In just two days - this Saturday, September 24th at 5:00 p.m. - Team Blue Jersey is going to take a walk with a bunch of our friends to raise money for marriage equality. There's still time to join us!
We're taking part in Equality Walk 2011 - Garden State Equality's low-dollar per person fundraiser that allows everyone to participate - there's no required minimum amount for you to raise. And, the beauty of this grassroots approach is that small contributions really add up. Take Team Blue Jersey for example - we set a modest goal of raising $500, and quickly surpassed it. Then we bumped it to $750, and passed it. Then $1,000, ... check.
In fact, thanks to the efforts of Blue Jersey readers and friends, we're closing in on being one of GSE's Top 5 Fundraising teams for the event! So now, we need your help to get to Team Blue Jersey's new goal of reaching $1,500 for Garden State Equality's 2011 Equality Walk by the time the walk kicks off Saturday at 5pm. So we've got 48 Hours left. Let's do it!
And even if you can't join us on Saturday, you can help by joining our team and raising money, or by just contributing directly to Team Blue Jersey. Thank you all, and hope to see you Saturday! :)
You might remember the exhilarating feeling earlier this year when New York passed its marriage equality law. I know I do, just as I know I am looking forward to the day when we in New Jersey get a taste of that delicious equality on this side of the Hudson.
And that day will come - whether it happens soon after Gov. Christie is tossed from office in 2013, or sooner when we muster a veto-proof majority for marriage equality - it will come. And Blue Jersey will be there, alongside Garden State Equality, as it always has been, fighting to make that day come sooner rather than later.
That's why I'm so proud to announce that Blue Jersey is sponsoring a team in GSE's September 24th Equality Walk:
The fight for marriage equality in New Jersey has long been waged not by the LGBT community alone, but by the progressive community - LGBT and straight - seeking justice for all. Let's show our strength in numbers, energy and dollars as we look forward to the day when the exhilaration will be ours to enjoy.
Okay, bean sprouts. We're now just 8 days out from Blue Jersey's first-ever money bomb, and it's for Blue Jersey's own Jeff Gardner.
What's a money bomb? Think of it as a juiced-up, concentrated grassroots effort to raise $$ for a great candidate - Jeff Gardner for Senate. Here's where Jeff's money bomb is going:
LD-35: Jeff's home district (Paterson-area).
Statewide: Jeff's status as a statewide progressive priority means support from all over NJ.
National: Democracy for America (DFA) is all over this, and progressive & LGBT groups all over the country will likely jump in, too.
In other words, this is a big deal. Want in? Any contribution you can make - $5, $25, 250, anything - puts power behind Jeff's race, and makes you part of this chance to send a better class of Democrat to Trenton, where he is sorely needed.
What we're going to ask you to do is sign up now to RSVP that you'll jump in with a contribution on March 24th, Money Bomb Day for Jeff. More than 55 people already have.
Today, we kick off a 10-day Countdown to March 24th, the day we join progressives in New Jersey and across the nation to raise money for Jeff Gardner's campaign for the New Jersey Senate. March 24th is Money Bomb Day.
We've heard from all corners of NJ that Jeff's campaign is a statewide progressive priority. Here at Blue Jersey, we're proud Jeff's one of our own. Everyone here knows about Jeff Gardner. Rock solid progressive. A fighter. A leader.
Campaigns cost money. If Jeff's going to unseat a 30-year incumbent, he'll need our support. March 24th Money Bomb.
So - What's a Money Bomb?: A grassroots fundraising effort concentrated in a short time period. We're going to use it to support Jeff by dramatically ramping up, concentrating & publicizing his fundraising.
What you can do right now: Click "I'm Attending" on Jeff's Money Bomb page. Then come back March 24th and donate!
Every contribution counts - $5, $10, or $25 donations add up. If the progressive community shows our real strength - by making Jeff the next Senator from the 35th District - maybe Democrats in Trenton will think twice before they betray fundamental policies the Democratic Party stands for.
