November 24, 2009
Some Democrats Back Off Bid to Legalize Gay Marriage in New Jersey
By DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI
It was not on the ballot, nor was it a top-tier issue in the New Jersey governor’s race this fall, but the push to legalize same-sex marriage in the state could become a casualty of the election results.
Just weeks ago, Democrats, who control both houses of the Legislature, spoke confidently about their intention to pass a marriage-equality bill after the election and send it to Gov. Jon S. Corzine, a fellow Democrat who had promised to sign it even if he was not re-elected.
But when lawmakers returned to Trenton on Monday for the first time since Mr. Corzine was defeated by Christopher J. Christie, a Republican who opposes gay marriage, a few Democratic legislators appeared to be wavering in their support, setting off an emotional blitz of lobbying and backroom bargaining.
Some Democratic legislative leaders — including the majority leader, Stephen M. Sweeney, who will become Senate president in January — have said that they view Governor Corzine’s loss as a gauge of the public’s unease with the troubled economy, and fear that voters might resent elected officials who appear distracted by social issues. He said he did not think this was the right time to enact the bill.
Other Democrats worried that if they passed a same-sex-marriage bill while Mr. Corzine was on his way out of office, they might anger voters, energize Mr. Christie’s conservative base and alienate socially traditional Democrats.
With Mr. Christie scheduled to take office on Jan. 19, supporters of the proposal are under pressure to move quickly. Lawmakers and gay-rights advocates say they are confident they can get the measure through the General Assembly.
But Senate Democrats met to discuss the measure on Monday and — despite intense lobbying from a coalition of gay-rights advocates and other groups — did not schedule it for a vote, because they appeared unable to muster the 21 votes needed to pass it. A few Republicans have said they may support the bill, but several of the 23 Democrats have expressed reservations about it. Senator Loretta Weinberg, a sponsor of the bill, who spent the fall campaigning as Mr. Corzine’s running mate, said that despite her colleagues’ post-election apprehensions, she believed that lawmakers would make New Jersey the latest state to legalize gay marriage.
“This is an issue of fairness,” she said. “It’s not like we’re going to miss out on a chance to fix the economy during the lame-duck session because we’re spending a couple of hours debating this. It is a matter of civil rights.”
Although New Jersey is regarded as one of the nation’s most liberal and socially tolerant states, the push to move from its current law legalizing civil unions to same-sex marriage has been heated. Polls show that a slight majority of voters favor gay marriage, but opponents of the measure have been aggressive in taking aim at lawmakers from both parties who have voiced support for same-sex marriage, especially those whose districts include conservative communities.
At least 75 opponents of the bill descended on the Capitol on Monday for a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, though no marriage bill was on the agenda.
“It would weaken marriage for everyone” said Moshe Bressler, 38, of Lakewood, an Orthodox Jew who said his religious beliefs made him oppose it.
Supporters of the bill responded by mobilizing about 250 people at the State House, where they handed out leaflets, buttonholed legislators and met on the steps for a rally.
Steven Goldstein, head of Garden State Equality, said he was upset by Democrats who had grown “weak-kneed” since Mr. Corzine’s defeat. Mr. Goldstein warned that gay New Jerseyans, who have become a significant source of fund-raising and support for many Democrats, would exact a price if party leaders did not deliver on their promise to pass the marriage bill.
“If the Democrats don’t enact marriage equality now, after years of telling us to wait, wait, wait, it will cause a huge schism between the state Democratic Party and not just the gay community, but the entire progressive base,” he said. “And it could change the political landscape of New Jersey permanently.”
Gay-rights groups have been campaigning extensively for years to win legalization of same-sex marriage and announced Monday that they would release two new radio ads highlighting the stories of gay couples who have been denied health care coverage and other legal and social benefits granted to married couples.
Reed Gusciora, a Democrat from Princeton who sponsored a same-sex marriage bill in the Assembly, said he still held out hope that lawmakers would view it as a matter of civil rights and approve it.
