Community Corner
Jersey Call to Service
On Wednesday evening, June 9th, the Citizens' Campaign will be conducting the first-ever, statewide Jersey Call to Service Summit in New Brunswick. It's free and it will give citizens the governmental know-how and model cost-cutting proposals needed to cut government waste and protect essential services in our towns, school districts, and counties.
The Summit is engaging the business, religious, non-profit and labor communities in this important venture—which crosses party lines and puts constructive common sense ahead of partisanship and bickering. It is being promoted by civic leaders like Governor Tom Kean and business leaders like Dennis Bone, President of Verizon, labor leaders like Raymond Pocino, Vice-President of the Laborers International and non-profit leaders like William Lovett of the YMCA's as well as celebrities such as former Giants All-Pro Bart Oates.
Former New Jersey Secretary of State Reverend DeForest Soaries will give the keynote address and Governor Brendan Byrne will make closing remarks.
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Most importantly, the Summit will feature a variety of citizen forums and panel discussions with top government officials to an audience of 1,000 New Jersey citizens. The Summit will conclude with a 'Celebration of Citizen Service" cocktail party.
The Citizen Leadership Forums—which will be held at the Summit are also available throughout the year both live and online, on demand. They inform citizens that even with limited time they can reduce waste in their towns and school districts and take up the slack in community services which are no longer affordable.
Find out what's happening in Madisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Specifically, attendees are taught about four identified paths to leadership service: 1) serving on an appointed town or county board or commission, such as a Mayor's Budget Task Force, 2) becoming a citizen legislator by presenting a model constructive cost-cutting proposal or devising one's own for their town or school district, 3) serving as a neighborhood-level, political party committeeperson, and 4) serving as a citizen journalist to fill the growing void in local coverage of government and politics.
Interested citizens will also learn about 20 "ready-for-adoption," cost-cutting resolutions for municipal governments and school districts developed by the Citizens' Campaign Law and Policy Task Force. Taken together, these proposals offer the potential for millions of dollars in annual savings.
In short, the Summit will provide citizens with the needed support and nuts and bolts knowledge to stabilize property taxes and create a New Jersey culture of service and frugality. It's an opportunity to get off the sidelines. The first step is easy -- go to www.jointhecampaign.com, get more details, and register for the free Jersey Call to Service Summit.
