Tag: campaign finance

Clean elections update

Politics NJ is reporting that the 14th District was selected as the clean elections district by a 3-2 vote along party lines.

It’s a good decision, though both districts could make a good case. In the end, the decision came down to the number of incumbents running — according to former Gov. Jim Florio, who cast the deciding vote. Just one incumbent is running in the 14th, while two are running in the 12th. Incumbent Assembly Republicans in both districts are making bids for the Senate — Bill Baroni in the 14th is seeking the seat left vacant by Sen. Peter Inverso, a Republican, while Jennifer Beck is challenging incumbent Ellen Karcher in the 12th.

Ms. Beck says the decision opens up the 12th to oodles of special interest money — a view that Sen. Karcher seconds. Seems there is room for some kind of truce. (I suspect the GOP would prefer not to have to spend money in the 12th, but that is just me.)

The key, as I’ve written many times in the last week, is that the 14th has been the most expensive in the state in recent years and the program’s primary sponsors — Baroni and Linda Greenstein, a Democrat — are running in the 14th.

So let’s get this thing going and prove that clean elections can work in New Jersey.

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The Blog of South Brunswick
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Decision time for clean elections

PoliticsNJ is reporting that the Clean Elections District Selection Committee will be meeting today, despite the weather.

The choice comes down to the 12th and 14th districts — two districts with shared representation. What separates them, in my mind (as I wrote last week week), is the commitment by both parties to clean elections. While the Democrats in the 12th are on the record in favor of the program (they cosponsored the legislation), the Republicans have been quiet.

In the 14th, however, you have the two primary Assembly sponsors (Republican Bill Baroni and Democrat Linda Greenstein), both of whom sat on the committee that studied the earlier trial. Both want this program to work and said they will do what they can to ensure it.

If the state is serious about this, it will select the 14th. If not, it will select the 12th and let the chips fall where they may.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick
The Cranbury Press Blog

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Let’s keep the 14th clean

I’ll have a column tomorrow on why the 14th District is the most logical for clean elections — both Assembly members — Republican Bill Baroni and Democrat Linda Greenstein are huge supporters of the program, it is an expensive district and it is diverse.

The two parties, however, couldn’t agree — the GOP wants the 12th and the Dems the 14th — and now a special bipartisan commission will decide. Both Ms. Greenstein, who is running for re-election, and Mr. Baroni, who is seeking the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Peter Inverso, a Republican, have sent letters to their respective leadership making their views know.

Let’s hope they listen.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
Blog of South Brunswick
The Cranbury Press Blog

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A temporary — but necessary — fix

Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts has been making the case for clean-elections reform (which the Assembly, in its infinite wisdom, tabled on second reading today) and I think we all need to listen.

Clean Elections are investments in democracy. By providing public financing to candidates, special-interest money is taken out of the political process so legislators will not feel beholden to large contributors and their agendas.

Under Clean Elections, qualified candidates who agree to forgo large private contributions and follow strict spending limits receive public financing for their campaigns. This frees candidates from having to chase campaign donations from big-money special interests and lobbyists. It enables candidates ample opportunity to
conduct their campaigns with the interest of their constituents as their top priority.

The legislation, unfortunately, is just a Band-Aid. It’s not nearly comprehensive enough, as The Asbury Park Press, has pointed out — though the Shore-area paper is wrong to call for it’s defeat.

Allowing the flawed program to die off would not lead to a better, fuller experiment in two years, but would signal the end of the experiment, leaving the current system of legalized bribery in place for the foreseeable future. And while pay-to-play bans and other ethics reforms will undoubtedly help some, they only restrict and redirect the flow of money; candidates would still be beholden to the private interests who pay for their campaigns.

The Legislature needs to approve A-100 and then move immediately to improve it — if not for the 2007 election cycle, then for 2009.

To do anything less would be irresponsible.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick
The Cranbury Press Blog

E-mail me by clicking here.

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.