I tend not to agree too often with The Asbury Park Press, but I have to say the editors are on to something in their criticism of the dual-office-holding ban that is likely to become law.
The bill being advanced — which would allow current members of the state Legislature to continue holding other offices, but ban future members — is hypocritical and a sop to a handful of legislators who are deemed important allies on other issues.
Corzine and Panter both said the amended bill is the best they can get. In truth, it’s the best they are willing to fight for. For Corzine, the issue apparently isn’t important enough to risk losing support on other issues from the hypocrites in the Statehouse who say dual officeholding is wrong for future lawmakers but not for themselves.
And it assumes that a full ban would not have enough votes — a notion that only holds true if you exclude Republicans from the tally. My suspicion — and I’m not in Trenton counting the votes — is that there would be enough support from members of both parties for a full ban, but that the Democrats do not want a war within their caucus. Perhaps this is good politics, but it is bad policy for New Jersey.
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Hank Kalet 