Who We Are
As the state's largest citizen watchdog coalition, New Jersey Citizen Action works to protect and expand the rights of individuals and families and to ensure that government officials respond to the needs of people rather than the interests of those with money and power.
Through organizing campaigns that promote economic, social, racial and political justice, NJCA encourages the active involvement of New Jersey residents in challenging the public and private institutions and agencies that impact our lives. On Facebook see NJ Citizen Action. NEW! 2010 Awards Dinner Slideshow.
September 14 — Financial Reform Summit
Financial Reform Summit
Making it Work for New Jersey:
A Statewide Education and Implementation Summit
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 —
10am to 3:30pm
Rutgers University Student Center
126 College Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Map and Directions
Please RSVP by Friday, September 10, 2010
This program is held in partnership with Rutgers University Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations
History has been made! — This summer, President Obama signed one of the most significant pieces of financial regulatory legislation passed since the Great Depression. These reforms will bring transparency and accountability to Wall Street and protect consumers on Main Street. Let's ensure that this historic law is implemented effectively and that all New Jerseyans are informed as programs are established and new rules and guidelines are set.
With compromises being made by all sides, it is now time to roll up our sleeves and make this law work for New Jersey. The success (or failure) of financial reform will depend on how well we understand, publicize and implement the law and the opportunities it presents. It is vitally important that all sectors of the population who will be touched by this legislation continue to work together in a strong partnership as this new law becomes a reality.
Please join stakeholders of financial reform — including consumer advocates, community leaders, elected officials, bankers, regulators, labor leaders, seniors, academics, students and members of the public — gathering to discuss what's in the law, what's not in the law and where we go from here.
Speakers will outline the major provisions of the new law, the policy options, and the impact on consumers, investors and small business owners. State and national reform experts will also discuss the establishment of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and how it will expand consumer safeguards. Additionally, panelists will explore the effect of the new law on the flow of capital back into our communities and the impact it will have on asset building opportunities. See this event's complete At-A-Glance Agenda (click here).
Please RSVP by Friday, September 10, 2010
Admission is free. Seating is limited. Please RSVP online (click here) to reserve your space; or RSVP by phone at 732-246-4772 Ext. 18. Please include your name, organization or business, title, phone, email, and address including city, state, and zip code.
Distribute the Flyer (click here) and spread the word!
NEW! If you would like to be a sponsor of the Financial Reform Summit, please download this Form in PDF (click here), and see the details in the final section. Thank you!
October 2 — ONE NATION Rally in DC
On October 2, let's get on the bus and demand the change we voted for!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
ONE NATION Rally
Washington, DC
RSVP now — we will contact you, nearer the date, with details about FREE Bus Transportation to DC from your local area
We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to achieve the American Dream — a secure job, a safe home, and a quality education — but banksters and corporate lobbyists have made off with trillions of public dollars while small businesses can't get loans and cities are laying off teachers, police, and firefighters. In this time of economic crisis, it is easy for fear-mongerers to pit groups against each other and to find convenient scapegoats for the problems that plague us.
ONE NATION Working Together seeks to transcend our superficial differences and bring us together in a common quest for equal opportunity and justice for all. ONE NATION is a national coalition of more than 170 human and civil rights organizations, labor unions, and environmental, ethnic, peace, youth and student, and faith-based organizations who have come together to refocus our national priorities on greater investments in the wellbeing of all Americans. Organizers expect more than 250,000 to fill the streets of Washington on 10.2.10 in Washington DC!
- RSVP now for the October 2 Rally in Washington DC!
- Online ONE NATION Endorsement Form, or download and fill out the PDF version and email it to us.
- Video about the Rally.
Questions, contact Adam Sherman at adam@njcitizenaction.org or 732-246-4772 Ext. 22.
Renewal of PNC's Three-Year Community Reinvestment Commitment to New Jersey
On August 31, 2010, New Jersey Citizen Action, the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, and PNC formally signed PNC's three-year Community Reinvestment Agreement for almost $1 billion.
In renewing their commitment to the people of New Jersey by signing this three-year agreement, PNC is extending its pledge to lend and invest in low- and moderate-income communities, to individuals, and to small businesses owned by women and minorities. PNC will offer below market rate mortgages with low down payment requirements, no points and no PMI for low- and moderate-income borrowers, grants for closing costs, and grants and loans for residents with disabilities. Read the full details and news coverage.
Senator Robert Menendez Joins NJ Citizen Action to Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Social Security
On Thursday, August 12, 2010 NJCA Joined with Senator Robert Menendez to release a report that shows how Social Security Works for New Jerseys. The event was one of over 100 events taking place across the country during the month of August to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Social Security.
