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The Citizens Campaign gives you a toolkit so you can get results on the issues you care about. Friday, September 16, 2011 Issue 51 *Get Started *Donate *Visit TheCitizensCampaign.com
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You Can Get Results on the Environment
Come to the September 21 Central Jersey Workshop |
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 The Citizens Campaign and Sustainable Jersey are holding a series of workshops to help citizens get results on the environment. Have you ever wanted to take the lead, and get your community to engage in sustainability policies that result in a healthier environment, stronger community and lower taxes? Sustainable Jersey promotes over 50 opportunities to get results on these issues and The Citizens Campaign will teach how regular citizens can advance any of these proposals in their community, without having to be an elected official. Step off the
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Chris Daggett |
sidelines and get in the game! Learn how to lead using our toolkit and get expert coaching on how to maneuver the political and governmental power structure and get results. The first workshop is on Wednesday September 21 and will feature experts in sustainability: Chris Daggett, CEO and President of the Dodge Foundation, Pamela Mount, Lawrence Township Councilwoman, Louise Wilson, Former Mayor, Montgomery Twp. and Thuy Ahn Le, Hillsborough Green. They will offer advice and answer questions on how to get things done. This free event is not to be missed. Read more and register. The next workshops will be on October 11th in Cherry Hill and October 24th in Lyndhurst. Share event on Facebook. |
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State Report Underscores Need for Strong Pay to Play Reform |
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Matt Boxer |
On Thursday September 15, New Jersey State Comptroller Matt Boxer issued a must-read report for citizens who want to control costs in local government by reforming government contracting and gaining adoption of meaningful pay-to-play reform. The report, "Weaknesses in the Pay-to-Play Law's 'Fair and Open' Contracting System" confirms what The Citizens Campaign has been saying since this law
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Harry Pozycki |
was first introduced, that the "fair and open" process does nothing to safeguard the local contracting process from pay-to-play waste. "New Jersey taxpayers deserve strong pay-to-play protections that ensure contracts are awarded on merit and cost-effectiveness, and not by large political contributions," said The Citizens Campaign Chairman Harry Pozycki in a response to the report issued Thursday. Click here to read the full response. |
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Urge Bergen Freeholders to Adopt Strong Pay to Play Reform |
| In Bergen County, Freeholders are scheduled to hear a pay-to-play ordinance next week with a huge "fair and open" loophole (read NorthJersey.com article). Citizens can work to get results on government reform and cutting waste by reading the State Comptrollers report referenced above and attending the public hearing Wednesday, September 21st at 8pm, and asking the Freeholders to "Remove the Fair and Open Process Loophole" which the State Comptroller and The Citizens Campaign (read statement) say makes the proposed pay to pay law weak. |
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Citizen Leaders Organize Second Willingboro Call to Service |
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Linda Murray |
Linda Murray took The Citizens Campaign's online Appointed Office Class and the rest is history! She wanted to make a difference in her hometown of Willingboro, NJ so she applied and got appointed to serve on the Human Relations Commission.She is working to organize the second Willingboro Call to Service Summit on Saturday September 24th at 10am (read more), which will train citizens how to develop constructive proposals and
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Angeline Dean |
get results on issues they care about. Also working to promote the event is Angeline Dean, the Citizens Campaign's new Burlington County Chair. "I encourage all that are interested in making a difference in their town and having a voice to come on out on September 24, 2011," said Angeline, who took The Citizens Campaign's online Political Party Leadership Class and gained a position on the political party committee in her town and county. You can change the focus from blame to solutions in your community by hosting a Call to Service or meetup for your fellow citizens. Take the Political Navigator Class and learn more. |
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Calling All Citizen Journalists:
Experts Say Hyperlocal Reporting Will Impact Elections |
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The September meeting of the New Jersey Hyperlocal News Association produced compelling calls to action to hyperlocal reporters and citizen journalists to cover local elections. The keynote address was given by Patrick Murray, Monmouth University's Polling Institute Director, who discussed how Hyperlocal sites are important to New Jersey Elections (watch video now). How  to cover municipal elections "pinning down candidates, getting them to say what they really mean" and "following the money," was covered in a panel discuss which you can watch now called Candidates, Campaigns, and Contributions (watch video now). "We're the only game in town. The Star Ledger is not covering the mayoral race anymore. The local papers are thinly staffed. We've got a solemn duty to do a good job," said Joe Malinconico, award winning editor of the hard news hyperlocal site PatersonPress.com. Joseph Donohue, Deputy Director, Election Law Enforcement Commission, talked about what resources are available from the commission to cover stories that follow the money, who is making their influence felt, and how candidates are spending their money. A presentation was also made by Leah Kehough, Managing Editor of NJ Spotlight, who talked about the NJ Spotlight 2011 Hyperlocal News Project. NJ Spotlight, a statewide policy site that covers state news and policy for New Jersey, is looking to partner with hyperlocal sites to get more comprehensive coverage of state legislative races, which get almost no coverage now. |
Visit the Events Page for more information and share these events on Facebook.
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