Monmouth County Democratic Women’s Caucus Will Celebrate Women Making History

For Immediate Release:

The Monmouth County Democratic Women’s Caucus will celebrate Women Making History in New Jersey on Monday, March 24, 2014 at the Watermark, 800 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712. The event will highlight some of the contributions that women have made in contemporary society, and also recognize those individuals who have worked to build our nation from its first settlers to those who worked for Equality of Rights throughout U.S. history. Guest speakers are Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, LD-37, Executive VP Milly Silva, 1199 SEIU and Clinton Mayor Janice Kovach, Candidate CD-7.

“Last year’s event at the Watermark was very successful,” said Retha Onitiri, co-chair of MCDWC, “and we anticipate that attendance will double this year as membership continues to grow.” Although the caucus is celebrating women, we encourage all members to bring their significant other to enjoy our guest speakers, music, hors’doeurves and remarkable information about women who have made a big difference in our lives. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Advance tickets may be purchased online ($47) HERE or at the door ($55) or paid by check to:

MCDWC “Women Making History”; mail check to P. O. Box 444, Millstone Township, NJ 08510-0444. All contributions will be dedicated to the election of democratic women candidates in 2014. For more information, visit www.monmouthdemswomen.com or call Retha at (609) 903-3433.

Sunshine Week; A Time To Shine Light On Proposed Law That Would Roll Back Transparency

by Linda Baum
March 10, 2013

March 10th marks the start of “Sunshine Week”, so named to shed light on the importance of open government and public access to information. Its arrival is timely because amendments to the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) are now working their way through the New Jersey legislature.

Bill S2512 (A3712) is intended to modernize and reform the OPRA law. However, one key provision will not result in reform at all and may instead dramatically curtail governmental transparency. The matter involves just one little word – changing “shall” to “may” – with respect to court award of plaintiff’s legal fees. The change would eliminate the guaranteed recovery of fees for a successful suit.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the result will be far fewer challenges when governmental entities deny access to public information, even when access is denied in clear violation of the law. Not only will this reduce transparency, but it creates an incentive for fraud and abuse by government.

Even when a suit is brought, the army of publicly-funded lawyers available to governmental offices creates an unfair advantage. This emphasizes the need to empower the public by ensuring their legal costs are recoverable if they win.

Senator Loretta Weinberg is a primary sponsor of S2512. Please take a moment to call or email the Senator to urge her to keep mandatory fee-shifting in the OPRA law. Please call her at (201) 928-0100 or send her an email via website http://www.njleg.state.nj.us.

Walter Luers, president of the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government (NJFOG), penned the below letter opposing the change to the fee provision. The letter is intended for use as a draft by other organizations and members of the public in their correspondence with state legislators. Mr. Luers does a very good job explaining the issue.

*****

Honorable Loretta Weinberg
District Office
545 Cedar Lane
Teaneck, NJ 07666

Re: S2512

Dear Senator Weinberg:

I am writing to oppose any amendment of the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA’) that changes the requestor’s entitlement to an award of reasonable attorneys’ fees from “shall” to “may.” In particular, I am writing with respect to S2512.

As you know, mandatory awards of reasonable attorneys’ fees to prevailing members of the public have been in OPRA since it was first passed. Mandatory fee-shifting guarantees that there will be at least some lawyers who are willing to handle OPRA cases for members of the public and non-profit groups who do not have the resources to pay lawyers the several thousand dollars it costs to bring an OPRA case in Superior Court.

If citizens and non-profits who are denied access to public records are also denied access to lawyers, they will be effectively disenfranchised and will not be able to participate meaningfully in government.

Unfortunately, government agencies routinely deny access to public records. Municipalities deny access to settlement agreements. County prosecutors deny access to criminal files, even for closed cases. Police departments deny access to routine arrest records. State agencies deny access to records on the basis that the records requests are “overbroad,” even in cases when the records are easily identifiable. While there are always exceptions, there continues to be a strong culture against disclosure. That can only be countered with strong activism through many means, including the Court system, with the assistance of competent, diligent and experienced legal counsel.

