Why Meaningful Reform May Not Arrive Any Time Soon

by: mikeshapiro

Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 07:41:33 AM EST

Cross-Posted from ShapTalk.com:

The Governor works hard to create a fiscally responsible budget. He calls for legislative support for its passage. Many of the legislators whom the Governor needs to vote for the budget make demands that "Christmas tree" items be added to secure their vote. A few hundred are included so that the budget will pass. As a result, it passes but with hundreds of millions of dollars in additional unnecessary spending, upending the Governor's fiscally responsible good work.

mikeshapiro :: Why Meaningful Reform May Not Arrive Any Time Soon

The residents of New Jersey desire property tax reform and committees in the Legislature are created to tackle the issue. Committees actually develop some interesting concepts that could help alleviate the property tax squeeze in New Jersey. These ideas are gutted by the Legislature but property taxes are reduced through a spending gimmick that provides residents with a thousand or two off their property taxes, but with no meaningful permanent reform.

Some legislators propose a ban on dual office holding. Others publicly support the idea as long as all incumbent officials are grandfathered. After weeks of haggling, an agreement is reached. A last minute discrepancy between the Senate and Assembly versions of the proposal stalls a ban on dual office holding for the foreseeable future. Even if the ban is eventually enacted, current office holders will likely still be grandfathered. Since incumbents win re-election 90%+ of the time, it seems that dual office holding will remain with us for decades.

These three situations all occurred during the past year and have resulted in chest pounding by Legislators who proclaim that they are reforming how business gets done in Trenton. In reality, however, little has been accomplished save some favorable sound bytes politicians can use during the upcoming legislative campaign.

Why has this been happening? Unfortunately, it is against the Legislators' own self-interest to reform Trenton and improve politics in our State. When dual office holding is banned, it cuts off an opportunity for legislators to benefit themselves at the public trough. A fiscally responsible budget may be the best thing for New Jersey's economy and its citizens, but it eliminates the ability of legislators to bring home "pork" for their districts and/or their contributors, supporters, and relatives. Similarly, reforming property taxes in New Jersey requires tough decisions if meaningful reform is to take place. What legislator up for re-election wants to make a tough decision and face the wrath on Election Day?

If true reform is going to take place in New Jersey, it will need to be led by citizens who demand more from our elected officials and hold them accountable. Aggressive law enforcement, from the Attorney General's Office down to the municipal prosecutor, is needed to root out corrupt and/or unethical officials. It will take courage by those in power to be willing to upset the status quo to benefit the residents of our State. An active media that functions as a watchdog instead of a lapdog is also a necessity.

Meaningful reform can be achieved. It challenges all of us to play our part and work in concert for the betterment of our State and her future.

Tags: reform, christmas tree, property taxes, Democrats, state legislature, budget, dual office holding, (All Tags)

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Why Meaningful Reform May Not Arrive Any Time Soon | 8 comments

Ignorant electorate (0.00 / 0)

That's the problem. I'm just guessing here, but I bet this community here represents the top 2% in informed voters. Then there's probably another 30% who read newspapers and catch a little of what's going on. But I bet the other 65+% of people are voting for a D or an R regardless of what that person has done or promises to do...they just think their vote doesn't matter or the other party is just as bad.
We are a state full of dummies. Even at that I can guarantee other states have exponentially more dummies than we do.

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 16:27:28 PM UTC

"Ignorant"? Not so Simple.... (0.00 / 0)

Yes, lots of people are not aware of lots of stuff. So, you are right in one dimension and on one level.

The deeper questions are:

Why is it this way?

Who benefits/profits from thw status quo?

What kinds of measures/actions would it take to change the status quo?

Who/What interests would resist that change?

How would that resistance be overcome?

