tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226233072011-12-29T06:54:32.194-05:00Chanicenoreply@blogger.comBlogger1061100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1150859945390302712006-06-20T23:13:00.000-04:002006-06-20T23:19:05.426-04:00

You knew this was coming. The student proficiency test scores in Camden have sunk like a rock.A statement by the Camden County School said publicity, staffing changes and other factors could have affected the students' performance on the tests. Concerns about the possibility of cheating heightened last week with the release of plummeting district test scores. Education experts say a wider probe

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com74tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1150651156412823572006-06-18T13:17:00.000-04:002006-06-18T13:19:16.426-04:00

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1150328939761685942006-06-14T19:14:00.000-04:002006-06-14T19:48:59.776-04:00

Sometimes you just have to laugh when you realize just how low the ethics bar has been set for Democratic candidates in New Jersey. Newsday has this gem from the Associated Press about the U.S. Senate race between Tom Kean and Bob Menendez.At the moment, the Kean campaign is attempting to portray Menendez as a corrupt power broker. Several prominent Hudson County Democrats have been convicted or

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1150258730385732602006-06-13T23:36:00.000-04:002006-06-14T00:18:50.400-04:00

Blogger has been giving me fits lately. Every time I tried to post I got nowhere, so I gave up trying the past few days. With very good news, I decided to give it another try today:A slate of supporters of Newark Mayor-elect Cory Booker swept a runoff election Tuesday for six seats on the municipal council, handing the new mayor a mandate for change.The result seals a transformation of government

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1149737304884163122006-06-07T23:23:00.000-04:002006-06-07T23:28:24.896-04:00

I have been trying to post this excerpt from Dr. Sanity since yesterday, but because of Blogger problems I have been unable to. This is a message I have been trying to express, but the good Doctor does a much better job.People like Bill Cosby, Thomas Sowell and other prominent Blacks within the larger Black community have been trying to get the message out that the time has come for the Black

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1149573771254753922006-06-05T23:57:00.000-04:002006-06-06T02:04:46.230-04:00

There are at least two sides to most issues and I like to learn as much as possible before I even begin to form an opinion. I’ve lived long enough to know some issues are pure hype, fads actually. They come and they go, although not always without wrecking havoc before being abandoned.I am starting to believe manmade “global warming” is one of those fads. I won’t go in to all my reasons for being

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1149479171535938802006-06-04T23:34:00.000-04:002006-06-04T23:46:11.550-04:00

Over the last two years, Camden Schools Superintendent Annette D. Knox received performance bonuses that the school board did not approve or even know about. Her current base salary is $185,483.Knox collected the bonuses for 2004 and 2005 after submitting requests to the business office that said the district had met performance goals.According to the state, Camden has not met state standards

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1149299940646422432006-06-02T21:51:00.000-04:002006-06-02T21:59:00.660-04:00

Do you get the feeling the left is rooting for the other side?

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1149219855533577012006-06-01T23:41:00.000-04:002006-06-01T23:45:30.906-04:00

Katharine "Kerry'' Close, 13, from Spring Lake, New Jersey won the Scripps National Spelling Bee by spelling 'ursprache'. Kerry is an eighth-grader at the H.W. Mountz School.Way to go Kerry! Congratulations!

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1149133007830483942006-05-31T23:33:00.000-04:002006-05-31T23:36:47.846-04:00

Speaking of an inconvenient truth. Democrats, progressives, liberals or whatever you preferred label have been blowing smoke for nearly fifty years:Both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had a higher percentage of Congressional Republicans voting for their enactment than the percentage of Congressional Democrats.As for black economic advances, the most dramatic

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1149049841328021462006-05-30T23:16:00.000-04:002006-05-31T00:32:33.290-04:00

Dr. Sanity writes: “That's what it has come down to. Either you do it the "progressive" way; or they will label you as vermin and attack you with all the firepower of their rhetorical armament. "Progressives" aren't really interested in what works to achieve the desired result in the real world; they are more interested in what makes them feel virtuous”Socialized healthcare is a great example of

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1148917741686639652006-05-29T11:18:00.000-04:002006-05-29T11:49:02.670-04:00

They sacrificed so that we may be free. Thank you!

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1148618695269654012006-05-26T00:38:00.000-04:002006-05-26T00:45:51.063-04:00

Congressman William Jefferson (D-La.) was caught on tape accepting $100,000 in bribes. Several days later the FBI found $90, 000 of the marked bills in Jefferson’s freezer. Two of his former aides have already pleaded guilty to participation in a bribery conspiracy.Given such compelling evidence and Democrats' “culture of corruption” election strategy, it’s not surprising that House Minority

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1148528856838760212006-05-24T23:42:00.000-04:002006-05-24T23:48:41.820-04:00

The Michigan Department of Education is attempting to ban the word "America" and "American" from its public schools.The Department of Education asserts that "Americans" includes Mexicans, Canadians and others in the Western Hemisphere, so referring to U.S. residents as Americans is inappropriate.According to the department, before the American Revolution, George Washington, John Adams and Thomas

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1148437771651137292006-05-23T22:19:00.000-04:002006-05-23T22:31:15.566-04:00

"Several stories in the news recently shine a spotlight on the children pretending to be adults that make up the political left of today" - Childish.

