WILL JON CORZINE REALLY BE UP FOR REELECTION?

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the title bout in this year’s politcal lineup.

In the left corner, wearing a host of tax and toll increases, a budget shortfall of more than $2.1 billion and scars of scandals with unions, ex-girlfriends and cabinet officials is Jon “Almost Gone” Corzine.

In the right corner, wearing a corruption busting image, over 130 successful prosecutions, and the hopes of millions who want to improve the quality of life in New Jersey………..Chris “You Can‘t Miss” Christie.

Many expect New Jersey’s headline political battle to shape up this way. The incumbent governor is, as usual, expected to seek reelection and go unchallenged for their party’s nomination. In this case that is Jon Corzine.

As for Republicans, Chris Christie is expected to run and win the Republican nomination for governor. Christie has finally made it clear that he will be declaring his candidacy and making it official in February. Many anticipate that he will ultimately win the Republican nomination for Governor and given the atmosphere and logistics, that may be likely. Maybe.

Chris Christie

The establishment is behind him and the money is being horded for him.

Party leaders and elected officials have been lining up behind Christie like teenagers on line for Britney Spears’ latest CD. They are putting all their hopes on Chris Christie because he has some higher than usual name recognition when compared to other possible choices or at least more statewide recognition than most of them,  The thinking is that his name recognition will give us the best chance to defeat Corzine.

New Jersey is a unique state, in that without its own media market, getting statewide name identification is very difficult. That is why most candidates have to run in at least one statewide election before they can win a statewide election. Take McGreevey and Whitman for example.

To get name ID also takes a lot of money, more money than most campaigns in other states would. That is because a candidate has to invest in New York, the most expensive media market in the nation, and Philadelphia, the third most expensive media market in the nation. That makes it rough.

 So I undertsand the value in wanting a nominee for Governor who has some good recognition in New Jersey but I wouldn’t pin all of my hopes and my party on that alone.

Add to that the fact that Christie’s opponent for the nomination could actually prove to be more satisfactory candidates for the nomination to rank and file primary voters and you have the potential for an upset in the G.O.P. race for the gubernatorial nomination.

On the other side of the aisle you have Jon Corzine.

Incumbents usually do not get challenged and Corzine is no different here. However, many Democrats are not so sure that they want him to run for reelection. Corzine himself is doubtful. Not because he doesn’t want the job, but because he is not sure that he can make a case good enough for reelecting him to continue doing the piss poor job that he has been doing.

 That is why he  maneuvered himself for an appointment to President-Elect Obama’s cabinet as Secretary of the Treasury. The hope was that he could avoid an embarrassing reelection loss by saying “sorry, I have to leave to answer a higher call to duty”.

Well, given Corzine’s dismal financial record in New Jersey, no one wanted him to do for America what he did for Jersey.

So state Democrats are left with having to try to carry Corzine’s dead weight over the electoral finish line.

They are hoping that by linking Chris Christie to President George Bush, they could make Corzine more preferable. So despite the fact that Chris Christie has done his job successfully and put an end to the career of more corrupt politicians than anyone in recent state history, Democrats simply say he was appointed by George Bush. Well duh………and he did his job better than most Democrats have done their own jobs.

So with little to go on, Democrats are scared. They fear that Corzine is vulnerable and that they could lose to Republicans.  And they’re right to think that way.

That is where things get interesting.

POLITICS 24/7 understands that not only may Corzine not be up to reelection , he may not be up for his party’s nomination.

Senate President Richard Codey just might step up yet again.

Senate President and Former Acting Governor Dick Codey

 Over the past several years years, Codey has been called upon to govern the state during several different times of crisis. Those occasions included when disgraced Governor Jim McGreevey resigned amid financial, patronage and sex scandals and most recently after Governor Corzine almost died in a tragic accident that he encountered while speeding down the Garden State Parkway without his seatbelt on.

Putting Codey‘s political leanings aside, he is viewed as a steady hand at the helm, a wise sage of New Jersey politics who can be trusted. Whether this is true or not does not matter. That is how he is viewed and politics is perception. He has never sought the job of Governor but governed when called upon to do so. That kind of reputation is a good one to have. People do not see him as power hungry or ego driven. They see him as a reliable, trustworthy figure.

That is why there are rumblings to have him be the Democrats nominee for Governor.

The move would be a smart one for liberals in New Jersey. It would be a smarter choice than opting to defend the abysmal record of Jon Corzine.

With Dick Codey as their nominee, they will not have to defend against the stream of legal challenges that are pending in the courts against Corzine. They will not have to defend against proposals to make the cost of driving on New Jersey’s roads so expensive that you need a part time job just to pay for the tolls that Corzine would be increasing for decades to come if he had his way.

Having Dick Codey as their standard bearer, Democrats will not have to explain why under his reign, the affordability crisis in New Jersey has gotten worse and why after raising taxes by as much as $2 billion dollars when his term began, we have a deficit of $2.1 billion dollars as his term ends.

Of course Codey would have to answer to why he rubberstamped many of the Corzine led initiatives but at least he will not have to try to explain why he initiated them.

The most controversial part of the Codey nomination is how he will get it.

Corzine or Codey?

Insiders are hoping that it can be arranged that late in the game, Jon Corzine will announce that for personal reason, he is not seeking a second term. That will allow Democrat party leaders to turn to Codey and say, with only a short amount of time left to nominate their party’s choice, they feel that they need Dick Codey to once again step in and save the day.

Is this likely? 

Considering that Corzine has been looking for a way out of running for reelection and saving face, I believe that in a few months Corzine will receive a request to serve in the administration of President-Elect Obama. Not a cabinet position but a lesser position. One that Democrats can conjure up and provide Corzine with the excuse he needs in to save face.

So don’t expect this boxing match to be the one you expect. Not only does Chris Christie have yet to enter the ring as the G.O.P.’s official nominee for Governor, Democrats just might be putting the gloves on someone with more of a punch than Jon Corzine.

 

TO BE FILED UNDER THE “That’s Just Wrong” CATEGORY

NO MORE BUSH – SHAVE THE DATE

Speaking of the upcoming inauguration, you can celebrate the end of Bush in a uniquely personal manner. Sex advice columnist Kristen Chase (also known as “Mominatrix”) is encouraging everyone to “Shave the Date”, or as she puts it “leave no bush behind”. She claims that it will give you a special tingle to realize that at the moment that this country gets rid of Bush, you will have gotten rid of yours.

Her column even includes advice on how to shave your pubes, for first-time Bush removers. She also has a Facebook event — shaving your bush is not required for participation, but is strongly encouraged due to sexual satisfaction and patriotism that will be enjoyed.

 

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Coming tomorrow..…

What is still the greatest crisis facing America?

