulb will save at least $30 in energy cost over the life of the bulb.”

The bill passed the Assembly 78-1 and the State Senate 37-0. With the Governor’s signature the law will take effect immediately.

DeCROCE SAYS LIST OF MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES OPPOSING ASSET MONETIZATION IS GROWING

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce says the fact at least 38 municipalities and four counties have already gone on record opposing Governor Jon Corzine’s asset monetization sale proves local governments don’t accept the administration’s claim that only the sale of toll road assets will resolve the state’s fiscal ills.

“We know public dissatisfaction with this scheme is running high because of the numerous polls and newspaper surveys already undertaken,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.

“But the lengthy list of municipalities and counties expressing their opposition to the sale of toll road assets demonstrates that local officials also aren’t being fooled by the administration’s ‘just trust me’ assurances that monetization is the panacea for all of our budgetary problems. And the list is growing longer every week.”

DeCroce said residents and local officials fear asset monetization will lead to higher tolls, higher taxes, more debt, deferred road maintenance and local traffic congestion. Suspicions run high that the current administration, like past Democrat administrations, will wind up squandering any money it does get if it sells the toll roads or the right to future toll revenues.

Based on official notifications received by DeCroce and/or Save Our Assets NJ, the following municipalities have adopted resolutions opposing asset monetization:

Barnegat Township
Bloomfield Township
Boonton Town
Chatham Borough
Chatham Township
Clifton City
Colts Neck Township
Edison Township
Egg Harbor Township
Englishtown Borough
Folsom Borough
Glen Gardner Borough
Hanover Township
Highlands Borough
Hoboken City
Kenilworth Borough
Lavallette Borough
Long Beach Township
Lower Township
Manalapan Township
Mendham Township
Millburn Township
Millville City
Montvale Borough
Montville Township
Netcong Borough
North Brunswick Township
North Haledon Borough
Pequannock Township
Rockaway Borough
Rochelle Park Township
Roselle Park Borough
South Brunswick Township
Springfield Township
Stone Harbor Borough
Watchung Borough
Woodbridge Township
Woodcliff Lake Borough

The following counties have approved resolutions opposing asset monetization:
Bergen County Board of Freeholders
Ocean County Board of Freeholders
Warren County Board of Freeholders
Monmouth County Board of Freeholders

In addition, the following groups have gone on record as opposing the plan:
NJ State Industrial Union Council
AFSCME Local 2306, Jersey City, NJ
American Legion Post 74, Camden, NJ
American Legion Post 349, Fieldsboro, NJ
American Legion Post 55, Hackensack, NJ
American Legion Post 158, Egg Harbor City, NJ
American Legion Post 295, Northfield, NJ
American Legion Post 515, Port Monmouth, NJ
American Legion Post 75, Salem, NJ
American Legion Post 213, Sussex, NJ

Dumb to stay mum on monetization
Editorial, The Star-Ledger, August 27, 2007

Gov. Jon Corzine continues to be sucked deeper into the monetization quagmire of his own making. But for now, he appears unwilling to extricate himself or even to say much to convince the public that his still largely secret plan to generate billions from the state's toll roads deserves support.

Republicans are leveraging his silence to their political ad vantage. With an eye on the quickly approaching fall legislative campaign, they have made much of the governor's refusal to share his plans -- even though the administration has spent $4.6 million in taxpayer money on consultants.

In their latest salvo, Republicans are demanding that Corzine release an $800,000 study by a British firm that supposedly details the untapped revenue potential of the state's four major roadways -- the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, the Atlantic City Expressway and Route 440 between the Turnpike and the Parkway.

So far Corzine has refused. That's a mistake. Sharing the information he has would engage the public in a crucial issue and allow people to make their own assessments.

If the tradeoffs reportedly contained in his monetization plan -- much higher tolls in exchange for a stable financial future -- are worthwhile, releasing supporting data should help win over skeptics. Certainly it would shift the focus of discussion from politics to substance, forcing Republicans to deal with the proposal's merits rather than attacking Corzine for his governing style.

