Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

scrubjays t1_iy50rye wrote

You think that having hundreds and hundreds of places where lawyers and union negotiators meet rather than one might not make for more opportunities for corruption? I am not talking about the water, housing and sewer authorities, all of which also have multiple contracts. NJ politics is set up for ample opportunities for corruption. At one point in the last few decades, NJ had no city over 100,000 people that did NOT have a mayor either indicted or convicted in the previous decade. That does not happen in other states. Don't take my word for it: https://www.nj.com/politics/2017/03/mayors_under_indictment_a_long_jersey_tradition.html

In other states, when the corruption gets too out of hand, they centralize. If you want to steal in New York State, you go to Albany. Here, you don't have to go to Trenton to get your cousin the snow plowing contract, or get your son on the police force when you are the mayor of the town. All this local rule makes so many places for corruption, we are buried in it.

1

biz_reporter t1_iy6oky0 wrote

Your perspective is interesting. However, I don't think centralization is often the solution. Look to Massachusetts as an example. Corruption at the county level that nearly bankrupted Middlesex County led to the abolishen of 8 counties in the late 1990s and resulted in local tax savings. The remaining counties are mostly centered around Cape Cod and the Islands where most of the towns are unincorporated making the county services important unlike in the rest of the state. Granted, Massachusetts has half as many cities and towns as NJ. Most towns in Mass are physically larger than what you find in Bergen, Essex and Union counties here. Nonetheless, we don't hear many stories about corruption from Massachusetts.

The Washington Post last year listed the 6 most corrupt states, and NJ was 5th. It also shows that mayors and city councils of large cities are just as prone to corruption as little town mayors as evidenced by the Chicago and New Orleans examples in the article. And even mid-size mayors like in Providence, R.I. are capable of gross corruption too. This too proves that centralization does not stop corruption.

I've often wondered if Massachusetts' decision to abolish its counties might save NJ tax payers. I pay as much to my municipal government as I do to my county government. My tax bill would drop by a fourth without it. Though presumably the state would have to pick up county duties, but they could also get rid of the ANCHOR Benefit in exchange for the end of county taxes.

1