Despite nearly 2,000 email messages to Assembly State Government Committee members opposing the new $8 million taxpayer rip-off called the “Clean Elections” bill, committee members voted four to one to approve the expanded bill. They ignored their constituents and voted to put money in their own pockets. They want taxpayers to provide welfare for politicians!
New Jersey already has the highest state sales tax, the worst income tax and the most out of control property taxes driven even higher by Governor Corzine’s state aid cuts. We don’t need more taxes!
The bill is now set to be heard by the Assembly Budget Committee on Thursday, June 19, 2008. The Republican and Democrat leadership in the Assembly need to hear from you. Tell them to kill this terrible bill.
Why the “Clean Elections” Bill is a Bad Idea in a Nutshell (Excerpts from Sean Parnell’s Center for Competitive Politics Testimony)
On the same day Trenton was cutting charity care for hospitals, the Assembly Committee on State Government was voting to divert taxpayer dollars into their campaign war chests for a third time, after two previous failed experiments with welfare for politicians.
Advocates of these programs claim they will reduce so-called “special interest” influence, make campaigns more competitive, reduce campaign spending, allow more women and others from “non-traditional” backgrounds to be elected, increase voter turnout, and end negative campaigning. As New Jersey’s own experience demonstrates, taxpayer funding of political campaigns fails to achieve these objectives.
Research has shown that the source of contributions have very little influence on elected officials and how they vote.
New Jersey’s 2007 experiment also failed to increase competitiveness. Every incumbent running for re-election won, and the victory margins by party actually increased in 6 of the 9 races.
Other states have found that taxpayer funding of political campaigns does not lead to a greater number of women and “ordinary citizens” being elected to office.
Judging by the complaints about ads run in the 14th District against Linda Greenstein and Wayne DeAngelo, the goals of ending negative advertising and preventing out-of-state money from influencing New Jersey elections were not achieved either.
Click here for detailed information about taxpayer funded campaigns .For more information, check out Alice’s Restaurant and Hank Butehorn’s article on the Conservatives With Attitude blog.
Thank you.
Steve Lonegan
Executive Director, AFP-NJ
love it welfare for politicians
in this state this is very offensive
iu cant believe these bumbs want a free ride
Only in NJ folks, Only in NJ. Sorry Cindy!
And you thought Louisiana was corrupt.
Hey, wait a minute. Joe and his cronies could use the extra cash.
I think all politicians in trenton should pay a tax based on the number of times they are elected the number of political offices they hold this money should be redistributed to the public and used to subsidise gas prices