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1148351782816385442006-05-22T22:33:00.000-04:002006-05-22T22:36:22.830-04:00

I don’t know how old Author Raymond Abbott was in 1981 when he sued New Jersey Education Commissioner Fred G. Burke for a thorough and efficient education. I figure if Abbott started his lawsuit when he was in the first grade, about 6 years-old, he’s now at least thirty-one. Is this guy ever going to finish school?Today, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued another new ruling ordering the state

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1148270100581007562006-05-21T23:43:00.000-04:002006-05-21T23:55:00.596-04:00

Democrats should have been honest and above board with their efforts to unseat New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin for his pathetic judgment and leadership before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. But, Howard Dean had to keep up the fiction President Bush was responsible for the Katrina mess in New Orleans and couldn’t run a truthful campaign in the best interests of the people of New Orleans.

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1148186961864881242006-05-20T23:43:00.000-04:002006-05-21T00:50:17.906-04:00

Quote of the week: "Thomas Sowell once defined “racist” as a conservative who’s winning an argument with a liberal."

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1148094687168888982006-05-19T23:05:00.000-04:002006-05-19T23:11:27.186-04:00

Senator minority leader Harry Reid called a proposed law to make English the national language of the United States “racist”. As I’ve said before, Democrats are wearing people out with calling everything they disagree with racist. What is racist about the English language? Or having an official language?The official language of Mexico is Spanish. I suppose Reid would consider that racists too,

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1148007968745512642006-05-18T22:58:00.000-04:002006-05-18T23:10:47.190-04:00

Bill Cosby is on a mission to spark a debate about the crucial issues facing black communities with his "A Call Out with Cosby” tour. His campaign is aimed at motivating people to take action against problems that plague inner-city communities — crime, illiteracy and teen pregnancy.He has held ‘Call Out’ events in about 20 cities so far. They are locally sponsored meetings aimed at finding

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147919882207081342006-05-17T22:33:00.000-04:002006-05-17T22:38:02.220-04:00

Via Jim at Parkway Rest StopWhat Famous Leader Are You?personality tests by similarminds.comI answered the quiz with the most questions. Cousin laughing in the background.

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147840420563546082006-05-16T23:07:00.000-04:002006-05-17T22:39:02.980-04:00

I clicked around the New Jersey blog scene to see what folks had to say about President Bush’s speech on immigration reform. Here’s everything I found:A Blog for All provides an overview of blogger reaction outside of New Jersey.Fausta says she regards the President’s speech last night as a start. “At least now there's a President officially looking into a vital national security issue. Beyond

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147748610700439872006-05-15T22:54:00.000-04:002006-05-15T23:07:36.536-04:00

I watched President Bush’s speech tonight on immigration reform and thought it sounded like a comprehensive and balanced approach to the problem. But, I need to think about all the components outlined in his plan before I can intelligently give my opinion on the subject.One thing I did notice, Bush used the term illegal immigrant, instead of undocumented worker and he acknowledged many problems

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147631443766402652006-05-14T14:27:00.000-04:002006-05-14T14:30:43.780-04:00

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147542470907882402006-05-13T13:41:00.000-04:002006-05-13T13:57:59.610-04:00

I wondered why jmelli, on Blue Jersey, tried to tie two completely unrelated stories together in an attempt to smear “red state” Alabamans and New Jersey Republicans as racists. As I previously pointed out, the jmelli posting was dishonest and purposely misleading.The recent Trenton news story jmelli linked to had nothing to do with Republicans and the 2004 article about Alabama he completely

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147419127392051842006-05-11T23:03:00.000-04:002006-05-13T09:40:45.116-04:00

Blogger, jmelli, on Blue Jersey asks - What's the Difference Between Alabama and New Jersey? His answer, “We're not retarded”.Maybe, as some have suggested, I am wasting my time exposing the over the top postings on that blog, but I think it’s important it not go unchallenged. In this instance, jmelli attempts to smear Republicans and Alabamans as racists by distorting two completely unrelated

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147321051157557982006-05-10T23:12:00.000-04:002006-05-11T00:28:18.053-04:00

I’ll bet Republican leaning states and congressional districts are just chomping at the bit to vote for Democrats with this agenda: Simplify and increase the progressivity of the tax code Raise the cap on wages covered by FICA taxes. Repeal the estate tax repeal Undo the bankruptcy bill enacted by this administration Paper ballots Increase the minimum wage and index it to the CPI Universal health

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147232258787942072006-05-09T23:32:00.000-04:002006-05-09T23:37:38.803-04:00

