Why Rep. Andrews Has My Vote for US Senate

annecrets — Sun, 11 May 2008 13:13:02 GMT

Promoted from the diaries -- Juan

I have known Rep. Rob Andrews for many years as a constituent in his District. He has always been responsive, concerned, knowledgeable and reflective, even when we have not agreed on issues. Plus, he is not afraid to change his mind, a crucial trait in a wise politician. Case in point is how he came around to co-sponsor the most important legislation currently pending in Congress -- HR-808 to create a federal cabinet level Department of Peace and Nonviolence (DOP).

I am a social worker committed to its passage (see www.thepeacealliance.org). We started lobbying Rep. Andrews in 2003 about the DOP when we urged him not to vote for the Iraq War. He had many concerns about the DOP then, yet was always willing to listen to us. Plus, he consistently explained his objections in writing, which I later discovered (from my fellow Peace Alliance campaigners in other states and districts) was quite rare for a Congressman.

Finally in 2006 after much dialogue, Rep. Andrews became convinced of the value of the DOP, changed his mind and signed on as one of what are now 69 co-sponsors (only 4 from New Jersey). This took courage and vision because the concept of peace is still so sadly and dangerously misunderstood. Rep. Andrews comprehends how a DOP will confront root causes of violence at all levels of society for real transformation. To quote renowned broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite about the DOP, "It is not a matter of simply getting another Department of government. You're speaking of an entire philosophical revolution." It is high time Peacebuilding be taken seriously!

We are working hard to get a DOP companion bill introduced in the Senate and have been lobbying Senator Frank Lautenberg for a long time. While interested, Senator Lautenberg has not been willing to commit to it. Rep. Andrews recently went on record saying that if elected, he WOULD introduce a Senate DOP bill. This is why he has my vote. Further, I believe it serves as a powerful and concrete example of how voting for Rob Andrews is indeed voting for real change!
MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH,

Anne Creter - NJ State Co-Coordinator U.S. Department of Peace Campaign and United Nations Liaison of the Global Alliance for Departments and Ministries of Peace

Bergen Democratic Primary - First Shot Across the Bow

carolh — Sun, 11 May 2008 06:11:29 GMT

Well, we are now officially running for three Freeholder seats and the County Clerk seat in the Real Bergen Democrats column against four Joe Ferriero supporters.

The Record ran this article today:
http://www.northjersey.com/new...

Last Wednesday, Carol Skiba and I attended the Freeholder meeting at which they authorized spending $27 million. That was after they spent an hour on photo ops and hearing County employees stroke their egos. Lynne Hurwitz stood to the side glaring at me as usual. Jim Carroll's face turned scarlet when he spied Carol Skiba with me. It never quite returned to pink.

They were defensive perhaps because of what they were about to do - spend $27 million tax payer dollars - (much of it on Pay-To-Play donors) demanding that any reporters in the room speak up and identify themselves. They railed on about how the Record had been reporting negatively about how they conduct business. About how they never dissent or debate anything or think critically about anything. I have never seen politicians so defensive.

I think Freeholder Carroll wanted us to make a scene right then and there. He demanded that if anyone had something to say to him to say it right there - in front of everyone. But, Carol Skiba and I were too busy looking through the one copy of resolutions on the front table and actually reading them - something I highly doubt the Freeholders do. I rest my case on the absolute most outrageous no-bid contract that the Freeholders ever approved: with Real Estate "consultant" Robert Pimienta whose Impact PAC donated 90,000 to the BCDO. See Oshrat Carmiel's article:

http://www.northjersey.com/new...

and the Record editorial:

http://www.northjersey.com/new...

One person speaking during the public comments appeared to be praising Freeholder Ganz, then ended stating that Ganz "watches every nickel". That elicited laughter from the crowd as someone reminded everyone that Freeholder Ganz is a coin collector. In fact, Ganz was an attorney for a company that got in trouble for marketing the Freedom Tower Silver Dollar.
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/pre...

