TODAY’S MORNING UPDATE: Quote of the Day, Today’s News Clips


Quote of the Day:

MyCentralJersey.com: “Both vetoes point to the kind of spending restraint and accountability that Christie had preached. They also underscore the wisdom of expanding gubernatorial veto powers over the spending decisions of the state's many authorities and commissions that have too often degenerated into wasteful patronage dens.” - From the editorial entitled “Want more money from taxpayers? Explain why” on Governor Chris Christie’s recent usage of his veto powers.

Today’s News Clips:

State News:

·    Christie tours state to see weather conditions, Star Ledger
·    Gov. Chris Christie to tour Atlantic and Cape May counties reeling from snow storm, Star Ledger
·     N.J. Gov. Christie, lawmakers propose sweeping pension, health care changes for public employees, Star Ledger
·     Gov. Christie’s Chief of Staff addresses Somerset County Business Partnership, MyCentralJersey.com
·     Editorial: Aiming at N.J. authorities: Hold state agencies accountable, Star Ledger
·     Christie expects to apply for federal storm aid, Associated Press
·     Editorial: Want more money from taxpayers? Explain why, MyCentralJersey.com

National News:

·     Obama admits health care overhaul may die on Hill, Associated Press
·     November chill seizes DNC meeting, Politico
·     Iran says it will increase uranium enrichment, Washington Post
·     Obama the scold, Politico
·    Budget will hurt job creation in West, Politico


State News:

Christie tours state to see weather conditions
Star Ledger
Saturday, February 6, 2010

WOODBRIDGE, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he wants to see the winter storm conditions himself before declaring a state of emergency.

Christie was traveling the New Jersey Turnpike on Saturday and finding the conditions worse as he moved south, he told WKYW-TV in Philadelphia.

The governor says he's worried about beach erosion and may ask for federal aid for replenishment.

Some Democratic lawmakers from southern New Jersey have already called on Christie to declare a state of emergency. Doing so would be a first step toward getting financial relief from the federal government.

Christie says that so far no local governments have asked for the state's help with handling the storm.

He also praised crews for keeping roadways passable while imploring residents to stay home Saturday.

Read Full Article <http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/christie_tours_state_to_see_we.html>

Gov. Chris Christie to tour Atlantic and Cape May counties reeling from snow storm
Star Ledger
Sunday, February 7, 2010

As residents in south Jersey dig out from a snow storm that dumped as much as 28 inches in some parts, Gov. Chris Christie is expected to tour Atlantic and Cape May counties this morning, said spokesman, Michael Drewniak.

The governor is expected to arrive at the Atlantic City airport in Egg Harbor at 10 a.m. and will meet with elected officials including Congressman Frank LoBiondo, Drewniak said. He will also be meeting with James Simpson, the acting commisioner for the state Department of Transportation.

In Cape May County, he will tour the National Guard Armoy and the county's emergency management communications center.

The tour comes after Cape May County officials declared a state of emergency after the storm knocked out power to some 71,112 customers. Shelters were opened for residents without electricity; this morning, about 59,000 remained without power.

In total, 92,674 in south Jersey lost power in the storm, according to a spokeswoman for Atlantic City Electric.

Read Full Article <http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/gov_chris_christie_to_tour_atl.html>

N.J. Gov. Christie, lawmakers propose sweeping pension, health care changes for public employees
By Claire Heininger
Star Ledger
Sunday, February 7, 2010

Gov. Chris Christie and lawmakers of both parties will unveil a series of sweeping pension and benefit reforms Monday that could affect every public employee in New Jersey while saving the state billions of dollars, according to four officials with direct knowledge of the plan.

The proposals would require workers and retirees at all levels of government and local school districts to contribute to their own health care costs, ban part-time workers at the state and local levels from participating in the underfunded state pension system, cap sick leave payouts for all public employees and constitutionally require the state to fully fund its pension obligations each year.

Details of the four-bill package to be introduced Monday were provided to The Star-Ledger on the condition of anonymity because the four officials were not authorized to speak in advance.

The proposals go further than several past efforts at reining in taxpayer-funded pension and benefit costs, and if enacted would represent a major early victory for the new Republican governor and Democrats who control the state Legislature. But supporters anticipate an angry response from public employee and teachers unions that wield considerable power throughout the state — though lawmakers argue rank-and-file workers would have safer pensions than before.

Read Full Article <http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/wide-reaching_pension_and_bene.html>

Gov. Christie's Chief of Staff addresses Somerset County Business Partnership
By Martin C. Bricketto
MyCentralJersey.com
Friday, February 5, 2010

PEAPACK-GLADSTONE — When Rich Bagger returned to his former company Friday, he offered a grim appraisal of the state's finances but also a pledge that New Jersey's new governor is committed to fixing that mess.

Bagger, a former state assemblyman and state senator, was employed by Pfizer Inc. for more than 16 years, last working as a senior vice president for worldwide public affairs and policy from 2006 to 2009. These days, the Westfield resident is on the front lines of efforts to repair state government in a weak economy as Gov. Chris Christie's chief of staff.