Cory Booker defeated the old corrupt guard, in today’s election for mayor of Newark. He has a huge job in front of him and I wish him the best. It’s not going to be easy with an entrenched bureaucracy used to treating taxpayer money as their own personal bank account.May the people of Newark have turned a page on the long nightmare that was Sharpe James.A major change in Newark’s politics and

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147151863853252432006-05-08T23:09:00.000-04:002006-05-09T01:20:45.603-04:00

Blue Jersey bloggers are well beyond low. Their postings are juvenile, profane and so far to the left, Noam Chomsky would be considered conservative by comparison.I bring this to your attention because incumbent congressional Democrats and those running for congress have become members of the Blue Jersey blog community. Do we really want New Jersey represented by people who pander to and align

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1147063369268745222006-05-07T23:26:00.000-04:002006-05-08T00:42:49.283-04:00

New Jersey voters' biggest concerns, by a 41 percent margin, are state and local taxes according to recent a Quinnipiac poll. Reading our friends on the left, you’d think our state’s hot button issues were Iraq, “universal healthcare”, stem cell research, “rolling back the Bush tax cuts”, illegal immigrants’ rights, gay marriage, the environment and abortion."When you ask people what's bothering

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146886886351755412006-05-05T23:36:00.000-04:002006-05-05T23:41:26.366-04:00

There is an excellent article in City Journal - How Welfare Reform Worked – by Kay Hymowitz that I have meaning to bring to your attention.It’s instructive to look back and remember what the pundits and politicians were saying ten years ago when welfare reform was first enacted and compare those opinions with reality today.Hymowitz reminds us Democrats called the reform anti-family, anti-child,

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146722411939935992006-05-03T23:57:00.000-04:002006-05-04T17:04:33.666-04:00

I read this article today by Paul Waldman, the author of the book, Being Right Is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success. He posits the problem with progressives is that they don't know how to present themselves in a way” the public understands and is attracted to”.Waldman says that if you ask ordinary citizens what conservatives stand for, chances are they’ll give you

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146628908809072152006-05-02T22:44:00.000-04:002006-05-03T00:01:48.906-04:00

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146544459412752862006-05-01T23:22:00.000-04:002006-05-02T00:37:44.120-04:00

The caption with the photograph tell us this is a man in Los Angeles urging passing truckers to stage a general strike, or "huelga.".So how was your day without illegal immigrants? I commuted into the city, put in my usual ten hours, had my normal commute home and didn’t notice any difference. Fausta reporting from Princeton didn’t see anything out of the ordinary either.In Bound Brook, NJ

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146433882802647702006-04-30T17:02:00.000-04:002006-04-30T17:56:53.846-04:00

I’m still trying to figure out an effective way to use Technorati. I was curious to find blog posts on the pump your own gas issue here in New Jersey and thought I’d give it a try. I found a mish mash of posts, like this one – Hey, New Jersey! Pump Your Own Gas, Losers*, but did not have much luck finding posts from New Jersey bloggers.From the articles I have read, people aren’t very

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146365564902354092006-04-29T21:44:00.000-04:002006-04-29T22:52:44.916-04:00

I suppose by now everyone has checked out Michelle Malkin’s Hot Air – “the world’s first full-service conservative Internet broadcast network.” What do you think of the idea, the material presented on the site and her vlog, (another new term) Vent?My first reaction was - where does the woman find the time? Second reaction – how can she come up with material for her blog and material for her vlog

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146279444739804272006-04-28T22:53:00.000-04:002006-04-28T22:57:24.753-04:00

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146202483447821702006-04-27T11:03:00.000-04:002006-04-28T01:35:16.000-04:00

Am I missing something here? I was under the impression Congress was supposed to be working on new laws to get a handle on the country’s problems with illegal immigration. You know, protect American citizens, uphold the law and secure the borders. It seems to me Congress is concentrating on something they call immigration reform, which as far as I can tell amounts to awarding benefits to illegal

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146107242402595512006-04-26T22:53:00.000-04:002006-04-26T23:07:22.416-04:00

Jon Corzine has been governor of New Jersey for 100 days. Not really long enough to judge his performance, but long enough to have learned something about his priorities and the direction his leadership will take the state. Corzine made a number of major campaign promises and when sworn into to office said “hold me accountable". One hundred days in and people are doing just that.The Quinnipiac

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1146022794267564292006-04-25T23:09:00.000-04:002006-04-25T23:39:54.286-04:00

Tenants want a mayor who'll clean up mess. The residents at Seth Boyden Elderly Public Housing Project, say they don't much care who gets elected mayor of Newark just as long it's someone who deals with the rats running through the ceiling above the community room.Prod one of the ceiling panels with a stick and a small storm of pellet-like rat turds rain down on the floor and the smell is

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145939087517363922006-04-24T11:11:00.000-04:002006-04-25T23:53:03.950-04:00