Obviously, I believe I have a sense of what "the answers" are to all those; but at this point I'm more interested in hearing yours.

by: Nick Lento @ Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 18:10:27 PM UTC

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Who benefits/profits (0.00 / 0)

Nick posed the right rhetorical questions. I'm just not sure his answers will match with the findings and observations of the Grand Jury that has been enpanelled to review the evidence currently being collected from the legislative leadership and the Governor by US Attorney Christie.
Dick Codey, Leonard Lance and Joe Roberts seem a little fidgety lately. Whole lotta squirmin' goin on.
Do you agree?

by: truthbetold @ Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 22:51:41 PM UTC

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It All Depends On Whether the "Truth is Being Told"... (0.00 / 0)

...to the Grand Jury.
Would love to be a fly on that wall.
With legalized pay to play/campaign contributions etc; you have to be very greedy, incompetent, and or arrogant to do something overtly illegal and get caught at it in NJ.
My sense is that for every one that is convicted of some kind of ethical misconduct that there are 500 that are getting away with it.
There is no shortage of revenue in our budget. There is no need to borrow money, raise taxes of sell off assets.
IF we can find a way to really "clean house" and vote in officials who are genuinely committed to clean up.
Imagine every penny being spent with REAL scrutiny and competence...and zero de facto corruption!
It's (just ;-) a matter of informing/motivating regular citizens to get involved and to be active and to AT LEAST register and vote!
It's in the interest of the people getting financially fat off the status quo to have a stupefied and cynical/passive electorate.
To have a chance of real reform, we have to find/create new messages in new media to reach out to and bring in new voters en masse while winning over the existing bases to the idea that the house needs to be swept...thoroughly.

by: Nick Lento @ Mon Mar 05, 2007 at 04:26:39 AM UTC

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on Christmas tree items (0.00 / 0)

for the sake of debate. isn't this what legislators are supposed to do, to a degree? don't we want them to bring stuff home to the district? now, progressive voices that will say "i'd give up money to the district in return for confidence in the system" are not typical of most voters.
most voters want their legislator to bring home the money for that bridge, or that local hospital. we just have a problem when OTHER people's legislators do it. the Christmas tree items are a very, very small percentage of an overall budget. the problem is not legislators "taking care" of their districts, it's our debt service and other huge expenses. we're allowing ourselves to get distracted by a very sexy, but not terribly significant issue.

by: morrisdem @ Sat Mar 03, 2007 at 13:28:13 PM UTC

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Sure, Then Have Real Hearings and Debate... (0.00 / 0)

on the expenditures over time; don't just throw it into the budget at the last second as a result of some off the record back room deals.
Also, simply "spending money" in a given district is no guarantee that anyone's life (aside from the contractors/suppliers) if being improved.
The pork barrel spending isn't "free money"; it just seems that way.

by: Nick Lento @ Mon Mar 05, 2007 at 04:30:56 AM UTC

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Without Meaningful Reform All Else is Relatively Meaningless (0.00 / 0)

I hate to sound like a Nicky-one-note; but, as much as we all might love to discuss a broad range of issues/policies; the rotting skunk under the floorboards permeates/taints all the "oxygen in the room".
We talk about policies and issues as if logic and common sense and objective factual realities were the primary elements...and that's not true. Things that are "wrong" in NJ are, in great measure, "wrong" because some group or individual is PROFITING from that "wrongness".
Rank and file Republicans who vote on issues like abortion/gun control/gay marriage/religion in the schools and the like are ideological canon fodder for corrupt elements in their Party.
Rank and file Democrats who vote "the party line" out of a sense of loyalty to all the hot button issues are also being ill used by the corrupt elements in our Party.
I submit to you that there is an overwhelming need to make the ethical questions/issues paramount. Clean up government (which includes the corrosive private sector influences) and the quality of life for ALL New Jerseyans will improve by orders of magnitude. Is there really ANYONE reading these words who disagrees?
http://www.bluejerse...

by: Nick Lento @ Mon Mar 05, 2007 at 15:53:18 PM UTC

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Not Me, That's For Sure. (0.00 / 0)

But there are so many who are uninformed out there, and this corruption continues, year after year. Newspapers, like our local "Independent Press" do not print the truth, because they are corrupt, and many people do not even read the newspapers, even if the truth is been printed in it. It is a battle to change things for the better, but it can happen. We must make it our job to be the "change agants!"

by: krose @ Mon Mar 05, 2007 at 16:18:07 PM UTC

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Why Meaningful Reform May Not Arrive Any Time Soon | 8 comments