There has been growing debate by some in Washington proposing to cut benefits and privatize the program as a way to reduce the federal deficit. NJCA emphasized opposition to any such cuts or reduction of benefits.
- Complete Report.
- Press Release.
- News Coverage: "Sen. Robert Menendez And Hoboken Seniors Salute Social Security On Its 75th Anniversary" (The Jersey Journal – August 13, 2010), "Sen. Menendez And Citizen Action Celebrate 75 Years Of Social Security With New Jersey Seniors" (NJ.com – August 13, 2010), "Social Security Turns 75" (My9News – August 13, 2010 VIDEO NEWS SEGMENT), "Social Security: 'An American Success Story'" (MSNBC – August 13, 2010), "Seniors, Sen. Menendez Celebrate 75 Years Of Social Security" (Hoboken Patch – August 12, 2010), "Social Security Benefits 1.4M In New Jersey Annually" (New Jersey Newsroom – August 12, 2010).
Take Action!
Support Fair Elections — Tell Congress to Pass Fair Elections Now!
In order to get a Congress that's accountable to us, not corporations and special interests, we need to change the way candidates finance their campaigns. The best and most comprehensive solution is the Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752, H.R. 1826).
Under Fair Elections, candidates are able to run highly competitive races that rely on small donor contributions and limited public funding. Fair Elections allows elected officials to spend their time on important issues facing their constituents, and not spending countless hours attending $1,000 a-plate fundraisers and dialing-for-dollars. It's time we had a government that worked for working Americans, not for big corporations and their lobbyists. Click here to learn more and TAKE ACTION!
Americans for Responsible Taxes
Strengthening the American Economy through Accountability and Responsibility
Americans are struggling to recover from the deepest recession since the Great Depression. Action is needed to create jobs and strengthen the economy. But Americans are also concerned about growing deficits and believe that that steps are needed to put our budget back on a sustainable path. Click here to learn more and TAKE ACTION!
NJCA Celebrates Main Street's Victory Against Wall Street!
On July 15, 2010 NJ Citizen Action, having spent the past year fighting for Financial Reform legislation, celebrated the Senate passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, one of the last hurdles before President Obama signs it into law. The legislation will take unprecedented steps to clean up Wall Street:
- It will protect consumers buying homes.
- It will create new rules of the road for credit to protect families and small businesses.
- It will rein in the casino economy and stop speculators from operating in secret.
- It will provide the tools to stop future bailouts.
- It will make our economy more secure and more stable.
- Learn more.
TAKE ACTION!
Override the Governor's Veto — Restore FamilyCare & Family Planning
Governor Christie has vetoed two bills that would have restored funding for parent enrollment in NJ FamilyCare (S2134/A3020) and full funding for women's health and family planning (S2139/A3018).
We cannot allow the Governor to balance the budget by sacrificing the health of New Jersey. Especially in these difficult economic times, when the needs of our state's families are increasing — we cannot and should not eliminate these vital health care programs. Please write your state legislators today and tell them to override the Governor's veto and restore funding to NJ FamilyCare and Family Planning!
TAKE ACTION! Click here to tell your state legislators to OVERRIDE the Governor's veto.
SAVE CIVIL SERVICE!
SAY "NO" TO POLITICAL CORRUPTION AND PATRONAGE
Governor Chris Christie is proposing to destroy NJ's Civil Service System. Gutting Civil Service will allow corrupt politicians to use good jobs providing critical public services as favors and rewards for fat cats, cronies and relatives. If you care about providing clean, honest government by having a public workforce that is protected from the corrupting influence of political coercion, call your elected representatives today and tell them to vote NO on destroying New Jersey's Civil Service System. Click here to learn more. Also download the Fact Sheet. And click here to download a postcard that will be sent to your leaders in Trenton. Please return all signed postcards to Adam Sherman at 75 Raritan Avenue, Suite 200 Highland Park, NJ 08904.
Save New Jersey's Civil Service From the Hands of Corruption and Patronage
TAKE ACTION! Click here to email your state legislators and Governor Christie, and...
Call Governor Chris Christie: 609-292-6000
Call Senate President Steve Sweeney: 856-251-9801
Call Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver: 973-395-1166
For more information and to join the campaign, contact Marilyn Carpinteyro at marilyn@njcitizenaction.org.
On Sunday evening, March 21, 2010 the U.S. House of Representatives PASSED comprehensive national health care reform by a vote of 219 to 212.
Everyone who played a role in achieving this historic victory should be extremely proud. For the first time in history, a comprehensive health care bill has passed both Houses of Congress. The bill will give health care to 32 million Americans and save over 30,000 lives per year. And it will regulate the insurance companies so they can no longer deny care for pre-existing conditions, charge you more if you're sick, put limits on your benefits, or increase rates with impunity.
