A Roadmap for Reform

In the wake of several high-profile corruption stings in the State of New Jersey, it is an opportune time to seriously improve the condition of Garden State politics. The following roadmap for reform is meant to provide some thoughtful ideas to help generate a public and constructive dialogue about these important issues in order to enable both our elected leaders and our citizens to begin to develop a consensus for reforming New Jersey politics.

First, it is time for a full time legislature in New Jersey with commensurate pay. Double-dipping would be eliminated as would conflicts of interest and other ethical problems, including pension padding. Meanwhile, our elected officials would have the time to actually read the legislation they are voting upon and hold meaningful hearings and discussions about proposals and legislation before they are considered for a vote, thereby leading to improved public policy and increased fiscal responsibility.

Second, to lessen the pernicious influence of campaign cash and to enable citizens of ordinary means to have the ability to run for office and win, a fiscally responsible public financing system should be established. For example, candidates who personally obtain a certain number of signatures of registered voters (a number that would demonstrate that the candidate spent a good deal of time and energy and has popular support) could receive 50% of the average amount of money spent in that particular legislative district over the past five elections and could be designated as a “Clean Election Candidate” on the ballot and in any campaign literature or advertisements. As a consequence, they would be prohibited from raising any outside money but perhaps could contribute their own money to their campaign and would have to donate any left over funds to the public financing system. Candidates who elect to bypass public financing could raise unlimited amounts of money but would have to disclose the source and amount of each contribution on a State-operated website. The public financing system could be paid for through a volunteer check-off on our State income tax statement and voluntary contributions by individuals and businesses, who could be listed in television, radio, and newspaper advertising thanking them for financing clean campaigns in New Jersey.

Third, to limit the influence peddling in New Jersey politics, businesses that contribute to candidates would have to fill out mandatory disclosure forms available on the internet that list all principals and all lobbyists. Under criminal penalty, the officers of the business would have to state that they have no commercial interests currently before the official to whom the business is contributing campaign funds.

Finally, all legislative districts in New Jersey should be redrawn by an independent panel using a computer program that divides districts by taking the current Statewide percentage of registered Democrats, registered Republicans and registered but unaffiliated voters every ten years, and then carving 40 districts throughout the State that are each composed of that percentage of each category. This would enable every district in New Jersey to be competitive, helping to resurrect vibrant political discourse and diminishing apathy amongst New Jersey voters who no longer feel they have a real choice when they enter the voting booth since either one party or the other is a foregone winner.

Of course, there are pros and cons to all of these ideas. However, they are typical of those that may be proposed by our elected officials and publicly debated and discussed in the halls of Trenton down to the local coffee shop. The recent high-profile corruption busts in New Jersey provide a golden opportunity to finally reform New Jersey politics. Why wait?

Michael M. Shapiro, founder of ShapTalk.com, is an attorney who resides in New Providence, New Jersey. He currently serves as the Chairman of the New Providence Democratic Party and as Editor of The Alternative Press Contact Mike at mike@shaptalk.com