Tag: NJGOP

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Pennacchio Highlights Dangers of Sex Tourism in Dominican Republic

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August 3,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Montville NJ  , Due to an increase in human trafficking violations in the Dominican Republic (DR,) Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) has introduced a Senate Resolution that would urge New Jersey residents to immediately cease travel to the Dominican Republic, unless the country takes action to combat the epidemic of sex tourism within the nation’s borders.

“Human trafficking is modern-day enslavement in which innocent people, particularly young children, are abducted, sold, and forced into the heartbreaking sex-trade and forced labor industry,” Pennacchio said. “The Dominican Republic’s beautiful beaches and mountains cannot cover-up the fact that it’s also the world’s most dangerous tourist destination for at-risk children. Ending human trafficking is not a partisan issue. This is about human rights.”
Six million tourists visit the Dominican Republic (DR) every year. The DR is frequently cited as a world capital for sex tourism. Victims of the sex-trade industry are frequently found on street corners, beaches, parks, and other popular tourist destinations throughout the Dominican Republic.

One in four of these women were forced into sexual exploitation before their 18th birthday, according to the International Justice Mission.

Sen. Joe Pennacchio’s new resolution, SR-91, aims to expose the Dominican Republic’s failure to implement protocols that would identify and assist human trafficking victims, raise awareness, and encourage the people of New Jersey to take a stand by refusing to travel to the nation. The resolution was officially introduced in the State Senate on July 1, 2018.
Over the past five years, the Dominican Republic has grown into a global source for women and children who are forced into sex trafficking; as well as young men who are sold into forced labor. In 2017, children represented more than 50 percent of the human trafficking population in the Dominican Republic.

Every year, more than a million children are exploited in the global sex-trade industry. This commercial sex-tourism market includes tourists from the United States and other countries, who travel to destinations commonly known for legal prostitution, such as the Dominican Republic. In addition to tourist destinations, the international sex-trade is fueled by weak law enforcement and dark corners of the internet.
Senator Pennacchio has sponsored a number of bills to protect children from violence.

In addition to SR-91, Senator Pennacchio also co-sponsors the “Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Prevention Act,” which would require manufactures and sellers of internet-connected devices to block websites known to facilitate human trafficking. The bill would establish a reporting website or call center, this tool would allow consumers to report unblocked obscene material.

“We cannot in good faith encourage our residents to visit the Dominican Republic,” Pennacchio added. “The DR has repeatedly failed to fully comply with the minimum global standards for eliminating human trafficking. I strongly believe that this legislation could be a critical step in our fight to end the cycle of sex tourism. 20 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking. We must stand up and fight on their behalf in any way we can. I call on my colleagues in the Legislature to join me in this bold effort to stop these atrocities, once and for all.”

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Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean: Murphy’s “Free” Community College Pilot Program to Cost NJ Taxpayers $20 Million

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Kean States the Obvious “Free” Community College is not “Free ” at all 

August 3,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Westfield NJ, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean said that a pilot program announced by the Murphy Administration that would shift the cost of tuition and fees for some community college students to New Jersey taxpayers is misguided and unaffordable.

“Free community college sounds great, but nothing is really free,” said Kean. “The Governor’s plan simply shifts $20 million of tuition costs for a handful of students to New Jersey taxpayers who are already overburdened. It’s a huge and unnecessary expense that the State cannot afford to assume.”

Kean warned that the $20 million cost of the Pilot program could become an annual expense of $200 million to $400 million if the program is fully implemented statewide.

“The Governor just told taxpayers that New Jersey is in such dire financial straits that he had to raise taxes by nearly $1.5 billion,” said Kean. “The truth is that the higher taxes Governor Murphy implemented this year on families and businesses were only necessary to fund new spending on unnecessary programs like ‘free’ community college. He hasn’t told us yet which taxes he’ll propose raising next to pay for the full cost of this scheme.”
To support the State’s FY 2019 budget plan, which included funding for the pilot program, the Governor and legislative Democrats raised both personal income and corporate business taxes. They also implemented a new Internet sales tax and taxes on sharing services, including Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb.

