A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BAN ON ALL DUAL OFFICEHOLDING

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.

Earlier in the year, the Incumbent Democrats in the Legislature passed on a ban on Dual of Office Holding, but for the ban to start on February 1, 2008 after the election in November takes place and which exempted all current Dual Office Holders. Because the law takes place after the election, several Democrats decided to run for a second office for this election to take advantage of their last chance for Dual Office Holding. If elections go the way that most political pundits are predicting, incredibly, New Jersey will actually have more Dual Office Holders after this election and on February 1, 2008, then it did before the Democratic law was passed.  The bill also creates an artificial dichotomy because it creates two separate but unfairly unequal classes of officeholders in the State Legislature – a favored group of 19 or so incumbent politicians who benefit from the current loophole for which they were allowed to vote on, and all the other millions of people in New Jersey who will not be able to hold a second office.

One incumbent who currently holds two offices is Assemblyman Gordon Johnson. Assemblyman Johnson is not a long-time legacy Dual Office Holder – he ran for Council in Englewood in 2006 during the time that the problems and disadvantages of Dual Office Holding were being discussed fully in the newspapers and in public arena. He beat Rev. Walton, an honorable man well respected in the Englewood Baptist Community.  Assemblyman Johnson has said that he only ran for council after being approached by a group of concerned citizens to bolster the majority of members who are not aligned with Chairman Ferriero and he has pledged to serve only one three year term, which expires in two years.  The problem with this argument is: what if an ally of Chairman Ferriero decides to run for this same seat two years from now – does Assemblyman Johnson then say that he needs to run again for the same seat for the same reason?  In addition, Chairman Ferriero has asked Assemblyman Johnson to resign one of his two positions in order for Mr. Johnson to show consistency based on his reform package, which was revealed this past week.   Chairman Ferriero, based on the rules and the traditions of being the County Chairman, is the head of the Democratic party in Bergen County – by not following his Chairman’s request, Assemblyman Johnson is defying the leadership of his own party.

Assemblyman Johnson is campaigning as a true-reformer committed to cleaning up New Jersey State government.   By doing so and by revealing an ethics package, but by not resigning from one of his Dual elected positions, which nearly all good government groups and experts agree is one of the major problems of New Jersey; Assemblyman Johnson shows a lack of consistency and is not leading by example on this topic.

In contrast, non-incumbent challenger candidates Frank Cifarelli and Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz have been calling for a total and complete ban on all Dual Office Holding in New Jersey since April, when they first entered this campaign.  They have put this plank in their Campaign Platform from the beginning of this campaign.  They have sent this platform to independent newspapers throughout District 37, which published the platform for the public to view.  They vow if elected to the Legislature to propose legislation on their first day of office for a total and complete ban on all Dual Office Holding.

Candidate Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz bravely confronted Assemblyman Johnson at the Bergenfield Street Fair on October 6th, asking him to resign one of his two elected positions.   The candidate’s request has gone unheeded, despite the fact that poll after poll show that a majority of voters in New Jersey want a total and compete ban on Dual Office Holding.  Shouldn’t an elected official respect the wishes of his voters?

 It is time for a change in New Jersey.  

It’s time for independent reformers to be elected to the New Jersey State Legislature in District 37 who show consistency in both ideals and actions.

The time is now – please elect Assembly Candidates Frank Cifarelli and Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz to the Assembly in District 37 on November 6th, so that they can clean up New Jersey’s state government.

Contact Person:

Frank Cifarelli

(201) 489-6790

Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz

201 638-8100