Jerry Green - Courier - Editorial: New Dems Abbott forum

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Published in the Courier News, Saturday, October 7, 2006

Editorial: Hits & Misses
New Dems, old feud in Plainfield

Some political grudges just never seem to die.

Assemblyman Jerry Green, D-Plainfield, has long been a vocal advocate of Plainfield's status as an Abbott school district -- one of the state's special needs districts qualifying for enhanced state aid. He even led the fight in Trenton to restore Plainfield's Abbott designation after it had once been taken away.

So with many lawmakers clamoring for changes in the Abbott funding that threaten to reduce Plainfield's aid, we would have expected Green to be a vocal Abbott advocate.

But when Plainfield's "New Democrats" -- the faction of the party warring with Green -- rallied residents this week to support continuation of the Abbott funding, Green instead criticized the forum, saying it wouldn't solve problems with school budgeting accountability.

School spending policies are a genuine concern in Abbott districts that can't be ignored, and we would applaud Green's perspective -- if we were confident that it was a true reflection of his views. But he does still support the Abbott aid. What's apparent is that he so resents the New Democrats that he feels virtually obliged to blast anything with which they are involved -- even on an issue with which he largely agrees.

A miss for Green.

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