Daily Record from Morristown, New Jersey • Page 11

Daily Record, Morris County, N.J., Sunday, October 20, 1991 All ELECTION Teachers' union looking for revenge at the polls Dorsey spreads campaign wealth to GOP hopefuls By Colleen O'Dea Daily Record EJECTION '91 away from us," recalled James P. Connerton, NJEA executive director. "We wanted those folks to see, face to face how repugnant this was to our members." The showdown of June 21, 1990, kicked off a fight between the NJEA and the Democratic Party that is now hitting its peak with the battle for control of the state Legislature. Enraged by the pension issue and the Democrats' subsequent transfer of $360 million from education aid to property tax relief, the NJEA is working to punish the party. Senate President John Lynch, who aimed his guns at teacher salaries during the debate over property taxes, is the NJEA's biggest target.

Democrats know the union is a help lawmakers sympathetic to its cause. In 1989 campaign for governor and the Assembly, the union's political action commit- tee contributed nearly $371,000, second among unions. This year, NJEA leaders expect to contribute more than $500,000 to boost 46 Republican candidates and only two Democrats. At the local level, teachers loyal to the union work tele- phones, go door-to-door, volunteer for political candidates, and vote in large numbers. And because schools are everywhere, so is the NJEA, which represents more than 90 percent of the state's teachers.

"We have members in every nook and cranny of the state," said Dolores Coronna, NJEA's director of government relations. formidable foe that combines big money and Trenton-based political clout with a volunteer army of teachers who know how to gain local support. "They've got the whole package," said Harold Hodes, an influential Trenton lobbyist who was chief of staff to former Gov. Brendan T. Byrne.

"They have the most organized grass-roots support in the state. And they have the financial capabilities to raise money for candidates." The union's headquarters sits across the street from the State-house, the big letters N-J-E-A strategically placed for all to see. It boasts membership over including 92,000 active teachers. It employs 190 people and has a budget of $34 million. And the NJEA spends big to By Thomas Martello Associated Press TRENTON The all-night session that spilled into morning was gaveled to a merciful close, and bleary-eyed lawmakers emerged from dark Statehouse Annex halls to a hot sun and an angry crowd.

Hundreds of teachers, members of the powerful New Jersey Education Association, stood in the parking lot and jeered Democrats who had just passed Gov. Jim Florio's school funding measure. The bill would pump an extra $1 billion into public schools but was hated by teachers because it would remove state payment of their pensions in many districts. "We didn't want them to get Very little of the more than $500,000 raised by candidates hoping to represent Morris County in Trenton is being spent to influence voters here. Most of it is helping Republican candidates across New Jersey.

Leading all local candidates in fund-raising and spending is Senate Minority Leader John H. Dorsey, R-Morris. He has given some of $162,000 he raised including $50,000 of his own money to Republican Senate hopefuls and committees that will give them money, according to his campaign report filed with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission on Oct. 7. Dorsey has given between $5,000 and $10,000 directly to six newcomers and one incumbent believed likely to win Senate seats in key districts throughout the state.

He also gave $50,000 to the Senate Republican Majority committee he 'controls that will distribute it among the contenders. That committee's report of spending during the third quarter of 1991 will be available Tuesday. Dorsey said he is not trying to "buy" the powerful position of Senate president as some have suggested, but he does believe he will win that spot next year if the GOP takes control of the upper house. "I am trying to ensure that we win the majority," said Dorsey. He said the money was distributed based on GOP polling data, not his personal preferences.

Competing with Dorsey both for the Senate presidency and the most generous contributor is Sen. Don i i ald DiFrancesco, R-Union, whose 22nd district will represent Chat the artisans ofThailand to craft our rt a ham and Passaic townships next vear. DiFrancesco's disbursements in will be available Tuesday when his LaRose is a Democrat. Eut Mike LaRose is picking up support and people are saying the Republicans may be in need of some help." Littell, Kamin and Garrett have used most of the $6,600 spent by their joint campaign so far on billboards proclaiming they are "The Florio Fighters" and on ads and handouts. Likened to circus LaRose, meanwhile, paid a Washington, D.C., consultant nearly that much for his first radio ads, which liken the state Legislature to a circus, complain that Kamin voted in 1988 to give himself and the Legislature a $10,000 raise and say LaRose would do a better job.

The former Sussex County freeholder also recently sent out his first mailer. Assembly Minority Leader Garabed "Chuck" Haytaian, R-Warren, complained the state Democratic committee had given LaRose and Haytaian's opponent, Rosemarie Albanese, each $10,000 and had pledged an additional or more each because Haytaian and Kamin both have been vocal critics of Gov. Jim Florio. Haytaian had raised $30,146 and spent $21,469 as of early October. LaRose got $10,000 from the Sussex County Democratic Committee, which originally came from the state committee.

He also got two "in-kind" contributions totaling $9,000 from the Assembly Democrats' PAC. He and Albanese are the only Democrats running in the Morris region to get any money from any of the state PACs. But Sue Brown, his campaign manager, denied more money would be coming. "We're not part of their (the state committee) commitment anymore," said Brown. "As far as other money, I can only hope." Two Democrats, Fred Katz seeking the 24th District Senate seat, and Adele Montgomery, running for the Senate in the 25th District, did not file reports as required by law, according to an ELEC staffer.

Other candidates running in the region reported the following campaign contributions and expenditures: In the 22nd, Republican Assemblyman Robert Franks had raised $23,710 and spent In the 25th, GOP Assemblymen Arthur R. Albohn had raised $12,534 and spent nothing and Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, $57,197 and $13,702, respectively; Democratic Assembly candidates Ann Avram Huber filed a form stating she would spend less than $2,000 and Marc Pindus had raised $1,425 and spent $79. In the 26th, Republican Sen. Leanna Brown had raised $74,854 and spent $63,139.

including $27,500 given to the Senate Republican Majority committee; GOP Assemblymen Alex DeCroce had raised $26,506 and spent $15,119 and Robert Martin, $31,792 and $17,631, respectively; the NJEA PAC for the incumbents had raised $4,000 and spent $500 and a joint committee for Democratic opponents Drew Britcher, Patricia Pilson Scott and Jerry Vitiello reported it would spend less than $4,000. PAC report is released because he chose not to give money to other candidates from his person cam 1 Jf' T--V. intricate hand-carved ly Mil luCi paign report. In fact, the unopposed lawmaker filed a form with ELEC swearing he would spend no more than $2,000 on his own race. I A -v "I think it's a cleaner way to do atsmns.

Pi i I it. said DiFrancesco, estimating he has given about $75,000 to Re publican candidates so far. I am not trying to buy this seat. I can't outspend John Dorsey." Close in the 24th The only local district where most of the money raised is being spent within its borders is the 24th, encompassing western Morris, a portion of Hunterdon and all of Sussex County. There, Democrat Michael LaRose's $35,000 war chest has helped improve his chances of win Newton onl havt togfpto Tin Mall at Short Hills.

ning one of the Assembly seats held by Richard Kamin and Scott Garrett. The GOP assemblymen have a combined $37,000, but their joint campaign fund with Sen. Robert Littell had just $8,000 on Oct. 4. ac ShprtWs cording to reports filed with ELEC.

A separate Littell fund showed in contributions. The closeness has led some to suggest the Republican incumbents should get additional help from the Jersey Education Association, which set up a $9,000 fund for LaRose. but allocated just $4,000 to Littell and Kamin. Garrett did not earn the NJEA endorsement and so will get no money from them. We target the districts where we think our endorsed candidates will have the most difficulty," said Dee Corona, NJEA's director of governmental relations.

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