Dump Mike Ferguson (NJ7)

This week's flooding provides a window into the relative effectiveness of Congressman Mike Ferguson to advocate and deliver for the people of New Jersey's 7th Congressional District.

The year before Ferguson took office Hurricane Floyd hit our state, and towns like Bound Brook and Manville were devastated, with water rising to third stories of buildings and not falling for days. Other towns like North Plainfield – where I served as a Councilman at the time – had six feet of water rushing through the town. I know because I was one of the volunteers pulling people out of their cars to safety that day.

Now, in Mike Ferguson's seventh year as our DC Representative we have seen another flood provide the same kind of destruction. Added to the 1996 flooding of downtown Bound Brook that is three devastating floods in just over a decade.

I looked at the pictures of boats floating past second floor windows in downtown Bound Brook and thought it was 1999 all over again. The personal and business destruction is horrific, and the worst part is that it should be wholly unnecessary had our federal representatives come through with the funding we need to fix these flooding issues.

Since 1975 the Green Brook Flood Control Project has been studying and planning to make major engineering changes to the Raritan River and its tributaries to increase flow and retention, reducing the chance that such flooding can occur again. But all we have to date is a bridge and two levies, and the Army Corps of engineers estimates it will take $430 million in today's money to finish the deal.

You would think that after Floyd there would have been a major effort to fund this project, to get it going as fast as possible to protect the residents and business owners along this flood path. You would think that there would be some urgency to the work to protect our residents from continued natural disasters.

Mike Ferguson was first elected in 2000, along with a Republican President, a Republican Senate and a Republican House. His colleague, Rodney Frelinghuysen on the neighboring 11th district, was on the House Appropriations committee. Ferguson himself was being groomed by Tom DeLay in a leadership position as minority whip, the Texas House wheeler and dealer who could get anything done.

Add to this the fact that under Republican leadership earmarked funding for districts increased from about 1,000 a year in 1996 to 14,000 in 2005. Some of these earmarks were incredible, including $454 million for a bridge in Alaska that would have served just a few thousand people.

It's an ideal environment for a Representative to represent the needs of his district. His party in control, friendly with leadership, delegation member on the Appropriations committee money handed out hand over fist, and a real desperate need for completion of a project that would affect hundreds of thousands of people. It would take a pretty high level of incompetence to blow this one.

So what did Mike Ferguson get us for the Green Brook Flood Control Project? An average of less than $5 million a year, and some press releases and photo opportunities for the Congressman to show he cares.

At that rate, the project would take 86 years to completely fund, not including inflation and cost overruns.

Here's what Ferguson had to say in the Star Ledger last week:

"They said it was not appropriate to bring it up with the president, but I do not miss an opportunity to advocate for this project," Ferguson said. "I'm not going to take a back seat to anyone when it comes to advocating for this, and frankly the advocacy we've done has paid dividends." …

"It's tragic. It's heartbreaking. It's unacceptable that this project is not completed."

Paid dividends? It's astonishing that he has the gall, after six budget years under Republican control that he is proud of his efforts, and continues to brag in public about getting pittances tossed his way while touring the flood ravaged town.

One early estimate, though emergency management people are still counting, is that this flood will cost more than $70 million to recover from. Somerset County's taxpayers have already put aside one million dollars for cleanup and recovery from this year's story, money that didn't have to be spent. Millions more will be provided in grants from local, county, state and the federal government.

These short term costs in the millions don't even take into account long increased financial burden for insurance, which will be even worse than it was before for homeowners, renters and businesses. That's assuming they can get insurance.

All told our governments, business owners, insurers, renters and homeowners will be paying far more than $100 million to recover from this flood. We can assume that similar costs were associated with the floods in 1971, 1973, 1996 and 1999 -- adding up to far more than the $430 million it would cost to fix this problem and reduce the flooding along the Raritan River basin.

