Video links Sweeney push on mandatory vaccination to Big Pharma

An explosive new video has been posted on YouTube by the media group News In Jersey.  The video has already been viewed by over 12,700 people.

News in Jersey writes:
 
Many have wondered why New Jersey State Senate President Stephen Sweeney has been so adamant in regards to passing Senate Bill S2173, to the extent that he would remove Health Committee Board Members to push this Bill and then to try to influence other Senators to Vote Yes to the most controversial bill that New Jersey has seen in decades. We investigated and found that there is one constant when Sweeney becomes defiant, those are the bills that he is protecting or pushing that George Norcross has demanded.
 
Welcome to the swamp of New Jersey politics. General Majority is the George Norcross run Super Pac pushing politicians into their positions. New Jerseyans see thru the millions that Norcross has spent to put his personally selected order takers into office.
 
He has been buying votes and influence to steer insurance contracts to his firm for years. He has used the Quid Pro Quo to build his firm and is now doing the same thing for other companies who need influence and are looking to get laws passed that will help their net profits.
 
George Norcross and Stephen Sweeney have crossed the line. We are putting our politicians on notice, we are watching you and we will be investigating your connections…
 
We welcome any additional commentary, rebuttals, clarifications, etc. on this very interesting topic.  Stay tuned…

Bramnick vs. Sweeney: The politics of competing plans

Good for Jim Florio… at least he remembers who he is.

When asked whether or not he would endorse law partner Doug Steinhardt for Governor, the former Governor put it very simply:  “He’s not the right party as far as I’m concerned.  I would not vote for him.  I’m a Democratic voter.”

Doug is the Chairman of the Republican State Committee.  The two are partners at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt & Cappelli.  This insight came courtesy of that doyen of bloggers… David Wildstein. 

But hey, Florio gets it.  Party means something.

It is the job of the leader of every legislative party caucus – the Speaker, the Senate President, and the minority leaders – to defend and expand their caucus at the expense of the other side.  Those are the rules.  It is first and foremost.  We all understand this.

Last week, Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick rolled out his plan for addressing New Jersey’s fiscal crisis.  It was a direct appeal to elect more Republicans to the Assembly and centered on what they would do if elected.

Bramnick did exactly what he needed to do.  After pointing out the fiscal evils perpetrated by legislative Democrats, Bramnick lays out three solid policy positions that points New Jersey Republicans in the direction of what we should be for…

(1) Cap State Spending at 2% (just like local government spending is capped).

(2) Cut the State Income Tax by 10% (make NJ more competitive w. other states).

(3) Full Deduction of Property Taxes on the State Income Tax (a move that takes the property tax issue away from Democrats like Andy Kim, Mikie Sherrill, and Josh Gottheimer).

In a political sense, the Assembly Republican Leader’s plan does not demonize any organized, well-funded interest groups – it simply starves government for the benefit of taxpayers.  Bramnick makes war on spending, not people.  And that is good politics.    

Bramnick avoids the mistake made in 2015 by then Governor Chris Christie and his Republican Party.  Christie’s pension/health benefits commission called for many changes but he went further and directly confronted the unions and their members, demonizing them in the process.  Christie inadvertently created well-organized, well-financed cells of opposition in every Republican district in the state. 

Like this year, 2015 was a low-turnout election with the Assembly at the top of the ticket.  Public employee unions targeted Republicans and Democrat super PACs – including those controlled by George Norcross – poured money into the campaigns of Democrat challengers.  Republicans lost four seats – four friends by the names of Donna, Caroline, Mary Pat, and Sam.

Yesterday, Senate President Steve Sweeney announced his “bi-partisan” plan that targets many of the same people that Governor Christie pissed off in 2015.  It should be noted that Sweeney’s plan was formally rolled out after the filing deadline for the Democrat primary.  Unfortunately for Republicans… it is some months until the November election.

This is not about the merits of the “bi-partisan plan” but rather, it is about the politics and timing of the plan.   

Are Republicans in danger of repeating 2015 again? 

Will the super PACS’s controlled by Sweeney allies like George Norcross back up every Republican legislator on the ballot this year?  Or will they stay true to form and support their Democrat challengers?  Will the Republicans on the ballot this year end up getting it from both ends?

