Reforming New Jersey

New Jersey & Company Magazine
Sept 2009
By Harry Pozycki

Over the past few years New Jersey has had its fair share of public corruption scandals-campaign contributions traded for government contracts, cash bribes for development approvals. To some, corrupt transactions are simply par for the course. But for the vast majority of New Jerseyans who are not interested in joining the "pay-to-play" game, such scandals lead to civic disengagement and discourage companies and developers from doing business in New Jersey.

But we cannot afford to become disengaged. The good guys can't give up. No matter what the results are for this year's gubernatorial election, or what campaign promises are made, the future of our state will rest in the hands of its private and corporate citizens.

To reverse the culture of corruption, we must recognize that our civic duty extends beyond the ballot box. Too few of us realize that there are already several powerful opportunities for citizens to make a positive difference. Which is why the Citizens' Campaign is making a "Jersey Call to Service." And the good news is that community and business leaders are beginning to take a few hours a week to exercise a leadership role in New Jersey government and politics by learning about the power already available to them.

New laws championed by the Citizens' Campaign have increased New Jersey residents' ability to participate beyond the ballot and ensure better, more honest, and cost-effective government at all levels.

These include the recently adopted Citizen Service Act, which creates a directory of vacancies and an open applications process for people interested in serving on government boards and commissions, and the Party Democracy Act, which gives neighborhood-level party committee people the power to control candidate endorsements, platform priorities and the filling of vacancies in our state legislature.

The Citizen Service Act's companion law at the state level lets citizens log on to the governor's website, review an online public directory of vacant positions on state boards, and apply instantly. Gaining appointment to a state or local board can put you in a position to have a direct impact on government spending, implementation and enforcement of state laws, and government oversight of regulated industries.

If you are willing to dedicate a few hours a week to solving the problems of our state and building new leadership, please consider the Jersey Call to Service. The Citizens' Campaign offers free training online or in person from some of New Jersey's most respected political and governmental experts. Our classes cover how to get appointed to a board or commission, how to take a leadership position in the political parties, and how to effectively construct and present public policy proposals to government bodies.

The non-partisan Citizens' Campaign's goal is to recruit and mentor 5,000 citizen leaders-citizens who are willing to put the welfare of our state before their personal interests. To help reach our goal, we are working with a number of leading businesses, including Verizon, PSE&G, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, New Jersey Resources, and Campbell's Soup. Business leaders from these companies and more are taking advantage of our half-hour classes and learning how to make the governmental and political power structure work to create honest, cost-effective government.

Please log on to JoinTheCampaign.com and join me in the Jersey Call to Service. The best way to correct New Jersey's culture of corruption and waste is to replace it with a culture of service.