NJ School Districts Face Hike in Health Care Costs. Which Means...

The Star-Ledger has reported that health insurance premiums for more than 250 school districts in New Jersey could increase by as much as 20 percent next year.

So this means that the teachers will just pay a bit more for their health care coverage, right?

Wrong!

According to New Jersey Education Association spokesman Steve Baker, the premium increase probably won't require teachers to pay more because most employee contracts prevent that.

Which Republican is Corzine Pulling For?

While the Steve Lonegan/Chris Christie youTube battle rages on, a new Lonegan backer is coming out to support his pick for the GOP nomination for Governor - Jon Corzine.

A Washington-based political organization with ties to democrats is running ads attacking Christie, the Republican they consider more formidable, in an attempt to knock him out in the June primary.

The ad, released by the Mid-Atlantic Leadership Fund, highlights the Wall Street entanglements of Christie’s younger brother and suggests the former U.S. Attorney improperly used his connections to bail him out of trouble.

“This week is a stark reminder of how Jon Corzine operates,” Chris Christie Campaign Consultant Mike DuHaime told PolitickerNJ.com. “Taxes are up, unemployment is up… The only thing going down are his polls numbers. Clearly this is an effort to influence the Republican Primary. Jon Corzine may have bought the Democrat Party, but he will not buy the Republican Party.”

Here's the ad:

Atlantic City Casinos: It's Only a Flesh Wound

As if the times weren't already tough enough for the casinos in Atlantic City, Delaware Governor Jack Markell has signed his controversial sports betting bill into law, paving the way to sports betting and table games to make their way to Delaware's 3 racinos (one of which I pissed off with this cartoon).

Atlantic City’s casinos have been taking a beating, with gaming revenue down 15.7 percent for the first four months of 2009 and headed for a third straight year of declines.

It's estimated that table games in both Pennsylvania and Delaware would cut into Atlantic City’s $4.55 billion annual gaming revenue by about 5 percent, although he has also calculated a worst-case scenario of about 10 percent.

If Atlantic City wants to survive, it needs to get on the path following Las Vegas to a family destination. Atlantic City still offers something that no casino in the surrounding area can ever compete with - the beach.

Unless the Delaware racinos, protected by a state-run monopoly, get smart and build a casino at Rehoboth Beach.

The Stacked Deck for Delaware Racinos

Delaware state senators Thurman Adams and Gary Simpson are unpaid directors and members of the Delaware State Fair executive board and hold non-dividend fair stock from Harrington Raceway & Casino, who alongside Dover Downs and Delaware Park have lobbied strongly against Markell's sports betting bill, saying that increasing the state's share of the gambling monopoly will cause them considerable financial stress.

As the News Journal recently pointed out, Harrington recently went through a $35 million expansion and renovation, hardly indicative of a business in stress.

Harrington has also entered into a long-term contract with its operator that guarantees an accelerating increase in annual payment while the racino moves to become its own operator. According to a News Journal editorial, the management firm will be getting paid to watch itself lose the Harrington contract.

Harrington's stockholder list reads like a who's who of Delaware politics. No wonder they always get what they want.

As an added bonus, here is Delaware Governor Jack Markell appearing on ESPN's E:60 show discussing the issue of sports betting. One thing I found interesting was the NCAA admitting that allowing Montana, which does have a sports lottery, to host NCAA post-season games and events was an “oversight” - and one they will correct. They of course are fighting to prevent any NCAA post-season games from occurring in Delaware due to the legalization of sports betting.

For Jon Corzine, it's 'Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past'

Man, would I have loved to be in Jon Corzine's office when he heard the news that his former girlfriend and labor leader leader Carla Katz is going to be doing spots on 101.5, New Jersey's most popular radio station. She starts Monday with an hour-long spot on the 'Jersey Guys' – Casey Bartholomew and Ray Rossi – one of the periodic appearances she’ll apparently be making on the station.

I wonder if she'll spill the beans on how much money Corzine actually gave her when he became governor. The New York Times estimated it at $6 million, including a $1.1 million condo, $500,000 in renovations to her home, her Lexus SUV and her kids’ tuition at a private school, just to name a few.

Most importantly, will she speak-up about the infamous email exchange she had with Corzine back when he agreed to give back the concession that CWA workers agreed to during their negotiations, which would have required retired state employees to contribute 1.5% of their pension toward their health insurance premium and would have saved taxpayers $2 million?

As Long as Voters Know who Jon Corzine is...

Governor Corzine's approval ratings continue to be upside-down as he struggles to close New Jersey's budget gap, but his Republican opponents for governor, Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan, have their own problems.

According to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, 56% of respondents haven't heard enough about Christie to rate him favorable or not. That number jumps to 72% for Steve Lonegan.

But as long as more than 50% of New Jerseyans don't approve of the job Corzine is doing, they should just continue to remain "the other guy."

Go to Rutgers to Watch Football, Not to Learn

Due to state aid reductions in Gov. Jon Corzine's proposed budget, Rutgers University officials announced they will lay off workers, cut courses and raise tuition to fill a $60 million hole in the university budget.

Two things strike me as weird.

1: The proposed cut is 5 percent of state funding, or $15.5 million. So why cut $60 million?

2: Why cut professors when your plunking millions into both a stadium expansion, and into Greg Schiano 's exorbitant contract, when the football program continues to lose money? (BTW- Schiano is the state's highest paid public employee)

Does Rutgers still want to be an institute for higher learning? It doesn't seem like it. All they're concerned with is profit, and they don't even seem good at that.

