Better late than never Sunday, September 28, 2008 RECENT events make clear yet again that money, politics and government in New Jersey can be an unholy alliance. Last week, jurors in the federal corruption trial of former state senator Wayne Bryant heard testimony that he was hired by a state medical school solely to influence other legislators to approve grants. In taking the job, Bryant allegedly wanted to boost his pension, and the school wanted to boost its income. Closer to home, Joseph Ferriero and Dennis Oury were recently indicted on federal corruption charges regarding winning a state grant for a municipal project and allegedly not disclosing their profit-making interest in the deal. The project in Bergenfield benefited regular campaign contributors. Ferriero is the Bergen County Democratic chairman — now on leave — and Oury has been a municipal attorney. Their fall from grace after wielding so much influence has been cataclysmic in state Democratic circles. It also makes stringent ethics reform all the more urgent. New Jersey government must not be a profit-making enterprise. It has taken quite a few federal corruption indictments, but Governor Corzine has now announced what could be a major change in the way state, county and local governments do public business. We say "could be" because the Legislature has to approve large parts of Corzine's reform package, and old, lucrative habits die hard. Corzine did sign executive orders last week that put some reforms into effect immediately. One extends the state-level ban on pay-to-play political contributions to the municipal level. And those seeking public contracts can no longer contribute to political campaign committees controlled by the state Senate president and Assembly speaker — a significant blow to their influence. But the governor's attempt to attack "wheeling," the sleazy practice of moving political donations around to evade contribution limits, depends on the Legislature's approval. Watch and see which legislators oppose that effort. Some will undoubtedly come under fierce pressure from county chairmen whose chief source of power — the unfettered ability to raise and transfer large sums of cash — would be sharply curtailed by Corzine's proposals. And lawmakers who have thrived under the pay-to-play culture will hide behind the familiar line that the public does not care about ethics reform. They say voters never list ethics reform as a top priority in polls. Those in the Legislature who support this effort are the real reformers. New Jersey has seen a wave of corruption indictments and guilty pleas or convictions from one end of the state to the other. Even those who were so powerful politically that they seemed untouchable have been called to answer for their actions. Taxpayers have been disgusted by the way hard-earned money, which was supposed to be used for the public good, has ended up in someone's pocket. With the economic crisis likely to hit this state hard, there must be even more transparency, accountability — and honesty. The governor has begun what must be a period of sweeping change in New Jersey governance. The Legislature as well as all county and municipal leaders must join him.

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