Hoboken Reporter, August 29, 2004

Dear Editor,

Hoboken City Council has defied the wishes of its citizens by proposing a watered-down, ineffective “pay to play” ordinance instead of a stronger ordinance petitioned by over 1000 Hoboken voters. People for Open Government (POG), a citizen-based organization in Hoboken, collected signatures for three ordinances to be placed on the ballot in November. The ordinances—(1) public contracting reform; (2) competitive negotiation for professional service contracts; and (3) contribution disclosure of funds given by developers prior to appearing before zoning and planning boards--were based on model “pay to play” ordinances developed by attorneys for Common Cause New Jersey and introduced successfully by numerous communities throughout the state.

Yet, the Hoboken Council has balked. We appreciate Council’s actions to pass the latter two ordinances and a long sought Electronic Access ordinance, but choosing to introduce its own toothless public contracting ordinance rather than pass the strong, petitioned ordinance advocated by Hoboken’s citizens abrogates their responsibility as elected representatives. Council’s proposed ordinance is merely a copy of a weak and widely criticized state statute recently passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor McGreevey. Although our own Senator Bernard Kenny led the charge in the State Senate, the statute does not affect local municipalities and counties and does not go into effect until January, 2006.

Hoboken City Council wants to implement its ordinance “to reduce the appearance of impropriety.” Unfortunately, the Council seems more concerned about the appearance of impropriety than the prevention of impropriety. The watered-down ordinance it has proposed may trick the people of Hoboken into thinking they are being protected from abuses of public trust, but it will not deter such abuses. The ordinance proposed by People for Open Government is the real thing.

Please come to the public hearing on September 1, City Council Chambers at 7 p.m. and voice your opposition! Hoboken can no longer afford to renege on pay to play reform.

Ann Graham
Chair, People for Open Government