Garden State Equality votes unanimously to stop donating to Dem. committees

[Bluebear]

Smarting over the state Senate's refusal to pass marriage equality and disillusioned at the moment with the Democratic Party majority, Garden State Equality’s 85-member Board of Directors unanimously decided against giving financial contributions to political parties and their affiliated committees.

Under the new policy, Garden State Equality will make financial contributions only to individual candidates and to non-party organizations that further equality for the LGBT community, according to a release issued this morning by the organization.

“No political party has a record good enough on LGBT civil rights that it can rightfully claim to be entitled to our money on a party-wide basis,” said Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality. “No longer will we let any political party take our money and volunteers with one hand, and slap us in the face with the other when we seek full equality.

"Our Board of Directors felt so strongly about adopting this new policy," he added, "that it unanimously decided to include it in the organization's bylaws."

Garden State Equality estimates that since 2005 they have given $500,000 to Democratic Party candidates, while giving only minimally to Republicans.

http://www.politickernj.com/max/36666/garden-state-equality-bans-organizational-contributions-parties

[joeybee12]

1. The GAYTM is closed!

Money is the only language most politicians understand.

[Vincardog]

2. Good on them. Quit enabling the party apachnicks

[RKP5637]

3. Absolutely true. Even the future of the nation / people doesn't matter, just the money. Tragic. n/t

[JackBeck]

6. After witnessing firsthand the failure in leadership in NJ Democratic caucus

Any fund raising materials I get from the Party get returned with the message: "No more money from this family until you treat us as equals."

[T Wolf]

4. Organizations doing what many of us have individually committed to may actually

have some impact. We know the pols can ignore "we-the-people" and our threat to withhold contributions. But when a group like this takes that action, it may penetrate the DNC/DLC/DCCC/DSCC mind.

Let's hope so.

And let's hope more organizations take this action.

Starve the beast.

[JackBeck]

5. Steve Sweeney, the incoming Senate President, abstained from voting.

He told me to my face that he supports equality, but wasn't sure whether he could be the 15th vote, which would have opened the door to votes in our favor. Not going on record during the Senate vote right before taking his leadership position speaks volumes.

Shirley Turner, an African-American Democrat, refused to meet with Julian Bond when he came to Trenton to testify for marriage equality.

While there were 13 courageous Democrats and 1 lone Republican that voted on the right side of history, the Democrats that couldn't vote in favor of equality, abstained, or in one case didn't even show up to vote, demonstrates the sad state of the Democratic Party both locally and nationally.

As a current member of Garden State Equality's Board of Directors, I am proud of my vote last weekend to approve this addition to our by-laws. We unequivocally demonstrated to the Democrats how the state of New Jersey would benefit from marriage equality. Instead, they let themselves be intimidated by the Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus and a newly-elected right-wing Governor.

Fortunately, this loss didn't splinter the movement like it did in other states. We have seamlessly transitioned into taking this back to the courts, where many insiders have intimated that we have a very strong case to win and that we will have marriage equality withing the next 2 years in New Jersey.

[Bluebear]

7. Thank you for your vote!

[JackBeck]

8. DSC Chair Responds: Wisniewski says Goldstein and GSE 'throwing baby out with the bath water'

Confronted with Garden State Equality's decision to close the fundraising gates on the Democratic Party, State Party Chairman John Wisniewski tonight said he believes the organization is being unfair.

"Some very good Democrats stood up and supported this issue on the floor of the senate," said Wisniewski. "To hurl a broadside against the one party that stood up for this and say the effort wasn't good enough is throwing the baby out with the bath water."

Wisniewski wouldn't reveal whether he intends to try to corral Garden State Equality or encourage a cooling off period. The organization's executive director Steven Goldstein told PolitickerNJ.com earlier today that the group's members are steamed over the Democratic majority's failure last year to advance marriage equality.

"They certainly run their politics anyway they see fit, but the Democratic Party historically has supported issues important to Steve Goldstein," Wisniewski said.

http://www.politickernj.com/max/36691/wisniewski-says-goldstein-and-gse-throwing-baby-out-bath-water

Wisniewski, the newly appointed Democratic State Committee Chair, certainly has a problem on his hands, and like Sweeney, is quickly showing a lack in leadership skills.

He notes that "some very good Democrats stood up and supported this issue on the floor of the Senate". Well, guess what Newski? Those 13 Democrats will continue to get our support both individually and from an organizational standpoint.

Not one candidate has ever lost an election by supporting LGBT equality.

We will soon see how many will be out of a legislative job for not standing with our community and allies.