OFFER LEGISLATURE MERIT PAY LINKED TO THE ECONOMIES THAT THEY MANIPULATE

ASSEMBLYMAN RICHARD MERKT

Assemblyman Richard Merkt recently proposed to slash the salaries of New Jersey lawmakers by 10%.However, the Assemblyman is a candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination and the proposal could be viewed as an election gimmick. Then again, everything that any lawmaker does can be seen as a election gimmick.

In light of the recent pay raise of federal legislators, Merkt’s proposal is a noble one and worth looking at.

So his point is well taken. Times are tough and our representatives should be willing to make sacrifices and at least pretend to be empathetic to the people whose lives they affect.

Besides, lawmakers are partially responsible for any state’s economy including the one we are currently in here in Jersey so they should be more directly effected. I say they are partly responsibly because not everything is their fault. Nature, world events and human stupidity outside of Trenton politics, all play a part. But our lawmakers are elected to both steer us and our state economy in the right direction and to help our state better cope with the situations that we are dealt.

That being the case, it can easily be said that the current state legislature has not done a good job.

New Jersey has led the way in economic trouble over the past few years and under the direction of Governor Jon Corzine, the state legislature has been ill equipped at handling the situation. In fact, together the Democrat controlled state legislature and Democrat Governor have made matters worse.

Together they raised taxes, increased fees made it harder to do business in New Jersey and expanded opportunities for government corruption.

It could be said that Republicans bare no responsibility for this situation since they do not control any branch of state government. I can agree with that but it still doesn’t get Republicans off the hook.

Both parties have failed the people of New Jersey to one degree or another.

Democrats have failed to do anything right and Republicans have failed at convincing anyone that they could do better.

Given these circumstances, I have a more interesting proposal than Assemblyman Merkt’s.

How about we link state legislative and executive salaries to the economy and taxes of the state that they run.

Currently New Jersey State Assembly members and Senators make $49,000 a year.

I say let us reduce those salaries to a base of $41.000 a year and then use the following standard.

1. For every percent or portion of a percentage that any given legislature raises income and property taxes, their salaries are decreased by 2%. For every percentage or degree of a percentage that they decrease income and property taxes their salaries can be raise by half of one percent.
2. For every percent or portion of a percentage that they raise a sales or service tax, their salaries also decrease by that same percentage. Conversely, their salaries can be raised by half a percent for every full percent of a decrease in such taxes.
3. For any new tax created, their salaries are reduced by 2% plus the equivalent percentage of that new tax.
4. Every toll increase passed during any legislative session is matched by a reduction in legislative salaries that equal to the percentage of that increase.
5. And finally, state legislative salaries are further reduced by the same number of percentage points that the state’s unemployment rate is whenever it exceeds 4%.

To make it fair. Newly elected legislators would not be held accountable for the taxes and economic situation that any previous legislative session, which they did not have a hand in, was responsible for, and so they would start with the base pay of 41K.

Of course, such measures would not prevent rich people like Governor Jon Corzine from raising fees and taxes, misappropriating funds and offering sweet heart deals to sweethearts like Carla Katz. After all, Corzine took a $400 million golden parachute from Wall Street and doesn’t even accept his salary for Governor but this system could help to make less well off lawmakers work a little harder to address our problems and to fight the wealthy Governor. Having their own pockets linked to what they pick out of ours could just help to make them finally work together for the benefit of themselves as well as us. Maybe such a pay scale system will help to really create a sense of bipartisanship?

Perhaps if the lawmakers of New Jersey had their financial well being directly linked to the state’s financial well being and our own financial opportunities, maybe tax increases and increased fees for everything from driving to landscaping and joining a gym will be viewed as a last resort. Like it should be.

Perhaps by immediately linking their decisions directly to their own incomes, they may better empathize with the financial impact that they bring to bare on those they are representing .

You could say that it is not fair to those who vote against penalizing taxes or policies that drive businesses away and raise the unemployment in the state. That might be so, but, those who simply voted against something are still culpable. They have more than a responsibility to vote against such measures. They have the responsibility of leadership and the responsibility of making their case and doing it so well that a preponderance of people in the state as well as the legislature are persuaded by their arguments. They must convince people why others are wrong and they are right. Failing to do so is a failure that they share in common with those who support regressive economic policies.

So Assemblyman Merkt’s proposed 10 % reduction in salary is nice.

It is certainly going in a direction far better than the 2.8% pay increase that Congress is willing to take, at of all times, now. But the gesture Merkt is making could be made more meaningful and be more enduring. By linking legislative salaries to their actions we are adding a new incentive to politics and a new level of innovation……..political merit pay. If you do a good job and keep a good economy going you get paid better.

Is this crazy?

Maybe it is. Maybe it is as far fetched as a State Senator taking money from a no show job given to him by a school funded with state money that the same State Senator helped procure with tax payer dollars that he helped get through the state legislature. Maybe this political merit pay scale sounds just as crazy as that same corrupt State Senator getting his state funded pension after ripping the state off and being convicted.

But just like former *Senator Wayne Bryant, it may sound crazy but it could be true if like Wayne Bryant, we just did it.

__________________________________________

*Wayne Bryant pressured officials of University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey  to create a no-show job  that  allowed him to lobby himsef’ for taxpayer funds. Bryant also chaired the Senate Appropriations comittee which Funneled large sums of taxpayers dollare to UMDNJ.

 

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I was talking to a friend of mine’s little girl the other day.

I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied, 

“I want to be President!” 

Both of her parents are liberal Democrats and were standing there. So then I asked her, “If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?”

She replied, “I’d give houses to all the homeless people.” 

“Wow – what a worthy goal.” I told her, “You don’t have to wait until you’re President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I’ll pay you $50. Then I’ll take you over to the grocery store where this homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward a new house.” 

Since she is only 6, she thought that over for a few seconds. While her Mom glared at me, she looked me straight in the eye and asked,

“Why doesn’t the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?” 

And I said, “Welcome to the Republican Party.” 

Her folks still aren’t talking to me.

 Submitted by Dick, Williamsport, Md

CHRISTIE TELLS SUPPORTERS THAT HE WILL MAKE IT OFFICIAL

FORMER MORRIS COUNTY FREEHOLDER AND FEDERAL PROSECUTOR CHRIS CHRISTIE

This morning Chris Christie officially declared that he will make a run for the Republican nomination for Governor official during the first week of February.

 

With access to lists of Republican supporters and activists collected by Christie supporters such as State Senator Joe Kyrillos, the former prosecutor sent the following message.

Dear Friend,

This morning I am filing papers to begin the process to become a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey.

I did not take this step lightly. It was only after careful consideration and consultation with my family that I decided to become a candidate.

New Jersey is broken. New Jersey’s taxes have become so unaffordable that more families are leaving our state than moving here. Our state’s business tax climate is ranked 50th in the nation and has become so unattractive to employers that only government jobs are growing in New Jersey. Yet nothing in Trenton gets done to fix these problems.

We can change this. We can solve these problems if we’re willing to make the tough decisions.