Immediate benefits will include the opportunity to keep adult children on family health insurance policies up to age 26 and relief for seniors who have fallen into the Medicare Prescription Drug "donut hole."
Not one Republican voted for the bill. In New Jersey — only one Democrat voted against the bill: Rep. John Adler (NJ-03).
Please CALL Toll Free: 1-877-264-4226 to THANK members of Congress who voted YES and express your disappointment to the ones who voted NO.
How NJ's Members Voted:
YES — Representatives Rothman, Pascrell, Sires, Payne, Pallone, Holt and Andrews
NO — Representatives Adler, Garrett, Frelinghuysen, Lance, Smith and LoBiondo
To find out how your Representative voted click here.
What Does National Health Care Reform Mean for New Jersey?
- More people with health coverage. About 859,000 New Jerseyans with health care coverage by 2019.
- Insurance companies play by fair rules. No more denials for pre-existing conditions or dropping coverage because we get sick.
- Health care will be more affordable. 854,000 New Jerseyans with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level ($43,320 for an individual and $88,200 for a family of four) will qualify for subsidies to help them purchase health coverage. Caps on everyone's out-of-pocket costs and insurance companies won't be allowed to set limits on how much health care they'll cover for a person each year. (Read the new Affordability Report by NJ For Health Care on how much NJ Families can afford to spend on health care).
- Consumer-friendly insurance products. Nearly 2 million more New Jerseyans will have access to affordable coverage options through a new health insurance exchange.
- Relief for seniors. Lower prescription drug costs for seniors and financial stability and solvency for the Medicare program.
- Help for small business owners. About 107,000 New Jersey small businesses helped by a small business tax credit to make premiums more affordable.
- Security and peace of mind for everyone. Many of the 5.6 million New Jerseyans with employer-based insurance will benefit from increased competition in the market place, limitations on premium increases, and more efficient health services.
To find out how the House Bill will impact YOUR Congressional District click here.
What Next? Making Health Care Work for New Jersey
A Statewide Health Care Implementation Conference
Thank you for attending the Health Care Implementation Conference on June 8, 2010 and making it a huge success! Special thanks to Community Catalyst, all the panelists, our planning committee, and all the conference participants — your breadth of knowledge, diversity, thoughtful questions, and feedback made this a truly dynamic and substantive event.
Now that we have set the stage for implementation in our state, it is time to roll up our sleeves and get the work done. Please join us in taking the next steps to support implementation by joining our NJ for Health Care Coalition. With your help we can ensure that our state maximizes the benefits available to us through the federal health reform law. Please sign on to the NJ for Health Care coalition to get more involved.
Click here to see all Materials from Conference.
Call Senators Lautenberg and Menendez Today! Tell Them To...
Finish The Job On State Aid, Unemployment Insurance and COBRA Health Subsidies
CLICK HERE to Call Your Senators
The U.S. Senate is considering a bill that will extend Federal UI programs, extend increased federal Medicaid payments to states (FMAP) and give a much needed infusion of resources to the TANF Emergency Fund which has provided crucial support for low-income families and has led to the creation of over 180,000 jobs over the last year and half. However, due to a last-minute House compromise, the bill excludes extensions of COBRA health subsidies for the unemployed and much-needed aid to state governments through the Medicaid program (FMAP). We must ensure these necessary provisions are included in the final bill!
Ask Your Senators To Vote For The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act In Order To:
- Extend UI/COBRA Benefits Until The End of The Year.
- Extend State Fiscal Relief (FMAP) For Another Six Months.
- Fund The TANF Emergency Fund Through FY 2011
CLICK HERE to Call Your Senators NOW (Toll-Free)!
Congress must work to lift our country out of the current jobs crisis. Congress must be bold and take action. Washington's current proposals are weak and do not go far enough in addressing the problems families are facing each and every day. Tell Congress they must do more and:
- Expand unemployment & COBRA benefits to assist workers who have lost their health insurance with their jobs;
- Provide fiscal relief for New Jersey;
- Create good public service jobs;
- Invest in our crumbling infrastructure; and
- Provide tax incentives to small and medium businesses to grow and expand.
America Needs a Jobs Bill Now!
Job for America Now is a nationwide campaign of more than sixty groups organizing to put America back to work. For more information about the campaign contact Marilyn Carpinteyro at marilyn@njcitizenaction.org or visit NJCA's Jobs for America Now page or jobs4americanow.org.
