In case you missed it, this Star-Ledger column highlighting the wide gulf between Governor Chris Christie's image as a bipartisan figure and the reality of his radical right-wing record. It's hard not to agree with the conclusion: "It is time we evaluate politicians for their merits and records, not on the illusion of bipartisanship through photo optics and headlines."
The Star-Ledger:
By Robert Weiner and Nakia Gladden
Everyone wants the Jersey Shore to succeed after Hurricane Sandy’s devastation.
Gov. Chris Christie has worked in a bipartisan manner on this issue to benefit the state — and continues to do so, as President Obama’s visit May 28 showed. Almost alone among Republicans, Christie chastised his own party and House Speaker John Boehner for delaying the vote for Sandy relief, saying, “Shame on Congress.”
The media have fixated on painting Christie as a bipartisan politician. While he has been rightly bipartisan concerning Sandy relief and recovery — which could help him in a presidential race — his overall record is staunchly conservative.
Now, after the death of New Jersey Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg, the governor eulogized that the two had “battles over philosophy and the role of government.” Christie had earlier called Lautenberg “an embarrassment” and “a partisan hack.” To choose a temporary successor, Christie said, “I do have a preference of one party.”
Yesterday, he named state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa, a Republican.
From the moment Christie began his term, he embarked upon a deliberate war against labor unions. In 2011, he signed legislation that increased obligations by teachers, police and other public workers for pensions and health care while removing their ability to collectively bargain.
He appeared on television bragging that his state leads the nation in public layoffs because “government was bloated at every level. … In New Jersey, we’re not trying to break the unions; the unions are trying to break the middle class.” In other words, he was trying to break the unions.
Christie’s budgets cut social and economic programs. He included $500 million in cuts to education that the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional.
“The harm being visited is not some minor infringement of the constitutional right but a real, substantial, and consequential blow to the achievement of a thorough and efficient system of education” in the state’s 31 poorest school systems, wrote Justice Jaynee LaVecchia, a Republican appointee, in the majority decision.
Christie’s budget also eliminated after-school education for more than 15,000 low-income children and cut $21 million in elderly health services.
Between June 2010 and June 2011, six family planning clinics were closed due to budget cuts from the governor. Women around Burlington, Camden, Cherry Hill, Millville, Bayonne and Dover relied on these clinics. He vetoed four bills that would have expanded family planning. He also vetoed equal-pay legislation, saying it was “senseless bureaucracy,” and opposed legislation that would eliminate gender wage discrimination in public contracts.
Using the word bipartisan to describe Christie is highly misleading with his work with the Legislature. He vetoed more than 150 bills passed by his Democratic-led Legislature.
His vetoes blocked bills to allow marriage equality, raise the minimum wage and increase taxes on those making more than $1 million a year. He also twice vetoed a bill to make financing easier for consumers to rent or buy foreclosed properties as affordable housing.
The governor is also a part of the Republican team attempting to suppress the vote nationwide by minorities, youth and seniors (i.e. mostly Democrats), having vetoed a bill last month to allow early voting.
But make no mistake, Christie is very politically savvy. He recently announced his support for the Medicaid portion of the president’s health care law — a switch from his previous opposition — stating that Obamacare would be good for New Jersey because it will stabilize hospitals, benefit low-income families and save New Jersey $227 million in the first year.
The fact of the matter is Christie is up for re-election in a predominantly Democratic state. This move is a political necessity. It could pose a problem, however, in a national election in 2016. He will have to twist into as many pretzels as Mitt Romney did over the health issue in 2012.
It is clear that the media will try to push the narrative of Christie’s bipartisanship. According to the National Journal on May 28, Christie is conducting “winning politics.” However, his record tells a far different story. It is time we evaluate politicians for their merits and records, not on the illusion of bipartisanship through photo optics and headlines.
******************
Robert Weiner, a Paterson native, is a former spokesman for the Clinton White House and U.S. House Government Operations Committee. Nakia Gladden is policy and research analyst at Robert Weiner Associates.
