July 1, 2008 - 9:46am
Art Albohn, eight-term Assemblyman, dies at 86
By Editor
Category: LocalTags: Arthur Albohn
Former Assemblyman Arthur Albohn, a Morris County Republican who spent sixteen years in the Legislature, died on Sunday. He was 86.
Albohn was elected to the State Assembly in 1979, defeating Democratic incumbent Rosemarie Totaro in the general election. He went on to win seven more terms. Albohn began his political career when he won seat on the Hanover Township Committee in 1955. He served as mayor five times during his 26-year career in local government.
"Art Albohn was a model legislator and leading member of the Republican caucus during the 1980s and 1990s who always asked the questions that needed to be asked," said Assemblyman Richard Merkt, his former legislative aide. "He served New Jersey and his constituents with integrity and rigor and was one of the most dedicated public officials I have ever known."
Merkt said that Albohn was best known for casting the most ‘no’ votes in the Legislature. "For that reason he became known as ‘Dr. No.’ But because he was one of the few legislators who read every bill put before him, I knew him as ‘Dr. Know,'" said Merkt.
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We Need More Art Albohns!
Assemblyman Albohn was a true gentleman of principle. It's too bad there aren't more folks like him in the state house today. And why hasn't that turd Corzine signed an executive order pulling all the flags to half staff?????
He Is Missed!
Art Albohn was indeed a real old-fashioned gentleman. And he did read every bill!
The reason Democrats, and even a few Republicans called Art Albohn "Dr. No.," was because he would point out the way they spent and wasted taxpayers money, and he would be very specific about a bill's shortcomings when he addressed provisions during a debate.
Though Art was never polemical, or personal, he was not afraid to speak and vote against bad bills. At times, he was able to raise enough public awareness to at least trim wastefulness, or kill junk bills.
But he wasn't against spending for the sake of spending. For example, he supported expenditures for advanced technology centers.
He is sorely missed!
We currently have a brand new budget with what the Governor freely admits is a $1.7 billion dollar structural deficit, meaning it may well be higher. That, in spite of the constitutional obligation to adopt a balanced budget! The Governor's deficient explanation for the structural deficit is that "We were projecting a $2.8 billion shortfall."
He also boasts about having paid down $650 million in debt, yet just saddled us with an additional $3.9 billion in debt, without giving the people any voice in whether we should borrow the money. But he says the voters should have a voice in taking on additional debt -- just not the $3.9 billion!
Most importantly, when the Governor took office 2 1/2 years ago, the State was saddled with approximately $24 billion dollars of debt. All tolled, we are now saddled with an approximately $36 billion debt. Half again as much!
Art Albohn would have worked tirelessly to get that news out there, and to help persuade the public of the need to reign in such fiscal irresponsibility.
by Trochilus
On the "all time best list"
Art was someone who put the public interest first. He was the most conservative legislator in the Assembly. He once told a republican legislator who was testiyfing at his committee that the legislator's proposal was the "dumbest idea" he had ever heard. Art was never looking for political advancement, only doing what he thought was the right thing. He was the first legislator to take on the environmental theology. He held public hearings on ECRA and forced the Kean administration to defend the program that was systematically preventing the transfer of manufacturing businesses in the urban industrial centers. Just for the fact that he attempted to read every bill that he voted on , he is in my all time list of best legislators.