Englishtown Borough Council holds first of what is expected to be many town hall meetings

NJ officials rail against congestion pricing as feds delay deadline to end the tax

News 12’s ‘Ask Gov. Murphy’ to air Tuesday, March 25 at 4 p.m.

A judge has moved a jailed Palestinian activist's deportation fight to New Jersey

Congestion pricing stays as MTA battles Trump administration in court

Trial begins for Nadine Menendez, wife of former US Sen. Bob Menendez

newjersey

News 12 Staff

NJPP322B

At less than 3 months until primary day, and this week we have another conversation with one of the candidates in a very crowded and competitive field for governor. I'd like to welcome Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Thanks so much for being here. It's good to see you. Thanks for having me. Listen, uh, before we get started, uh, we should start by expressing our, our really our deepest condolences for the loss of, uh, Sergeant Ascona. Uh, really, really hard week for, for everybody in Newark, of course, for the police department. But I have to ask you because as, as the shock and the grief I think we're setting in, you had said, quote, we have to do a better job. I have to do a better job. It's not a police problem. This is our collective problem. Can you, can you get more into that and how you would address something like this going forward? I mean, part of it is the the idea uh that guns are getting into the hands of children, uh, in these communities that we have to do a better job at steering guns away. Uh, and making sure, uh, that our gun laws in New Jersey are being followed, uh, that we did this serious in addiction up and down the parkway, the turnpike, uh, where guns are coming in, where they're easily to be gotten out of Pennsylvania or Virginia. We have to do a better job there. We have to do a better job, uh, and, uh, making sure young people don't feel like they need to be outside with guns that we, uh, our juvenile justice system, uh, has to work in collaboration with our school system and collaboration with city government. Uh, in collaboration with nonprofit organizations to begin to provide resources for young people who have took a turn, uh, that we don't want them to take to bring them back, uh, and give them alternative pathways, uh, to success, uh, that they're just not experiencing. Uh, there's no communication between these agencies, uh, we're trying desperately to create more communication, uh, but that, that needs to happen. I think we need to double down on those efforts. That's what I mean by us and giving family support. That they need uh trying to raise children in a very difficult environment, uh, we need to give the families the support that they need. Mayor, a topic that you have been, uh, extremely vocal about, at least in the past several weeks, has been, uh, the reopening of Delaney Hall as an immigration detention center. You said loud and clear to ice it's not gonna happen and uh you threatened to stop work order. Where, where does that stand right now? Well, you know, in order to do something in New Jersey, you actually have to have permits you actually have to, um, you know, go to the planning board. All these other things have community meetings. No, none of that is being done. So we're just really putting them on notice that you have to do these things. You can't just run roughshod over local municipal law, uh, and state law. You have to follow the procedures, and we're gonna hold them to that. Have you heard any response from ICE about this yet, or, I mean, ICE wouldn't respond probably to Group yet, and, uh, they have not responded to us, uh, on that matter, and, uh, you know, hopefully they will. Immigration is an area where you differ a bit from some of your Democratic colleagues here uh in the race for governor. For instance, Congressman Gottheimer, he voted in favor of the Lake and Riley Act. uh, Senate President Steve Sweeney says he wants to do away with sanctuary state status. Can you talk about how your views. Differ from those in your field right now? Well, you just pointed it out. I don't agree with any of those two things, uh, that's for sure. I mean, I, I think this context, uh, that was created of talking about immigrants and crime at the same time is wrong. I mean that's a false argument we should be talking about how immigrants, uh, contribute to state and local taxes, uh, over a billion dollars. How, uh, they open up small businesses and hire folks in the community that's what we should be talking about and preserving people's constitutional rights. We cannot allow the Constitution of the United States to be tread upon, uh, you know, simply because people don't like specific, uh, immigrants. I mean that's wrong. I mean you can't violate people's 4th Amendment rights, their 14th Amendment rights, but for those who have committed serious crimes. Uh, we have a legal system in America. Like we have this argument is like pretending that we don't have police and judges and courts. If people commit crimes, uh, they're gonna be, uh, held accountable for them. Uh, and if deportation is a part of that, then that's fine. But we also have due process that allows people to actually go to court and be charged. Mayor, uh, in the past several days he took he took aim rather at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying that he should step aside after he supported the Republican, uh, spending bill to avert a government shutdown. New CNN poll revealing that Democratic Party approval, uh the approval rating is at a record low. How do you, how do you factor all that and how do you tap into that as you're running for governor when, when there are obviously some indications, especially with the past election. That New Jersey seems to be going a little more purple these days. Well, I, I don't think that's true. I just think people are staying home and they're not inspired by what's happening. They think that, uh, the party of working class families or working families is not representing working families and so they're staying home. They can't make New Jersey affordable. They can't build affordable housing like we can't, uh, desegregate schools. We, we can't protect immigrants and LGBTQ. Community folks, we cannot uh give people a pathway to to to the middle class, uh, and so people are staying home. um I think that in this moment people want folks to fight back. I mean in a crisis that's when people need leadership. They don't need anything other than that. They don't need you to run and hide, they need leadership and I think that you know these guys blinked very fast and didn't even give it any effort to push back against this, these draconian cuts. I mean cutting Medicaid, Social Security. You know, veterans benefits. This is very real stuff. This, this is uncharted territory. This is not the age of Reagan Bush. This is a different Republican Party. This is a different animal that we're dealing with right now. So let me talk to you, what, what would your day one priorities be if you're elected? Well, affordability, reducing building more housing, right, making sure the the wealthiest in the state pay their fair share, so changing the tax code in, in that bay, repealing the Christie tax cuts, uh, focusing on a budget, uh, you know, to get the legislature involved, uh, do a 3 year forecast on what that looks like, begin to invest in small businesses and mid-sized businesses because that's where our economy is and based on what's happening in the federal government, we're gonna have to rely on mid-size and small businesses. We have to invest in those businesses and watch them grow. What about the school funding formula? We have to change it. It's broken. School funding formula is old, is outdated. It needs to be changed. It needs to be heavily weighted around English language learners and kids with, uh, disabilities and special needs, uh, more than anything, and then there needs to be a diversity bonus for schools that create diversity at the same time, and we need to combine some of these schools, so we need unified school districts. Uh, finally, there was a recent poll FDUpoll director Dan Cassino, uh, had said that this is not the race anyone was expecting a few months ago, referring to you and Congressman Sherrill, uh, really kind of pulling out ahead of the rest of the pack. What, what, what we only have 20 seconds left. What's your game plan going forward? I continue to talk to people where they are going to the bars, the barbershops, the beauty parlors, the barbecue huts, wherever people are, that's what we're going. We're gonna continue to talk to them. We're gonna do a serious ground game out here and focus on democratic, uh, working class voters. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, thanks so much for being here. Appreciate it. Thank you and stay with us. We got a lot more coming up here on New Jersey Power and Politics when we come back.

