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May 15, 2008
TRENTON, N.J. - About a third of New Jersey legislators also collect paychecks from other public jobs _ a statistic that raises further questions in a state already mired with ethics woes.
At least 37 of 120 lawmakers earn money from other government jobs, according to a review by The Associated Press of 2007 legislative financial disclosure reports filed Thursday.
"When a legislator holds another public job this creates an inherent conflict of interest that works against the public interest," said Assemblyman Richard Merkt, who backs prohibiting legislators from holding other public jobs. "It is difficult to serve two masters and do so with fidelity to both."
New Jersey has no restrictions on legislators holding other public employment.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 30 states restrict legislators from holding other government jobs, though laws vary.
Legislators are prohibited from holding other public jobs in nine states, but Arkansas and Rhode Island allow legislators to hold another public job if the legislator had it before being elected.
Fairleigh Dickinson University political scientist Peter Woolley said legislators oversee "the massive bureaucracies we have erected which provide services in our modern society."
"They cannot dispassionately exercise oversight of administration at the same time they are themselves employed to work for that bureaucracy," he said.
Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, also a Union County undersheriff, doesn't foresee New Jersey restricting elected officials from holding another public job.
"It seems antidemocratic," said Cryan, D-Union, who is also state Democratic chairman.
Legislators are paid $49,000 per year as lawmakers. But many are able to make even more by holding elected offices on the county and municipal level _ a practice the state recently banned, but only for newly elected lawmakers.
Other legislators hold nonelected jobs not covered in the ban. One legislator is an assistant school superintendent. Several are municipal court prosecutors. Others are teachers and college professors. Others are attorneys who work for county and municipal government bodies.
Cryan said it's helpful to have legislators with different backgrounds and professional experience.
"You bring a variety of experience into public service," Cryan said.
But Jon Shure, president of the liberal-leaning New Jersey Policy Perspective, said New Jersey needs standards as to which public jobs are acceptable.
"Some states have developed a very clear grid that shows what is and isn't allowed and that would be a good first step for New Jersey," Shure said.
Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine said he would need to see details of any proposed prohibition, but said there are probably "certain categories of jobs" that raise concern and others that wouldn't.
"I'm not sure you'd want to preclude school teachers, for instance," Corzine said.
Cryan said a law restricting elected officials from working other public jobs would prohibit 1 in every 13 residents from running for office, a move he said "seems a bit much." New Jersey has 648,000 government workers.
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