It's frankly ridiculous that we have to read in the papers about how Mike Ferguson and his colleagues are bragging on getting us $5 million a year when these floods are costing us an average of $25 million a year in recovery since Ferguson took office.

We've already run through 30 years, and two major floods in the past seven years. We need our Representative to deliver for us now to avoid the next one, or the next one.

But now Mike Ferguson is in the minority, Tom DeLay is gone and earmarks are under fire from all directions. Ferguson had a chance to make a difference, a nearly unprecedented chance, and he blew it.

Posted by admin at 08:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We were all a little disappointed when the DCCC's support didn't materialize at the levels we though appropriate in 2006, and were very disappointed when Linda Stender came within 1.5 percent of beating Michael Ferguson (R-NJ7) on election day. We busted our humps here in the 7th, and know that with just a little money of the money thrown to some races that lost big we could have a Democrat representing us in Congress today.

Today the DCCC announced that Mike Ferguson is among their top 10 targeted Republican House members. Karl Rove also suggested that Ferguson was vulnerable, so maybe there is a chance for us again in 2008.

Well, I don't want to get my hopes up because we were left waiting for the D-Trip to show up in 2000, 2002 and 2004 also. But 2008 may be a little different, especially because we came so damnably close in 2006. Add that to the Democratic majority and the fundraising benefits that gives, and maybe they'll come through for us this time.

But we can't rely on that. We have to do it on our own this time, just like last time. The reason Blue 7th exists is because we wanted to show the national Democrats that there was a groundswell here in New Jersey's 7th. We proved it in 2006, but not soon enough to get them in. We will have to prove it again in 2008, along with our friends at DfA, Garden State Equality, Blue Jersey, etc., etc., etc.

Posted by admin at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Star Ledger reporter Ed Silverman has a personal blog called Pharmalot, and today he notes that with the Democrats running the House our good Representative Mike Ferguson may have a little harder time raising all that pharma money he's relied on in the past.

Generally, the pharmaceutical industry hasn't been one of Pascrell's biggest backers, although his home district includes Roche's US headquarters, a large facility in Nutley, a 30-minute ride from the Lincoln Tunnel. So such a gathering shouldn't come as a total surprise, given that Democrats now control Congress.

What is interesting, however, is this suggests the influence of Pascrell's Republican counterpart, Mike Ferguson, may be waning. Thel industry has given him tremendous backing and viewed him as the go-to guy among the Garden State delegation, since he sits on the House and Energy Commerce committee, which has jurisdicdtion [sic] over the FDA.

Mike won't go hungry, though. His dad founded a well-known healthcare ad agency that did business with drugmakers and was later sold to a larger advertising conglomerate.

First he loses Tom DeLay, then the majority House, and now will get less from the pharmaceutical industry?

Looks like the playing field may be a little more level in 2008.

Posted by admin at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's well documented that the former Republican majority in the House demanded absolute loyalty on the part of its members, and Mike Ferguson (NJ7) was no exception. Regularly his constituents -- and Blue 7th members -- would contact his office with pleas for a vote and Ferguson would go the other way, voting with his political bosses instead of his constituents. He had a more than 91 percent rating for voting with the conservative leadership, yet described himself as a moderate.

Now we know why. In yesterday's Princeton Packet, Ferguson actually admitted that he voted against his constituents and conscience because he was ordered to by the Republican majority.

This is the first time Mr. Ferguson has been in the minority since he was initially elected to the House of Representatives in 2000, from a district that includes Montgomery and Rocky Hill.

The "silver lining", he said, is that being in the minority allows a bit more freedom "to vote the way you want to", since the Democratic majority now bears the responsibility to muster the votes necessary to govern. "When you're in the majority, sometimes you vote for things you don't totally support," Mr. Ferguson said.

Well, now we need to find out. What things did Ferguson vote for that he -- and his constituents -- didn't support. Even more, what bills passed by just one vote that a Ferguson vote of conscience rather than a vote for Party Leadership would have changed.