Relative to the resources of citizens, public agencies are immensely powerful. The State of New Jersey has its own law firm – the Office of the Attorney General – to defend it in OPRA cases. All counties have in-house counsel or powerful law firms that routinely represent them. The larger cities and municipalities have lawyers who work in-house or have lawyers on retainer. Every municipality has access to lawyers who regularly advise them on legal matters, including OPRA. As you know, taxpayers pay for all of these lawyers.

Mandatory fee-shifting in OPRA is not an advantage; rather, it was intended to level the playing field. The attorneys who work for public agencies and who handle OPRA cases are guaranteed payment, regardless of outcome. If the attorneys who work for public entities are guaranteed to be paid no matter what happens in a case, then it is only fair that lawyers who handle OPRA cases against public entities should be paid a reasonable fee in every case in which they prevail.

I emphasize that attorneys’ fees must be reasonable. While fee-shifting itself is mandatory, Courts and judges already have broad discretion to determine the amount of those fees, relative to the success achieved (among other factors).

If the fee-shifting provision in the law is changed to “may,” it will create, at best, a tremendous amount of uncertainty regarding the circumstances under which attorneys would be entitled to fees. This uncertainty will reduce the public’s access to competent lawyers.

For these reasons, I urge you to retain mandatory fee-shifting in OPRA.

Sincerely,
[NAME]

Monmouth County Democratic Women’s Caucus to present “Women in History” Event in Asbury Park Tonight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 4, 2013


ASBURY PARK – Monmouth County Democrats Women’s Caucus is holding a very special event tonight, “Women in History”, featuring guest speakers Democratic Candidate for Governor Barbara Buono, State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, Assemblywoman Gabriela Mosquera and Clinton, NJ Mayor Janice Kovach, at the Watermark, 700 Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park, NJ.

The Monmouth County Democratic Women’s Caucus was established to help increase the political voice of Democratic women within every level of government. In just nine months, The Monmouth County Democratic Women’s Caucus has grown into a political force of over 100 members, holding regular monthly meetings, supporting Democratic women candidates throughout the county and volunteering in many county party events.

“Together, we are fighting against gender inequality and political oppression,” says co-chair Patricia Teffenhart-Maikos of Holmdel. “Anyone who discounts the strength and determination of the Monmouth County Democrats hasn’t met the Women’s Caucus. We are a group of passionate women dedicated to turning Monmouth County BLUE, one municipality – one election at a time.”

Co-Chair Retha Onitiri of Millstone adds, “Tonight, we celebrate our Democratic sisters who are truly history-making women in New Jersey."

Tonight’s fundraiser will begin at 6pm and the cost of admission is $30.00. All proceeds go to the Monmouth County Democratic Organization.

Pallone Calls for Passage of Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act

Visits Women’s Rights Organization, Manavi

New Brunswick, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) visited Manavi, an organization in New Brunswick, New Jersey that provides critical service to primarily South Asian women who are victims of violence. Pallone was joined by New Jersey State Senator Nia Gill (D-Essex/Passaic), and representatives from the Center on Violence Against Women and Children at Rutgers University.
Senator Gill is a prime sponsor with State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg on the VAWA Bridge Act (S-2490) in the New Jersey State Senate, which would provide bridge funding for programs that receive support from VAWA until Congress reauthorizes the bill.

After the group toured the Manavi facility and spoke with the organization’s staff and representatives of its board of directors, Pallone discussed the urgent need for the House passage of the bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA Reauthorization).

Earlier this month, VAWA Reauthorization passed in the U.S. Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 78 to 22. The Senate passed bill includes provisions that significantly expand protections to women from the LGBT, Native American and immigrant communities.

“Protecting all women from violence, assault, and stalking should not be a Democrat or Republican issue, and it is time for House Republicans stop blocking this strong, bipartisan bill,” said Pallone.