Kean noted that the Governor’s misguided tuition plan fails to address the underlying problem of escalating costs at our community colleges that have driven tuition to levels that are unaffordable for many students.
“Our community colleges should be an affordable option for every student who chooses to continue their education,” said Kean. “Unfortunately, the Governor’s tuition scheme merely papers over the problems that have led to tuition growth without fixing them. That virtually ensures that the cost to taxpayers for ‘free’ community college will grow well beyond the already expensive estimates.”

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Pennacchio & Corrado Bill to Combat Conflicts of Interest State Investment Council

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March 26, 2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Bill Aims to Stop Corruption on NJ State Investment Council In Wake of Pension Scandals
Legislation sponsored by Senate Republicans Joe Pennacchio and Kristin Corrado to combat corruption on the State Investment Council, by forbidding members from voting on investments that present a financial or familial conflict of interest, has passed the New Jersey Senate.

Ridgewood NJ, Sens. Joe Pennacchio and Kristin Corrado’s bill would combat corruption on the State Investment Council, by forbidding members from voting on investments that present a financial or familial conflict of interest. The bill was introduced in response to scandals involving the council and the state pension system. (Pixabay)
“State Investment Council members should serve the people of New Jersey, not themselves,” Senator Pennacchio (R-26) said. “We cannot turn a blind eye to the despicable violations of public trust that have occurred in recent years. People who handle taxpayer dollars must be held accountable.”

The Senators’ bill, S-396, was introduced in light of reports that in 2008, the State Investment Council invested in Lehman Brothers right before the firm went bankrupt. The Lehman Brothers managers who sat on the council did not recuse themselves prior to voting to approve the investment in their firm. The misguided vote cost the pension system nearly $116 million.
Additionally, in 2014, concerns arose that Robert Grady, the former chairman of the council, had invested public money into a fund which his own private firm also invested in. Such potential conflicts of interest would not be tolerated under the Pennacchio/Corrado legislation.

The State Investment Council was created by the New Jersey Legislature in 1950 to develop policies governing the investment of funds by the Director of the Division of Investment.
S-396, would require members of the State Investment Council to recuse themselves from a vote if the matter before the council involves one of the following conflicts of interest:
The member or their spouse is or was employed by the entity in which the investment is being made.

The member or their spouse has a direct investment exceeding $5,000 in the entity in which the investment is being made.

Under S-396, a member who breaks this law would be removed from the council, and must be immediately reported to the Governor and the Legislature.
“Any member who casts a vote despite an obvious conflict of interest does not deserve to sit on the State Investment Council,” Senator Corrado (R-40) said. “The hardworking families we represent must be able to trust that the state is investing and spending these funds wisely. This legislation will ensure council members who use public money for personal or political gain are punished accordingly.”

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Welcome to Trumplandia: How this N.J. town reflects national trends

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By Mark Di Ionno | The Star-Ledger
on November 27, 2016 at 8:53 AM, updated November 27, 2016 at 12:41 PM

Welcome to Trumplandia: How this N.J. town reflects national trends

Chuck Monjoy couldn’t find a Donald Trump sign, so he made one.

He took a cardboard box, drew the word “TRUMP” with a heavy black felt-tip pen, then propped it up outside his commercial property on Route 9 in the Forked River section of Lacey Township.

The fact that he couldn’t find a Trump sign struck him as unusual. Lacey is a large municipality in Ocean County, one of the reddest regions of New Jersey.

And in this election, Lacey was the second reddest of the red.

In New Jersey towns with more than 10,000 people, only nearby Lakewood had a greater percentage of voters (74.4) who pulled the lever for president-elect Donald Trump.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/11/welcome_to_trumplandia_jersey_town_reflects_nation.html#incart_river_home