We write in response to GOP Chair Doug Steinhardt’s attack on  Senator Loretta Weinberg and all Democrats because a Port Authority Commissioner, who  was appointed by Chris Christie and approved by Republicans and Democrats, acted badly when the police pulled her daughter over (Insider NJ 4/27/18). Steinhardt fails to mention that Senator Weinberg immediately condemned Ms. Turner’s behavior.

Steinhardt, who followed his father into the family’s law practice, mocks Democrats saying they “fancy themselves champions of the NJ working class.” Yes, Democrats are the champions of the working class, Doug.  They just passed the country’s best Equal Pay Act, which protects working class – and all – women and minorities from pay discrimination. This week Democrats will attend the signing of the Earned Sick Leave Bill they championed, providing the working class with protection from financial ruin if they get sick.  Last term Democrats tried to raise the minimum wage – but the Republican Governor vetoed it.

In fact, some NJ Republicans have worked with Democrats to pass this important legislation.  The new Equal Pay Act was named by Democrats after former Republican Senator Diane Allen, a legislator who could work across the aisle and did not stoop to Steinhardt’s level of personal attack.  We hoped that with Christie gone these crude personal attacks would stop and the dignified Republicans, like Senator Allen,  would take the lead.

The hypocrisy in Steindhardt’s condemnation is Trumpian rubbish. If Republican leaders are now interested in punishing entire political parties for the bad acts of a few, let’s start with his party’s own Chris Christie.  Then we can add the “elitist” Republican David Samson, also formerly of the Port Authority, who pled guilty to using his power to get United Airlines to give him a weekly plane ride to his vacation home in South Carolina. Then add  Bill Baroni,  Bridget Anne Kelly, Scott Pruitt, Michael Flynn, etc. When many in the GOP stop trying to undermine Democratic initiatives to help working people,  GOP Chair Steinhardt  should let us know.

Phyllis Salowe-Kaye

Executive Director, New Jersey Citizen Action

Nancy Erika Smith

SMITH MULLIN,P.C.