Advocacy Group, Councilman, Want Reforms, Publicity

Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop has called for Pay-to-Play Reform to come to Jersey City. Specifically, Fulop is calling on the city to limit contributions from developers .

Certainly in any real estate market as strong Jersey City's, the possibility exists that officials might over look certain things in return for political contributions. But the who's who of contributions are made publicly available on the state's Election Law Enforcement website.

There is one thing that is certain when it comes to money and urban politics; nothing will stop the flow. It is better for contributions to be out in the open rather than behind closed doors. Pay-to-play restrictions won't undo any inappropriate relationships city hall may or may not have with developers. Instead, pay-to-play will simply shift contributions from those that are public knowledge to those that are made in secret or through alternate avenues.

In either case, the pay-to-play reform is also being supported by Civic JC a "non-partisan, Jersey City community-based initiative", an advocacy group that seems to have a position on most of the downtown's hot button issues.

We're betting any reform ordinances won't be going too far, but they sure make good headlines. Just remember, every time a developer makes a political contribution, the terrorists win.