VIEWS
There is no denying that corruption scandals have shaken New Jersey. Parades of our leaders have been indicted, prosecuted, convicted, or resigned over the years for corruption as heinous as cash in cereal boxes or gold bars in closets. This affects our lives in a genuine, palpable way, going beyond embarrassment. For this reason, I launched Jersey City’s strongest anti-corruption program to date this week. It will simply make sure that the people, not special interests, are the only ones who benefit from our local administration.
Not only is corruption a political problem in our community, but it also costs every taxpayer money by raising property taxes and providing poor quality services. Residents of Jersey City thus bear the costs when developers are granted tax advantages for opulent towers devoid of affordable housing or when contracts are awarded to failing but politically connected vendors. Millennium Strategies, a contractor who invested money in the political system and lost the city a $1 million grant, is a current example of this in action. The only unbought candidate for mayor who is dedicated to ending these corrupt practices is me.
How can I do that? We must first put an end to corrupt activities that benefit a small number of people at the expense of the city. This entails plugging flaws in the City Ethics Code to stop nepotism in public contracts and city jobs. Every infraction will have the proper repercussions, we promise. In addition, I will create the sole independent municipal inspector general in New Jersey. As I have done in the past with the unlawful boat payments to political cronies that have cost taxpayers a great deal of money, this office will have the authority to find and openly reveal corrupt behavior.
My administration would protect whistleblowers and refrain from forcing civil personnel to participate in political activities since protecting them is of utmost importance. And all too frequently, they are compelled to back a candidate who has been recommended by their supervisor. I’ll also work to repeal the state law that severely undermined our pay-to-play safeguards for public contracts. Companies vying for contracts and developers requesting city approvals are required to fully disclose their political contributions.
Second, the foundation of accountable governance is transparency. I’m determined to give locals unmatched access to city government operations. Public documents ought to remain just that—public. Important public records will be automatically published, and we will fight against attempts by large funders to keep them hidden from the public. In addition to facilitating virtual public comments and streaming all public meetings online, we will make sure that the meeting minutes are made available online in a searchable format. Additionally, I will present the first online database for local governmental contracts in the state.
In order to avoid political reprisals, we will collaborate with academic institutions and charitable organizations to provide scholarships and fellowships to boost independent local media. For Jersey City residents, this investment is more crucial than ever in light of the Jersey Journal’s shutdown.
Lastly, it is imperative that we free our politics from the influence of special interests. For small-dollar campaign contributions, I suggest launching the first local public matching funds program in New Jersey. By increasing the influence of small-dollar donations, this scheme will enable citizens from all walks of life to run for government. The crooked loop of relying on big donations from contractors and developers—who frequently demand political favors in exchange—must be broken. There is a reasonable cap on the amount of money each candidate can receive, and candidates must prove their viability before they can access matching funds in order to safeguard public monies.
In Jersey City, now is the time to unite for a future free from corruption. We can guarantee a government that accurately represents the wishes and best interests of its citizens by putting these extensive reforms into effect. I encourage you to support my efforts to create a city government that is open, equitable, and responsible. By working together, we can remove the corruption tax’s obligations and restore the promise our city made to all of its citizens.
James Solomon is a councilman and mayoral contender from Jersey City.