“Certain members are putting political expediency before public policy,” he said. “But this issue is a lot like the Corzine-Christie race: it could go either way.”
Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
THE STATE WE'RE IN
By Michele Byers
Published: Nov 20th, 6:55 AM
Politically, “lame duck” – the period between a November election and the seating of a new Legislature the following January – can be chaos.It’s the last chance to pass bills that are nearly through the legislative process. In fact, bills not passed during “lame duck” have to be re-introduced by the new Legislature and start all over again.“Lame duck” can also be a time to rush through some bad bills, leaving opponents little time to organize against them.Right now, New Jersey’s “lame duck” is getting under way with several worthy bills that should be passed - and a potential turkey that should be stopped.
A great one is the Forest Stewardship bill, A-3239, sponsored by Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex, to encourage sustainable management of private forest lands.Most of New Jersey’s forests are seriously degraded; they face an onslaught of pests, invasive species, unsustainable logging practices and overabundant deer. Under current law, New Jersey landowners can qualify for reduced property tax assessments if they produce a certain level of income from harvesting trees. Across New Jersey, this has spurred poor forestry practices. The Forest Stewardship bill would allow landowners to qualify for the same lower tax assessments if they implement professionally prepared forest stewardship plans aimed at enhancing the natural resource value of the woodlands.
Another, the “ORV Bill,” A-823/S-2055, sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, and state Sen. Robert Gordon, D-Bergen, would require all off-road vehicles – ORVs - to be registered and tagged, and impose stiff penalties for illegal riding on public lands. The ORV bill would create a real deterrent to illegal riding, and generate revenue to support enforcement, rider education and safety programs, and repair damage to open space.New Jersey’s open lands face substantial threats from off-road vehicles. Though they are illegal on public, preserved land, you would be hard-pressed to find a piece of New Jersey that hasn’t been damaged by ORV use. ORVs destroy vegetation, kill and injure wildlife, create serious soil erosion problems, degrade air and water quality, produce noise pollution - harmful to wildlife and a nuisance to humans - cut wildlife off from feeding or breeding grounds, cause erosion and exacerbate the problem of invasive species. Even though there are many responsible ORV riders who respect the environment, far too many don’t. The ORV bill is a solid first step for getting the protection of our conservation lands back on track.
Now, the turkey: A “builders’ bill” to rewrite the State Planning Act for the worse. Although this draft legislation, written by builders and the development community, has not yet been introduced, “lame duck” could be the perfect time to slip it through. It would give the State Planning Commission the power to override local governments, every state agency and all regional planning bodies, including the New Jersey Pinelands Commission and the Highlands Council. State agencies like the Department of Environmental Protection, currently voting members of the State Planning Commission, would be reduced to advisers.If this turkey gets introduced in “lame duck,” our legislators and governor should shoot it down.
Once “lame duck” gets under way, just a few votes could make a major difference for forests and open spaces struggling to survive in this state we’re in. Please call your state senators and Assembly members today and ask them to push for final votes to get A-3239 and A-823/S2055 passed now.
Copyright © 2009 - Recorder Community Newspapers
By Michele Byers
Published: Nov 20th, 6:55 AM
Politically, “lame duck” – the period between a November election and the seating of a new Legislature the following January – can be chaos.It’s the last chance to pass bills that are nearly through the legislative process. In fact, bills not passed during “lame duck” have to be re-introduced by the new Legislature and start all over again.“Lame duck” can also be a time to rush through some bad bills, leaving opponents little time to organize against them.Right now, New Jersey’s “lame duck” is getting under way with several worthy bills that should be passed - and a potential turkey that should be stopped.
A great one is the Forest Stewardship bill, A-3239, sponsored by Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex, to encourage sustainable management of private forest lands.Most of New Jersey’s forests are seriously degraded; they face an onslaught of pests, invasive species, unsustainable logging practices and overabundant deer. Under current law, New Jersey landowners can qualify for reduced property tax assessments if they produce a certain level of income from harvesting trees. Across New Jersey, this has spurred poor forestry practices. The Forest Stewardship bill would allow landowners to qualify for the same lower tax assessments if they implement professionally prepared forest stewardship plans aimed at enhancing the natural resource value of the woodlands.
