Civil service reform is a big issue that deserves a big conversation. But not according to Gov. Chris Christie’s administration. Despite the governor’s YouTube moments and barrage of appearances on cable TV to trumpet his “you get what you see” persona, not all is before the public’s eyes. Take, for example, the administration’s efforts to gut civil service — and the fact that those affected aren’t being given the chance to have their voices heard. Last month, the New Jersey Civil Service Commission held a hearing — in a room smaller than an average classroom, at 3 p.m. on a weekday — on a proposed rule that will end civil service as we know it. One hearing? On a weekday, during common work hours? A 94-page proposal that affects some 80,000 state employees deserves more than a mere hearing under suspicious circumstances. We need statewide hearings that allow for proper input and vetting of this questionable idea. Christie’s plan will eliminate most competitive promotions and open the door to a flood of patronage, favoritism and discrimination for government jobs in New Jersey. Moreover, every single advancement will be subject to the whims of political pressure. And these pernicious effects would seep in at every level of government. We’ve seen this movie before. It’s screening right down my street at the Elizabeth Board of Education, where indictments and cronyism go hand-in-hand. People aren’t getting ahead on their merits. Instead, they’re getting ahead because they’ve curried favor with the people making the hiring decisions — and they’ve written checks to their campaigns.Here’s what the Christie administration’s proposal seeks to do: bypass state constitutional requirements by “broad-banding” titles. They want to place dozens, and possibly hundreds, of titles into “job bands,” where management would be allowed to unilaterally “advance” favored workers through the band instead of requiring competitive examination. This would eliminate transparent lists of promotion-eligible workers, and public postings of who was awarded the position. Christie’s plan also will completely eliminate veterans’ preferences in hiring and promotions. As it stands today, vets cannot be passed over for a promotion over a non-vet. I was proud to serve my country, and am disgusted that this proposal would effectively strip veterans’ preferences. Under the Christie administration’s proposal, gays, women, the disabled, older workers and people of color will all have to overcome prejudice to get ahead. The current system provides protections and is built upon merit and objective standards. The new proposal throws merit out the window and opens the door to a system based on loose and subjective criteria. Let’s use the Elizabeth Board of Education as a working case study — again — and recognize that a system of cronyism, favoritism and patronage only hurts our public institutions. The governor’s proposal will ensure that the Elizabeth Board of Education-style system will be coming to a community near you, as this wrong-headed plan will affect every public institution in New Jersey, at every level of government. We must not cower on this significant and far-reaching public policy issue. We must have more public discussion, not less, on this issue. And we must do it from one end of the state to the other. After all, doesn’t democracy work best when more people are able to participate? Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) represents the 20th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 01:14:50 +0000
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