In my seven years as your United States Attorney, I didn’t shy away from any of the tough decisions. I took on corporate greed, political corruption, terrorism and environmental polluters. Public officials from both parties were prosecuted for corruption – more than 130 were convicted, and not one was acquitted. Corporate executives who cheated their companies and hurt their workers were successfully prosecuted. Terrorist plots were disrupted; polluters punished.

Many didn’t believe we could win these battles. We did, and with strong leadership we will win the fight for Governor and change this state for the better.

My formal announcement for Governor will come in the first week in February and I hope you will join us (I will email you the details). With strong leadership now, we can fix our broken state and make it more affordable for all New Jersey families.

Sincerely,

Chris Christie

The filing of papers with the State Board of Elections to begin making his his candidacy for Governor of New Jersey a reality is about time.

For Christie to stall his decision to run or not run any longer would be detrimental to both his own success and our party’s success.

It is no secret that he would probably be running and to begin with a late, or later start than he already intends, only makes things tougher for the G.O.P. than they may already be.

From the message sent out by Christie, which essentially makes his intentions clear, one can see that the soon to be candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey is banking on a campaign that will play up his prosecutorial, clean government credentials and business interests.

Those are important issues however, Christie would be wise to highlight the damage done to the citizens of New Jersey due to the anti business climate that Corzine and Democrats have created in the state more than just the desire of businesses. The focus needs to be on the people. By simply making himself the “pro-business” candidate, Christie will fall into a trap that Democrats are great at. It is a trap that, in the minds of voters, Democrats perpetuate a sense that Republicans are the party for big business.

So Christie needs to carefully phrase his intentions to improve the environment for business in New Jersey.

 

One of the most encouraging comments in his email was a reference to the fact that only government jobs are growing in New Jersey. If Christie can hammer home the fact that Democrats have made government a business that they treat like corrupt Wall Street, ponzi schemers and profit from at the sake of taxpayers, he may be on to a winning theme in November.

But first he must get our nomination.

It is my hope that Chris Christie will work hard for that nomination. He just might have to with people like Assemblyman Richard Merkt and former Mayor Steve Lonegan on his tail.

The two, especially Mayor Lonegan are going to be innovative in their approaches to government and in a time when Americans were wanting “change”, New Jerseyans are really wanting change. Business as usual is not something that New Jersey residents want from government and people like Steve Lonegan are anything but business usual. Many can see that as a refreshing change from the business as usual that we have gotten from the current administration in Trenton.

So once Christie does become an official candidate and starts campaigning as one, it will be interesting to see how he distinguishes himself from the pack and from your run of the mill politicians.

And the sooner he starts trying to do so, the better.

 

Be Sure To Sign The Petition To

REPEAL THE CONGRESSIONAL PAY HIKE

Sign the Online Petition – Repeal The Automatic Pay Raise That Congress Is Receiving

Pass The Link On To Family, Friends and Co-workers

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POSTED EARLIER TODAY:  JACK KEMP – A POLITICAL ICON BATTLES CANCER

It has been reported that Jack Kemp has cancer.

His office released the following statement:

“Mr. Kemp has been undergoing tests to determine the origin of the disease and the options for continued treatment. He will continue to serve as Chairman of Kemp Partners and plans to remain involved in his business, charitable and politically related activities. Mr. Kemp and his family are grateful for the thoughts and prayers of friends and appreciate respect for their privacy at this time”……….

To Read More, Go To:

https://politics247.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/jack-kemp-a-political-icon-battles-cancer/

CORZINE TAKES NEW JERSEY FOR A RIDE….On the Hindenburg

 

Governor Jon Corzine

Governor Jon Corzine has declared that he is slashing New Jersey’s budget by as much as $812 million in order to close in on the state’s $2.1 billion budget gap.

Wow, a whopping $812 million dollars. That will do a lot. Well not really. But I guess Governor Corzine knows what he is doing. I mean after all, he is a Wall Street genius and we all know how smart those Wall Streeter’s are and he did have a golden parachute that earned him $4oo million dollars after he got pushed out of Goldman Sachs.

So maybe his $812 million in budget cuts are smart. I am not too sure though.

 When Jon Corzine first came to Trenton, in just six short months he increased taxes in New Jersey by almost $2 billion dollars. This happened after he ran for Governor promising to “control spending”.

Now Corzine is up for reelection and we have a budget deficit slightly larger than the total amount of revenue he raised in tax increases when he first took office.

I think we can safely say that Governor Corzine did not “controls spending”

Ponzi Schemer Bernie Madoff

In fact Governor Corzine has not controlled anything in New Jersey. What he has done is try to take his Wall Street experience and apply it to government. The problem is that his finance experience depends upon bailouts and golden parachutes. He has even delayed a presentation of New Jersey’s own annual budget till March in the hope that the federal government will come to his rescue. I bet you didn’t know that when we elected Barack Obama, he became the de facto finance chairman for New Jersey.

When it comes to budgets, Jon Corzine attended the Bernie Madoff School of Finance. It is located right next to the Jim McGreevey School of Ethics, where ,by the way, Governor Corzine also got a degree.

Disgraced Ex-Governor Jim McGreevey

His major in finance and minor in ethics both came in handy during his secret negotiations with his former girlfriend Carla Katz, as the two hammered out a lucrative state contract that greatly benefited the Communication Workers Union that Katz presided over. For the Governor’s efforts, Katz and the CWA made out like bandits and taxpayers got suckered out of more money than investors in Madoff’s ponzi scheme. More than a year later and we’re still trying to figure out how that deal happened and the courts are figuring out exactly why Corzine and Katz refuse to release the details.

But all is well. The Governor has promised to make $812 million dollars in cuts to the budget. Some of the cuts include $11,000 from adolescent illiteracy, $4 million from The turnpike and parkway, $15 million from aid to municipalities and $75 million from public schools.

Never mind the over 83 aides that the Governor has earning a hundred thousand dollars or more a year. Never mind the countless patronage positions that exist in every school district, municipal government, state agency and legislative staff. Never mind the endless array of programs that government should not be involved in in any fashion. No, none of those things add up.

Let’s face it. Like everything else Jon Corzine has said or dne, it is meaningless. It is just like his first gesture when he

Jon Corzine

 initially took office. With generosity and sincerity of purpose, Jon Corzine made it clear that he would not accept the $175,000 annual salary that comes with the job. Oh boy, thank you Jon. That is so,….. it is so,……. so kind of you. I mean with a personal fortune in excess of $400 million dollars those few thousand must really be a great sacrifice for you.

Sarcasm aside, it was a publicity stunt and like everything else, the gesture was meaningless. It was not a sign of sincere intentions and it did not make a difference. Much like his entire tenure as Governor.

To date, the only significant action that New Jersey has encountered under his leadership was the abolishment of the death penalty in New Jersey and the worthiness of that achievement is quite debatable.

