Thom Jackson for Assembly

Thom Jackson announces candidacy
for 25th District seat in the NJ State Assembly

Dear Friends:

I am running for the New Jersey State Assembly because I believe it is time for a new covenant between the citizens of the 25th District and our elected leaders. The politics of polarization are choking the fiscal health of this State. We need a new direction. We need to set a new level of expectation in leadership. We need leaders with the courage to lead.

While we will discuss what it takes to have the courage to lead, the touchstone of our new covenant is government that is Honest, Open and Accountable, and Affordable. Honesty in government means having real ethics reform, such that we finally rid ourselves of the practice of paying for access (otherwise known as “pay to play”). This is a cancer that plagues not only State elections, but also county, municipal and school board elections. We need leaders who will boldly proclaim, “Our government is no longer for sale!” Why should the quality of service you receive from your Assemblyman (or any other elected official) be determined by the amount you contribute? If you are a public employee in Morris County, your job should be based on your skills and performance, not on who you vote for.

To be Open and Accountable, we must demand controls which expose gimmicks that give the appearance of a balanced budget. We also must ensure that all new and existing initiatives have objective performance measures. We need credible controls in place to ensure that the largest majority of our hard-earned, tax dollars are getting to priority programs.

Affordable means that government must live by its means. Yes, government should do those things which government should do. However, New Jersey can no longer afford initiatives, no matter how laudable, that are not funded on a pay-as-you–go basis. We need to balance the State budget without relying on gimmicks.

These are the issues that we will discuss throughout the course of this campaign. If you are tired of business as usual in Trenton, then join us. Together, we can make a difference for all of the citizens of the 25th District.

Sincerely,
Thom