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Friendly Fire: Platkin’s takeover, ELEC fallout, and Christie’s lane

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Friendly Fire: Platkin’s takeover, ELEC fallout, and Christie’s lane


Can People nonetheless have a wise and pleasant political dialogue throughout the partisan divide? The reply is sure, and we show it each week. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who’ve labored on reverse groups for his or her whole careers but have remained associates all through. Right here, they focus on the week’s occasions with editorial web page editor Tom Moran.

Q. After the deadly police taking pictures of Najee Seabrooks in Paterson, Legal professional Basic Matt Platkin ordered a state takeover of the division, a transfer that stunned and delighted civil rights leaders throughout the state. Gutsy transfer? Will Paterson’s failure to repair this downside harm the prospects of Mayor Andre Sayegh, who is claimed to have ambitions to run for Congress?

Mike: It’s a gutsy transfer by the Legal professional Basic to take over town’s police division. He and the governor now personal the reforms or lack thereof to come back, so it’s an enormous accountability and alternative. On Mayor Sayegh, he can be judged on the totality of his file, which is superb. Paterson doesn’t get the fanfare or state assist the larger cities like Newark or Jersey Metropolis get, and even smaller cities like Camden that get large state assist. Mayor Sayegh has performed a fantastic job making an attempt to revitalize the colleges and the financial fortunes in a really various, difficult setting. I feel he can be formidable if he runs for increased workplace.

Julie: Platkin did the best factor by taking up the Paterson police division, however I’d not pat him on the again fairly but. Mike is correct: The plaudits can and will come if he truly will get this division beneath management. However for now, I’m reminded of Colin Powell’s Pottery Barn Rule: You break it, you personal it. Platkin owns the Paterson police division, so he can be judged by its success or failure. As for Mayor Sayegh, I agree with Mike. He can be judged on the totality of his file, of which this is only one half.

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Q. In Camden, the George Norcross machine is backing a candidate for metropolis council, Arthur Barclay, who resigned from the Meeting in 2018 after he was charged with beating his girlfriend, leaving her with a damaged nostril. Prices had been dropped after his girlfriend didn’t seem in courtroom. However will this fly? What does it say concerning the Norcross machine?

Mike: It says they need to discover a higher candidate this time. I don’t know the story however it will likely be a distraction within the marketing campaign for positive.

Julie: He mustn’t run for workplace. Somebody who abuses girls, whether or not verbally or bodily, shouldn’t have any function in public life.

Q. A giant win this week for Jeff Brindle, the state’s chief election watchdog, who fended off Gov. Phil Murphy’s makes an attempt to take away him, for now. He was accused of homophobia, however commissioners of the Election Regulation Enforcement Fee heard testimony from his co-workers and cleared him of wrongdoing. Ideas?

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Mike: That is essentially the most notoriety ELEC has had in years. The state wants an election watchdog, nevertheless it’s truthful that the governor and legislature might change management each few a long time or so.

Julie: We live in scary occasions, when authoritarians like Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis and – sure – Governor Murphy use the ability of their workplace to personally destroy anybody who dares to disagree with them. And please, let’s stow the nonsense that the governor who by no means met a office abuser he didn’t love is all of the sudden outraged about Brindle’s inappropriate emails concerning the LGBTQ neighborhood.

Julie: Phil Murphy has constantly promoted males who’re accused of sexual assault, who violently throw chairs within the presence of feminine subordinates, who check with girls in essentially the most vile, misogynistic phrases and who in any other case behave barely worse than John Belushi in Animal Home. Murphy and his prime aides have lengthy misused their energy to slime anybody who gained’t associate with their worst instincts. Now we’re to consider that the governor who has by no means apologized for suborning poisonous office conduct is all of the sudden involved with the setting at ELEC? Spare me. Or at the least present the individuals of New Jersey that you’re honest by lastly, belatedly, cleansing home of all of the individuals in your personal internal circle who haven’t any enterprise inside 100 toes of any respectable office.

Q. One other factor on the Brindle listening to: Backyard State Equality’s govt director, Christian Fuscarino, offended that ELEC didn’t permit public remark, burst out: “Disgrace on all of you. A bunch of white, straight males!” I used to be reminded of Woody Allen saying in Annie Corridor,Yeah, I’m a bigot – however for the left.” Was that crack out of line, or am I only a prickly straight white man? (And for the file, a feminine ELEC commissioner was collaborating by cellphone.)

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Mike: Good for him. There’s a purpose authorities officers don’t need public remark, and generally I perceive it. On this occasion, there gave the impression to be credible questions for each side of this battle, so the general public has a proper to be heard. I went to a wedding equality rally greater than 20 years in the past after I was govt director of the state GOP, lengthy earlier than most Republicans and even most Democrats supported marriage equality. President Obama was in opposition to it for an additional decade. Generally the neighborhood must shout to be heard, so go forward and shout.

