On November 29, 2002, we noted here in “Spendin’ of the Green” that New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey resisted production of the financial records of his “trade mission” to Ireland, the Governor’s “ancestral homeland.” The Gov was accompanied by his wife, 8 staffers and a security detail. No doubt he resisted making the records public because the tab for the trip that was touted in advance as costing us $20,000 ended up costing $105,000. Nevertheless, the Gov finally conceded that the records had to be produced under New Jersey law. Having been caught trying to pull a fast one, he apologized and directed the Democrat Party to reimburse the state for $70,000 of the bill. I believe the only thing he is sorry about is being caught.

Well, today the New York Times reported that the Democrat Party will have to write yet another check to the state – this time for $18,200 for 14 personal trips the Gov took in the state-supplied helicopter. Apparently, the Gov is fond of flying, as his office reported that Hizzoner took 272 helicopter trips in his first ten months in office. Mind you, New Jersey is not exactly the size of Texas, so 27 helicopter trips per month (at $1,200 per hour) seems a bit much, no?

More Jerseyspeak. After reading “Jeetyet? No. Joo?” here (see December 2, 2002), my daughter wrote to remind me of another bit of Jerseyspeak. More specifically she described how we tend to mangle the words “all right” by pronouncing them as one word — “erright.”

She writes: “Here it is in context”

Person A: Hey, would you mind taking out the garbage?
Person B: Yeah. Erright.
(Several minutes pass.)
Person A: Would you mind taking it out now?
Person B: Erright already! I’ll do it now. Erright?!?

Or, perhaps, more realistically………

Taxpayer: “Hey McGreevey. It’s only a five-mile trip and there is no traffic. How about taking the friggin’ car?”
McGreevey: “Goddamn newspapers. Erright already!!!!”

New Jersey…….Only the strong survive.