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Category: State Senate

Meet Brian Fitzhenry

Jun. 17 Bergen County, Election 2013, North Jersey, State Senate 9 comments

2013 Meet the Candidates Series Interview, Week of June 16, 2013

By Nicole Sanders | The Save Jersey Blog

Brian A. FitzhenryAs part of my ongoing effort to introduce candidates to the voting public, I started a weekly column called Meet the Candidates. In essence, it is a past day stump speech updated for the virtual world.

For this week’s column I am honored to introduce to Brian A. Fitzhenry. Mr. Fitzhenry is running for New Jersey Senate in the 36th Legislative District.

He has been a lifelong resident of North Arlington, New Jersey where he is currently employed as the Vice President of Marketing for Newrent, Inc., is the President of the North Arlington Education Foundation, is a member of the North Arlington Fire Department and was a former six year member of the Board of Education.

My interview with State Senate Candidate Brian A. Fitzhenry is below the fold:

CONTINUE READING….

New Poll: Christie Lead at 32pts

Jun. 14 Barbara Buono, Chris Christie, Election 2013, Polls 5 comments

Sen. Buono Stalled in Latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Chris Christie leaving SUVA new poll out this morning reinforces the status quo assessment of New Jersey’s 2013 gubernatorial election, Save Jerseyans: Chris Christie is up… big time.

32-points big. And Buono’s made virtually no polling progress in month, something that’s unlikely to change (save for the standard post-Labor Day partisan reconciliation) thanks to yesterday’s Appellate Division ruling.

But the real quick in the teeth for the Buono campaign?

“While her name recognition has climbed to 46 percent of voters from only 30 percent in April, nearly all of that increase has come from voters who now have an unfavorable impression of her,” Rutgers-Eagleton Poll Director David Redlawsk. “The onslaught of attack ads by Gov. Christie’s campaign appears to be having its desired effect.”

Perhaps Buono would’ve been better off without those goofy name pronunciation ads! Shocker…

Click here to check out the full polling report.

Christie Uses Pen; Landfill Bill Advances

Jun. 13 Chris Christie, Morris County, North Jersey, State Senate 1 comment

N.J. Governor Signs 7 Bills, Vetoes Marriage License Bill; Fenimore Landfill Legislation Emerges from Key Senate Committee

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Christie at desk signing budgetIt was a busy day under the dome, Save Jerseyans. Here’s a rundown:

BILLS SIGNED:

S-1469/A-2756 (Madden, Sweeney/Quijano, Vainieri Huttle, O’Donnell, Ramos, Albano) – Provides surviving spouses of certain fire and police personnel who die in line of duty with workers’ compensation for entire period of survivorship

S-1904/A3131 (Sarlo/Prieto, Wagner) – Allows for the issuance of special licenses to sell alcoholic beverages in qualifying development projects

S-1961/A-3011 (Whelan, Allen/DeAngelo, Coughlin, Riley, Wagner) – Establishes “Veterans Higher Education Commission”

CONTINUE READING….

Trunk Robocall Slams Sweeney

Jun. 11 Cumberland County, Election 2013, Gloucester County, Salem County, South Jersey, State Senate, Steve Sweeney 7 comments

GOP Challenger Condemns Sweeney’s Senate Obstructionism, Fenimore Landfill Politics in LD3 Robocall (AUDIO)

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

LD3 GOP State Senate nominee Niki Trunk

LD3 GOP State Senate nominee Niki Trunk

She’s the reason TK2 and Senate President Steve Sweeney are on the outs, Save Jerseyans. LD3 GOP Senate challenger Niki Trunk doesn’t care; she’s pushing full steam ahead in her campaign to unseat the New Jersey Legislature’s most powerful Democrat in what should be, strictly by the numbers, one of our state’s most competitive districts in 2013 but for Sweeney’s money and influence.

Click here for the audio of her latest robocall obtained by Save Jersey.

South Jerseyans unfamiliar with the recorded call’s subject matter (Fenimore Landfill) up in Roxbury (Morris County) can click here to get caught up. It’s nasty business…

Here’s the robocall transcript:

Stop Playing Politics

Do you think we should put partisan politics before the health and safety of our kids? Me either. I’m Niki Trunk and I am running for State Senate against Steve Sweeney because he represents so much of what is wrong with Trenton politicians. Senator Sweeney is actually blocking legislation that would close a dangerous landfill that is leaking toxic gas onto a local ball field. Sweeney’s reason? Because the legislation needed to close the landfill was a Republican idea. Sweeney’s outrageous partisan stunt has rightfully been condemned by newspapers statewide. Now he refuses to pass Governor Christie’s plan to provide immediate property tax relief to middle class families in South Jersey. I’m Niki Trunk and I will vote to give you the property tax relief you deserve on day one and bring common sense back to Trenton. I hope I can count on your vote on November 5th. This call was paid for by Niki Trunk for Senate, Chuck Adams Treasurer. 856-347-0494.

