For Immediate Release                          Contact: Rick Rosenberg

Calabro & Harvey Outline Comprehensive

Good Government Reform Plan

Challengers say as a part of Assembly Democrat Leadership,

Greenstein should be held accountable for failure to pass real ethics reform

            Hamilton, August 12,2009– Saying their opponents and the incumbent party in Trenton have done little more than pay lip-service to real ethics and pay-to-play reform, successful businessmen and GOP Assembly candidates Rob Calabro and Bill Harvey today outlined a comprehensive good government reform plan committed to improving our state’s tarnished reputation and restoring citizens' faith in government.          

           Calabro and Harvey said that as part of the Assembly Democrat Leadership, Linda Greenstein must be held accountable for the incumbent party’s continued failure to pass real ethics reform.          

            “As both Deputy Speaker and Chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee, Linda Greenstein can no longer point fingers and blame others for the failure of her own party to pass comprehensive ethics reform,” said Harvey, who runs his own law practice in Mercer County.  “As part of Assembly Democrat Leadership, the failure of this legislature to act on ethics reform reflects on Greenstein’s personal inadequacies as a legislator. She needs to be held accountable for her lack of courage to fight for a government we can be proud of.”          

             The GOP Challengers said their plan represents an unwavering commitment to reform that has been lacking under Greenstein and DeAngelo. 

The Calabro-Harvey Good Government Reform Plan 

1.    Ban Dual Office-Holding, Eliminate Grandfathering Loophole.“Dual office-holding is conflict of interest and has created a cesspool for corruption and greed,” said Calabro, owner of Porfirio’s Italian Food Market in Hamilton.  “It should be eliminated at every level of government immediately.”

2.   Stop Pension Abuse by Public Officials. “Greedy politicians and their politically-connected cronies have put the state’s pension system at risk for the hardworking public employees who depend on it for their retirement,” said Harvey.  “Our plan will end this abuse through the elimination of tacking and other pension-boosting measures enjoyed by political insiders from both parties for far too long.” 

3.   Ban Nepotism in Government.“Sadly ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ has been the unspoken policy of Trenton insiders for decades – it’s time for that to change,” said Harvey.  “It’s frustrating for good people seeking jobs, corrosive for the work environnment within an office, and confirms the worst of what people think of politicians.” 

4.   Suspend Indicted Public Officials Without Pay.“While being presumed innocent until proven guilty is a hallmark of our criminal justice system, there is no inalienable right for public officials to continue feeding at the public trough after they’ve been indicted and are awaiting trial,” said Calabro.  “We support recent action to make this law.” 

5.    Require Jail Time for Convicted Public Officials. “Any public official convicted of corruption should face a mandatory minimum jail term,” said Harvey.  “Jail time should serve as a deterrent to most, and a punishment for those too arrogant or reckless not to heed the warning.” 

6.    Take-Away Pensions from Corrupt Public Officials. “This is a no-brainer,” said Calabro.  “The message must be sent loud and clear that there are real consequences for public officials who violate the public trust.”

7.    Reform the Legislative Code of Ethics.“The fact that the legislatures’ antiquated, temporary code of ethics hasn’t been updated in 14 years is a joke,” said Harvey.  “The code needs to reformed, modernized and expanded to make it relevant in a changing world.” 

8.    Streamline the Ethics Complaint Process for the Public.“Members of the public who wish to file a legitimate ethics complaint against a public official should not be required to jump through hoops,” said Calabro.  “The process should be user-friendly and everything should be available online.  The system as it currently exists is meant to insulate public officials from scrutiny and needs to be changed.” 

9.    End Pay-to-Play at All Levels of Government. “Trading government contracts for campaign contributions should be illegal on every level of government without exception,” said Harvey.  “Until we rid our system of these quid pro quo deals, then we can never expect to stomp out corruption in government.” 

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