BETH DeFALCO, Associated Press
SAYREVILLE, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie roused the crowd Wednesday at his second town hall event of the week to push his stalled year-old package of bills to strengthen the state's ethics laws.
"It seems like a ban on dual-office holding and two public salaries, we can all agree on that, right? It's not a Republican or Democratic issue. We should all be able to come together and say it's wrong," Christie told the crowd packed into a senior center in Sayreville, as two local priests looked on from the front row.
After all, who doesn't want more ethics?
"Not even a hearing — they acted as if it's not even there," the governor said of the Democratic leaders in the Legislature. "What that tells me that they again don't want to tell you what's going on."
But while the concepts seem simple — lawmakers should only be able to hold one elected office, should only get paid for one public job, and should disclose their conflicts of interest and as much information as about their finances as the Executive Branch — Democrats say the bills are an oversimplified smokescreen brought back around by the governor as an election nears.
The concepts:
— Outlaw dual-office holding: Less than 10 legislators still hold two elected positions. The practice was outlawed in 2008 under then-Gov. Jon Corzine. However, those that already held multiple elected offices were allowed to keep them under a "grandfather clause." Corzine insisted at the time the clause was the only way to secure the votes of the dual-office holders.
Christie says now is the time to make the remaining officials on the list, which includes both Democrats and Republicans, choose one job. Democrats have remained silent on the issue.
— Collect only one public salary: The governor argues that lawmakers can hold two public jobs, but shouldn't be allowed to take-home two public paychecks. He argues it can create a conflict of interest and that the government is being shorted because there aren't enough hours in the day for people to hold elected office and a second public job.
"In times like this, where everybody is struggling to make ends meet, why should there be anybody who has two public salaries? It makes no sense," Christie said.
Democrats say such a ban would effectively prevent middle-class workers, like teachers and firefighters, from being able to afford to run for the Legislature, which even though it runs year-round is considered a part-time job. Legislators make $49,000 a year, and many, including Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, hold more than one public job.
— Make the Legislature submit to the same financial disclosure forms as the governor and executive branch staff: After Christie temporarily pushed back a deadline for executive-branch officials to file financial disclosures with the State Ethics Commission, Democrats passed a bill establishing firm deadlines for those officials to do so. Christie answered back by issuing a conditional veto of the legislation, adding a provision that holds legislators and their senior staff to the same standards.
Democrats have never challenged the bill on its merits, but said the governor should have been involved in the bill along the way.
— Mandatory disclosure of conflicts of interest. Christie wants lawmakers have to disclose possible conflict of interests with their employers, even if they work for private companies.
— Stop elected officials charged with a crime from using campaign money to pay for defense attorneys: Christie, a former federal prosecutor, says the money should be returned to campaign donors. Democrats point out that an election board and the Supreme Court have ruled that the campaign money can't be used for legal bills related to a criminal defense.
A spokesman for Senate President Stephen Sweeney said not all the bills are objectionable, but the timing is right now.
"The Senate is focused on creating jobs for New Jerseyans and growing small businesses right now," said Sweeney spokesman Chris Donnelley. "With unemployment at 9.4 percent and a governor who refuses to even utter the word "jobs" in public, action is needed on this issue immediately."
Tom Hester Jr., a spokesman for Oliver, said the governor was trying to use the timing of the ethics package to deflect from criticism of his travel to give a keynote speech at a retreat sponsored by conservative oil industry executives in Colorado. Christie made the trip after he decided to pull out of a regional agreement to reduce greenhouse gases.
"Let's face it, this governor preaching on ethics is laughable," Hester said. "New Jerseyans know that someone who travels secretly around the country to raise money, endorses the efforts of covert conservative groups and uses taxpayer-paid state police property for personal and political use cannot be taken seriously."
Source http://www.chron.com/
"It seems like a ban on dual-office holding and two public salaries, we can all agree on that, right? It's not a Republican or Democratic issue. We should all be able to come together and say it's wrong," Christie told the crowd packed into a senior center in Sayreville, as two local priests looked on from the front row.
After all, who doesn't want more ethics?
"Not even a hearing — they acted as if it's not even there," the governor said of the Democratic leaders in the Legislature. "What that tells me that they again don't want to tell you what's going on."
But while the concepts seem simple — lawmakers should only be able to hold one elected office, should only get paid for one public job, and should disclose their conflicts of interest and as much information as about their finances as the Executive Branch — Democrats say the bills are an oversimplified smokescreen brought back around by the governor as an election nears.
The concepts:
— Outlaw dual-office holding: Less than 10 legislators still hold two elected positions. The practice was outlawed in 2008 under then-Gov. Jon Corzine. However, those that already held multiple elected offices were allowed to keep them under a "grandfather clause." Corzine insisted at the time the clause was the only way to secure the votes of the dual-office holders.
Christie says now is the time to make the remaining officials on the list, which includes both Democrats and Republicans, choose one job. Democrats have remained silent on the issue.
— Collect only one public salary: The governor argues that lawmakers can hold two public jobs, but shouldn't be allowed to take-home two public paychecks. He argues it can create a conflict of interest and that the government is being shorted because there aren't enough hours in the day for people to hold elected office and a second public job.
"In times like this, where everybody is struggling to make ends meet, why should there be anybody who has two public salaries? It makes no sense," Christie said.
Democrats say such a ban would effectively prevent middle-class workers, like teachers and firefighters, from being able to afford to run for the Legislature, which even though it runs year-round is considered a part-time job. Legislators make $49,000 a year, and many, including Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, hold more than one public job.
— Make the Legislature submit to the same financial disclosure forms as the governor and executive branch staff: After Christie temporarily pushed back a deadline for executive-branch officials to file financial disclosures with the State Ethics Commission, Democrats passed a bill establishing firm deadlines for those officials to do so. Christie answered back by issuing a conditional veto of the legislation, adding a provision that holds legislators and their senior staff to the same standards.
Democrats have never challenged the bill on its merits, but said the governor should have been involved in the bill along the way.
— Mandatory disclosure of conflicts of interest. Christie wants lawmakers have to disclose possible conflict of interests with their employers, even if they work for private companies.
— Stop elected officials charged with a crime from using campaign money to pay for defense attorneys: Christie, a former federal prosecutor, says the money should be returned to campaign donors. Democrats point out that an election board and the Supreme Court have ruled that the campaign money can't be used for legal bills related to a criminal defense.
A spokesman for Senate President Stephen Sweeney said not all the bills are objectionable, but the timing is right now.
"The Senate is focused on creating jobs for New Jerseyans and growing small businesses right now," said Sweeney spokesman Chris Donnelley. "With unemployment at 9.4 percent and a governor who refuses to even utter the word "jobs" in public, action is needed on this issue immediately."
Tom Hester Jr., a spokesman for Oliver, said the governor was trying to use the timing of the ethics package to deflect from criticism of his travel to give a keynote speech at a retreat sponsored by conservative oil industry executives in Colorado. Christie made the trip after he decided to pull out of a regional agreement to reduce greenhouse gases.
"Let's face it, this governor preaching on ethics is laughable," Hester said. "New Jerseyans know that someone who travels secretly around the country to raise money, endorses the efforts of covert conservative groups and uses taxpayer-paid state police property for personal and political use cannot be taken seriously."
Source http://www.chron.com/
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