"New Jersey's fiscal situation is about our state's economy, it's about the burden of taxation, it's about reforms that are needed to return to growth and create jobs in our state, and that's why it's at the very top of the governor's agenda," said Bagger, speaking during a meeting of the Somerset County Business Partnership's legislative affairs committee at Pfizer's facility here.

The partnership this week unveiled a reform agenda for the state that includes reforming the tax structure to retain businesses and residents; reforming the pension system for public employees to make it affordable and sustainable; reforming the public sector bargaining system to reflect the public's ability to pay; and reforming the state's dependence on local property taxes.

Read Full Article <http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100205/NEWS/2050332/-1/datauniverse18/Gov.+Christie+s+Chief+of+Staff+addresses+Somerset+County+Business+Partnership>

Editorial: Aiming at N.J. authorities: Hold state agencies accountable
Star Ledger
Sunday, February 7, 2010

They used to be New Jersey’s dirty little secrets, but not anymore. For three weeks, Gov. Chris Christie, the voter-appointed fiscal sniper, has been firing shots at free-spending regional boards and authorities.

Bam! The Delaware River and Bay Authority’s 3 percent budget increase is rejected by Christie because it outpaces inflation.

Bam! Christie blocks the School Development Authority from spending another $1.2 million on the construction of Burlington City High School, already $18 million over budget.

Bam! Christie blocks $415,608 in Urban Entreprise Zone Authority spending because $399,608 would pay salaries and benefits for only four employees of the Hillside Clean Team VIII project to keep the downtown area neat.

Christie has taken aim at "the hidden economy," he calls it — largely unregulated agencies that are patronage pits of nepotism, outrageous salaries and excessive spending, often protected by well-connected politicians and well-paid lobbyists. These boards spend tens of millions of dollars without having to answer to voters. Now Christie wants them answerable to him.

Read Full Article <http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2010/02/aiming_at_nj_authorities_hold.html>

Christie expects to apply for federal storm aid
Associated Press
Sunday, February 7, 2010

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he expects to seek federal funds to help cover cleanup costs from this weekend's monster snow storm.

But a final decision hasn't been made.

As he toured southern New Jersey coastal areas Sunday that were hit hard by blizzard conditions, Christie said he was still a few days away from declaring a state of emergency.

 That would start the process of applying for federal aid that would help reimburse state, county and local officials for costs incurred from the storm.

Christie says he first must make sure that the state's costs exceeded $10.6 million and that snow totals were more than 90 percent of the previous record.

He also urged residents to check on relatives who live in the barrier islands that have lost power.

Read Full Article <http://www.app.com/article/20100207/NEWS03/100207023/Christie-expects-to-apply-for-federal-storm-aid>

Want more money from taxpayers? Explain why
MyCentralJersey.com
Monday, February 8, 2010

A couple of instances of Gov. Chris Christie flexing his veto muscles aren't likely to have registered much on the radars of Central Jerseyans recently. But the underlying philosophies are well worth noting.

Christie slapped down the proposed budget for the Delaware River and Bay Authority, a partnership between New Jersey and Delaware that operates a bridge, ferry, and five airports, among other ventures. Christie noted the 3 percent increase over 2009 — compared to a 1.8 percent hike the year before — and the lack of any explanation for the hikes.

Christie also recently vetoed the School Development Authority's plans to pour another $1.2 million into a new high school in Burlington City, complaining that the project is already $18 million over budget - again with no meaningful explanation.

Read Full Article <http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100208/OPINION01/2080305/-1/newsfront/Want-more-money-from-taxpayers-Explain-why>

National News:

Obama admits health care overhaul may die on Hill
By Erica Werner
Associated Press
Friday, February 5, 2010

WASHINGTON – No, maybe he can't. President Barack Obama, who insisted he would succeed where other presidents had failed to fix the nation's health care system, now concedes the effort may die in Congress.

The president's newly conflicting signals could frustrate Democratic lawmakers who are hungry for guidance from the White House as they try to salvage the effort to extend coverage to millions of uninsured Americans and hold down spiraling medical costs. Obama's comments Thursday night came hours after Republican Scott Brown was sworn in to replace the late Edward M. Kennedy, leaving Democrats without their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and Obama's signature health legislation with no clear path forward.

"I think it's very important for us to have a methodical, open process over the next several weeks, and then let's go ahead and make a decision," Obama said at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser.

"And it may be that ... if Congress decides we're not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not," the president said. "And that's how democracy works. There will be elections coming up, and they'll be able to make a determination and register their concerns."

Read Full Article <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul>

November chill seizes DNC meeting
By Jonathan Martin and Alex Isenstadt
Saturday, February 6, 2010

As the Democratic National Committee convened in Washington on Friday for its winter meeting, the chill in the air was due to more than the snowstorm howling through the D.C. streets.

Gone was the exultant mood of jubilation that party officials felt when they last gathered for President Barack Obama's Inauguration a year ago. In its place was a sense of palpable concern that the party is on the verge of suffering significant — if not crippling — losses.

