Kersey and Bernard Embrace "Straight A's" Plan to Change County Government

(Mount Laurel) Democratic Freeholder Candidates Kimberly Kersey and Jim Bernard today embraced the "Straight A's for Change" agenda to finally bring Affordability, Accessibility and Accountability to Burlington County government.

 

 

The plan's foundation, developed by Democratic Freeholders Chris Brown and Mary Anne Reinhart, stands in stark contrast to the nearly three decades of higher taxes, spending increases, secret meetings and corruption embodied by the entrenched Republicans.

 

 

 

"Last year was historic across the Country and right here in Burlington County," said Kimberly Kersey. "People turned out in record numbers to emphatically declare they were tired of the politics as usual and wanted real change.  I'm running for Freeholder, along with

 

Jim Bernard, to help ensure that every senior, family and resident of Burlington County gets the change they demanded and deserve."

 

 

"The 'Straight A's for Change' plan must be enacted," said Jim Bernard. "Until we have a

 

Democratic majority on the Freeholder Board no real change can occur because the Republican bosses still are in control of County government. We must start cutting taxes and spending but can't do that when our tax dollars are going to the 'Paulsen’s 20'.”

 

 

 

"We must begin making seniors, children, families and education programs our top priorities but can't do that when we have to reward campaign donors on the Board of Social Services," said Kersey. "We must put an end to no-bid contracts and impose accountability on our public agencies and leaders but we can't do that when pay-to-play is rampant and we condone illegal behavior from our appointed leaders."

 

 

"The entrenched Republicans have allowed Burlington County Government to become a taxpayer funded piggy bank for Glenn Paulsen and the GOP Bosses," said Jim Bernard. "From Bob Stears to Martha Bark, Glenn Paulsen to John Comegno, Chris Baxter to Richard Strobel- Republicans in Burlington County have been getting rich off the backs of taxpayers and it's time for a change."

 

 

 

The Democratic "Straight A's for Change" agenda will aggressively put county government back into the hands of residents and out of the hands of Republican Party bosses.

 

 

 

The "Straight A's for Change" agenda will make Burlington County more

 

Affordable, Accessible and Accountable through the following:

 

 

Affordability

 

 

* Reduce county spending by 30 million, providing taxpayers with real relief.

 

 

* Cut, immediately, the salaries of all political appointees using the following scale: Those earning $100K or more: 25 percent; $75K-$99,999K: 15 percent; $50K-74,999K: 10 percent; $30K-$49,999K: 5 percent%

 

 

* Eliminate political patronage positions to help reinstate many of the senior transportation services programs.

 

 

* Restructure County government by dissolving isolated silos and merging county services.

 

 

* Create an Open Space program that preserves our beautiful open spaces without unfairly taxing our residents by adapting to market conditions.

 

 

 

Accessibility

 

 

* Hold Freeholder Meetings in the evening when residents can realistically attend and make them available via cable television and streaming video via the Internet so all citizens can participate in their government.

 

 

* Hold Freeholder meetings across all four corners of the County; from Florence to Tabernacle; Cinnaminson to Medford; Bordentown to Evesham and Willingboro to Mansfield.

 

 

* Create an enhanced website to allow residents to easily obtain vital public information.

 

 

* Place all public county documents, ordinances and resolutions on the County website which will enhance resident participation in government and ease the burden caused by tens of thousands of Open Public Records Act requests.

 

 

* Attend municipal meetings throughout the county on a regular basis to find ways to improve government service and proactively address the concerns of residents.

 

 

 

Accountability

 

 

* Offer competitive bidding contracts for professional services, eliminate no-show jobs and cut jobs through attrition.

 

 

* Appoint Inspector General to uncover wasteful spending, fraud and abuse.

 

 

* Enact strict oversight of the Bridge Commission and other county agencies so that we will never have millions of taxpayer dollars stolen or no-show jobs given to political insiders again

 

 

*Expand the Bridge Commission to 7 members (3 from each party and an appointed

 

Freeholder) Give the Freeholder Director the authority to reject minutes.

 

 

* Create a Block Grant Committee that reviews projects on a per need basis and considers the impact on residents as opposed to across the board bureaucratic decision making.

 

 

* Separate the positions of Board Clerk and County Administrator so that the individual charged with overseeing the taxpayers interests on the Board is no longer a political patronage position.

 

 

 

In addition, on January 1, 2010, the day they are sworn into office, and the Republican

 

party no longer controls county government, Freeholders Kersey and

 

Bernard will join Freeholders Brown and Reinhart in enacting the

 

toughest pay to play and ethics reform measure in the entire state of

 

New Jersey.

 

 

 

End Pay-to-Play and Pass Tough Ethics Reform

 

 

* Ban nepotism in county government;

 

 

* End no-bid contracts by county government;

 

 

* Introduce a Revolving-Door policy to prevent elected officials and county employees from jumping from government to employment with vendors doing business with the County;

 

 

* Limit the number of annual contracts held by any one business;

 

 

* Require campaign contribution disclosures for any person or entity seeking a county contract;

 

 

* Ban dual office holding and multiple forms of public employment involving any elected position in the county;

 

 

* End the practice of doling out county jobs and contracts to those already on the county or local payrolls;

 

 

* Ban granting contracts to the employers of elected or appointed officials;

 

 

* End no-show county jobs for elected officials;

 

 

* Ban gifts to elected and appointed officials and key managers;

 

 

* Prohibit hiring or contracting with a county party chair or his/her business or employer.

 

 

 

"The 'Straight A's for Change' agenda was supported by a record number of voters last November," said Rick Perr, Burlington County Democratic Chairman.  "However, in order for the plan to be enacted and bring the real change residents deserve, we must elect Kimberly Kersey and Jim Bernard."

 

 

"While the Republican bosses try to figure out which candidates will best execute the orders of Boss Paulsen, Democrats Kersey and Bernard are hitting the ground running and offering real solutions to the vast problems facing Burlington County taxpayers," said Perr.

 

 

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