This is a
picture of Joshua Leinsdorf, Indpendent Candidate for Governor of New Jersey,
standing on the Henry Hudson Trail in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. Josh spent 31 years turning this abandoned
railroad right of way into a bike path. It
was dedicated on Earth Day, 2009.
Why did it take
so long? Because it was opposed by the
Republicans, the Democrats and all the neighbors. This proves that an honest candidate who
takes consistent positions on issues can get things done.
The Fundamental Problem is that the
Elections are Rigged in Favor of the Republicans and Democrats
New Jersey has public financing of
gubernatorial elections. The state will
match campaign contributions, on a 2 to 1 basis, up to a certain limit.
Governor Jon Corzine, the
multimillionaire former chairman of Goldman Sachs, is eschewing public
financing. In the June 2nd
primary, the turnout was 10%. Corzine
got 148,847 votes which is about 13% of the registered Democrats. Governor Corzine did not debate his three
opponents, who got zero newspaper or media coverage of any kind, and had zero
campaign funds but still received 44,319 ballots or 4% of the registered
Democrats. These numbers were so bad
that the newspapers declined to print them in the article on the primary.
In
the Republican Primary it was a three way race between former U.S. Attorney
Christopher Christie, Mayor Steve Lonegan, and Assemblyman Richard Merkt. The New Jersey public financing law, rather
than enabling poorly funded candidates to compete with wealthy ones, does the
exact opposite. It provides public
funding ONLY to candidates that can raise $300,000. In other words, public financing, while
limiting campaign spending and contributions, essentially provides a subsidy to
the people who already fund political campaigns.
As a result, in the recent primary,
Christopher Christie’s 181,154 votes cost the taxpayers $17.11 a vote in
campaign matching funds, while Steve Lonegan’s 139,066 votes cost the treasury
(of a state that is laying off workers and forcing others onto involuntary
furloughs) $14.25 a vote. Richard
Merkt’s 9,027 votes cost nothing because Merkt was unable to raise the initial
$300,000 that qualifies a candidate for matching funds. New Jersey has created, in effect, a financial
qualification for Governor.
In order to receive matching funds, a candidate must agree to
abide by the spending limits and agree to participate in mandated debates. Under the New Jersey public financing system,
any candidate that does not qualify for matching funds, or is unable to raise
$340,000 by September 1, is excluded from the debates. Public financing as used in New Jersey is
used to discriminate AGAINST candidates with no money. Unless a candidate can raise $340,000 by
September 1, he or she is not allowed to participate in the debates mandated by
the expenditure of millions of dollars of tax money. Is it any wonder New Jersey is broke?
In the old days, the
traditional starting date for Democratic campaigns was Labor Day. This shows that most people do not start
paying serious attention to politics until the summer is over. The New Jersey campaign public financing law
requires that the $340,000 be raised by September 1, before voters have started
to pay attention to the race. The public
financing law is written to guarantee that no candidate other than a Republican
and Democrat with huge permanent fundraising organizations will be allowed to
compete in the gubernatorial race. By
making money a qualification, and then writing the rules to make it practically
impossible for any candidate other than a Democrat or Republican to raise the
requisite funds in the time allotted, it keeps the Governor’s mansion closed to
independents. In the thirty-two years
since public financing of Governor’s races was introduced in 1977, only one
independent candidate, Libertarian Murray Sabrin, has managed to raise the
necessary funds to be included in the debate.
Why Leinsdorf is a better choice than Corzine and
Christie
Josh spent nine years on the Princeton Regional School
Board, two as Finance Committee chairman.
He has accomplished more than just building a bike path. He helped raise standards for high school
graduation from a ninth to an eleventh grade standard (although he was fighting
for a twelfth grade standard). He
supports a sidewalk building program, installation of benches and bus shelters,
and selling New Jersey Transit to private bus companies so that New Jersey can
have a first class pubic transit system.
He has a full program covering taxes, education, the environment, the
role of the courts and public corruption.
Corzine and Christie, in their roles as public officials,
have cost the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Corzine “invested” half a billion dollars of
state pension funds in hedge funds. No
one has ever claimed hedge funds were investment grade investments. As the market deteriorated and the hedge fund
made margin calls, the pension fund anted up three payments of $49.5 million
dollars to prevent the position from being liquidated. By coincidence, $50 million is the threshold
that requires public disclosure and approval of the board. So, the hundreds of millions of dollars
Corzine flushed down the drain to enrich his buddies in the hedge fund industry
on Wall Street hits every taxpayer in New Jersey.
Christopher Christie isn’t far behind when it comes to costing taxpayers
hundreds of millions of dollars. In the
old days, when a corporation was found guilty of a crime, the fines were
deposited to the general treasury. Now,
instead of taxpayers getting a break, the money goes to the best connected law
firms. Corporate fines have been
privatized. As U.S. Attorney, Christie
negotiated an “oversight” agreement with a medical prosthetics manufacturer
that engaged in illegal price fixing.
The oversight contract went to former U.S. Attorney General John
Ashcroft, who was the chief law enforcement officer when torture became legal
in the United States.
Now, Corzine and Christie are going to
participate in debates from which candidates who failed to raise $340,000 will
be excluded. According to law in New
Jersey, a candidate is required to raise and spend at least $340,000 before he
or she is allowed into the public debates required by the spending of millions
of taxpayer dollars. In other words, I
am required, by law, to pay for a public financing system that will prevent me
from getting into the debates. Is this
what soldiers are fighting and dying for in Iraq and Afghanistan?
And that’s why the
government in New Jersey is run for the benefit of the lawyers and campaign
contributors. The lawyers have created a
legal system that is designed primarily to produce campaign contributions for
the Republicans and Democrats. Programs
and policies that save money, or better yet, cost no money, have no potential
to produce campaign contributions and consequently are not considered by the
Republicans and Democrats. Only higher
spending fueled by borrowing and higher taxes can come from a political race
where every candidate is required to raise at least $340,000 in order to even be
heard.
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