Nothing Of Significance Happened In Trenton Today
By Art Gallagher
Senate President Steve Sweeney called the upper house into session today…it can’t honestly be said that he called it “to order”…to vote on 15 of Governor Christie’s 39 line item vetoes in the State Budget.
There was grand standing, name calling, yelling and screaming, but in the end all of the override votes failed, just as everyone knew they would before the show started. Only Senator Jennifer Beck broke partisan ranks to vote with the Democrats to increase Planned Parenthood funding by $7.5 million. The measure still failed.
Tomorrow the Senate will repeat the process.
Nothing real will happen until Governor Christie returns from vacation on Friday.
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Art,
Below is a statement from the Beck camp. She lambasts the Dems for this attempted overide of the governor–but as sole Republican, she went along with their attempt,by voting yes, to do an end run around the governor. Am I missing something here? Is this more Beck hypocrisy?
Protect those without voices–the unborn!
Here is the statement:
Senator Jennifer Beck is troubled by the lack of spending discretion the Democratic members of the New Jersey State Senate showed today as they attempted to pass $377 million in veto overrides, which would have effectively eliminated the entire State surplus. They did not explain how they intended to fund the various overrides put forward.
“At times such as these,” Beck said, “when we’re facing an unemployment rate higher than the national average and a tax burden outpacing any other state in the nation, it is necessary to prioritize. It is unfortunate that the Democratic leadership in the Legislature refuses to do so, and has attempted to push through nearly $400 million in spending without a thought to the taxpayers who would be on the hook for the bill.
“There is no debate about the value of many of the programs that were discussed today,” Beck continued. “New Jersey is simply not in the financial position to fully fund each and every program we would like to see. Governor Christie did increase spending in certain areas, such as education aid, which will see an increase of $805 million over the FY 2010 budget signed by Governor Corzine. Other programs that are seeing an increase in spending over the last budget Corzine include State funding for Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare, disability and senior services, including nursing homes and long-term care (an increase of $982 million), and Early Childhood Intervention, which saw a budget increase of $5.7 million over last year, for a total budget higher than in FY 2010.
“The truth is the budget put forth by Governor Christie is both fiscally sound and responsive to the needs of the community at large. For the Democrats to claim otherwise is to ignore the many key areas that will receive more funding in FY 2012 than they did in FY 2010.”
Senator Beck, agree or disagree, voted on this issue probably 2 or 3 times already. The vote isn’t news.
Senator Beck broke with Republican ranks and voted to overide the Governors veto of the Family Planning Funding.
This on the heels of her alleged flip on gay marriage.
My high level contacts in the Tea Party have indicated that after that vote they will not support her at all.
She has oviously killed any chance of garnering a single social conservative vote. Which includes evangelicals , conservative Catholics and Orhodox Jews. The last group was of particular help to her in the last election.
While to some extent I admire her voting for what she obviously believes in from a political standpoint this along with the recent redistricting leaves her very vulnerable in the next election. The votes she will pick up from those in the gay community who may be persuaded to now vote for a republican and the radical abortion proponents will not be nearly enough to make up what she has lost.
Of course it does remain to be seen if the Democrats will be able to get their act together enough to exploit this vulnerability.
I for one would not cast a vote for the Senator because I do not agree with her ideology.
Since we all agree that no conservative would vote for Beck (meaning that Santiago will be the new Senator from District 11), I’d like to ask everyone here, what makes Santiago the better choice for the NJ State Senate, and how is he better qualified for that job?
Ok, so don’t vote for Beck. Just do not cry if some Christie vetoes are overriden next if that standrard is applied throughout the state. The only thing saving this State is a veto proof legislature.
next year I meant to say
D-11,
With the newly re-configured legislative district, I cannot vote for either candidate. If I was still able to, I would vote for a candidate–that is a true representative of the district they would want to in Trenton.
Jennifer Beck is a publicity hound. If you recall, I posted her “Stop Waste Fraud and Abuse” whereby, you report fraud within state government. I did, and learned the whole thing was nothing more than a publicity stunt. I reported pension fraud , to the tune of a quarter million dollars within the Sheriff’s Department, and she refused to get back to me. Why? because it implicates her friend and political ally Kim Guadagno?? This is totally unacceptable. Then to mute my criticism of her–she sends the state police to my house. It’s a tactic that didn’t work. Actually, I was glad. The gentleman that came to my house was very gracious and knew quite a few co-workers of mine. He was placed in a very awkward position and should not have been used by Beck for political and intimidating purposes.
On another massive fraud–The huge academic fraud at the Freehold Regional HS District which I inadvertently uncovered in 2008–I requested the good senator sit in on just one Board of Education meeting on a fact-finding mission–SHE REFUSED.
She does not have her constituents concerns at heart. She does not return my phone calls or e-mails.
She was given a chance–and yes, I did vote for her–but she has failed. It is now time to bring on board on another representative–Democrat if necessary. It pains me to vote D which I have only done once before in my 37 years voting.
If you go onto Facebook “Dump State Senator Jennifer Beck” you will see enough hypocrisy and other transgressions that will make you sick. I have had enough, and I will make this VERY evident in the future.
One more thing I forgot to add: The taking of the tainted Solomon Dwek campaign contributions: Why did it take Jenny three years to “return to charity” the Dwek funds?? Why does she refuse to show proof she donated these funds to charity as her press release states??? She sponsored legislation that promotes transparency in government dealings, yet she refuses to be transparent, by showing me a Letter of Substantiation that she indeed donated these funds. She can’t have it both ways.
Art, I mentioned the FRHSD debacle in my earlier post. I have these senior moments, but I hoped I thanked you for your input on that matter. I was in touch with a senior member of the FRHSD management, and they mentioned this blog. Apparently you wrote something critical but humorous that lasted in their memory. I guess it came up during a “google” search of the incident at that time. John Curley and Caroline Casagrande was also thanked as well. Now thats what I call good representation!!
I can’t help Caroline anymore, but John would always get my support.
Art, I mentioned the FRHSD debacle in my earlier post. I have these senior moments, but I hoped I thanked you for your input on that matter. I was in touch with a senior member of the FRHSD management, and they mentioned this blog. Apparently you wrote something critical but humorous that lasted in their memory. I guess it came up during a “google” search of the incident at that time. John Curley and Caroline Casagrande was also thanked as well. Now thats what I call good representation!!
Jim,
The results of the “Wasser Watch” series are among the most satisfying this blog has ever contributed to. It might not have made the difference it did if not for all the links you posted in the NJ.com forums. So thank you!
Isn’t Mike Halfacre a big supporter of Jennifer Beck? When Halfacre launched his doomed run for Congress, didn’t he ask Jennifer Beck to stand next to him? Didn’t Halfacre ask Beck to campaign for him? Will Mike Halfacre, now a born-again pro-lifer, publicly renounce Jennifer Beck’s support for an increase in funding to Planned Parenthood?
Beck looses a democrat gets in who will be a 1 termer. Republicans get the message don’t run liberals.
It would be worth it.