Showing posts with label early voting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label early voting. Show all posts
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
To Those Who Need It
The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:
“Banker,” “revolutionary,” and “visionary” are not words often associated with each other. Yet all apply to Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who this week was honored with our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, under legislation that I wrote and helped pass with help from many New Jerseyans.
Born and educated in what is today Bangladesh, Dr. Yunus discovered that impoverished people could not get ahead because of the predatory lending practices of money-lenders. Starting with just $27 of his own money, Dr. Yunus showed that, contrary to the old, cynical saying than bankers “loan money only to people who don’t need it,” it could be profitable to loan money to poor people who had not shown marketable skills or facility in handling money. In the face of skepticism and opposition, he built a microcredit banking business that thrived, lifted millions of people out of poverty, and provided a model for similar work around the world.
In 2006, New Jerseyans who were inspired by Dr. Yunus’s work – organized through RESULTS NJ – urged me to help honor his contributions and raise awareness of microcredit by working to award him a Congressional Gold Medal. Awarding the medal was not easy; we had to work for four years and talk one by one to hundreds of lawmakers. I feel certain that the effort has generated awareness and durable support in Congress for anti-poverty microfinance programs.
Now Dr. Yunus is developing his model for eliminating poverty – not simply alleviating poverty, but eliminating poverty. Does this sound preposterously idealistic? To many it does. However, we would do well to listen to someone who has such a clear, remarkable record of exploding long-cherished myths about business, money, and poverty.
A Receipt for Your Taxes
As you know, Monday was the deadline to file your 2012 income taxes with the Internal Revenue Service. I encourage you to take a few moments to visit the White House’s 2012 Federal Taxpayer Receipt, which will show you how your tax dollars are being spent.
You may be surprised to learn, for instance, that the clear majority of tax dollars go to support just three programs: Social Security, Medicare, and the Department of Defense. As the economist and Central New Jersey resident Paul Krugman has often commented, the United States government is, from a budgetary perspective, “an insurance company with an army” – an insight that we would all do well to bear in mind when considering the anti-government rhetoric so prevalent in Washington today and when considering possible changes in the federal budget.
“Precious – Almost Sacred”
The history of American elections is a story of an expanding right to vote. The franchise was once extended only to land-owning whites, but over centuries, America has expanded it far more broadly: to non-landowners, to women, and to minorities. Over the years, through various laws we have made it more difficult to exclude people from registering and voting.
One of the heroes in that long story is my friend John Lewis, the Georgia congressman who suffered grave injuries during his nonviolent protests that helped inspire the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This week he joined me and other New Jersey officials to call on Gov. Christie to take the next step in expanding the franchise: bringing early voting to New Jersey.
The flaws of a one-day-only voting system were all too obvious last November. Many voters across the nation had to wait in long lines on Election Day, and many New Jersey voters affected by Hurricane Sandy could not make it to the polls at all.
The rational, simple solution to this problem – already embraced by more than 30 states – is to allow voters to cast their ballots any time during a period of days or weeks leading up to Election Day. The state legislature has already passed a bill to give New Jerseyans 15 days to vote early. Now, we just need Gov. Christie to sign it into law.
As Rep. Lewis said, “The vote is precious – almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool that we have in a democratic society to bring about change. It is my hope that the governor of the state of New Jersey will do what is right, what is fair and what is just, and sign this piece of legislation.”
Sincerely,
Rush Holt
Member of Congress
“Banker,” “revolutionary,” and “visionary” are not words often associated with each other. Yet all apply to Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who this week was honored with our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, under legislation that I wrote and helped pass with help from many New Jerseyans.
Born and educated in what is today Bangladesh, Dr. Yunus discovered that impoverished people could not get ahead because of the predatory lending practices of money-lenders. Starting with just $27 of his own money, Dr. Yunus showed that, contrary to the old, cynical saying than bankers “loan money only to people who don’t need it,” it could be profitable to loan money to poor people who had not shown marketable skills or facility in handling money. In the face of skepticism and opposition, he built a microcredit banking business that thrived, lifted millions of people out of poverty, and provided a model for similar work around the world.