NJCA's Economic Security Center Can Help You — And It's Free
Are You Struggling to:
- Buy Groceries for your Family
- Pay your Gas, Electric and/or Oil Bill
- Find Affordable Health Care for Your Kids
- Pay High Cost Tax Preparation Fees
New Jersey Citizen Action's Economic Security Center provides free, confidential benefits counseling to help individuals and families get information on public programs for which they qualify. These include food stamps, health insurance, heating and utility bill assistance and more. We also provide free tax preparation to help individuals and families file their forms and claim tax refunds from the federal and state government.
Our goal is to increase your economic security by helping you understand how to get public benefits, tax credits and other essential services to which you are entitled. These programs provide a cushion against everyday setbacks — a sick child, car trouble, temporary job loss — that can become catastrophes in your life.
Call Us Today: 1-888-829-3711
23 West Park Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Map and Directions
HOURS: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday from 10am–7pm;
and Saturday from 10am–4pm
The Citizen Action Economic Security Center is an Empowerment Project of New Jersey Citizen Action and the New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund and is supported by the Sovereign Endowment at the Independence Community Foundation and Single Stop USA.
Oppose Utility Rate Increases!
PSE&G and its parent company PSEG want to introduce formula rates legislation (Lesniak) to the state senate in an effort to implement "formula based" electricity and gas prices for all of its residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Unlike the current practice of establishing electricity and gas rates based on the cost of providing the service(s) and the opportunity to earn a fair rate of return, formula based pricing guarantees electric and gas companies a set profit, regardless of how much electricity and gas they sell (i.e. how much we buy; how much we conserve), how much money they spend and how efficiently they practice business.
NJ Cannot Afford Higher Electric & Gas Prices. We Need Public Oversight and Accountability from Energy Providers!
How Formula Rates Hurt Ratepayers:
- FORMULA RATES eliminate public oversight and review of utility spending and rates by the NJ Board of Public Utilities.
- FORMULA RATES create an incentive for utility companies to overspend and a disincentive to operate efficiently.
- FORMULA RATES provide utility companies with guaranteed profits from their customers.
- FORMULA RATES will not create jobs but may destroy jobs.
- FORMULA RATES are an untested price setting mechanism operating in very few states.
- FORMULA RATES do not require utility companies to modernize their infrastructure or to make investments that are beneficial to consumers.
- FORMULA RATES legislation provides no evidence that our current form of regulation serves as a barrier to utility operations.
Join these Organizations in Opposing Formula Rates:
- New Jersey Rate Payer Advocate.
- Chemistry Council of New Jersey.
- Environment New Jersey.
- AARP.
- Coalition of Large Energy Users.
- New Jersey Citizen Action.
Support Marriage Equality!
WE DEMAND EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL!
Contact Your State Legislators Today and Tell Them to Vote YES on S1967/A2978 — The Marriage Equality Act!
In 2007, New Jersey's civil union law was enacted to provide same-sex couples the same civil rights and responsibilities as married heterosexual couples without calling it "marriage." However, in a very short period of time it has become clear that the measure, and civil unions, do not provide and protect the civil and constitutional rights of same sex couples. Thousands of employers continue to refuse to recognize civil unions as equal to marriage. Despite the law, many employers fail to provide health benefits to their workers' civil union partners. Many New Jersey hospitals still do not allow same-sex couples to make medical decisions for one another and bar same-sex couples to from even visiting one another in the hospital.
S1967/A2978, sponsored by State Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) will finally grant equal protection under the law to all married couples. Governor Jon Corzine has committed to signing the bill when it gets to his desk. THE LEGISLATURE MUST ACT NOW! It is time to provide all couples equal rights under the law. No one should have to wait for equality.
Make Goldman Sachs Stop Paying Bonuses!
Really Goldman? Enough is Enough!
On November 24 , 2009 NJ Citizen Action sponsored an Informational Picket in Jersey City to urge Goldman Sachs to stop paying out multi-billion dollar bonuses and spending millions of dollars lobbying against real financial reform.
Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs, bailed out by our tax dollars, are back to making record profits and are committed to handing out multi-billion dollar bonuses. Meanwhile, millions of regular folks are suffering from job losses, foreclosures, depleted pensions, and skyrocketing credit card rates and overdraft fees caused by the financial meltdown.
We demand that Goldman Sachs give its $23 billion in bonuses to foreclosure prevention programs, increase its lending for job creation and stop fighting real financial reform.
- Press Release.
- News Coverage: "Talkin' Turkey" (The Jersey Journal – November 30, 2009), "Activist Group Pickets Goldman Sachs JC Headquarters" (The Hudson Reporter – November 29, 2009), "N.J. Citizen Action Plans Picket Of Goldman Sachs" (NJBIZ — November 24, 2009).
NJCA Organizes for Financial Reform — Accountability, Fairness, and Security
For too long, the rules of Wall Street have been written by the bankers themselves. This year, that has to change. New Jersey Citizen Action has joined Americans for Financial Reform.
