On Low Income Housing

By Steven Lonegan

I am as supportive of the great calibrating power of the free market as any believer of individual liberty should be - and most Democrat politicians and a majority of Republicans, are not. Nothing is more frustrating to students of Adam Smith’s free market economics and proponents of the concept of opportunity and responsibility as when the government thinks it can out plan the economy or use bureaucratic formulas to provide “fairness.” The court ordered manipulation of the economies housing requirements is the paramount example of government planner’s failure in tinkering with the free-market.

Trenton’s central planners claim the economy needs 100,000 Low Income Housing units so people have access to jobs in suburban communities. This is total hogwash. The logic is based on a presumption that private businesses are incompetent and unable to make the most fundamental business decisions necessary to compete and succeed.

Any business that locates in a community that does not offer housing affordable to that businesses employee base should either be able to pay higher salaries to the point the employee can afford housing in that community or relocate to an area that offers that housing stock. If not, they deserve to go out of business.

On the other hand, if a community chooses to limit the type of housing the employer needs to attract and maintain its employee base that community deserves to lose that taxpaying business. Besides, most suburban communities in New Jersey were developed as “bedroom communities” and residents travel to other areas to work. The argument is based on providing government subsidies to create housing for economic development in towns that don’t have any real jobs.

The use of government low income housing mandates under the guise of “economic development” is intellectually bankrupt. There is no greater force than the “invisible hand” of the free market in forcing businesses and communities to meet economic needs for business services and the corresponding housing needs of workers.

The underlying principle of the left is that people have a “right” to own a home. The cornerstone of conservative thought is that individuals have the opportunity to earn that home. That opportunity can only be realized when the government steps back and allows true, economic progress. Government intervention only serves to indirectly subsidize businesses with the hard earned dollars of the taxpayer. The taxpayer will pick up the tab when these housing projects are filled with individuals who can not find jobs. Then the central planners will look to create even more government jobs to justify their failed program.

New Jersey’s Leading Export: Bad Government Policy

By Steven Lonegan

I had the unfortunate opportunity of co-authoring the following article that appeared in Illinois' Peoria Journal-Star last week. It is apparent that those National Governor’s Association meetings are forums for exchanging ideas on how to stick it to taxpayers or creative new ways to circumvent state constitutions. Take New Jersey’s failed school funding mandate.

Class and taxes: How should Illinois fund education? Part II
Lawmakers should learn from New Jersey's mistakes

Sunday, May 13, 2007By Steven Lonegan and Joe Calomino

After Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced plans for a gross receipts tax, he took to the airwaves with an ad based on a simple, though tragically incorrect, premise. The governor said higher statewide taxes are needed to provide property tax relief.

Many members of his own party oppose the governor's gross receipts tax but they agree with this basic premise. They back a competing plan, long touted by Sen. James Meeks, that would substantially hike the state's income tax on the theory that this would lower property taxes. The reality, however, is that higher statewide taxes for education aid are, absent structural reform, unlikely to lead long term to lower property taxes or to better educational outcomes.

Before Illinois goes down this expensive, misguided path, it should learn from New Jersey, which already has done what we are considering.

In that state, the income tax was enacted for the specific purpose of providing property tax relief through school aid. New Jersey's constitution prohibits using income tax revenue for any other purpose. In practice, this has meant more centralized control and a lot more money being spent, and wasted, in avast, bureaucratic, underperforming education system. New Jersey now has the sixth-highest income tax rate in the country, and still has the highest property taxes in the country, with no real relief in sight.

Illinois should reject the facile notion that state aid for education leads to lower property taxes in the long run. Until meaningful choice is introduced - through vouchers or tax credits, which empower parents to choose schools and force schools to compete for students and funding - there is no incentiveto control costs or improve quality. Schools will, therefore, spend the newly available state funds in addition to - not instead of - local property tax receipts. And this will happen without any better educational outcomes.

We must empower parents, not bureaucrats. Interestingly, Illinois' budget process itself is opaque, with legislators themselves rarely knowing what the state is spending money on, let alone ordinary taxpayers. The budget process must be overhauled for transparency and accountability before taxpayers can entrust the state with any more of their money.

New Jersey has taken control of children's learning out of the hands of parents and teachers and put it into the hands of bureaucrats. That's not a model Illinois should follow. Real improvements do not involve simply throwing money at the existing system. The government has a monopoly on education, and consumers never benefit from a monopoly.