In 2006, New Jerseyans who were inspired by Dr. Yunus’s work – organized through RESULTS NJ – urged me to help honor his contributions and raise awareness of microcredit by working to award him a Congressional Gold Medal. Awarding the medal was not easy; we had to work for four years and talk one by one to hundreds of lawmakers. I feel certain that the effort has generated awareness and durable support in Congress for anti-poverty microfinance programs.
Now Dr. Yunus is developing his model for eliminating poverty – not simply alleviating poverty, but eliminating poverty. Does this sound preposterously idealistic? To many it does. However, we would do well to listen to someone who has such a clear, remarkable record of exploding long-cherished myths about business, money, and poverty.
A Receipt for Your Taxes
As you know, Monday was the deadline to file your 2012 income taxes with the Internal Revenue Service. I encourage you to take a few moments to visit the White House’s 2012 Federal Taxpayer Receipt, which will show you how your tax dollars are being spent.
You may be surprised to learn, for instance, that the clear majority of tax dollars go to support just three programs: Social Security, Medicare, and the Department of Defense. As the economist and Central New Jersey resident Paul Krugman has often commented, the United States government is, from a budgetary perspective, “an insurance company with an army” – an insight that we would all do well to bear in mind when considering the anti-government rhetoric so prevalent in Washington today and when considering possible changes in the federal budget.
“Precious – Almost Sacred”
The history of American elections is a story of an expanding right to vote. The franchise was once extended only to land-owning whites, but over centuries, America has expanded it far more broadly: to non-landowners, to women, and to minorities. Over the years, through various laws we have made it more difficult to exclude people from registering and voting.
One of the heroes in that long story is my friend John Lewis, the Georgia congressman who suffered grave injuries during his nonviolent protests that helped inspire the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This week he joined me and other New Jersey officials to call on Gov. Christie to take the next step in expanding the franchise: bringing early voting to New Jersey.
The flaws of a one-day-only voting system were all too obvious last November. Many voters across the nation had to wait in long lines on Election Day, and many New Jersey voters affected by Hurricane Sandy could not make it to the polls at all.
The rational, simple solution to this problem – already embraced by more than 30 states – is to allow voters to cast their ballots any time during a period of days or weeks leading up to Election Day. The state legislature has already passed a bill to give New Jerseyans 15 days to vote early. Now, we just need Gov. Christie to sign it into law.
As Rep. Lewis said, “The vote is precious – almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool that we have in a democratic society to bring about change. It is my hope that the governor of the state of New Jersey will do what is right, what is fair and what is just, and sign this piece of legislation.”
Sincerely,
Rush Holt
Member of Congress
Friday, April 19, 2013
NJ State AFL-CIO Urges You To Call the Governor And Tell Him to Sign Early Voting Bill into Law
Right now, Governor Christie has a crucial piece of legislation on his desk that would expand access to the democratic process in New Jersey. Early Voting legislation (A-3553) passed through the legislature last month, and, if passed, will make New Jersey the 33rd state, not including the District of Columbia, to adopt early voting. The bill would give New Jerseyans 15 days before Election Day to vote early, and will extend voting hours on weekday and weekend evenings.
Call Governor Christie’s office today at 609-292-6000 with a simple message: “Sign the early voting bill into law.”
While every state should adopt an early voting program, no state knows its importance better than New Jersey. Last year, the democratic process was compromised by Hurricane Sandy, causing some localities to put last-minute measures into place, causing confusion and disenfranchising voters. In fact, nearly 250,000 less votes were cast between last year and 2008. Early voting would strengthen democracy and take into account work schedules, disabilities, illnesses, child care, and other issues that would prevent registered voters from participating in the democratic process. This legislation will improve New Jersey’s voting system and increase civic engagement and participation in our electoral process.