AFR is a coalition of nearly 200 national, state and local consumer, labor, retiree, investor, community and civil rights organizations campaign for real reform in our banking and financial system. We aim to hold our New Jersey elected leaders accountable, and to insist on a strong role for the public in making crucial decisions about our economic future.
We call for:
- Congress to put in place a real system with the resources and authority to police Wall Street.
- A consumer watchdog who can give the American people the security they expect and deserve when making financial decisions.
- Reforms that keep people in their homes and prompt smart investment in communities and businesses that create good jobs and strong neighborhoods.
Accountability, fairness, and security must be linchpins of financial reform. CLICK HERE to learn more!
NJCA Calls for a Stop to Excessive Overdraft Fees
Bank overdraft fees cost New Jersey approximately $499.8 million over the past year, according to a new report by Americans for Financial Reform.
Nationally, last year banks made $38.5 billion from overdraft fees. "That number is likely to increase without new, clear rules of the road for banks and their customers and a real consumer watchdog in Washington to enforce them", said Phyllis Salowe-Kaye executive director of New Jersey Citizen Action working with the Americans for Financial Reform coalition.
Read the full details here. Press Coverage: "Fed Provides Customers Relief From Bank Overdraft Charges" (Press of Atlantic City – November 13, 2009), "Banks Try Self-Regulation" (The Record / NorthJersey.com – October 25, 2009), "Overdraft Bank Fees Fall Under Scrutiny" (Press of Atlantic City – October 24, 2009), "New Jersey Citizen Action Applauds The Creation Of Consumer Financial Protection" (NewsBlaze – October 22, 2009), "NJ Citizen Action Calls For A Stop To Excessive Overdraft Fees" (NewsBlaze – October 8, 2009).
NJCA Joins Call for Watchdog to Guard Against Financial Predators
On July 14, 2009, community groups met in Trenton to call for an independent watchdog — a real watchdog with teeth — with a mandate to protect consumers from irresponsible, unethical and faulty financial products. President Obama called for Congress to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency that will protect consumers from financial abuse.
New Jersey Citizen Action convened a press conference with a variety of grassroots organizations to urge the New Jersey Congressional delegation to support the President's proposal and to reject the efforts of big money Wall Street lobbyists that are actively opposing such an agency.
NJ Foreclosure Fairness Act (S.2777)
The foreclosure crisis in New Jersey is continuing to worsen. NJ has the second highest percentage of subprime loans in foreclosure in the country, behind Florida. In March 2009 there were 3,868 foreclosure filings in NJ, affecting every county in the state. The NJ Foreclosure Fairness Act (S.2777) provides important protections to tenants and owners of residential properties facing foreclosure in New Jersey, and proposes technical amendments to three sections of the recently enacted Mortgage Stabilization and Relief Act to make that law work more effectively.
On June 11, 2009 the NJ Foreclosure Fairness Act, sponsored by Senator Ron Rice, was released out of the Commerce Committee in Trenton. Oral testimony was given by Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, NJCA Executive Director, along with representatives and partners from Tenants Rights Organizations, Community Groups and a tenant who is facing eviction. We will be working throughout the summer to get additional support and sign on for this important bill. CLICK HERE for full details.
Tell Congress to Sponsor HR1479
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) has been one of the most important laws for building wealth and revitalizing neighborhoods. CRA is an antidote to the foreclosure crisis since this law requires banks to meet the credit needs of all communities consistent with safety and soundness.
Therefore, we believe that Congress should strengthen CRA as it is applied to banks, and expand CRA's reach to non-bank financial institutions. We fully support Congressional efforts to pass the Community Reinvestment Modernization Act of 2009, which has been introduced in the 111th Congress by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson. Here is a PDF with full details about HR1479.
Jobs and Economic Recovery Bill
President Obama signed the final Jobs and Economic Recovery bill into law and thanks to the help of NJCA's members and allies, we were able to weaken an amendment that would have forced states to guarantee utility company profits if a state were to accepted money for energy assistance programs.
In addition to this victory for ratepayers, New Jersey will see billions of dollars coming to our state in the form of direct aid, tax cuts and infrastructure programs that will put people to work. Visit the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities website to see a state by state breakdown of the key provisions in the Jobs and Economic Recovery bill that will impact low and moderate income residents.
This legislation is a good first step, but a full economic recovery will require much more. We need to put an end to the foreclosure crisis, ensure everyone has access to affordable quality health care, a secure retirement and quality education from preschool to college.
