A government of the people

A government of the people

By Joe Renna

The state of politics in New Jersey has hit a low point but it is improving. The fact that more elected officials are getting caught and held to task for wrong doing is positive. This doesn't mean that more politicians are acting corruptly, it means that, to some extent, they are no longer getting away with it.

The exposure has shown that politics is not a closed society that one must be invited into. By showing the faults of the political machines, the public has had a new appreciation for the individual candidate and is moving away from party line politics. It has also inspired candidates to run independently, and they have been met with a tremendous amount of support.

The key to the change in politics is technology. Information is what makes democracies work. The access to public records has been improved. More than ever, the public can make informed decisions. And though some political holdouts still suppress information, the ability for the press and the public to wrestle information away from them is very good and improving.

Elected officials have access to public records first hand. The real revolution in taking government away from the power brokers will come when regular folks start filling the seats of the chambers of the legislature. There is a new crop of citizens seeking public office who where not born of a political machine and who are not beholden to their party or to special interests.

This new way of getting involved can be found throughout America's more sophisticated voters. The common trend to vote the party of your parents has gone by the wayside. Young voters are more educated and self reliant. There was a time when voting for a certain person or party ment job security, not only for the individual, but for the entire community.

Both parties have failed their constituents. Traditionally, the public tolerated their elected officials misgivings as long they felt they they were being given a decent chance at providing for their families. The security in thinking that government is protecting the interest of the people has fluttered away. It is up to the voter to find those individuals within the party structure who are speaking with an independent voice. Voters are crossing party lines and selecting Independent candidates more often than ever.

The call for a constitutional convention in order to fix government is a cop-out by our elected officials in Trenton. Our legislature already has the power to correct things but they don't have the gumption. The public needs to replace those who had their chance but traded the public trust for a fist full of power.