7/1/15 Press Meeting For Local Newspapers at the International House of Pancakes, Keyport

Congressman Frank Pallone addresses representatives of Local Newspapers at a Meeting on 7/1/15 at IHOP, Keyport
*Photos by Ron Miskoff

By Ron Miskoff

KEYPORT – It would be a better America if police routinely wore video body cameras as part of their uniforms, said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-6th Dist., during a meeting with members of the media on July 1. Responding to a question about the shooting death of a Perth Amboy man in 2013, Pallone noted that a pilot program mandating body cameras already exists, but it is too small to have much meaningful effect nationally.

“I would like to see it expanded,” Pallone said of the program.

The program only affects a fraction of cops at present, said Pallone.

The program, according to the Washington Post, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice and has been put into effect only this year.

“These cameras are meant to help local and tribal law enforcement agencies improve relationships with the public, a goal that follows a year of protests across the country aimed at the way police officers use lethal force, particularly toward black men and boys,” the Post said in an article written by Mark Berman on May 1.

Pallone said he recently “did a ride around” with the North Brunswick police and asked officers their view of using body cameras.

“The cops say they would like them [cameras] because someone may accuse them and they would have a record too,” said Pallone.

Congressman
Frank Pallone

A Perth Amboy resident, Dixon Rodriguez, was shot and killed by Perth Amboy police in December 2013 during an incident in the city. A security camera across the street happened to catch some of the action, but most observers say the video — only recently released by attorney Walter Luers of Clinton through an Open Public Records Act request — is too grainy and difficult to determine exactly what happened.

Shortly after the shooting, representatives of the Rodriguez family approached the Perth Amboy city council to demand that the video be released. That did not happen until last month.

As for having body cameras provided to police, Pallone said, “I think it’s something we could try to do.”

In a wide-ranging discussion with representatives of weekly newspapers and websites, Pallone discussed several areas that affect his work as a congressman.

“The weeklies are more important than the dailies in getting out the news,” Pallone said as he noted his work on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Pallone met with reporters at the International House of Pancakes restaurant in Keyport in a session arranged by his staff.

As the ranking Democrat on the committee, Pallone said he has been “pretty successful” in getting legislation moved through the House. In fact, he noted, the well-publicized acrimony between Conservatives and Democrats only surrounds certain issues. Others, he said, are being mutually discussed across the aisle and are moving toward enactment.

He was pleased that the Supreme Court recently upheld the Affordable Care Act because, in part, the ACA is “accepted now.”

“It’s almost absurd that I have people come up to me and say they are thankful for the Affordable Care Act but hate Obamacare,” said Pallone.

Obamacare, in fact, is the Affordable Care Act.

“In the next few years, we can go back and see if there are ways to improve it,” Pallone said. “In drafting the act, the intention was to go back and make changes — income eligibility, for example, how generous should it be.”

Asked about the work to rebuild following Hurricane Sandy, Pallone noted that Perth Amboy is “pretty complete around the marina,” but that work is being done in the Port Reading section of Woodbridge, as well as authorization to begin work along the South River and in Sayreville. He said there is wide-spread frustration over the lack of progress following Sandy.

“With regard to homeowners and individual businesses, it’s been a disaster,” he said.

He said one problem is that the funding is federal, but it is administered by the state.

“I would have primary responsibility with the federal government,” he said. “Each level blames the other.”

Pallone also spoke about:

• Needed changes in federal drug laws, particularly a program he sponsored but has not been funded to assure that senior citizens “are not overprescribed.”

•The need for the federal government to allow each state to decide if it wants to change its marijuana laws, not to threaten states with crime charges if the state allows medical marijuana to be sold, for instance. This has been a point of disagreement between medical marijuana advocates and Gov. Chris Christie.

• Laws to reduce the use of assault weapons. Following ever more frequent mass shootings, beginning with the one in Columbine, Col., Pallone said he was surprised to see Colorado legislators talking about arming teachers. “The public reaction is the opposite” of what he thinks should be done, he said.

• His work on the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, a proposed piece of legislation that would control spending.

• 21st Century Cures, a bill that would vastly improve medical care by authorizing personalized medicines, molecular medicine and other major advances that the medical community feels are long overdue.

• Improvements in the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act to require pre-notification for how chemicals are used in industry and require that companies and manufacturers test for risks before new chemicals are released for use.