James Beach
Encyclopedia
James "Jim" Beach is an American
Democratic Party
politician who has served in the New Jersey
Senate
since 2009, where he represents the 6th legislative district. He serves in the Senate on the Environment and Labor Committees.
degree in psychology
from Midwestern College
and a M.A.
degree in personnel services from Rowan University
.
, Beach first entered Camden County
politics after responding to a 1990 recruitment ad that county Democrats had posted seeking prospective candidates to burnish the party's image and help retain the Democrat's control on county government. Beach showed up at his interview with his tax bill complaining about his taxes, and was described by Freeholder Jeffrey L. Nash as just what the party was seeking in a candidate, "regular people complaining about their taxes". He was elected to the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders
in 1991, and was named as Freeholder Director in 1993. Beach was elected as Camden County Clerk in 1995.
He served as County Clerk until 2009, until winning a December 2008 special election convention to replace John Adler
in the Senate, who had won a seat in the United States House of Representatives
. With the endorsement of George Norcross, Beach ran unopposed in the convention. Beach must win a November 2009 special election in order to remain in the Senate through the end of Adler's four-year term. Beach saw his salary drop from $153,437 annually as County Clerk to $49,000 as State Senator, and indicated after his selection to fill the Senate seat that he would seek additional employment to supplement his salary, ensuring that there was no conflict with his position as Senator. Beach was soon hired by Camden County College
for a part-time job as an advisor, allowing him to collect an annual salary of $10,400 and remain in New Jersey's Public Employee Retirement System, for which county clerks but not state senators are eligible. After critical editorials in The Star-Ledger
and the Camden Courier-Post accused Beach of abusing the public pension system, Beach left the Camden County College job.
Beach had worked as an educator and football coach at schools including both St. Joseph High School (Camden, New Jersey) and Woodrow Wilson High School
in Camden and Highland Regional High School
in Blackwood
, and had been director of vocational education at the Black Horse Pike Regional School District
.
and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly
. The other representatives from the 6th District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician who has served in the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
since 2009, where he represents the 6th legislative district. He serves in the Senate on the Environment and Labor Committees.
Education
Beach has earned a B.S.Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from Midwestern College
Midwestern College
Midwestern College was a private liberal arts college that operated from 1965 to 1970 in Denison, Iowa. Midwestern was one of several colleges in the upper Midwest established by local civic leaders with the support and encouragement of Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa...
and a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in personnel services from Rowan University
Rowan University
Rowan University is a public university in Glassboro, New Jersey, USA with a satellite campus in Camden, New Jersey. The school was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a twenty-five acre tract of land donated by the town...
.
Career
A resident of Voorhees TownshipVoorhees Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,126 people, 10,489 households, and 7,069 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,424.0 people per square mile . There were 11,084 housing units at an average density of 955.2 per square mile...
, Beach first entered Camden County
Camden County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census the population of Camden County was 60.28% Non-Hispanic white, 18.45% Non-Hispanic black, 1.12% Hispanic blacks, 0.17% Non-Hispanic Native American, 0.15% Hispanic Native Americans, 5.07% Non-Hispanic Asian, and 0.14% non-Hispanics reporting some other race...
politics after responding to a 1990 recruitment ad that county Democrats had posted seeking prospective candidates to burnish the party's image and help retain the Democrat's control on county government. Beach showed up at his interview with his tax bill complaining about his taxes, and was described by Freeholder Jeffrey L. Nash as just what the party was seeking in a candidate, "regular people complaining about their taxes". He was elected to the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
in 1991, and was named as Freeholder Director in 1993. Beach was elected as Camden County Clerk in 1995.
He served as County Clerk until 2009, until winning a December 2008 special election convention to replace John Adler
John Adler
John Herbert Adler was a U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He was formerly a member of the New Jersey Senate from 1992 to 2009, where he represented the 6th Legislative District. The district stretches from the suburbs of Philadelphia...
in the Senate, who had won a seat in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. With the endorsement of George Norcross, Beach ran unopposed in the convention. Beach must win a November 2009 special election in order to remain in the Senate through the end of Adler's four-year term. Beach saw his salary drop from $153,437 annually as County Clerk to $49,000 as State Senator, and indicated after his selection to fill the Senate seat that he would seek additional employment to supplement his salary, ensuring that there was no conflict with his position as Senator. Beach was soon hired by Camden County College
Camden County College
Camden County College is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located in Camden County, New Jersey. Camden County College has three distinct campuses located in Blackwood, Camden and Cherry Hill...
for a part-time job as an advisor, allowing him to collect an annual salary of $10,400 and remain in New Jersey's Public Employee Retirement System, for which county clerks but not state senators are eligible. After critical editorials in The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
and the Camden Courier-Post accused Beach of abusing the public pension system, Beach left the Camden County College job.
Beach had worked as an educator and football coach at schools including both St. Joseph High School (Camden, New Jersey) and Woodrow Wilson High School
Woodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey)
Woodrow Wilson High School is a four-year public high school in Camden, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Camden City Public Schools....
in Camden and Highland Regional High School
Highland Regional High School
Highland Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Blackwood, New Jersey. Its mascot is the Tartan.The school is part of the Black Horse Pike Regional School District, a regional public high school district serving students in grades 9 through 12 from three...
in Blackwood
Blackwood, New Jersey
Blackwood is a census-designated place located within Gloucester Township, in Camden County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 United States Census, the section population was 4,692...
, and had been director of vocational education at the Black Horse Pike Regional School District
Black Horse Pike Regional School District
The Black Horse Pike Regional School District is a regional public high school district serving students in grades 9 through 12 from three communities in Camden County, New Jersey...
.
District 6
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey SenateNew Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
. The other representatives from the 6th District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
- Assemblyman Louis GreenwaldLouis GreenwaldLouis Greenwald is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 6th legislative district....
, and - Assemblywoman Pamela Rosen LampittPamela Rosen LampittPamela R. Lampitt is an American Democratic Party politician, who serves in the New Jersey General Assembly, where she represents the 6th legislative district, having taken office on January 10, 2006....
External links
- Senator Beach's legislative web page, New Jersey LegislatureNew Jersey LegislatureThe New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
- Project Vote Smart - James Beach profile