And that's exactly what he's allowed them to do. Republicans are threatening to drag him into court to explain why the public shouldn't be privy to the findings. As they see it, having the governor defend his decision to keep the public in the dark makes for perfect political theater, especially during a campaign.

The governor seems to think, incorrectly, that he has no choice but to stonewall. Fellow Democrats don't want to talk asset monetization and the corresponding -- vote-threatening -- need for substantially higher tolls. Several Democrats would have to oppose any such plan on the campaign trail. That would make it nearly impossible for them to vote for the proposal when the Legislature eventually considers it.

So the governor has remained silent, releasing only what's absolutely necessary. He has said, for example, that the roads will not be sold or leased. As far as what will happen, well, he's not going there yet. The plan, he maintains, is not finalized.

For his part, Corzine could make a halfway believable argument that the incomplete monetization plan isn't ready for public viewing yet. But if that's true, why have members of the administration been providing private briefings to select groups? If Corzine thinks those special groups can understand what he's trying to do, why does he think the public won't be able to grasp it?

There's no doubt that Corzine's revolutionary plan would affect the state for generations. Whether that impact will be largely a positive or negative one is a debate that should include the public, and the fall campaign offers the perfect forum.

Voters need all the available information if that statewide discussion is to be an intelligent one. Releasing that report would be a good start.

Calling crime a cancer that eats away at the very core of society, Assemblyman Kevin J. O’Toole today called on Governor Jon Corzine, the state Legislature and law enforcement officials and agencies from every level of government to work together to stem the rising tide of violent crime and gang violence in the Garden State.

O’Toole, R-Bergen, Essex, Passaic, praised Attorney General Anne Milgram for her recent directive making immigrations checks part of routine police procedure and requiring state and local law enforcement authorities to notify federal officials when they have reason to believe a suspect in the country illegally. This follows on the heels of the brutal and shocking execution-style murders of three college-bound students in Newark.

“The latest statistics show that violent crime is on the increase, but you don’t have to look at stats to know that,” said O’Toole. “Just read the headlines or listen to the news. Talk to the people, especially those who live in our cities. They’ll tell you how they fear for themselves and their children. Talk to the victims of gang violence who are afraid to go to school or leave their homes at night.

“It’s time to take this fight to the streets,” continued the 40th legislative district lawmaker. “By that I mean every branch of government and its law enforcement agencies must come together to eliminate the scourge of violent crime that threatens the very fabric of our culture.”

Following several years of decreasing crime rates in New Jersey, the Uniform Crime Report released in April 2007 showed a three percent increase in violent crimes during the first six months of 2006.

“Attorney General Milgram took a positive first step, but that was just a small piece of the puzzle. Much more is needed going forward,” he said. “Putting all political wrangling and partisan politics aside, it’s imperative that we use all the resources available to develop and implement a coordinated and comprehensive crime-fighting strategy for our state.”

DeCROCE VOICES SUPPORT FOR ‘SAVE OUR ASSETS’ PETITION DRIVE
SAYS ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS WILL PROMOTE EFFORT

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today lauded an effort by a coalitions of statewide business, transportation and labor leaders to pressure Gov. Jon Corzine into disclosing detailed information about his plan to “monetize” New Jersey’s toll roads.

The non-profit coalition, Save Our Assets NJ, has launched a petition drive on its own website – www. SaveOurAssetsNJ.com. DeCroce, who has spearheaded an effort to convince municipalities and counties to oppose Corzine’s risky monetization scheme, said Assembly Republican caucus will promote the “Save Our Assets” campaign in its weekly e-newsletter and on its website – www.NJAssemblyRepublicans.com.

“While the coalition is not formally opposing the sale of toll road assets, I am convinced it will be swayed by the outpouring of public opposition to the notion,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.

