Dual View on Dual Office Holding
By Debbie HoltzAdmittedly some political choices come down to the lesser of two evils.
Take Tom Moran's columns on dual office holding and his view of the "Bergen Reformers."
It's pretty clear Tom opposes dual office holding.
Just last month, Moran penned a column chastising Codey and Roberts for failing to push back “when their fellow Democrats rejected a real ban on dual office-holding" (9/7/07).
A few days before that, Moran directed his criticism towards the Governor for bragging about the newly enacted bill banning dual office holding because “…the bosses got an amendment inserted that exempts all sitting legislators who are doing that now.”
Fast forward to last week.
In his column headlined "Bergen's merry band of reformers" (10/17/07), Moran takes on Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero who charged that the Weinberg-Johnson-Huttle reform team were hypocrites. In part, Ferriero criticized Assemblyman Gordon Johnson because he is a dual office-holder.
Instead of acknowledging the legitimacy of his own argument, Moran called the charges a "stretch". On Gordon, Moran had this to say: "Johnson's second office is as a local councilman in Englewood, a thankless post that pays $5,000 a year with no pension."
Why did Johnson get a pass?
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No one should have a pass
Tom just did every voter a disservice. Would he be OK with the people who work for the County and serve as councilman - it’s not the money or the post - it’s the solid votes to dole out pay to play contracts and have your job at stake if you don’t produce. The lower office such as councilman can give more out more in contracts/work than on a state level. In fact I think Mayors in most towns have less power than the Council does. All levels of holding dual office or jobs with the government while elected and even close relatives of elected officials should be banned. Only one at a time on the public feeder please.
Admit
Tom clearly erred in this instance. In order to preserve both his personal and journalistic integrity, he should acknowledge that in a future column.
Pass?
How about Sarlo?
How about half the Board of Freeholders in Bergen (Carroll, Wagner, McPherson and Calabrese)?
Free Pass
The issue is corruption on an industrial, systemic scale. The political Bosses are to Gordon Johnson what a hurricane is to moisture. If you cannot distinguish between the two, you're not trying. "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Well Said Bodoc! :-) n/t
From Frederick Douglass