Tenants Rights During Foreclosure
Through our loan counseling services and community financial education outreach, New Jersey Citizen Action became aware of tenants being illegally forced out of their homes when living in properties facing foreclosure. Along with Legal Services of New Jersey and the New Jersey Tenants Rights Organization, NJCA brought tenant eviction issues to the attention of New Jersey Public Advocate and the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance.
The New Jersey Anti-Eviction Act protects tenants even when the property where they live is in foreclosure or has been foreclosed. The law protects tenants against eviction as long as they pay the rent, respect the peace and quiet of their neighbors, and avoid willful or grossly negligent damage to the property. The Act does not apply to tenants of owner-occupied homes with two or fewer rental units.
In some cases, tenants are offered "cash for keys" agreements, where they are given money to turn in their keys and move out, but the offer does not mention that they are also free to stay. In other cases, they are just told they have to get out.
The Public Advocate wants to hear from any tenants who have received notification that they must vacate their apartments due to a foreclosure. Call 609-826-5070 to learn about your rights and get appropriate referrals. Eligible low-income tenants threatened with illegal evictions can call the LSNJ hotline directly at 888-576-5529.
"As Citizen Action continues to be inundated with homeowners who are facing foreclosure, we are discovering that renters who occupy some of these homes are unaware of their rights as tenants and are being pressured to move out. Public education and strict enforcement of the law is essential to preventing more people from losing their homes," said Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, Executive Director of NJ Citizen Action.
For more information, see the Media Release from the New Jersey Public Advocate, Commissioner of Banking and Insurance: "Tenants In Foreclosed Properties Have Rights — Cannot Be Evicted Due To Foreclosure Under NJ Law."
CRA Is Not the Problem! Predatory Lending Is!
Repeatedly over the last several weeks — in print, on the airwaves and online — the federal Community Reinvestment Act has become a target of blame both nationally and here in New Jersey. New Jersey Citizen Action and The Housing and Community Development Network of NJ, who have negotiated approximately $18 billion in CRA investments in New Jersey over the next three years will not remain silent while a good law responsible for a great deal of positive development in lower income communities is outrageously vilified. Read the full article, also see the Media Release.
Verizon-NJ and Embarq's Bid to Deregulate All Local Telephone Services
On June 24, 2008 the NJ Board of Public Utilities (BPU) held a public hearing regarding the settlement that was reached with Verizon-NJ and their petition to deregulate all local telephone services in the State.
Throughout this campaign, NJCA was primarily concerned that the deregulation of basic local service and Lifeline service could lead to steep rate increases that would limit access to affordable and reliable telephone service to the millions of New Jerseyans who still rely on this no frills service to stay in touch with their friends, family and literally the rest of the world.
While the settlement will include some increases to the cost of basic local service that will be spread out over three years, NJCA feels that the schedule of rate increases will maintain the affordability of basic local service and are likely much less than the increases consumers would have dealt with if basic local service was deregulated by the Board. In addition to the continued regulation of basic local service, BPU regulation was also maintained over the other essential services (i.e. single-line business, residential Directory Assistance, residential installation) and Verizon's current Telecommunication Lifeline Assistance program (as well as other social service programs for vulnerable populations) would remain as before with no additional rate increases.
NJCA presented testimony in support of the settlement that was reached between the Board, Rate Counsel and Verizon-NJ. Read the June 24, 2008 Statement of Atif Malik, North Jersey Regional Organizer: In the Matter of the NJ Board of Public Utilities Investigation Regarding the Reclassification of Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC) Services as Competitive.
Following the June 24 public hearing, the BPU approved the settlement at their monthly meeting in Newark on July 11, 2008. A similar settlement has also been reached with Embarq and the BPU will take comments on at a public hearing on August 7, 2008 at the Clinton Municipal Building at 7pm.
Background:
Read NJCA's report: No Dial Tone: Will the NJ Board of Public Utilities Cut the Last Line of Affordable Basic Local Telephone Service in New Jersey? Click here for the report.
This report shows that there is no competition in New Jersey's basic local phone service market and calls on the BPU to reject Verizon and Embarq's petition to deregulate the industry.
In what could amount to over a half billion dollar a year increase for ratepayers, Verizon-NJ and Embarq have petitioned the NJ Board of Public Utilities to deregulate all local telephone services in New Jersey.
If deregulation of basic local telephone service had occurred, the lack of competition in the local wire-line telephone market could have caused the estimated 1.3 million NJ residents who still rely on basic local service to see steep increases in their telephone bills (as much as $30/mo); making these services unaffordable to many low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities.
The NJ Board of Public Utilities must stop this ratepayer rip-off by rejecting Verizon-NJ and Embarq's petition to deregulate phone services in its entirety!
For more information contact Atif Malik at atif@njcitizenaction.org or 973-643-8800.