For instance, Ferguson voted against an amendment that would have increased funding for care for wounded veteran while at the same time defunding the base closures that will cost NJ 15,000 jobs. That amendment failed by just one vote. Ferguson's vote.

Do we want a Congressman who thinks for himself no matter who is in power or one who can only vote the right way when his party bosses aren't telling him what to do?

You can write to Princeton Packet managing editor Frederick J. Tuccillo and ask him. Or send a letter to the editor in demanding Ferguson identify which votes he tanked for his party bosses.

Please write letters to the editor on this and other issues related to Mike Ferguson. The Courier News is at letters@c-n.com, the Home News Tribune at letters@thnt.com, the Star Ledger at eletters@starledger.com, or the New York Times at letters@nytimes.com, or a series of weeklies in the district from Devine Media.

Posted by admin at 07:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nothing more to say here than, The New York Observer says:

Mike Ferguson, a conservative Republican who was re-elected to his suburban New Jersey seat by less than two percent of the vote last year, just announced that he would vote against the resolution condemning the escalation of the war.

The youthful and ambitious pol, who engaged in some rather embarrassing district-shopping before winning his 7th District seat in 2000, nearly saw his political career collapse last November, when Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Stender mounted a strong challenge by criticizing Ferguson's loyalty to the House GOP leadership.

She is considering challenging him again next year -- and his vote against this resolution now figures to feature prominently in that campaign.

Posted by admin at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are some annotated highlights of Mike Ferguson's take on the Iraq War resolution passed last week by the House. His comments are in italics, with ours in plain text.

I am disappointed that the strategies employed thus far have not been more successful and that our progress in Iraq has been too slow, and I am saddened that those who have drafted this resolution are offering no alternatives of their own for our mission in Iraq. Indeed, they are prohibiting consideration in this Chamber of any alternative.

Yes, Mike, the debate is limited because this debate is about a specific proposal to add 21,500 more troops to Iraq, continuing the failed policy the Bush administration has attempted at least four times (in Fallujah twice, in Baghdad twice). I also find it difficult to accept your desire to debate alternatives in Iraq when you were in the majority for the first three years and ten months of the war and prohibited any debate during that entire time! Why is it only now that you are in the minority you want open debate?

Even better, your claim they are prohibiting debate on alternatives is a load of cow manure. You were given five minutes to say anything you wanted. So was every single member of the House of Representatives. No one said you may not bring up alternatives to what you admit is a failed policy. You chose to do that on your own, and then blame the Democrats. If you had an alternative, you could offer one. But you've been steadfast in just lockstepping behind the President and refuse to change your tune even as you see the situation imploding.

Continue reading "Mike Ferguson Supports Escallation of Iraq War" »

Posted by admin at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are some annotated highlights of Mike Ferguson's take on the Iraq War resolution passed last week by the House. His comments are in italics, with ours in plain text.

I am disappointed that the strategies employed thus far have not been more successful and that our progress in Iraq has been too slow, and I am saddened that those who have drafted this resolution are offering no alternatives of their own for our mission in Iraq. Indeed, they are prohibiting consideration in this Chamber of any alternative.

Yes, Mike, the debate is limited because this debate is about a specific proposal to add 21,500 more troops to Iraq, continuing the failed policy the Bush administration has attempted at least four times (in Fallujah twice, in Baghdad twice). I also find it difficult to accept your desire to debate alternatives in Iraq when you were in the majority for the first three years and ten months of the war and prohibited any debate during that entire time! Why is it only now that you are in the minority you want open debate?

Even better, your claim they are prohibiting debate on alternatives is a load of cow manure. You were given five minutes to say anything you wanted. So was every single member of the House of Representatives. No one said you may not bring up alternatives to what you admit is a failed policy. You chose to do that on your own, and then blame the Democrats. If you had an alternative, you could offer one. But you've been steadfast in just lockstepping behind the President and refuse to change your tune even as you see the situation imploding.

