By Michael M. Shapiro It was only six months ago that gas prices were setting records in the United States, topping off near $4.00 per gallon. In recent weeks, they have steadily and significantly decreased to the point that gas is now hovering near $1.65 per gallon. Credible explanations for this steep price cut are…
By Michael M. Shapiro Will Gov. Corzine decide not to seek re-election and instead serve in the Obama administration in some capacity? Will Chris Christie decline to seek the governorship or will he lose in a Republican primary? A betting man would say that Corzine and Christie are the most likely candidates to run in the…
By Michael M. Shapiro New Jersey Democrats are basking in the glory of a solid national Democratic showing; however, closer to home, the prospects for this coming election are currently not looking rosy. They have good reason to be concerned. Millions of people throughout our nation have unrealistically high expectations for President-elect Obama. A panacea…
By Michael M. Shapiro Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) recently stated that Senate President and former Acting Governor Richard Codey (D-West Orange) attempted to strong arm him into discontinuing his efforts to investigate a legislative slush fund that was responsible for the now-infamous “Christmas Tree” grants currently under federal investigation. He claimed that Senator…
By Michael M. Shapiro The federal government’s proposal to spend approximately $700 billion to bail out financial institutions drowning in the sub-prime mortgage mess raises the issue of whether such a bailout should be taking place. It would seem that without the aid package, the major banks/investment firms in our nation would go under, causing…
By Michael M. Shapiro Gov. Corzine may have an upside down 40%-51% approval rating; however, he is still in a dead heat with current United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Chris Christie, in a hypothetical matchup for the 2009 gubernatorial election. This disclosure is not new. In August, a poll showed that…
By Michael M. Shapiro The private fundraising effort to pay for a $30 million shortfall in the financing of a $102 million stadium expansion for Rutgers University has been a debacle. Less than $2 million has been raised since the governor and state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) announced the initiative nearly a year ago. Gov.…
By Michael M. Shapiro On June 23, the New Jersey State Legislature enacted several reforms to the state’s pension system which are still awaiting Gov. Corzine’s signature to make them into law. The reforms include raising the retirement age from 60 to 62, prohibiting public employees from counting time spent working in other states towards…
By: Michael M. Shapiro The Beijing Olympics will be remembered for the stellar performances of Olympic athletes, from Michael Phelps to Usain Bolt. It will also be memorialized for its top-flight athletic facilities and venues. What may not be remembered, however, is the Chinese government’s disdain for basic human rights. While there was wall to…
By Michael M. Shapiro Much of the talk in New Jersey regarding contested Congressional seats this Fall has centered around District 7, where Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Stender is running against Republican State Senator Leonard Lance to fill the House seat vacated by retiring Republican Congressman Michael Ferguson (R-7).