Joe Calomino is the Illinois director of Americans for Prosperity, a Washington, D.C.-based taxpayer advocacy group. Steven Lonegan is the group's New JerseyExecutive director.

Steve Lonegan is the Mayor of Bogota, NJ, and Executive Director of Americans for Prosperity - New Jersey. Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFP Foundation) are committed to educating citizens about economic policy and mobilizing those citizens as advocates in the public policy process. He is a prolific writer, having been published in newspapers and blogs. He currently has a book in pre-publication on the impact of New Jersey state government on the well being of the taxpayers of the state, where he offers solid and workable solutions.

Negative Politics: Pervasive in New Jersey (and Beyond)

Politics has always had its share of negativity and personal invective. In the election of 1884, Republicans backing James Blaine for President circulated the phrase "Ma, ma, where's my pa?” referring to an affair Grover Cleveland, the Democratic nominee, had engaged in prior to entering politics. Unfortunately, such a tactic is tame by today’s standards. In Hudson County, Democrat Sal Vega, who is running for State Senate against Brian Stack, accuses Stack and his allies of harassing and “paying off” the opposition and “abusing” City employees. Also in Hudson County, Assemblyman Manzo and Sandra Bolden Cunningham have unleashed assaults against each other for the right to claim the contested Senate seat there. On the Republican side of the aisle, Larry Casha and Jay Webber are engaging in a fiercely negative campaign for the District 26 Senate seat, with Webber recently stating that Casha “is proud of his tax and spend record.”

Of course, there is probably a morsel of truth to the arguments on each side in all of these races but that “truth” is lost in the barrage of insults and innuendo, at the expense of the public. While negative campaigning has been shown to be effective, it does little to truly educate and inform the public but rather exaggerates and distorts the truth and increases distrust, cynicism and apathy among our residents.

As long as we have low voter turnout and citizens stay tuned out and uninvolved in the political process, campaigns will continue to play to the lowest common denominator. When the press dutifully reports every negative attack and personal blow but fails to report substantive discussion, politicians will continue to rely on negative campaigns to guide their elections. An active and informed citizenry would force politicians to answer the tough questions and deal with the real problems facing our State in a meaningful way. A diligent press corps would make sure that the tough questions are asked and answered and reported in an objective and honest manner. However, in a State where people are turned off to politics and have lost faith in the system while the media eschews its responsibility in favor of juicy headlines and profits, negative politics flourishes and allows politicians who thrive on personal attacks to not only win election year after year but become kingmakers in New Jersey’s political underworld.

Can we change this dynamic? How can our residents become informed and involved in the political process? How can we spur the media to take its responsibility seriously? Send me your thoughts: mike@shaptalk.com I will share some of your responses in a future column.

Michael M. Shapiro, founder of ShapTalk.com, is an attorney who resides in New Providence, New Jersey. He currently serves as the Chairman of the New Providence Democratic Party and as Editor of The Alternative Press Contact Mike at mike@shaptalk.com

Thanks Rudy, Thanks Hannity

Murray Sabrin

"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

Last week I predicted there would be “fireworks” at the South Carolina GOP presidential debate on Tuesday. I did not know that Rudy Giuliani would try to take on Ron Paul on the issue of what caused the attacks on 9/11. So much has been written about the Ron Paul/Rudy confrontation during the past few days, there is no need for me to rehash the great comments by Ron. Instead, I urge you to read the following articles by some of America’s best analysts: Justin Raimondo, (www.antiwar.com), Tom Woods, Pat Buchanan, Lew Rockwell, Jacob Hornberger,Karen Kwiatkowski, all on www.lewrockwell.com this week, and Paul Mulshine in his Thursday column in the Star-Ledger, www.starledger.com. In addition, numerous links related to the Ron Paul/Rudy squabble can be found on the www.lewrockwell.com blog.

I would like to thank Rudy Giuliani for making Ron Paul—almost overnight—a household name by his scurrilous attack on one of the most decent human beings ever to serve in the United States Congress. Giuliani owes Ron one hell of an apology. In addition, Rudy should study Middle East politics and read the 9/11 Commission Report, and until he does he should just shut up about the events leading up to 9/11 attacks. As my high school physics teacher used to tell our class: “It is better to appear dumb than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”

I don’t believe anyone has made the following observation about “America’s Mayor,” the “hero of 9/11.” Rudy Giuliani has made a fortune as a speaker, consultant and lawyer since 9/11 because he was mayor when the World Trade Center towers were brought down by the hijackers. In other words, Giuliani has enriched himself on the corpses of the victims of 9/11. Talk about profiting from death and destruction. I do not believe anyone in the mainstream media (MSM) has made this point.

