Something's happening here

(Today we have a guest poster... Miss Tata from Poor Impulse Control, Running Scared and Blanton's and Ashton's fame. She's got my attention about an important issue; she should have yours too, and she's told it better than I have, so I stole her post. Oh, also, it's a post from Tuesday that I just got around to stealing today- so when she says 30 days, I mean 28.)

There are many things I don't understand, and that's okay. I work in a university library, where I am surrounded by smart people with graduate degrees in Finding Stuff. Two weeks ago, we at B & A found the Bush Administration has johnnied up a plan to sell off a huge and unprecedented number of tracts of national forest lands to partially finance 2007 budget shortfalls in a rural school finance program. We the public are invited to place comments where responsible parties - stop laughing! - read them but until today, instructions for commenting were unavailable. I didn't grasp what the process involved in commenting was so I asked one of those degreed people for assistance. By the time our librarian friend finished helping me she was composing a letter in her head.

Step by step, then:
National Forest ServicePresident’s FY 2007 Budget Proposal for the Forest Service - Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act Extension

Today's News Release

Today's listing in the Federal Register

Cutting to the chase, where we find a very important paragraph I'm sure you'll agree is now weeks overdue:

DATES: You should submit your comments by March 30, 2006 to be assured of
consideration. Comments received after that date will be considered only to the
extent practicable.ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by e-mail to
SRS_Land_Sales@fs.fed.us, by facsimile to (202) 205–1604, or by mail to USDA
Forest Service, SRS Comments, Lands 4S, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Mailstop
1124, Washington, DC 20250–0003. Electronic submission is preferred. If you
submit your comments by e-mail or fax, you do not need to send a paper copy by
mail.

The reason to comment loud and long is this appalling list of lands potentially for sale.We have thirty days to raise a ruckus. Write to the comments address. Call your congresscritters. Demand they take positions on this matter. The sale of these lands is ridiculous and irresponsible. They don't really belong to us. We care for them now for future Americans, our children and their children. We can't sell them to finance our failures, or we fail our future twice over.

A few phone calls. A few emails. We have thirty days, starting now.

Talk back to the Gov

Governor Corzine is holding three "regional community dialogues"- well, at least we've stopped calling them "town meetings"- to talk and hear about the budget. The dates and locales are:

• North Jersey RegionTuesday, March 7, 2006 7:00 PM at Montclair State University, University Hall - College of Education and Human Services Building
• Central Jersey RegionWednesday, March 8, 2006 7:00 PM at Monmouth University, Woodrow Wilson Auditorium
• South Jersey RegionThursday, March 9, 2006 7:00 PM at Rowan University, Student Center Building

Information on the forums, RSVP info and a link to submit budget suggestions are all here. Come out and make your voice heard!

The pension system

Tom Moran of the Star-Ledger has a commentary this morning on the pension system for public employees. He cites abuses and legal tricks, such as:

Edison Police Chief Edward Costello is one lucky guy. On his final day in office, he negotiated a whopping pay hike that boosted his pension to $115,000 a year. That's on top of the $62,000 he got for unused vacation and sick time.
...
In Newark a few months ago, the deputy police director retired to take a pension, then was rehired to do the same job as a consultant, for a combined income of $221,000. It was apparently legal, but so embarrassing that the plan was scratched.
...
South Orange allowed 11 police officers to boost their pensions by counting unused vacation time as salary. Bradley Beach gave several top officials big raises in their final year, and counted sick and vacation time as salary.

Wow.

Now, do I blame guys like Chief Costello? Not really. He made his pension contibutions for decades, and served with honor. Apparently, he hadn't gotten a pay raise in three years, so his last-minute raise was to make ammends for that. He played the system and came out on top. (Is it the 'right' thing to do? No. Would you do the same in that position? Damn right.) The blame falls squarely on a system that allows these tricks. The benefits plans are excedingly, embarrasingly, ridiculously generous and must be changed.

Remember in the private sector, you couldn't get away with this. I know people in the private sector who went five years between raises; instead of being angry, they feel lucky to simply have their jobs, since their co-workers have been laid off. Most folks who work in the private sector have no chance at a pension; they get a 401K (if they're lucky) and a "good luck to ya."