Other than that, he has raised taxes every chance he has gotten and he has pushed for increasing tolls on our roadways every year for decades to come. He even pushed for putting tolls on roads that don’t have any tolls.

The Hindenburg Going Down In Lakehurst, New Jersey

Truth is, Jon Corzine is like the Hindenburg. He floats around like a big deal but instead of getting us from point A to point B, he explodes and unleashes a load of rubble allover the place. There is not a single problem that he has solved or improvement that he has created. All he has done is enter into shady deals, hire inept cabinet officials, tinker with budgets and raise taxes.

New Jersey really does need a change.

We need a leader who can take control of circumstances, not be controlled by circumstances. We need someone who can clean up the mess, not make a mess.

It is time for Republicans in New Jersey to get their act together.  The Republican Minority Leaders in the Senate and Assembly have better get on message.  They need to create and present their own budget, drop everything else and from High Point to Cape May, make that budget known.  They need to point to the empty list of  achievements that the Governor has accomplished and point out what the Democrat majorities in the legislature blocked.  Beyond pointing out what they did wrong and the right things that they didn’t do, Republicans need to make it clear what they would do and present New Jersey with their roadmap.

After that, we have to get rid of Corzine.

Ridding ourselves of him wont eliminate all of New Jersey’s problems but it will at least help prevent us from getting into more trouble.

And Be Sure To Also Sign The Petition To

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Sign the Online Petition – To Repeal The Automatic Pay Raise That Congress Is Receiving Congress

Pass The Link On To Family, Friends and Co-workers

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The rest of the world cannot understand how after bitter election campaigns…

…….American politicians can return to reality. For instance, Sarah Palin has invited to her great state of Alaska the men who defeated her, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

She has provided a moose hunting trip for their enjoyment and has hired two other prominent men to assist them. Dick Cheney will instruct them in safe gun handling, and Ted Kennedy will drive them back to their cabins in the evening.

What a gal! That Sarah is such a sport and thinks of everything!

Submitted by Bill, Ardmore, Pa.

MORE TAXES……because they’re good for your health

News has it that New York, replacement Governor, David Paterson, is unveiling 127 new items and services that the Empire State will start taxing.

Although the entire list is too long for inclusion in one blog post, I would like to focus on just two items on the list.

Together the taxing of these two items and the logic behind it demonstrates the utter hypocrisy and lack of reasoning behind liberal tax and spend policies.

The two items I am referring to are gym memberships and soda. Not all soda though. Diet soda is not on Democrats hit list. Claiming that regular soda is less healthy than diet soda, Patterson and fellow Democrats believe regular soda is  ripe for a tax that penalizes those who dare to purchase it.

NEW YORK GOVERNOR DAVID "tax it for your health" PATERSON

After all it is our health and well being which is the government’s primary reason for creating such a tax.

Or is it?

If health concerns were their primary reason, as opposed to economic concerns, why then would they also penalize people who attempt to maintain their health by joining a gym?

If health reasons requires the state to tax soda because it is bad for you, what is the health reason that requires the state to tax gym memberships? Are gym memberships more unhealthy than diet soda?

Let’s face it folks, Democrats are just hypocrites.

They claim that they will add a tax to one thing because it is bad for you and then in the same announcement state that they will also add a tax to something that is healthy for you.

Mind you, we are just talking about only two of the new taxes that liberals are promoting in New York. There are 125 others, all as hypocritical and as inexcusable as the next. Each one of them however, will be given a reason for taxing by Democrats. They will try to rationalize each one. But who are they kidding?

Maybe themselves.

I guess they could claim that a tax on gym memberships is necessary because of the risk of injury that could be gotten while trying to keep fit. You know, a sprained ankle on the treadmill, a wrist injury while lifting weights, who really  knows. But any excuse is a good excuse.

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR JON "hey, that was my tax idea" CORZINE

This type of hypocrisy and illogic certainly isn’t limited to New York. In fact New Jersey set this trend.  When Wall Street wizard Jon Corzine came into office a whole herd of new taxes were created.  Like New York, that list of new taxes included

Just like New York with soda, Corzine and the liberal led New Jersey legislature raised taxes on cigarettes because of their unhealthiness and at the same time, created a tax on gym memberships.

Way to go guys. While looking out for our health you also penalize us for trying to be healthy.

While doing that,  Corzine’s economic brilliance led to a tax on the planting of flowers, shrubbery and trees.

That‘s one way to help take the garden out of the Garden State.

The bottom line is this.

We need political leaders who have some brains and understand that most of their constituents have brains too. Stop insulting our intelligence by making excuses for doing what is wrong. Don’t tell us you won’t tax one type of soda and not another because one is healthier than the other and then tax everything else that is healthy for us.

If health was the governments true intention, then they should be creating incentives to join the gym, not a create a penalty for joining one. 

We need intelligent leaders who are willing to look for solutions, not create problems.

While Blagojevich tries to sell a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois , others are trying to sell us excuses for making tough economic times even tougher for us .

Rather than cutting the cost of government, they raise the cost of living. And they do so with the rationalization of a fourth grader who tries to explain that they don’t have their homework because the dog ate it.

But, just like New Jersey, Democrats in New York will make excuses and some voters will buy those excuses.

But for how much longer?

Pretty soon liberals will be adding a tax to those excuses that voters buy.

Hopefully voters will wise up. Hopefully voters will realize that we can’t tax our way out of every hole in a budget or spend ourselves into prosperity. When that realization comes, hopefully we will provide liberals with an excuse for their not winning in elections.

Maybe we can tell them that, like their reasons for taxing different things, we voted against them for health reasons……our economic health.

Wondering why there is a government bureau which oversees alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, a young man called the regional office of said bureau.

He asked the man who answered the phone “What wine goes best with an M-16?”

The ATF agent did his best to be helpful and replied…..

“That depends. What are you smoking?”

 

CROWLEY STILL CONSIDERING RUN FOR NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR

Bio Tech Entrepreneur John Crowley

Political insiders make it clear, that at this point in time, biotech entrepreneur John Crowley is still strongly considering running for Governor of New Jersey.

So far there are already two declared candidates for New Jersey’s Republican gubernatorial nomination. Assemblyman Richard Merkt and former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan.

Both of these men deserve to be heard and are worth watching. Not only do they have substantial records on the issues but they were also brave enough to throw their hats in the same ring that is likely to contain, now former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. With all the hoopla over Chris Christie’s possible entry into the race, many other potential candidates opted out of even trying. But not Merkt and Lonegan. That alone warrants their right to be heard.

So we already have two strong willed, determined aspirants for the nomination and that is a good thing, a very good thing.

Franklin Township Mayor Brian Levine

Another potentially prominent presence in the growing field of Republican candidates could come from an incumbent mayor.

Brian Levine has twice won election as Franklin Township’s mayor. Not an easy job in a town that is heavily weighed in favor of  democrats.