Gov. Jon Corzine said he may consider lifting a 57-year-old law that makes New Jersey only one of two states where people can't pump their own gas. Supposedly, self-service might save people “as much as 5 cents a gallon” at the pump.Do we pay more per gallon of gas in New Jersey (minus state tax) than consumers in states with self-service? That’s the question. It’s been my experience when

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145849479051224022006-04-23T23:17:00.000-04:002006-04-23T23:31:19.066-04:00

Bob Ingle was on a roll today: New definition:Used to be oligarchy best described New Jersey's political setup. That's rule by a few for their own advantage. Nowadays the collection of Trenton public trough-swillers can best be described as a kleptocracy. That's a government characterized by rampant greed and corruption. Blogosphere: Starting today you can share opinions and see input from other

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145738003942107302006-04-22T16:31:00.000-04:002006-04-23T18:21:57.966-04:00

Happy Earth Day! To celebrate, my cousin and I are spending a quite day at home watching the rain turn the earth green – at least it is in our little neck of the woods.The state of New Jersey has a very unattractive website devoted to Earth Day and explains since the first celebration on April 22, 1970 “New Jersey has become one of the leaders in recognizing environmental problems and developing

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145684952288539182006-04-22T01:42:00.000-04:002006-04-22T01:50:04.883-04:00

New Jersey only has three state-wide elected officials – the governor and two senators – all of which are currently Democrats. Which politician is the most popular in the state – Senator Frank Lautenberg, Senator Bob Menendez or Governor Jon Corzine?As of April 20, Lautenberg has a 43% approval to 43% disapproval rating, Menendez stands at 40% approval, 37% disapproval and Corzine is at 36%

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145553588997952522006-04-20T13:03:00.000-04:002006-04-20T13:19:49.013-04:00

From L.A. Parker in today’s Trentonian:Every person living in Trenton turns a blind eye toward the real hard facts regarding an escalation of problems in the African American community."I don’t see (other groups) killing each other the way we do. We want to blame everybody else instead of dealing with the real issues. This is our problem.’’While politicians make promises as they rush toward the

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145512251379008432006-04-19T11:45:00.000-04:002006-04-20T01:51:50.366-04:00

Slowly, but surely New Jersey is turning red. Governor Corzine has proposed a state budget that breaks each of his campaign promises and has everyone up in arms over his tax and spending spree. You can’t increase state spending by 9.2 percent and get people with half a brain to believe your budget contains billions in spending cuts.Even the Democrats in the Trenton aren’t going along with Corzine

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145403600043882322006-04-18T19:37:00.000-04:002006-04-18T19:40:00.056-04:00

Calling New Jersey bloggers! The Camden Waterfront attractions are looking for 200 bloggers to blog about a free day of fun at Adventure Aquarium, Battleship New Jersey and Camden Riversharks.To enter Camden Waterfront Attraction Blogging Days, May 19 - 21, 2006 just click on the link, fill in the form and submit your entry by Friday, May 12th.If you are selected to be one of the lucky 200

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145164017170808152006-04-16T00:04:00.000-04:002006-04-16T01:10:43.600-04:00

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145163858001473282006-04-15T09:50:00.000-04:002006-04-18T19:44:43.210-04:00

Check out Dr. Pat Sanity’s articles Dealing With Denial Part I, Part II and Part III .Part I addresses the many faces of psychological denial. Part II focuses on psychological denial and the logical fallacies used by deniers to rationalize their denial. Part III discusses strategies for dealing with denial in one's self and in others.I am posting this as a public service.Update: A link to Part

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1145073519027162112006-04-14T23:54:00.000-04:002006-04-14T23:58:39.040-04:00

We have finally finished our incomes taxes. This Ipso Facto comic by Mike Wallster pretty much says it all for my cousin and me.

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144994814663950812006-04-13T23:59:00.000-04:002006-04-14T02:31:30.733-04:00

I had a visit today from New Jersey blogger Jay Lassiter and he left three comments I would like to share with you. I am reprinting Jay's comments exactly as received and have some commentary of my own after each one.Jay’s blog is Lassiter’s Space and you might want to check it out beginning with his first postings in November of 2005 if you are not familiar with him and his politics.Comment # 1

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144911166707528532006-04-12T22:47:00.000-04:002006-04-25T23:52:19.290-04:00

This past Sunday I questioned whether progressives had any interest in New Jersey beyond winning the next election and holding taxpayers hostage for more money. A reader emailed me a link to a posting, Reading, Writing and Gangs, on Blue Jersey “that shows they want to improve something.”The posting is about the horrible gang problem in Trenton and the murders that have recently been committed

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144817216647812822006-04-11T23:38:00.000-04:002006-04-12T00:46:56.660-04:00