More resources:
- Download the campaign fact sheet.
- Read the Statement of Evelyn Liebman, Director of Organizing and Advocacy – In the Matter of the Board Investigation Regarding the Reclassification of Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC) Services as Competitive.
- Download the campaign flyer to distribute.
Merging Banks Vow $676 Million For Affordable Homes
As reported in the The Star-Ledger on July 3, 2008: "TD Banknorth and Commerce Bank, which are in the process of merging, yesterday committed to providing $676.5 million statewide over the next three years to support affordable housing development and improvements. The banks signed an agreement to provide the financial support with the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey and New Jersey Citizen Action, two nonprofit organizations, at a gathering in Trenton.
"The banks will provide roughly $160 million for below-market-rate mortgages for low- and moderate- income, first-time homebuyers or those who are refinancing; $130 million for loans and investments for nonprofit community development organizations; $350 million for small business loans; $24 million in low-income tax credits; $1.5 million in grants for nonprofit housing groups, and at least $10 million in unsecured "Helping Hand Improvement Loans" at discount rates for homeowners and renters.... Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, New Jersey Citizen Action director, said, "Both TD Bankorth and Commerce have been leaders in innovative ways to provide loans, products and direct services to those who most desperately need assistance in the state." Read the complete news article.
Governor Corzine Signs Family Leave Insurance into Law!
WE DID IT!
On Friday, May 2, 2008, after twelve years of advocacy, Citizen Action and the NJ Time to Care Coalition realized a great victory when Governor Jon Corzine signed Family Leave Insurance legislations, A-873, into law and made New Jersey only the third state in the nation to enact one of the most far-reaching and progressive workplace reforms in many, many decades. Given that at least one million NJ workers (and probably more) don't have a single paid day off from their job and 40% of all low-wage workers don't have a single sick day, this legislation will make a significant and real difference in the lives of NJ's working families and their loved ones.
Family Leave Insurance will be 100% worker-funded through a small paycheck contribution (no more than 64 cents/wk) starting January 1, 2009. All NJ workers who contribute to the program will have the opportunity to receive 2/3 of their normal paycheck (capped at $524/wk in 2008) for up to six weeks starting July 1, 2009.
NJCA and the NJ Time to Care Coalition would like to thank the thousands of supporters who helped make this victory happen by sending over 100,000 letters to our elected officials over the last year and a half urging them to create a NJ Family Leave Insurance program.
We would also like to thank Governor Corzine for his continued support, the Senate and Assembly sponsors and all the legislators who stood firmly behind New Jersey's working families and voted Yes on Family Leave Insurance (A873/S786)! Learn more about the Family Leave Insurance Campaign — and why it is so necessary for New Jersey's workers, seniors, families and businesses.
Clean Elections Campaign
Sign-on to the New Jersey Coalition for Clean Elections, a statewide coalition dedicated to reducing the corrupting influence of money in politics and establishing a permanent, state-wide system of full public campaign financing.
In 2007, New Jersey implemented the NJ Fair and Clean Elections Pilot Program to determine the best way to establish a permanent, statewide system of full public financing. The 2007 Pilot overwhelmingly succeeded in meeting the Legislature's thresholds for expansion. Now is the time to move beyond pilot projects and implement a permanent full public financing program for New Jersey.
Take Action! Download and sign-on to the New Jersey Clean Elections Coalition Principles and Join the Coalition today! Please return the completed form to Ladonna Blount, NJCA Organizer by fax 732-214-8385 or email ladonna@njcitizenaction.org. If you have questions, please call Ladonna at 732-246-4772.
The New Jersey Clean Elections Coalition supports a full public financing program that establishes these Five Principles:
- A Clean Elections program that permanently expands to all 40 legislative districts.
- A Clean Elections program that provides full campaign financing for primary and general elections.
- A Clean Elections program that provides equal funding to all qualified candidates.
- A Clean Elections program that provides adequate resources for program implementation and public education.
- A Clean Elections program that includes proper enforcement to protect public funds.
Read the Media Release "Flawed Research and Phony Findings: Desperate Effort by D.C.-Based Right-Wingers to Kill Election Reform in New Jersey" – August 7, 2008. Also see "NJ's Largest Citizen Watchdog Testifies on New State Clean Elections Proposal" — the Statement of Marilyn Carpinteyro, NJCA Legislative/Political Director on A100: The 2009 New Jersey Fair and Clean Elections Pilot Project Act.
Learn more about the Fair And Clean Elections Campaign.
NJCA Oil Group
New Jersey Citizen Action Oil Group is a project of New Jersey Citizen Action. The Oil Group was formed in 1983 to provide consumers with an alternative to the high cost of heating fuel. The Oil Group uses group purchasing power to negotiate discount prices. See a 10-minute video interview with NJCA Oil Group Director Wende Nachman, on "Help With High Heating Bills." Also read the extensive news coverage the Oil Group is receiving.
