Forty one citizens from various walks of life are placing their careers, businesses and lives on hold to run for the NJ State Assembly.  Calling themselves Citizens For Assembly, they joined together on the steps of the NJ State House in Trenton on September 30, 2009 to announce their combined intentions.

Citizen Candidates for NJ 2009 State Assembly at Trenton State House: www.citizensforassembly.com

Every Day People Stepping Up to Fill a Voting Choice Gap

Reminiscent of the 1994 Contract with America that swept Democrats from power in DC, the nature of the candidates reveals a marked difference.

Barry Funt, a candidate for District 27, echos the sentiments of why these candidates are running , “I decided to run for one simple reason, I did not think there was anyone in my district who represents me”.

Some like Mitchell Dobies have stopped running their businesses. Mitchell, who made his decision only three weeks back, said to dedicate himself to this as a citizen his wife has to assume the role of running his business.  Mitchell is only now organizing a web site and other campaign communication activities. In the mean time his business web site The Aqua Short is how you will reach him.

Most districts have Citizens for Assembly candidates further along. Stepfanie Velez-Gentry, a small business owner and working mother of two, choose to bring her first hand grass roots work with community organizations like the Girl Scouts to the process and thinking in Trenton. Stepfanie is running in District 5.

Growing Citizen Activism To Correct Failures of NJ Government

Barry recognizes the disconnect regular citizens are expressing about their elected officials. “We can see this at Tea Parties, health care town hall meetings and other gatherings all across New Jersey as citizen activism enters the mainstream”. Barry in his address enumerated several recent citizen activism events within NJ.  “In Newark hundreds of citizens have peacefully taken to the streets to try to put and end to urban violence.”   “In Secaucus, Hoboken [and] Ridgefield citizens have gathered at city hall to protest the latest wave of political corruption.”  “In Camden, Elizabeth, Newark and Trenton and in too many other cities with failing schools parents have gathered demanding choice in education.”

Barry Funt Outlines Motives for Citizen Candidates and Common Sense Pledge

The Common Sense Pledge for A New New Jersey

The candidates  pledged an allegiance to the Common Sense Pledge that includes popular reform themes such as true property tax reform, school choice and citizen oversight of the NJ Government. These themes represent the sentiments of the grass roots movements dominating town halls and citizen rallies this year. Werner Graf, running for District 15, describes the team commitment to the pledge designed to take New Jersey Government back for New Jersey citizens. “These folks … are your neighbors and together with you they are the new New Jersey.” “Sick of corruption, intolerant of waste, and committed to building something better in New Jersey for our children.” [See related story: Common Sense Pledge A Citizen Friendly Contract for NJ]

Werner Graf Introduces The NJ Citizens For Assembly Movement

Meeting the NJ Citizens for Assembly Candidates

You can read the candidate biographies yourself, available at  Citizens for Assembly web site, and judge how they represent their About Us page statement  “… not about career politicians or more of the same empty rhetoric — it’s about electing legislators who will truly represent regular Citizens.”

Barry Funt Introduces the Citizens for Assembly Candidates

New Jersey continues to be the land of corruption as money from Connecticut helping reelect NJ congressman Frank Pallone gets into his way of FDA oversight.

The 2008 Campaign Money Flow To Frank Pallone

Pallone FDA Oversight Of Campaign Contributor RenGen

Connecticut residents Gerald Bisbee and his wife contributed $32,100 to the New Jersey candidates.  Gerald Bisbee is the Chief Executive of RenGen Biologics. His $2,300 contribution came on 10/31/2008, days before the election. Gerald also contributed $1,000 on 12/29/2007 for the first round of attention. The $3,300 total is 17.5% of the $18,650 received from Connecticut for Pallone’s 2008 campaign spending.

ReGen is headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey and operates a manufacturing facility in Redwood City, California. All three states are controlled by the Democrat party.

Prior to the 2008 election ReGen was having trouble getting a “fast track” FDA approval for Menaflex, a knee implant designed to treat meniscus tears, the most common type of knee injury. The FDA scientists in August 2006 and September 2007 had concerns that the knee implant would require the longer approval process that requires field testing.

The problem arose when RenGen election contributions from Gerald Bisbee found its way to Frank Pallone as well as NJ Senator Robert Menedez, NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg and NJ US House Representative Steve Rothman. Other RenGen officers also started making donations in 2007 when the knee device was rejected for fast tracking a second time. The Wall Street Journal picked up on the connection on 4/7/2009 while everyone was getting ready to file taxes and the Tea Party movement was getting underway. The total Frank Pallone received is $8,900 from all RenGen executives.

