While I have decided I'm not running in 2008, I am keeping tabs on what Garrett is up to, as well as politics in general. Join the discussion over at Blog the Fifth
THANK YOU!
Election Night Speech
(a note: This is the speech I wrote, however I did not stay on script. I'll YouTube the tape as soon as we have it. Also, I congratulated Representative Garrett after giving this, and noted that at the start.)
Well, I want to thank everyone for coming. I just got off the phone with Scott and congratulated him on winning the election. This has been a great few months, and although I am sure over the next few days I’ll get to reflect further upon what we accomplished, I can tell you right now we did a pretty amazing thing.
In ” ‘Give us a leader,’ and non-voters will vote” (Page L-6, Nov. 2), the letter writer apparently believes his only options on Election Day are Mickey Mouse or not voting at all. This is as much the fault of the current party power structure as it is old media outlets like The Record.
People yearn for real change and real representation, yet The Record and other mainstream media outlets give the independent candidates zero coverage. Instead of marginalizing such candidates with “also running” sentences, The Record should give its readers the benefit of knowing the views of everyone on the ballot. The partisan blood sport that helps The Record sell papers would still exist. However, voters wouldn’t feel there is no hope for the future. Maybe, just maybe, if the main parties had to try and win votes from issue-oriented independents, we’d see less mud and more substance in their campaigns.
Like me, the majority of readers don’t identify themselves with one party or the other. Open discussion and options are good for our democracy. It is hoped The Record will serve as a conduit of information to help foster actual discussion and work to strengthen our democracy in future elections.
Robert Matthew Fretz
Upper Saddle River, Nov. 2
The writer is An Independent Voice candidate for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th District.
What a great campus. It actually reminded me a lot of where I went to college. I had the opportunity to talk with a class about why I’m in the race, how things work being an independent, and a wide range of issues including Garrett’s vote against the Voting Rights Act, ethics and the impending reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. It was early and I appreciated the students’ questions, interest, and their ability to stay awake.
I still hold the belief Garrett’s vote against the Voting Rights Act is the most deplorable action he’s taken as our Representative. Too many people fought and died for the equal rights and protections afforded in the Voting Rights Act, and Garrett’s regressive vote on our behalf is very troubling. I will never support a candidate who would seek to impede a person’s right to vote or flat out take it away, as was the case with Aronsohn being agreeable to skipping the Democratic primary. Voting is one of the bedrock principles our nation is founded upon, and a right that should never be infringed upon.
Ethics was a large part of the conversation. We covered my belief that both parties, when given the chance, are corruptible. We spoke about the Abramoff scandal, as well as the banner year for corruption charges we’re having at the State level. I reiterated that I believe it can be cleaned up, but that it will take the voters holding politicians accountable to do it.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is up for reauthorization next year, and you hear exactly nothing about it in any campaign ads I’ve seen. Very little mention is even given in my opponents’ press. This is a massive issue before the next session of Congress, and no one is talking about it. I stated that it needs to be fixed before reauthorization, that the funding and penalty model needs to be reformed, and that I believe forcing teachers to teach to the test hurts kids.
So with only two weekends left (now one) I was out the entire weekend in different spots. Grocery stores, gas stations, bars and bus stops made up the bulk of the weekend activity. Many folks had not heard of me, which was to be expected, but they took the fliers and some promised to check out the website.
Some folks recognized me (hello Wendy’s crew), which is largely due to my picture being in both the Star Ledger and the New Jersey Sunday Herald over the last few weeks. I probably handed out 250-300 fliers my interns diligently cut for us, as well as placed some more lawn signs. The weather was awful, but the people’s reaction was great. I continued to receive largely positive feedback and a need for real change was constantly restated.
It’s important for us to keep pressing, despite the odds, because people have to hear the message that they are the boss when it comes to politics. It is not the lobbyist, the think tanker or the party boss. One thing people do talk with me about often is Medicare Plan D. This is a prime example of the influence peddling going on.
To his credit, Garrett voted against this bill which I would have done also. His reasoning: It would cost too much. My reasoning: Who in their right mind would create a program to help seniors on fixed incomes that includes a gaping hole where seniors would have to pay full freight for their drugs? It’s insurance/phamaceutical lobbyist written policy at its worst.
This country will start moving forward again when the politicians remember who they really work for, and that would be us. However, we need to hold up our end of the bargain and hold them accountable in the voting booth.
Yesterday, the NJ Department of Labor released the unemployment figures for September. For the sixth consecutive month our unemployment rate has been higher than the national average. We have 11,600 less people working in the state, 17,000 less people in the job pool (either because they've given up on finding a job, moved, or chose not to work). The number of people working in the state is at the lowest percentage since January 2005. On average, workers are making $8 less a month than a year ago. Yet, if you read any of Garrett's "output" on the economy you’d think things are great. The working family, the FDIC, the Federal Reserves in Philly and NYC are flashing warning signs about what's going on here in North Jersey.
It's time Scott put the pompoms down. Our economy doesn't need a cheerleader for failing economic policies that are hurting us in a very real sense. Few things cost less these days, and we’re making less money. Jobs have been gained, but as the Record pointed out last Friday most of the jobs gained over the last few years "were service jobs paying less than $40,000 a year — often much less." This is not growth, and we can't afford to have someone blind to New Jersey's economy representing us Washington.
If voters want someone standing on the sidelines mindlessly regurgitating the talking points handed to them, Garrett's their man. If YOU want someone who will listen to YOUR experiences, find out what YOU need to fix the problems we face, and get in the game and fight for the NJ Fifth then, I'M YOUR CANDIDATE. It is up to you!
This was a great event. I had the opportunity to speak for a max of 3 minutes to a group of very interested and interesting students, as well as other office seekers. I put my speech up on YouTube. I was asked great questions by the students about the economy, environment, and programs like theirs. Read the rest of this entry »
The fireworks were great. It was also good to run into a few people who hadn’t heard yet that I was running. I trust they’re Spreading the Word. Not much policy discussion here, mostly catching up with folks and seeing how their summer was. I did finally get to meet one of the volunteers I have working for me, which was good. It’s important to get younger folks involved, because whether they realize it or not every decision made is going to have an impact on their children’s children.
Also, seeing the Mets clinch the NLDS in a Mets bar with friends was awesome. 8 more games. Ya gotta believe.
Allendale Day was rather interesting. It’s the first time in a while all three of us were within 100 feet of each other for any amount of time since the Bergen County Senior Picinic. The AMT and Hastert-gate seemed to be what people asked me about the most.
As I mentioned in my statement regarding Garrett’s mailer, our return on the tax dollar goes down every year he’s in office. Garrett’s inability to get reform of the Alternative Minimum Tax is a big reason. The AMT funds a massive percentage of the federal budget but it targets about five states disproportionately; New Jersey is one of them. I have some tax advisors working on the problem, attempting to find a way that we can eliminate the AMT without bankrupting the government.
After the plan is devised, then the challenge is knowing how to frame it. If we compare the professions paying the AMT in NJ (including teachers, nurses, and police officers) to the professions paying the AMT in other parts of the nation (Executives) we can start to make the case for reform. Working with both Republicans and Democrats of the other areas where the AMT is an issue is our best way to get this done. Garrett doesn’t know how to fix the AMT or sell reform, I do.
As far as Garrett having Hastert come to Bergen County to raise money for him, this definitely falls into the category of something I would not do. I thought Hastert should have resigned after the DeLay/Abramoff scandal, so the Foley scandal is one more reason he should go. I see both scandals as equally egregious violations of the public trust.