Op-Ed: Legislation Should “Address a Root Cause”

Jun. 11 Cultural Issues, Gerald Cardinale, Second Amendment, State Senate 1 comment

Measures to Curb Violent Acts Should Focus on Untreated Mental Illness

By: Senator Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen, Passaic)

CardinaleAcross New Jersey thousands of residents who suffer from mental illness are not receiving the treatment they need. This tragedy destroys families and leads to exorbitant costs for institutionalization, substance abuse treatment and unemployment.

Untreated mental illness also presents a significant public safety risk.

If we truly want to address violence and prevent tragedies like the school massacre in Newtown, part of the solution demands we make untreated mental illness less prevalent and that we remove legal barriers to applying modern medicine to the problem. Legislation that I introduced (S2828) addresses this issue by authorizing courts to order patients with mental illness to partake in outpatient treatment. Currently, only six counties have taken advantage of legislation enacted in 2009 that enabled an involuntary outpatient treatment program.

For many who suffer from certain mental illnesses, the disease itself makes it impossible for them to recognize they are ill. Therefore, informed consent to treatment becomes an impossible and frustrating problem. Often these folks are in and out of institutions and too many commit acts of violence against themselves or others.

CONTINUE READING….

Too Busy? Or Too Afraid?

Jun. 07 Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County, Election 2013, Jeff Van Drew, Jersey Shore, South Jersey, State Senate 2 comments

Jeff Van Drew Flip-Flops, Ducks Debate With His LD1 GOP Opponent

By Irwin M. Fletcher | The Save Jersey Blog

LD1Back in February when I profiled some potentional LD1 candidates, Save Jerseyans, one of the positives I highlighted about the now GOP nominee Susan Adelizzi-Schmidt was her ability to go toe-to-toe with her opponent, incumbent Jeff Van Drew, and be a very formidable debate opponent.

It seems Van Drew agrees with me!

Right after the primary, Jeff Van Drew declared that he was looking forward to debating the issues with Adelizzi-Schmidt, the first woman Senate candidate in LD1 history. Since Van Drew expressed that he was eager to debate, Adelizzi-Schmidt then challenged him to a summer debate.

Van Drew said no.

CONTINUE READING….

What If Christie Picks…

Jun. 04 Chris Christie, Frank Lautenberg, Jennifer Beck, Jersey Shore, Joe Kyrillos, Kim Guadagno, Monmouth County, U.S. Senate 4 comments

Christie’s U.S. Senate Pick Could Profoundly Impact Monmouth County Politics

By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com

kyrillos stare…Senator Joe Kyillos?

By virtue of his long term friendship with Governor Christie and his campaign for U.S. Senate last year, State Senator Joe Kyrillos is on every Christie mind reader’s short list of possible U.S. Senators to replace the late Frank Lautenberg.

Assuming Kyrillos defeats Leigh-Ann Bellew in the primary today, his move to the U.S. Senate would create a vacancy for the nomination for State Senate in LD 13.  If either Assemblywoman Amy Handlin or Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon move up to the Senate slot, as would be expected, there will be an Assembly nomination vacancy.

Neither Handlin nor O’Scanlon will say if they want the State Senate seat, which probably means they both want it. Even so, I would expect that they would work that out amongst themselves rather than have a convention fight.

A nominating convention for the resulting Assembly vacancy would bring out a wealth of Republican talent.

CONTINUE READING…

They Agree On Something!

Jun. 04 Angelica Jimenez, Barbara Buono, Election 2013, Hurricane Sandy 3 comments

N.J. Democrats Continue to Attack Christie Where He Isn’t Vulnerable

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Donkey“He’s riding the coattails of the hurricane. That was his job to respond.”

Does this nonsense sound familiar, Save Jerseyans? A hapless New Jersey Democrat trying to score political points against Chris Christie by attacking his overwhelmingly popular reaction to Hurricane Sandy?

If you answered “from the mouth of Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester),” you’d be correct. Other correct answers include soon-to-be-official gubernatorial nominee Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex). They can’t agree on anything else (including who should chair their state party). They can agree that Sandy is fair game for base partisan ridiculousness.

But that’s not a Sweeney or Buono quote. These particular verbal droppings belong to Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez (D-Hudson), uttered at a Buono for Governor event over the weekend. So you were closed if you guessed Babs.

I’d love to know who convinced’em it was a smart strategy! It’d be political suicide if the legislature wasn’t gerrymandered for the express purpose of preserving Democrat seats like the one occupied by Jimenez; attacking your opponent’s strength can only work before the argument is already lost. But I sure hope they keep it up! Because it’s going to play right into Chris Christie’s hands in districts where GOP’ers have a fighting chance.