 “Among numerous important provisions, the VAWA Reauthorization contains critical improvements to the law for protecting women who are suffering abuse in immigrant communities, and further delay of this bill is not an option. I want to thank everyone at Manavi and the Center on Violence Against Women and Children at Rutgers University for your good work, and also State Senator Gill for your support of this meaningful legislation.”

“The Violence Against Women Act has proven successful in protecting women and children against violence and abuse. I am proud to stand with Congressman Pallone who has continued to advocate for programs that serve victims of domestic violence and has made renewal of VAWA a priority. In the event that House Republicans fail to act on this legislation in a timely manner, we will continue our work in Trenton to ensure we have bridge funding in place for agencies that protect and provide the necessary services to support women against violence,” said State Senator Gill.

The VAWA Reauthorization significantly strengthens the ability of the Federal Government, the States, law enforcement, and service providers to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As with the previous reauthorizations of VAWA in 2000 and 2005, this bill responds to the realities and needs reported by those who work with victims every day to make VAWA work better for all victims.

Monmouth County Democratic Women’s Caucus Event at the Watermark on March 4th

(click to enlarge)

Feb. 6 - Technology & Open Government Seminar at Rutgers – FREE

posted by Linda Baum for NJFOG

Four experts in open government will serve as panelists at a free seminar at Rutgers on Wednesday, February 6th. They will discuss how technology has affected issues surrounding open government, such as obtaining state and local government documents and getting access to public meetings.

The panel includes:

• Walter Luers, president of the NJ Foundation for Open Government (NJFOG)
• John Paff, chairman of the Libertarian Party’s Open Government Advocacy Project
• Suzanne Piotrowski, an academic expert on open government
• Sen. Loretta Weinberg, the NJ Senate Majority leader and author of two bills to reform the Open Public Meetings Act and the Open Public Records Act

The session will be held in the 4th floor lecture hall of the Alexander Library, 169 College Ave., New Brunswick, NJ. It begins at 6:30 with light snacks/dinner, and then the discussion gets underway at 7 p.m.

The seminar is sponsored by the Centers for Global Advancement and International Affairs, the Journalism Research Institute, and the Rutgers chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

See flyer here: http://www.jrireports.com/gpage7.html.

For directions: http://rumaps.rutgers.edu/?id=C71819

The Citizens Campaign: Insider Tips For Accessing Public Records

Back on November 18th the Hyperlocal News Association along with the Citizens's Campaign held a workshop on OPRA and the Sunshine Law, I couldn't attend but a few people that I know did.

From all accounts, including the video of the workshop below, it was a lively and insightful event that engaged all that were in attendance and provided a wealth of information to those that believe in honest, open and transparent government while giving guidance to those who are interested in how to file OPRA requests with their local governing bodies or governmental entities.

Of particular interest to those who live in Middletown and have ever tried to get information from the Middletown Sewerage Authority (TOMSA), this workshop made it clear that TOMSA is in clear violation of the OPRA law.

People who have inquired about TOMSA policies for providing documents like the budget or bill lists, are told that they are only in paper form and that those in the TOMSA office don't have the ability to scan them, so documents can't be provided via email or CD.

If there are any documents that just happen to be in electronic form, only TOMSA Director Patrick Parkinson can approve a request to deliver it via email or on CD. Parkinson then, in violation of existing OPRA rules and fee schedules, determines how much to charge requesters for information requested.

As a case in point, when Sean Byrnes was a sitting Committeeman on the Middletown Township Committee, he was charged an outlandish fee of $75 for a copy of the TOMSA budget! How crazy is that?

The video below is long, it runs for an hour and 42 minutes and I hope that readers can sit through it because when the floor is opened up for a Q&A a lot of problems that people are having trouble with in other towns sounds eerily similar to those problems that people in Middletown come up against when requesting information.

As an FYI to go along with this, NJ State Senator Lorretta Weinberg is working to update the Sunshine and OPRA laws. Senate bill S. 1351 increases from 48 hrs to 3 days the advance notice requirement for agendas, and brings the OPRA law (passed in 1975) up to date with technology, among other changes.

