Whereas county employees, vendors, and unions provided a large part of the $447,651 donated to the Union County Democratic Committee since 2008, the UC Republican Committee got most of their $63,473 from themselves.

No county vendors getting no-bid contracts.  No county employees as far as I can tell.  One union (Laborers UL 472) which supports mostly Democrats, threw the UC Republicans $500, possibly by mistake.  Only one big-time contribution, $10,000 from Mark Gerson, who seems to be spreading money around, Corzine-style, to get into the discussion for top ballot spots.

The bulk of the contributions, typically in the $350 range, came from Republican candidates and officeholders presumably out of a sense of obligation.

Why wouldn’t some enterprising lawyer, contractor, or county employee hedge their bets by giving the Republicans a little something in case they won the next election?  Three reasons:

1) Republicans are not likely to win as long as Plainfield and Elizabeth return 90% pluralities to the Democrats;

2) These lists are public.  Even if a county employee is worried that the current administration is endangering their pensions while frittering money away they must keep their names off any contribution lists to the opposition party.*

3) Even if the Republicans pull the unlikely upset they’re still down 6 - 3 at best and the Democratic machine continues to divide the spoils for at least the next year.

How does this cycle get broken?  The Democrats must raise taxes through the roof, throw away money on useless vanity projects while closing down potential profit centers, abuse taxpayers, repay their campaign contributors at a rate of 50 to 1 and…one more thing.  Their automaton constituencies in Plainfield and Elizabeth must notice.  There’s the rub.
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* Nice democracy we have here isn’t it?  Who speaks to power around here?  Who even speaks so anyone else will hear?  Saddam’s Iraq was more tolerant of dissenters.

For Immediate Release

Union County Republican Chairman Phil Morin issued the following statement in response to former Assemblyman Neil Cohen’s resignation in the wake of allegations that pornography involving underage children was found on his legislative office computer:

As the investigation of child pornography allegations apparently continues against former Assemblyman Neil Cohen and election laws mandate that a special election be held this November as a result of the legislative vacancy, the Union County Republicans are calling for both his individual and joint legislative campaign accounts with Assemblyman Cryan to be frozen until the investigation is complete.

No campaign funds should be used for Mr. Cohen’s personal legal defense or doled out as campaign contributions in the interim.

If the allegations are true, we call upon Mr. Cohen to donate all funds in his campaign accounts to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help in the fight against child pornography and to assist the only true victims of such a heinous crime. According to their website, financial donations to the NCMEC “help advance their mission to prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation” and “assist victims of abduction and sexual exploitation, their families and the professionals who serve them.”

Election Law Enforcement Commission advisory opinion AO-01-2008 limits the use of campaign funds for criminal legal defense.

Charitable donations are specifically authorized at N.J.S.A. 19:44A-11.2 and N.J.A.C. 9:25-6.5