Levine has the type of crossover appeal that we will need to win back the keys to Drumthwacket in November. If Levine does declare his candidacy for the nomination, the question will become, does his crossover appeal to Democrats turn off the more conservative wing of the Republican party that would nominate him?

Presuming that Chris Christie does run, Lonegan’s, Merkt’s and possibly Levine’s, efforts, will at least force Chris Christie to do some real campaigning of his own for the nomination.

Although Christie brings the name recognition and seeming ability to tap into the financial resources that a successful campaign requires, I do not want the party to simply coronate him. I want him to earn the nomination. Make clear his positions on the issues, articulate his plans for the state and prove that he has the ability to get his message across in a way that people can believe.

As official candidates for the GOP nomination, Steve Lonegan and Richard Merkt will help to make sure that Chris has to prove himself. But truthfully, both Merkt and Lonegan are slightly handicapped in their ability to force Christie to play on the same field as them. Neither of them have the name I.D. that Christie does and neither of them have the access to the amount of money that is needed to be truly competitive and that Christie can tap into. The same holds true in the case of Levine’s possible candidacy.

Money is not everything but in politics, unfortunately, it means a lot.

That brings us to back to John Crowley. He has money.

John Crowley is a self-made, independently wealthy man with a compelling and inspirational history that brings even more to the table than just the money that is needed.

After studying at the U.S. Naval Academy for three semesters, he graduated with degrees in foreign service from Georgetown University and went on to obtain his J.D from Notre Dame Law School and then worked as a litigation associate in the health care industry.

Crowley furthered his education and received an M.B.A from Harvard Business School. From there he went on to work for a San Francisco based management consulting firm.

In 1998, John Crowley was handed the greatest challenge of his life. His wife, Aileen gave birth to twins, Patrick and Megan. Both were born with a fatal neuromuscular disorder called Pompe disease.

The disorder was so rare that few if any pharmaceutical entities attempted to develop treatment or cures for Pompe.

Determined, the Crowley’s settled in Princeton, to be near doctors who were specializing in Pompe disease.

John Crowley subsequently took up employment with Bristol-Meyers Squibb but after two years he left Bristol-Meyers to embark on a new venture. A venture that sought to increase the pace of research into Pompe and the development of a cure for it. It was a race against time that was slowly taking the lives of his children.

He became the CEO of a biotech company called Novazyme. In short time Novazyme merged with the world’s largest biotech company, Genzyme Corp., and soon after that the combined efforts of the two, brought about by John Crowley, led to the creation of an enzyme replacement therapy for Pompe disease that is keeping the Crowley kids alive today.

Getting to that point was not easy and there were a great many trials and tribulations, but John Crowley, his wife, and the team he assembled never gave up.

The story is the stuff that books are written about and about which movies are made.

A Pulitzer prize winning author actually did write a book about it. It is called “The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million – And Bucked the Medical Establishment – In a Quest to Save His Children” (ISBN 978-0060734398).

On top of that Harrison Ford has procured the rights to turn the Crowley story into a movie that he will also co-star in.

So, to say that John Crowley is a storybook candidate, is not just an understatement. It is true.

Now, at 41, Crowley is an intelligence officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve and is currently the President and CEO of Cranbury, New Jersey based, Amicus Therapeutics. He is also considering running for the Republican party’s gubernatorial nomination.

I hope he does.

That is not an endorsement of his potential candidacy but it is a sign of my eagerness to get to know what John Crowley would do as our Governor. He obviously is a talented, determined man with spirit, ingenuity a strong sense of commitment and a can do attitude and work ethic.

As is the case with Chris Christie, I do not know where John Crowley stands on the issues, but I hope we will be able to find out in a hard fought primary battle for the nomination.

Unlike Lonegan and Merkt, Crowley has the money needed to establish the name I.D. that Christie has. That would help even the playing field and insure that Chris Christie will have to earn the nomination as opposed to having it handed to him by the party establishment.

If Crowley enters the race, the entirety of the pro-Christie, Republican, establishment has the potential for splintering up. That is made apparent by Mercer County Chairman Roy Wesley who is the G.O.P. leader of the county that Crowley lives in.

It is reported that, right now, Wesley is “leaning toward” either Christie or Crowley.

Seeing as how we all know that Christie will be running but are not yet sure if Crowley will, the “either or” answer of Wesley makes sense. Why piss off Christie now by backing someone who may not run? However that “either or” response bodes well for Crowley and can best be interpreted to mean that if Crowley runs Wesley will endorse him but if he doesn‘t run, Chris Christie can count on Wesley‘s support.

The Chairmen of Union and Salem counties have already indicated that they are leaning to Christie. Monmouth county’s Republican chairman, Joe Oxley, has not gone that far, but nearly.

According to PolitickerNJ, Oxley stated that “everybody’s anticipating, hoping and expecting that Chris may very well enter the race”. He added that he is good friends with Christie and that Christie will have lots of support throughout the county.

Regardless of the opinions established at this point in time, if Crowley does enter the race, he will certainly shake things up. Many uncommitted county leaders and organizations will probably find themselves impressed with Crowley. He may even have the capacity to change the minds of many individuals currently inclined to support, Lonegan, Merkt or Chris Christie.

Personally, I look forward to Crowley’s interest in the governor’s job turning into a yearning for the job. I want him to run and turn our primary into a truly competitive race that will capture the headlines and attention of voters for months.

Such a race will help establish much needed name recognition for our future nominee and it will help to shed some light on our Republican solutions to our state’s problems.

On top of that, I hope John Crowley believes in the principles of our party and is willing to implement those principles in his approach to solving New Jersey’s problems.

If Crowley comes out trying to run a campaign that, for the sake of political expediency, makes him sound like a democrat, than I will be saying, “Adios, Sayonara, Au revoir, John.”

The same applies to Chris Christie.

If we are to win in November, we will have to run against the liberal policies being applied in Trenton by the current regime. We cannot run against democrats by trying to be them. If that is ones intention than don’t run.

I have a feeling that not only does John Crowley disagree with liberal policy, he is also not afraid to promote a right of center approach to government.

If that is the case, then Crowley may very easily get my vote.

For me, his political outsider status is a plus. He has no entanglement with the political bureaucracy that brought us to where we are today and as result he bears no blame. Furthermore; his “can do” mentality to getting things accomplished in the real world is the type of thinking that we need in the jaded world of government bureaucracy.

Of course, no matter who wins our nomination, it will behoove them to select State Senator Jennifer Beck as their running mate and our Lieutenant Governor nominee.

Please be sure to sign the online petition for that effort!

There’s one thing that Democrats and Republicans share in common:

 Our money.

