The Radical’s Blog: Are You Angry Yet?

When Tom Crone and I first started talking about the South Jersey Citizens' reform agenda for Gloucester Township, pay to play was the “low hanging fruit” we would start with. It was the “easy gimme” that would show how citizens and our municipal leadership could enact “best government.” It has been passed by 100 towns and was an issue that no sane politician would be on the wrong side of because of how it would make them look, especially in an election year. We expected the fight to be on the big money reforms being researched now, including how we contract for benefits and bond work.

I had not misjudged a situation so badly since I took a pay cut to work for a start-up dot-com in 1999.

In conversations with multiple members of South Jersey Citizens, Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer has said the following: They could not raise funds without getting them from donors, he likes wheeling (the practice where funds are shifted between political PACs), and he was against pay-to-play reform.

Tom and I thought we would get a little resistance. No problem—we do our research and answer any questions. During the June 6 workshop, Council brought up a number of concerns, including “secret money” coming from Washington and the risk to shared services. Later that week I did my research as I always do and answered their concerns. As an act of good faith, we amended the pay-to-play ordinance to hold the town harmless if a town we have shared services with collects funds from vendors.

During the June 13 regular Council session I gave an update on the workshop and research for the people in the room. Councilman Dan Hutchinson interrupted and began his rant on campaign finance reform and PAC money. Two problems with his argument: Individual towns cannot pass campaign finance, and it is completely irrelevant to pay to play. I told him this numerous times, but he kept trying to muddy the waters including trying to point out how the GTRMC got funds from the National Republicans in 2009 that I did not uncover. Why would he try to link P2P with PAC money or money from out of state? That is a red herring and a distraction. His rants about what the Republicans did in 2009 reminded my girlfriend of how our kids try to point the finger at each other when they get in trouble. Stop deflecting and talk about the real problem.

In the seven minutes I was in front of the microphone my sincere effort to make GT a better town turned into an anger and rage. What are they trying to hide? Why would they stick to a talking point I already identified as not related? And why didn’t any other Council member say a word? Was Councilman Hutchinson that focused on trying to impeach my credibility on a non-issue that he would open Pandora’s Box with regard to the financing of Gloucester Township campaigns?

Apparently.

When I got home from the council meeting I decided to look deeper into the fundraising and spending patterns of his campaign and the municipal party that was trying to block reform. What I found was shocking and appalling. Not only did the Democrats get funds from Washington themselves totaling $14,400 in 2009, they use four PACs to move money around: Association of Former Democratic Mayors, GT Citizens for Government Reform (this is not a joke), GT Chairman Club and the GT Democratic Committee. The GTDC is nominally broke, according to their ELEC forms, only getting funds from the other three as needed. The GT Reform PAC was started in 2010 by current GT Dem candidate Sam Siler. In 2010, the Dem PACs raised $121,550 from vendors and those looking for favors. So far in 2011, they have raised $31,800 from that same group. One HUNDRED twenty thousand dollars during a non-election year from groups who get contracts or tax breaks from the town! Are you bleeping kidding me? No wonder they are fighting pay to play tooth and nail. Did Rocco’s Collision get their tax break because they donated? Did we choose Blue Sky Power for our clean energy because of their work or their donation? Did Inverso and Stewart become our CPAs because of their skill or repeated contributions?

This is not good government. This is a shakedown. This has got to stop! There is no valid reason why political appointments and corporations spend $150,000 in a year and a half to buy influence and contracts. What do I have to do to get pay to play passed? Write the GT Citizens for Government Reform a check for $2,500 at their next golf fundraiser? If there was ever doubt about the next steps, it was cemented June 13. My naive concern for my neighbors grew up that night to become anger at the arrogance and hubris of the people that are supposed to represent me. I can’t be the only one who feels the same way. If you agree these practices have to stop now, I am asking you to please add your name to our petition to get this passed over the objections of Council and Mayor. They work for us, not those who fund their campaigns. Let your voice be heard. Make a stand.