(Oct. 29, 2009) — Last week, The Leader reported on the breakfast meeting between North Arlington Democrats and one Republican council candidate at the Tick Tock Diner in Clifton. The meeting was secretly taped by Chris Johnson, the Republican at the table. Many readers have either called or written to the newspaper expressing their opinion over the situation.

Some believe the public officials in the conversation — namely, the Democrats — acted inappropriately, unethically and possibly illegally. Others believe Johnson was wrong to tape the discussion, violating the trust of the assembled officials. Some believe both of these statements.

At the end of the day, the victims in the situation are the people of North Arlington. Once again their borough is seen as the haven for political fights and damaging accusations. The Leader recently editorialized about both the positive and negative consequences of having such an open and aggressive forum for politics in North Arlington. There is a refreshing directness to the exchanges between the parties, but there is also a burning backlash to so many arrows flying through the air.

Should the Tick Tock Diner conversation have been taped? That’s a question of conscience.

But the Tick Tock Diner conversation should never have happened in the first place. Whatever the reasons for the meeting materializing, discussing such topics as dropping out of an electoral race, receiving political appointments, asking for a salaried position, offering a $2,500 stipend and diminishing the process of municipal government to a secretive breakfast meeting, is wrong.

The fact that there appears to be no regrets from any of the parties involved in the conversation is wrong. The fact that elected Democrats in the local area have not spoken out against this situation is wrong. Their protective silence is deafening.

Public officials are public officials; their jobs, debates and bargaining should be done in the public sphere.

But let us not wag our guilty finger without looking in the mirror first.

Just as the residents of North Arlington are the victims of the situation, all of the residents of New Jersey are to blame in some small way. There is a lack of engagement with public policy, on all levels. Council meetings are attended by a handful of people. Ordinances are brought through the approval process often with little public comment. Decisions on the development future of a borough are made sometimes with the vast majority sitting at home, choosing not to care.

When the public spotlight is not turned on public officials, can we blame them for looking to bend the rules?

The “Dirty Diner Deal” has shown everyone a candidness to local politics that is worrisome and questionable.

We all deserve better.

The following is a section of the “Local Government Ethics Law” for the State of New Jersey:

40A:9-22.5

c. “No local government officer or employee shall use or attempt to use his official position to secure unwarranted privileges or advantages for himself or others.”

f. “No local government officer or employee, member of his immediate family, or business organization in which he has an interest, shall solicit or accept any gift, favor, loan, political contribution, service, promise of future employment, or other thing of value based upon an understanding that the gift, favor, loan, contribution, service, promise or other thing of value was given or offered for the purpose of influencing him, directly or indirectly, in the discharge of his official duties. This provision shall not apply to the solicitation or acceptance of contributions to the campaign of an announced candidate for elective public office, if the local government officer has no knowledge or reason to believe that the campaign contribution, if accepted, was given with the intent to influence the local government officer in the discharge of his official duties.”