Besides, why does Rudy deserve to be called a “hero?” Did he save anyone’s life? Did he foil any crimes? The hype over Giuliani is the worst form of hero worshipping by the complicit MSM who supported Bush’s invasion of Iraq. The MSM abdicated its role of seeking the truth about the phony claims of WMD in Iraq. The MSM did not report the truth about the lies of the Bush/Cheney administration. The MSM dropped the ball when they could have reported the truth about the Bush lies which could have prevented a needless and reckless invasion of Iraq.

I sent the following letter to Chris Matthews, host of Hardball after Ron Paul challenged Rudy to a debate on Fox News after the South Carolina fireworks:

The GOP is imploding because of Bush's invasion of Iraq, and the only GOP presidential candidate who is speaking the truth about the U.S. Middle East policy is Ron Paul. Ron Paul has been getting grassroots support since the first debate you moderated. And last night he distinguished himself as not only a statesman but also once again as an articulate spokesman for a noninterventionist foreign policy.

If you want to have the highest rated show in cable television history, you would invite Paul and Rudy to debate foreign policy on your show. I doubt Rudy would debate. He can only articulate one liners.

Ron Paul challenged Rudy to debate foreign policy during the post debate interviews on Fox conducted by Hannity and Colmes. Hannity was his typical obnoxious self interrupting Ron at every moment and not allowing him to finish his thoughts. Contrast Hannity’s discourteous remarks about Ron with his treatment of Rudy. Hannity treats Rudy as a demigod. It is no wonders Sean’s nose is turning browner every time he has Rudy on his show.

Thanks to Sean Hannity for being obnoxious, thereby generating tremendous support for Ron Paul, and demonstrating once again what a great country this is that you do not have to be very intelligent to be a talk show host and make millions of dollars. There is hope for the masses in America who aspire to be rich and famous. God Bless America.

My friend Bob in California sent the following email:
Just thought you'd like to see some of the impact that Ron is having on at least one NYPD officer. This from my old high school friend commenting on her friend, Eddie.
Bob

“Even so just seeing Ron Paul on TV and hearing what he has to say is having an effect on people. Eddie told me last night that he is "very impressed" with Paul who he had never heard of, especially what he had to say about US activities in the Middle East being for the most part responsible for the events of 911. I told Eddie that Paul is a Libertarian, a species that more closely resembles genuine traditional American conservatism, a term that the current devils from hell wrap themselves in, but which they do not at all resemble. I think we all are gradually becoming aware that "conservative" is hardly the correct term to describe these monsters. Now granted Eddie is somewhat unusual in that he is not only intelligent and well-educated, but he is a truly independent thinker. On the other side of that equation (a dangerous natural free thinking that is much feared by our Overlords) is his traditional patriotism and his traditional macho attitudes, attitudes that usually can be counted on to sweep the Eddies of the world into the Bush camp. It's not working anymore on the Eddies of the world. They are seeing through the bullshit. I think that the tide has clearly turned against the satanic devil-worshipping child-molesting monsters. Whether it has turned in time to save the tattered democratic republic remains to be seen.

“I agree with Chalmers Johnson that what is required to reverse the current ominous trajectory of events is a massive spontaneous and truly grassroots uprising of the American people against the policies and actions of the Overlords. Whether this happens remains to be seen. Still, where there is life, there is hope. Let us pray. Amen. (or Amon as the case may be.)”

The masses are restless. America’s Second Revolution is stirring, led by Ron Paul. If all the troops across America enter the battle in the next few months, we will reclaim America from the statists in both parties. Please visit www.ronpaul2008.com for more information about the Ron Paul Campaign for President.

Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., is professor of finance in the Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, where he is executive director of the Center for Business and Public Policy.

Mandatory Sensitivity Training in New Jersey’s Public Schools

This past February, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that school systems are responsible for stopping bias-based harassment and found in favor of a former student who had been incessantly harassed because of his sexual preference while attending the Toms River Regional School District. A school district may now be held liable if it is notified of a “hostile educational environment” and does not take reasonable action to eradicate it. While New Jersey has one of the toughest anti-discrimination laws in the Country, enforcement of the law is weak, particularly in New Jersey’s public schools. The New Jersey Supreme Court’s recent decision should be viewed as a catalyst for change in its public schools. To avoid adverse court decisions and to create an educational environment free of bias-based harassment, every school district in the State should be required to provide mandatory sensitivity training to all students, faculty and staff.

