Trenton, NJ – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy released the following statement regarding the Senate’s passage today of the disaster relief package:
“Our genuine thanks and gratitude goes out to the U.S. Senate for its thoughtful consideration and passage of the Hurricane Sandy disaster relief package. Despite the difficult path in getting to this moment, the Senate membership clearly recognized early on the urgency and necessity of approving the full aid package and its importance in rebuilding our battered infrastructure and getting our millions of affected residents back on their feet as quickly as possible. To all Americans, we are grateful for their willingness to come to our aid as we take on the monumental task of rebuilding and we pledge to do the same should our fellow citizens find themselves facing unexpected and harsh devastation.
“We also make special note of the tenacious efforts of our respective Congressional delegations in steering the Sandy aid package through their respective houses and bringing this aid home to their people.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate today passed the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, one week after the House passed a similar assistance measure, which will keep New Jersey’s recovery on track and allow New Jersey and other Superstorm Sandy-impacted states—New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania—to rebuild in the wake of the storm. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who represents the hard-hit disaster areas of Ocean and Monmouth counties, noted that the federal aid is needed to recover from the worst natural disaster in his state’s history.
Governor’s Conditional Veto Pairs Responsible 3-Year Phase-In of One-Dollar Wage Increase with 25 Percent Increase in Earned Income Tax Credit
Trenton, NJ – Acting to support a responsible increase in the state’s minimum wage while providing direct relief to New Jersey’s working families and protecting the state’s economic recovery, Governor Chris Christie today put forward a plan to increase the state’s minimum wage by one dollar over a phase-in period of three years and to provide direct relief to struggling families with a 25 percent increase to the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit.
Senate President Steve Sweeney issued the following statement this morning announcing that he will not challenge Senator Barbara Buono for the Democratic nomination for Governor:
After careful consideration and much deliberation, I will not be a candidate for governor in 2013. I’ve decided my work now needs to be focused on ensuring the Legislature remains in Democratic control. Is there any question about the havoc and pain a Republican Legislature would inflict on the middle class, labor, women, and our seniors? For over a decade New Jersey voters have ensured we have a strong Democratic majority in both houses and I view it as absolutely essential and my job to keep that streak going. We will.
Posted: January 28th, 2013 | Author:Art Gallagher | Filed under:Abortion | Tags:Abortion, Susan B.Anthony List | Comments Off on An Inconvenient Truth Presented By The Women Of Susan B. Anthony List
ASSEMBLYWOMAN PROPOSES DOUBLING CONSUMER FRAUD FINES FOLLOWING A NATURAL DISASTER
While remaining vigilant against post-Hurricane Sandy scams, Assemblywoman Amy H. Handlin is drafting legislation that would double the fines against those who commit fraud after natural disasters, while working with residents and state and local officials on preventing storm scams before they happen.
“It takes a special kind of deviant to prey upon those who have tragically lost their home and possessions. They deserve a double dose of penalty,” Handlin, R-Monmouth, said. “I’ve already heard from many constituents who have been targeted by storm scammers who claim to be mold remediators, contractors or financial advisers. We need to deliver a strong message that attempting to steal from storm victims will carry severe penalties.”
Constituents who suspect fraud or corruption, or have evidence of waste or abuse of public funds, should contact Assemblywoman Handlin’s office at (732) 787-1170 or [email protected]. The Assemblywoman will forward incidents to the proper state and local authorities and wants to monitor potential fraud to see if any patterns emerge.
“Federal funding to help New Jersey recover will soon be approved and we need to be extra vigilant against unscrupulous schemes that would re-victimize innocent people who have already suffered too much,” Handlin said. “If we keep everyone informed and work together we can ensure that this relief funding doesn’t wind up like the old school construction program in which billions of dollars disappeared in a cloud of waste, fraud and abuse.”
Handlin’s legislation would double maximum consumer fraud penalties to $20,000 for a first offense and $40,000 subsequent offenses if the victim had also been victimized by a natural disaster. The penalties mirror stiffer fines imposed against senior citizens. The proposal would also apply consumer fraud penalties to an unlicensed person who offers to perform a service that requires a license, such as mold remediation.
Handlin’s district includes some of the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was interviewed by ABC’s Martha Raddatz yesterday on the stations weekly Sunday morning talk show, ‘This Week.’
Raddatz, who you might remember as the moderator of the vice presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan, asked Menendez about immigration reform Benghazi, former Senator Chuck Hagel’s nomination as Secretary of Defense and whether or not Senator Frank Lautenberg should give Newark Mayor Cory Booker a spanking.
Two former New Jersey political powerhouses joined NJTV’s Michael Aron on his weekly show, On the Record, this week to discuss the 2013 gubernatorial race, the 2014 U.S. Senate race and to reminisce about the good old days… the governors they served under and how the climate has changed in Trenton since the days when they held power.
Democrat Joe Doria served in the State Assembly from 1980-2004. He was Speaker in the 1990-1992 session. Doria left the Assembly after losing the Democratic primary in 2003. In 2004, he was elected by the Hudson Democratic Committee to fill the State Senate term vacated by the death of Senator Glenn Cunningham, who was also the mayor of Jersey City. Doria also served as mayor of Bayonne from July of 1998 through October of 2007. He resigned from the Senate and as mayor when Governor Jon Corzine nominated him to become the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, one of the most powerful Cabinet positions in the State. His public career came to a sudden end in July of 2009 when Corzine announced his resignation as DCA commissioner after his home was raided in the Operation Bid Rig sweep the resulted in 44 arrests. Doria was never arrested and the U.S Attorney’s Office cleared him of all charges in October of 2011.
Republican John Bennett is chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Committee. He served in the State Legislature for 24 years, 10 in the Assembly and 14 in the Senate. While a Senator, Bennett was co-president of the chamber with Richard Codey during first two years of the McGreevey administration. Bennett was Acting Governor for 3 1/2 days, during the week between the Whitman/DiFrancesco administration and the McGreevey administration when New Jersey had five governors…DiFrancesco, Codey, Bennett, former Attorney General John Farmer and McGreevey.
Bennett’s career as a senator came to an end after he was defeated at the polls by Ellen Karcher, then a member of the Marlboro Township Committee. The Asbury Park Press ran Bennett out of office with a relentless series of articles, over a period of months, over a billing irregularity while he was Marlboro’s Township Attorney. Bennett was cleared of any wrong doing by the Feds in March of 2007.
Bennett is collecting a $90,000 annual pension from his years in the legislature and a plethora of part time law appointments tacked together to provide a handsome income.