Another, the “ORV Bill,” A-823/S-2055, sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, and state Sen. Robert Gordon, D-Bergen, would require all off-road vehicles – ORVs - to be registered and tagged, and impose stiff penalties for illegal riding on public lands. The ORV bill would create a real deterrent to illegal riding, and generate revenue to support enforcement, rider education and safety programs, and repair damage to open space.New Jersey’s open lands face substantial threats from off-road vehicles. Though they are illegal on public, preserved land, you would be hard-pressed to find a piece of New Jersey that hasn’t been damaged by ORV use. ORVs destroy vegetation, kill and injure wildlife, create serious soil erosion problems, degrade air and water quality, produce noise pollution - harmful to wildlife and a nuisance to humans - cut wildlife off from feeding or breeding grounds, cause erosion and exacerbate the problem of invasive species. Even though there are many responsible ORV riders who respect the environment, far too many don’t. The ORV bill is a solid first step for getting the protection of our conservation lands back on track.
Now, the turkey: A “builders’ bill” to rewrite the State Planning Act for the worse. Although this draft legislation, written by builders and the development community, has not yet been introduced, “lame duck” could be the perfect time to slip it through. It would give the State Planning Commission the power to override local governments, every state agency and all regional planning bodies, including the New Jersey Pinelands Commission and the Highlands Council. State agencies like the Department of Environmental Protection, currently voting members of the State Planning Commission, would be reduced to advisers.If this turkey gets introduced in “lame duck,” our legislators and governor should shoot it down.
Once “lame duck” gets under way, just a few votes could make a major difference for forests and open spaces struggling to survive in this state we’re in. Please call your state senators and Assembly members today and ask them to push for final votes to get A-3239 and A-823/S2055 passed now.
Copyright © 2009 - Recorder Community Newspapers
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A long distance from Princeton
Democratic National Convention
Courtesy of Asbury Park Press
By TOM BALDWINGANNETT
More than two decades ago, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson — now Michelle Obama, wife of the presumed Democratic nominee for president — wrote in her senior thesis at Princeton University that she never felt accepted because she was black.
With the possible future first lady introducing herself to the nation, detractors may try using her themes from 1985 to show her husband is not right for a U.S. electorate in 2008.
It's not clear whether anyone clings to opinions espoused more than two decades after the collegiate experience. But the closer one ventures to the realm of her theme — a black woman from Chicago's hard South Side landing on leafy Old Nassau — the more one realizes that most anyone from any socioeconomic billet can feel awed and marginalized at Princeton.
This is a university that has schooled six heads of state, including three U.S. presidents, almost 20 governors and U.S. senators in each category, nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, scads of Nobel-winners and six astronauts.
"I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don't belong," wrote Michelle LaVaughn Robinson.
"Regardless of the circumstances under which I interact with whites at Princeton, it often seems as if, to them, I will always be black first and a student second," she penned.
Gov. Corzine says he sympathizes with such thoughts, saying he felt intimidated as a downstate Illinois farm boy when he marched into math classes at the University of Chicago. "I didn't know what the heck I was doing," he said.
"I think it's a normal reaction when someone is moving from one phase of their life to another," Corzine said.
A New Jersey convention delegate here, former Treasury Secretary W. Michael Blumenthal, who took graduate degrees and taught at Princeton, said, "They used to call Princeton the northern most of the southern white schools."
Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr., D-Burlington, was a fellow African-American in Michelle Obama's class at Princeton — 1985. They knew each other but were not close.
"I have never felt marginalized in any situation I have been in. But that's me," Conaway said, adding he believed Obama's unease could be quite normal.
"I was a middle-class kid, and I was afraid I was going to go to school with all these rich people," Conaway said. "Fear is born of ignorance, of not knowing what a particular situation is. That often passes. I did not feel off-put surrounded by people who, on average, had more than I did.
There were people who had less money than I did."
