The Battle for Trenton

By The Franklin Lakes Journal

Published: October 14, 2009

The Journals offer candidates in local elections a platform to share their views with residents, but we do not endorse any candidates. Locally elected leaders are for all practical purposes volunteers - especially this past year where many municipal representatives voted to forgo their annual stipend. Locally, our elected representatives are accessible and hear regularly from residents at town meetings. They are neighbors, friends, members of the community, and choosing sides in these contests is not what the Journals are about.

But this is not the case with our leaders in state government. The state government of New Jersey leaves little to be proud of with respect to leadership, honesty, or courage. They shrink from speaking the truth, and refuse to honestly face the dire circumstances facing the state of New Jersey. While many New Jersey residents may not feel the pinch of tax rates rising 50%, 60%, or 70% in the last several years, there are many who can no longer afford the irresponsible governance that has plagued New Jersey for decades.

Home values have shrunk to fantastic levels, but taxes have risen at an even more fantastic rate. New Jersey is burdened with debt and a pension system on the brink of bankruptcy. These problems did not arise overnight. They have evolved through the failures of a political system that promotes leaders only after they abdicate their obligation to serve the people of New Jersey. We need direct action, disciplined leadership, but mostly we need honesty and integrity.

The Journal is a small online voice in the Ramapo valley and hills, but we join with New Jersey’s largest newspaper, The Star Ledger, in endorsing the independent candidate, Christopher Daggett, for governor of New Jersey. Mr. Daggett brings with him more government experience than Chris Christie, and more experience than Jon Corzine had prior to his failed tenure as governor. He also brings experience working across party lines and a willingness to communicate and build the consensus needed to effect real change. He offers to the residents of New Jersey specific proposals as to how he will reduce property taxes, improve education, and help reform a government that suffers from institutionalized corruption.

The Journal does not endorse every proposal offered by Mr. Daggett, but welcomes the courage and integrity required to communicate honestly with the voters. We all deserve nothing less from our elected officials.

Mr. Christie offers a vision of New Jersey, but brings no plan, no specifics, only hopes and dreams which too often are the first victims of political expediency. Mr. Corzine’s plan is four more years of the same, and that is no longer a viable option. The governor involves himself in outworn traditions paying homage to the power of political influence rather than to the electoral body. Outside of party loyalists, he has discredited himself too often to continue in the position.

The Democrats in New Jersey are loyal to their tax and spend policies, and the Republican loyalists continually embrace borrow and spend policies. It is these loyalist tendencies which have created a government we can no longer afford, and created debt that will be handed down to future generations. George Washington heeded a young nation,”..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.” We should reflect on his advice this November.

America is still a young nation in the history of the world, and yet we have lost the passion of our revolution, we have lost the passion of our youth. Our problems today are insignificant in comparison to those faced by generations before us, and yet we fear to act boldly as generations before us did. We are today fortunate our problems are mostly of a fiscal nature, it’s about money. Even so, money is a reflection of the time people spend earning it, their time here on earth. People work to provide for themselves, their future, and their loved ones. Money earned now represents the time spent away from family, friends, time that might have be spent on things of greater value than money.

The resident’s of New Jersey deserve to have their tax money respected. Chris Daggett has been respectful enough of New Jersey voters to speak honestly of what he would do as governor, and he offers the best option of respect and honesty in the future.

Editors Note: Cicero Designs, publisher of The Journal, provided technical services to the Daggett campaign.