Published in SJ Advance·Feb 23The Cooper Empire Expands!A Look at the Rutgers Camden-Rowan Board of Governors in Action — Last month, members of South Jersey Progressive Democrats went to a meeting of the Rutgers Camden-Rowan Board of Governors, a shadowy public board with power of eminent domain, a multimillion dollar budget, and an all white male board comprised of some of George Norcross’s closest associates. This board popped up…Corruption6 min readCorruption6 min read
Published in SJ Advance·Jan 17Talking Points for Rutgers-Camden Rowan Board of Governors meeting, 1–17, 12 PM, Joint Health…Talking Points for Rutgers-Camden Rowan Board of Governors meeting, 1–17, 12 PM, Joint Health Sciences Center, 201 Broadway Ave, Camden, Suite 440 In 2014, when this board was created, you hired a CEO without a job description, without a search process, without any kind of open or transparent process at…Good Government4 min readGood Government4 min read
Published in SJ Advance·Jan 2Why People Don’t Vote: The 3 Key Elements We’re MissingWhat would it take to get more New Jerseyans to vote? This question has perhaps acquired a new sense of urgency after the lackluster turnout for the November General Election in which only 41% of voters participated — the second lowest turnout in the past 20 years. The two most…Democracy6 min readDemocracy6 min read
Published in SJ Advance·Nov 21, 2022Change in the Making: Lessons from the NJ 2022 General Election“There is no way; we make the road by walking it” -Spanish poet Antonio Machado Elections don’t make change. They only ratify it. …New Jersey7 min readNew Jersey7 min read
Published in SJ Advance·Nov 13, 20227 Ways the Grassroots Get Stuck: Common Pitfalls & How to Fix ThemThe typical origin story of a volunteer grassroots community organizer begins with passion and a problem. My own is silly sounding but true: I wanted my town to legalize backyard chickens. If I’d been allowed to have a few hens, well, things in South Jersey might be different right now! …New Jersey7 min readNew Jersey7 min read
Oct 16, 2022Teach Your Kid Moral Lessons: Read Some Horror Stories Together!My first kid has been a reader, practically since birth. During the teething years, books were devoured, quite literally. Ours was a household full for board books with soggy corners. I have so many fond memories of sitting for hours at home or in the library, reading book after book…Gothic Literature6 min readGothic Literature6 min read
Oct 3, 2022A Quick Lap Through the Family Gene Pool: Thoughts on Unwieldy Inheritances(Originally published in my column for CF News Today) At a recent appointment, a doctor told me something I’ve heard many times before: “You know what you should really consider? Genetic testing!” He was scanning my chart, reading some of the details aloud, such as my father’s diagnosis at age…Ancestry4 min readAncestry4 min read
Published in SJ Advance·Sep 20, 2022The End of the Progressive Murphy MythLooking at images of Governor Murphy in Camden, hamming it up with former Republican Governor Chris Christie and Democratic party boss George Norcross, a single thought came to mind: Murphy jumped the shark. The expression “jump the shark” derives from an episode of “Happy Days” in which Fonzie literally jumps…New Jersey7 min readNew Jersey7 min read
Sep 19, 2022Whose Story Is It Anyway?(Originally published in “Breathe and Believe,” my column with CF News Today) (Spoiler alert: It’s yours.) A writer friend of mine regularly reminds her memoir students: “If you drive your friend to get an abortion, that’s your story, the story of you driving your friend to get an abortion.” The…Cystic Fibrosis3 min readCystic Fibrosis3 min read
Sep 7, 2022All the Years Are the Good Years: On Making Peace With Time(original published in “Breathe and Believe,” my column with CF News Today) Shortly after my younger sister’s double-lung transplant, I’d watch my mom flip through family photo albums with my kids and think, how could she stand to do that? How could she stand looking at photos of what I’d…Cystic Fibrosis4 min readCystic Fibrosis4 min read