PRESS RELEASES ABOUT THE EFFORT FOR JENNIFER BECK HAVE GONE OUT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anthony M. Del Pellegrino
LiberalsRlosers@aol.com

 

Garden State Grass Root Republicans Trying To Cultivate A Winning GOP Ticket In ‘09

(Manchester, N.J. -November 26, 2008) ~ Followers of Republican State Senator Beck, R-Monmouth, have begun a petition and campaign for her to be tapped as the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor and running mate of whomever ultimately wins the nomination for Governor. They expect to deliver that message to whomever the Republican nominee for Governor winds up being .

As stated in the petition, it calls “upon the Republican party’s nominee for Governor to select State Senator Jennifer Beck as their running mate and our nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey in the November elections of 2009.”

Supporters of the “State Senator Jennifer Beck for Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey” petition effort believe that Senator Beck’s placement on the ticket would significantly boost Republican chances of winning“.

The petition’s creator, Anthony Del Pellegrino of Ocean County, released the following statement:

“As the race for Governor in New Jersey takes shape, many potential candidates for the Republican nomination are waiting for soon, to be, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie to make his intentions official. With the undeniable advantage that his popular, positive recognition, name id and deserved reputation brings, few will be very competitive against him if he decides to run. Some potential candidates won’t even run against him because of those advantages.

However, while Christie’s decision puts the GOP field in a temporary holding pattern and even though things could change at any moment, one thing wont change. That is the fact that no matter who is nominated for Governor, barring Jennifer Beck herself, no one person will bring more to the ticket as Lieutenant Governor than Senator Beck.

She has proven herself to be one of the state’s brightest and most energetic Republican lawmakers. While during the course of the last few state election cycles, Republicans have been losing seats in the state senate and assembly, Jennifer Beck has been winning them back for us. She appeals to independents and Democrats alike and beyond her masterful ability at campaigning and conveying our message of prosperity, fiscal responsibility and efficient government, Jennifer Beck is someone we believe in. She is a proven, positive force who embodies the future of New Jersey Republicans and, if elected, should the need arise for her to become Governor, Jennifer Beck would be more than just a competent Governor, she would be a unifying force and innovative leader who could steer New Jersey in the right direction.

That being the case, I have embarked on this effort to show whoever gets the Republican gubernatorial nomination that State Senator Jennifer Beck has a great deal of support for being chosen as our candidate for Lieutenant Governor

I have chosen to begin this campaign now, as a grass root effort, there is no heavily financed machine behind it. There will be no ads purchased on the airwaves or placed in newspapers. It is simply a heartfelt attempt to be able to help Republicans shape the strongest possible ticket against Jon Corzine and Trenton’s liberal led state legislature. Such a grass root effort takes time—–lots of time, to build momentum and recognition. So today we start that process and enlist the support of all those who hope to be a part of putting New Jersey back on track and who want to be a part state history by influencing the selection of New Jersey’s first Lieutenant Governor”.

Initial steps for the Beck for Lieutenant Governor movement have begun.

An online petition has been set up and is available for signing on to at:

http://www.gopetition.com/online/23572.html/

And along with the petition, two internet sites for the cause have been created. One is a blog that can be visited at:

http://jenniferbeckforltgovernor.wordpress.com/

The other is on a new web site called Rebuild The Party. Initiated by political computer tech king Patrick Ruffini, Rebuildtheparty.com was created after the recent elections and is designed as a networking platform for, as the title reads, rebuilding the party. On it supporters of the Beck petition drive have set up an online group called State Senator Jennifer Beck for Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey and that can be found at:

http://rebuildtheparty.ning.com/group/statesenatorjenniferbeckforlieutenantgovernorofnew.com

###

The Race To Shape New Jersey’s Future Begins Now!

POLITICS 24/7 has launched a new political effort and blog .

With it, today, the Republican grassroots of the Garden State takes steps to begin shaping New Jersey’s statewide elections in November of 2009.

It may seem early but given the importance of the outcome of the election, we need to gear up wisely and quickly.

In that vein, POLITICS 24/7 has started an effort to build support for the selection of our state’s first Lieutenant Governor.

The newly amended state constitution created the office after an abundant number of recent occasions where vacancies led to the sitting Senate President becoming the Acting Governor, thereby giving him the power of two of the states legislative branches at the same time.

The position is long overdue and in this coming election, for the first time, voters of New Jersey will be electing a gubernatorial ticket—–a Governor and a Lieutenant Governor. The constitution states that the individual who wins their party nomination hand picks his running mate for Lieutenant Governor.

It is fact that there are only a few potential Republican candidates, who may be running , that have the name identification and accessibility to the financial resources required to compete with the independent wealth of incumbent Governor Jon Corzine. Governor Corzine has invested tens of millions of dollars in his three statewide campaigns and the money successfully purchased his elevation first to United States senator and then Governor.

At the same time, Republicans in the state, have lost their own level of competitiveness in fundraising . Combined with the uniqueness of campaigning in a state that is split between the most expensive and third most expensive media markets in the nation, running a statewide campaign in Jersey is inordinately expensive.

On top of that, Republicans have been losing power and influence in the state legislature. The more their numbers decrease and their minority status increases, the tougher it becomes to influence legislation. Less influence leads to lesser fundraising capabilities.

This brings us to where we are today. It is a situation where few Republicans seem poised to be able to run a truly competitive and viable campaign for Governor. The only two potential candidates who might be willing and are able to overcome the obstacles to a successful campaign are soon to be former U.S. Attorney. Chris Christie and the resourceful, bright, determined, bio tech millionaire John Crowley.

Chris Christie’s efforts combating crime in New Jersey have garnered him incredibly positive and popular name identification and with that, the ability to raise the funds needed for a campaign with any chance of winning.

John Crowley‘s inspirational story and his personal wealth might make him another possible contender. A wealthy, New Jersey, political outsider who has a heart of gold and the pockets to match it. He is an innovator and an achiever. After establishing a bio tech company for the purpose of saving his newborn children from a rare and fatal disease, John Crowley has proven himself to have the determination and ability to solve problems and improve the lives of New Jesey residents lives.

In any case, the choices for a gubernatorial candidate who has all the right qualifications and resources, at this time, are limited. I for one am looking at all the potential candidates. For a more detailed assessment of them check out this highlighted POLITICS 24/7 post.

This leads us to why Politics 24/7 has begun an effort for the Lieutenant Governor spot.

Whichever possible candidate can prove themselves to be most qualified and to has the ability to tap into the resources needed to compete, there is one person who would be their best choice for a running mate.

State Senator Jennifer Beck

That person is State Senator Jennifer Beck.

When it comes to adding value and enthusiasm to the ticket, Senator Beck wins hands down. Her proven ability as a campaigner exceeds most others in today’s political arena.

When over the past few election cycles, Republicans were losing seats in the assembly and senate, Jennifer Beck won them back for us. She has won uphill battles in elections where Democrats outnumbered Republicans by margins that would have made most Republican operatives look the other way and avoid having their perceived, expected loss, added to their records.

