Candidate information:
Email: bethpla66@gmail.com
Phone number: 201-892-9337
Party affiliation: Nonpartisan
Campaign website: In progress
Social media: www.facebook.com/elizabethplastateassemblymember
Date of Birth: 11/15/1966
Education: Completed 2 years of college at Monroe College in Bronx, NY. My major was in Computer Science for an Associate Degree. Completed a Diploma program on Medical Office Assistant on 2017.
Occupation: 1) Minister, 2) Volunteer Prison Chaplain, 3) Advocate/Counselor for those affected by Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Public/Party service: I am a minister. I have been for over 22 years now. My husband and I have been volunteer prison chaplains for a little over 6 years. We go monthly to the prison to minister to the inmates. We give them Bible studies, pray for them for whatever prayer requests they give to us, and we also counsel them if they come to us with any personal issues. I serve in my church as the church’s chaplains for the prison ministry, and also as my Senior Pastor’s wife 2nd in command counselor when she has couples or an individual who are going through a domestic violence situation and she needs me to step in and help.
Position on good government initiatives:
- Would you support reforming New Jersey’s Primary electoral ballots to give all candidates an equal chance of being elected?
It depends. I am sorry that I cannot give a yes or no answer. The images shown on my screen are so small I could not see them properly to make an informed decision. I could not even enlarge them to have a better view. - Would you support measures to increase voter participation (eg. same-day registration, early voting)?
It depends. I do not support early voting. Early voting seems to have an unfair advantage to those who are actually coming out to vote on election day. If early voting would be possible, then everyone would jump at the bandwagon instead of on election day. The only way that I would support early voting would be if it is granted only to our Military men and women deployed or stationed over seas. However, same day registration I support in a way to the American Citizens who are not registered and felt a change of heart about wanting to vote on said election. - Would you support placing a nonpartisan commission in charge of the legislative redistricting process?
Yes. I would support a nonpartison commission in charge of the legislative redistricting process because said person is not going by party, not by favoritism, not by affiliation, but by merit, by what one can do; earning it the right way. Cannot be bought by dirty politics nor corruption. - Would you support ethics reforms that would require broader disclosure on financial information and the release of income taxes by candidates for public office, as a means for regulating campaigns and limiting corruption?
It depends. I would only support it if the disclosure on financial information and the release of income taxes by candidates for public office dates back to no more than one or two years prior to running for office. Anything over that, in my opinion is no one’s business since it has nothing to do with the public. To limit corruption we have to start with the people already in Congress who are already corrupt, who have become Millionaires on only the six-figure income they get from the government. So on that note, I would support ethics reform that would require a broader disclosure on financial information and the release of income taxes of those whom have already been in Congress for many years, starting with Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren. - Would you support reinstituting the statewide public advocate and making it a directly elected position?
Yes. The people are always at a loss on how to get help and get in contact with their government. Having a Statewide Public Advocate would help many because it is a link between the people and their government. The Advocate can do what the people cannot and get results. - Would you support changing the nominating process for members of Commissions and Boards to have panels of nonpartisan experts nominate candidates, with full public disclosure of the candidates’ credentials, and to have the legislature vote on the nominations?
Yes. I do support it because I have been on the other side dealing with these people and I have gotten frustrated at times wondering if they even know what they are doing and if they are fit for the job to begin with. So yes, I do support changing the nominating process for Commissions and Boards. - Do you support public funding of campaigns for all statewide offices, including the legislature?
Yes. I wholeheartedly support public funding of campaigns for all statewide offices, including the legislature. It would make all campaigns fair, and it would end all, or at least most of the corruption that we have now with these campaigns costing millions of unnecessary dollars. We would have equal playing ground if our campaigns were publicly funded. - Do you support making the state legislature full-time and prohibiting simultaneous holding of other paid positions?
Yes. I do support making the state legislature being full-time and prohibiting simultaneous holding of other paid positions. 1) We run for office because we love what we are going to do for the public. The job will be time consuming in and of itself with all of the work that we have to do for the pubic. 2) Other paid positions will distract you from doing the job that you were elected to do. You cannot give 100% to your legislative work if you are too busy working on your second position. Volunteering and Charity work excluded from this answer. Volunteering and Charity work should always be a part of your life. You should always give of yourself to others less fortunate. That should go without saying.