I think I’ve spotted the Democrat strategy for this years’ election. Put up two candidates in the primary. One that is your basic liberal candidate and one that is so completely outlandish and so far left that by comparison the liberal will seem almost mainstream when the general election rolls around.Here’s a good example from Blue Jersey. The Xpatriated Texan is the voice of reason in Enough

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144737632912013822006-04-10T23:36:00.000-04:002006-04-11T02:47:05.046-04:00

Today, I read where economists warned that New Jersey, which already charges residents and businesses high taxes compared to other states, has been losing high-paying jobs and has a weaker economy than the rest of the nation. They said more taxes could hurt businesses and cause high-wage earners to flee the state.I guess this will come as a real shocker to some people and at least to one New

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144645666911967832006-04-09T23:48:00.000-04:002006-04-10T01:07:46.930-04:00

It’s week seven and I have some questions on my mind. Am I getting stale? I know I’m not the greatest writer or even very good, but are my postings boring? Am I adding anything to the New Jersey discussion? Are there basically two political silos – one right and one left – each talking past the other? Actually, I am surprised there aren’t more people writing about New Jersey issues and

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144621446860236702006-04-08T18:15:00.000-04:002006-04-09T18:29:33.970-04:00

I had drafted a posting for today and forgot to publish it. I think I have a good excuse too. I was helping my cousin complete her tax returns for 2005 – federal, New York state and New Jersey. Tomorrow we’ll work on my returns. I can’t wait.It is this annual taxpaying ritual that has played a major role in my political point of view. The day I recognized I was spending more for taxes than any

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144469317552644432006-04-07T23:53:00.000-04:002006-04-08T00:28:31.503-04:00

About ten days ago I wrote about the Camden city council submitting a new budget with a $40.5 million hole that supposedly will have to be filled by the state. Today, I read that Camden received a $37million bailout from the state last year, on top of a $175 million budget bailout the year before. These bailouts apparently are over and above the regular municipal aid Camden received from the

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144388905568291032006-04-06T23:38:00.000-04:002006-04-07T01:48:25.640-04:00

The Atlantic City, city council unanimously approved a $500,000 payment for unused vacation and sick time for retiring Police Chief Arthur C. Snellbaker. Chief Snellbaker’s annual salary is $135,498.Anybody think, like me, that this is insane? Public employee benefits in New Jersey are completely out of control and I’m sick of paying for them. If I am ever lucky enough to retire, there will be

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144300989312494212006-04-05T11:20:00.000-04:002006-04-06T01:23:09.326-04:00

Did you know that Senator Barack Obama recently became a millionaire? I didn’t.So why would a public figure of Senator Obama's stature want to perpetuate a myth that hope for non-millionaires lies in audacity - instead of strong moral fiber, a good education, structure, and self-discipline?Probably because it doesn’t sell books or the philosophy of the Democratic party.

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144217996792004352006-04-04T23:13:00.000-04:002006-04-05T02:39:57.546-04:00

New Jersey is broke, we have the highest property taxes in the country, we're spending fifty-seven percent more than the national average to educate our public school students and our officials in Trenton are worried that we might have inequities in arts education. Nothing like getting your priorities in order.Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells announced that every public school in the state

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144123093627172142006-04-03T23:56:00.000-04:002006-04-04T00:18:16.990-04:00

Just a little of this and that I came across today.Alec Bladwin blogging on the Huffington Post is dissing our Governor Corzine, along with some other politicans.The Filthy Report is pulling no punches and I like the name of this second new, New Jersey blog I just found, Stop NJ Tax Hikes. Great name. A few million more people with a similar opinion and we just might have a chance to turn our

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1144035470798216632006-04-02T23:25:00.000-04:002006-04-02T23:37:50.813-04:00

Six weeks down and another 1,800 to go in order to equal Kate’s achievement of 300,000 visitors. Yea, at the rate I’m going it’ll take me 34 and one-half years. My cousin is laughing her head off as she reads over my shoulder. It does sound funny though, doesn’t it.?I plan to plug along, if for no other reason than because blogging is forcing me to pay closer attention to New Jersey issues. As

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143954239397128892006-04-01T23:58:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:45:45.973-04:00

"We took on a Goliath, not just in Sharpe James but really in the statewide party apparatus that came in to work against us." -- Cory BookerAh-oh, what a difference four years can make.But this time around, even before Mr. James dropped out of the race, Mr. Booker had become a different kind of candidate — one whose political organization and style now bear more than a passing resemblance to that

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143868664970017922006-03-31T23:00:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:46:39.870-04:00

Maybe someone could explain to me what “rights” illegal immigrants in the United States believe they should be entitled to and how they have come to the conclusion they should have any?How about me, do I have a right to live in a country where the borders are secured? Do I have a right not to pay for public school educations, healthcare or any other services now offered to people in the country

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143778329812879132006-03-30T23:03:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:47:26.886-04:00

