Paul Jacob - Citizen Activist

I just found out about an important meeting that everyone in NJ should attend.  The meeting, sponsored by the “Citizens in Charge” organization, addresses several major problems that citizen’s face.

(1) We do not have enough useful citizen-oriented choices on the ballot.

(2) Most elected officials do not care about us.

(3) By design, the courts do not pursue or care about justice for citizens.

But there is a citizen activity that makes sense – binding initiative and referendum (I&R).

Here is how it works:

We start by asking politicians to enact the legislation that is needed to fix our problems. When they refuse to help, we organize a team of citizens to collect the  petitions needed to get the issue on the ballot. Then we campaign for the citizen votes needed to enact the initiative at the voting booth. When passed, the initiative becomes  law.

This is the only way to fix our runaway NJ legislature within the limits of our current circumstances.

Paul Jacob of Citizens in Charge has agreed to come up from Washington on February 4, 2010 to discuss the I&R process with New Jersey citizens. Columnist Robert Novak called him “the most hated man in Washington” because he has successfully organized citizen actions around the country for many years.  It is Paul’s kind of help that we can use in NJ.

No reservations are needed to attend.  Just show up with your pencil, paper and questions.  There is no admission (free) and Prestige Diner offers first class food at normal menu prices.  This will be a good night for the people.

Post this information on your web sites and bulletin boards

Meeting Date

Thursday, February 4, 2010 – 7:00 PM

For up to date recorded snow/weather information on this meeting, call 609-528-4979.

ADDRESS

Prestige Diner

610 Route 33, EAST

EastWindsor, NJ   08520

Diner Phone: 609-443-1211

Directions

From NJ Turnpike

Take Exit 8 toward Twin Rivers/Freehold

Proceed to Route 33 East toward Twin Rivers

Travel 2 miles to the 3^rd Light – Lake Drive

There is a Shell Station at the Lake Drive Corner.

Prestige Diner is located next to the Shell Station.

If you pass the diner, go into the shopping center and return to the diner.

Related Information:

Wiki Article on Paul Jacob

Jacob’s description of the initiative process

Governor Christie I&R campaign promise #28

This web update was posted 01-25-2010 – 10:59 PM.

It wasn’t supposed to happen.

But it happened.

Shall Thou Steal?

The voting majority will always get what they think they want, regardless of their needs, regardless of the Constitution, and regardless of the natural rights of others.

The sad fact is that the majority of eligible voters are not informed enough to understand that they’ve selected the government officers who’ve caused the problems that they are experiencing. The electorate has been deceived into giving us a government that ignores the natural rights that it was supposed to protect. Consequently, we’ve lost an America that could have continued to lead the world to real freedom and prosperity.

Example of the Problem

During the 2009 NJ Assembly election, citizens complained about overpriced schools, the highest property taxes in the nation, and a bad business climate for jobs. But they re-elected the legislature that caused these problems.

There were about 92 challengers, each with different degrees of wisdom, different tactics, and different levels of political expertise. Every incumbent won re-election.

Then there were the citizens who spoke about the need to break the addiction on high taxation and irresponsible spending caused by the monopoly parties. But, out of fifteen independent Assembly candidates, all, except one candidate, received one percent of the vote. There was one candidate who received three percent of the vote. That was hardly a resounding cry to break the stronghold.

Blind Votes

The voting majority votes for winners, not problem solvers. They will elect an incumbent because they believe that he or she has the best chance to win, as if choosing a winner will somehow reward the voter.

The voting majority behaves as if it is unpatriotic or sinful to vote for anyone who is not a member of a monopoly party. Consequently, most candidates who run on monopoly parties are guaranteed 95% or more of the votes that they need to win, regardless of their quality, regardless of their campaign tactics, and regardless of their potential to properly represent the best interests of the public.

Because they are guaranteed most of the votes that they need to win, the monopoly can limit their campaign to swaying a few votes rather than earning them all.

To keep all of the votes within the two-party illusion, candidates alter the perception of the electorate in such a way that voters reject candidates from non-monopoly parties.  They promote voting for the better of two evils so that everyone believes that evil is their only option. They create laws that make it impossible for serious challenges from outside the monopoly.

Contrast this with candidates who are not affiliated with a monopoly party. They must earn 100% of every vote that they receive. If monopoly candidates were required to compete for votes the same way as non-members of the monopoly (third parties), almost none of the current elected officials would be re-elected.

The Solution

This voter mindset must be broken before we can kill the political beast that destroyed our country.

That’s why voter education is more important than ever. Voters must understand that their votes or non-votes count. They must understand that they can bring us a good government as long as they get together and vote for a good government. And they must also understand that voting does not matter if they do not cast their vote for a good government.

We do not know what tactics will work (if any) to convince voters to elect candidates with the ability to restore freedom and prosperity for America. That’s why it is necessary for each one of us to choose the tactics that we believe will make the best use of our talents when addressing this problem.