GAO Concludes FDA Fast Tracking Fails

FDA “fast tracking” has come under scrutiny in a GAO (United Stated General Accountability Office) January 2009 report.  The Democrat Senator Henry Waxman’s Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 provided FDA flexibility to elevate many medical devices to undergo a more stringent approval process requiring more proof the devices are safe. The GAO report concludes that the Waxman act  has failed! This is part of the reason the knee device safety testing was circumvented and is now in the hands of unsuspecting orthopedic doctors and patients.

March 6, 2009 FDA Special Treatment Emails Uncovered

As soon as the 2008 elections were over, ReGen’s Menaflex was fast tracked. The Wall Street Journal has obtained internal emails revealing FDA help to ReGen to resubmit Menaflex for fast tracking a third time. The WSJ article quotes Andrew von Eschenbach, who was head of the FDA through December 2008, “There’s something wrong with how that decision [to go the fast-track route] was made…”.

Pallone Heads A House Oversight Committee on FDA

The controversy has spilled into Congressional investigations with the House Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep Frank Pallone who received contributions from RenGen is the Chairperson of the Committee. The Wall Street Journal also picked up this controversy:

“Further complicating matters is that the chair of Thursday’s hearing, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D., N.J.), contacted the FDA on behalf of ReGen to discuss the knee device, and received $8,900 in campaign contributions from the company’s executives last year.”

“Mr. Pallone has said there is nothing unethical in his calling the FDA on behalf of a constituent from his home state.”

The Pallone statement is troublesome for two reasons: One is contributors not all being constituents in NJ or in his district. Two he is part of FDA oversight for the voters. The real constituents were not served! During summer TownHalls, representatives like Pallone are quick to dismiss constituents not in their districts. Connecticut is apparently an exception but neighbor NJ district residents are not.

Watchdog Christie Asks Corzine to Take Action

On September 25th NJ governor candidate Christie running on his watchdog record challenged his rival Govenor Corzine. Corzine is part of the NJ Democratic party riddled with corrupt and questionable activities. As a Governor he should stand up against this issue as Christie suggests.

What’s Best For NJ? Accountability and Oversight!

Accountability and oversight are key issues driving the Tea Party movement coupled with the general dissatisfaction with Congress among voters. Certainly having a viable bio tech industry in NJ is good. We want our companies to have the full advantages offered to get their products to market in time. The effort of RenGen to get their product fast tracked is not the issue as they pursued their interests correctly. The issue is that it happened and there are questions of political corruption with elections and the FDA, a horrifying thought. The questions are overseen by an elected Congressman who received money for his election involving the issue.

We hope ReGen’s Menaflex proves safe and reliable and contributes to the NJ economy. We also want our NJ companies clear of unbridled NJ corruption. We want our politicians clear of corruption and having Democrat Frank Pallone on his 12th term not show spine to step aside in his House FDA oversight chair role hardens this sentiment of no accountability in Congress controlled by Democrats.

NJ has gotten the tag for the State of Corruption. The 2008 elections apparantly emboldened the corruption with Rep Frank Pallone’s 2009 reelection to US House of Representatives for a 12th term.  Here we have oversight of the FDA from elected official Frank Palone receiving campaign money from companies regulated by the FDA. RenGen bought the attention of NJ Washington representatives and they delivered.

Will Contribution Money Motivate Favors In Government Run Health Care?

Further troublesome is that Frank Pallone is strongly supporting a Government Run Health Care System. He has dismissed the protests against nationalized health care at his August town hall meetings. The horrifying question opened is how outside campaign money in the future will get anyone special treatment while others are denied under a Government Run Health Care System. If it is ok to go to bat for a contribution giving constituent outside of NJ with the FDA,  will it also be acceptable with the agencies he wants handling our health care?

Call Frank Palone To Step Aside on the House Health Subcommittee

Call Frank Palone’s offices and request he step down from the Chairship of the House Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Request further he provide any information necessary to clear his and all NJ Congressman involvement with the post 2008 election fast track approval of Menaflex after two rejections over 3 years.

