About Mike | About ShapTalk | Column Archive

Shaptalk.com Column Archive



6-25-2008	Corzine’s E-mail Fiasco: A Profound Lack of Judgment?


6-18-2008	Let’s Talk About Energy


6-11-2008	Corzine Should Not Count His Chickens…


6-5-2008	Is It Back to the House for Andrews?


5-29-2008	Thoughts on the VP Search


5-22-2008	A Warning to Those Who Exercise Eminent Domain Powers


5-14-2008	The Debate over Debates


5-7-2008	Why Commend Inclan?


4-30-2008	Scoring Points!


4-23-2008	Reining In Out-of-Control Spending


4-16-2008	Why Mrs. Andrews?


4-9-2008	Communicating with New Jersey Legislators Via E-mail


4-2-2008	It is Time to “Change Congress”


3-26-2008	Fewer Foxes Guarding the Henhouse


3-19-2008	Lieutenant Governor: No Longer a Patronage Job


3-12-2008	The Long Slog Ahead


3-5-2008	Freedom of the Press -- The Victor!


2-26-2008	Corzine, Like Clinton, Only With More Time to Turn It Around


2-20-2008	Is Obama Inevitable?


2-13-2008	Governor’s Toll Road Plan Under Heavy Fire


2-7-2008	What About al Qaeda?


1-31-2008	Will He or Won’t He?


1-23-2008	Hillary Clinton’s Campaign – A Foreshadow of her Presidency?


1-16-2008	The Party Democracy Act -- a Step in the Right Direction


1-9-2008	Codey and Roberts Reform Plan -- Last Chance Before Voters Look Elsewhere


1-2-2008	New Jersey’s Abolition of the Death Penalty


12-27-2007	New Year’s Resolutions for Garden State Government


12-19-2007	Why Not Consider the Rutgers Stadium Funding Concept for Professional Sports?


12-12-2007	If I’m Either of the Johns or Fred…


12-6-2007	School Aid Plan Raises Questions


11-29-2007	Why Not Cut Spending?


11-22-2007	Let the Sun Shine In and the Chips Fall Where They May


11-16-2007	Let’s End Profiteering From Public Service


11-8-2007	On My Retirement from Partisan Politics


11-2-2007	Why Has the Media Been Nominating Hillary? And What About Rudy?


10-25-2007	Genuine Leadership—A Pipe Dream?


10-18-2007	An Exodus from New Jersey: Why?


10-10-2007	“Legalized Bribery” Continues Unabated


10-3-2007	Corruption and the November Election


9-27-2007	Another $30M?


9-19-2007	A Roadmap for Reform


9-12-2007	Just Shy of a Dozen: How Many More Pols are in Christie’s Crosshairs?


9-6-2007	Return the Cash, Senator Kean


8-22-2007	WAGG-NJ


8-16-2007	Where are the “independent” Politicians?


8-1-2007	“Christmas Tree” Grants


7-26-2007	Frank Lautenberg: Competency and Integrity, Not Age, Will Determine His Future


7-19-2007	Some Observations


7-13-2007	Time for a Straphanger’s Campaign in New Jersey?


7-5-2007	On the Right Track?


6-28-2007	An Intriguing Late Summer/Fall Could Become Exciting


6-21-2007	Automated Calls in New Jersey Politics: Mend Them, Don’t End Them


6-14-2007	The Demise of Sharpe James?


6-7-2007	How Low Can Politics Go?


5-31-2007	Can a Minority Ruin it for All?


5-23-2007	Negative Politics: Pervasive in New Jersey (and Beyond)


5-17-2007	Mandatory Sensitivity Training in New Jersey’s Public Schools


5-10-2007	Governor Corzine: Showing His Human Side


5-2-2007	The Coalition Against Corrupt Politicians (CACP): The Right Message, Wrong Messenger?


4-26-2007	Corzine’s Temporary Exit Allows for Possible Mischief


4-18-2007	Rutgers University: The Hands Down Winner


4-12-2007	New Jersey’s Pols: Backing the Wrong Horses?


4-4-2007	Should Hillary Venture Into Bergen County Before the Primary?


3-29-2007	The Democratic Party and Women in Politics


3-21-2007	A New Day for New Jersey Politics?


3-14-2007	To Lease or Sell Key State Assets Requires Thorough Investigation


3-7-2007	City Ethics: A One-Stop Shop for Municipal Ethics


2-29-2007	Why Meaningful Reform May Not Arrive Any Time Soon


2-22-2007	Reforming School Aid Formula Will Wait Yet Another Year


2-15-2007	Has the Governor Gone Too Far?


2-8-2007	Democracy Flourishes In The Sunshine


2-1-2007	Cheney: An Abject Failure


1-25-2007	It’s Time to Seriously Address Underage Drinking


1-17-2007	Is It Time for a Full-Time Legislature?


1-11-2007	Stop “Wheeling” or Disclose It!


1-4-2007	Time to let the Sun Shine In


12-27-2006	Ferguson Still Doesn’t Get It


12-22-2006	Double Dipping: Time to Stop the Practice


12-14-2006	Rutgers’ Storybook Season = Greater State Support?


12-8-2006	A Recall in Edison?


11-30-2006	New Jersey: Crying Out for Reform


11-23-2006	Are the Democrats in Trouble?


11-17-2006	Where the GOP Goes From Here


11-10-2006	The State of Politics


11-4-2006	A Deplorable Campaign


10-27-2006	The Need for Municipal Ethics Reform


10-21-2006	Ferguson on the Ropes?