Are "Christie's" U.S. Attorneys Stonewalling the Corzine Campaign?

by Steve Singiser - Daily Kos
Sat Aug 22, 2009

Since early in the Spring (over 150 days ago, according to a clock helpfully placed in an online ad on PolitickerNJ), the campaign of New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has been waiting on a Freedom of Information Act request. Back in March, Team Corzine began asking for documents pertaining to Chris Christie and his tenure in the U.S. Attorneys Office. A fishing expedition, perhaps, but one that is pretty common in campaigns.

The response, shall we say, has been lacking. Therefore, on Thursday, Team Corzine looked to kick it up a notch, filing several administrative challenges to the D.O.J. complaining about the stonewalling:

"The United States Attorney’s office has many fine, dedicated, professional lawyers," said Corzine strategist Tom Shea. "But, in light of recent reports that Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra is under investigation to determine if he has used the office to help further the Christie campaign, Second Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Brown has an ongoing financial relationship with Christie and Christie was communicating with Karl Rove about his run for governor from that office, we feel it is even more important we receive the information requested."

Friday morning, in a press release, they took it a step further, as Corzine's nominee for Lt. Governor, state Senator Loretta Weinberg, made what would seem to be a pretty reasonable request:

Senator Loretta Weinberg today called on Assistant United States Attorney Michele Brown to be removed from having any participation in fulfilling the Corzine '09 campaign's FOIA requests after it was revealed in the Star-Ledger that Brown is "playing a role in the process of retrieving" the documents requested by the Corzine '09 campaign.

In recent days, it was revealed that Christie has an ongoing financial relationship with Brown, the number two lawyer in the U.S. Attorney's office, which he failed to disclose in either his personal financial disclosure forms or tax returns. Citing Brown's potential conflict of interest, Weinberg called today for Brown to be removed off the task of retrieving any of the FOIA requests.

So, if the Corzine campaign is correct on this one, the person who was working on fulfilling those requests for information on Chris Christie was someone who owes Chris Christie almost fifty grand. Armed with that nugget of information, it is not hard to see why the delivery on said requests has been a tad tardy.

For their part, the U.S. Attorney's office is denying that Brown is in charge of such requests, saying that she has played a role, but only because some of the documents pertained to her.

This whole episode, nonetheless, is why the financial arrangement between Christie and Brown was a horrific idea on Christie's part, if he was contemplating a political career (and, from all reports, he was contemplating one for quite some time).

Even taking Christie at his word (that he was simply giving a hand to a friend in need), the optics of a political candidate shelling out what we presume was an unsecured loan for that amount, to someone in a capacity to assist him politically (perhaps by...say...sitting on an FOIA request for said candidate's opponent), looks just awful. The appearance of impropriety is glaring, even if everything is on the up-and-up.

This also, it would seem, is going to put the U.S. Attorney's office in Jersey into an incredible bind, even to the point of potentially jeopardizing some of their prosecutorial ability, if some of their targets can paint the office as driven by partisan political motivation. Given how many bad guys come before that office over the course of time, offering them that kind of potential "out" is terribly troublesome.

Christie could, of course, dampen the effects of that by coming completely clean on the present state of his relationship with the U.S. Attorney's office. At this point, however, he seems to have clammed up:

On Thursday, Christie refused to answer questions for a second day. His campaign had said he'd be available.

Appearing at a senior center in Garfield, Christie said he and running mate Kim Guadagno would "take the heat when it comes." However, he went in through a side door, held off press queries during the event, then pointedly refused to answer who he's still in contact with at the U.S. attorney's office and how informed he is about day-to-day activities there.

The conventional wisdom a while ago was that the only way Jon Corzine could be re-elected was if (a) the economy recovered faster than expected or (b) Christie's reputation as the "corruption fighter" could be tarnished. The first condition might prove a difficult get by November (although New Jersey did add jobs in the month of July), but the second condition seems to be becoming more and more plausible.

Quote of The Day: "...He obviously was not only thinking of running for governor, he was seeking input..."