Other minorities, either ethnic or religious, who ascended through intense educational or professional modes had their own tools to get by.
"The housing project I grew up in was largely Jewish, so I thought the whole world was Jewish until I got to Vassar. . . . It was certainly a place that did not have too many Jews. I could empathize with her," said Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex, a convention delegate.
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, R-Monmouth, a Harvard graduate, who is Jewish, said in an interview last week, "Harvard was as pure an Ameristocracy as I have ever experienced. At that time, there were far fewer female role models, and those of us coming up had to make our own way and learn assertiveness in a way that many of our male classmates had absorbed in their high-school years or by watching the many powerful men who dominated in every field of endeavor at that time"
"It is how you deal with the change. Different people deal with it differently," said Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, D-Middlesex, who emigrated from India. "I have been many places where I was the only one with brown skin. I take the initiative and mingle with people, to mingle and become the ambassador from where I come."
Assemblyman Eric Munoz, R-Union, a physician, was the rare Hispanic in high school, college and graduate schools, where he earned medical and business degrees. "If you come from a minority background, it is only a passage of time before you will realize what goes on with wealth and tradition at a place like Princeton," he said last week in an interview.
"It is the ultimate transient town . . . There are very few native Princetonians," said convention delegate Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, who lives in Princeton, adding of the students, "There is a lot of pressure because it is so competitive."
Courtesy of Asbury Park Press
By TOM BALDWINGANNETT
More than two decades ago, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson — now Michelle Obama, wife of the presumed Democratic nominee for president — wrote in her senior thesis at Princeton University that she never felt accepted because she was black.
With the possible future first lady introducing herself to the nation, detractors may try using her themes from 1985 to show her husband is not right for a U.S. electorate in 2008.
It's not clear whether anyone clings to opinions espoused more than two decades after the collegiate experience. But the closer one ventures to the realm of her theme — a black woman from Chicago's hard South Side landing on leafy Old Nassau — the more one realizes that most anyone from any socioeconomic billet can feel awed and marginalized at Princeton.
This is a university that has schooled six heads of state, including three U.S. presidents, almost 20 governors and U.S. senators in each category, nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, scads of Nobel-winners and six astronauts.
"I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don't belong," wrote Michelle LaVaughn Robinson.
"Regardless of the circumstances under which I interact with whites at Princeton, it often seems as if, to them, I will always be black first and a student second," she penned.
Gov. Corzine says he sympathizes with such thoughts, saying he felt intimidated as a downstate Illinois farm boy when he marched into math classes at the University of Chicago. "I didn't know what the heck I was doing," he said.
"I think it's a normal reaction when someone is moving from one phase of their life to another," Corzine said.
A New Jersey convention delegate here, former Treasury Secretary W. Michael Blumenthal, who took graduate degrees and taught at Princeton, said, "They used to call Princeton the northern most of the southern white schools."
Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr., D-Burlington, was a fellow African-American in Michelle Obama's class at Princeton — 1985. They knew each other but were not close.
"I have never felt marginalized in any situation I have been in. But that's me," Conaway said, adding he believed Obama's unease could be quite normal.
"I was a middle-class kid, and I was afraid I was going to go to school with all these rich people," Conaway said. "Fear is born of ignorance, of not knowing what a particular situation is. That often passes. I did not feel off-put surrounded by people who, on average, had more than I did.
There were people who had less money than I did."
Other minorities, either ethnic or religious, who ascended through intense educational or professional modes had their own tools to get by.
"The housing project I grew up in was largely Jewish, so I thought the whole world was Jewish until I got to Vassar. . . . It was certainly a place that did not have too many Jews. I could empathize with her," said Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex, a convention delegate.
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, R-Monmouth, a Harvard graduate, who is Jewish, said in an interview last week, "Harvard was as pure an Ameristocracy as I have ever experienced. At that time, there were far fewer female role models, and those of us coming up had to make our own way and learn assertiveness in a way that many of our male classmates had absorbed in their high-school years or by watching the many powerful men who dominated in every field of endeavor at that time"
"It is how you deal with the change. Different people deal with it differently," said Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, D-Middlesex, who emigrated from India. "I have been many places where I was the only one with brown skin. I take the initiative and mingle with people, to mingle and become the ambassador from where I come."