The other priceless moment came when another person came forward to praise the Freeholders and said that the newspapers were unfair http://www.northjersey.com/new...
because folks don't know all the work that the Freeholders do - because they do most of it behind the scenes. I nodded. EXACTLY. That's the PROBLEM, folks.

I find it interesting that Bill Maer - spokesperson for the BCDO called our worrying about the taxpayers "silly" in today's Record article. That concern over a lack of transparency in government and our desire to end pay to play legalized bribery was "silly".

I am not laughing, sir.
Here is our official press release:

REAL BERGEN DEMOCRATS UNVEIL
'AGENDA FOR THE PEOPLE'
VOW TO END BOSS CONTROL OF BERGEN COUNTY GOVERNMENT
BERGEN COUNTY "It's time to return Bergen County government to the taxpayers. No more Party
Boss control, no more putting insider deals ahead of the interests of the people", declared the candidates
for County Freeholder and County Clerk running under the banner of the REAL BERGEN
DEMOCRATS in the June 3rd Democratic primary election.
Citing a need for independent thinkers and critical oversight of Bergen County government, Gail Frasco, a
former Westwood Councilwoman running for County Clerk with her running mates Carol Skiba, a former
Councilwoman from Hasbrouck Heights, Carol Hoernlein, a Tenafly Councilwoman, and Aishaah Rasul,
an attorney from Englewood, who are vying for three Freeholder seats, said they offer a clear choice for
the voters in this upcoming primary.
"We all know that the Democratic organization candidates are beholden to Democratic Party Boss Joe
Ferriero," Frasco said. "That has translated into contracts for politically connected insiders with a "Let
'em eat cake" attitude toward the taxpayers." Frasco explained that she is concerned about protecting the
integrity of the voting process in Bergen County. She believes that a candidate under the control of the
Party Boss could not be trusted with the machinery of democracy. She referred to the Bergenfield
forgeries in 2005 when duly elected Democratic county committee people were illegally removed from a special election through the use of forged documents to prevent them from voting for the State Senate candidate of their choice.
"When this gang had to run a special election they used forgeries in an attempt to "fix" the contest. What do you think they would do if they controlled every voting machine in Bergen County?" Frasco asked.
Carol Skiba, no stranger to speaking out against the corrupt practices of powerful politicians, pointed out that each of the three Freeholder incumbents were rejected by the people that know them best, the voters of their hometowns.
"Freeholders McPherson, Ganz and Walton were each ousted from their locally elected positions in resounding landslides," Skiba noted. "Mayor McPherson raised taxes by nearly 15% in Rutherford while making private deals with the former Police Chief for a big retirement payout that nearly bankrupted the town. Should this kind of management be rewarded by giving her another term on the Freeholder Board to do the same to Bergen County taxpayers? The taxpayers are tired of the political Bosses picking their pockets to reward their friends and cronies."
Freeholder candidate Carol Hoernlein, a licensed civil engineer, referred to a newspaper article detailing a
controversial contract awarded to a Republican real estate consultant whose Political Action Committee
gave almost $90,000 to Bergen County Democrats since 1999 and was rewarded with $230,000 in
taxpayer dollars.
"This is a classic example of a pay-to-play deal for a friend of Ferriero," Hoernlein charged. "How much more can the taxpayers take when county government is run like a political clubhouse".
She also wondered why Freeholder Ganz approved of a recent contract renewal for Correctional Health
Services after the firm was thrown out of Essex County for bid-rigging. "No dissent? Rubber stamping a
firm with a cloud over its head?" Hoernlein asked.
Aishaah Rasul, an Englewood attorney with experience representing the underserved, said she was concerned that democracy was being underserved by a Board under the control of a Party Boss that routinely rubber stamps everything on its agenda without dissent or critical independent thought.
"The "Just Say Yes" crowd that includes Freeholder Walton is not doing anyone in Bergen County any favors by governing for the powerful few while paying lip service to the poor and middle class struggling to afford their taxes, pay for health care and send their children to college," Rasul stated. "Where is the accountability for a county budget that was introduced with a $27 million spending increase, guaranteeing the prospect of layoffs for lower and mid level county employees while the Freeholders rewarded themselves and their politically connected department directors pay raises totaling $104,000? Where is the fairness? Where are the checks and balances?"
Rasul and her running mates proposed a cure for what ails county government by announcing an "Agenda for the People of Bergen County" that they say will shut out Party Boss Joseph Ferriero. Their plan will help to restore fairness and integrity in the process of governing while ensuring a more transparent and open government, welcoming the scrutiny of the taxpaying public.
The Agenda for the People includes ending no-bid contracts in county government, thereby halting the
practice of awarding contracts for professional services to insiders by mandating public bids from every entity requesting to do business with the county. They also pledge to roll back the pay raises awarded to Freeholders and department directors and will move the Freeholder work sessions to 8:00pm, a more accessible hour for the working public.
The REAL BERGEN DEMOCRATS also propose requiring the posting of more public documents and
information online at the county website, including the annual proposed and adopted county budgets.
Currently, the website does not allow the opportunity for the public to review the budget online and, instead, requires an onerous process by which a taxpayer must submit written requests for specific information from the budget.
"More accessibility and transparency increases accountability," campaign manager Jack Savage, a
Maywood Councilman, added. ?If there is nothing to hide then there should be no problem in getting it all
out there for every resident of Bergen County to see."
Other points on the Agenda include an Adopt-a-County road program and the encouragement of shared services through voluntary initiatives between municipalities and the county.