On Twitter: Tweet your support for Jeff! Use hash tag #GardnerMoneyBomb.
Until we step up and start electing better Democrats, we'll never get the representation we've been longing for. We'll never get the type of leadership a blue state like NJ deserves. We are going all-in for Jeff's campaign. And we need you. Money Bomb March 24th!
Fifteen donors pooled their money to provide 60% of the funds used to power Reform Jersey Now, the shady slush fund created to privately boost Chris Christie's agenda, and hit Democrats who might oppose it. The fund was created for the new governor by his GOP allies and run by Mike DuHaime, GOP strategist and the architect of Christie's campaign, with former Franklin Lakes councilman Chuck Shotmeyer listed as president.
Was this list released today to divert attention from Chris Christie's irresponsible decision to leave the state to avoid handling a messy snow emergency? The governor's due back in New Jersey tomorrow.
In a memo Reform released today, 244 donors are listed - including the core 15 - combining for a total raised of $623,784. Read the entire list here.
Missing is a list of the fund's expenditures, so New Jerseyans can follow the impact of the private financing of the slush fund's activities. For the most part, Reform acted in secret, but some of its projects are known: radio ads in June supporting Christie's property tax agenda (and in no way making clear that the support came from a group organized around the governor), and a direct mail & robo-call campaign directed at Democratic lawmakers like senators Steve Sweeney and Paul Sarlo. Reform had a half-year life, and will shut down Friday.
John Crowley (Princeton Twp), Amicus Therapeutics CEO who almost ran for US Senate in 2008, and the subject of a film about his children and their rare illness.
Sol Barer (Westfield), former CEO of Celgene Corp, a biotech firm.
Spencer Baretz & John Hellerman, of Hellerman Baretz Communications, a PR firm.
2 national GOP committees; a policy committee under the Republican Governor's Association, which made an adoring short film about Christie's 2009 upset win that premiered in a D.C. theater, and the State Government Leadership Foundation.
4 companies in the construction & development sector: Ferreira Construction Co., George Harms Construction, Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, and home-builder Toll Brothers Inc..
Issues Mobilization Committee, a Realtors issues group.
Jeff Michaels, former chief of staff under Gov. Donald DiFrancesco
follow me below the fold for more scandalous details.
ELEC put out numbers late last week showing that county party committees around the state have spent more than $2.3 million during the first six months of 2010 and have $2.6 million in the bank. Here's a summary:
RECEIPTS THROUGHJUNE 30, 2010
SPENDING THROUGHJUNE 30, 2010
NET WORTH ON
JUNE 30, 2010
DEMOCRATIC COUNTY PARTY COMMITTEES
$ 1,207,485
$ 1,570,812
$ 1,539,946
REPUBLICAN COUNTY PARTY COMMITTEES
$ 863,096
$ 756,350
$ 1,054,776
TOTAL - BOTH PARTIES
$ 2,070,581
$ 2,327,162
$2,594,722
I'll put the break downs of the totals by county below the fold. On the Democratic side of the aisle, four committees including Bergen, Camden, Passaic and Union had more than $100,000 in reserve as of June 30, while Burlington and Hudson were in the red. On the Republican side, just one county party in Burlington has over $100,000, but none of them are in the red.
Questions continue to persist about Governor Christie's slush fund front group that is openly flaunting their ability to avoid state pay to play laws. Upon them being posed directly to Christie himself, we got this nonsense in the Star Ledger:
Gov. Chris Christie said today he is not responsible for a group of supporters soliciting political donations outside state limits, even as he welcomed the "help" against labor unions that are spending furiously to defeat his agenda.
