Siemaszkiewicz

Recently, we heard a lot about incumbent Assembly members Valerie Huttle and Gordon Johnson becoming instant reformers “from within” the Democratic Party. Their strategy is to take first steps in order to implement reforms in Trenton. They referred to these steps several times during the first Clean Election debate on October 15 in Hackensack.

At the invitation of the Korean American Voters Council,  all the District 37 Assembly Candidates participated in a debate on October 10th in Englewood, New Jersey.   Frank Cifarelli and Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz represented the Republican party and incumbents Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Gordon Johsnon represented the Democratic party.

A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BAN ON ALL DUAL OFFICEHOLDING – IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE  

Rarely has an idea had such universal support in New Jersey as the current topic of banning all Dual Office Holding, including a ban for current incumbents. Nearly every non-partisan good-government group and nearly every expert on good governance best-practices agree that Dual Office Holding is not in a public’s best interest, creates distortions and conflict-of-interests, and puts too much power in the hands of certain individuals.  Only a handful of states in the USA even allow Dual Office Holding and New Jersey has more Dual Office Holders than any other state.

Cifarelli and Siemaszkiewicz pledge

Repeal of Sales Tax Increases on Small Businesses and Consumers in 2008

New Jersey Legislative Democrats increased the Sales Tax for all purchases previously subject to the Sales Tax in New Jersey from 6% to 7% (a 17% increase) in 2006.  This Sales Tax increase hurt New Jersey consumers and hurt poorer people particularly, because of the Regressive nature of the Sales Tax.

The New Jersey politics hit the lowest possible point yesterday. Did FBI arrest another dozen of Democratic lawmakers on corruption charges? Did Chris Christie have another press conference announcing massive bribery scandal among New Jersey politicians? Did incumbent Senator Weinberg have a fistfight with Bergen County boss Joe Ferriero during the taxpayers’ funded Bergen County senior lunch yesterday?

 It is time for a change in New Jersey politics.

It is time for a change in New Jersey politics.

There is a growing movement to call for a Special Session of the New Jersey Legislature on ethic reform. Voters in the Legislative District 37 would like to know what incumbent legislators position on ethic reform is. Present Democratic incumbent legislators voted for the “pay-to-play” legislation, although one of them is still in conflict with the spirit of the law by holding dual elective offices. 

 Assembly Democrats increased taxes on Retirees in 2005

Cifarelli and Siemaszkiewicz pledge Repeal in 2008 

In a legislative session which spanned from July 1-July 2 of 2005, (because the Democrats missed the budget deadline of June 30th of that year), a particularly bad piece of tax legislation was inserted into that budget deal, which severely hurt New Jersey's competitiveness with regard to encouraging retirees to remain in our state. Forty-one Assembly Democrats voted Yes for the tax increase, Five Assembly Democrats voted No and One Assembly Democrat abstained. All Thirty-three Assembly Republicans voted No. This vote tally translated into the bill passing by a 41-38 margin. Had Frank Cifarelli and Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz been in the Assembly at the time to vote No, instead of Ms. Weinberg (Loretta Weinberg was in the Assembly at the time)  and Mr. Johnson voting Yes, with everything else being equal, the bill would have actually been defeated 39-40 and the tax increase would not have taken place.

It is time for a change in New Jersey politics.

There is a growing movement to force dual office holders to resign one of their jobs. Voters in the Legislative District 37 have joined this movement and are asking incumbent assemblyman Johnson to resign one of his jobs. He recently voted to ban such dual office holders.

Recent wave of arrests of New Jersey politicians by FBI including two high ranking assemblymen on top of other recent indictments of state senators means that the present political system of one party rule does not work in New Jersey.

Lack of respect for incumbent legislators representing District 37 voters came to its heights. The Bergen County Democratic Organization and its chairman Joseph Ferriero will meet with its executive committee to discuss planned lawsuit against “pay-to-play” legislation approved by the state assembly and senate.