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Freedom Through Information

By Joe Renna

It is no wonder that New Jersey is considered the most corrupt state of the union. The incompetence, arrogance and the immorality of our politicians that surface in the media are deserving of scrutiny and ridicule. We need much more of it.

The reason government officials are running slip-shod through our state is that there is very little information about what they are actually doing. The resources dedicated to watching the government are minimal. The majority of news entering our homes is from out of state. Television networks and newspaper publications originating from New York and Philadelphia overshadow New Jersey's home grown news agencies. Only the most egregious acts make it to press and they disappear very quickly.

New Jersey Newspapers have a hard enough time covering state government, it is impossible to do the same for the state's 566 municipalities and 21 counties. This results in a free ride for shifty officials. The percentage of operations that are made public is so small that the odds of getting caught doing anything unethical is slim to none. The payoff has been very good and politicians are willing to take those odds. If they do get exposed then it's a matter of "I'm sorry I got caught."

News reporting is a very tough business. Good journalism comes at a very high price and the government has a corner on the market. It is ironic that most news of government is generated from the county's or city's public information departments. Without balance, New Jersey can only expect more of the same deceit that it has been subject to for years.

A few brave local papers and renegade websites are diligent in reporting government activity and explaining the effect it has on the people. It is refreshing to see this grass roots effort. The hope is that their spark can ignite a movement. The ranks of this movement must be recruited from the tax paying public. They have the most to gain for it has been on their backs that the politicians and recipients of patronage have been allowed to prosper.

Inspiration for this article came from the publisher and editor in chief of New Jersey Monthly Magazine, Kate Tominson. Her column in the January 2003 issue included a list of New Years Resolutions. Included in the list were "Be an informed citizen" and "Get involved". She resolves, after living in Union County almost fifteen years, "to finally figure out what the freeholders in her county are up to. " She goes on to explain how it's the attitudes of the citizens that encourage politicians to make promises that they can't keep and choices that mortgage the future.

Following the release of New Jersey Monthly The sunday Star Ledger of January 12 ran part one of a three part series called "The Ethics Challenge" in New Jersey. The Ledger has been more intense at holding the politicians to task. It has been doing its best hard hitting journalism as of late. It would be easy to think that it is because the politicians in power are so brazen that they are making it easy to point out their transgressions. That's true but it's only part of the reason. Credit must be given to those doing the reporting. New Jersey politics will change only if the people want it to. Information is the best means to do so.

People wishing to get involved should start local. Big government is just a sum of its parts. The higher power gets its strength by controlling the smaller groups. Correcting the big problems starts by eliminating the little ones. There are plenty of good elected officials in this state but they are burdened by a system that runs counter to their productivity. Getting elected is nearly impossible when challenging an incumbent machine. The people can change all that. Voters need to attend meetings, write their representatives, get on the internet, send letters to the newspapers, and ask questions. Without accountability, freedom is lost.