As a councilwoman, assemblywoman and state senator, Jennifer Beck appealed not to the partisan tendencies in us but the collective goodwill among us. Independents and Democrats alike warmed to her approach to problem solving and government policies. Yet she did so not by trying to be politically expedient by trying to sound like a liberal. She did so by articulating conservative values in a way that appealed to those who she sought to lead.

And lead she did.

In just a relatively short time in Trenton as a legislator, Senator Beck established a solid and trusted reputation for herself. The type of reputation that our gubernatorial needs. it’s a reputation for clean government and positive reform. A reputation for innovation, fiscal responsibility and government accountability.

Between her appeal and ability as a candidate and communicator, and her legislative policy direction, Jennifer Beck would not only be a plus for the GOP ticket, but she will be a plus for the state of New Jersey and its citizens.

With Jennifer Beck, New Jerseyans will have a the security of knowing that should the need arise, we would inherit a true advocate of and for the people of New Jersey at the helm. Her steady hand will be a source of confidence that we need.

Furthermore, as stated in the constitutional amendment creating the office of the Lieutenant Governor, The Governor can appoint the Lieutenant Governor to lead any cabinet position excluding the position of Attorney General.

By granting a cabinet position to Lieutenant Governor Beck, the state will not just have some lady in waiting, sitting behind closed doors, but a hands on head of government applying her great abilities each and every day to specific responsibilities that we, the people, can benefit from.

So today, I officially launch this site, “The Jennifer Beck for Lieutenant Governor” blog and welcome any and all Republicans who have any vision to join me in getting the ball rolling.

No matter who receives our nomination for Governor, Jennifer Beck is an asset whose involvement on the ticket will boost our fortunes and prepare New Jersey for the next generation of leadership.

With that in mind, today POLITICS 24/7 proudly introduces JENNIFER BECK FOR LIEUTNANT GOVERNOR, a blog site created for building a grass root network of Republicans who intend to make it known that we expect and urge our nominee for Governor to tap State Jennifer Beck for Lieutenant Governor.

In accordance with the state constitution, the Republican nominee for Governor must select a running mate within 30 days of winning the nomination and the person should be JenniferBeck

Part of this effort utilizes a petition which makes our intention known and will be presented to whomever wins the nomination on the day after such a victory is determined.

I ask that any and all New Jersey residents to sign the online petition.

As a the process of deciding New Jersey’s future unfolds many things may change but the fact that we need to restore responsible, effective and constructive leadership in Trenton still remains. That being the case, today the grassroots of the Republican party begins an effort that sets a standard for the upcoming election. It is a standard set by the person who is our focus of our attention, Jennifer Beck. If she is not to be our nominee for Governor in 2009, then the individual who will be the nominee must reach the standard standards set by her. Then they must also make her their running mate and possibly New Jersey’s first Lieutenant Governor.

So I invite you all to visit JENNIFER BECK FOR LIEUTNANT GOVERNOR. Republican ticket in next There you will be able to find out more about Senator Beck, including, among other things, her voting record and biographical information.

Thank you!!

Yours truly in republicanism;

 

AS ONE DOOR IN NEW JERSEY CLOSES, ANOTHER OPENS?

US Attorney Chris Christie has made it official. On December 1, he will step down from his post as New Jersey’s prosecutor. His departure from the post will be missed. During his past seven years of crime busting, Christie did more to positively effect the state than did the tenures of Govenor Jon Corzine and his predecessor Jim McGreevey.

Christie Resigns from U.S. Attorney’s Office

 

 

Elected officials from local townships to county governments and from state agencies to state legislators were indicted, found guilty and arrested. Democrats and Republicans alike, suffered the consequences for wrongdoing rooted out by Chris Christie. And there were many.

Knowing that there is so much corruption in our state is a sad state of affairs. But such corruption is a natural result of a state where the largest source of employment is government. Despite it’s small size in landmass, and being one of the smallest states in the union, it has 21 counties, and 566 municipalities. Some of these local towns consist of as many 274,000 people and as few as 20. On top of that exists the all encompassing, cumbersome state government.

All these governments make corruption quite a lucrative endeavor. The growing amount of governments allows patronage to pile up as so many people have the opportunity to create inconsequential posts that they can hire relatives for. The numerous governments creates the opportunity for numerous contractors to offer so many government officials and employees special favors for the inside track on a “government contract”. The system simply breeds corruption and the people pay for it on top of the price for running the prolific preponderance of governments that make corruption so popular.

Short of mandating a consolidation of governments and reducing the number of “governments” in the state, not much can reduce this rampant scope and popularity of the governmental culture of corruption.

But as the US Attorney for the district of New Jersey, since December 20, 2001, Chris Christie provided New Jerseyans with reasonable justice and a relieving sense of corrective adjustment to a system that is weighed against the working class and in favor of the governing class. On the very day that Chris Christie announced the date of his resignation , a jury found a Democrat State Senator guilty on all the charges that Christie brought against him. The timing only helped to accentuate the positive effects that Christie’s leadership has brought to New Jersey.

But is Chris Christie’s resignation as US Attorney for New Jew Jersey really a loss for New Jersey?

Christie’s leaving one office could mean entrance into another…..the Governor’s office.

With the state in the midst of an affordability crisis that seems only to be worsening, New Jersey is looking for leadership. More than 65% of the population feels the state is on the wrong track and the poll numbers show that only 43% of the state inhabitants approve of Governor Jon Corzine while 46% disapprove of him. In the same poll 51% of respondents feel that Corzine should not be reelected.

This all indicates, that at this point, New Jersey wants “change”.

That makes it seem that the GOP has a great window of opportunity to climb through during the year leading up to next November’s state elections. But such is not the case as of yet.

Having no major media market of it’s own, New Jersey is stuck in between the most expensive and the third most expensive media markets in the nation, New York and Philadelphia. So reaching out to the whole state requires one to go through Philly in the South and New York in the North. This makes running a statewide campaign in Jersey quite expensive and money is something state Republicans don‘t have. This goes especially for the Governor’s race where incumbent Jon Corzine has spent tens of millions of his money in previous races. As a Wall Street millionaire he has the money and doesn’t have a problem trying to raise the funds to compete.

On top of that, state Republicans have not helped themselves. They have failed to provide any believable, appealing alternatives to those offered by Democrats.

They have also failed to provide any leader who inspires a sense of optimism and positive change.

State Senator Jennifer Beck

St. Sen. Joe Kyrillos

There are a number of Republicans inside and outside of the state legislature who are promising and could provide the party with the infusion of innovative ideas and inspirational voices that we need. People like State Senator’s Joe Kyrillos and Jennifer Beck. Former Assemblyman Paul DeGaetano is another and so is Morris County Freeholder John Murphy. Of those four, I am confident that Jennifer Beck will some day be our Governor or one of New Jersey’s two United States Senators but that is not so for this coming race.  Time is needed for Senator Beck  to establish herself. But for now, the greatest reason why none of these four  will emerge as a likely candidate for governor in ’09 is money and name identification. The disjointed access to media in the state makes their names less than household names in the south and to become well known would take millions of unavailable dollars to their campaigns.

