10th District rivals focus on McGreevey, favor ethics bills

Published in the Asbury Park Press 10/28/03

By NAOMI MUELLER
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

Republican incumbents in the 10th Legislative District are more critical of Gov. McGreevey than they are of their Democratic and Green Party opponents.

State Sen. Andrew R. Ciesla and Assemblymen David W. Wolfe and James W. Holzapfel, all R-Ocean, contend the McGreevey administration gives more state money to Democratic districts than to Republican districts, and say the governor's staff is larger than it was two years ago under the GOP's Christie Whitman.

'It's a question of priorities,' Holzapfel said. 'When you get up and say 'We have to tighten our belts' and at the same time say 'We're going to increase taxes and not cut,' you are doing the wrong thing.'

Yet while agreeing that state leaders have many pressing issues to address, the challengers -- Democratic Senate candidate James M. Blaney, Democratic Assembly candidates Desmond R. Abazia and Mark Troncone, and Green Party Assembly hopeful Liz Arnone -- said not all the blame for New Jersey's problems should be heaped on McGreevey.

As state representatives, Troncone said, legislators should fight harder for money for local needs. The Republican trio said they have fought.

Ciesla, Holzapfel and Wolfe vowed to continue to fight for more money for school districts with growing enrollments, criticizing the state's practice of pouring money into urban districts, many of which have sinking enrollments. Local legislators also need to continue to fight for money to improve roads and other infrastructure, they said.

Democrats say this race has been quiet because of their party's problems putting a ticket together. Blaney did not become a candidate until mid-September, four months after Paul C. Brush withdrew from the Senate race to run as an independent mayoral candidate in Dover Township.

On ethics reform

Candidates have had their say on the statewide issue that has captured the most attention: the public's cry for ethics reform in state government.

Last month, Abazia said, he would have put the need for legislative ethics reform as third on his list of priorities in the state. But as the election has neared, Abazia said, the call for reform has gained momentum.

'There's a cry for it,' he said.

Yet despite believing that reform is needed, Abazia said, he supports the governor's decision not to call a special pre-election session, saying it will take more than a couple of weeks to make meaningful changes.

'My opponents have had 10 years to rectify this,' Abazia said. 'Why now are things so desperate that they need to convene two weeks before a general election?'

The incumbents defended their support of a special session.

'You get elected to serve, no matter what time it is,' Wolfe said. 'We shouldn't be watching the calendar to decide when to meet and when not to.'

Abazia said the first step is full financial disclosure by legislators. Public officials should be required to make their personal income tax returns public and to disclose their assets and other business interests, he said.

Ciesla, Wolfe, Holzapfel and Arnone also said they favor full financial disclosure by legislators, as well as a ban on legislators voting for bills that would directly benefit themselves or their families.

Holzapfel added, though, that lawyers in the Legislature should not be forced to disclose their private clients, and that conflict-of-interest legislation should not be unreasonable. For example, he said, an assemblyman who owns a boat should not be banned from voting on legislation affecting boaters.

Blaney said he supports full financial disclosure but a legislator's family members should be exempt.

If elected, Arnone said, she would be a full-time assemblywoman, which would help her avoid conflicts.

Troncone said legislators should have to disclose sources of income, but not amounts.

Blaney is the only one of the seven candidates against a blanket ban on elected officials appointing or hiring relatives, saying he is against blanket rules.

On dual office-holding

Wolfe, Holzapfel, Troncone, Abazia and Arnone said they oppose lawmakers holding more than one public office because it raises concern about which constituency is being represented.

Ciesla said he does not oppose dual office-holding. He cited Leonard T. Connors Jr., mayor of Surf City and the 9th District senator, as someone who gains valuable perspective on many issues. Connors has said he plans to give up one of those offices.

Blaney agreed with Ciesla, saying that some positions can coexist.

Ciesla, Wolfe, Abazia and Arnone also said the practice of 'pay to play' -- awarding contracts to campaign donors -- should be banned at the state and local levels.

Holzapfel and Troncone said all contracts should be awarded to the low bidder, as long as consideration can be given to professionals with more experience.

Blaney, however, said engineers, attorneys and other professionals should not be barred from contributing to a candidate. Instead, legislators should make it known that they want more attention paid to ethics and more integrity in ensuring appointees are qualified, he said.

Troncone said if pay-to-play were banned, campaign contributions could be driven underground. Instead, he said, elections should be publicly funded.

Troncone, whose law firm represents planning boards in Jackson, Lakewood and Pine Beach, and boards of adjustment in Spring Lake Heights and Galloway, said he would not step down from those positions if elected to the Assembly.

All seven candidates said they favor strengthening the Open Public Records Act.