For more information about the NJCA Oil Group, please call 1-800-464-8465, or visit njcaoilgroup.com.
NJCA's Loan Counseling Service
On February 17, 2008, The New York Times's coverage of the mortgage crisis featured NJCA's loan counseling program:
Someone to Speak for Borrowers in Trouble
By Kareem Fahim
NEWARK — As she leafed through her client's mortgage papers, the housing loan counselor just shook her head.
The numbers and interest rates and payment schedules formed such a familiar, dispiriting picture. The 32-year-old man who was sitting across the desk from her said he had been persuaded to take out an adjustable rate mortgage called an option ARM when he bought his home, the first he has owned. The terms of the loan put him in danger of joining millions of people dragged under by the mortgage crisis that has washed through towns and cities across the country....
The loan counselor, Judy Brzuskiewicz of New Jersey Citizen Action, a nonprofit advocacy group in Newark, picked up the phone. She called the lender, Countrywide Financial, and told the representative that her client still had good credit and needed the 9 percent interest rate on his mortgage lowered, maybe to 6 percent. Politely but insistently, she said the adjustable rate needed to be frozen.
"I'm counting on you," she told the representative, who told her that he fielded calls like hers all day long.
Day after day, Ms. Brzuskiewicz and counselors like her across the country keep making the same calls, trying to stand between homeowners who took out loans they say that they did not comprehend, or could not afford, and foreclosure.... Read the complete news article.
Learn more about NJCA's Loan Counseling Service, Free Tax Preparation (y en Español), and our Insurance, Banking and Community Reinvestment Campaign.
NJCA's Free Tax Preparation Service
1-888-TAXES11 or 1-888-829-3711
STOP paying high fees and interest to tax preparers when you can get the same benefits for FREE!
Call 1-888-TAXES11 for an appointment with a tax specialist. To use this service, you must file a tax return.
Services provided in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and French
Law Passed to Expand Lead Inspection Requirements to All NJ Rental Properties
On Friday, January 4, 2008, Governor Corzine signed S2622 — a law that will significantly help protect New Jersey's young children from lead poisoning, a fully preventable but extremely dangerous disease.
The law amends the current Hotel and Multiple Dwellings Code and requires the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to inspect every single-family and two-family rental dwelling for lead-based paint hazards at least once every 5 years. Until now, one and two unit dwellings had been exempt from lead hazard inspections, as the previous Code applied only to rental units in multiple dwellings and left a great number of New Jersey's residents more exposed to the dangers of lead hazards.
This is a major victory for NJCA, as we have long been fighting the battle against childhood lead poisoning and do not believe that children should be used as lead detectors! Learn more at our Lead Poisoning Prevention Campaign.
Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities
In the face of yet another austere federal budget proposal, New Jersey Citizen Action has resumed its work as part of the Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities (ECAP), a coalition of state and national partners urging Congress to pass a federal budget that reflects the priorities of America's working families, seniors, children and citizens with disabilities. Download the report First Things First for New Jersey.
President Bush's budget proposal for fiscal year 2008 falls far short of this mark, imposing cuts to valuable programs on which millions of Americans depend, including cuts of $102 billion to Medicaid and Medicare, $500 million to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as cuts to the Community Development Block Grant program, the WIC nutrition program for poor mothers and children, the Community Services Block Grant program, and many others.
This proposal will especially affect New Jersey by cutting $35 million to NJ FamilyCare, the state's health insurance program for low-income children. These cuts will drop coverage for 30,000 New Jersey children. The budget also proposes to cut $7.0 million for New Jersey's HeadStart program, $21 million from Special Education, $24.4 million from the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and $7.7 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. At the same time, the budget proposes to extend tax cuts of $92 BILLION for the wealthiest five percent.
Read about ECAP and NJCA in the News. For more information on the federal budge, download these reportst:
- USAction Education Fund Report: "Getting U.S. Back on Track: Congress needs to reverse the upside-down priorities – from Washington to Iraq – that are shortchanging New Jersey families and communities"
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Report: "President's Budget Calls For Deep Cuts In A Wide Range Of Domestic Programs: Cuts Start in 2008 and Grow Deeper Over Time"
- Center for Law and Social Policy Report: "Families Forgotten: Administration's Priorities Put Child Care Low on the List"
- Coalition on Human Needs Report: "The Bush Budget: Less Help for People in Need; Needless Help for Those with High Incomes"
TAKE ACTION! Write or call your Congress member and Senator now to urge them to oppose any budget with upside-down priorities!