Hank Kalet

Ending warehousing and building community

This seems a sensible approach to the problem, and builds on a model used by the Citizens for Independent Living in South Brunswick. Community services are cheaper, more effective and more compassionate that institutionalization.

Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald (D-Camden) today issued a multimedia package on his legislation to overhaul the way the state cares for individuals with developmental disabilities by refocusing money from costly institutional care toward community-based services.

Greenwald’s measure (A-3625) aims to reduce the population of New Jersey’s seven
developmental centers by 80 percent within five years.

As Greenwald said during a recent press conference,

“The time has come for us to end this warehousing of human life and to give the consumers and the patients what they require, what they have asked for, what their families have dreamed of, which is the opportunity to live independently and in a way and in a means with the dignity and respect that they deserve.”

Christie’s in

So, Chris Christie makes it official — he’s in the race and mainstream Republicans are ecstatic.

But should they be? New Jersey has become a consistently Democratic and Republicans, when forced to run in a contested primary, are forced to run to their right, making them less palatable to the general public.

And while the public is angry over the state of the state and not particularly pleased with Jon Corzine’s efforts, he doesn’t face the kind of deep anger we’ve seen directed at Jim Florio.

I want to point readers toward this quote from today’s Star-Ledger:

Christie could face trouble in the GOP primary, political experts said, drawing a parallel between a Christie-Lonegan matchup and the 2001 primary battle, when the party favorite, Bob Franks, was defeated by conservative Bret Schundler.

“The Republican primary can be captured by a conservative with a grassroots organization” like Lonegan’s Americans for Prosperity, said Joseph Marbach, a political scientist at Seton Hall University. He said Christie needs to “show he’s conservative enough” and has a good chance to beat Corzine.

What’s missing? A paragraph that explains what happened to Schundler in the general election. What happened? He lost in a landslide.

That was followed by Corzine’s rather convincing defeat of Doug Forrester — just one year after a sitting Democratic governor resigned the governorship.

Republicans, in fact, have won only two statewide races since Republican Gov. Tom Kean’s two terms in office ended in 1989 — and those races, won by Christie Whitman, were won by slim margins following a massive tax revolt that shifted control of the state Legislature to the GOP. That shift lasted just eight years.

Doggie diary: The story of Rosie and Sophie Chapter four

The dogs (Sophie to the left; Rosie below and to the right) are home and they are amazing — and a bit perplexing. We have a pen set up in the living room constructed from eight 24-inch-by-36-inch metal grates and the two have been tumbling around, napping and playing with their toys.

We fed them and have been trying to train them using a book by Tamar Geller, The Loved Dog, that our friend Carol recommended. It argues for training your dogs in a non-violent or aggressive manner, eschewing striking the dogs or shouting in anger. The idea is to praise them and encourage them, getting your dogs to behave because they want rather than because they fear misbehaving.

It seems a logical approach, one that contradicts years of assumptions about punishment. Geller likens most training methods to the kind of abusive approaches used in prison to control dangerous prisoners — an approach that hasn’t worked as a criminal justice tool, so there is little reason to believe it will work with rambunctious, fun-loving puppies.

It’s only been a few hours, of course, and we have no illusion that this is going to be easy. But we’ve been won over by these amazing little mutts and look forward to the effort.

Doggie diary: The Rosie and Sophie storyChapter 3 they’re home!

We just got home and the puppies have fallen asleep. Sophie immediately became acclimated, while Rosie took a few minutes, but is quickly becoming more comfortable.

As Carol said, they have distinct persoanlities. Sophie already is a playful one and immediately flops on her back, while little Rosie is more reserved.

They've got a bit of kennel cough, which also may be contributing to her mellowness.

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The intelligence debate

We’ve heard quite a bit about the objections raised by intelligence insiders Diane Feinstein, Jay Rockefeller and Jane Harmon about Barack Obama’s pick (made official today) of Leon Panetta for CIA director. It is useful to note, as Rachel Maddow (They’ve apparently changed their minds — or at least Feinstein has — making it even more clear that this was about some sort of false sense of decorum and not about qualifications.)

It probably would be useful, however, to hear from someone who has been right on all the major intelligence questions raised during the Bush years — the war in Iraq, rendition, torture, warrantless wiretapping. U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, D-12, has been right in each case.

Here is what he has to say:

“Having served in Congress in the wake of Watergate and the domestic surveillance abuses that surfaced during the 1970s, Mr. Panetta understands how a democratic government should operate. He also demonstrated skill in running the Office of Management and Budget and as Chief of Staff under President Clinton. We need the CIA to collect reliable, actionable intelligence in ways that respect American values and honor the Constitution. Mr. Panetta’s background and reputation indicate he would serve the intelligence community, the President, and the country well.”

He issued a joint statement this morning with the Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, following the official Panetta announcement:

“We support President-Elect Barack Obama’s choice of Leon Panetta to serve as Director of the CIA. Mr. Panetta has a 40-year record in public service – notably as a member of Congress, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Chief of Staff under President Clinton, and recently as a member of the Iraq Study Group. A consumer of intelligence for years, he consistently has demonstrated an ability to lead in a bipartisan fashion and always see the big picture – attributes that would benefit the CIA and our nation.”

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., a member of the Senate intelligence panel, also has been right and supports Panetta, saying “he was pleased with Panetta’s nomination from the onset.”

“I was thanked for my positive remarks and urged to keep making them,” he said.

And Ron Wyden, D-Ore., also a member of the intelligence committee, is supporting him:

Wyden said he expects Panetta will be “seriously grilled” during his confirmation hearing by members who want to ensure he’s the best person for the job.

But after that, the country will have “someone who will be a change agent and an outstanding head of the CIA.”