If the Governor will not fight to strengthen democracy in our state, it is up to us to make sure every New Jerseyan is afforded the opportunity to exercise his or her vote.
In Unity,
Charles Wowkanech, President
Laurel Brennan, Secretary-Treasurer
Call Governor Christie’s office today at 609-292-6000 with a simple message: “Sign the early voting bill into law.”
While every state should adopt an early voting program, no state knows its importance better than New Jersey. Last year, the democratic process was compromised by Hurricane Sandy, causing some localities to put last-minute measures into place, causing confusion and disenfranchising voters. In fact, nearly 250,000 less votes were cast between last year and 2008. Early voting would strengthen democracy and take into account work schedules, disabilities, illnesses, child care, and other issues that would prevent registered voters from participating in the democratic process. This legislation will improve New Jersey’s voting system and increase civic engagement and participation in our electoral process.
If the Governor will not fight to strengthen democracy in our state, it is up to us to make sure every New Jerseyan is afforded the opportunity to exercise his or her vote.
In Unity,
Charles Wowkanech, President
Laurel Brennan, Secretary-Treasurer
Saturday, November 3, 2012
New Jersey Early Voting Hours and Locations
If you are thinking of voting Tuesday but are afraid that you may not be able to make it to the polls due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy or for some reason, early voting in New Jersey has begun. If voters can make it out between now and Monday, to their respective county seats, they will be able to cast their vote earlier, before Tuesday.
Cross posted from Patch
By Jacklyn Corley
Hurricane Sandy has turned many New Jersey residents' lives upside down. If you want to do your civic duty and vote in the 2012 election but aren't sure you will be able to make it to the polls on Tuesday, county clerks' offices will be holding weekend hours.
Simply stop by the central and southern New Jersey election offices listed below for the county in which you reside and are registered to vote, and cast an election ballot.
The Mercer County Clerk's Office will have walk-in voting at two locations: the Old Courthouse, 209 S. Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Trenton and the County Administration Building, 640 S. Broad Street, Room B-8, Trenton.
The hours of operation are as follows:
For more information, contact the following Mercer County officials:
In Middlesex County, early voting is available at the Middlesex County Clerk's Office in the County Administration Building, 75 Bayard St., New Brunswick. The hours of operation are as follows:
For more information, contact the following Middlesex County officials:
To accommodate walk-in voting, the Monmouth County Clerk of Elections Office, located at 300 Halls Mill Road, Freehold, will be open to the public on the days and hours listed below:
For more information, contact the following Monmouth County officials:
Ocean County residents can submit ballots at the Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Ave, Room 116 - First Floor, Toms River. A second early voting location is available at the Ocean County Southern Service Center, 179 South Main Street, Stafford. Call for more information 609-597-1500 about that location. Hours for early voting are as follows:
For more information, contact the following Ocean County officials:
In Union County, the clerk's office will hold walk-in voting at two locations: Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth and Union County Annex, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield. Hours for early voting are as follows:
For more information, contact the following Union County officials:
Cross posted from Patch
By Jacklyn Corley
Hurricane Sandy has turned many New Jersey residents' lives upside down. If you want to do your civic duty and vote in the 2012 election but aren't sure you will be able to make it to the polls on Tuesday, county clerks' offices will be holding weekend hours.
Simply stop by the central and southern New Jersey election offices listed below for the county in which you reside and are registered to vote, and cast an election ballot.
The Mercer County Clerk's Office will have walk-in voting at two locations: the Old Courthouse, 209 S. Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Trenton and the County Administration Building, 640 S. Broad Street, Room B-8, Trenton.
