With his first swallow of coffee, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to insure their safety and that they work as advertised.

All but $10 of Joe’s medications are paid for by his employer’s medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance – now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. the air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

He walks to the subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so the can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime.

After work this evening, Joe plans to visit his father at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards.

He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers’ Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification.

Joe is happy to see his father, who is now retired and lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to.

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good.

He doesn’t mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day.  He doesn’t mention that his show is broadcast over airwaves that belong to the public but are given rent-free to corporations that use them for profit from advertising revenues from which his salary is paid. The radio host never reminds his listeners that America once had slavery, child labor and a train of abuses that were stopped by a government created by and controlled by the people.

Joe agrees: “We don’t need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I’m a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have.”

Join us in sending Donald Trump a message:

“Dear Mr. Trump:  You’re an Idiot”

Eduardo Espinal finished third behind victors Clifton People and Suzette Cavadas last year, in a campaign waged to restore the kind of spirit that once defined public service in Union Township.

Espinal is a District Sales Manager at Sysco Foods who earned his Executive MBA from Kean University in 2009 and is a member of Lambda Theta Phi.

He is a board member of the Central Jersey Latino Chamber of Commerce, served as president of the Association of Latin American Students and held office as vice president of Student Government while pursuing his BS in Marketing Management at Kean University from 1993 to 1998..

Espinal also served on the Stakeholders Advisory Board for Newark Vocational High School. Espinal is also a member of the Knights of Columbus Council #4504.

S3000 Appropriates $28,364,422,000 in State funds and $13,204,231,842 in federal funds for the State budget for fiscal year 2010-2011.

6/21/2010 Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
6/24/2010 Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
6/28/2010 Passed by the Senate (21-19)
6/28/2010 Received in the Assembly without Reference, 2nd Reading
6/28/2010 Substituted for A3000
6/28/2010 Motion To Aa (McHose)
6/28/2010 Motion To Table (Cryan) (44-33-0)
6/28/2010 Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (41-37-0)
6/29/2010 Approved P.L.2010, c.35.

Introduced – 283 pages PDF Format HTML Format
Statement – SBA 6/23/10 – 2 pages PDF Format HTML Format
Advance Law – CORRECTED COPY – 283 pages PDF Format HTML Format
Committee Voting:
SBA 6/23/2010 – r/favorably – Yes {7} No {3} Not Voting {2} Abstains {2} – Roll Call

Session Voting:
Sen. 6/28/2010 – 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE – Yes {21} No {19} Not Voting {0} – Roll Call
Asm. 6/28/2010 – SUBSTITUTE FOR A3000 – Yes {0} No {0} Not Voting {79} Abstains {0} – Voice Vote Passed
Asm. 6/29/2010 – MOTION TAB MOTION – Yes {44} No {33} Not Voting {2} Abstains {0} – Roll Call
Asm. 6/29/2010 – 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE – Yes {41} No {37} Not Voting {1} Abstains {0} – Roll Call

Peter J. McDonough Jr., former Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman’s communications director, was appointed Rutgers University’s vice president for public affairs at an annual salary of $230,000.

The same day, the Minimum Wage Advisory Commission recommended that New Jersey’s minimum wage remain at $7.25 an hour.

Union County Democrat Lisa McCormick, a candidate for State Legislature in the June primary election released the following statement:

At this difficult economic time, the most immediate and realistic opportunity to achieve economic justice for New Jersey’s 133,600 minimum wage workers, the working poor, is to advance the minimum wage.
“I would like to see Labor Commissioner Harold J. Wirths, Philip Kirschner, head of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, or JoAnn Trezza, vice president of Arrow Group Industries, trying to live on $15,000.
These commissioners have the audacity to suggest that people who earn about a tenth of their income, and possibly less, do not deserve a raise.
Meanwhile, Gov. Chris Christie is silent on a quarter-million-dollar patronage plum awarded to a GOP politician.
The overall cost of living in New Jersey is higher than the national average by as much as 36 percent, while housing costs are up to 78.4 percent higher than the national average.
The federal Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 gradually raised the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour, and about 17 states set the lowest pay level greater than New Jersey, with the highest being $8.67 in Washington.
There is a class war being waged in this country but only one side is armed and engaged in battle, and I am running for State Legislature because it is about time that someone started fighting for the shrinking middle-class.

WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE DISTRICT LEADER?

Recruits poll workers and election challengers for the primary elections every June and the general elections in November
Attends party meetings and events on behalf of the district
Listens to the party members and other residents of the district to learn what issues are affecting their quality of life, such as housing, employment, education, environment, and crime
Organizes meetings and events in the district to give the neighborhood a strong, unified voice
Works closely with city, state, and federal elected officials from the party to insure that the voices of the neighborhood are heard
Provides support in the neighborhood to elect Democrats to public office
Is an information resource to the district’s voters in numerous ways including poll site locations, election results, and general information about candidates representing the party

WHAT QUALITIES AND RESOURCES DOES A DISTRICT LEADER NEED?

A district leader knows his or her neighborhood, including, but not limited to:
Boundaries of the district
Polling sites for election day
Voter turnouts from past elections
Current elected officials serving the district, regardless of party affiliation
Government resources such as police, fire, EMS, and sanitation
Social service, community and economic development resources
Neighborhood associations; community boards
Schools, from Pre-K to colleges and other educational programs

WHAT ELSE MAKES A GOOD DISTRICT LEADER?

