GOVERNOR CORZINE COMMENDS ALLIANCE FOR FOCUS ON ECONOMIC GROWTH
Before an audience of some 400 business, labor and government leaders, Governor Jon Corzine said the Alliance for Action is “totally focused on what I want to spend my four years on.” He cited economic growth, prosperity and moving New Jersey forward.

The Governor also discussed his proposed budget for Fiscal 2007, declaring: “Recurring expenditures have to match recurring revenues.” Corzine said he has a “holistic agenda” and, in particular, pledged to “deliver on ethics reform.”

The Governor’s address was a highlight of the Alliance’s annual South Jersey dinner. Other highlights were:
     -The Annual Walter Rand Award for Public Service to Congressman Robert Andrews, who has represented South Jersey’s 1st District for nine terms.
     -Inaugurating the Barton E. Harrison/Alliance for Action Hall of Fame, honoring the late Alliance South Jersey Regional Vice Chairman. The first inductee was Chester “Chip” Ottinger, retired president of South State, Inc.

Richard S. Mroz and Steven D. Weinstein were Co-Chairmen of the dinner. Other dignitaries in attendance included Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri, Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass Levin, Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Lou Greenwald, Governor Jim Florio, Verizon New Jersey’s President Dennis Bone, NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency’s Executive Director Marge Della Vecchia, NJ Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission’s Chief of Staff Scott Kisch and Chairman and Founder of Commerce Bancorp Vernon Hill.

COSCIA AND LAPOLLA ADDED TO SPEAKERS AT TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE
Two additional speakers have been added to the Alliance for Action’s 4th annual Governor’s Transportation Conference on Wednesday, May 10, which will be highlighted by a keynote address by Governor Jon Corzine. They are Anthony Coscia, Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Michael Lapolla, Executive Director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The conference will be held at the War Memorial in Trenton and will also include Kris Kolluri, the new State Transportation Commissioner, and George Warrington, Executive Director of NJ Transit. For reservations, please contact the Alliance at (732) 225-1180 or Go Here.

ALLIANCE FOR ACTION ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBERS
At the April 5th meeting of the Alliance for Action Board of Directors, the following new directors were elected to the board.
     -Larry Bashe, Director, Raymond James & Associates
     -Richard Lloyd, Executive Director, State Gov’t Aff. & Comm. Relations, Johnson
      & Johnson
     -James Lott, Esquire, Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti
     -John McCormac, President, McCormac Group LLC and former State Treasurer
     -Carole Miller, Director, Transportation/Parking, South Jersey Transportation
      Authority
     -Richard E. Tangel, Executive Vice President, Edwards & Kelcey

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF PHARMACEUTICAL/MEDICAL INDUSTRY
Before a highly interested and diverse audience of 200 attendees, pharmaceutical executives joined with construction industry and organized labor leaders to detail hundreds of millions of dollars of capital projects under way or planned in New Jersey.

The event was a special conference in Trenton sponsored by the New Jersey Alliance for Action and The HealthCare Institute of New Jersey. A recurring theme among the speakers and panelists at the event was the need for New Jersey to improve its regulatory climate. As Bob Franks, President of The HealthCare Institute put it, “We need a predictable and timely regulatory climate. New Jersey does not now have it, but I think our new Governor realizes that.”

FHA FREES $150 MILLION FOR NEW JERSEY PROJECTS
The Federal Highway Administration has reversed course and said it would provide $150 million for six highway projects in New Jersey. The decision came after pressure from New Jersey’s Congressional delegation and threats by US Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez to block President Bush’s nomination of J. Richard Capka to head the highway administration.

The six projects are:
     -Work on Interstate 280 and the Garden State Parkway interchange in East
      Orange.
     -Improvements to Interstate Route 78 in Union, Hillside, Irvington and Newark.
     -Widening Route 1 in Edison and Woodbridge.
     -Improvements to the Route 440-High Street connector in Perth Amboy.
     -Work on Interstate 295 in Greenwich, East Greenwich and West Deptford.
     -Shoring up the Delilah Road Bridges in Absecon and Pleasantville.

MINUTE MAID PLANT IN HIGHTSTOWN EYED FOR DEVELOPMENT
The Minute Maid plant on the Hightstown-East Windsor border has been closed since 2003, but now may be the site of new residential and commercial development. Dornoch Management of Lakewood is nearing purchase of the 37-acre site, which includes the plant on about 17 acres in Hightstown and another 20 acres of undeveloped acreage in East Windsor. Minute Maid’s parent company, Coca-Cola of North America, now owns the plant property.

HIGHTSTOWN AND RED BANK APPROVE CABLE TV FRANCHISE TO VERIZON
The Borough of Hightstown became the first community in New Jersey to vote to give Verizon a franchise to provide cable television service. Red Bank followed a week later when the Council passed a resolution to start the process of giving Verizon a cable television franchise. Red Bank was the first town in Monmouth County to give Verizon a green light.

Both Hightstown and Red Bank now have to work on local ordinances to apply to the State Board of Public Utilities for franchises for Verizon to offer television in both communities on its fiber optic network. Verizon would compete with the current providers of cable TV service.

EDUCATION LAW CENTER’S ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT COMING IN MAY
“Kids in Concert”, the annual fundraising event for Education Law Center, will be held this year on Thursday, May 11, at 7:30 pm at the State Theatre in New Brunswick. KIC celebrates the talents of public school children in New Jersey’s 31 Abbott districts including Hoboken, Newark, Orange, Passaic, Paterson, and Trenton. For more information, contact Danielle Baynes, Fundraising & Event Coordinator at www.edlawcenter.org.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Bob Marshall has been promoted to Regional Vice President for Atlantic City Electric.
Stephen Kempf of Toms River was sworn in as Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region II headquarters in New York City. The Region has responsibility for New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Kelley Heck is the new Deputy Executive Director of Communications with the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

ALLIANCE IN ACTION

MORRIS COUNTY ALLIANCE FOR ACTION TO HEAR HIGHLANDS REPORT
The Highlands, historic preservation and transportation will be featured topics at a meeting of the Morris County Alliance for Action on Friday, April 21. The program at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany will begin at 9 am, following registration at
8:15 am.

Speakers will be John Weingart, Chairman of the New Jersey Highlands Council; Arthur Vitale, Assistant Director Engineering Services, Morris County Park Commission, on restoration of the Speedwell Museum; and Dr. Mark Stout, Assistant Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Transportation, on the Fiscal ’07 Capital Program.
To register, Go Here.

ALLIANCE GOLF OUTING ALMOST HERE
The annual Alliance for Action Golf Classic will be held at the Deal Country Club on April 24. Lunch will be served at 11:30 am with a shotgun start at 12:30 pm. Cocktails and dinner will begin at 6:30 pm. Last year’s outing sold out quickly- if you’d like to participate or sponsor this year, please call the Alliance at (732) 225-1180 or Go Here.

NEW “MEET THE PLAYERS” SCHEDULED
The Alliance for Action will resume its popular “Meet the Players” series on Friday, April 28, with an appearance by Frank Lombardi, Chief Engineer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The meeting will begin at 10 am at the Alliance offices, Raritan Plaza II, in Edison. Lombardi will discuss the Port Authority’s capital plans. To attend, call the Alliance at (732) 225-1180 or Go Here.

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