Today I read article on Home News Tribune about the possibility of a merger of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey with Rutgers University.Talks of a merger are taking place against a backdrop of scandal at UMDNJ, which is under investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office, which is looking into charges of influence peddling and the awarding of no-bid contracts. UMDNJ, which

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143694477023438332006-03-29T23:44:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:48:21.946-04:00

The longer I blog the more I realize that I haven’t paid enough attention to what goes on in New Jersey, especially when it comes to the state’s finances.Enlighten New Jersey has been doing a great job of analyzing Gov. Corzine’s 2007 state budget and suggesting ways to reduce spending. I hope people in Trenton care enough to do the same because a $30.9 billion budget that increases spending by

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143610662624003202006-03-28T23:31:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:51:23.660-04:00

I always wondered why Newark Mayor and state Senator Sharpe James wasn’t behind bars. Today an article in the New York Times helps to shed some light on this mystery. Federal authorities couldn’t get any of James’ crooked cronies to turn on him, providing the necessary evidence needed for a conviction.Jeffrey D. Smith, the federal prosecutor who referred to Newark City Hall as a supermarket,

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143522513329563492006-03-27T23:42:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:52:14.596-04:00

Sharpe James is dropping out of the race for a sixth term as mayor of Newark. This is the best thing James has done in his 35 years in New Jersey politics."Mr. James, who has also served as a state senator since 1999, said in the letter that he was stepping down because he was "an opponent of dual office holding" and wanted to focus on state issues. He emphasized that he thought he would have won

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143420303083229142006-03-26T19:32:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:50:36.973-04:00

Okay, five weeks of blogging and here’s what I’ve learned:I have many ideas in my head, but I’m having trouble deciding what I want to write about each day. It can be very frustrating when you can’t get your thoughts to come out easily through the keyboard.Before submitting a posting to the Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers, look to see who the host is for the week. It’s not wise to submit one

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143311583199464392006-03-25T13:04:00.000-05:002006-03-25T20:19:14.996-05:00

On Wednesday I wrote a posting about blogger, Steven Hart trashing the idea of school choice using a voucher system. Steven brought up the issue in relation to the Newark mayor's race because a website published a piece in 2002 slamming Booker on a number of issues including school choice. As in 2002, Booker is again running for mayor of Newark against Sharpe James.Steven has decided that

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143254271755663142006-03-24T21:33:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:52:50.330-04:00

Yesterday, Gov. Jon Corzine was warmly greeted by the Rev. William Watley and about 400 members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church at a meeting held by the group at the Cherry Hill Hilton Hotel.The article in the Courier Post said the governor’s speech about the proposed $30.9 billion state budget and the new spending programs aimed at helping the poor were received with cries of “

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143171071639855712006-03-23T22:28:00.000-05:002006-03-23T22:31:11.653-05:00

I think this sums up the the general consensus of New Jersey taxpayers.

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1143085681184485662006-03-22T22:40:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:53:24.243-04:00

Steven Hart is using old propaganda from a 2002 article on Black Commentator to trash Cory Booker as a candidate for mayor of Newark.I can see that Newark's public schools are a disaster. But I can also see that vouchers are a false hope, dangled before desperate parents by people who ordinarily couldn't care less about lower-class black people, but who have a great deal invested in the

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142997039231639582006-03-21T22:08:00.000-05:002006-03-25T20:23:42.420-05:00

Many years ago I was called to jury duty. I have been called regularly over the years, but this one tour of duty makes me laugh every time I think about it. Today it comes to mind because my cousin received a jury duty notice.Anyway, everyday for two weeks I reported for jury duty and would sit around in a room with my fellow citizens waiting for our numbers to be called for a trial. It was a

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142912629691836152006-03-20T22:34:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:54:36.196-04:00

The New York Times points out new studies from Columbia, Princeton and Harvard universities finding an alarming percentage of young black men are disconnected from mainstream society.The studies show for black men, especially those in the country's inner cities, finishing high school is the exception, work in a legal job is rare and “prison is almost routine, with incarceration rates climbing

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142830551636661332006-03-19T23:50:00.000-05:002006-03-19T23:55:51.650-05:00

As I mentioned before our TV conked out, but my cousin and I have been lucky enough to be invited to a friend’s home to watch the Sopranos the past two weeks. We just got home.I don’t normally get hooked on serial shows, but for some reason this show is different. Even my cousin, who originally made fun of me for watching the Sopranos, can’t wait to see each new episode. The show is well acted

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142740656133732342006-03-18T22:53:00.000-05:002006-03-30T00:40:28.320-05:00

The big news on week four of my blogging was Jim at Parkway Rest Stop sent a “Jimbolaunche” my way. His posting and support are very much appreciated. More emails and comments with advice, encouragement and wit came from valued readers and fellow bloggers, so a big thank you to everyone who took the time to send some motivation my way.I do appreciate the advice and you’ll notice I have changed

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142655665551577532006-03-17T20:11:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:55:11.860-04:00

