Ethics Reform Trapped in Nowhere Land

by: Bill Orr

Tue Sep 20, 2011 at 02:10:00 PM EDT

Stranded in unknown surroundings
In a place where time has no meaning.
Cant seem to find my way out of here.
Trapped in a nowhere land.
Manticora: Nowhere Land

Governor Christie has just re-mounted his high horse of ethics reform. His focus has long been elsewhere so his sudden concern appears self-serving and hypocritical. Nonetheless, there are specific bills for important ethics reforms languishing in the legislature's "nowhere land."

At this moment it is not up to Christie but up to the legislators to move the bills into committee where some need further strengthening and clarification, and then onto the floor. Many legislators quickly become conflicted and inattentive when ethics bills may negatively affect them or their donors. Other legislators seem more open. Lets not be cock-eyed optimists, but stranger things have happened when people set aside self-interest and act for the broader public good.

Many of the bills are sponsored by Republicans, but the issues are significant for both parties and impact all constituents. Democrats have the ability to make needed modifications. Here are a few of the bills which can't seem to find their way out.

Uniform Public Contracting Standards (Pay-To-Play) - S2320. Introduced on October 7 2010. A provision which allows continuation of the "fair and open" rule for contracts less than $17,500 should be removed as it perpetuates pay to play at this lower amount.

Pension Forfeiture for Convicted Public Officials - A1765. Introduced on January 12 2010.

Ban on Dual Office Holding and Dual Public Employment - A2556. Introduced on March 16 2010.

Ban on campaign contributions between county party committees - A275. Introduced on January 12 2010

Annual Financial Disclosure Statement - A2768. Governor Christie used a conditional veto because the bill did not require such disclosure from State legislators - a reasonable request.

Ethics reform should not be stranded in nowhere land. Let's get these bills debated, revised and enacted.

Discuss :: (0 Comments)

[Advertisement]

Steps to Reforming the Camden County Democrats

by: Martin

Tue Aug 11, 2009 at 02:58:54 PM EDT

Walk into the Camden County Democratic headquarters in Cherry Hill, and you will almost certainly meet nice, motivated, bright liberals like yourself who merely want to win races for Democrats. No shadowy Sopranos-esque organization here. This diary addresses the question of whether the Camden County Democratic Committee and overall organization need reforming and new leadership. My criteria for reform is as follows. Regardless of political party or ideology, any organization that exchanges favoritism in exchange for financial gain is indeed ethically compromised. Further, any politician who votes on bills directly related to his or her employer must not be able to do so, and any political broker who is not held accountable to the general public, particularly voters, should not have unchecked power. You can see where I'm going with this.

There's More... :: (0 Comments, 1563 words in story)

The Kate Chronicles, Part I: Republican Aristocracy Wheels for Whitman

by: Scott Weingart

Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 12:36:15 PM EDT

A week ago, Kate Whitman's Congressional campaign sent out a prattling press release to announce that her "grassroots" fundraising effort had raised $230,000 in the first quarter of 2008. We won't know exactly what she means by "grassroots" until she actually files her Q1-08 report with the FEC, but her last filing report was dominated by a handful of aristocratic families, some of them willing to dance on the edges of campaign finance law.

So far, Kate Whitman's campaign has pulled in a combined $22,355 from the Hanson and Imperatore families alone. James Hanson is the President and CEO of Hampshire Real Estate Companies, a developer headquartered in Morristown. Five of the ten principals of the company come from one of these two families. They are also major donors to the Blair Academy, where the football field is named "Hampshire Field" after the company.

From these two families, 17 individuals contributed an average of $1,315 each to Kate Whitman's primary campaign. Whitman's filing report indicates that eight of them are employed non-students; of the rest, two are listed as homemakers (read: stay-at-home moms), and seven are students. The eight breadwinners could legally donate no more than $18,400 by themselves, but by spreading their contributions out among family members, including children, the two families were able to contribute an additional $3,955. While this isn't necessarily illegal, it does seem somewhat sleazy. It's effectively the aristocrat's version of wheeling, a practice where contractors exploit a loophole in campaign finance law by funneling money through one or two county party committees to the candidates they support.

The Hanson and Imperatore kids weren't the only ones who ponied up their summer incomes and allowances for Kate Whitman. One Christopher Merton of Pottersville donated $3,000 to the campaign-$2300 for the primary and $700 for the general. His 12/19 donation coincided with a similar $3,000 contribution from Juliana Merton, at the same mailing address in Pottersville. Another $4,600 came from Katrina Courter, daughter of former Congressman James Courter and his wife Carmen. Katrina is married to Taylor Whitman, who is Kate Whitman's brother, and is pursuing a masters in educational psychology at Fordham. In total, Kate Whitman raised $16,805 from just nine students in 2007.

Kate Whitman's campaign isn't grassroots. It's more like silver spoon.

The table below the fold shows donations from members of the Hanson, Imperatore, Merton, and Courter families to Kate Whitman's campaign.

There's More... :: (7 Comments, 68 words in story)

Stop "Wheeling" or Disclose It!

by: mikeshapiro

Thu Jan 11, 2007 at 11:03:48 AM EST

( - promoted by jmelli)

Cross-Posted from ShapTalk.com:

New Jersey has a vast array of campaign finance laws. The compliance book provided to candidates for public office and others is complicated and filled with nomenclature that few outside the Legislature, the Republican and Democratic Parties, and some election lawyers understand. Despite all the laws on the books including "Pay to Play" reform on the State level and in many municipalities, influence peddling achieved through campaign contributions continues largely unabated. Why? Because of the skirting of campaign finance laws through a process known as "wheeling."

There's More... :: (7 Comments, 394 words in story)