Assemblyman Eric Munoz, R-Union, a physician, was the rare Hispanic in high school, college and graduate schools, where he earned medical and business degrees. "If you come from a minority background, it is only a passage of time before you will realize what goes on with wealth and tradition at a place like Princeton," he said last week in an interview.
"It is the ultimate transient town . . . There are very few native Princetonians," said convention delegate Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, who lives in Princeton, adding of the students, "There is a lot of pressure because it is so competitive."
Monday, August 18, 2008
States: Keep old TVs out of landfills
By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY
As the switch to digital TV nears, concern about old TVs piling up in landfills has prompted state and local governments to develop recycling programs.
New York City and 11 states have passed laws, including four this year, to set up television recycling programs paid for by manufacturers, according to the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, an alliance of non-profit groups that promote responsible recycling. And California has a law that requires people to pay for TV recycling.
On Feb. 17, TV broadcasts will switch from analog signals to digital. The switch, mandated by Congress in 2005, will be the biggest change in TV technology since the leap from black-and-white to color a half-century ago.
To avoid a blank screen, households with analog TVs will need to do one of three things: Subscribe to cable or satellite service, get a converter box or buy a digital TV. About 70 million TVs nationwide could be affected because they rely on antennas to receive free over-the-air signals.
In Illinois, the TV switch helped win support this year for a bill that requires manufacturers to pay for the recycling of TVs and computers, said the bill's sponsor, Democratic state Sen. Susan Garrett. It passed the Legislature last month, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected to sign it, spokesman Lucio Guerrero said.
"Consumers are asking for this," Garrett said.
In New Jersey, "It was a race" to get legislation passed in time for the digital TV transition, said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, a Democrat, whose bill takes effect in January. He said recycling is essential because "a generation of TVs … will be discarded."
West Virginia and Rhode Island passed similar bills this year.
"What we're seeing is a complete change in consumer patterns" in which people get rid of old TVs rather than move them to a less-used room, said Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition.
In most states, she said, it's legal to put a TV in the trash even though it contains several pounds of lead. She urges consumers to pick a recycler that doesn't dump TVs abroad in the landfills of poor countries. A list of "responsible recyclers" appears on her group's website.
Jennifer Bemisderfer, spokeswoman for the Consumer Electronics Association, said she doesn't expect the digital TV transition to cause a surge in TVs heading to landfills. She said most people who buy new TVs donate, sell or recycle their old ones. Citing a survey this year by her group, she said only 12% of households with analog TVs say they will buy a new digital TV. She said nearly half, 48%, plan to buy a converter box.
The U.S. government is giving away 33 million coupons, worth $40 each, to defray the costs of buying converter boxes, typically $50 to $80. Each household can get two coupons. More than 23 million coupons have been requested but only a third used. They expire after 90 days.
As the switch to digital TV nears, concern about old TVs piling up in landfills has prompted state and local governments to develop recycling programs.
New York City and 11 states have passed laws, including four this year, to set up television recycling programs paid for by manufacturers, according to the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, an alliance of non-profit groups that promote responsible recycling. And California has a law that requires people to pay for TV recycling.
On Feb. 17, TV broadcasts will switch from analog signals to digital. The switch, mandated by Congress in 2005, will be the biggest change in TV technology since the leap from black-and-white to color a half-century ago.
To avoid a blank screen, households with analog TVs will need to do one of three things: Subscribe to cable or satellite service, get a converter box or buy a digital TV. About 70 million TVs nationwide could be affected because they rely on antennas to receive free over-the-air signals.
In Illinois, the TV switch helped win support this year for a bill that requires manufacturers to pay for the recycling of TVs and computers, said the bill's sponsor, Democratic state Sen. Susan Garrett. It passed the Legislature last month, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected to sign it, spokesman Lucio Guerrero said.