Bias-based harassment comes in many forms. The Toms River case and a recent case in Jackson Township deal with harassment based on sexual preference. However, racial-based harassment is unfortunately as prevalent, if not more so, in New Jersey’s public schools. A case filed in New Providence, New Jersey in 2005 involving allegations of harassment based on race is winding its way through the Court system and is currently in discovery. Anti-Semitism and persecution of other diverse individuals are also present in New Jersey’s public schools. Sexism has resulted in many female students transferring into private schools so they can obtain an education free of sexual harassment. As the Latino, Asian, and Indian populations increase in New Jersey, student-on-student harassment has become more rampant, as well.

The recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision provides an alternative for school districts: either deal with problems of harassment in your schools or face the consequences in litigation. A decision to defend a litigation rather than institute preventative measures in the schools can be financially disastrous for a school district and can result in the rupturing of the town’s very fabric. A better solution is rigorous sensitivity training in the public schools that encompasses students, faculty, and school employees and will help prevent incidences before they result in costly litigation.

Of course, sensitivity training is an expense that must be borne and will be opposed in many school districts because of its impact on the budget. Therefore, the best solution is for the State to mandate sensitivity training in the public schools and provide grant money for school districts to develop and implement programs. While sensitivity training is not cheap, its cost will pale in comparison to the money spent defending litigations and paying judgments.

Some school districts will also oppose the training claiming that they do not have harassment problems. There is not a school district in New Jersey that does not have students who suffer some form of bias-based harassment. It is only a question of time before those students seek legal recourse or, worse yet, engage in a Columbinesque fit of rage resulting in unnecessary and tragic death and lives destroyed.

Before a tragedy occurs and/or litigations develop as a result of bias-based harassment, and significant money judgments and attorneys’ fees are incurred, our State’s school districts should implement sensitivity training at all grade levels through a State mandate that provides grant funding for such programs.

Michael M. Shapiro, founder of ShapTalk.com, is an attorney who resides in New Providence, New Jersey. He currently serves as the Chairman of the New Providence Democratic Party and as Editor of The Alternative Press, Contact Mike at mike@shaptalk.com

Corzine’s 100,000 Low Income Housing Units: Another Nail in New Jersey’s Coffin

By: Steven Lonegan
Coming to your neighborhood

The centerpiece of the Corzine “Housing Agenda” is 100,000 taxpayer funded, government mandated Low Income...oops, excuse me for being politically incorrect, I meant to say “Affordable Housing Units.”

Corzine’s spin doctors say New Jersey “needs” these units so our state’s economy will grow and prosper and keep “young people” in New Jersey.

This is pure, unadulterated liberal nonsense. The last thing I dream of, work for and anticipate is the day my daughters graduate from college that they get to move into a government funded housing project.

Public housing has been a failure since it was started in this country under Franklin Roosevelt and accelerated under Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson and even Richard Nixon. It left behind a legacy of crime-ridden urban hell-holes, wrecked property values and untold victims of violent crimes.

Now Corzine wants to force the same failed social engineering policies that destroyed Newark, Paterson, Camden and so many other great cities on every suburban town in New Jersey.
In the last five years 197,000 residents have left New Jersey. So who will really occupy these government barracks? Read on...

Governor Corzine’s Department of Community Affairs “Housing Policy and Status Report” lays out exactly who will be targeted for these 100,000 units (see page 17)

• Individuals leaving the state correctional system to be mainstreamed into society.
• Youth aging out of the juvenile detention system
• Those covered under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. This includes severely mentally ill, “recovering” drug addicts and hard-core alcoholics.
• Homeless and hard to house.

Corzine’s liberals also play coy when it comes to the subject of illegal aliens getting some of these taxpayer built apartments. The state is also proposing a “Municipal Land Acquisition Program” that involves using tax money and Eminent Domain to take people’s one family homes to build these housing projects -- giving destroying neighborhoods a whole new meaning.

As long as Corzine and his legislative lackeys remain in power, no one is safe. It’s up to the heretofore impotent Republican minority to stand up for our homeowners for once, because our neighborhoods are worth fighting for. Republicans will not win elections in this state until our party stands up for the working man and woman against a reckless and irresponsible state government looking to destroy every single stable family neighborhood in our state to promote their wacky extremist left-wing agenda.

Media Bias? You Bet!

Murray Sabrin

The initial and subsequent media reporting of the first GOP presidential candidates’ debate at the Reagan Library on May 3rd can only best be described as biased and disingenuous. The AP reported that all 10 GOP candidates support the Iraq War. Not true. Rep. Ron Paul opposed the invasion of Iraq.