Assemblyman Richard Merkt

Regardless of the odds stacked against them one little known Assemblyman has declared his candidacy for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Assembly Richard Merkt made his intentions known for a few months now and although his voting record is conservative oriented, he still lacks the innovation of ideas that inspires anyone. The same goes for former and potential GOP candidate for the nomination Steve Lonegan.

Former Bogata, NJ Mayor Steve Lonegan

Lonegan’s ideas are quite conservative and he has a truly consistent conservative approach to government. But that in and of itself is a problem. Openly conservative candidates do not go over well in New Jersey. Especially under funded, conservative candidates. Like many other potential candidates, Lonegan is severely hampered by the lack of financial resources that will be available to him.

That brings us back to the beginning. What alternatives does New Jersey have to the current menage~a~tois between the Democrat governor and Democrat controlled state senate and assembly?

By losing Chris Christie in the corruption busting crusade to change government from the outside, he may now be the best person for Republicans to use to change government from the inside.

He has the name id that others would need to raise tens of millions of dollars to achieve.

He has a reputation of success, taking on government and government officials and for nonpartisanship.

All of this appeals to Jersey’s very large and crucial independent voting bloc and gives him a leg up.

If Chris Christie were to declare his candidacy for governor, for the reasons mentioned above, he would be a figure that people would automatically have reason to rally around.

If he ran on a platform of reform he could be one of the most effective candidates to do so, that the state has ever seen. Christie could discuss reform of the culture of government and corruption. He could call for the outlawing of the dual office holding which consolidates power and increases the opportunity for corruption. He could preach the virtues of reforming many of the practices that have led to illegal conduct in government that he prosecuted. He could promote the consolidation of municipal governments so that we reduce costs and reduce the opportunity for hundreds of governments to be corrupt.

Add to this other reforms such as those to our state’s economy, it‘s contract negotiation process, future pension plans, property taxes, education funding, infrastructure development and you have an agenda of reform that offers real hope to a state populations that wants change.

I do not know where Chris Christie stands on these issues. As a Republican I would hope that he believes in many of the ideological principles that make me a Republican. I would hope that he would want to reform New Jersey’s anti business atmosphere of over taxation which reduces job opportunities and growth. I would hope that he is willing to cut spending by reducing ineffectual programs, the size of government and it’s overabundance of government employees. I would hope that he understands that New Jersey is unaffordable to live in and that taxes must be cut in order to alleviate that problem.

Until I know where Christie stands on these issues, I can not say that he has my support. Besides he has not yet made his intentions known or announced his candidacy. If he does make such an announcement and runs for the Republican nomination, I hope he makes his ideological philosophy clear. Part of the reason for the failures of other recent statewide Republican candidacies is due to their unwillingness to distinguish themselves from Democrats. They have felt a need to go along to get along and it has not worked. There are plenty of Democrats to choose from in New Jersey and given the chance, residents of the state will choose a Democrat acting like a Democrat over a Republican acting like a Democrat on any given day.

With the reputation that he has already established, Chris Christie can offer conservative oriented initiatives and they can be well received. Unlike Steve Lonegan whose conservative philosophy is shadowed by a right wing image problem, Chris Christie has a more independent, nonpartisan image that can make any right leaning initiatives, that he offers up as reform, more palatable and acceptable to a liberal oriented electorate. Chris Christie is the only possible candidate who can do that at this point in time.

There is another potential candidate out there though.

John Crowley has a remarkable story. One so compelling that books have been written about it and actor Harrison Ford will be playing John Crowley in a movie about him.

Bio Tech Millionaire John Crowley

Crowley started his own bio tech business here in New Jersey. He started it not for profit but for survival. Survial of his new born children who were diagnosed with a rare and fatal disorder called Pompe disease. There were no treatments for the disease and since it was so rare, the pharameucitical and science industries did not bother with trying to find a cure. So began Crowley’s creation of a bio tech company that raced time to discover a cure.  To date the company he statred to keep his children alive has done just that and his childrens lives have been extended as the treatments so far established have allowed John Crowley’s kids to ward off the worst of the disorders effects.  There were many ups and down that the Crowley family took to get to this point but determination and clear thinking got them this far.

Now a multimillionaire, Crowley has pockets almost as deep as Governor Corzine. This gives him the chance to develop name id and possibly mount a competitive race against Corzine. He almost ran for US Senate against Frank Lautenberg but passed that up. Now he has expressed some possible interest in the race for Governor.

 Although his financial situation might make Crowley viable, and his story is remarkably inspirational and proof oh his determination, where he stands on the issues is yet to be known.

The unknown positions of both Christie and Crowley prohibit me from leaning to one or the other and it should also prohibit others from doing so too. The way it currently stands, conservative Steve Lonegan has my initial philosophical support. But philosophical support is meaningless. It means as much as a Governor who has the right philosophy but can’t implement that philosophy into the application of government. My philosophical support must translate into tangible support. So should Crowley or Christie articulate ideological lines of thinking similar to Lonegan and an ability to implement them, they could easily win my physical support.

This makes declaring their candidacies as soon as possible, quite important.

New Jersey Republicans need to choose our gubernatorial nominee carefully and we need to close ranks around that nominee as quickly as we can. So the debate must begin and in order for that to happen we need to know who the debate is between and what the players stand for.

The most important declaration of candidacy happens to be Chris Christie’s. Many other potential candidates are awaiting his decision. If he runs, many others will bow out. If Chris Christie does not run, the field will fill up fast. Promising candidates like former candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, Freeholder John Murphy may just go for it again. His spirited, fresh faced, energetic, Trenton outsider image could shake things up quite a lot.

Freeholder John Murphy

In any event, Chris Christie is holding the greatest promise of hope for New Jersey. His crime busting reputation could be the making of New Jersey’s version of what Tom Dewey was to the state of New York and what Rudy Giuliani was to New York City………squeaky clean politicians who are reform minded, and inclined to creating prosperous governments that improve the quality of life for all it’s citizens.

That’s how it could be and if it is to be so, Chris Christie must first make intentions known quickly. The first week of the new year should be the latest for that decision.

Should Chris Christie decide to go for it then he must not be afraid to preach the Republican principles that have, more often than not, reformed government for the better.

Republican defeats have forced Republican candidates to sound like Trenton Democrats. Doing so has only helped to increase Republican losses at the ballot box. Chris Christie is poised to turn that all around but only if he leaves no doubt about his Republican inclinations and no doubts about his desire for the job.

A little girl asked her father, “Daddy? Do all Fairy Tales begin with ‘Once Upon A Time’?”

He replied, “No, there is a whole series of Fairy Tales that begin with ‘If elected I promise’.”