Pallone Vote Supporting ACORN Illegal Activities

We are also concerned with other misguided actions of Frank Pallone with his vote supporting ACORN funding, shown on video to funnel money to support illegal immigration of underage women for sex slaves. Read more at “NJ Congress Representatives Vote Condones ACORN Hurtful Actions To Those In Need“.

ACORN has 15% of its offices across the US exposed for supporting illegal prostitution of 13 year old girls and illegal immigration. ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis yesterday took the too little too late action to start independent investigation of failed leadership, internal audits and controls on money granted for their work directed to alleviate many impacted by the housing crisis.

The US House Of Representatives voted 345-75 September 17th to strike ACORN funding. 5 of the 13 NJ Democrat representatives voted no to keep ACORN funding are now known as the “ACORN Honor Role”. New Jersey represented 6% of the vote to continue funding.

NJ ACORN Honor Roll L-R Albio Sires, Rush Holt, Donald Payne, Bill Pascrell, Frank Pallone

ACORN receives funding from the Federal Government and is a key benefactor in the $787 billion stimulus package ($10,500 per New Jersey family)  passed by Democrats. This money was borrowed at 6% interest from places such as China. New Jersey bears a large part of this stimulus burden as the number 1 donor State contributing to Federal funding. Lets see the care our representatives show over how it is spent.

ACORN Squanders Funds To Alleviate Those Hurt By Government Caused Sub Prime Mortgage Crisis

A national calamity with Federal quasi Freddy and Fanny mortgaging agencies sub prime loan activities have left millions of Americans with underwater mortgages. Many, now without a job, have succumbed to foreclosures and their lives destroyed by these two agencies. Many are young families starting out with hopes and dreams dashed. ACORN offices prove they have initiative to spend money, directed to them to aid this pain, at any cost including illegal activities harming the lives of young 13 year old women made even more vulnerable as illegals.

ACORN Funds Promote Illegal Immigration of 13 year Old Women Into Federally Sanctioned Slavery

NJ Democrat Representatives Albio Sires, Rush Holt, Donald Payne, Bill Pascrell and Frank Pallone
Vote To Continue The Failed Funding

Representatives Albio Sires, Rush Holt, Donald Payne, Bill Pascrell and Frank Pallone votes show their insensitivity to destroying the lives of young women rather than stopping it and making a statement to all Federal funding recipients it will not be tolerated.

Their insensitivity is extended with their votes supporting an organization that wastes money intended to help those American lives damaged by the Federally run mortgage programs. Such destruction of lives is less visible than the Government housing project failures from the 1940s. Yet it is accented by the failure of the ACORN funding as a continued pattern of Democrat intentions to provide Government run housing and failing for nearly a century. ACORN misuse of funds and ineptitude highlight Government run housing that destroyed the lives of those living there and now the destruction of the national economy by initiating in 1999 the sub prime mortgage crisis through Fannie Mae as written in NY Times in 1999.

ACORN Funds Promote Voter Registration Fraud

ACORN previously performed an inept harmful role in National elections. The cultivated environment of corruption found in the ACORN housing offices was demonstrated in the ACORN employees engaged in voter registration. Rather than performing their jobs under standards and accountability, they were allowed to fail at their work and pad performance results with illegal actions. These are how Democrat Representatives Albio Sires, Rush Holt, Donald Payne, Bill Pascrell and Frank Pallone vote to use American funds.

ACORN Funds Help The Poor Engage in Illegal Election Activities

Much of New Jersey has 16% Unemployment Stupid

With 45,000 New Jersey residents exhausting 79 weeks of extended employment you know we have a problem. When you study New Jersey unemployment data you find that outside of Government employment cities like Trenton, the unemployment rate is 16% and growing. The funds coming from stimulus are not keeping up because New Jersey is a donor State and funds other States. The money coming back is a negative to the money going down to Washington.

Democrat Sentators Lautenberg and Menedez and these ACORN honor role Representatives Albio Sires, Rush Holt, Donald Payne, Bill Pascrell and Frank Pallone are the front row pawns of the Democrat liberal agenda. This agenda is harming the citizens of New Jersey. Supporting wasteful use of New Jersey Federal dollars both now and on the interest of the national debt for decades to come are a result of voting for wasteful spending tied to corruption and illegal intentions.

Albio Sires, Rush Holt, Donald Payne, Bill Pascrell and Frank Pallone stand up to your own Democrat Party and demand New Jersey contributions not be wasted. Show spine not ignorance.