AN AGENDA FOR THE PEOPLE
1. End No-Bid county contracts. Although the law allows no bids for professional services, RBDs will
implement a county government policy banning all no-bid contracts. Everything will be submitted for
bid through a fair and open process.
2. Will roll back pay raises given to Freeholders and politically connected Department Directors.
3. Schedule Freeholder work sessions for 8pm to allow public attendance and participation and place the public meetings back to the same hour of 8pm on other evenings.
4. Mandate disclosure of political contributions from businesses, people and firms vying for county
contracts to include donations made to all county and state political organizations in addition to the
current policy of disclosing donations to individual candidates.
5. RBDs will provide closer oversight and scrutiny of all resolutions and county policies. The election of
the RBD candidates will ensure that there are independent minded thinkers in county government to maintain a level of critical debate and discussion in full view of the public. The RBDs are the checks and
balances missing from county government.
6. Online posting of all Freeholder action items, including but not limited to resolutions, ordinances,
budgetary information and other actionable matters on the Bergen County Website. The entire County
Budget should be fully and easily accessible online.
7. Adopt-a-Highway program for County Roads. This has been used successfully in many other states and
municipalities.
8. Will propose and pass a comprehensive county standard for open public meetings, notice requirements and public comment at those meetings that will apply to any organization, group, association or authority that either receives County money or derives its authority or influence from the County
government.
9. RBDs will ensure that the needs of working families and the poor are met before the powerful and
politically connected. Bergen County based social service programs will receive top priority.
10. While the RBDs will not compromise the safety and security of Bergen County residents, they will urge Fire, EMS and Police throughout the county to voluntarily share equipment and services to maximize
the efficiencies in taxpayer dollars. We will offer the county?s resources and expertise to help these local
agencies locate partners and will help facilitate sharing agreements.
11. RBDs will aggressively share Bergen County road, transportation and public works equipment with
municipalities to keep local costs down.
Contact: Jack Savage 201-845-4946
Paid for by the Real Bergen Democrats and Frasco for Clerk

Tom Wyka endorsed by NJEA!

BootGOP2006 — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:59:46 GMT

Democrat Tom Wyka, running in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District against Rodney Frelinghuysen, has been endorsed by the NJEA according to several sources. The NJEA has never before endorsed a Democratic challenger in this district.

The endorsement speaks volumes about Tom's committment to public education and lifelong learning. The endorsement will also mean the NJEA will do outreach to all 11th district teachers on behalf of Wyka. The NJEA typically mails and phone banks all its members on behalf of its endorsed candidates.

Blue Jersey - Recommended Diaries

Why Rep. Andrews Has My Vote for US Senate

Bergen Democratic Primary - First Shot Across the Bow

Tom Wyka endorsed by NJEA!