Yes, you see once again according to this Governor, it's the big bad union's fault. As Senator Sweeney put it, at least you know who is coming after you if it's a union because they file and abide by state pay to play laws. Even Republicans are questioning the slush fund saying it doesn't pass the smell test:
"In the environment we're in - and it's an environment the governor has contributed mightily to - these things are looked at with considerable suspicion," said Carl Golden, a GOP strategist who has advised former governors. "It just doesn't look right. In this business, appearance accounts for a great deal."
It's good to see the Star Ledger digging into this. It has all the connections to the Governor including the fact that every time they hold an event, Christie is the main attraction. It's nothing more than a GOP front group that can work around state contributions limits. Christie's contention that he's not responsible is laughable at best and even his fellow Republicans are starting to raise questions.
In their monthly ELEC-Tronic newsletter, ELEC Chair Jerry English talks about proposals for legislative reforms to improve bans on pay to play and offers this take on the current pay to play law:
The current Pay-to-Play law is very confusing. Because of the "Fair and Open" provision at the local level of government a different set of rules may apply at the local level than at the State level.
Those different rules lead to loopholes in the law:
"Fair and Open" allows municipal and county governments to forego the Pay-to-Play rules provided bids are publicly-advertised.
Compounding this situation is the fact that the current Pay-to-Play law allows for municipalities and counties to pass their own ordinances "as long as they are consistent with the theme of Pay-to-Play." This phrase has caused confusion in terms of whether local ordinances are to be more restrictive or can be less restrictive than State law.
Finally, besides State law and over 50 local ordinances, executive orders have been issued dealing with contracting at the State level.
It's clear there are still plenty of holes in the system. Follow me below the fold for recommended changes ELEC is proposing to the pay to play laws. They say these changes would standardize and simplify the process, eliminate a loophole in the system, and strengthens and enhances disclosure.
Third Congressional District candidate Jon Runyan reports $135,000 cash on hand, according to campaign consultant Chris Russell.
It's $2,000 less than what he finished the quarter with exactly a month and a half ago. Between then and now he reported raising just over $75,000.
The former NFL offensive lineman has raised a total of $226,000, including $100,000 of his own money.
Compare that haul to another Republican self financing hopeful challenging a Democratic Incubment in Diane Gooch:
Sixth Congressional District Republican candidate Diane Gooch has nearly $250,000 in her campaign warchest, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Gooch spokeswoman Toni Angelini said over 300 people from the 6th District have contributed over $110,000 to the GOP establishment candidate.
A public hearing is scheduled to commence at 11:15 a.m. concerning administration of the 2009 New Jersey Gubernatorial Public Financing Program. The hearing will be conducted as part of the Commission's review and analysis of the public financing program and is intended to obtain witnesses' recommendations for statutory and regulatory changes.
Currently, the state's public campaign financing program provides 2-to-1 matching funds for candidates who raise more than $340,000 and agree to limit their spending to $10.9 million in the general election.
In the past election, Jon Corzine opted out while Chris Daggett and Chris Christie participated and received public funding. Christie received the maximum of $3.1 million in the primary. During the campaign, Daggett suggested a "luxury tax" on gubernatorial campaign spending over certain levels. If you have anything to say regarding the future of public financing in New Jersey, this may be a good opportunity as they look back. What suggested changes would you have for the commission?
40 days from today - on May 18 - we will see two HUGE primaries for U.S. Senate. Even though these races aren't in New Jersey, they impact Democrats across the country and, well, the entire country as a whole.
In Pennsylvania, Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak will try to upset Republican-for-decades Arlen Specter.
In Arkansas, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter will try to upset corporate lackey Blanche Lincoln.
These two races are tremendously important to defining who and what the Democratic Party is and what we will be fighting for.
If you can volunteer for these candidates (or encourage friends and family in Pennsylvania and Arkansas to do so), that would be amazing.
Of course, if you can help with a contribution to either or both via the Expand the Map! ActBlue page as soon as possible, it will make a big impact.
Polling shows that both Specter and Lincoln are at risk of - if not likely to - hand these Senate seats over to far-right-wing Republicans. (And, even if these two retain the seats, that's not much better on many key issues.)
