A tale of 2 editorials

by: Jason Springer

Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 08:23:28 PM EST

It's amazing to read sometimes the different takes that the op-ed pages of newspapers can have when covering the same issue. Take for example, the issue of Dual Officeholder Dawn Addiego. Last week I wrote that she had broken her campaign promise to not hold 2 offices if she was elected to the Assembly before she even took office.

I felt like it was an April Fools joke to read the Courier Post Op-Ed the following day entitled, "Burlco officials set example", where they held Addiego and her running mate up as a model for others...

We continue to urge other dual-office holders -- such as Assemblymen John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, who also is mayor of Paulsboro, and Paul Moriarty, D-Gloucester, who also is Washington Township's mayor -- to put the interests of New Jerseyans first. We urge them to follow the lead of Addiego and Rudder and give up one of their public offices.

The editorial only mentioned that she was giving up her seat, not that she was going to wait until the Boss found his next stooge. It was also really nice of them to take the opportunity to hit the Democrats, but if those officials follow Addiego's lead, they'll continue to be dual officeholders and instead of trying to justify it, they'll just lie to the voters when asked.

Luckily the Burlington County Times brought some truth to the situation with their Op-Ed entitled, "A pledge unmet". Follow me below the fold to see how the BurlcoTimes got it so right where the Courier went so horribly wrong.

Jason Springer :: A tale of 2 editorials

They began with a recap of Addiego's campaign saying...

Dawn Addiego's successful race for state Assembly last November focused on her insistence on reform and ethical change, particularly in the arena of dual-office holding.
On the glossy pages of the voluminous campaign literature arriving relentlessly in residents' mailboxes, the longtime Republican county freeholder trumpeted, "It's time to CHANGE TRENTON NOW" (emphasis hers).
Among the ways candidate Addiego promised to do this was to "Ban all elected officials from holding two taxpayer-paid jobs, and end the corrupt practice of pension-padding at taxpayer expense that's cost our state billions."

Maybe Addiego didn't read her own campaign lit about opposing dual office holding because I didn't see her resign the 1st office and neither did the BCT...

With pomp and circumstance, Addiego was sworn in Tuesday to represent the state's 8th District. Have you heard her announce the exact date she'll step down from her freeholder post?
Neither have we.
The candidate who promised to relinquish her county post if constituents sent her to Trenton now says she will not resign as freeholder until her party decides who will succeed her.
Odd, isn't it, that a party that has had more two months since the election to line up Addiego's replacement has yet to float a candidate.
Actually, it's longer than that. The prospect that Addiego would be representing the 8th District had been out there since the June primary election, shouldn't someone at least have been thinking about the ramifications?

Silly newspaper, it takes time to find another yes person for Boss Paulsen on the Freeholder board, but at least they aren't letting Addiego off the hook...

Addiego says resigning from the freeholder board would leave only four members in place, hobbling the board's ability to conduct the people's business.
It's a lame argument in light of promises she made to district voters scant months ago.

Lame is the most genteel way to describe what she's doing, but at least they're not holding her up like the model official as the Courier did. Here's how they close...

Are we missing something here? Was the new assemblywoman calling for a ban on dual office holding for everybody but herself?
Just how does the rhetoric of her campaign square with the reality of her actions?

Her rhetoric doesn't square at all, but something tells me this won't be the last time she breaks a promise she made to the voters. I just hope people are reading the BCT rather than the Courier or they will think they have a different Assemblywoman.