“The taxpayers are entitled to know the facts about the governor’s plan now. They deserve the same briefing Corzine received following the receipt of taxpayer-financed consultant reports. The governor was prepared to outline his plan months ago, and promised that he would, so apparently there is no reason, other than a political one, to wait now until after the November elections.”

DeCroce said the sheer immensity of Corzine’s plan will guarantee higher tolls, higher taxes and higher debt payments for generations to come. “Monetization will not be the salvation of New Jersey. It is more likely to be the final death knell for our economy and the ability of taxpayers to afford to stay in New Jersey.”

DeCROCE ENCOURAGED BY ATTORNEY GENERAL’S DIRECTIVE TO POLICE ON REPORTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMIT CRIMES

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today issued the following statement in response to news reports that Attorney General Anne Milgram has issued a directive to New Jersey law enforcement ordering them to ask the immigration status of suspects charged with crimes, and then to notify federal authorities if there is reason to believe the suspect is in the country illegally:

“I am very encouraged by this news. On Monday I had asked the Attorney General to take action on this matter and I am pleased that she has done so in an expeditious manner. While I have not had time to review the directive in detail, the initial reports indicate that this, at the very least, is a step in the right direction.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the Attorney General to address these important public safety issues. My caucus will be proactive in issuing proposals to make our citizens safer and to ensure that our laws are being properly enforced.”

Just two days ago DeCroce sent a letter to Milgram asking that she issue a directive to State Police and local law enforcement that when an individual who is in this country illegally is arrested in connection with criminal activity that person’s immigration status must be reported to federal authorities.

DeCROCE CHALLENGES CRYAN TO COLLECT ‘PROPERTY TAX SUCCESS STORIES’
INVITES CRYAN TO ‘PLAGIARIZE’ REPUBLICAN TAX REFORMS SO HOMEOWNERS CAN SEE REAL RELIEF

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce expressed amusement today that Assemblyman Joseph Cryan was so upset to find a letter to the editor from an Ocean City resident who bragged to the Associated Press that he wouldn’t vote for a Republican for “dogcatcher” included in a compilation of property tax “horror stories” on the official Assembly Republican website.

“I would have thought Cryan, as chairman of the Democrat Party in New Jersey, would be more interested in what a supporter of Democrats would have to say about his property taxes than the fact those sentiments were expressed in a letter to the editor of a newspaper replicated on our website,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.

“Could the reason be that our virulent anti-Republican letter-writer would have the gall to suggest that Governor Corzine and the Democrats who came up with this ‘political scam’ should be ashamed of themselves? Or Cryan was really shocked that we would add four published letters to the editor to the 65 ‘horror stories’ that were submitted directly to our website by angry taxpayers as of yesterday?

“A ‘horror story’ is a ‘horror story’ no matter where it comes from. However, the party chairman should be relieved to know that we will identify letters to the editor we add to the website in the future,” DeCroce added. “But if Cryan believes it is unfair of us to compile and post the complaints of taxpayers who are disgusted with his party’s utter failure to do anything meaningful in six years to lower property taxes, despite endless promises to do so, then I challenge him to ask people to submit their property tax ‘success stories’ and post them on the Assembly Democrats’ website.

“Let’s see just how many notes of eternal gratitude and congratulations the Democrats get from satisfied taxpayers. I would be very interested to read what taxpayers have to say about the 94 new taxes imposed by the Democrats since they have been in charge and how wisely they have spent this new $6 billion revenue stream.

“And if Cryan would like to get his hands on a comprehensive reform package that would lower property tax bills permanently, then I also invite him to plagiarize our plan, which he and his party have blocked the past four years. Go ahead! Take ownership and credit for something that would actually make New Jersey an affordable place to live. We won’t mind.”

DeCroce said visitors to www.NJAssemblyRepublicans.com can share their property tax “horror stories” with others and read more about the Assembly Republican Blueprint for Property Tax Reform, which would guarantee a permanent 30 percent property tax credit for seniors and middle class households earning $200,000 or less and a 20 percent property tax credit for all other homeowners.

TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO FILE LEGAL ACTION FORCING RELEASE OF REPORT SHOWING IMPACT OF TOLL HIKES
TREASURY DENIES OPRA REQUEST FOR $800K CONSULTANT’S
REPORT CITING CONFIDENTIALITY

After having their Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request denied by the Department of Treasury, Republican members of the Assembly Transportation and Public Works Committee today sent a second letter to Governor Jon Corzine asking that he release an $800,000 consulting report on the proposed sale of New Jersey toll road assets for public review.

The Republican members of the transportation panel, Assemblymen Kevin O’Toole and Sean Kean, and Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, had sent a letter to Corzine on August 8 asking that he release an $800,000 report prepared by the private consulting company, Steer Davies, and Gleave, Ltd. They filed an OPRA request with Treasury that same day.

Treasury refused to release the report claiming the document is confidential and falls under a consultative work product exemption to OPRA.

“In the spirit of transparency, you must trust members of the Legislature and the public to review the consultant’s final reports and recommendations which we have all paid $800,000 to produce,” the lawmakers write to Corzine. “We are asking you to intervene and direct the Department of Treasury to provide the document and to let you know that we intend to file a complaint with the Superior Court or the Records Council next week if we have not received the report..”

Hon. Jon Corzine
Governor of the State of New Jersey
Office of the Governor
State House
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0001

Dear Governor Corzine,

In our capacity as members of the Assembly Transportation Committee we recently submitted a formal request to the Department of Treasury to provide us with an $800,000 taxpayer-funded report that reveals what happens when tolls are increased on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

We received a response from the Department of Treasury late Friday evening that the report would not be made public. We are asking you to intervene and direct the Department of Treasury to provide the document and to let you know that we intend to file a complaint with the Superior Court or the Records Council next week if we have not received the report.

Two months ago your administration paid $800,000 in taxpayer money to a private consulting company, Steer Davies, and Gleave, Ltd. Consistent with the terms of a State contract with that vendor, the $800,000 payment was made only after the contractor delivered a final report detailing toll increases and traffic impacts associated with “monetizing” the Garden State Parkway, the New Jersey Turnpike, and two other roads. The invoice for the report was submitted May 4 indicating the report has been available for about four months.

As set forth in the contract, the report is required to detail what will happen when tolls increase on the Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike, Atlantic City Expressway, and Route 440. You have repeatedly encouraged the Legislature and public to base monetization opinions on the facts, yet continue to deny the public details such as those contained in these reports.

In the spirit of transparency, you must trust members of the Legislature and the public to review the consultant’s final reports and recommendations which we have all paid $800,000 to produce. We understand you may be working with the vendor to make additional changes to the final report they submitted. But as we stated in our previous letter, for the uncensored advice from vendors to be hidden from the public hardly seems to be in the spirit of encouraging decision-making based on sound information.

We are prepared to take legal action next week to ensure that the report is released. The public paid for this report and has the right to see it.

Sincerely,

DeCROCE ASKS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DIRECT LAW ENFORCEMENT TO REPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMIT CRIMES
SAYS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST BE NOTIFIED WHEN AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IS ARRESTED

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today sent a letter to Attorney General Anne Milgram asking that she issue a directive to State Police and local law enforcement that when an individual who is in this country illegally is arrested in connection with criminal activity that person’s immigration status must be reported to federal authorities.

“You have the power, as our state’s top law enforcement official, to issue a directive to our State Police, and also to urge our local law enforcement officers, that if an individual is arrested in connection with criminal activity, and it is discovered that this person is an illegal alien, that individual’s illegal immigrant status should be immediately reported to the proper federal authorities,” writes DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “This letter is to request that you exercise that authority and issue this directive as soon as possible.”

DeCroce writes that it is simply unacceptable that we have “sanctuary cities” where elected officials and law enforcement pledge to essentially “look the other way” as to an individual’s illegal immigrant status.