"Consumers are asking for this," Garrett said.
In New Jersey, "It was a race" to get legislation passed in time for the digital TV transition, said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, a Democrat, whose bill takes effect in January. He said recycling is essential because "a generation of TVs … will be discarded."
West Virginia and Rhode Island passed similar bills this year.
"What we're seeing is a complete change in consumer patterns" in which people get rid of old TVs rather than move them to a less-used room, said Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition.
In most states, she said, it's legal to put a TV in the trash even though it contains several pounds of lead. She urges consumers to pick a recycler that doesn't dump TVs abroad in the landfills of poor countries. A list of "responsible recyclers" appears on her group's website.
Jennifer Bemisderfer, spokeswoman for the Consumer Electronics Association, said she doesn't expect the digital TV transition to cause a surge in TVs heading to landfills. She said most people who buy new TVs donate, sell or recycle their old ones. Citing a survey this year by her group, she said only 12% of households with analog TVs say they will buy a new digital TV. She said nearly half, 48%, plan to buy a converter box.
The U.S. government is giving away 33 million coupons, worth $40 each, to defray the costs of buying converter boxes, typically $50 to $80. Each household can get two coupons. More than 23 million coupons have been requested but only a third used. They expire after 90 days.
Friday, August 1, 2008
DANGERS TO JERSERY SHORE FROM OFFSHORE DRILLING UNDERSCORED BY RECENT GULF SHORE OIL SPILL
Gusicora to Redouble Efforts to Protect Jersey Coastline
After Witnessing First-Hand Environmental Damage In New Orleans
(TRENTON) – Assemblyman Reed Gusciora today said that he is redoubling his efforts to protect New Jersey’s coastline from the imminent dangers of offshore drilling after touring areas along the 98-mile stretch of the Mississippi River which experienced serious environmental damage following a collision of a fuel barge and tanker which caused more than 400,000 gallons of fuel to spill.
Gusciora witnessed the environmental disaster while in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the recent National Conference of State Legislature’s Annual Meeting.
“The damage this oil spill had on the coastal resources of Louisiana -- from air quality to wildlife to the Mississippi River itself – was devastating,” said Gusciora (D-Mercer). “This oil spill should be a wake-up call for the Bush administration to realize the serious impacts that offshore drilling poses to all coastal area. To permit offshore drilling along the Jersey Shore would be playing ‘Russian roulette’ with the state’s coastal resources which support tourism, New Jersey’s top industry.”
The oil in the New Orleans spill is widely used as marine fuel; it is heavier than diesel but lighter than crude and is more likely to stick to rocks, trees, and wildlife. The Louisiana State Department of Environmental Quality officials said the oil is so thick that it could sink and complicate the cleanup.
Gusciora said that the obvious dangers of offshore drilling should reaffirm Congress’ steadfast opposition to offshore drilling despite President George W. Bush’s continued pleas to lift a moratorium that would have direct impacts along New Jersey’s coastline.
“This president’s addiction to petroleum has led us into a crisis that has allowed gas prices to skyrocket,” said Gusciora (D-Mercer). “Giving Big Oil free reign to drill will not guarantee any drop in the price of gasoline or oil. We need a sustainable long-term energy policy that emphasizes green lifestyles, buildings, jobs and technologies.”
Gusciora said he teamed with Assemblyman John F. McKeon and Linda P. Stender to keep up the pressure on Congress to ensure there will be no offshore drilling along the entire Atlantic shelf -- which includes the New Jersey Coastline -- and Pacific Coast, or the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. The lawmakers are sponsoring legislation (AR-147) that would call on U.S. Congress to oppose any attempt to lift the ban on offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. It also would urge the President and Congress to support energy independence through renewable resources.
While the U.S. oil industry wants access to more federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, American-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries. According to Reuters, a record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007.
“The increase in US oil exports is in direct contradiction to the President’s and the oil industry’s calls for Congress to allow more offshore drilling,” said Gusciora. “It is unfathomable that we are jeopardizing coastlines and ecosystems while US oil supplies are being exported at record-rates.”
