New Jersey is well known for its pay-to-play culture where one pays in order to become a player on the political field. Typically, an individual, business, or organization makes campaign contributions to public officials, party officials, or parties themselves, in the expectation of receiving political or financial benefit.
New Jersey’s Election Law Enforcement Commission provides a database where residents can see who are the big donors to local candidates and political clubs. Reviewing recent elections in Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff, it would appear that Franklin Lakes fares the best, perhaps partially due to a local pay-to-play ordinance passed in 2007. In Wyckoff, where a local pay-to-play ordinance has been discussed, there are limited instances of political contributions by real estate developers who might benefit from political favoritism. Oakland, though, offers the most disturbing local example with regular political contributions from the borough attorney, the borough planner, the borough auditor, and the borough engineer.
Example of Contributions to Candidates
Reviewing documentation available on the state’s ELEC website, four contractors providing professional services to Oakland combined to give over $3,200 to the Republican Club of Oakland and directly to Republican candidates running for town council in 2010. This appears to be a regular practice occurring every elections season, with total contributions from each contractor averaging $800 each. This amount, $3,200, could account for anywhere between 25% to 30% percent of a campaign budget.
Activist groups like NJ Citizens Campaign have been seeking to have towns’ adopt a model local ordinance to eliminate the perception of pay-to-play. Dozens of municipalities throughout New Jersey have adopted the model ordinance, but the one-size-fits-all approach also proves problematic for New Jersey where 560 municipalities vary dramatically in size and financial demographics. $2,500 in Jersey City does not go as far as $2,500 in Allendale.
Common Cause, a good government organization, is promoting a new condition of contracting in Georgia which is not structured as a campaign finance law. People can either contribute freely to the campaigns of candidates and political organizations, or they can qualify to receive contract work with the municipality. They cannot do both. The ordinance promoted for the City of Atlanta would allow for a minimal amount, $250, in combined contributions to any local candidate or political organization. For example, a contractor could contribute $100 to two candidates and an additional $50 to a political club.
$10.7 million was donated by businesses in NJ with government contracts in 2009, and the appearance of the grateful recipient with the deep-pocketed donor taints government, be it local, state or federal. The reasoning that “everyone else is doing it” should not work for grade schoolers or elected leaders.
The legal difficulties of imposing campaign finance reform, and the diversity of New Jersey’s 560 municipalities, make pay-to-play a difficult area for real reform. The power of homerule does provide an opportunity for NJ residents to exercise their power to impose local restrictions that reflect the individual values of each municipality.
The links below provide a list of all local election reports dating back to 1999
Readers can gather additional information at http://www.elec.state.nj.us/publicinformation/viewreports.htm, where they can search for contributions to local political organizations. The majority of money raised by political clubs is used mostly to support local candidates, but also can be used to support county, state or national campaigns.
This leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Wow – Do the people of Oakland know that Linda Schwager was a Republican at one time. Glad you posted this, it sheds light on more than you thought I’m sure.
Editors Reply: The links to the ELEC filings are very interesting, almost like a political time capsule. Probably will evoke memories to a lot of folks. It’s also very interesting to see the number of people who ran in the primaries and general election as Republicans, Democrats, and Independents….as far as Schwager having been a Republican, it’s fairly common knowledge. There are others that have switched between parties and being Independent….perhaps a topic for an article in the future.
@Editor – Please do not try to justify the “Flip-Flop”. I attribute it much like being a fair weather fan. You are either with a party or not. The fact that someone jumps ship to try and “get leverage” on the office is shameful. I thought that you were one who was for the open government? That being the case you should not have to Justify what Ms. Schwager did.
Vivian, that is your opinion and your opinion only. You are not the authority on this topic.
Thanks for sharing YOUR opinion.
Hi Vivian, I’m all in favor of not only open and transparent government, but a government that actively seeks to engage citizens in democracy beyond the ballot. That being said, I don’t see the virtue in having loyalty to any political party. Personally, I heed the advice offered to the American people by George Washington in his farewell address:
“I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.
This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy….
….Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.”
The Farewell Address is a bit lengthy, but a very good read. Washington also warned about cherishing public credit and being cautious about taking on debt….Pretty amazing speech….
I always thought that Schwager became an active Republican both to please the party that employed her husband and gain political advantage for her own election to the Council several years ago. Her recent Democratic “flip flop” should not be surprising if we understand her motivations in this light. Getting back to the article on pay for play…..Democrats and Republicans have both used Oakland’s payroll to encourage campaign contributions. What should be noted in the article is that Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff have publicly identifed the issue as a problem. As a result, both of our neighboring towns suffer far less pay for play issues than Oakland. And, it is the Republicans that have controlled Oakland for many years now and could (and should) treat this issue with the same candor and resolve as the governing bodies in Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes.
Mr. Davis – I 100% agree with your statements regarding Pay-to-Play. We should learn from our neighbors.
In 1999, I ran for council with John Biale. That year, I was unsuccessful in my bid for council as was Linda Schwager, an incumbent republican. We became friends and it became clear that her opinions and sentiments more closely mirrored democrats. I asked her to think about getting more involved with our local democratic committee because of my appreciation for the caring and intelligent person she is. She decided to change parties, knowing full well republicans have the majority among Oakland’s citizens. While some might not appreciate that Linda has the strength of her convictions and might rather see her tow the republican line, I for one appreciate her leadership and look forward to her representation.
It seems to me that there is a lot of dissension amongst the Oakland Republicans. Over the past couple days it has come to my attention that there is a new group of Republicans supporting Schwager at the website http://www.OaklandVictory.com ( I can’t wait to get my bumper sticker). I was also very surprised to see only 1/2 of the Republican council marching in the Memorial Day parade, I wonder if unhappiness in the party includes present council members. Does this have anything to do with the Szabo Passaic county alliance vs. the Bergen County alliance, or is this due to people’s unhappiness with the present administration, or is this the perfect storm and involves everything and more!