The Honorable Anne Milgram
Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
P.O. Box 080
Trenton, NJ 08625

We are all now painfully aware of the tragic circumstances surrounding the events of August 4, 2007 when four of our state’s young people, all with bright futures ahead of them, were attacked in a senseless act of violence in a Newark school yard.

This crime, during which the three young people who died were forced to kneel against a wall and shot at close range, was allegedly committed by Jose Carranza. It appears that Carranza is an illegal immigrant who had already been indicted twice this year on aggravated assault and weapons charges, and additional counts that included aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13.

From news reports it appears that prosecutors in those cases apparently did not notify federal authorities of Carranza’s immigration status and may not even have bothered to check.

I know that you are as appalled by this crime as I am, and that you will agree with me that we should do everything in our power to prevent these types of tragedies in the future.

One step that I believe is essential to preventing future incidents like this one, is that local authorities should be directed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws. At the very least this should mean reporting known illegal immigrants to federal authorities.

The idea the we have “sanctuary cities” where elected officials and law enforcement pledge to essentially “look the other way” as to an individual’s illegal immigrant status is simply unacceptable to me.

You have the power, as our state’s top law enforcement official, to issue a directive to our State Police, and also to urge our local law enforcement officers, that if an individual is arrested in connection with criminal activity, and it is discovered that this person is an illegal alien, that individual’s illegal immigrant status should be immediately reported to the proper federal authorities.

This letter is to request that you exercise that authority and issue this directive as soon as possible. If you would like to discuss this matter further, I would be more than happy to meet with you or talk by phone.

This is a critical public safety issue, and I look forward to working with you on this matter. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this letter.

BRAMNICK TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION REQUIRING COUNTY PROSECUTORS TO WORK WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick today said that he will introduce legislation requiring county prosecutors to notify federal immigration authorities whenever an illegal alien is charged with a crime.

“Federal immigration authorities should be made aware of these charges so that they may react accordingly,” said Bramnick, R-Union, Morris, Somerset and Essex. “It is a very basic concept that when a local law enforcement official is aware that an individual in their custody has violated a federal law, that they should notify the federal authorities.”

This bill is being introduced as a direct result of the recent tragedy in Newark, and Bramnick said he will introduce this legislation as soon as the Legislature convenes in the fall.

The four victims, friends ages 18 to 20, were shot while visiting in a schoolyard not far from their homes in Newark two weekends ago. The three who died were forced to kneel against a wall and shot at close range.

Accused of the crime is Jose Carranza, an illegal immigrant who had already been indicted twice this year on aggravated assault and weapons charges, and additional counts that included aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13. Prosecutors in those cases apparently did not notify federal authorities of Carranza’s immigration status and may not have bothered to check.

MUNOZ TO BLOOMBERG: TAKE THE HINT,
DROP CONGESTION PRICING PLAN
CALLS ON CORZINE TO FINALLY TAKE A FIRM STANCE ON BEHALF OF NEW JERSEY COMMUTERS

Assemblyman Eric Munoz today said that a decision by federal transportation officials to not fund the controversial “congestion pricing” portion of a transportation plan proposed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg should signal an end to the ill-advised idea and called on Governor Corzine to take a firm stand against the plan.

“Hopefully now that Mayor Bloomberg sees there will be no federal dollars supporting this ‘congestion pricing’ idea he will do the right thing and withdraw this proposal,” said Munoz, R-Union, Essex, Morris and Somerset. “New Jersey commuters are already paying far too much in taxes and tolls and this would be an unacceptable burden for those motorists who must commute into work in New York City.”

Munoz was responding to news reports that the federal government has agreed to provide $354 million for Mayor Bloomberg’s broad plan to reduce traffic in the city, but left it to the city to come up with the more than $200 million needed for a system to charge extra for people who drive into Manhattan between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The Bloomberg proposal is to charge drivers $8 and trucks $21 a day to enter or leave Manhattan below 86th Street on weekdays during the workday.

Munoz was a sponsor of AR-272, a bipartisan resolution passed by the General Assembly in June that memorializes the New York Legislature to disapprove the New York City congestion pricing pilot program.