Julie: Christian Fuscarino ought to have been allowed to testify at this listening to. His perspective would have been necessary for the commissioners to listen to. I don’t doubt that he, at the least, is honest in his views. They need to have been heard and revered and, since they weren’t, he had each proper to shout to be heard. I’d go a step additional and say that ELEC ought to have commissioned a really unbiased investigation if there was an inside office grievance in opposition to Brindle or anybody else in management. If there may be one factor I’ve realized over the past 5 years, it’s that no group can successfully examine itself, and having an unbiased investigation would have finally supplied a service each to Brindle and his detractors.

Q. President Biden took intention at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his makes an attempt to weaken Israel’s excessive courtroom, a transfer opposed by 70 % of Israelis who see it as a menace to democracy. Biden stated Netanyahu is just not welcome on the White Home and desires to alter course. Netanyahu informed him to butt out. I can’t keep in mind a time when tensions with Israel had been this excessive, are you able to? What’s the consequence?

Mike: Netanyahu has been a formidable determine in Israel and world for many years, not accidentally. He’s politically savvy. However on this case, he’s biting off greater than he can chew. You can’t make these sweeping modifications when your social gathering acquired a minority of the vote and the governing coalition is just not supported by the bulk. I don’t see the way it ends properly for his agenda.

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Julie: It’s valuable that Netanyahu, who has longed meddled on this nation’s politics, is telling the President of america to butt out. I’m glad that Biden is talking out extra forcefully about what is occurring in Israel. Netanyahu and his coalition, which represents a minority of Israelis, are doing the whole lot they will to grab unchecked energy in opposition to the desire of their very own individuals. The consequence of this conduct is that he’ll each foment a revolution in his personal nation and lose much more assist from the secular American Jewish neighborhood, which has been the bedrock of diaspora assist for Israel since even earlier than its founding in 1948.

Q. Lastly, Chris Christie went to New Hampshire and provided himself because the Trump-slayer, saying he’s the one who can demolish Trump on a debate stage, simply as he demolished Sen. Marco Rubio in 2016. Is {that a} believable method for Christie to get a foothold within the 2024 contest?

Mike: Properly, no different potential candidate appears to have the mix of braveness and mind to take Trump on instantly and outsmart him politically. We’ll see if major voters are prepared to maneuver on from Trump, but when they’re, Christie will give them another apart from Ron DeSantis.

Julie: Somebody wants to inform me what Christie’s lane is, as a result of profitable a debate when it isn’t even clear that Trump will hassle displaying as much as a debate isn’t it. Christie did a fantastic job eviscerating Rubio, which is why neither he nor Rubio was the Republican nominee in 2016. Elizabeth Warren did a fantastic job eviscerating Mike Bloomberg, which is why neither she nor Bloomberg was the Democratic nominee in 2020. For the 4 years of Trump’s presidency, Christie was glued to Trump’s aspect. Now, he’s making an attempt to rebrand himself as a By no means Trumper. That gained’t please anybody within the Republican Occasion – not the MAGA crowd and never the institution of us who keep in mind Christie as the primary institution Republican to endorse Trump and stick to him till it grew to become obvious Trump was not getting a second time period.

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A word to readers: Mike and Julie are deeply engaged in politics and business advocacy in New Jersey, so each have connections to many gamers mentioned on this column. DuHaime, the founding father of MAD World, was chief advisor to former Gov. Chris Christie, and has labored for Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and President George W. Bush. Roginsky, a principal of Complete Communications Group, has served as senior advisor to campaigns of Cory Booker, Frank Lautenberg, and Phil Murphy. We’ll disclose particular connections solely when readers would possibly in any other case be misled.





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New Jersey

NJ Senate Candidate Denied Entry At Democratic Convention (VIDEO)

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NJ Senate Candidate Denied Entry At Democratic Convention (VIDEO)


NEW JERSEY — It’s bad enough to be shut out of political debates and hamstrung in the primary election by an unfair ballot layout. But being refused entry to a Democratic convention – even after getting an invitation from one of its members? That’s just plain “unacceptable,” a U.S. Senate candidate in New Jersey says.

According to Patricia Campos-Medina, this is what happened last weekend when she arrived at the Camden County Democratic Convention.

“I was invited to enter the building to greet supporters by a county committee member,” the former Newark resident said. “One of the men at the door told me the chairman didn’t invite me and to get out.”

Patch reached out to the Camden County Democratic Committee seeking comment about the incident. We will update this article with any reply we receive.

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Campos-Medina – a child of immigrants who fled civil unrest in El Salvador in the early 1980s – has campaigned on a platform of social change, identifying herself as a Latina leader and a “daughter of the working class.” Read More: Campos-Medina Ramps Up Senate Campaign In New Jersey

“It’s tough enough to be a woman in New Jersey politics with its history of harassment and intimidation, but to be confronted by five men who did not have any identification or credentials to stop me at the Camden County Democrats Committee this weekend is unacceptable behavior,” she said.

“That’s why we need more women in politics to change the Democratic Party,” Campos-Medina added, sharing a video of the encounter online (article continues below).