https://vod.prod.alticeustech.com/transcode/58ba5192-fcd4-49c2-9a75-1760900c0933/58ba5192-fcd4-49c2-9a75-1760900c0933.transcribe

NJPP322C_2025-03-22-15-45-17

New Jersey Democrats pushing back on cuts and layoffs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Senator Andy Kim and Representatives Rob Menendez Junior and La Monica MacGyver stood with a group of fired federal workers at the HUD field office in Newark this week. They say the cuts are harming communities. And I think that you know I'm optimistic and hopeful all the time that even some Republicans that you know share the same values and views as Trump that they understand that these cuts and these different policies and things that are happening, they are hurting the people that they have been elected to serve. Senator Kim says the number of job cuts here in New Jersey is not yet known. Well, there's a new member of the Englishtown Borough council, and he's got a unique resume. John Leet is a former member of the Gambino crime family. He invited our Chris Keating to his home to talk about his new job and the old one. You're likely wondering, is John Elite, a former member of the Gambino crime family who used to work for John Gotti and did prison time truly right for the English town Borough council? I don't blame him for saying it. I would say the same thing, to be honest, people are gonna judge you at 62, Elite is admittedly embarrassed about the first half of his life. There's no way I can erase the first part. I wish I could, but you can't. Served 14 years in prison after getting caught up in a wide reaching mob bust for extortion, murder, and drugs. Elite would eventually testify against the Gottis. Since then he's turned it around, written books about his mafia life, and been a motivational speaker with a message of don't follow my old path, follow my new one. So they bring me in to talk to kids because I lived it. I know what they're going through as an inner city kid. And uh I try to push him in the right direction. Now he's a lot like others here in Englishtown. He's a dad of 5 who showed us multiple shrines in his Main Street home to his one daughter Chelsea, who at 30 lost her life to a pill laced with fentanyl. These are the universe. The dangers of drugs is a platform he'll push as he enters politics with a goal of someday running for Congress, even though he has trouble finding respect for those in those seats. I hate to say this. I think 70% of them are corrupt. I think their agenda they're still committing crimes. I stopped committing them a while ago. Elite was appointed to the council after two seats opened, and as far as Mayor Daniel Francisco is concerned, Elite does fit the mold. He knows a lot of people in the business community, knows a lot of people in the political. Movement he's a guy that gives back his time to do a lot of talks with police departments, federal agencies, does a lot of uh drug outreach. The mayor believes in second chances and elite is in the middle of his right now in Englishtown. I'm Chris Keating, News 12, New Jersey. Programming note, this Tuesday is your chance to ask Governor Murphy. Be sure to post your questions on our social media pages or call in and ask your questions live on the air starting at 4 p.m. Again, that's Tuesday, and that'll do it for this week. I'm Eric Lantz Kronner. As always, we thank you so much for watching New Jersey Power and Politics. We'll see you again next time.

https://vod.prod.alticeustech.com/transcode/0f8fb725-63fb-4773-b721-0d59b61adf28/0f8fb725-63fb-4773-b721-0d59b61adf28.transcribe

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka join the show.

Power & Politics: Utility prices set to surge in June, 1:1 with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka join the show.

More Stories

Englishtown Borough Council holds first of what is expected to be many town hall meetings

NJ officials rail against congestion pricing as feds delay deadline to end the tax

News 12’s ‘Ask Gov. Murphy’ to air Tuesday, March 25 at 4 p.m.

A judge has moved a jailed Palestinian activist's deportation fight to New Jersey

Congestion pricing stays as MTA battles Trump administration in court

Trial begins for Nadine Menendez, wife of former US Sen. Bob Menendez

Englishtown Borough Council holds first of what is expected to be many town hall meetings

NJ officials rail against congestion pricing as feds delay deadline to end the tax

News 12’s ‘Ask Gov. Murphy’ to air Tuesday, March 25 at 4 p.m.

A judge has moved a jailed Palestinian activist's deportation fight to New Jersey

Congestion pricing stays as MTA battles Trump administration in court

Trial begins for Nadine Menendez, wife of former US Sen. Bob Menendez

More from News 12

Power & Politics: Battle over ICE detention center in Newark

Power & Politics: Cheers and jeers during Trump’s address to Congress

Power & Politics: Norcross charges tossed; congestion pricing latest; 1:1 with Sean Spiller

Gov. Murphy answers viewers questions on ‘Ask Gov. Murphy’ program - Feb. 19, 2025

Power & Politics: Trump executive order analysis; Gov. Murphy's last budget speech

Power & Politics: Highlights and fireworks at NJ gubernatorial primary debates

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Ad Choices