As to who “won” the debate, virtually most of the Establishment commentators asserted that Mitt Romney or John McCain stood out above Rudy Giuliani and the second-tier candidates. However, some analysts such as John McLaughlin of the McLaughlin Group stated that Ron Paul “gave the best performance.”

Moreover, on numerous on-line polls, including MSNBC which aired the live debate, Ron Paul either won the debate or was ahead of most of the top three candidates. And yet the media have virtually blacked out Ron Paul’s debate performance and his support on the Internet.

Even Yahoo News omitted Ron Paul on its list of GOP presidential candidates. ABC News stopped posting comments from Ron Paul supporters. After an outpouring of emails and phone calls from Paul supporters, Yahoo now includes Ron on its presidential candidate page. ABC News halted posts supporting Ron Paul until it too got an avalanche of criticism. Posts about Ron Paul are now being published again.

A recent post on ABC News’ Political Discussion board stated:
ABC and other news organizations risk being completely irrelevant if they think they can ignore the grassroots support of Ron Paul. I didn't spend four years in the military so ABC news could tell me what candidate I should vote into office. It isn't Orwell’s 1984 yet, as much as they'd like it to be.

Here’s another post on ABC:
I'm sure the powers to be are terrified of Ron Paul at the moment. This will be the first presidential election with these large collectives of independent media creators (youtube, bloggers, etc) being such a large influence. It is the most level playing field to date and Ron Paul is the only contender with a shot at the presidency that hasn't already been bought out.

This is just a very small sample of Ron Paul’s passionate supporters. Ron’s commitment to limited government and a noninterventionist foreign policy is a huge threat to America’s political and economic elites. That’s why the grassroots support is building for Ron Paul, a phenomenon that the Mainstream Media (MSM) will not acknowledge. The elites do not want to upset the status quo—a status quo that is supported by the MSM.

Tuesday’s coming GOP debate in South Carolina could confirm yet again the media bias against Ron Paul. Or, the MSM will finally throw in the towel and proclaim Ron one of the top tier candidates.

In the final analysis, the American people’s passion for liberty and the Internet will propel Ron Paul to the GOP presidential nomination. Or, the MSM and their handlers, America’s economic and political elites, will do everything in their power to derail Ron Paul’s march to the White House. We are now witnessing the proverbial David and Goliath battle. And we know how the first battle ended.

Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., is professor of finance in the Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, where he is executive director of the Center for Business and Public Policy.

Help save Manny Amaral's business from gov't seizure

By: Steven Lonegan

Dramatic Online Video to Stop Eminent Domain Abuse Against NJ Family Business

Citizens Urged to Make Urgent Call to Corzine to Stop Abuse

HARRISON, NJ - The New Jersey chapter of the national free-market group Americans for Prosperity today released a dramatic online video chronicling a wrongful eminent domain case that could lead to the eviction on Tuesday of Manny Amaral and his family from their successful auto dealership - just so the city government can transfer their property to private condo developers.

Manny and Fran Amaral came to the United States from Portugal more than 30 years ago in search of a better life and the American Dream. In the years since, the Amarals have worked hard, paid their taxes, played by the rules, and ultimately achieved that American Dream. Today they own Aramal Auto
Sales in Harrison, NJ, with their two sons. But now the city government is planning to seize the Amaral's property so a big, politically-connected developer can knock down their successful small family business and build condos as part of a risky development scheme.

If a well-managed, successful dealership full of BMWs, Cadillacs, Lexuses, Audis, Mercedes, and even Lamborghinis can be declared 'blight,' condemned and taken by the government under an abusive and wrongful claim on 'eminent domain,' then anybody's property can be condemned.

AFP's online video includes an urgent call for viewers to contact New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine and their state lawmakers and features emotional pleas from Manny and Fran Amaral in front of the Statue of Liberty, which Mrs. Amaral passed on a ship from Portugal as an eight-year-old girl coming to America for the first time.

"I remember seeing the Statue, and my sister...turned to me and said, "We are in America!" with a big smile on her face, and we both hugged...and said "Yes! Finally!" Mrs. Amaral explains in the video. "But now I look at this Statue, and it brings me tears."

"Some people (back in Portgual) have the wrong idea about America, and I always defend this country with all my heart and with all my love," Manny Amaral said. "Now I have very mixed feelings because I believed in all the things that I've been told and I've read and I've seen about freedom in the country, but the last couple of years I've seen a side of this country that I can't believe is going on. This is a nightmare..."