Campos-Medina’s competitor, Rep. Kim, supported the longtime activist, saying that he was also prevented from attending the meeting – despite asking to join.

“This is not what democracy looks like,” Kim commented. “Making endorsements without a fair process undermines our democracy. Democrats need to do better.”

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Campos-Medina is among a crowded field of candidates competing to replace Sen. Bob Menendez in New Jersey this year. Other candidates seeking the Democratic nod include Kim, Tammy Murphy, Kevin Cupples, Patrick Merrill and Lawrence Hamm.

Candidates seeking the Republican nomination include Curtis Bashaw, Michael Estrada, Albert Harshaw, Justin Murphy, Christine Serrano-Glassner and Alex Zdan. Additional candidates include Christina Khalil (Green Party of NJ) and Nick Carducci (Independent).

Murphy, the first lady of New Jersey, ended up with the committee’s endorsement in Camden County.

Campos-Medina has been welcomed at other county Democratic committee meetings this election cycle, including recent appearances in Morris County and Mercer County.

Send news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

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NJ Senate president says amended transparency reform bill could advance in April

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NJ Senate president says amended transparency reform bill could advance in April



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Work is underway on amendments to the controversial bill that would limit access to government data and documents in New Jersey.

State Senate President Nick Scutari told reporters Monday that he thinks by mid-April the Legislature will take up the bill with “mostly clarification amendments.” He said earlier in the day that the state Senate may reconvene on April 15 to handle some business.

The bill, which cleared committee in the state Senate but was held from consideration at last week’s Assembly Appropriations Committee meeting, has drawn significant criticism from good government and advocacy groups, which say it would gut New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act.

Scutari said he hears from people who comment on or criticize a bill before reading it and amendments themselves, so he recommends people do that and “then we’ll have a full-throated discussion of what we’re intending to do.” He went on to say “much of the criticism was unfounded and shows a lack of understanding in what was trying to be done.”

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The Senate president also said the Legislature is “going to try” to make the amendments available for viewing before they are heard in committee.

“Those amendments are being worked on as we speak, and they’re bicameral and bipartisan, so both sides of the aisle and both houses are coming up with things that are going to satisfy both, and I think you’re going to see the bill overwhelmingly pass,” he said.

NJ open records law could be gutted: Here’s what NorthJersey.com has unearthed using OPRA

What would the OPRA legislation have done?

Under the new bill, access to email and call logs, dog license information, email addresses and even digital calendars would be exempt. Requests for email would need to include a “specific subject matter” and “discrete and limited time period” as well as a specific person, as opposed to a title or government department.

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The bill would also ban the release of metadata, which is the information about when an electronic file was created and who created it. Requests that an agency thinks could lead to “harassment” could be denied, and an official OPRA request form would need to be used. One of the most noted changes would be to the policy regarding attorney’s fees in the event of a lawsuit.

Requesters who win OPRA lawsuits “may” be entitled to legal fees if the public agency is found to have knowingly violated the law or unreasonably denied access.

The legislation was first enacted in 2002 and requires local, county and state government entities to provide the public with access to government records in New Jersey.

Charlie Stile: The backlash on OPRA and the NJ primary are real. Democrats better pay attention | Stile

Fierce opposition from advocates

The bill was met with hours of testimony in opposition during committee hearings in both chambers last week.

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Both Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said last fall that OPRA reform was being considered during the lame-duck legislative session, which ran from November to early January.

Gov. Phil Murphy would not comment on the specifics of pending legislation during a regular “Ask Governor Murphy” segment on WNYC last week but did say he thought OPRA needed to be tweaked, given the way that technology has changed in the years since it was implemented, and that he’s heard anecdotally about concerns regarding commercial use of the process.

“We are all in on transparency,” he said. “I would think if you get something that would address some of the things I just mentioned in a fair way that doesn’t undermine transparency, that’s something that I’m open-minded to … I haven’t seen anyone with nefarious behavior here. I think there are people who are legitimately trying to address some issues with the system, but we are all in on transparency most importantly. Period. Full stop.”

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com



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Drone helps locate missing family dog in New Jersey woods

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Drone helps locate missing family dog in New Jersey woods


SOUTH AMBOY, New Jersey (WABC) — A family in New Jersey has been reunited with their dog, who is lucky to be alive

On Friday, both one of the two dogs, Guinness made a run for it and then got hit by a car before going missing in some nearby woods.

“I stopped breathing. I couldn’t sleep, knowing he was out there,” said Mary Van Sant.

Fighting against the frightening ordeal, friends and family searched — but Guiness was gone.

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Help soon arrived after the owners contacted a nonprofit, called U.A.A.R. Drone Team, which specializes in finding missing people and pets, among other things.

“I had to find the dog for them,” said Michael Parziale, founder of the U.S.A.R. Drone Team. “We covered literally a mile.”

Thanks to drone technology, after two days missing, Guinness was found.

As a result of having gone missing, Guinness rushed to the vet with injuries, which requires surgery.

But he’s going to be okay.

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