The current debate over health care is, along with the economy, one of the two most important domestic issues facing Americans right now.

While Obamacare hangs in the balance, the potential exists that the fight over government-run healthcare may turn to the states. And as we’ve seen on many other issues, New Jersey tends to be a laboratory for radical, liberal experimentation. If Obamacare fails, our state certainly will become a battleground for future health care debates.

As such, it’s important that Governor Christie appoints the right people to departments like Health & Senior Services, Human Services and Children and Families.

Americans for Prosperity, of course, has led the fight against the Democrats’ health care legislation. Aside from the Tea Party groups, in my opinion there is no other organization that has done more to fight back against the prospect of government-run health care.

In anticipation of the health care fight coming to the states, Americans for Prosperity decided to reach out to Governor Christie’s appointments to the aforementioned departments and find out their views on health care policy. These nominees include:

• Jennifer Velez, Human Services (Corzine holdover)
• Poonam Alaigh, Health & Senior Services
• Janet Rosenzweig, Children & Families

AFP developed a thorough 13-question survey addressing a range of critical health care issues. The survey was delivered to each nominee with a request to be returned within a reasonable amount of time before their hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Disappointingly, after several weeks and multiple requests, including reaching out to the governor’s office, none of these nominees has responded to our survey.

The governor, who has promised an open and transparent administration, has three potential cabinet members who have failed to live up to these principles.

New Jersey citizens now have to wonder if these Christie appointments favor the Democrats’ legislation that would move us toward more government control and less health care choice and freedom. We are left to wonder if they are Obamcare supporters or not.

Two of these nominees, Velez and Rosenzweig, will have confirmation hearings on Monday morning. If you believe like I do that these nominees owe it to us to answer these 13 simple questions and be open with the public about their views, then call the governor’s office and the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and tell them you want these questions posed to each nominee so the people of New Jersey know where they stand on one of the most critical and personal issues of the day.

Governor’s office: 609-292-6000

Senate Judiciary Members

Scutari, Nicholas P. - Chair    908-587-0404
Girgenti, John A. - Vice-Chair    (973) 427-1229 
Bateman, Christopher     (908) 526-3600 
Beck, Jennifer     (732) 933-1591
Cardinale, Gerald   (201) 567-2324
Gill, Nia H.    (973) 509-0388
Kyrillos, Joseph M.    (732) 671-3206
Lesniak, Raymond J.   (908) 624-0880
O'Toole, Kevin J.    (973) 237-1360
Sarlo, Paul A.    (201) 804-8118
Smith, Bob    (732) 752-0770
Stack, Brian P.   (201) 861-5091 or (201) 558-7926
Weinberg, Loretta   (201) 928-0100

Mike Proto is the Communications Director for Americans for Prosperity, NJ

One of the major issues facing the new Christie Administration is putting an end to the states ridiculous COAH mandates. Not too long ago, I posted on this very subject wondering what Christie would do once in office.

Now, the rubber is hitting the road.

A bill is making its way through the Legislature (Senate Bill S1) which purportedly would end COAH. Purportedly.

The problem is when you actually read the bill, it does anything but end COAH. In fact, it makes things worse. A LOT worse.

In a press release from Americans for Prosperity, Steve Lonegan called the bill "COAH on Steroids" and said that the bill created a "Low Income Housing Czar":

Lonegan described the new entity created by the legislation to be “a hybrid super bureaucracy that combines the State Planning Commission, the Economic Development Authority, the Home Mortgage Finance Association and the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs into a super bureaucracy that puts COAH on steroids”.

The legislation, according to its own words, plainly states [“The Council on Affordable Housing established by the “Fair Housing Act,”… is abolished, and all of its powers, functions and duties are continued in the State Planning Commission…except as herein otherwise provided.] Further, [“All appropriations and other moneys available and to become available to the Council on Affordable Housing are hereby continued in the commission, and shall be available for the objects and purposes for which such moneys are appropriated subject to any terms, restriction, limitations or other requirements imposed by State or federal law.”]

The legislation grants the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs the powers of what amounts to a “Low Income Housing Czar”. Additionally, the legislation further elevates the role of the Economic Development Authority and the Home Finance Mortgage Association to even more involvement in the planning and funding functions behind the advancement of a radical “progressive” public housing policy” Lonegan said. “This bill does not “gut” COAH -- it shifts its power to a more complex and authoritarian bureaucracy.”

Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll quipped:

[The bill] could be made perfectly acceptable by simply deleting all of the language which follows the following sentence.

An Act concerning affordable housing, amending, supplementing, and repealing various parts of the statutory law.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) The Council on Affordable Housing established by the “Fair Housing Act,” P.L.1985, c.222 (C.52:27D-301 et al.) is abolished.

Unfortunately, the bill doesn't end there which just about tells you all you really need to know.

Governor Christie, though, promised us he would “gut COAH”. He has it within his power to defund COAH tomorrow. And he has it within his power to speak out and put a stop to this bad bill which, to this point, he has been utterly silent about.

In my view, he owes us more than he has given so far. And he owes us nothing less than putting an end to the COAH abomination.

Note: The opinions in this post are my own and in no way reflect the views of Americans for Prosperity. 

Could a redux of 2006's intra-party fight be in the making? From what I am hearing it may be possible. Word is that Todd Caliguire is mulling over a challenge to the Donovan candidacy, if not possibly looking to recruit a candidate with stronger Republican/conservative credentials to oppose her.

While the BCRO may have anointed her on Tuesday night, there is a great deal of concern about what a County Executive Donovan would mean - both for Bergen County and the party itself. As well, there should be. Why should Bergen GOPers be satisfied with a candidate who is a big spending, tax-hiking, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-illegal immigration, pro-gun control, Democrat-supporting "Republican"?

Here are some more tidbits on Donovan's record.

• From 2001-2005, Donovan increased the clerk's budget by $1.9M - that's a 59% spike.
• In 1996, she overspent the Clerk's Office budget by $200,000.
• When she chaired the Port Authority, she authorized 1100 helicopter rides at a cost to toll payers of $2M for herself and staff. When she was asked about this she said it was "inconvenient" for her to drive or take mass transit. Public officials were quoted in The Record calling the Port Authority under Donovan a "lavish culture of waste" and having a "callous disregard for taxpayers."
• Additionally, Donovan spent $3M on 600 junkets for PA staff including trips to Hawaii and the French Riviera.
• As Assemblywoman Donovan voted to raise the gas tax and increase corporate businesses taxes; and when she was a candidate for Congress she opposed a 15% cut in the federal income tax.
• Donovan is also supportive of federal funding for abortions, partial birth abortion, and opposed to parental notification. 

To call Donovan's record troubling would be an understatement. Honestly, the more I learn about her, the more unbelievable it is to me that the Bergen GOP would even remotely consider this person as their nominee for the most important county-wide office. And then to see her exert that influence on the party if she wins.

No doubt Caliguire shares these concerns. Now, the question is, what will he do about it?

PS: If ever there were a candidacy for tea partiers to oppose, this is it.

Cross-posted at Garden State Patriot.

Last night, long-time Bergen County Clerk, Kathe Donovan, announced her candidacy for the County Excecutive position before a packed house at the BCRO (see video of Miss Donovan's announcement below). The context of the night was one of "unity" and Donovan's message was couched in rhetoric of fiscal responsibility. 

Of course, all that "unity" really means is putting aside principles. And Donovan's message of fiscal responsibility belies her record. Quite frankly, I was a little surprised to see such enthusiasm in the room for her candidacy this evening. But then again I think the Bergen Republican Organization suffers from the same malady afflicting all too many Republican organizations across the country - a win at any cost mentality. R over D seems to be all that matters.

Of course, there is a certain amount of irony in BCRO Chairman Bob Yudin endorsing Donovan. While their personal animus appears to have been put aside, it wasn't that long ago that the BCRO itself lambasted Donovan's record. Back in 2006, when Donovan was trying to wrest the nomination for County Exec from Todd Caliguire, the BCRO issued the following scathing press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: DANIEL MILLER // 201-394-7641

MEMO

To: Bergen County Republicans
Fr: Bergen Republican Victory 2006
Re: Whitman protegee Kathe Donovan's liberal record

Dear Fellow Republican,

There are many reasons we belong to the Republican Party. One of the most significant is the shared belief that taxes are too high. Sadly, Whitman protegee Kathe Donovan doesn't think so. Through the course of 20 years in politics and over a dozen campaigns for public office, Ms. Donovan has compiled a record of supporting higher taxes, in addition to other liberal positions that we'll touch on later.