Last Friday I posted about the New Jersey teacher, Beatrice Munah Sieh, tapped to be the head of Liberia’s police force by that country’s newly elected President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. This week I thought I’d follow up with one about President Sirleaf’s address to the U.S. Congress this past Wednesday.President Sirleaf began her speech by remembering the strong historical ties between Liberia

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142554126111346692006-03-16T19:02:00.000-05:002006-03-17T23:11:04.840-05:00

New Jersey state Senator and Newark Mayor, Sharpe James announced today he is seeking re-election to a sixth term as major of the state’s largest city.Sporting a bright yellow jacket, James made his announcement while riding a bicycle around the atrium of City Hall. The only thing missing from this clown’s act was a big red nose and a bicycle horn.Now that Sharpe James is in, Newark Deputy Mayor

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142484653931479162006-03-15T23:46:00.000-05:002006-03-15T23:54:49.716-05:00

Have you noticed “progressive” bloggers in New Jersey seem cranky lately? A case in point is a progressive Christian blogger known as the Xpatriated Texan who has written a nasty post – You Can Lead a Conservative to the Library but you can't make them think. Or even stop being intentionally misleading.This guy is so closed minded. Here’s what he wrote, “For the most part, I ignore the

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142392391305566172006-03-14T21:56:00.000-05:002006-03-14T22:20:31.530-05:00

What did I tell you yesterday? Building stem cell research centers in New Jersey is just a cover for funneling money to the powerful friends of politicians. I said $200 million was just the beginning of the boondoggle. Was I right or was I right?In less than 24 hours the need for a third stem cell research center in New Jersey has been discovered. The state Senate has amended the original

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142303592973636722006-03-13T21:18:00.000-05:002006-03-14T18:38:55.903-05:00

Our former Acting Governor, Richard Codey is pushing again for the state to pay for stem cell research centers in New Jersey. He’s looking for $200 million to start the ball rolling. I think it’s ridiculous.Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against stem cell research. I just doubt $200 million is going to do the trick. People are researching stem cells all over the world, including elsewhere in

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142223699557826992006-03-12T23:13:00.000-05:002006-03-12T23:30:10.373-05:00

Just thought I’d let you know there are some really nice people in the New Jersey blog scene. Nordette from Confessions of a Jersey Goddess included me in the Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers #43 and several of my favorite bloggers stopped by today and left some very encouraging comments.Ken Adams really went out of his way to give me a lift, he devoted an entire posting on this blog, Smadanek

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142139172816145772006-03-11T23:51:00.000-05:002006-03-11T23:52:52.836-05:00

Three full weeks of blogging and I don’t have much progress to report on readership. My cousin is on again, off again and DBK has abandoned me. That leaves the serendipitous reader as my audience.On the bright side Technorati shows NJFC is now on the blogrolls of two New Jersey blogs, SmadaNek (a very unusual name) and Enlighten-NewJersey. As I mentioned before, as a way of measuring progress I’m

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1142031307574897112006-03-10T17:43:00.000-05:002006-04-03T15:55:58.840-04:00

Here’s an interesting story that caught my eye. A New Jersey special education teacher is about to become Liberia's chief of police. Beatrice Munah Sieh, 48, has been teaching math, science and reading to students with learning disabilities for the past six years at a Trenton middle school.Sieh is returning to her home country to become the West African nation’s first-ever female police chief.

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141948900967239192006-03-09T18:58:00.000-05:002006-03-11T12:44:04.423-05:00

Gov. Jon Corzine's decision to bail out a lobbyist accused of stalking the head of the Democrat State Committee has managed to raise more than a few eyebrows here in New Jersey. That’s saying something in a state where people generally yawn at the revelation of each new political scandal.Corzine has admitted loaning Karen Golding, a lobbyist with Prudential Financial, $5,000 to cover her bail

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141880430645096282006-03-08T23:58:00.000-05:002006-03-30T00:53:07.423-05:00

Our Governor, Jon Corzine is going around the state making presentations on New Jersey’s finances in advance of his budget proposal to be unveiled later this month.When Corzine first took office in January he bluntly told one group “the state’s broke”. This must have come as a shock to the former Goldman Sachs executive and U.S. Senator because during the campaign he was “invest, grow, prosper”.

