New Jersey Politics Focus of Spring Series

New Jersey politics is the focus of the spring series, “Politics on the Public Mind.” Continuing through May 8, there are 10 Friday breakfast seminars at 9:30 a.m. in the Orangerie, College at Florham Library, that include an audience question-and-answer period as part of each presentation.

On Friday, February 20, journalists Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure will offer their insights on New Jersey based on their acclaimed book, The Soprano State: New Jersey’s Culture of Corruption (St. Martin’s Press). Critics, readers, bloggers and editors across the country have called the book “scandalously good,” “an expose of the business, politics and economics of the Garden State” and “deserving of a Pulitzer Prize.”

Ingle has worked for the Atlanta Constitution and the Associated Press and is currently bureau chief for Gannett’s Trenton, N.J., office. He writes a syndicated column and a blog and appears on New Jersey 101.5 FM’s “Jersey Guys” show.

McClure is a multiple award-winning veteran reporter whose New Jersey statehouse stories, first for The Trentonian and then for the Gannett State Bureau, span three decades, from Gov. Tom Kean to Gov. Jon Corzine. She also spent two stints in Pennsylvania covering government and corruption for five newspapers.

Successive presentations include: “Eliminating COAH,” with Richard Merkt, state assemblyman, candidate for New Jersey governor and outspoken critic of the Council on Affordable Housing, on March 6; “Public Defenders,” with Paul Wice, political science, Drew University, Madison, N.J., and author, Public Defenders and the American Justice System, on March 13; and “New Jersey Media,” with Robert Sommer, president, Observer Media Group, on March 27.

Michael Rockland, left, author of
The George Washington Bridge:
Poetry in Steel, discusses
his lecture with Maria Webb, right,
assistant director, College at
Florham Library.

Michael Rockland, author of The George Washington Bridge: Poetry in Steel and co-author of Looking for America on the New Jersey Turnpike led the series, followed by Steve Lonegan, former mayor of Bogota, N.J., conservative critic, candidate for New Jersey governor and author of Putting the Taxpayer First.

FDU’s PublicMind™ polling institute and the College at Florham Library co-sponsor the series. Seating is limited and reservations are necessary.

For the full schedule of speakers and topics for the spring “Politics on the PublicMind” series go to http://library.blog.fdu.edu/2009/01/16/jersey-politics-spring-seminars. To reserve a seat, contact Colleen Di Gregorio, public relations/marketing coordinator, College at Florham Library, at 973-443-8530 or colleend@fdu.edu. An $85 donation to the “Friends of the Library” is suggested for the general public to cover the 10 presentations. The presentations are free to FDU faculty, staff, students and alumni.