"This to me puts to bed the claim that he did not think about running for governor until he left the U.S. Attorney's Office and had done a lot of soul searching before he made his decision...He obviously was not only thinking of running for governor, he was seeking input from the White House deputy chief of staff, George Bush's chief strategist."

Lt. Governor Candidate Lorretta Weinberg reacting to the news that Republican candidate for governor Chris Christie, had conversations with White House deputy chief of staff, Karl Rove about running for governor of NJ while still acting as U.S. Attorney.

Video: It's a right, not a privilege

With the health care debate raging and tempers at town hall meeting boiling over, the Corzine campaign has released their latest video highlighting their achievements at making heath care more accessible and affordable for New Jerseyans.

Universal access to health care coverage for children and mandating insurance companies to provide coverage for mammograms for women under 40 with a history of family breast cancer are a few of the highlights featured.

The video then contrasts Governor Corzine's health care achievements with the do-nothing, status-quo approach of Chris Christie that would cut health benefits for many who live in our state.

New Corzine Video: Let's Get to Work

Governor Jon Corzine and Senator Loretta Weinberg travel the Garden State on the day that Senator Weinberg accepts the Lieutenant Governor nomination.

WEINBERG CALLS ON CHRISTIE TO ANSWER CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT ROLE AS U.S. ATTORNEY

TRENTON—In the wake of continued stories in the Star-Ledger questioning Conservative Right Wing Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie’s role in a sweetheart plea deal involving two of his closest political associates and Christie’s assertion that he knew nothing of one of the largest tax fraud cases in New Jersey history—despite the fact that it transpired during his term as U.S. attorney—Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate Loretta Weinberg today called on Christie to outline his full involvement with the case and role as U.S. Attorney.

“While Christie has been quick to take credit for all the accomplishments of the U.S. Attorney’s office during his tenure, he has run away from the office’s failures even faster. The people of New Jersey deserve answers to critical questions about Christie’s role as U.S. Attorney. What was the policy and criteria for cases being brought to his attention as U.S. Attorney?

“There are only two possible explanations for Mr. Christie's assertions that he was unaware of this case- either he mismanaged the U.S. Attorney’s office so that a case of this size and import could be settled without his approval or knowledge, or he is not telling the truth about what he knew and when he knew it.”

WEINBERG CALLS ON CHRISTIE TO EXPLAIN WHAT HE KNEW . . . AND WHEN

TRENTON—Ethics advocate State Senator Loretta Weinberg, the Democratic Lt. Governor candidate, today asked former Republican US Attorney Chris Christie to explain his apparent contradiction that he was unaware of a sweetheart plea deal involving some of his closest political associates.

Under a deal struck by Christie’s office last year, a corrupt Morris County developer might walk without a single day in prison after engaging in one of the biggest tax frauds in New Jersey history – a $17.5 million scam.

A Christie campaign spokesperson claimed Christie knew nothing about the case until contacted by the Star-Ledger this week, but Christie’s signature appears on the four page charging document that set the stage for the plea deal.

“Chris Christie got caught in a political lie to cover up his role in a sweetheart deal that let a prominent Republican get a slap on the wrist in a tax fraud case involving tens of millions of dollars,” said Weinberg. “The fact that the guilty party was represented by two of Christie’s political colleagues makes his claim of ignorance impossible to swallow. Are we supposed to believe Christie’s campaign or Christie’s signature on a legal document? Come on Mr Christie - it's time to tell us the whole truth."

The tax fraud case took place in Christie’s political backyard- the Republican stronghold of Morris County. In addition, the defendant in the case was represented by two of Christie’s closest confidants and campaign contributors- Herb Stern and John Inglesino.

“This deal smells of political partisanship, cronyism and favoritism. It will be very hard for Mr. Christie to explain this sweetheart deal and his attempt to cover up his role in it,” concluded Senator Weinberg.

The defendant, Morton Salkind pleaded guilty in May 2008 and agreed to repay $17.5 million in back taxes within six months. However, the Star-Ledger reported, under the deal struck by Stern’s firm and Christie’s office, “Salkind officially pleaded guilty to just a single count of tax evasion of a much smaller amount -- $276,000 - that he failed to pay in 2001.”

