Pay to Play defined.
(And how it is hurting you.)
“Pay to Play” is the process whereby elected officials grant no-bid contracts to those who contribute to their political campaigns. Many township attorneys, planning board attorneys, zoning board attorneys, planners, auditors, banks and others doing business with the town participate in this process.
Voters and taxpayers are the losers in the Pay to Play process. Why?
– The quality and cost of work done for the town suffer because contracts are not awarded on merit.
– The environment suffers because public policy on issues such as zoning and open space becomes driven by the financial interests of those making political contributions rather than by the will of the voters and taxpayers.
– Pay to Play functions as an additional tax on you, levied for the purpose of paying for political campaigns. Just follow the nickel: From your pocket, to the tax collector’s pocket, to the contractor’s pocket when he submits his bill, to the politician’s pocket in the form of a campaign contribution. That’s your money!
Pay to Play can be banned by ordinance. Please help!