Even as top Democrats sought to strike an upbeat tone, they were unambiguous in discussing just how treacherous 2010 could be.

“It’s obviously a challenging landscape,” Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, the Democratic Governors Association chairman, told POLITICO in an interview after addressing party members. “We’ve got tough races in the House, tough races in the Senate, and, for that matter, it’s going to be tough races for governorships.”

Markell did say he thought the governors’ races could be a “bright spot” for his party, but the talk among Democrats throughout the day was less about opportunities than dangers.

In regional meetings and in the hallways of the downtown hotel where they were meeting, DNC members voiced frustration about their fortunes and, with a measure of urgency, plotted about how best to navigate through what is shaping up to be one of their most difficult election cycles in recent history.

Some party officials sought to ward off complacency with pointed reminders about just how perilous this year could be.

Read Full Article <http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=A0DE0FBF-18FE-70B2-A85078B334A93197>

Iran says it will increase uranium enrichment
By George Jahn
Washington Post
Monday, February 8, 2010

VIENNA -- Iran on Monday told the U.N. nuclear agency that it will start enriching uranium to higher levels, shrugging off international fears that such a move will bring it closer to being able to make nuclear warheads.

Iranian envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh sought to dispel such concerns. The uranium to be enriched to 20 percent would be used only to make fuel for Tehran's research reactor, which is expected to use up its present stock within a year, he told The Associated Press.

Soltanieh, who represents Iran at the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, also said that IAEA inspectors would be able to fully monitor the process. And he blamed world powers for Iran's decision, asserting that it was their fault that a plan that foresaw Russian and French involvement in supplying the research reactor had failed.

"Until now, we have not received any response to our positive logical and technical proposal," he said. "We cannot leave hospitals and patients desperately waiting for radio isotopes" being produced at the Tehran reactor and used in cancer treatment, he added.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had already announced Sunday that his country would significantly enrich at least some of the country's stockpile of uranium. Still, Monday's notification to the IAEA was important as formal confirmation of the plan, particularly because of the rash of conflicting signals sent in recent months by Iranian officials on the issue.

The Iranian move came just days after Ahmadinejad appeared to move close to endorsing the original deal, which foresaw Tehran exporting the bulk of its low-enriched uranium to Russia for further enrichment and then conversion for fuel rods for the research reactor.

Read Full Article <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/08/AR2010020801005_pf.html>

Obama the scold
By Carol E. Lee
Politico
Monday, February 8, 2010

For a president who ran on uplifting themes like change and hope, Barack Obama spends an awful lot of time scolding Americans about how he hopes they’ll change.

He has advised parents to “replace that video game with a book and make sure that homework gets done.” He has urged members of Congress not to read blogs or watch 24-hour cable news. And he’s challenged lobbyists, lawmakers, bankers, journalists, insurance companies and other heads of state to do a better job.

He’s prodded people to get off the couch, eat healthier and exercise more. He’s even suggested Americans buy stocks, U.S.-made cars and energy-efficient light bulbs, while cautioning them not to max out their credit cards.

At times, having Obama in the Oval Office is like having a really powerful Dr. Phil around.

But lately, Obama’s tsk-tsking has gotten him into some trouble. At the very moment he’s trying to recover his declining popularity and revive his party heading into the November elections, even some Democrats worry that he risks coming off not as the inspirational figure who galvanized the electorate in 2008 but as the embodiment of a dour Democrat that turns off some voters.

Dee Dee Myers, a former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton, pointed out that, while Obama has long promised to tell people the truth even when it hurts, he needs to strike a balance.
“Part of what people liked about him during the campaign is that he talks to the American people like they’re grown-ups — you don’t have to pretend that you can eat ice cream and lose weight in order to be president,” Myers said. “He did that during the campaign by appealing to hope. ... I think little of that has been lost.”

Read Full Article <http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=AB9C2480-18FE-70B2-A8F99C4C561F8D7A>

Budget will hurt job creation in West
By Sen. John Barrasso
Politico
Monday, February 8, 2010

During his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama promised that jobs would be his No. 1 priority.

He didn’t say “some” jobs — he said jobs.

Obama and his administration have immediately made it clear that they will continue to pick winners and losers in our economy. The president’s recent fiscal year 2011 budget proposal opened up the administration’s latest front in the war on jobs in the Western United States.

While Obama and members of his administration were quick to describe the budgetary taxes and regulations as part of their battle against Big Oil, the truth is that these measures directly hurt American workers and kill red, white and blue jobs.

This couldn’t come at a worse time.

In Wyoming, oil and gas producers and related industries are already struggling to make ends meet. The rig count is down, and folks have been laid off. The Wyoming Department of Employment reports that employment in the state’s oil and gas industry increased slightly in November 2009, after a loss of thousands of jobs over the previous year. The last thing energy workers need is for the administration to take steps that will send them back to the unemployment line.

Read Full Article <http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=AB1E1CB5-18FE-70B2-A86B21793A6731A1>