Coupla days ago I wrote about the gross disparity between the resources that were available to New Jersey American Water in the effort to pass the public question that would approve sale of part of the Trenton Water Works. Under existing state campaign finance law, a corporation can spend unlimited sums for or against a public question. In the case last week, NJAW spent over $840,000 compared to Stop the Sale’s $13,000. That’s unfair.
I wrote about a law that has been introduced in the State Assembly. Bill A531 has been introduced by Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, (R-13, Middlesex.Monmouth) that would ban corporations and unions from spending on public questions. Sounds like the basis of a good plan to me.
So I wrote to the Assemblywoman, described the recent campaign (in case a legislator on West State Street pays no attention to anything that happens on East State ;-D ) and asked what I could do to help see A531 move forward.
This morning I got a response from her Chief of Staff. Leigh Harris wrote:
Dear Mr. Moriarty:
Thank you for contacting the Assemblywoman’s office.
The best thing you can do to help get some action on this bill is to contact Asw. Linda Stender, who is the chair of the Assembly State Government Committee. You can call or write and ask her to post this bill at the next meeting of the State Government Committee. You should also contact Speaker Sheila Oliver to ask her to have the bill posted and then go to the floor of the General Assembly for a full vote.
Thank you very much for your interest A-531. The Assemblywoman would be more than happy to testify when the bill is posted.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Assemblywoman if she may be of any further assistance.
Best,
Leigh A, Maris, MPAP
Chief of Staff
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin
890 Main Street
Belford, NJ 07718
Phone: (732) 787-1170
Fax: (732) 787-0356
Linda Stender’s and Sheila Oliver’s contact information is below. I suggest you contact them, as I have, and voice your support to see this bill move forward. This bill may not be perfect, and I won’t claim to know the significance of every word in the draft. But it deserves to get a hearing. It deserves to be fully debated and deliberated.
It is a perversion and corruption of the electoral process to allow a company like NJAW to have no limits on their activities in support of public questions. Time to cut them down to size.
Linda Stender
1801 East Second Street, 2nd Floor
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
908.668.1900
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=205
Sheila Y. Oliver
15-33 Halsted Street, Suite 202
East Orange, NJ 07010
973.395.1166