Cartoon: Bruce Springsteen Named as "The Other Man"

He may be The Boss, but according to a Red Bank man's divorce papers, Bruce Springsteen is also a home wrecker.

Businessman Arthur J. Kelly named the Jersey rock 'n' roller as the reason for the breakup of his 17-year marriage to Ann C. Kelly, according to the Star-Ledger.

"Patti and I have been together for 18 years -- the best 18 years of my life," Springsteen posted on his website, brucespringsteen.net. "We have built a beautiful family we love and want to protect and our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married."

Here a link to the divorce paper.

I just wonder if Obama feels betrayed.

New Jersey Cartoon: Illegal Immigrants at Rutgers?

I know most of you will disagree with me about the recommendations from Corzine's Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigrant Policy report which recommends, among other things, allowing in-state tuition rates for foreign-born New Jersey students.

That's okay. Just think of me as Ned Flanders.

I just think it's a much more complicated issue than simply "send them home."

The Star-Ledger had an excellent editorial on the subject, which drew out the anger of many readers. Among what they said:

"We may call them law-breakers. We may demand they go home and reenter the country "the right way." We rage on internet sites about how much money they're costing us "real Americans." We demand that our politicians -- the same ones without the guts to design an effective immigration policy -- "enforce the laws on the books." Maybe that makes us feel better, but it doesn't solve the problem. Outrage isn't a policy."

Is Corzine Hiding on Financial Television?

Jon Corzine is in love with appearing on Financial TV. It seems like every weekend he ends up on one of the talk shows as a former "financial wizard" telling us how to save the economy.

How has that worked in New Jersey?

Maybe appearing on all these shows keeps him in New York and Washington, and out of New Jersey, where former Attorney Chris Christie leads Gov. Jon Corzine, 44% to 38% in the New Jersey Governor’s race.

Anyone need make-up?

New Jersey Cartoon: Corzine E-mails With Ex Remain Private

The New Jersey Supreme Court declined to order Gov. Corzine to release e-mail exchanges with his former girlfriend Carla Katz, who lead the largest public employees’ union in New Jersey while the state was negotiating contracts in 2006 and 2007.

The governor and his legal team cited executive privilege in not making the e-mails public. However, now that the supreme court has ruled in his favor, I think Corzine should make the emails public. This would simultaneously allow him to gain back credibility he lost in potentially hiding information from the public, as well as smack back against Republicans who have gained traction with the issue.

That is, if he doesn't have anything to hide.

Earmarks are Bad (Except When They're Local)

New Jersey Cartoon: Corzine's Budget Address

And here's the sketch:

Delaware Cartoon: Gov. Markell Could Use the Help of Dr. Manhattan

Completely forgot to post this cartoon I did earlier in the week for Delaware newspapers.

Delaware's projected budget deficit for fiscal year 2010 is $600 million. Now, this might not sound like a lot compared to the billions in deficits states like New Jersey have to overcome, but remember that Delaware's entire budget is only $3.4 billion dollars. So $600 million (a number likely to go up in the coming weeks) is a large hurdle to overcome.

Maybe Markell should invest in Powerball tickets. Someone won in Dover a couple of weeks ago. Lighting might strike twice.

Who Watches the New Jersey Labor Unions?

It's always great when I can squeeze a movie reference into my cartoons.

In New Jersey, the state labor unions are fiercely opposing Gov. Jon Corzine's call for a wage freeze and 12 days of furloughs to save $400 million in the next budget.

This despite the fact that Corzine threatens to lay off up to 7,000 state employees the unions reject his plan.

I just think the unions are being greedy, and seem willing to sacrifice jobs so they don't have to give up concessions in their contract negotiation. I mean, bloods running in the streets of New Jersey private enterprise, yet the labor unions are attempting to make the case that it's too painful for state workers to give up a FUTURE increase, even as Corzine attempts to come up with solutions that don't involve massive layoffs.

"State workers understand that everybody has to do their fair share to solve this historic budget crisis," says Bob Master, spokesman for the biggest state employee union, the Communication Workers of America.

So why not act like it?

Too Bad Delaware's Budget Deficit Can't Take a Snowday

Sports Betting in New Jersey

Furloughs in New Jersey

Jon Corzine, Money Man

Chris Christie may currently lead Jon Corzine in the polls for the 2009 Gubernatorial race, but does anyone expect Corzine not to dig into his unlimited pockets of cash to narrow the gap?

Charlie Stile of the Bergen Record says that Corzine "has never tangled toe-to-toe with his opponents on a level playing field."

I tend to agree with him.

Is Chris Christie Prepared to be Governor?

Straight on the heels of the release of polling data suggesting he could beat incumbent Jon Corzine, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie officially kicked off his campaign this week.

The only thing he forgot to pack: specifics.

According to the Star-Ledger:

Christie said he would not raise taxes, but declined to say how he would recoup the lost revenue if he reduces income and business taxes to make New Jersey more competitive. He did not take a position on the state's property tax rebate program, saying he wanted to carefully study it before presenting a comprehensive plan to tackle the entrenched property tax problem.

On other issues, such as town consolidation or state worker concessions, Christie sounded more like Corzine. He said he'd "encourage" New Jersey's 566 towns to consolidate, and that he thought state worker unions had to "step up and contribute" by making concessions. But according to his statements, Christie wouldn't force the issue on either side.

Former Borgata mayor Steve Lonegan, who is running against Christie in a four-man Republican primary that includes Morris County Assemblyman Rick Merkt and Franklin Township Mayor Brian Levine, called Christie's refusal to provide specific budget-cutting plans "irresponsible."

"It's clear to me that Mr. Christie is in over his head," Lonegan told The Star-Ledger.