It is now nine days and counting until a state budget must be adopted. It does not look good.
A culture of corruption
Public service for private profit — we all should work in Washington.
Random thoughts on the Senate race
I’ve not paid real close attention to the U.S. Senate race being waged between Democrat Robert Menendez, who was appointed to fill the governor’s unexpired Senate seat, and state Sen. Tom Kean Jr., a Republican. Granted, I have been leaning toward Sen. Menendez but without much conviction.
Two recent votes by the Hudson County Democrat, however, have me feeling a bit better about him.
The minimum wage:
Sen. Menendez voted in favor of increasing the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour this week, announcing on the Senate floor that “nine years is far too long” for low-wage workers to wait for the federal government to boost the wage, which currently stands at $5.15 an hour.
Nine years is too long for those who work round the clock, hoping to save a little extra for groceries, for those working so they can buy schools supplies or clothes for their children, or for those saving so one day they can live in a place they are proud to call home. I ask members of Congress who receive a cost-of-living adjustment, how can they vote to not give those hard working Americans earning minimum wage the first increase in nine years?
The Senate defeated the wage hike, sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and cosponsored by Sen. Menendez.
In Contrast, state Sen. Kean voted against New Jersey legislation increasing the state’s minimum wage to $7, legislation that passed and was approved by then-Gov. Richard Codey in 2005.
Iraq:
The senator is backing legislation calling for American troops to leave Iraq.
Here’s what he said on the Senate floor (from a release issued yesterday):
Clearly, it is time to change the course,” Menendez said. “We need a new direction in Iraq. That’s why I am supporting the Levin and Kerry amendments today.
Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki supports a transfer of responsibility for 16 out of 18 provinces by the end of this year and his security advisor believes that we can reduce coalition forces to less than 100,000 by the end of this year with most of the multinational force gone. The Iraqis are clearly saying that they are ready for this transition to happen. If the Iraqis are to be respected as a sovereign government, as many argued on the floor of the Senate a few days ago, shouldn’t we respect their knowledge and wishes on the future of their country?
I voted against the Iraq war when many on the other side tried to falsely characterize those of us who didn’t believe the evidence that the administration presented, who thought we should work through the international process, who didn’t believe the administration had done any post-war planning. For standing up for what we believed in, they tried to mischaracterize us as anti-American and unpatriotic. I was willing to take a difficult stand, and stand up for what I believed was right for the country and for the people of New Jersey. That’s why I voted against the war.
Today, with over 2,500 lives lost, almost $320 billion spent in national treasure, with $8 billion used each month, I know I made the right decision.
The Senate has an opportunity to act now, to enact a policy worthy of the sacrifice of our soldiers.
No resolve to leave Iraq
Does this mean the Demcorats are showing some backbone on Iraq?
Budget brouhaha
Another clear-eyed editorial on the budget — this time from The Record. And David Rebovich explains the political undercurrents driving Assembly Democrats down the same murky budgetary road they’ve been traveling for years.
Hank Kalet 