He or she:
Enjoys working with people and has excellent organizational skills
Knows how to listen to the concerns of the neighborhood and takes the information to elected officials on the city, state, and federal level
Brings back information from city, state, and federal elected officials to let the neighborhood residents know their concerns are being listened to and being acted on
Believes in the party’s principals and is committed to electing party candidates in each election
Attends meetings in the district and on behalf of the neighborhood
Is visible in the community and easy to reach by the average voter in the neighborhood
Can raise money for the party, especially to support neighborhood GOTV activities
Knows how to spread the ideals of the Democratic Party and conduct activities to recruit new members

WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK SOMEONE RUNNING FOR DISTRICT LEADER?

Here are some of the most important ones to ask:
How well known are you in the district?
Are you accessible to answer my questions?
What is your relationship with corrupt party bosses and career politicians who comprise Ray Lesniak’s crooked gang?
Are you on the same line as those corrupt elected officials?
Do you have experience in organizing volunteers?
What do you know about the neighborhood’s registered voters? Its polling sites? Past election results?
Do you have the time, energy, and know-how to organize the neighborhood’s Democrats? What experience do you have doing this?
How would you go about gathering information from district party members and delivering the info to current elected officials serving the district?
What do you know about accessing the district’s social services? Schools and PTAs? Police, Fire, EMS and Sanitation supervisors? Community Boards? Neighborhood associations?
Are you familiar with the party’s principals, and how they relate to Democrats here in the district?
Can you raise money for the party and what is your past experience in doing so?

WHY DON’T I SEE “DISTRICT LEADER” ON THE BALLOT IN THE PRIMARY OR GENERAL ELECTION?

For starters, the term district leader is a nickname. You have to look for “(Male/Female) Member of the Democratic County Committee” on the ballot when you vote in June.

You won’t see it in November’s general election — you’ll only see it on the ballot every other year (the odd years) in the June primary election.

SIGN UP TO RUN!

Be a District Leader in your neighborhood!

Coming Spring 2011

Known officially as “Member of the Democratic County Committee,” Democratic district leader is an un-paid post to which citizens are elected during the primary election. Each committee member represents the voting district where they reside.

Committee members have influence with elected officials, such as mayor, council and school board members. Committee members are often looked to by voters in their neighborhoods for information and advice about candidates for all offices.

To qualify you must be registered to vote in the election district and either a Democrat or ‘unaffiliated’ (which means you are not a Republican).

To run, you must submit a petition signed by Democrats in the voting district where you reside.  Once your petition is certified, your name will appear on the primary ballot with candidates for senator and other offices.

The current City Democratic Committee and Democratic County Committee does not seem to have an interest in the public. There is no indication that committee members have representative powers such as input on candidate selection, the right to develop and adopt a party platform, or the power to vote on the budget that controls party funds.

The power of local committee people has been largely usurped by political bosses and power brokers. Consequently, unethical and ineffective career politicians have been placed in office rather than dedicated and progressive public servants.

Democrats for Change believes in restoring power to the people by giving neighborhoods a real voice through more active and empowered Democratic district leaders.

For more information, continue reading “What is a Democratic district leader?” or contact elizabeth@njdem.org or register at our recruiting page.

The Regular Political Organization of Union County!

Senator Nicholas P. Scutari and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano teamed up to rob American citizens of their right to vote and the power to alter corrupt local government.

Passing by just one vote in both houses, the bill known as S3157 limits a citizen’s right to submit a question to the ballot to change their form of local government to every 10 years.

Former Gov. Corzine had originally promised to veto the bad legislation, but with 12 minutes left in office, Jon Corzine rescinded his veto and signed the bill into law.

The legislation was intended to prevent voters in New Brunswick from continuing efforts to alter that city’s entrenched political empire, where protégées of  former Senate President John Lynch remain in power even though the ex-lawmaker went to prison following his conviction on corruption charges.

Not to be outdone in undercutting democracy,  Sen. Raymond Lesniak teamed up with the Republican Governor to circumvent public control of taxpayer money in Atlantic City.

Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation that stopped Atlantic City’s public from voting to stop $350 million in tax breaks for the Revel Entertainment Group, a casino project that was backed by giant Wall Street banker Morgan Stanley.

“This piece of anti-voter dog poop was pushed through by Sen. Ray Lesniak, self-professed champ of the little guy,” wrote Bob Ingle, the senior political columnist for Gannett New Jersey Newspapers and co-author of the best Selling book, “The Soprano State: New Jersey’s Culture of Corruption.”

Commission members will map out 40 state legislative districts for use in the June 7 Democratic and Republican primary elections, when all 120 legislators are on the ballot.

“I’d like to voice better representation for Latinos,” said Southward, who is of Cuban heritage. “I don’t think our views are well-represented.”

Union County is 26.3 percent Latino origin, 22.6 percent Black, 4.6 percent Asian and 46.9 percent non-Hispanic white, but most of its representatives in Trenton are white men.

Women constituted 54 percent of voters in the 2008 elections but only 25 percent of state legislators, according to a report from the Center for American Women and Politics, a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

The average number of female state legislators dropped by 1 percent nationally, following the 2010 election because 70 percent of women in legislatures are Democrats.

New Jersey has 9 women in the Senate and a record 21 women in the Assembly, or 30 out of 120 lawmakers representing the state.

From an economic standpoint, legislators are also out of touch with the population. Median household income in New Jersey in 2008 was $67,127 but lawmakers are paid $49,000 for a part time job and they tend to be wealthy.

The commission to invited Rutgers professor Alan Rosenthal to begin attending hearings, even though an 11th member could be appointed only by state Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.

Composed of five Democrats and five Republicans, the reapportionment commission has always failed to agree on districts without a tie-breaking member as part of the commission.

Democrats and Republicans have traditionally redrawn legislative district maps to produce skewed election results favoring one party or the other.