Congressman Sestak and Lieutenant Governor Halter winning these primaries are critical to keeping these seats in truly Democratic hands. Your support can help make that happen! Please hop over to the Expand the Map! ActBlue page right away to make a contribution - an investment in the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party to pull out an old expression - and show your support.
Thanks SO much for any support you can provide. 40 Days.
Words just don't seem to matter to the new Governor. During the campaign, he got himself in some political hot water for taking contributions from John Inglesino and Herb Stern's law firm, who he had given huge no bid monitoring contracts to while US Attorney, all while denying he had taken money. Adam did this video about the connections at the time. Then, when stopped getting off the campaign bus, a woman asked him if he had taken any money, to which he said:
"No. No. He didn't. He did not. He never raised any money." (Video to the right)
But that wasn't really true. Michael Aron asked him after a Press Conference on ethics Christie held, where he said he wouldn't take any more money from people who he gave monitorships to about Inglesino hosting a fundraiser that raised more than $100,000 for his campaign at the same time. Aron asked if that isn't just one step removed from taking contributions from people he gave contracts to, to which Christie responded:
No, because John had already made his contributions to my campaign. The invitation for that fundraiser went out two months before I made the statements at that press conference. Um, and John did not participate um in the fundraiser that evening. Uh, we had I think 20 or so hosts of that event .
Lets count the excuses. 1) he already had made his contributions 2) The invitation already went out 3) John didn't attend, even though he later admitted to Aron that Inglesino attended at the end. 4) There were lots of other people who helped host. But Christie still said he wasn't going to take any more money, which leads us to add a 5th excuse/justification/broken promise for why it's ok to take money from people who you gave contracts to, since Herbert Stern, John Inglesino and Kevin Kilcullen all gave money to Christie's inaugural committee:
Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said the donations from Stern and his colleagues were different than giving for campaign purposes. "Everyone's money went to the cost of the inaugural, with the balance going to charities," he said.
Huh? It's ok for them to give to fund because you gave some at the end to charity? It seems more like they're only banned from donating when they're not making contributions is really the policy.
As we await the historic vote on health care reform, it's important to remember that we're just ten days away from the end of the first fundraising quarter of 2010. The fundraising totals reported in this quarter will be pivotal to determining the tenor of many races for the rest of the year. If there is any time to contribute, now is the time!
Please head over to the Expand the Map! ActBlue page and contribute whatever you are able to these terrific Democratic candidates for Senate.
Democrat
Currently At
End-of-Quarter Goal
Distance to Goal
Kendrick Meek
$25
$300
$275
Bill Halter
$445
$750
$305
Joe Sestak
$1,320
$1,600
$280
Paul Hodes
$1,447
$1,700
$253
Robin Carnahan
$1,163
$1,400
$237
Remember, the contribution you can make isn't just a donation to a single candidate or political campaign. It's an investment against Republican obstruction (and conservaDem enabling) and an investment toward achieving that more perfect union.
If you violate your public office and are charged with a crime, the NJ Supreme Court issued a ruling yesterday affirming ELEC's decision that you can't use campaign funds to pay for a defense. That led to this quote from Justice Barry Albin:
"Despite blaring headlines that announce the most recent prosecution and conviction of a public official, we have yet to reach the point when it can be said that defending against a federal or state criminal indictment alleging corrupt practices is an 'ordinary' expense of holding public office,"
Good. You shouldn't be able to use money you raise from people to represent them for defending yourself after doing wrong by them.
Personally, this is a great thing to see, as the Democratic Party (both on the local, state and national levels) have taken progressives for granted - using us as an ATM (or in this instance as coined by someone who I will certainly credit when I remember, a gAyTM) to elect their candidates because "the other party is worse" but then offering little in the way of real change.
