NEW JERSEY COALITION FOR DEMOCRACY REFORM INC
A fully volunteer, non-partisan,
501(c)(3) non-profit working to unite
New Jersey in support of
comprehensive democracy reform.
Last week, we marked the 112th anniversary of the Triangle Waist Factory fire in New York City. The fire consumed the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of the Asch Building causing the deaths of 146 workers, mostly because the exits from those floors were locked during work hours by management. Aside from being the worst industrial accident in NYC history, it was so horrific to see so many people jumping to their deaths to escape the fire, some while on fire themselves, that it sparked an intense period of reform that continues to benefit workers to this day.
It is an unfortunate reality that our society often needs a catastrophe, such as the Triangle Waist Factory fire, to jolt us into recognizing and addressing conditions that should have been obvious all along. If you look at the current conditions in New Jersey from the perspective of effective governance, from the perspective of getting value from our tax dollars, and from the perspective of having elected officials that put the interests of their constituents first, allowing the Republican and Democratic parties to use the better part of the 20th century to give themselves near total control of our democratic practices has been a catastrophe for New Jersey! The horrific effects of this seem to go unnoticed and unchallenged though!
- USnews.com ranks New Jersey #49 in the United States for “Fiscal Stability”
- TruthInAccounting.org ranks New Jersey #50 in the United States for “Fiscal Health”
- WalletHub.com says there is only one state in the US that is worse than New Jersey to retire in
- Turbotax.intuit.com ranks New Jersey as third highest for personal income taxes
- GoBankingRates.com reported just this week that New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the United States
Let’s look at the upcoming primary election. In 2023, New Jersey voters will be electing all 80 members of our General Assembly and all 40 members of our Senate. Of those 120 positions that are up for election, approximately 90% of them will be uncontested! 90% of the people running for election or re-election will be doing so without another candidate running against them!
It gets worse, on a county basis for the 2021 primary election, average voter participation was only 12%! 88% of voters didn’t vote! It was as low as 8% in Essex and Passaic counties and only 20% in the county with the highest participation, Hunterdon.
These are all indications of a very unhealthy democracy in New Jersey but if you’re waiting for a catastrophe to shock you into action, the truth is, the current state of affairs in New Jersey is already a catastrophe! The General Assembly will demonstrate for us that it can always get worse when they pass the “Elections Transparency Act” this week but how do we stop this slow motion train wreck and plot a better course for New Jersey? Only YOU can make that happen. You have to decide you’ve had enough and that you want to support the reparative effects of comprehensive democracy reform each and every time you vote. Help us to build this movement by sharing these emails, by encouraging others to subscribe, and by making even a small donation. Everything to do this can be found at our website, www.PTTP.buzz.
SUPPORT LOCAL MEDIA
There are still media outlets in New Jersey that provide quality coverage of local and state politics.
Tomorrow, Friday, March 31 at 10 AM, https://fb.me/e/3cmNcVfRo
David Cruz (@DavidCruzNJ) hosts “Reporters Roundtable” which is sponsored by NJPBS.
“On Reporters Roundtable, David Cruz talks with Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, about new candidates and who’s not seeking reelection as primary season begins in New Jersey. With the entire state legislature on the ballot, what are the key races to watch? What will it mean for the makeup of the legislature?
Then, reporters Terrence McDonald from New Jersey Monitor, Brent Johnson from NJ.com and Charles Stile from The Record/USA Today Network discuss all the latest headlines this week, including the controversial ELEC meeting, the Elections Transparency Act vote and the state takeover of the Paterson Police Department. They also share their “Only in Jersey” moments of the week.”
Sundays at 12:00 noon and 3:00 PM on Channel 9, https://www.my9nj.com/tag/series/nj-now
Hosted by Mark Bonamo (@MarkJBonamo) , “New Jersey Now takes on the political, social, economic and cultural issues that impact NJ!”. Past episodes available at the link above.
New Jersey Monitor, https://newjerseymonitor.com/
Terrence T. McDonald (@NJMonitor), Editor, "The New Jersey Monitor is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news site that strives to be a watchdog for all residents of the Garden State.....New Jersey Monitor provides fair and tough reporting on the issues affecting New Jersey, from political corruption to education to criminal and social justice. We strive to hold powerful people accountable and explain how their actions affect New Jerseyans from Montague to Cape May."
New Jersey Coalition For Democracy Reform Inc
2 Emley Road
Pittstown, New Jersey 08867
Please direct all comments, questions, and requests to [email protected]
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