12th Dems will be flush with cash

As predicted, the 14th legislative district as been designated "clean" and will have publicly financed campaigns this fall.

Senate candidate, Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck said, "Come October, you are going to see more dollars spent (in the 12th District) by special interests than any other place in the state."

Beck's opponent, Senator Ellen Karcher, said, "I am disappointed that my running mates and I will not have the opportunity to show New Jersey that the Clean Elections program works, and that we can remove the influence of money on the political process.

"I had petitioned Senate President Codey to give us a chance to run under the Clean Elections designation because I believe that the only interests lawmakers should be serving in Trenton are the public's interests. For too long in the Garden State, political donations have influenced the minds and hearts of policymakers, often to the detriment of the greater public good."

If Karcher really means what she said, she can voluntarily limit her team's spending to the amount that would have been spent in a "clean" election.

There is about as much chance of that happening as there is of Karcher giving up the farm designation for her property in Marlboro.