Call Governor Corzine and help save Manny's American Dream: 609-292-6000

Welcome Steve Lonegan!

ShapTalk.com welcomes Steve Lonegan, Mayor of Bogota, New Jersey, as a contributor to ShapTalk.com. Mayor Lonegan also serves as New Jersey Executive Director of Americans for Prosperity.

Governor Corzine: Showing His Human Side

Governor Corzine's speech upon discharge from Cooper University Hospital was passionate -- not in a cheesy, opportunistic way, but rather in an authentic and unmistakably human way. His voice quaked with emotion as he apologized for setting a bad example for our State's youth and adults by not wearing a safety belt. He thanked his family and his supporters with a sincerity that is sorely missing in politics. He then asked our residents for forgiveness in a manner that would be difficult for even the most die-hard anti-Corzine person to dismiss. In that short five-minute speech, Governor Corzine revealed more of himself than our residents have seen during his first years in office. It revealed a Governor who has feelings and emotions and who is a genuine individual just like you and me.

Of course, the mainstream media, other than television stations that showed the full speech, said little if anything of his emotionalism, preferring instead to dwell on the fact that his vehicle drove above the speed limit upon leaving the hospital. The media had an opportunity to show our Governor as something more than a politician, as a human being who was endearing and deserving of praise. True to form, they focused on the negative and further exacerbated citizen cynicism of politics, public officials, and government.

Governor Corzine followed up his speech by paying a fine for not wearing a safety belt, even though he had yet to be cited. It was the right thing to do. It was a breath of fresh air to Jersey residents accustomed to our public officials’ skirting the law and failing to do the right thing time after time using dubious justifications. Political predecessors would have denied not wearing a seatbelt and when confronted with irrefutable evidence that they were not wearing their seatbelt, would have blamed the State Trooper for unbuckeling it upon impact. Then they would have taken the case to Court, hiring high-paid attorneys at taxpayer expense to fight the $46 fine. Unfortunately, that's what we've become accustomed to in New Jersey politics. The Governor showed us that a public official can do the right thing without being forced by a Court decision to do so.

Last week was a positive one for the Governor and as his health rebounds, we can only hope he retains the humanity he expressed during the past week and shows New Jersey residents that not all politicians are opportunistic automatons. Some actually are people who feel like we feel, who hurt like we hurt, and who are willing to live by the rule of law and when they violate that law, do what is correct and accept responsibility and all that it entails.

Michael M. Shapiro, founder of ShapTalk.com, is an attorney who resides in New Providence, New Jersey. He currently serves as the Chairman of the New Providence Democratic Party and as Editor of The Alternative Press Contact Mike at mike@shaptalk.com

The GOP Presidential Primary: Is the Fix In?

Murray Sabrin

The first GOP presidential primary “debate” moderated by Chris Matthews was held at the Reagan Library on May 3rd. The 90 minute event did not allow each candidate to give lengthy answers to Matthews’ questions. Nor did the rules of engagement allow for a debate. The “debate” was limited to Matthews trying to get some of the candidates to criticize each other. None took the bait, except for John McCain who said he would not appoint Tom Tancredo head of the Immigration Service if he were president. By far the best moment of the night was Ron Paul’s first response about his anti-war position and why his fellow candidates are wrong. He said:

That's a very good question. And you might ask the question, why are 70 percent of the American people now wanting us out of there, and why did the Republicans do so poorly last year? So I would suggest that we should look at foreign policy. I'm suggesting very strongly that we should have a foreign policy of non-intervention, the traditional American foreign policy and the Republican foreign policy. Throughout the 20th century, the Republican Party benefited from a non-interventionist foreign policy. Think of how Eisenhower came in to stop the Korean War. Think of how Nixon was elected to stop the mess in Vietnam. How did we win the election in the year 2000? We talked about a humble foreign policy: No nation-building; don't police the world. That's conservative, it's Republican, it's pro-American -- it follows the founding fathers. And, besides, it follows the Constitution.

Slam Dunk! Ron Paul also established his limited government credentials after questions posed by Matthews and the Politico.com co-hosts. To summarize his responses, Anthony Gregory wrote on the lewrockwell.com blog:

Wow. He kept coming back to a non-interventionist foreign policy, spoke of how inflationary spending was a hidden tax on the poor and middle class, attacked the income tax and IRS, said we need to end the entitlement state and the perpetual imperialism if we want to really cut taxes, defended the Fourth Amendment, said stem-cell research should be left up to the market and the states, came out strongly against a national ID card, defended freedom of expression and speech, never called for more government, and was responsible for the last words said by a candidate at a Republican debate being "habeas corpus."

