Campaign and common cause focuses on expansion of citizen's power

FRANKLIN - Before some thirty citizens at the Littell Community Center, Lauren Skowronski, the Executive Director for Common Cause of New Jersey, and Heather Taylor, Communications Director for the Citizens’ Campaign, and the Chief of Staff for Assemblywoman Alison Littell-McHose talked about the need for open and good reforms at the state and local levels. The Citizens’ Campaign, which was created to engage citizens state-wide in a grassroots effort to develop state laws and municipal ordinances in regard to such issues as pay-to-play, eminent domain, and control over campaign financing arose out of notions and polls that show that seven out of 10 Americans feel that government does not reflect their interests (NPR-Kaiser-Kennedy School Poll-June 2000). The Mission of the Citizens’ Campaign is to develop an organized force of private citizens committed to restoring and expanding citizen power, offering a philosophy that a strong democracy requires. The Citizens’ Campaign will train local citizens to develop a number of incremental reforms, which according to Ms. Skowronski would seek to sever the link between political contributions. The assembled citizens were then presented with a number of model ordinances that Citizens’ Campaign seeks to pass in all municipalities in the state, including a model pay-to-play reform ordinance that would restrict the amount of money that professionals receiving professional service contracts from a town can contribute. Elements of the above legislation are in a bill proposed at the state level by Assemblywoman McHose, but it is important to have legislation at the municipal level. The second reform ordinance suggested involves Pay-to-Play reform. The Citizens’ Campaign has been successful in passing legislation in 70 towns and in one county, which is being used to increase leverage for a comprehensive state law to pass. The model law used in those towns and one county had the following elements: Bans contributions from developers entering redevelopment agreements within a town/county From time negotiations begin, through the completion or termination of the agreement Contributions banned to individual candidates, local and county political parties, and political action committees supporting such candidates ·Controlling or limiting the role of candidates in such matters And opening the redevelopment process for greater citizen input. With passage of the above reforms, and other like initiatives for eminent domain, and proposals to open the closed shop of government appointments on local and county boards, civic involvement can increase, and political patronage lessen. Residents from Sparta, Vernon, and Hardyston petitioned to become participants in the drafting of such reforms for their towns, as apathy seems to be the “big winner” in most elections here and elsewhere. For more informatioan, call. 973-209-1217.