In 1981, Congress imposed a ban on drilling along the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton also enacted executive orders during their tenures to provide these fragile ecosystems additional protections from drilling.
After Witnessing First-Hand Environmental Damage In New Orleans
(TRENTON) – Assemblyman Reed Gusciora today said that he is redoubling his efforts to protect New Jersey’s coastline from the imminent dangers of offshore drilling after touring areas along the 98-mile stretch of the Mississippi River which experienced serious environmental damage following a collision of a fuel barge and tanker which caused more than 400,000 gallons of fuel to spill.
Gusciora witnessed the environmental disaster while in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the recent National Conference of State Legislature’s Annual Meeting.
“The damage this oil spill had on the coastal resources of Louisiana -- from air quality to wildlife to the Mississippi River itself – was devastating,” said Gusciora (D-Mercer). “This oil spill should be a wake-up call for the Bush administration to realize the serious impacts that offshore drilling poses to all coastal area. To permit offshore drilling along the Jersey Shore would be playing ‘Russian roulette’ with the state’s coastal resources which support tourism, New Jersey’s top industry.”
The oil in the New Orleans spill is widely used as marine fuel; it is heavier than diesel but lighter than crude and is more likely to stick to rocks, trees, and wildlife. The Louisiana State Department of Environmental Quality officials said the oil is so thick that it could sink and complicate the cleanup.
Gusciora said that the obvious dangers of offshore drilling should reaffirm Congress’ steadfast opposition to offshore drilling despite President George W. Bush’s continued pleas to lift a moratorium that would have direct impacts along New Jersey’s coastline.
“This president’s addiction to petroleum has led us into a crisis that has allowed gas prices to skyrocket,” said Gusciora (D-Mercer). “Giving Big Oil free reign to drill will not guarantee any drop in the price of gasoline or oil. We need a sustainable long-term energy policy that emphasizes green lifestyles, buildings, jobs and technologies.”
Gusciora said he teamed with Assemblyman John F. McKeon and Linda P. Stender to keep up the pressure on Congress to ensure there will be no offshore drilling along the entire Atlantic shelf -- which includes the New Jersey Coastline -- and Pacific Coast, or the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. The lawmakers are sponsoring legislation (AR-147) that would call on U.S. Congress to oppose any attempt to lift the ban on offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. It also would urge the President and Congress to support energy independence through renewable resources.
While the U.S. oil industry wants access to more federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, American-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries. According to Reuters, a record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007.
“The increase in US oil exports is in direct contradiction to the President’s and the oil industry’s calls for Congress to allow more offshore drilling,” said Gusciora. “It is unfathomable that we are jeopardizing coastlines and ecosystems while US oil supplies are being exported at record-rates.”
In 1981, Congress imposed a ban on drilling along the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton also enacted executive orders during their tenures to provide these fragile ecosystems additional protections from drilling.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Poll access for all
The Trenton Times
Poll access for all
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
A sampling of polling places during the June 2007 New Jersey primary election found that 80 percent were deficient in handicap accessibility requirements.
That disheartening figure was the result of a study done by the state Department of the Public Advocate, which sent inspectors to polling stations around the state to see if they were accessible to people with disabilities and senior citizens, as required by law.
Of the 121 polling places that the Public Advocate inspected, only 24 fully complied with the legal requirements for accessibility. In 59 percent of the sites, some sort of physical barrier impeded access to the polling area, such as narrow doorways and steps without a ramp. Another 21 percent failed to post the required signs to maintain handicapped parking spaces or otherwise conform to accessibility laws.
Just as troubling is the discovery that officials from six of the nine county boards of elections certified as accessible every single one of their respective facilities.
Clearly, more has to be done to ensure that voters with disabilities have equal access to the voting process, which is the linchpin of our democratic form of government.
A step in that direction is bill A1930 sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D- Princeton Borough, that would require poll workers to be instructed in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as it relates to the rights of voters and obligations of polling places under the act. Poll workers already must undergo training to perform their duties; the bill merely requires that these valuable election workers be made aware of the needs of people with disabilities.