Ron Paul is Mr. Republican, in the mold of Senator Robert Taft, who was denied the Republican nomination by the Establishment in 1952, and died in 1953 of cancer. America’s political and economic elites are frightened of a Ron Paul presidential candidacy. He would work to abolish the IRS and he would either abolish the Fed or rein in the Federal Reserve’s inflationary policies. Ron would work to reduce the size of the federal government to its constitutional duties.

Ron Paul is the greatest threat to America’s welfare-warfare state. In other words, all the special interests who want big government at home and abroad are apoplectic that Ron Paul could win the GOP presidential nomination and bring his case of limited government directly to the American people in the 2008 presidential election.

That’s why the post-debate buzz on MSNBC ignored Ron Paul, despite the fact he was leading the other GOP candidates on the cable channel on-line poll. In a similar vein, Howard Fineman of the Washington Post and MSNBC wrote a commentary about the “second-tier’ candidates right after the May 3rd debate. Regarding Ron Paul, Fineman wrote, “Consider Rep. Ron Paul, a Libertarian Republican from Texas who has opposed the Iraq War from the beginning because of his small-government, isolationist worldview. He is not a nut case but rather a doctor with a degree from Duke Medical School. And he’s steeped in a branch of conservative intellectual history that traces its modern lineage to the Founding Fathers.” (Emphasis added)

Fineman’s left-handed compliment is despicable. How he segues from Ron’s antiwar position to denying he is a nut case is an example of journalistic malpractice. Ron has a 30 year public record of promoting individual liberty. For Fineman to have to remind us that Ron is “not a nut case,” reveals the mainstream media’s widespread bias against limited government candidates. He owes Ron Paul an apology.

Imagine Ron Paul, physician, libertarian, statesman, debating any of the major Democratic candidates in the fall of 2008. Imagine Ron Paul debating Hillary Clinton on healthcare, taxes, and the invasion of Iraq, a policy she voted for. Imagine Ron Paul debating John Edwards on the welfare state and taxes. Imagine Ron Paul debating Barack Obama on the role of government in a free society.

Ron will not get that chance if the political elites rally behind Romney or Giuliani. McCain is kaput. McCain demonstrated once-and-for-all why he should never occupy the Oval Office. He wants to bomb any country that he thinks is a “threat” to America, and from his perspective that includes just every nation that dares to criticize the federal government’s aggressive foreign policy.

Mitt Romney is being touted by the Establishment because he “looks” presidential. Romney’s performance was smooth, pandering, and McGreevey like. He invoked Ronald Reagan’s name, I think, more than any other candidate. His responses were canned more than any other candidate Thursday night, a la McGreevey in the 1997 New Jersey gubernatorial debates. If the GOP insiders think Romney is their man, they will start pulling the plug on Giuliani soon. If negative stories in the press begin appearing about Rudy, you know the fix is in.

The 2008 presidential election will reveal what road the American people want the country to travel for the next several decades. With Ron Paul we will travel the road of peace, noninterventionism and liberty. The political elites with the mainstream media’s complicity will want to maintain America’s welfare-warfare state. That is what is at stake in the next presidential election.

Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., is professor of finance in the Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, where he is executive director of the Center for Business and Public Policy.

The Coalition Against Corrupt Politicians (CACP): The Right Message, Wrong Messenger?

Craig Carton and Ray Rossi, The Jersey Guys from New Jersey 101.5 FM, have launched the Coalition Against Corrupt Politicians (CACP), an anonymous system by which residents of New Jersey can report politicians they believe are engaging in corruption including pension padding and cronyism. The Jersey Guys then investigate the allegations, file Open Public Records Act requests to learn more, and pass on both the allegations of corruption and any evidence they gather to Chris Christie, the United States Attorney for the State of New Jersey. Prominent legislators from both political parties have joined CACP including Senator John Adler (D) and Senator Joe Vitale (D), as well as Tom Kean, Jr. (R) and former Gubernatorial candidate Doug Forrester (R). While CACP is a worthy idea that can provide benefits to the residents of New Jersey, the Jersey Guys are not the most credible or most appropriate individuals to carry the banner to rid our State of political corruption.