Any Republican interested in lower taxes should know that during her two decades in politics Donovan has supported:

Higher income taxes
Increased gas taxes
Increased corporate taxes
Increased fees on air travel

In fact, Kathe Donovan is so liberal that she allowed Steve Rothman to run as the fiscal conservative, while she ran as the socially progressive Whitman Protegee. That's right. Kathe Donovan ran so far to the left that Steve Rothman was able to label himself as the conservative when he beat her for congress.

Think about it, the same Steve Rothman who has compiled failing grades from taxpayer and conservative groups such as the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Tax Reform, Taxpayers for Commonsense and the American Conservative Union for his liberal voting record actually beat Donovan by running to her right!

In fact, according The Record, "Kathleen Donovan and Democrat Steve Rothman, the two major-party candidates for Congress in the 9th District, are so close on the major issues that it's difficult to tell them apart."

The New York Times hailed Kathe Donovan as the "socially progressive Republican" running against the "fiscally conservative Democrat." No wonder they endorsed her!

In an election year wrap up about the stunning failures of what he termed "the media's favorite moderate," Fred Barnes wrote the following with regard to Christie Whitman and the candidates she backed: "In the district vacated by Torricelli, Republican Kathleen Donovan, a protegee of Gov. Christie Whitman, won the endorsement of the New York Times. She described herself as a social progressive who's pro-choice, pro-gun control, and pro-environmental protection. Also, she played up the fact that she's a single mother with an adopted child. Donovan's campaign manager labeled her 'the right fit' for the district. She lost by 11 points." (The Weekly Standard, 12/2/96)

In the coming weeks, we will lay out the truth about Kathe Donovan's recklessly liberal record, a record that includes support for higher taxes, fiscal mismanagement, ineptitude and the misuse of taxpayer funds.

Of course we expect Donovan and her merry band of Whitman RINOs to attack us for going negative. Nothing could be further from the truth. All we are doing is informing our fellow Republicans as to which candidate represents the failed Whitman wing of the party. Unfortunately for Ms. Donovan, the fact remains that there is nothing we are pointing out about her record that the Democrats won't. In fact while we will lay out her record in a factually correct manner, were she to win, the Democrats would twist her record to make it seem even worse.

To optout please send an e-mail to OptOut@TheTruthAboutKathe.US

Please forward this e-mail to any Reagan-Republicans you know.

Paid for by the BCRO.

And during their fierce battle for the nomination in 2006, Caliguire exposed Donovan's big spending at the Clerk's Office.

"She can blame the Democrats if she wants, but the truth is that Kathe Donovan continually overspends her budget no matter which party is in control of county government," said Caliguire. "She is a free spending liberal, not a fiscal conservative. Giving Kathe Donovan the reins to county government will be just as bad as having Dennis McNerney as county executive. There will be no difference and no relief for taxpayers."

Now, this is the person the BCRO is endorsing to be the top dog of Bergen County government. One wonders, just what has changed about Donovan's record? What has changed that should lead Bergen Republicans to suddenly think she would govern any differently than she has run the County Clerk's office?

From speaking to a few people, I believe the 180 degree turn on Donovan's candidacy is attributable, at least in part, to the incoming Governor. After losing out on the Lieutenant Governor's spot, it's likely she sought Christie's support for her County Exec candidacy. And at a recent "victory breakfast" here in Bergen, Christie was preaching unity at the BCRO. So, logically, Chairman Yudin was likely under a lot of pressure to make amends and accept the Donovan candidacy.

Regardless of the political machinations behind the BCRO endorsement of the Donovan candidacy, the bottom line is the party is supporting someone who for all intents and purposes is a Democrat. A Donovan victory next November would be a nominal one at best.

Bergen Republicans owe it to themselves, and to the people of Bergen County, to find a better candidate. Because the candidate they are asking us to support is no better than the one who was selected last year in upsate New York. 

Cross-posted at Garden State Patriot.

Yesterdays' lame duck session came to an end with a flurry of bad bills. Of course, some of them were passed with the help of a couple of RINO senators; namely Bill Baroni and Sean Kean. Here are 5 of the bills these so-called Republican Senators voted for.