This situation might be different if New Jersey Republicans had taken the time to build a base of small dollar donors and activists.  But as fundraiser Ali Steinstra noted at the March NJGOP Leadership Summit, broad-based Republican fundraising can only be accomplished by appeals to the party’s conservative base.   

The GOP establishment in New Jersey is barely on speaking terms with its base, so the ground has not been prepared.  We have no equivalent to what the NJEA and the Norcross super PACs will throw against us, so pissing on a hornet’s nest probably isn’t a good idea.  At this moment in time, it is more likely to motivate the kind of turnout that will cost us another four or more seats in November.

Assembly Leader Bramnick has a sensible, Republican plan that addresses the problem of spending and taxation.  It avoids drawing fire from well-organized, well-funded interest groups.  Those on the ballot this year have a choice to make.

Did Super PAC's Sue McCue break ethics rules?

Last year, in probably the single most bizarre appointment of his career, Governor Chris Christie appointed Susan M. McCue, a Washington DC career insider and establishment critter, as one of the 15 members of the Rutgers Board of Governors.  These are the people who set policy and control what goes on at New Jersey's state university. 

DC party gal Sue McCue, friend of world class tax-rip-offs.

Susan McCue is a Democrat and was Senator Harry Reid's chief of staff and hatchet lady.  Before going Hollywood, Sue McCue ran the Senate Democrats' Super PAC that was so successful in holding off Republican domination of that body.   But then she did go Hollywood and started shilling for one of the biggest self-promoting tax avoidance artists in the WORLD -- the formerly Irish artist (now a citizen of wherever he can avoid paying taxes), the one and only Bone-job. 

Senator Reid is a FOG -- Friend of George (as in Norcross) -- and it was probably through this conduit that Sue met Chris and led Chris to appoint Sue to the Rutgers Board of Governors.  There is no doubt that Sue McCue has an impressive resume -- when it comes to crushing the nuts of the NJGOP.  McCue's Super PAC shut out the GOP's effort to pick-up legislative seats in 2013, when the Governor was winning by 20 points.  Then got their own nuts handed to them by the Pennsylvania GOP when they tried to do the same there in 2014.  PA Republicans heavily padded their majorities in both chambers despite the GOP Governor losing by 10 points.

This year Sue McCue is at it again.  Her General Majority SUPER PAC is spending millions against Republican Assembly candidates -- much of it improperly or at least unethically "wheeled" from other PACs. 

But there's a larger issue here for this resident of Alexandria, Virginia.  Is Susan McCue's involvement in her Super PAC even ethical?  Does it present a conflict of interest?

The by-laws of the Rutgers Board of Governors states:  "Members of the Board of Governors are covered by the "special state officer or employee" provisions of the New Jersey Conflicts of Interest Law (NJSA 52:13D-12 et seq.) and by the University Conflicts of Interests Policy for Members of Board of Governors, Trustees..."

The Policy warns each Member of the Board of Governors "to ensure that no detriment or appearance of detriment to the University's interests results from a conflict between the best interests of the University and any personal, financial, or other interest of a Board member or University officer."

The Policy states:  "Rutgers, The State University is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey and provides public higher education services.  The University is 'impressed with a public trust,' and members of the Boards of Governors, Trustees, Camden Board of Directors, and University officers have a fiduciary duty to the University.  A Board member's and officer's fiduciary duty provides that he or she shall always be guided by the best interests of the University.  Thus, Board members and officers may not act on matters in which they have a financial or personal interest that might interfere with the performance of their duties."

"Members of the Boards of Governors or Trustees, the Camden Board of Directors, or University officers shall not have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in any business or transaction or professional activity, which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his or her duties in the public interest."

"Members of the Boards of Governors or Trustees, the Camden Board of Directors, or University officers shall not undertake any employment or service, whether compensated or not, which might reasonably be expected to impair their objectivity and independence of judgment in the exercise of official duties."

"Members of the Boards of Governors or Trustees, the Camden Board of Directors, or University officers shall not knowingly act in any way that might reasonably be expected to create an impression or suspicion among the public having knowledge of their acts that they may be engaged in conduct violative of their trust as a special State officer or State officers."

It looks like Susie McCue has a lot of explaining to do.

We have received some requests for Rev. Greg Quinlan's contact information regarding his letter to the Rutgers President and Chairman of the Board of Governors.  Greg may be reached at 513-435-1125.