"Better than the alternative" has gotten real old real quick - we have had large majorities as well as the Governorship here in NJ for quite some time now - and a good number of progressive issues and causes have gotten little traction. On the Federal level, this is the same story - first it was "we need a majority", then it was "we need a bigger House majority and 60 Senate seats", and even then it took a shitstorm to even get the repeal of DADT on the agenda.
The Democratic Party (again, here in NJ as well as on a national level) should see this as yet another sign of a wake up call. No longer are progressives happy to work and donate to the party structure only to get pushed aside. The rise of the national netroots has given progressives the ability to donate and promote individual candidates based on views, support of issues or to reward for "going to bat" for progressive causes.
Amazingly, equality is one that has to be pushed for over and over and over again - and is one that is pushed aside or given half-hearted "separate but equal" actions.
National and State Democratic Party leaders should sit up and take notice - the progressive netroots and grassroots has been kicked around for long enough, and has been able to organize in one of the few ways that elected officials react to - money and donations. The tired excuses and lack of support by those who made promises in order to gain support and election will most certainly come back and bite them over time.
It may not be this November, but you can bet this is more of a blueprint for future netroots and grassroots campaigns and less of an aberration. The state and national Democratic Parties can ignore this or write it off, but they do so at their own peril.
The 4th quarter fundraising numbers are in for members of Congress and NJ Reps have been on the phones. On the national party committee level, the DCCC outraised the NRCC and the has more cash on hand. Here is a breakdown of NJ members:
Congressman Pallone has the most Cash on Hand, followed by Rothman, Pascrell, Adler and then Payne. Rodney Frelinghuysen has the most on hand for the Republican members from NJ, followed by Scott Garrett and then Leonard Lance. Adler has clearly been the most talked about name in terms of targets for the GOP, but recently they have also been making noise with candidates popping up to challenge Holt and Pallone. Adler's Cash on Hand ranks him 2nd out of 43 DCCC Frontline candidates, the group considered to be the most competitive or potentially vulnerable seats for the House.
An additional NJ fundraising success story is New Jersey alum Jennifer May. After assisting state candidates, raising money for the Assembly Democrats and handling finance for John Adler's Congressional campaign in 2008, May moved on to Scott Murphy's race in NY's 20th district. Murphy is another frontline candidate for the DCCC and with May's help, Murphy comes in 2nd for total raised in the 4th quarter with over $400,000 raised.
The whole issue of candidate fundraising may become that much more significant this cycle in light of the recent Supreme Court Decision allowing corporate cash to flood the system even further.
"Fundraising by county committees has decreased by 28 percent since 2005, the last time there was an election for Governor and the General Assembly,'' said Jeff Brindle, Executive Director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Over the same period, expenditures were down 30 percent, he said.
County party committees raised $13.7 million in 2009, a $5.2 million reduction from the $18.9 million raised four years ago, he said. Spending dropped from $19 million to $13.3 million, a $5.7 million reduction.
That's a pretty significant drop and the factors again most likely relate to the economy along with the tightening of pay to play laws. But ELEC director Jeff Brindle also offered another reason for less money at the county organizations:
Brindle said another local trend also could be curtailing amounts reported by county party officials. Several new political action committees have formed recently, some by county party members themselves, he said. "This activity may be drawing funds away from the county organizations,'' Brindle said.
It's a constant moving target tracking campaign fundraising. If you go back to 2003, ELEC says overall spending is down 51%. In addition it should be noted that while it's not expected to change the basic findings, there are still six counties that have not filed fundraising reports for the final quarter. I'll put the full breakdown of county party numbers below the fold.
ELEC released the legislative leadership filing reports yesterday and while much of the attention was on the transition of administrations, the numbers are rather interesting for the filing period from October 1 to December 31:
The Senate Republican Majority PAC started the filing period with $518,013, raised $232,907, spent $239,067 and now has $511,923.25 cash-on-hand.