The Jersey Guys have had a serious “Imus problem” for many years. When Jun Choi ran for Mayor of Edison, Carton and Rossi were relentless in bastardizing his name and Asian background. Just last week, they launched a hotline for residents to report people they thought to be illegal immigrants, stirring anti-immigrant fears and resulting in major sponsors of the show, including Dunkin Donuts, to pull their advertisements. Only after advertisers pulled their ads did the Jersey Guys eliminate the hotline. These are the same Jersey Guys who insulted Governor Codey’s wife and derided the mentally ill, resulting in a near physical altercation with Governor Codey.

Carton and Rossi are certainly not model citizens and while their idea is worthwhile, their sometimes-hateful shock speech undermines CACP and its mission. They should not be allowed to lead a public fight against corruption with the support of many elected officials while, at the same time, engaging in hate speech that undermines our public dialogue. The Jersey Guys should refrain from further shock jock antics if they wish to have CACP taken seriously and to be a true force for eliminating corruption in New Jersey. Public officials who have endorsed CACP should insist that the Jersey Guys cease and desist with their shock schlock or they will end their association with CACP. Carton and Rossi should realize that they can be just as popular without engaging in racist, sexist, and demeaning “jokes” and can use their platform to truly improve New Jersey politics.

Accountability is also a necessity. The allegations reported to the Jersey Guys should be logged and an audit trail established that shows what actions they took regarding each accusation and records how and when the allegations were communicated to the United States Attorney’s Office. It is critical that all allegations be evaluated on their merits and not the partisanship of the officeholder that is being accused. Furthermore, the confidentiality promised by the Jersey Guys on their website must be strictly enforced to protect all who are involved.

Commanding the airwaves instills with it responsibility. The Jersey Guys have taken the first step towards fulfilling their responsibilities to the public by launching CACP. They took a further step when they reversed course and eliminated their “program” to expose “illegal immigrants.” They should continue down the path to weed out corruption and be a positive force for change in New Jersey politics. However, should they continue to resort to hateful shock speech, they will undermine CACP and reduce its potential impact, while further exacerbating discourse in New Jersey. Come on Jersey Guys – stop the shock and instead concentrate on catching those who are corrupt.

Michael M. Shapiro, founder of ShapTalk.com, is an attorney who resides in New Providence, New Jersey. He currently serves as the Chairman of the New Providence Democratic Party and as Editor of The Alternative Press Contact Mike at mike@shaptalk.com

The Importance of SCHIP

By: Senator Joe Vitale

On March 1, 2007, I had the opportunity to testify before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health, on the need for continued federal support for State programs aimed at providing health care for the uninsured. More than 46 million people in this country live without even the most basic level of health care coverage. Most of these people work long hours, sometimes at more than one job, but cannot receive health insurance for themselves and their families from their employers because they aren’t considered full-time. Rather than seek basic care for minor health problems, they ignore the symptoms until emergency care is needed.

Many states have recognized the dilemmas that the working poor of this country face. These states have begun to take the steps necessary to provide subsidized health care coverage to those who would otherwise be without. New Jersey, among other states, is living up to its responsibility our responsibilities, and ensuring that health care access is not offered based solely on income or job status, but as a basic human right.

The federal government created the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as SCHIP, to help defray the high costs of providing coverage for the uninsured on the State level. In New Jersey, SCHIP dollars go to NJ FamilyCare, a program intended to provide basic medical care access to the more than 1.4 million uninsured residents living in the Garden State.

Under funding of the SCHIP initiative could cripple states’ efforts to meet the needs of their residents. Health care costs are soaring nationally, and without the full reauthorization of SCHIP, states will have to cut families from government-subsidized health care programs. As we’ve seen the number of uninsured Americans rise, and a greater role emerge for government-sponsored health care coverage, cutting back our responsibility to the uninsured seems contrary to the direction in which we should be moving we should be moving in.

I strongly urge our federal representatives to fully fund SCHIP, and give States the resources they need to provide adequate coverage for the uninsured. Without a good faith partnership between states and the federal government, we cannot provide the sort of services needed to combat the growing number of uninsured. However, if the federal government can step up and continue meeting its obligations, we can make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans struggling at the lowest end of the income spectrum.

Joe Vitale is a State Senator representing New Jersey's 19th Legislative District. The Senator is the Deputy Majority Leader and Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.

Welcome Senator Joe Vitale!

ShapTalk.com welcomes Senator Joe Vitale (D-Woodbridge) as a contributor to ShapTalk.com. Senator Vitale represents the 19th Legislative District in Middlesex County, New Jersey. To read more about Senator Vitale, please Click Here.