|
Friday March 26th, 2010
Issue 30
|
| South Jersey Summit Brings Hope |
The Executive Editor of the Press of AC attended the South Jersey Call to Service Summit, and wrote " I found myself feeling hopeful ... hopeful that New Jersey's citizens are engaging themselves in the government process and eager to offer their guidance to the politicians. I stood in awe on Tuesday evening as an estimated 300 citizens showed up at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey to learn from the New Jersey Citizens' Campaign (www.jointhecampaign.com) how they can get deeply involved in leading their government. This was the "South Jersey Call to Service Summit," promising to "provide participants with insider knowledge and skills to effectively tackle the problems facing our hometowns and state."( read more) |
The March 16th South Jersey Summit at Stockton College turned out hundreds of people enthusiastic about answering the Jersey Call to Service.
Citizens attending were pumped about the Summit, calling it ( watch video interviews) empowering, informative, enjoyable and inspiring.
The panel Citizen Journalism: A Cure for Closed Door Government, featured Ted Mann, the Digital Development Director for Gannett New Jersey and founder of InJersey.com. View the video interview with Ted about his panel presentation. People who answer the Call to Service and take the Citizen Journalism Class can begin to write articles covering local government and politics for InJersey.com and get published.
Panel on Cutting Government Waste
 |
The panel Tools for Citizens to Control Property Taxes & Cutting Government Waste taught citizens about proposals to cut waste that they can introduce that can bring savings and help their communities avoid service cuts. Pictured are panelists Harry Pozycki, Citizens' Campaign Chair, Deb DiLorenzo, President & CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey, and Christopher Daggett, former DEP Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate.
At the panel Citizen Control of Political Parties, Citizens' Campaign Camden County Chair Joyce Walker taught the audience how to become a party committee person. People were stunned to find that committee seats are sometimes unfilled and a simple write in during the primary can win you the position. Panelist Paul Josephson, former Chief Counsel to the Governor and Legal Counsel to the State Democratic Committee, revealed that he first became a committeeman as a write in. Senator Joseph Kyrillos, former State Republican Party Chair, encouraged people that its not a heavy lift to get involved, and the influence you will have is great. Joan Wright, director of Women Advocating for Good Government explained how women have a great opportunity to participate, since every neighborhood committee district has one seat reserved for a man and one also reserved for a woman.
ANSWER THE CALL
 |
|
|
What citizens are saying about the Call to Service Summit |
|
"I was at the Summit last night and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The panel was extremely informative. I look forward to participating in the Jersey Call to Service."
Carol Olenschlager
"Attending the Summit gave me a sense of empowerment."
Maria Basara
"It was my pleasure to participate last night- I really enjoyed it and think very highly of what you are doing to enhance our governments."
Debra P. Dilorenzo, President and CEO
Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey |
|
Metuchen Mayor and Council Host Hometown Call to Service
|
The Metuchen Call to Service Summit
 |
Last Saturday morning, on a beautiful sunny day, Harry Pozycki, Chair of the Citizens' Campaign, thanked Metuchen residents, the Metuchen Mayor and Council, and Pam Brown, President of the Metuchen Edison YMCA, for their commitment to service at the Metuchen Call to Service Summit. He then conducted a forum for residents on how to participate in the leadership of their community. The forum focused on how to apply and gain appointment to a town board or commission position. When terms expire, vacancies are posted on the Borough's website and interested residents can apply online. In addition to insider tips on how to develop yourself to be a strong candidate for appointment, Pozycki taught citizens how to effectively make policy proposals before boards and commissions. He also described how citizens could help stop local property tax increases by proposing "Ready for Adoption" local government cost cutting proposals, which focus on government efficiency and waste reduction.
-
Service is Valuable to the Community. In opening remarks, the Mayor and Council informed residents about additional opportunities for volunteering and where to apply, from planting flowers, to the annual Country Fair and Parades, to Earth Day, to the Auxiliary Police, to a newly created Commission on the Disabled. Residents were able to meet current members of boards and commission and introduce themselves and ask questions.
-
Inform & Engage. The Summit will be broadcast on the local cable access station and replayed in order to reach the entire community.
-
Communities Answering the Call- In addition to Metuchen, Hazlet, Bradley Beach, Jersey City, Monmouth County, Atlantic City, Atlantic County, Edison, Florence Twp and Hoboken are calling citizens to service.
-
Citizen Service Act Opens Doors to Service. Passed last October, the Act makes available to residents a list of all town boards and commissions, with vacancies and term expirations. The Citizens' Campaign's Legal Task Force drafted and gained adoption of this legislation to open the doors to service in New Jersey. Ask your community to host a Summit so that citizens become aware that their leadership service is needed.
-
Launching a Hometown Call to Service is Easy. For info please contact Lauren Skowronski, the Citizens' Campaign's State Campaign Director, at 732-548-9798 x2 or Lauren@jointhecampaign.com. |
|
 Grace Shackney says she launched a Call to Service in Metuchen because she loves Metuchen. "There are so many people who want to do things," she said. Grace, a long time Metuchen resident and activist, and a former Artistic Administration Director at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, decided that working at the Citizens' Campaign as a volunteer would be a great use of her time, helping to create fresh new leadership for New Jersey. She proposed the Call to Service Resolution to the Metuchen Council, who agreed that it would be good for Metuchen to call its citizens to service. She was able to post the information about the Summit in the local Metuchen Matters Blog, in the local papers, was interviewed by the Home News Tribune and got the local cable station to tape the event. "Making residents aware that their participation is encouraged and educating them about ways to participate, makes Metuchen a place where interesting ideas can emerge, and problems can be addressed which effects our quality of life and gives us this great place to live," she said
|
|
Spread the Word about the Jersey Call to Service
Send a Letter to the Editor |
-
Send this sample letter to the editor
Dear Editor, The recent article on New Jersey's budget crisis (title, date of article) is another sobering reminder that we all need to do more with less, particularly when it comes to stabilizing property taxes while maintaining municipal services and a quality education in our public schools. If New Jersey is going to survive this fiscal crisis, we need to change the "business as usual" culture at the local level. The Citizens' Campaign recently unveiled ready-for-adoption ordinances for local government and school districts, designed to cut waste in government. The Citizens' Campaign is calling on citizens to propose these model cost-cutting measures to their elected officials in its "Jersey Call to Service," a statewide public service initiative to inspire citizen participation in the leadership of their communities, and reduce government waste. I answered the call, and hope readers who are outraged by the current budget crisis will join too. On June 9th you can answer the call by attending the "Jersey Call to Service Summit" (reserve a seat on www.jointhecampaign.com). Get the knowledge you need to fix our towns and stabilize our taxes. For assistance sending this letter to the editor, contact Heather at 732-548-9798x1 or heather@jointhecampaign.com. |
The Jersey Call to Service made possible by YOU Donate Now |
|
Answer the Jersey Call to Service
|
Spread the Word
Citizens' Campaign is on Facebook! | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