The Assembly approved the bill last month and now it awaits a sponsor to pick up the cause in the Senate. We strongly urge the Senate to act on this measure when it returns from summer recess so that the governor can sign it in time for the November election.
© 2008 The Times of Trenton
© 2008 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
Poll access for all
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
A sampling of polling places during the June 2007 New Jersey primary election found that 80 percent were deficient in handicap accessibility requirements.
That disheartening figure was the result of a study done by the state Department of the Public Advocate, which sent inspectors to polling stations around the state to see if they were accessible to people with disabilities and senior citizens, as required by law.
Of the 121 polling places that the Public Advocate inspected, only 24 fully complied with the legal requirements for accessibility. In 59 percent of the sites, some sort of physical barrier impeded access to the polling area, such as narrow doorways and steps without a ramp. Another 21 percent failed to post the required signs to maintain handicapped parking spaces or otherwise conform to accessibility laws.
Just as troubling is the discovery that officials from six of the nine county boards of elections certified as accessible every single one of their respective facilities.
Clearly, more has to be done to ensure that voters with disabilities have equal access to the voting process, which is the linchpin of our democratic form of government.
A step in that direction is bill A1930 sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D- Princeton Borough, that would require poll workers to be instructed in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as it relates to the rights of voters and obligations of polling places under the act. Poll workers already must undergo training to perform their duties; the bill merely requires that these valuable election workers be made aware of the needs of people with disabilities.
The Assembly approved the bill last month and now it awaits a sponsor to pick up the cause in the Senate. We strongly urge the Senate to act on this measure when it returns from summer recess so that the governor can sign it in time for the November election.
© 2008 The Times of Trenton
© 2008 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
GUSCIORA/McKEON/STENDER CALL ON CONGRESS TO CONTINUE TO OPPOSE OFFSHORE DRILLING
Resolution Blasts Bush's Call On Congress To Exploit Domestic Natural Resources
(TRENTON) - Assembly members Reed Gusciora, John F. McKeon and Linda Stender today called on Congress to remain steadfast in its opposition to offshore drilling despite President George W. Bush's continued pleas to lift a moratorium that would directly impact New Jersey's coastline.
Gusciora, McKeon and Stender said New Jersey needs to keep up the pressure to ensure there will be no offshore drilling along the entire Atlantic shelf -- which includes the New Jersey Coastline -- and Pacific Coast, or the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.
"This president's addiction to petroleum has led us into a crisis that has allowed gas prices to skyrocket," said Gusciora (D-Mercer). "Giving Big Oil free reign will not guarantee any drop in the price of gasoline or oil. We need a sustainable long-term energy policy that emphasizes green lifestyles, buildings, jobs and technologies."
The resolution (AR-147) would call on U.S. Congress to oppose any attempt to lift the ban on offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. It also urges the President and Congress to support energy independence through renewable resources.
"The President's careless request would jeopardize New Jersey's coastal resources without guaranteeing a single additional barrel of oil," said McKeon (D-Essex). "Bush's cronies already have access to coastal areas where drilling is allowed and have failed to make use of them. We cannot allow greed to disrupt fragile ecosystems that have been successfully protected from drilling for over two decades."
In 1981, Congress imposed a ban on drilling along the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton also enacted executive orders during their tenures to provide these fragile ecosystems additional protections from drilling.
"Exposing our natural resources to exploitation would not yield any results or provide any immediate relief to this gas crisis," said Stender (D-Union). "Even if President Bush got his wish, drilling wouldn't start for almost ten years and it would be another 30 years before there would be any real effect on gas prices. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is dependent upon our ability to encourage conservation, fuel efficiency and renewable energy not the equivalent of holding a diving rod over the ocean."
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Contact:
Assemblyman Gusciora
(609) 292-0500
Assemblyman McKeon
(973) 275-1113
Assemblywoman Stender
(908) 668-1600
Alescia Teel
(609) 292-7065
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