10-11-2006	Tom Kean Jr.’s Once-Shining Star Dims


10-5-2006	Undone by Greed


9-28-2006	“All Politics is Local”


9-21-2006	Township Committees: Making Them More Transparent and Representative


9-14-2006	Curbing Overdevelopment


9-8-2006	Woodbridge Reforms: A Challenge for New Jersey Municipalities


8-31-2006	The Gravy Train for Elected Officials - - When Will It End?


8-24-2006	An Easy Task? Finding an Ethical Attorney General


8-17-2006	Foiled Terror Plot May Change Political Dynamic


8-10-2006	Israel v. Hezbollah: Our Proxy Against Islamo-Fascism


8-4-2006	Let’s Cap Unused Sick and Vacation Time on the Local Level


7-27-2006	Ethics Reformers?


7-20-2006	Let’s End Double/Triple-Dipping


7-14-2006	The Budget Fallout


7-7-2006	The Swift-Boating of Senator Menendez


6-30-2006	Reject the Two-Tiered Internet!


6-22-2006	Ann Coulter: Nothing New (or Worthwhile) Here


6-16-2006	A Sweet Sweep for the Mayor-Elect


6-9-2006	The Fruits of Politicizing Our Universities II


6-2-2006	Is Perception Reality?


5-26-2006	The Fruits of Politicizing our Universities


5-19-2006	Is the Tide Beginning to Turn in the 7th Congressional District?


5-13-2006	Can $6 Fix a Broken System?


5-5-2006	Don’t Count Corzine Out Just Yet!


4-29-2006	A "Marshall Plan" for the American Auto Industry


4-21-2006	The Kean Campaign – Is it in Trouble?


4-14-2006	The Case Against Mike Ferguson


4-7-2006	Salary as well as Benefits of Public Officials Should be Disclosed


3-31-2006	The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Newark Politics


3-25-2006	Imette’s Law


3-18-2006	The Need For Serious Property Tax Reform


3-11-2006	Time to Focus on Pension Abuse


3-4-2006	Pension Reform Must Start Now


2-25-2006	The Gang Who Can’t Shoot Straight


2-18-2006	The Wiretap Fiasco


2-11-2006	The Plight of Mini-T


2-4-2006	Influence Peddling in New Jersey and Beyond


1-28-2006	Isn’t It Time To Care For Our Own?


1-21-2006	Developer Disclosure: Time is Ticking


1-13-2006	Congressman Mike Ferguson and the Franking Privilege


1-7-2006	Where is the FCC?


12-26-2005	The Year of the Iraq War Veteran


12-18-2005	The Race is on in the 7th Congressional District


12-10-2005	Senator Menendez: Short-Term Fix or a Senator for Life?


12-3-2005	New Jersey’s Troubled Pension System


11-26-2005	Equality and Justice for All


11-20-2005	Interesting Conflicts at New Jersey’s Colleges


11-13-2005	Tom Kean, Jr.: A Viable Candidate?


11-7-2005	Down and Dirty Politics in the Garden State


10-30-2005	A Slogan for New Jersey


10-24-2005	Codey For U.S. Senate


10-16-2005	The Supreme Court: A Court of Law


10-8-2005	The Culture of Cronyism and Corruption


10-2-2005	The Luckiest Man: Can It Last?


9-26-2005	A “Sore Loser” Tries Again?


9-18-2005	Corzine’s Plan to Reform Authorities: Good for New Jersey


9-10-2005	The Entertainment Industry: Profiting At Our Children’s Expense


9-3-2005	Doug Forrester’s Campaign: Put a Fork In It; It’s Done


8-30-2005	Reflections on the Fourth Anniversary of 9/11


8-21-2005	Keeping an Eye on Local Government: Does My Makeup Look Okay?


8-14-2005	The Gas Crisis, the Environment, and the Economy


8-7-2005	Creationism in the Classroom?


7-30-2005	The Future Justice Roberts: Fair-Minded Conservative or Committed Ideologue?


7-24-2005	Mass Transit Deserves Protection


7-17-2005	The Latest Merger Proposal for Rutgers


7-10-2005	Senator Vitale: Fighting for Health Insurance


7-3-2005	A Sea Change at the Supreme Court?


6-26-2005	The Dismantling of Property Rights in America


6-20-2005	Doug Forrester: Throwing Stones While Living in a Glass House


6-14-2005	Listen Up Cell Phone Users!


6-7-2005	Deep Throat: Hero or Traitor?


5-30-2005	New Jersey Residents: Living in a State of Corruption?


5-23-2005	The Republican Horserace


5-16-2005	Closing Military Bases in the Metropolitan Area: What are the Consequences


5-8-2005	The Key to Curtailing Run-Away Spending


5-1-2005	Independent Federal Redistricting Commissions: Their Time Has Come


4-26-2005	Property Taxes in New Jersey: Time for Reform


4-20-2005	Rappers’ Delight?


4-12-2005	Activist Pharmacists


4-5-2005	Let’s End the Revolving Door


3-26-2005	Will Schundler’s Strategy to Win Nomination Succeed?


3-20-2005	Time to Turn Out the Lights


3-17-2005	The Republican Party Conventions in New Jersey: Do They Matter?


3-10-2005	Joe Piscopo for Governor?


3-6-2005	Rutgers and New Brunswick: A New Spirit of Cooperation


2-27-2005	February 28, 2005: Day of Decision?


2-20-2005	GOP Over-Reacts -- Setting Tone for Campaign?


2-19-2005	Senator Codey’s Wise Decision


2-2-2005	Let’s Reign in the “Shock Jocks”


1-23-2005	With Dignity and Honor


1-17-2005	A Scarlet Letter?


1-10-2005	Conflict of Interest?


1-1-2005	Shirley Chisholm: Trailblazer