Lobby For Marriage Day - Monday, November 23rd

By Mike Proto | 11/19/09

On Monday a contingent of traditional marriage supporters will be rallying in Trenton to oppose the gay marriage legislation being considered in the lame duck session of the legislature. The rally is being led by New Jersey Family First. If you wish to attend the rally here is the information: We will begin with a briefing and prayer at 8:30 AM in the Cafe in the lower level of the annex. Ask the guards when you check in for directions... read more »

NJ Dems Put Gay Marriage Front And Center In Lame Duck Session!

By Mike Proto | 11/16/09

The Democratic legislature, along with dead man walking Jon Corzine, is about to try to pull a fast one during the lame duck session. As has been feared, the Democrats are planning to put the controversial gay marriage issue to a vote before Chris Christie takes office. My colleagues over at Conservative Majority New Jersey (formerly Conservatives with Attitude!) Sharon Soon and Michael Illions have just posted on this. Sharon's post... read more »

Will Property Taxes Be Christie's Albatross?

By Mike Proto | 11/16/09

As we all know, New Jersey is in a serious fiscal crisis. Next year the state is facing a mind-boggling $8B deficit and, based on recent experience, that deficit is only likely to balloon further. This puts our new governor Mr. Christie in a real predicament - balance the budget according to state law without borrowing money and while trying to live up to his campaign promise to cut taxes. Politically, Christie is going to be under... read more »

Pew Study: New Jersey In Fiscal Peril

By Mike Proto | 11/16/09

According to a Pew Research study, New Jersey is one of ten states headed for a California-esque catastrophe. The study uses several measurements to arrive at their conclusion. This includes factors such as change in revenue, budget gap, unemployment rate and foreclosure rates. California’s financial problems are in a league of their own. But the same pressures that drove the Golden State toward fiscal disaster are wreaking havoc... read more »

Where For Art Thou, Senators Lautenberg & Menendez?

By Mike Proto | 11/10/09

  Yesterday I posted about which senators to target in the upcoming healthcare showdown. In addition, I mentioned that there were two State Work Periods coming up which, presumably, will mean that our senators will be back in New Jersey and available to their constituents. This prompted me today to call Senator Lautenberg's and Senator Menendez' offices to see what their schedule and agenda was for these two breaks. Their answer? Neither... read more »

Steve Rothman, Marked Man

By Mike Proto | 11/08/09

  Back in August, when town hall meetings were at a fever pitch, I attended three of Rothman's 'listening sessions.' While Rothman deserved credit for taking the heat at that time, it was evident that he had no intention of ever changing his mind and voting the will of his constituents despite his rhetoric to the contrary. I said as much here. Among the many things Rothman said at the time was that he would not vote for a bill that... read more »

My Thoughts On The NJ Election

By Mike Proto | 11/04/09

First, allow me to offer my sincere congratulations to Mr. Christie. I wish him the best, and hope for his success, as he now faces the monumental task of repairing our very broken state. As with any politician, we the people should remain watchful and hold his feet to the fire. When our new governor is on the right course, he will deserve our full support. Conversely, if we feel he is off-course, we should responsibly... read more »

Good News In Bergen!

By Mike Proto | 11/03/09

We have two new REPUBLICAN freeholders! Congrats to Rob Hermansen and John Driscoll for their hard fought victory! Now, Bergen will have 2 voices of fiscal sanity on the side of taxpayers!   read more »

News On Thursday’s Healthcare ‘Congressional House Call’

By Mike Proto | 11/03/09

Earlier today I posted about the 'Congressional House Call' day being planned by Americans for Prosperity. This event is growing by the minute. I just got off a phone call with Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, AFP's Tim Phillips and Steve Lonegan. In just a day and a half, Steve Lonegan has 20 buses ready to go from New Jersey area alone to DC. If this is any inkling, we could be on the cusp of witnessing an unprecedented event on... read more »

Voter Fraud Watch

By Mike Proto | 11/03/09

Someone apparently tried to steal this guy's vote. (h/t Red State via Election Journal)  There have also been reports about ACORN being heavily involved in Corzine's re-election effort. Let's cross our fingers that this doesn't turn into last year's Minnesota Senate race. read more »