COUNCIL ENDORSES JON CORZINE FOR GOVERNOR
10-5-09
THE CHOICE IS CLEAR: CORZINE FOR GOVERNOR
On October 2, 2009 the Council voted to endorse Governor Corzine for re-election and to endorse candidates for Assembly and local office that support our issues and reflect our values.
These include quality affordable higher education, stronger central control of the state college/university presidents, expanded collective bargaining rights and the protection of our health benefits and pensions.
Due the severity of the recession and its effect on State finances, Governor Corzine has not fulfilled all of our expectations, but he has shown a commitment to invest in public education, protect our benefits and respect the rights of state employees through negotiations rather than imposition. This commitment was demonstrated by the Governor negotiating with the State public employee unions for a wage increase deferral and furlough days as a fiscal and political necessity instead of imposing a freeze and defined number of furlough days. While we didn't like the proposals or alternatives, the collective bargaining process allowed us to shape our economic future through negotiations.
Corzine has won the endorsement of the entire labor movement, including AFT/New Jersey and the NJ State AFL-CIO. His choice of Loretta Weinberg as his running mate inspires confidence in his leadership.
The Republican challenger, on the other hand, is a sworn enemy of teachers unions, who he has described as an “entrenched interests” working against the best interests of students. He favors privatization of public services, private school vouchers, severe cuts in the state budget and tax cuts for the wealthy. We have been down this road before in the Whitman administration and it is a recipe for disaster. He also is against public employee union bargaining rights and would attempt a direct unilateral assault on our contracts.
The independent candidate Chris Daggett has come out if favor of eliminating tenure. What more needs to be said about him?
The choice in November is quite clear - Governor Corzine who supports progressive issues, labor and believes in collective bargaining.
As you can see below, the Council’s Assembly endorsements are not exclusively Democratic, but it just so happens that Democrats are generally more supportive of public higher education, fair compensation for public employees and collective bargaining.
We started the ball rolling for progressive change by electing Barack Obama. Let’s keep up the momentum by re-electing Jon Corzine as Governor.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 3
Council Endorsements
2009 Gubernatorial and Assembly RacesKey: D=Democrat, R= Republican, I=Incumbent, C=Challenger, O=open seat, L= Labor Candidate, *=competitive race
Governor: Jon Corzine (D)
Lieutenant Governor: Loretta Weinberg (D)
*District 1
Matthew Milam (D-I)
Nelson Albano (D-I-L)*District 2
John Amodeo (R-I-L)
District 3
Celeste Riley (D-I)
John Burzichelli (D-I)District 4
William Collins (D-O)
Paul Moriarty (D-I-L)District 5
Don Norcross (D-O)
Angel Fuentes (D-O)District 6
Assembly
Louis Greenwald (D-I)
Pamela Lampitt (D-I)Senate
James Beach (D-I)District 7
Jack Conners (D-I)
Herb Conaway (D-I)District 8
Bill Brown (D-C)
Debbie Sarcone (D-C)District 9
No endorsement
District 10
David Wolfe (R-I)
James Holzapfel (R-I)District 11
J. Randy Bishop (D-C)
David Rible (R-I)District 12
No endorsement
District 13
Samuel Thompson (R-I)
*District 14
Linda Greenstein (D-I)
Wayne De Angelo (D-I-L)District 15
Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-I)
Reed Gusciora (D-I)District 16
No endorsements
District 17
Joseph Egan (D-I-L)
Upendra Chivukula (D-I)District 18
Peter Barnes (D-I)
Patrick Diegnan (D-I)District 19
John Wisniewski (D-I)
Craig Coughlin (D-O)
District 20
Joseph Cryan (D-I)
Annette Quijano (D-I)District 21
No endorsement
District 22
Gerald Green (D-I)
Linda Stender (D-I)District 23
No endorsement
District 24
No endorsements
District 25
No endorsements
District 26
No endorsements
District 27
John McKeon (D-I)
Mila Jasey (D-I)
District 28
Ralph Caputo (D-I)
Cleopatra Tucker (D-I)District 29
L. Grace Spencer (D-I)
Alberto Coutinho (D-I)District 30
Joseph Malone (R-I)
Ronald Dancer (R-I)
District 31
No endorsement
District 32
Joan Quigley (D-I)
Vincent Prieto (D-I)District 33
Ruben Ramos (D-I)
Caridad Rodrigues (D-I)District 34
Thomas Giblin (D-I-L)
Sheila Oliver (D-I)District 38
Concetta Wagner (D-I)
Joan Voss (D-I)
District 35
Nellie Pou (D-I)
Elease Evans (D-I)*District 36
Frederick Scalera (D-I)
Gary Schaer (D-I)District 37
No endorsements
District 39
Michael McCarthy (D-C-L)
John Shahdanian (D-C)District 40
No endorsements
Key: D=Democrat, R= Republican, I=Incumbent, C=Challenger, O=open seat, L= Labor Candidate,
*=competitive race
Local Office
David Mayer, running for Mayor of Gloucester Township (member of Rowan local)
Domenick Stampone, running for Passaic County Freeholder (member of AFT local at Raritan Valley Community College)