The hours of operation are as follows:
- Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact the following Mercer County officials:
- County Clerk's Office - 609-989-6998
- Superintendent of Elections - 609-989-6750
- Board of Elections - 609-989-6522
In Middlesex County, early voting is available at the Middlesex County Clerk's Office in the County Administration Building, 75 Bayard St., New Brunswick. The hours of operation are as follows:
- Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact the following Middlesex County officials:
- County Clerk - 732-745-3827
- Commissioner of Registration - 732-745-3471
- Board of Elections - 732-745-3471
To accommodate walk-in voting, the Monmouth County Clerk of Elections Office, located at 300 Halls Mill Road, Freehold, will be open to the public on the days and hours listed below:
- Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact the following Monmouth County officials:
- County Clerk - 732-431-7790
- Superintendent of Elections - 732-431-7780
- Board of Elections - 732-431-7150
Ocean County residents can submit ballots at the Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Ave, Room 116 - First Floor, Toms River. A second early voting location is available at the Ocean County Southern Service Center, 179 South Main Street, Stafford. Call for more information 609-597-1500 about that location. Hours for early voting are as follows:
- Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact the following Ocean County officials:
- County Clerk - 732-929-2018
- Commissioner of Registration - 732-929-2167
- Board of Elections - 732-929-2167
In Union County, the clerk's office will hold walk-in voting at two locations: Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth and Union County Annex, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield. Hours for early voting are as follows:
- Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m
For more information, contact the following Union County officials:
- County Clerk - 908-527-4996/4997
- Commissioner of Registration - 908-527-4123
- Board of Elections - 908-527-4123
Friday, October 30, 2009
County Clerk opens election offices for Saturday voting Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. is the deadline; Nov. 3 is Election Day
For Immediate Release:
October 28, 2009
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ – The Monmouth County election offices at 300 Halls Mills Rd. will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 for registered Monmouth County voters who would like to vote in person.
"There is no reason for a registered voter to miss out on voting in the upcoming Nov. 3 election” Monmouth County Clerk M. Claire French said. “If you know who you want to vote for and don’t want to take a chance on missing out on voting in your home district, you can vote in person at the county’s election offices.”
Voters may also vote in person up to 3 p.m. on Nov. 2, the day before the election, at the county election office. The regular election office hours are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The County Clerk’s election office and the Board of Elections’ office work in tandem to coordinate walk-in voters prior to Election Day.
The deadline to request a Vote By Mail ballot was Oct. 27. The Vote By Mail ballot has replaced the absentee ballot.
Election information can be found on the County Clerk’s page of the Monmouth County Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com. Contact the Monmouth County Clerks’ Election Office at 732-431-7790 for additional information.
French also reminds people that elections’ rules now allow voters to vote prior to the election for any reason.
“In the past, absentee voting was restricted to individuals with disabilities, those who were out of town on Election Day or unable to vote because work hours kept them from the polls,” French said.
“That is not the case any more. Any registered voter can come to the county’s election offices and vote prior to Election Day.”
October 28, 2009
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ – The Monmouth County election offices at 300 Halls Mills Rd. will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 for registered Monmouth County voters who would like to vote in person.
"There is no reason for a registered voter to miss out on voting in the upcoming Nov. 3 election” Monmouth County Clerk M. Claire French said. “If you know who you want to vote for and don’t want to take a chance on missing out on voting in your home district, you can vote in person at the county’s election offices.”
Voters may also vote in person up to 3 p.m. on Nov. 2, the day before the election, at the county election office. The regular election office hours are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The County Clerk’s election office and the Board of Elections’ office work in tandem to coordinate walk-in voters prior to Election Day.
The deadline to request a Vote By Mail ballot was Oct. 27. The Vote By Mail ballot has replaced the absentee ballot.
Election information can be found on the County Clerk’s page of the Monmouth County Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com. Contact the Monmouth County Clerks’ Election Office at 732-431-7790 for additional information.
French also reminds people that elections’ rules now allow voters to vote prior to the election for any reason.
“In the past, absentee voting was restricted to individuals with disabilities, those who were out of town on Election Day or unable to vote because work hours kept them from the polls,” French said.
“That is not the case any more. Any registered voter can come to the county’s election offices and vote prior to Election Day.”
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