My Intention

For the future, I will keep my eyes open for opportunities to develop or promote techniques that can be used by citizen candidates to get elected. And that is where I will focus my limited amount of available time and energy. Among specific tactics, I will offer my assistance to the Modern Whig movement. I believe that the Whigs have a bright future as a major contributor to the saving of America.

The name “Gene” in votegene.com represents all potential candidates throughout America who are willing to do whatever is necessary to restore our land. This web site – Votegene.com – will make a slow transition into a discussion group and clearinghouse for techniques that can be used to break the deadly monopoly.

Gene Baldassari
Former Modern Whig Party Candidate
NJ 14th Assembly – 2009

Gene is the author of “Survival of the Slickest: Everyone’s Risk of Being Terrorized by Lawyers”.  The book describes the need for a free market in the legal trade.  It cries for a legal system that can be used by citizens to challenge a runaway government.  It also outlines many other  suggestions on how we can take back America.

Click here for related post “The Problem in a Nutshell”.

The following analysis is based on preliminary information and will be expanded in a future article on this web site.

Chris Daggett, an unaffiliated independent for Governor, was polling as high as 20% about ten days before the election, but received 6% in the vote. Mr. Dagget had the best of the third party political advisors, the endorsement of the largest newspaper in the state, ran an intensive campaign, and spent the most money of third party NJ gubernatorial candidates. His 6% was the highest percentage of NJ Third Party voters received in any of the State Races. Only 6% – an obvious rejection of third parties.

The Assembly races tell a more interesting story.

Based on a quick scan of all the races, it looks like every incumbent was re-elected. In another words, voters rejected every challenger, even though it is the legislature that has given them the laws that they have been complaining about.

I followed two third party Assembly races closely during this campaign.  My own in District 14 and that of Jim Poesl in adjacent District 19.

In my case, I got about 1% of the vote and Jim also got 1% of the vote.  There was also another Independent candidate in the 19^th on the same ticket with Jim, and he got 3%,the most of any Independent Assembly candidate in the State.

Just as a control – the Libertarians that ran in the 15^th District, another adjacent to mine, also received 1% of the vote.

One final comment on this day after the election. Both Jim in the 19^th, and Baldassari in the 14^th, campaigned heavily. We both made a serious attempt to win.

Due to this massive rejection of third parties and the voters statewide refusal to throw out any of the incumbents, it would not have mattered how much any of the challengers spent.  None of us would have won.

But when it comes to my campaign, there was also a personal rejection of my candidacy, beyond the general voter rejection. I was relatively unknown in the northern part of my district.  But I was very well known in the southern part of my district. In fact, I had the best name recognition of all the other challengers.  I spent hundreds of hours, meeting thousands of voters for the past 7 months; I had good press in the southern part of the district, and ran businesses there since the 1960’s. But I only received 129 more votes in the known portion.

Here are the Results:

Total Votes   Baldassari

Mercer County       (Best known) -      51289              425

Middlesex County   (Unknown)   -       64848              296

Considering the amount of Baldassari campaigning involved in Mercer, it seems like campaigning was useless. One other interesting number. An Assembly candidate in this district in the last election did almost no campaigning and was relatively unknown and he received about 50% more votes than me.

I will have more to write about this in the coming weeks. We need to examine why the voters in NJ have no interest in bringing us fresh blood while complaining about corruption, high taxes, overpriced schools, and a health care system that they do not like.

- Gene Baldassari

Thanks for your help.  Over the next few weeks, I will attempt to personally thank as many as I can remember that helped.  I will probably also miss some people to thank – so take this note as a general thank you.

New Jersey and America is in bad shape.  We do not have enough people to lead us out of this mess.  As a result, we will probably lose our country.

But it is not a lost cause yet.  That is why  I would ask everyone to constantly seek out the real patriots and do everything that you can do to support them.

If you are in my election District – NJ-14 – be sure to get out and vote for me. And remember.  You are allowed to vote for two Assembly candidates.  But if you vote for one instead of two- Gene Baldassari – you will put more power into your vote.  If everyone votes for two – I will need about 27,000 votes to win.  If everyone votes for one – I will be able to win with 18,000 votes.

I have more to say on this and will try to post comments on this site for the next month or so.

Thanks Again,

Gene Baldassari

The Star Ledger published an editorial this morning that discusses this problem. Here are a few snippets:

“The lamentable fact is that the two parties are, themselves, little more than narrow special interests. Their competition for short-term political and/or monetary gain has jeopardized the state’s long-term economic health and left it with a tarnished national reputation.”

“They have contributed equally to gross overspending in Trenton by consistently pandering to the pay, pension and retirement policies demanded by powerful public employee unions. Democrats have financed the spree with tax hikes, Republicans with borrowed money, and both with pension-fund raids.”

“Where the major parties have differed, their differences have been inconsequential. Where they’ve been the same, their similarities have been destructive.”