“In addition to the unacceptable financial burden this would place on already overburdened taxpayers, this program would place a significant demand on New Jersey’s transportation infrastructures,” Munoz added. “New Jersey Transit could be stretched beyond capacity as motorists burdened by the congestion toll, turned to public transportation ridership. It also could swell capacity on local roads and alternative routes.”

Munoz also said that it was time for Governor Corzine to take a firm stand against the Bloomberg proposal. To date Corzine has expressed some skepticism, but will only say that he wants to see details of the plan to evaluate its impact.

“Governor Corzine should not leave the door open to this congestion pricing scheme and should issue a firm repudiation of the plan,” Munoz said. “New Jersey taxpayers are already overburdened and we know the Governor is proposing possible toll hikes as part of his asset monetization plan. There is simply no excuse for him to even consider the possibility of adding even further to this burden.”

Munoz is encouraging residents to call the Governor’s Office at 609-292-6000 and urge Corzine to oppose this plan.

For state debt, a reality check
Column By James Ahearn,
The Record of Hackensack, August 15, 2007

Wait a minute. Time for a reality check. Governor Corzine, whose strong suit when he campaigned for election was fiscal management, keeps saying that the state has a serious debt problem. However, he is working on a plan to borrow billions of dollars more, using as collateral such state assets as the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

He isn't releasing details, saying that it is a very complicated matter and more study is needed. That analysis won't be completed until mid-November at the earliest. That means disclosure will be delayed until after a new Legislature is elected, but perhaps in time for December action by the lame-duck Senate and Assembly. If you suspect he's holding out on us, you have company.

But the governor's secretive plan for "asset monetization," as he calls it, is just one indication that spending is out of control in Trenton. Take stem-cell research. It is indeed a promising field. Beneficiaries might include people suffering from Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease and multiple sclerosis.

Further, New Jersey, home to some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world and to Rutgers and other research institutions, is in a position to capitalize on what looks to be a growth industry.

A modest investment of state funds at this juncture would be appropriate, but extravagance should be avoided, particularly considering the straitened circumstances of the budget. Consider, then, some recent legislative history.

In May 2006 the Senate passed a bill to create not one, not two, but three stem-cell and biomedical research centers. As could have been predicted, one was to be built in North Jersey, one in Central Jersey and one in South Jersey. A potential scientific breakthrough was treated as political pork.

The bill, to be financed with bonds, would have appropriated $250 million, of which the lion's share, $150 million, would have gone to a New Brunswick partnership of Rutgers and the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a first-rate team.

However, the Senate added $50 million for stem-cell work at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark and another $50 million for research at the Rutgers campus in Camden, to be shared with four other Camden institutions.

The legislator who had taken the lead on stem-cell research was a liberal Assembly Democrat from Union County, Neil Cohen. On this occasion he spoke more like a sound-money Republican. He said that the New Brunswick center deserved $100 million, no more, and that another $50 million should be designated, not for more state facilities but for grants to new private stem-cell research centers or for expansion of existing ones. The total would be $150 million, not $250 million.

Didn't happen. The Legislature wound up appropriating $270 million, including, in addition to the original $250 million, $10 million for an Allendale-based blood-collection center and $10 million for a research facility in Belleville. The ultimate cost of the bond issue, spread over 20 years, will be about $470 million.

But the Legislature and governor didn't stop there. Another bill, to borrow money to finance grants for research, was approved. Corzine signed it ceremoniously three weeks ago. The official price tag was a whopping $450 million.

In approving construction of facilities, at least the State House was dealing with bricks and mortar, traditionally financed with borrowed funds. In financing research grants, the State House will be borrowing a very large sum up front to pay for intangibles -- years of work by scientists and technicians. The eventual cost of the bond issue is estimated to be more than $700 million if 20-year bonds are issued.

