Senator Kean, Assemblywoman Jasey Discuss Ethics at Kent Place

Parents, students, and members of the community gathered this morning at the Ethics Institute to participate in a panel where Senator Thomas Kean Jr. (R-District 21) and Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-District 27) lead a discussion on the ethical dilemmas of politics.

The questions and issues raised by both parents and the elected officials struck a chord with many due to the impending state and local elections. A press release announcing the event described this unique department.

“The Ethics Institute at Kent Place School is a first-of-its-kind Institute at the primary and secondary school levels which believes that fostering ethical thinking and ethical decision-making in the youngest of children prepares them to be the most effective leaders and compassionate citizens of tomorrow.”

Dr. Karen Rezach, Director of the Ethics Institute at Kent Place School facilitated the discussion.

“We chose Senator Kean and Assemblywoman Jasey because of their reputation for practicing ethical politics. We wanted to make sure that this panel was fair and balanced,” Rezach stated.

Although both politicians are up for re-election this season, the panel focused on the topic at hand and presented individual thoughts and ideas in the scope of nonpartisan ethical thinking.

One of the themes discussed revolved around the idea that politicians need to be able to “self-regulate” especially when campaigning for election. Jasey and Kean both expressed to the public that, as candidates choose to spend more and more on campaigning, the gap closes on who can afford to run for election. That prompted one audience member to pose a particularly pointed question to Kean.

“We just heard you define stem-cell research and marriage equality as 'moral issues'. Could you explain what your definition of 'moral' is?”

“Ethics is how you govern your own actions; it is a self-regulatory process,' Kean said. "One can have many different definitions of morality based on background, upbringing or points of view.”

Kean gave an example of a modern-day ethical dilemma, noting that some may argue whether this is a moral, civil-rights or ethical issue. He explained that the answer is determined by the individual’s ability to self-regulate their decision making processes.

“Depending on your zip code, you are treated to a different educational opportunity. That’s a fact. 23 percent of those who enter ninth grade in Newark this year will graduate. Of that 23 percent, 90 percent will need at least a year of some sort of remedial education to get up to college level. This can cost 24,000 dollars per student.”

The discussion of ethical decision making continued throughout forum. Both officials expressed their disapproval of a legislator’s decision to abstain from a vote purely because of the complexity of the issue.

“The most you important thing you can do is make a decision. You have to be able to explain your decision to your voters,” Kean noted.

Jasey went on to explain how she directs her decision making process.

“Some politicians make decisions in order to secure reelection," she said. "However, it is my responsibility to represent the point of view of my constituents even if I don’t always agree.”

The panel also discussed how the onslaught of information from social media can make it difficult for the public to trust elected officials and receive accurate information about political issues. Kean and Jasey encouraged parents to talk to their children about the importance of voting.

“The greater number of people who participate in elections, the more secure the future of our democracy is. We are entering an election that only has 37 percent turnout. Senior citizens vote at a higher percentage than any other group. This can lead to policies and political conversations that only reflect that input,” Kean stated.

For those who tend to believe that the only elections that count are Presidential elections, Assemblywoman Jasey noted that choosing not to vote in local elections greatly impacts one’s life on a local level.

“If you think your vote doesn’t count, it counts. The person who was elected as mayor in South Orange this spring was a 24 year old man who had no money but was able to get out the vote with the help of a small group of friends and supporters. He only won by 14 votes in an election that had the lowest voter turnout in many years. While it may feel like you’re part of this mass group, every vote does count,” Jasey stated.

Kean spoke to Patch after the forum and described how he plans to get younger voters more involved in upcoming elections.

“We have to make sure that the information that we have appears on all of the places where prospective voters will read it. We send our information out to local media outlets like Patch and we frequent Facebook and Twitter. We have to have an information presence in all of the areas people are looking regardless of their age,” Kean noted.

To find out more about your local representative, visit njleg.org.