• Bill A4268/S3095 - Extends prevailing wage to maintenance projects, preventing local officials from saving money by using private contractors
• Bill A4293/S3028 - Extends prevailing wage to BPU funded projects (this means more money for union workers and less for "green" initiatives)
• Bill A4261/S3071 - Permits certain managers and deputy attorneys general of the State to negotiate collectively under the "New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act"
• Bill A4262/S3078 - Authorizes negotiations with a bargaining representative of family child care providers
• Bill A4263/S3080 - Authorizes negotiations with a bargaining representative of community care residential providers

Their votes on bills S3095 and S3071 were particularly egregious as they would not have passed otherwise.

Now, thanks to the fiscal irresponsibility of Baroni and Kean, New Jersey taxpayers will be forced to pony up even more in taxes.

Thanks indeed, Senators.

Cross-posted at Garden State Patriot.

[ON EDIT] It's also quite interesting to note that Chris Christie came out against the bill pertaining to the AG's office yesterday on Curtis Sliwa's radio show. Yet the state chairman of his campaign, Bill Baroni, still voted for them and was a deciding vote. How's that for allegiance? 

Here in Bergen County, Republicans are hopeful about the prospects of ousting incumbent County Executive Dennis McNerney in November. The liberal McNerney is seen as vulnerable, if for no other reason, his affiliation with the corrupt BCDO -- formerly headed by now convicted criminal, 'Goomba' Joe Ferriero. With a Republican tide expected this year, McNerney easily could drown in it.

But there's a problem. Right now the only *supposedly* viable candidate to step up is liberal Republican, Kathe Donovan, the long-time County Clerk. Donovan's Republican creds will make it tough for some BCRO members to accept her candidacy. As such, she will need the backing of the party apparatus and that means making nice with BCRO Chairman Bob Yudin. By all accounts, Yudin and Donovan get along about as well as the Arabs and Israelis.

Well, apparently, the Arab-Israeli peace talks have begun. Charles Stile reported today in the Bergen Record that Yudin and Donovan have met a couple of times in the past few weeks to bury the hatchet.

Has glasnost finally come to the notoriously dysfunctional Bergen County Republican Organization?

It's starting to look that way.

Former intraparty combatants Kathleen Donovan, the Bergen County clerk, and Bob Yudin, the BCRO chairman, were holding peace talks over the quiet holiday week, including a Dec. 28 sit-down at Solari's Restaurant in Hackensack. They met again three days later at the office of longtime Donovan adviser Alan Marcus. State Sen. Gerald Cardinale of Demarest, a Yudin adviser, also attended. United Nations monitors did not participate, as rumored.

By most accounts, everybody behaved themselves. There was no rude slamming of doors in each other's face (like Donovan did to Yudin after her swearing-in ceremony last January), no paranoid accusations of political skullduggery (like Yudin publicly accusing Donovan of orchestrating a nasty legal ballot brouhaha in Franklin Lakes last June) or no public sniping by their surrogates (such as fliers from Donovan supporter Eleanor Nissley accusing Yudin of dishonesty).

"Our meetings and conversations are very productive," Yudin said Monday.

"Whatever Bob said, I agree with," Donovan said.

Given the level of toxicity between the two rivals, this joint statement of cooperation might strike North Jersey political soap opera devotees as a miracle, but winning — or more precisely the possibility of winning the county executive seat in November — has a strange way of turning enemies into allies.

And it has become increasingly clear that Donovan is best positioned to dislodge two-term Democrat Dennis McNerney in the fall. Despite distrust over her moderate-to-liberal leanings and criticism that she has acted at times as her own political sovereign, some in the Old Guard are slowly conceding that there is no other legitimate choice than Donovan.

Other possible rivals who have flirted with a bid for the county executive nod, like former Hackensack Mayor John "Jack" Zisa, have beat a retreat, while others, like Rochelle Park township committeeman Joseph Scarpa, have pledged fealty to Donovan.

If Donovan were in fact the only Republican willing to vie for this office, it would be one thing. However, I am hearing that will not be the case. So, Chairman Yudin owes it to let this process play out before caving in to Donovan. Bergen Republicans shouldn't have to accept someone who doesn't represent their values just because we are led to believe they are their only chance of winning.

Meanwhile, Donovan is expected to announce her campaign next Tuesday evening at the BCRO.

Cross-posted at Garden State Patriot.