NJ Common Sense

By Lon (Alonzo) Hosford

Long shot rivals Rev Clenard Childress (I), Barry Funt (R) and Herbert Glenn (R),  report great results and positive momentum in their heavily Democratic New Jersey district races. Matt Freidman from PolitickerNJ.com on 10/27/2009 asked the candidates at the NJ State House about their chances.

Long Shot NJ Assembly District Candidates Express Optimism At NJ State House 10/27/09

Democratic  Controlled Districts With Worse Crime and Economic Opportunities
Childress and Glenn are running in NJ Districts with long term chronic government run problems such as education that provide the foundation for high crime, lack of economic opportunity and corruption.  Both NJ Assembly Districts are controlled for decades by the Democrat party. There apparently is a reluctance on the constituents to change this in the voting booth.  However Childress and Glenn are working hard this year to break that trend.

Voters Are Uniformed About State Representatives
In Childress District 34, covering Clifton City,  East Orange,  Glen Ridge,  Montclair,  and West Paterson, the Democratic incumbents are Thomas P. Giblin and Sheila Y. Oliver. Giblin was elected to the Assembly on November 8, 2005.  Oliver was elected in 2004 and in 2010 and may has enough votes in the Assembly to be elected Speaker in 2010.

Childress points out what he sees as lacking voter knowledge of State representatives that have control over their futures and current plights:

“They know their council person, they know their mayor, they know their governor, they may know their State senator … they depend on party line … the assembly people [running] … .”

Here is the full comment from Rev. Childress

Republican Support Expanded For Long Run Districts
Herbert Glenn says in District 28 covering Belleville,  Bloomfield,  Irvington and  Newark has seen an uptick in Republican support.

“I have gotten significant Republican support. The [Republican] campaign has done a number of things to reach out to my community … that has not happened in a long time.”

Glenn’s Democrat opponents are Ralph R. Caputo and Cleopatra G. Tucker. Caputo served the Assembly 1968 – 1972 and returned in 2008 which in this reporter’s opinion smacks of a retirement appointment. Tucker in the seat since 2008 and replaced her deceased husband who held the seat since 1994. How can there be hope without real change?

Chris Christie Impact
Glenn also sees a deeper impact coming from the NJ governor race. Particularly he sees Daggett weak on effort and Christie making significant effort.

“Dagget hasn’t really put enough effort into local community politics which is the real responsibility towards making those changes happen … “

“I think Chris [Christie] really respects that and he sees that is an important factor.  He has driven his campaign bus up to the community to visit members of the neighborhoods. He has really made an effort in terms of being a Republican candidate to prove that we have a movement here that is not going to be challenged by defeat or victory.”

Here is full comment from Herbert Glenn

Democrat Control From The Economic Troubled to Affluent Districts
Childress and Glenn are in Democrat controlled areas of NJ with serious economic problems that are the worst in the US. Barry Funt challenges a Democratic controlled district that has some affluent communities.  Funt is the heavy Democratic controlled District 27  that covers Caldwell,  Essex Fells,  Fairfield (Essex),  Livingston,  Maplewood,  Newark,  North Caldwell,  Orange,  Roseland,  South Orange,  West Caldwell and  West Orange. It almost makes you question if Democrats work to siphon money from producers to areas where it is well intended but serious wasted through corruption.

Taxes and Likeability Factor Of John McKeon
Funt claims his chances are greater than anyone gives credit as winning.  He points out that one of his opponents John McKeon, also mayor of West Orange, is not liked for raising taxes and other financial maneuvers to increase debt to residents.

“I think we have a way better chance than anyone is given us soley because John McKeon as the mayor of West Orange is not liked. … He’s taxed everyone out their homes. He raised taxes so much in West Organge that Dick Codey had to move to Roseland.” [See “You wouldn’t keep the taxes down!” Dick Codey To John McKeon While Taking Bows For $1 Million to Roseland]

“He’s [McKeon] been involved with a whole bunch of issues there. This most latest issue bond issue for Edison village … . He tried to ram a $40 million dollar bond issue through the town. This was a West Orange issue … effectively to bailout some failed development … . Two hundred people stormed the town council meeting and tried to stop this.”

Here are Barry Funt’s full comments

Funt’s opponents are Mila Jasey and John McKeon. Mila holds her seat since vacated by Mims Hackett on September 10, 2007. McKeon has served in the Assembly as Assistant Majority Whip in 2004 and 2005, and has been the Assistant Majority leader since 2006. He also is mayor of West Orange having a dual role covered by a grandfather law passed in the Assembly remarkably while held office.

Voters in these heavily Democratic Party controlled and troubled districts need to look at the Citizens for Assembly candidates and their Common Sense Pledge.