The Jersey Money Pit.
Enlighten New Jersey calls our attention to the financial mismanagement that runs rampant in this state, which, according to our Governor (the gentleman who replaced Jim McGreevey – You remember Jim McGreevey – It was in all the papers), the state is teetering on bankruptcy. Take, for example, the City of Newark’s having spent $1,748,040 for ten garbage trucks. And, where did the City of Newark get the money to pay for the garbage trucks? Why, from Homeland Security Funds, of course. The use of Homeland Security Funds for this purpose occurred at the same time that Newark is considering spending $210 million on a hockey arena. You can’t make this shit up.
Of course, one of the reasons that the state is in such dire financial straits is its massive expenditures on public sector employees. Enlighten New Jersey points to SmadaNek, which analyzed the growth of public sector employment as a function of increases in population.
The figures reveal that, nationally, the country added one public sector employee for every 25 new Americans. The states bordering on New Jersey added only one public sector employee for every 235 of their new residents. Now, hang on to your hat. New Jersey added one new public sector employee for every six new residents. Tell me that doesn’t make you want to barf. At least 1,000 of these positions are patronage jobs handed out by Jim McGreevey and his democrat buddies to the tune of $50 million, and, according to Republican candidate for Governor, John Murphy, none of these positions has been cut in order to meet the state’s financial shortfall.
The state is a national joke. We had a former Senator “decide not to run” because he was clearly up to his ass in corruption. He was replaced on the ballot at the last minute by the cadaverous and thoroughly contemptible, Frank Lautenberg, with the blessing of the New Jersey Supreme Court when it turned a blind eye to a violation of unambiguous election regulations. Our other Senator, the rich but ineffectual Jon Corzine, has decided that what he really wants to do is be the governor, and he has enlisted Cadaverous Frank as the Chairman of his campaign, effectively leaving New Jersey with no representation in the Senate between now and November.
Our former governor resigned in disgrace after numerous scandals, the topper being his appointment of his supremely unqualified boyfriend to be in charge of New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security. Within the last few weeks, eleven politicians and government officials were arrested by the FBI for extortion and bribery, while the New Jersey Attorney General’s contribution to rectifying the state’s horrible mess was to swoop down on Blockbuster for deceptive advertising.
Despite all this, the majority of the voters continue to vote the same cruds into office, thereby proving beyond peradventure that it is possible to go through life with one’s head up one’s ass without suffocating.
We’ve gotten some outstanding additions to the NJ blogroll lately, haven’t we?
Comment by Sluggo — March 3, 2005 @ 3:18 am
Jim, don’t forget that the rest of the country calls us
“the ashtray of the Northeast”, at least according to the braying asses that want to end smoking in all public places… I guess it’s ok to be the corruption capitol of the country, but watch out for that second hand smoke…
By the way, can I smoke at the Legion bar during the NJ
Blogmeet? Ha!
Comment by gregor — March 3, 2005 @ 7:23 am
Thirteen politicians in Monmouth County get between $ 1000-$4000 to promise to “help” get a buisnessman some government contracts. No actual contracts were said to be actually provided.
State Senator/ Deputy Mayor Ronald Rice of Newark admits to getting paid near $100,000 for essentially a no-show job for a construction company. Rice admits to helping that construction company get several MILLION dollars in contracts, and says he did nothing wrong.
Who is worse ? Why no handcuffs in Newark?
Comment by cousin gary — March 3, 2005 @ 12:30 pm
As we all know, Newark has a long “no handcuffs” tradition for crooked politicians.
Comment by Jim - Parkway Rest Stop — March 3, 2005 @ 1:12 pm
I’m from Chicago, and we’re Pikers compared to you guys. In my town, after my property taxes went up 47% last year, we had a referendum to have a “one time” assessment on our properties for education funding (in a system where grade school principals are paid over $100,000). If we agreed, and the referendum passed, it would guarantee millions in state money, the argument went. My neighbors were apoplectic when it failed (by a handfull of votes, twice), and grouchy with me when I told them that I absolutely would not vote for the measure. “Where does the state get the matching funds? Huh? My income tax,” I said. “How can you people fall for this shit?” It was a Spinal Tap “this one goes to eleven” moment. Their reply: “But, the state will send us free money if we approve the assessment.” Arrrrghhhh.
Comment by Larry Crotser — March 3, 2005 @ 3:42 pm
“But the state will send us free money…”
“Free money,” indeed.
Comment by Jim - Parkway Rest Stop — March 3, 2005 @ 3:58 pm
As MSgt Steele might say, “Crotser, you dumb ferkin’ lawyer wanna be, had you been THINKING CLEARLY, you woulda noted that, although yer originally from Chicago, the mutants discussed in yer post were in Bergen County, where you are currently domiciled!” (My appy-polly-logies, both for presuming to put words in the MSgt’s mouth, and for my sloppiness.)
Comment by Larry Crotser — March 3, 2005 @ 9:11 pm
HEY! We likey patronage! Some of us are looking forward to it once we get back into power in say, 50 years.
Comment by Kid Various — March 8, 2005 @ 12:06 pm