It could turn out to be a shrewd investment. Or it could turn out to be mixed, or even a boondoggle. Given what happened to the legislation for research facilities, politics can be expected to play
a role, although panels of experts are to review research grant applications for scientific soundness and adherence to
ethical standards.

Unlike grants for facilities, which needed only the approval of the Legislature and the governor, the program of stem-cell research grants must be approved by voters as well in a referendum.

Three considerations: Our state debt has doubled since 2000, to about $30 billion. To service that debt, paying interest and principal will require $2.6 billion this year, 13 percent of the state budget. In four years, the cost of servicing the present debt will be $3.1 billion.

If the proposal is rejected, that will not necessarily mean the end of the matter. The Legislature and governor can come back with a less grandiose proposal. Indeed, they will have to, to justify the expenditure they have authorized on facilities.

REPUBLICAN LEADER SAYS IT’S NOT A CHOICE BETWEEN HIGHER
TOLLS AND HIGHER TAXES – SCHEME GUARANTEES BOTH

Reacting to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll today that found 64 percent of voters oppose raising tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway to reduce state debt, Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce said it’s time to punch the “No Sale” button on Gov. Jon Corzine’s “asset monetization” cash register.

“This poll and others don’t just reaffirm the fact that the governor’s toll road asset sale scheme is a hard sale, they show it’s a ‘No Sale,’ “ said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.

DeCroce warned Corzine and his Democrat supporters against taking much consolation from the poll’s finding that 44 percent said they would choose higher tolls over higher taxes if that were their only choice.

“Taxpayers want us to deal with our fiscal problems by cutting wasteful spending,” DeCroce said. “They don’t want higher tolls or higher taxes. They understand more than Gov. Corzine and the Democrats give them credit for. They know asset monetization will mean not one or the other, but in all likelihood both higher tolls and higher taxes – as well as a mountain of new debt.”

PUBLIC INVITED TO SHARE THEIR
‘PROPERTY TAX HORROR STORIES’

WEBSITE GIVES TAXPAYERS A CHANCE TO VENT,
SHARE IDEAS AND SAY IF THEY THINK THE DEMOCRATS’
ATTEMPT AT PROPERTY TAX REFORM IS WORKING

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce announced today that a new web page has been created at NJAssemblyRepublicans.com so New Jersey homeowners can share their property tax “horror stories” and say whether they think the Democrats’ attempt at property tax reform is working.

DeCroce said he got the idea from news accounts about a
special web site recently created by the State of Minnesota to
give its citizens a place where they can discuss how rising property taxes have impacted them and suggest possible
solutions to the problem.

“The Legislature had a unique opportunity this session to do something substantive to achieve property tax reform,” noted DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “It was squandered.

“The ruling Democrats promised bold action six years in a row
to lower property taxes but did just about everything imaginable during this period to actually guarantee higher property taxes. When they finally agreed to our call for a special session to deal with the property tax crisis, the outcome was nothing more than
a warmed over rebate program that will not even undue the damage they did by freezing state aid each year.

“The only hope people have to secure a real and permanent property tax reduction is to keep the heat on the Democrats and force them to face up to the emergency,” DeCroce said. “This new web page is one way taxpayers can lobby for change.”

The latest addition to the Assembly Republican web site – “Property Tax Horror Stories” – received a kick start two weeks ago when subscribers to the State House Wire, a weekly
e-newsletter produced by Assembly Republicans, were invited
to submit their own entries.

“The tales they told demonstrated just how angry and frustrated the taxpayers really are,” DeCroce said. “We heard from middle class families who said they can no longer afford to live in New Jersey because of high property taxes and are planning to leave. We also heard from despairing senior citizens who said they have reached a point where they can’t pay their bills and keep up with rising property taxes.

“I would strongly recommend that any Democrat who believes they are entitled to bragging rights because of the actions the Legislature took this session go to the web site and read for themselves what taxpayers think about their performance. It’s time they had a reality check.”