As I meet citizens of the 14^th District, I hear it more and more. They are starting to believe that the political parties represent bad Government in NJ. They are starting to recognize the apparent collusion between the political parties and how they have worked closely to make it impossible to fix the problems of NJ.

The Star Ledger opinion piece that was quoted earlier offers a solution.

“New Jersey needs radical change in Trenton.”

“Only by breaking the hold of the Democratic and Republican mandarins on the governor’s office and putting a rein on their power will the state have any hope for the kind of change needed to halt its downward economic, political and ethical spiral.”

“The Star-Ledger today endorses independent candidate Chris Daggett and recommends his election as the next governor of New Jersey.”

I agree with the Star Ledger that we need a massive repudiation of the parties that put us into this mess. I agree that they have “forfeited any claim to the trust and confidence of the people of New Jersey.”

What about Chris Daggett?

I have not looked into all of his ideas. But it is not necessary. Even if we disagree on some issues, we agree on the most important need for New Jersey. An Independent Governor would be independent enough to break the monopolistic stranglehold that’s preventing good ideas from penetrating the walls of the State House. Until we cure that disease, there is little profit in looking at any other issues. That is enough for me to consider him as a viable choice for Governor.

–Gene

Star Ledger Article Endorsing Daggett

Stolen Sign - Returned Damaged

After spending a considerable amount of time constructing our first mini-billboard, it was installed on a private property in Hamilton. Six days later, on Saturday, 9-26-09, the sign was gone.

The Township police were called and a report was filed.  Later, we contacted Hamilton Public works to determine if they picked up any signs that may have caused some kind of safety concern. They confirmed that they did not pick up any of our signs. Hamilton zoning also indicated that they were unaware of any possible problem that may have prompted removal of the sign. Finally, we closely examined the related ordinance on signs and everything seemed to comply.

Conclusion: The sign was stolen.

Hamilton police and the township personnel were very kind, eager to address all questions about the matter, and willing to help provide suggestions to find the sign. Thank you, Hamilton Township.

On Tuesday, 9-29-09, the sign was returned and was found leaning against a tree on the property.  It was slightly damaged but repairable. The picture in this article is the sign as found.

We will pursue this matter as much as possible to determine the nature of the theft.  In addition, we are developing a method of surveillance for all campaign related activities that will, hopefully, allow us to track future assault against this type of Citizen campaign. The Modern Whig Movement is national and is here to stay, regardless of my involvement.

Most people do not realize that third party campaign challenges are 100% volunteer efforts and are completely funded by small citizen donations. Interference with Citizen oriented campaigns should not be taken lightly. Without them, we would lose the ability to challenge a runaway government. .

New Jersey has a rich background in the support of liberty and freedom.

In the mid-1770’s, there were a group of patriots who risked their lives and made enormous sacrifices to oppose British rule. They were not afraid to use weapons to remove these foreign parasites from New Jersey. Those who did not fight worked extra jobs and sold various homemade products to fund the Revolution.

Patriots don’t steal from their Neighbors

The patriots of Colonial New Jersey hated taxes, especially property taxes. They were willing to lose everything they owned, even die, to clean up the perpetrators of these threats to liberty.

No one questioned the seriousness of their intentions when they arrested the British  Royal Governor of New Jersey and installed William Livingston as the first top State executive appointed by the people New Jersey.

These patriots were known as “Whigs”.

History Repeats Itself

233 years later, New Jersey is again faced with a major threat to liberty and freedom. We have the highest taxes in the nation. We have a job rate that is unacceptable. And we have elected “officials” that see nothing wrong with destroying our health and school freedoms.  These foreign ideas were not part of vintage New Jersey.

Good News

We can put New Jersey back in the hands of Citizens. Unlike 1774, when it was necessary to defend our land with guns and blood, no one needs to use gunpowder today.

All we need is to elect a new State Government. It is that simple. However, it is simple in concept but tough to implement. We have to convince voters that they really have the power to get rid of the monopoly. Every one of us has a lot of tough talking ahead of us to inform fellow citizens of the value of their votes.

As in 1774, we need to convince Citizens to hold bake sales, work part time jobs (if they can be found), and cut neighbors lawns to raise money to support candidates who are not attached to the idea that it is acceptable to steal money from fellow Citizens and then arrogantly waste it.

Citizens of the 14th District will win the Battle for Trenton should they realize the major opportunity that they have available in the 2009 Assembly race. In the Legislature, I would be only 1 in 120. But, I would be a booming voice outside the legislature as I scream bloody murder to the world and help  recruit NJ residents to the ranks of the patriots who want to return to a thriving New Jersey.

This is the goal of the Modern Whig Movement in New Jersey.

If you would like to learn more about the New Jersey Whig movement of 1774, you are urged to read this interesting  28-page report developed by the NJ Historical Commission.  Free Download

New York Times Article