Steve Oroho

It's the perfect time to reopen the budget and pass real reform

Senator Steve Oroho (R-24), a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement today urging Governor Corzine to immediately provide specifics about the savings he expects from state departments and agencies to help eliminate a $1.2 billion budget shortfall. A recent bond prospectus indicates that the governor is counting on $625 million from various state departments to balance the budget this year (fiscal 2009) and in fiscal year 2010.

If Republicans Scott Garrett, Christopher Myers and Leonard Lance win hotly contested House races next week, it is unlikely that Democrats would invest heavily in these traditionally GOP districts again in 2010.  But Democratic victories would make these districts battlegrounds in the 2010 mid-term elections.

If Garrett survives -- Politicker.com's The Pindell Report has the seat as Leans Republican -- he'll have a firm lock on the 5th district seat until at least 2012, when mapmakers draw new congressional districts.  But if blind Rabbi Dennis Shulman upsets Garrett, he'd immediately become one of the nation's most vulnerbale Democratic Congressmen. There is already talk among some Bergen County Republicans that Assemblyman David Russo would enter the race to challenge Shulman in 2010.  Russo sought the seat six years ago when Marge Roukema retired and lost to Garrett 45%-24% after splitting the Bergen GOP vote with State Sen. Gerald Cardinale.

Position on Rural Policing Shows Hypocrisy of Corzine Administration

Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) responded to a Star-Ledger report published yesterday that expressed the Corzine Administration's decision to charge rural communities for State Police patrols. The article states:

Administration officials contend it isn't fair for taxpayers in places with their own police departments to also have to pay for patrols of other municipalities.

Senate Minority Leader Ton Kean, Jr. (R-Union), and Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon).: Politicker photo

State Sen. Thomas Kean, Jr., (R-Union) became minority leader just as a new band of hungry Republican legislators came up from the General Assembly to assume their Senate seats.

Another under 40 senator with statewide aspirations might send out at least back channel messages of panic in the face of a baseball roster's worth of new GOP talent.

And indeed there have been some nose-to-nose moments in the last few months since Kean made caucus boss, notably between the patrician leader and the headstrong state Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex).

But according to his colleagues, the stoic Kean has generally met the onrush by embracing it; and has assumed a statesmanlike stance while tapping the scrappy skills honed by his freshmen senators in the lower house.

Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano (R-24, Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon) sent a letter today to Commissioner Lisa Jackson of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection requesting that the Department publicly release its figures on the present bear population in New Jersey.

Assemblywoman Alison McHose and Assemblyman David Rible today in Trenton. 

TRENTON - A day after Gov. Jon Corzine and the Democrats launched what had the vibe of a pre "overwhelming victory" party, Republicans attempted a low-key, state-level counter-offensive here this afternoon at the height of the budget season.

While Democrats may be in the throes of Obama fever, "Jon Corzine is not terribly popular now," said Assembly Whip Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), referring to the governor’s 38% job approval rating, according to Quinnipiac University.

Battling for some GOP respect, Bramnick announced the formation of the New Republican Policy Committee, which he hopes will be one of the features of a new-face Republican party. The move comes in an atmosphere in which the departing Republican president’s job approval rating is 22% and Obama leads presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain by six points.

Comptroller, Inspector General, and Medicaid Inspector General have Overlapping Responsibilities

Senator Steve Oroho (R-24), a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, stated today that the State Comptroller, State Inspector General and Medicaid Inspector General contribute to the overall bureaucratic maze and inefficiency in much of state government because their duties overlap.

$4 Million already wasted on $548 per hour lawyers THROUGH OCTOBER to jam through Corzine's toll hike and borrowing scheme - no need to waste more.

Senators Jennifer Beck (R-12) and Steve Oroho (R-24) criticized the Corzine Administration today for awarding a government contract to the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, to jam though his toll hike and borrowing scheme.

Governor Corzine Says He is Not Opposed to the Measure

Senator Steve Oroho (R-24) is a prime sponsor of legislation that would require the state budget be balanced with only recurring revenue rather than one time financial gimmicks and short term budget fixes.

Freshman state Sen. Steve Oroho of the 24th district announced he was ready to endorse Sen. John McCain for president.

"I believe McCain is a principled individual with strong character, who has a high probability of victory in a general election," said Oroho.

After researching all of the candidates, he said he came down to former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney and McCain, and yesterday opted for the latter.