DeCroce said visitors to NJAssemblyRepublicans.com can not only share their own property tax “horror stories” but read more about the Assembly Republican Blueprint for Property Tax Reform, which would guarantee a permanent 30 percent property tax credit for seniors and middle class households earning $200,000 or less
and a 20 percent property tax credit for all other homeowners.

CODEY, THE HUMAN ROADBLOCK TO ETHICS REFORM, CRITICIZES REFORMERS HE HINDERS

AT THE SAME TIME, APPEARS NOT TO BE EMBARRASSED BY GROWING LIST OF INDICTED SENATORS IN HIS CAUCUS

“When they're done denying people due process under the law, I'd like them to show me one ethics bill they have had passed
into law.”
-- Senate President Richard Codey,
August 9, Associated Press

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today expressed disgust at comments made Thursday by Senate President Richard Codey in response to efforts by Assemblyman Bill Baroni and Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck to gain support for legislation suspending indicted lawmakers.

“For Senate President Codey, or any Democrat legislative leader of the past six years, to make an issue of Republicans not passing ethics bills is outrageous hypocrisy,” writes DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “Here is a man who is part of the very Democrat legislative leadership team that has repeatedly blocked Republican bills on ethics reform from floor votes, now trying to make an issue of those bills not getting passed. If he wasn’t joking he should be ashamed.”

After Baroni and Beck held a news conference Thursday calling for legislative approval of ACR-79 – a bill suspending elected officials from office after their indictment on criminal charges until the matter is adjudicated – Codey issued the statement quoted above.

Over the past several years, Republican lawmakers in both the Assembly and Senate have made dozens of procedural motions and repeated public pleas for the consideration of their ethics reform bills, only to have Codey – and his fellow Democrat legislative leaders in the General Assembly – block those efforts.

DeCroce also questioned how it is a denial of due process of law for an elected official to be suspended from office pending the outcome of a criminal indictment. He noted that he is surprised that Codey seems so comfortable with the ever-growing list of indicted legislators serving in his caucus.

“Nobody is entitled to serve as an elected representative of the people, it is an honor that is bestowed upon them by the public,” DeCroce said. “These officials should be held to a high standard of conduct, and if a grand jury has gone so far as to indict them, the least we can do is have them step aside until the matter has been resolved.”

“Perhaps this is why Senate President Codey doesn’t support ethics reforms,” DeCroce concluded. “Clearly he is just fine with an ethical cloud hanging over this Legislature.”

Turnpike proposal: It may be a rough ride
Editorial, The Times of Trenton, August 10, 2007

Governor Jon Corzine has to smile over reaction to his "asset monetization" plan. Oh, wait a minute.
There is no plan.

Every time the governor drops a hint about solving New Jersey's systemic fiscal problems by selling off assets such as the New Jersey Turnpike, politicians from both parties swarm, like fish to bait. "Never" on the Turnpike sale. "Never" on the lottery, they exclaim. Even local governments get involved passing resolutions demanding no sale.

Still, the governor continues to cast for the long-term solution that will enable the state to meet its enormous debt load, fully fund its pension obligations and even pay for long sought-after new initiatives such as universal health care. All laudable and necessary goals.

At a bill signing last week in Princeton Township, the governor was at it again. It was the ceremonial signing of a measure that asks voters to approve a fall ballot question authorizing the state to borrow $200 million to continue open space preservation after the current ballot-approved program expires next year.

But the governor and lawmakers view the ballot initiative as only a "bridge" to keep the open space program going until ... well, until a permanent source of funding is found, the governor later told reporters. Mr. Corzine said that a funding source most likely would be found through, you guessed it, an asset
monetization plan.

Then earlier this week, there was a newspaper report that the British consulting firm hired to look at various proposals for selling the Turnpike, or turning it over to a new nonprofit authority as the governor suggests, had essentially completed its study. But the Corzine administration claims it isn't final and won't be released until "we determine that the information included, i.e., data, format, conclusions meet our standards/satisfaction for quality, accuracy, scope etc.," said administration spokesman Thomas Vincz in a written statement to the Bergen Record.