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141788395100278532006-03-07T21:42:00.000-05:002006-03-09T16:10:27.883-05:00

Today I feel moved to write about something I was saddened to read, but can’t let pass without comment. I happened upon a New Jersey blog, The One True Tami, and was really taken aback by her posting - Stuff You Didn't Want to Know About Me. She’s right, I didn’t, but now that she’s shared her views, I feel I should comment.Before I do, you should know Tami considers herself a progressive and her

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141701375833721442006-03-06T22:09:00.000-05:002006-03-06T22:21:26.766-05:00

The New Jersey Department of Education is investigating three Camden public schools where students showed a dramatic improvement in their standardized math test scores.The investigation was triggered after an analysis of test scores by the Philadelphia Inquirer showed that fourth-grade students at Camden’s H.B. Wilson Elementary School had the highest average math score of more than 1,300

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141619964319882432006-03-05T23:37:00.000-05:002006-03-06T22:27:30.906-05:00

My blog was included in this week’s, Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers # 42 but I don’ think anyone cared much for my idea for Ft. Monmouth – no comments. Maybe I expect too much, too soon. But on the bright side the link did generate some visitors.I thought about emailing bloggers I enjoy reading and introducing myself and this blog, but I just don’t feel comfortable doing that. Although, I

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141513661592075712006-03-04T17:58:00.000-05:002006-03-04T18:21:19.653-05:00

I’ve been blogging for two weeks now and I think I’m making some progress in attracting a few readers. Monday was my big day with over 300 visitors, thanks to a link by OverLawyered, a post on a message board and an email that must have been sent around with a link to my posting on Richard Kreimer's Homeless Scam.Other than that, I haven’t had anyone else link to NJFC - that’s short for New

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141367413294328182006-03-03T07:25:00.000-05:002006-03-03T01:30:13.306-05:00

Hunterdon County ranked number one out of all 21 New Jersey counties when comparing 13 measures of child health, safety, education and the overall well-being of children. Cumberland, Cape May, Atlantic, Salem and Passaic were the five lowest ranking counties, while Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Bergen and Sussex got the highest scores according to a New Jersey Kids Count report.Cumberland County

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141280181749705172006-03-02T07:14:00.000-05:002006-03-02T01:31:05.356-05:00

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection bought the Medford homestead of Dr. James Still, known as the "black doctor of the Pines". The 8.8 acre property, purchased by the state for $875,000, will be turned into a museum dedicated to Still's life.Dr. Still, the son of runaway slaves, was born 1812 in Indian Mills, NJ. He had only three months of education as a child, but he taught

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141245973632012692006-03-01T17:39:00.000-05:002006-03-30T01:00:02.036-05:00

Newark received a total of $450 million when it settled a lawsuit with the Port Authority over lease payments for the air and seaports located within the cities boundaries.So what will Newark do with the money? Use it for school construction or towards footing the tab for other city programs and projects that Newark forces onto the state's taxpayers?Heck no, Mayor Sharpe James plans to spread

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141189890798631882006-02-28T19:09:00.000-05:002006-03-05T01:05:40.930-05:00

New Jersey's child-welfare system is such a mess that it is under a court-ordered reform edict. Two and a half years and an additional $345 million later, the court-appointed panel charged with monitoring the system's reform effort reports New Jersey's child welfare system is digressing."Indeed, in some areas where prior shortcomings could be explained in part by the amount of time needed to lay

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141163879327077382006-02-27T16:45:00.000-05:002006-03-05T00:40:17.396-05:00

DBK writes that he was "criticized the other day by some wingnut who inaugurated his spanking new blog (%%insert gratuitous joke about new spanking blog here%%) by complaining that people are poor because they are "too stupid or lazy to work".Of course DBK doesn't provide a link to the blog post he quotes, so I assume no such quote exists. It certainly didn’t come from my blog as a reading of my

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1141013578766085772006-02-26T23:04:00.000-05:002006-02-28T17:46:31.156-05:00

I wasn’t included in this week’s Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers. I’ll try again next week. I don’t think this week’s host put much effort into his Carnival post, last week’s was great. Oh well, I’ll just need to try harder to write something worthy. I’m not giving up.The Olympics are just about over and right now they’re closing the games with a carnival theme. I thought the Italians did a

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1140847725551573542006-02-25T01:05:00.000-05:002006-02-25T15:17:26.880-05:00

I have been blogging for a week now and so far I think about three people have read what I’ve written - me, my cousin and DBK. Ha! My cousin thinks I’m wasting my time and DBK thinks I’m - fill in the blank with one of about 17 or so names he called me in his comments here. Me, I’m going to keep plugging away as long as I keep learning and have something to say.I’ve asked to join the Carnival of

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1140759430699230972006-02-24T00:25:00.000-05:002006-02-24T00:48:11.593-05:00

This story isn’t about New Jersey, but it’s about an attitude change our elected officials need to make if they want to turn our state around. People are starting to wake up to the fact that we can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing and expect different results.Mayor Ray Nagin down in New Orleans is a complete fool, but I sure do like the words of their City Council President, Oliver Thomas. He

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623307.post-1140670024051958602006-02-23T07:02:00.000-05:002006-02-22T23:52:46.726-05:00

Since taking office President George Bush has increased federal spending on public schools by $13.8 billion. That’s a thirty-three percent increase since 2001, bringing this year’s total federal spending for public schools to $56 billion.Some people are never satisfied. A woman by the name of Sharon GR on Blue Jersey Net wrote:U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings makes her first visit to

Chanicenoreply@blogger.com4