The newspaper wrote, “Federal guidelines recommend a prison sentence between 18 and 24 months for Salkind's crime -- a range that would have been higher if he pleaded guilty to a multimillion-dollar fraud.” Court records show that under the deal, Christie’s office allowed for Salkind’s attorneys to seek no prison time for their client at his sentencing next month.

Corzine Announces Weinberg Via Email And Receives Immediate Response From Facebook

A short while ago I received the following email from the Corzine09 campaign announcing Loretta Weinberg as Governor Corzines choice to be his running mate as Lt. Governor:

Friends,

This November, for the first time in our state's history, New Jerseyans will have the opportunity to vote both for Governor and for the newly-created office of Lieutenant Governor.

I am proud to announce that I have selected State Senator Loretta Weinberg as my nominee to serve as New Jersey's first Lieutenant Governor.

I hope you'll join both of us tomorrow, Saturday July 25th, at 2 p.m. at the Bergen Performing Arts Center at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood.

Those of you in Bergen County probably already know Senator Weinberg well. She has served the Bergen County community with honesty, honor, and distinction since she was first elected to the State Assembly in 1992 and, then, as a State Senator since 2005.

For those of you who may not know Senator Weinberg, I know that you will be impressed by her legislative experience, the significant and positive change she's brought to our state, and by her personal values and unquestionable integrity.

Often called the "conscience of the Legislature" because of her principled stands on issues large and small, Loretta Weinberg isn't afraid to take on the tough fights:

Loretta has been leading the charge on ethics reform for years. She's passed legislation to require greater financial disclosure by local government officials, toughen regulations for lobbyists, strengthen anti-nepotism rules on campaign contributions and limit public contracts to businesses that make political contributions.

She has put the safety of our children and New Jersey residents first. Loretta battled the powerful gun lobby to protect our children by mandating safety locks on all handguns and fought to lower the blood alcohol level state-wide for which a person can be considered to be guilty of drunk driving.

She is a tireless advocate for protecting New Jerseyan's health. Against stiff opposition, Loretta took on Big Tobacco and sponsored the law making indoor public places smoke-free. She stood up to insurance companies and succeeded in forcing hospitals to provide longer stays for new moms and their babies. And she has made combating autism a primary focus as the sponsor of several laws funding treatment, education and research for autistic children.

The list goes on and on. For over forty years, Loretta Weinberg has been an advocate for better health care, honest government, environmental protection, women's rights, and protecting the pocketbooks of New Jersey's working families.

She shares my commitment to our state and my vision for what New Jersey can be, and I cannot think of a better person to serve as New Jersey's first Lieutenant Governor. I'm confident that as you get to know her you will become as big a fan of Loretta Weinberg as I am.

I'm confident that Loretta's steadfast commitment, her deep legislative experience, and her personal integrity will prove to be invaluable as we continue to build on the remarkable successes of my first term. I know that Loretta will be a partner that I can trust and will become a unique and important voice in the next Corzine Administration.

I'm confident that she will set the highest standard for what New Jersey's Lieutenant Governor can and should be, and I'm looking forward to working side-by-side with her over the next four years.

I know that together we will continue to do great things for the state of New Jersey.

Governor Jon Corzine

Was this a good choice? We'll find out soon, people are already starting to weigh in. Here are some comments left on the Governor's face book page:

"This is what we really need, a woman to clean things up!!!! But not like Christine Whitmann, who stole $100 million from state employee pension funds to make pretend that she could balance a budget. We are and will pay for that for a long time."

"Love her!"

"I KNEW SHE was THE ONE, THE RIGHT choice for Lt. Governor!! YES! She's a fighter! She is full of life and more!! Loretta Weinberg: "The people's lt. governor! Great Choice, Gov. Corzine!!"

"Ms Weinberg is smart and experienced and good for NJ."

"Smart and one tuff broad. Great Choice!"