Continue reading "Mike Ferguson Supports Escallation of Iraq War" »

Posted by admin at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Roll Call [subscription] says Linda Stender is doing what is right to run again in 2008. I've heard her twice say that she is interested in running, and stopping just short of saying she is running. Many people thought that this would be a two-cycle race before the blue wave started in the summer of 2006, and maybe it will be.

State Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D) appears to be gearing up for a rematch with Rep. Mike Ferguson (R).

Stender was in Washington, D.C., late last week to meet with Democratic officials and leaders of Democratic-leaning interest groups about a possible run. But Stender said she is not prepared to officially launch her candidacy - and is unlikely to do much fundraising - until after her race for re-election to the Legislature is completed this November. That may be significant because Stender did not get into the 2006 race until December 2005, giving Ferguson a substantial head start raising money.

The Congressman spent about $3 million to win 49 percent of the vote in November, the lowest percentage of his four election victories. Stender spent more than $1.8 million to finish about 3,300 votes behind.

Through Dec. 31, Ferguson had $72,000 in the bank but also carried a $240,000 debt. Stender had just $8,000 in her Congressional account.

It's amazing that Ferguson had to spend every penny he had on hand in order to get a less than 1.5 percent victory in a district he'd easily won twice before. With work, we can take this district next time.

Posted by admin at 06:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, we've heard it all before. Two years out from the election the DCCC is announcing that it will "aggressively" target the 7th district and Mike Ferguson. But the DCCC is promising to be in our district again in 2008.

At the DCCC we are aggressively on offense and working to put thirty-five Republican seats in play. I am in the process of targeting open seats, districts where Republicans won by less than 5%, seats won by Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election and districts occupied by ethically challenged incumbents. We have already begun working with Democratic State Party Chairs and local leaders to actively recruit candidates in key districts across the country. ....

While we have begun to make significant gains in the suburbs history shows that presidential year turnout will amplify our support there by turning out marginal voters who do not turn out for off year elections.

Specifically districts like Mike Ferguson (NJ-07) outside of New York City and Deborah Pryce (OH-15) outside of Columbus will benefit from the added turnout in the suburban areas.

Yet in the past three elections they've made this statement early and then been strangely absent when the chips were down. It's been frustrating and galling to hear the words repeatedly and then to watch the money and support go elsewhere. This is why we started Blue 7th in 2005, to show that there was a real grassroots effort on the ground to get things moving and shaking. We wanted the DCCC to show that we were doing for ourselves, and that their resources would help put us over the top. Our message didn't quite get through, but it did permeate a little.

For 2006 they did more than ever before. Linda Stender was put on the Red to Blue list and she received a good bit of logistical and data support. But at the end when a big media buy could have picked up the 1.5 percent Linda needed to win, the DCCC spent millions on campaigns in districts that lost by 5, 6 and more points. Had just a little of that money gone into television and radio spots hitting Ferguson hard on his callous disregard for diabetes and spinal cord injury sufferers in his district, we would be cheering Linda's floor arguments during the first 100 hours.

Please visit the DCCC Contact Us Page and tell them that they need to come to New Jersey's 7th district. This is fast becoming a swing district, a place where we can win an replace a right wing true believer with an honest, aggressive progressive like Linda Stender.

Posted by admin at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is NJ7 really in play for 2008? Congressional Quarterly seems to think that Mike Ferguson might be in trouble after Linda Stender's strong showing in 2006.

Most valiant effort: Democratic state Rep. Linda Stender held Republican Rep. Mike Ferguson of New Jersey’s 7th District to margins of just 3,200 votes and 2 percentage points, just two years after Ferguson won the GOP-leaning district by 15 points and more than 43,000 votes.

Stender attracted support from the feminist political action committee EMILY’s List in April and later gained assistance from the national Democratic Party. Stender’s strong showing, despite the fact she was about $1 million behind Ferguson in overall fundraising, may have pushed this seat into play again for 2008.

Posted by admin at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)