by Rosi Efthim, Editorial Director Blue Jersey
Friday May 14, 2010

In an Open Letter I posted here to the next Democratic State Chair - aimed to John Wisniewski - Point #5 was Listen to the Citizens' Campaign:

"New Jersey has an idea factory for vibrant civic engagement and good government. They're about clean, fair politics, and they have the sharpest tools in the toolbox to get us there. They don't work for you - and that's good - but they have all the answers. Same suggestion, by the way, for my GOP brothers and sisters." On June 9th, Wisniewski is one of the panelists at the Jersey Call to Service Summit, convened by the Citizens' Campaign. I plan to be there too; Citizens' Campaign is expecting 1,000 people. It's free to most (read).

Panels on Party Democracy Act, Citizen Journalism, Property Tax & Government Waste & Government Policy Boards and speakers include: Govs. Brendan Byrne and Donald DiFrancesco, Wisniewski and Sen. Joe Kyrillos, Mayor Dana Redd and Michele Brown, who serves Gov. Christie. The Citizen Journalism panel seemed heavy on non-political featurey stuff, but I'm open to listen.

I've had to explain the Citizens' Campaign to a few people since I wrote that post. I'm no expert, but I've studied with them, and watched them develop good-government legislation - they were key in stronger pay-to-play legislation (which Bergen just voted down) and the Party Democracy Act. Citizens' Campaign is non-profit and non-partisan.

In fact, it is relentlessly non-partisan. They teach ways citizens can take stake over policies and laws that govern daily life; power that's always been available, but often goes begging. Think of it as a giant civics lesson for grownups, which is hotter than you think, given that it has the power to take complainers and turn them into leaders. It applies equally, no matter what Party. That's the relentless non-partisanship; less how you should participate but that you can participate.

Most of us here are daily combatants in the cage match of partisan politics. For us, it may be a little hard to wrap around raw info about the infrastructure of governing, given we spend so much time pounding inside it. But knowing the fundamentals is crucial. And it's a heady, buzzy atmosphere - ordinary people all angling for greater democracy. I'm bringing my local candidates. Networking  and bouncing ideas around so many good-government advocates is exactly where I want them to be.