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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018
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Former NJ governor visits Rutgers to discuss his book, social issues ERICA D’COSTA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
Last night, former New Jersey Gov. James Florio sat down and reflected with MSNBC political reporter Steve Kornacki about his time as a politician, the role of a governor and his thoughts on politics today. At the event, Florio, who served the Garden State from 1990-1994, launched his new book, “Standing on Principle: Lessons Learned in Public Life,” that discussed his time in local, state and national government and the unique experiences he encountered while serving. Kornacki kicked off the night by asking Florio what inspired him to write his novel, which will be publicly released in a week. Florio responded that his time teaching at Rutgers—Camden School of Law contributed to his desire to write the book. He said that he taught administrative law in Camden and that administrative law was something he did not understand until he worked in Washington, D.C. When he taught his class, he said he often found himself recounting his time in the capital and teaching his students about the lessons he learned there. He shared that the key to being a successful negotiator in politics, or even in other environments like business and law, is connecting with people on a humanistic level — something that is not happening in today’s polarizing political climate, he said. “Find compatibility,” he said. “Find that even in your worst enemy. There’s something there. Strive to touch that. Bipartisanship used to exist. I’ve been successful with getting things done with the idea of congeniality, civility ...” Florio said one critical theme from his book and a concept that he wanted people to remember is that
“the government isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s a tool (that) when used by people of good faith, can achieve the public interest.” An example of “people of good faith” coming together for a greater cause was during his successful motion to limit gun possession in the 90s that was spearheaded by the people, for the people, he said. It was the coming together of ordinary people united to support children that he felt was special about the movement. After a school shooting in 1989, Florio explained that he took on a campaign that mobilized educators and started conversations about the impact of gun violence on students, which is still very relevant today. The campaign included law enforcement officials, police officers, ministers, teachers and regular New Jersey citizens to host events and spark discourse about the harm of liberal accessibility to guns. “To make the long story short, in about a month and a half, we turned the whole process around so that in the final vote in the Senate, not one single senator, Democratic or Republican, was voting to overrun my veto. It was really in some respects, in my opinion, Jersey’s finest hour,” Florio said. He said that it highlighted the fact that when real citizens become engaged, it does not make any difference how powerful a special interest group like the National Rifle Association (NRA) is. “People can overwhelm that sort of power,” he said. In 1992, Florio successfully vetoed a bill that would repeal the state’s ban on the sale and possession of semi-automatic assault firearms. The governor said he would support the parts of the Republican bill that called for gunfree school zones but would not accept the portion of the bill that
‘Dead Poets Society’ is 1st in youth film series RYAN MCAULIFFE STAFF WRITER
The Rutgers Bonner Leaders Program looks to combine the art of film with community outreach through the “Dead Poets Society,” the first of three installments by the Rutgers Bonner Film Series. The screening played on Monday night on the College Avenue campus. Nicholas Migliaccio, a School of Arts and Sciences senior and two-year organization member, said the films were chosen by “a
collaboration of teams of students” who felt that it would best convey several themes. Other screenings this week include “A Place at the Table” on Wednesday and “Under the Same Moon” to run on Thursday. The films coincide with themes of youth mentorship, food insecurity and immigration, according to the event page. The Bonner program works in partnership with The Collaborative Center for Community-Based Research and Ser vice, a subdivision of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Migliaccio said it
James Florio served as New Jersey’s governor between 1990-1994, a time during which he noticed greater civic engagement than what is seen today. TWITTER allowed 60 types of semiautomatic rifles to be purchased in the same manner as handguns and rifles, according to an article from The New York Times. Florio applauded Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D-N.J.) initiatives to limit weapon accessibility. He said that he was proud that the incumbent governor highlighted his stance on the issue from the star t of his campaign, since most candidates usually steer away from the highly controversial subject while running.
is made up of approximately 20 students who work with the organization as part of the University’s work study program. They meet ever y two weeks and “place students in local communities.” Anam Ahsan, a Class of 2017 Rutgers graduate, works with the Rutgers Bonner Leader Program as a mentoring coordinator. She has been working with children in various forms since her teenage years, and is currently working with them in New Brunswick. “To be honest, as much as we can teach these youth, there’s so much they can teach us, because they do live a very separate life from us,” she said. “Dead Poets Society” is about John Keating, an English teacher and alumnus of an all-boys prepaSEE SERIES ON PAGE 4
“He is in the process of (working on gun control). That’s telling me that things are changing,” he said. Florio talked about his highly controversial tax reform movement in the 90s. At the time, he upped sales and income taxes to support New Jersey’s fiscal and educational future, which resulted in backlash from the public. In the interview with Kornacki, Florio said that he had just stepped into his position at that point and was advised to follow other politician’s leads on the subject — to do nothing at all.
He went on to explain that he could not take the backseat while knowing that the children of New Jersey could be getting a better education. He knew that being silent about something that mattered was a step away from what he stood for. “Not making a decision is a decision,” he said. “In some respects, when the pain of not working exceeds the pain of doing something, then it will get done ... I felt it was time to do something.” Florio has always been involved with education and has a seasoned history with Rutgers. After he attended Rutgers—Camden Law School, he went on to teach at Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy for more than 20 years. He explained that he has had an amazing relationship with the University throughout his whole life and encourages more students to get involved in politics. “I have a great relationship (with Rutgers). I really feel very closely aligned with the developments of the school over the last number of years,” he said. “All citizens, but particularly young people, because they have an investment in the future, have to become engaged in the political process and informed about the issues. It’s absolutely essential for the working of democracy, to have real people, average people, engaged in the political process.” As an individual with an extensive relationship with Rutgers and higher education in New Jersey, he said that the major issue in higher education today that needs to be tackled is affordability. “Education is really just another word for opportunity. If you want to have people be able to be publicly mobile, you have to make sure that education is affordable. That’s the biggest problem,” he said.
In one of his most recognized scenes, Robin Williams calls on his students to seize the day, a strikingly similar theme to that seen at Monday’s Rutgers Bonner Film Series’ showing of the film. TWITTER
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