The Senate Democratic Majority {AC started the filing period with $987,869, raised $184,335, spent $694,266 and now has $457,937.65 cash-on hand.
The Assembly Republican Victory PAC started the filing period with $244,156, raised $520,536, spent $690,413 and now has $74,279 cash-on-hand.
The Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee Pac started the filing period with $803,605, raised $923,114, spent $1,690,804 and now has $35,946 cash-on-hand.
So the Assembly Democrats spent over two and a half times as much as their Republican counterparts to stem the tide of the top of the ticket and maintain seats. And over at the State Committees, here's how things look:
The Republican State Committee PAC started the filing period with $148,381, raised $1,186,184, spent $1,126,256 and now has $208,309 cash-on-hand.
The Democratic State Committee PAC started the filing period with $373,882, raised $2,935,817, spent $3,300,608 and now has $9,607 cash-on-hand.
The Democratic State Committee can barely afford the rent right now, so you wonder what will happen with their staffing until those numbers increase. Whoever becomes the next state chair will have their work cut out for them.
Both the Senate and Assembly Republicans have more cash on hand than their Democratic counterparts and the fundraising landscape has changed. Republicans are the motivated party with a new Governor at the top to help lead those efforts. The Democrats are more depressed and a major funding source in the former Governor will not be there as a safety net for the party. The Democrats are going to need to go back to basics and build back up.
The party is also going to need to change the way it does fundraising. While people still point to gaps and holes in the system, the pay to play and contribution rules have been tightened significantly over the years:
Fundraising reports filed January 15 indicate that financial activity by the so-called "big six" committees has declined dramatically from four years ago, the last time there were campaigns for both the Governor's Office and the General Assembly.
Gross receipts reported by the "big six" were down 36 percent compared to similar reports for 2005. Spending showed a 34 percent decline from four years ago.
Just yesterday, Christie signed an executive order targeting labor fundraising and contributions. The landscape may change again as a result of the Supreme Court ruling earlier today. As Christie moves forward and governs, he may serve to motivate Democrats once again. But how the party raises money and organizes going forward will be essential to building back up.
I'm all for making more information available to those who seek to find it when it comes to the financing of campaigns. So it was good to see ELEC annouce yetserday that they have published municipal campaign contrubutions for the first time online at the ELEC website:
Initially, more than $5.5 million donated to 377 different primary fundraising committees last spring can be analyzed electronically. More than $11.5 million in general election funding will become available early next year.
Jeffrey Brindle, ELEC's executive director, said the new tool is part of the office's mission to provide "the fullest possible disclosure of candidate fundraising."
"More complete disclosure of municipal and county donations will enhance enforcement of pay-to-play laws, laws that are intended to discourage undue influence by public contractors," Brindle said. "If someone receives a public contract, any citizen can simply key in the person's name and a list of his or her contributions will appear."
Their analysis of the contributions and filings showed that five places saw fundrasing exceed $200,000:
Location
Receipts
Disbursements
Edison Township
$587,853
$590,837
East Orange
$408,725
$379,597
Atlantic City
$251,303
$248,142
Middlesex County
$234,216
$235,938
Bergen County
$228,245
$198,658
And eleven other places in the state saw over $100,000 raised for campaigns:
Location
Receipts
Disbursements
Ocean County
$183,269
$188,602
Englewood
$177,963
$163,162
Morristown
$160,981
$152,362
Atlantic County
$157,042
$124,185
Camden County
$152,874
$142,567
Plainfield
$129,128
$148,998
Burlington County
$124,300
$124,300
Gloucester County
$117,032
$97,463
Passaic County
$114,354
$86,837
Brick Township
$110,593
$29,095
Secaucus
$107,889
$106,561
ELEC says they are working to provide more information including general election numbers, school board, May and June Municipal races and fire commission in the near future. Safari and Firefox users are hoping fixes come for them too so they can find all this additional information. You can search for information about contributions, candidates and contributors by visiting ELEC's website.