Politicians always talk about cutting waste and fraud. Some of this is fraud, but even with what's legal there's a lot of waste. Our public employees deserve a fair shake and decent pay, but this goes way beyond that. I hope Governor Corzine will make good on those promises, and propose a plan soon to cut the fraud and waste here. Moran states, "unless these benefits are somehow reined in, at least for new employees, you can expect a taxpayer revolt at some point." I sure hope so.

...and the universe laughs, again

Twice in my life I've been in the position of making a major repair to a car, which would cost almost the car's worth, and I've decided to go ahead and do it. Twice, now, the car has died within a few weeks of that decision. (Well, more accurately, once it died and once I killed it in an accident.)

I think the universe is trying to tell me something- trash old cars when they're almost dead, don't try to eek out a few more years.

Anyone had experience with eBay motors? I've heard good things from a few folks.

We want out

A Zogby poll released today shows:

Le Moyne College/Zogby Poll shows just one in five troops want to heed Bush call to stay “as long as they are needed”
While 58% say mission is clear, 42% say U.S. role is hazy
...
Almost 90% think war is retaliation for Saddam’s role in 9/11, most don’t blame Iraqi public for insurgent attacks
...
An overwhelming majority of 72% of American troops serving in Iraq think the U.S. should exit the country within the next year, and nearly one in four say the troops should leave immediately, a new Le Moyne College/Zogby International survey shows.
The poll, conducted in conjunction with Le Moyne College’s Center for Peace and Global Studies, showed that 29% of the respondents, serving in various branches of the armed forces, said the U.S. should leave Iraq “immediately,” while another 22% said they should leave in the next six months. Another 21% said troops should be out between six and 12 months, while 23% said they should stay “as long as they are needed.”

"The troops want to leave. The Iraqi public wants them to leave. The American public wants them to leave. The only people who don't want them to leave are elected Republican officials, their apologists, and a handful of loser Democrats in leadership roles (many of whom are running for President).This poll should be broadcast from every news outlet in the country to every corner of the country. Support the troops--bring them home." says Chris Bowers at MyDD, from whom I lifted most of this post.

Combine this poll with today's CBS poll showing Bush's approval rating at an all-time low of 34%, and it's not looking good for the chickenhawks in DC.

More on the Transportation Trust Fund

The Times of Trenton has an editorial today about the revealed elements of Gov. Corzine's Transportation Trust Fund plans. They said pretty much what I've been sayin', but them bein' professional writers an' all, they said it a whole lot better:

Gov. Jon Corzine has decided to put off for now an increase in New Jersey's gasoline tax as a way to help bail out the Transportation Trust Fund. Instead, he proposes to refinance $1.8 billion in trust-fund debt to save $105 million in annual debt service and to direct an additional $90 million from existing gas taxes and tolls into the fund. These steps would enable the state to increase the fund's present indebtedness and keep the highway and mass-transit programs viable for another five years.
This newspaper has advocated a gas-tax hike as a way to channel more money to the fund. We've pointed out that the New Jersey gas tax is one of the lowest in the nation, that a substantial portion of it is paid by out-of-state motorists, and that the tax is a classic user fee, benefiting most directly those who pay it. To that extent, we find the governor's decision to defer a gas-tax hike disappointing.
But his plan to dedicate all revenue raised by the gas tax to transportation is a good step, and so is his intention to create an independent oversight panel to ensure that trust-fund borrowing is not diverted to short-term expenses, a common abuse in the past. Moreover, there are plausible reasons behind his strategy -- reasons beyond the not insignificant detail that he promised during the campaign not to raise the gas tax this year (a promise we criticized), and he is keeping that promise.
...
The governor acknowledges that a gas-tax increase -- and mass-transit fare hikes, as well -- may be necessary before the end of the five-year stay that this plan will win for him. It would be better if the state took those steps now instead of relying on a temporary remedy. The bottom line, however, is that doing nothing is not an option.

As I've said before, I support a gas-tax increase and I hate the idea of increasing debtload. I expect someone to label me a tax-and-spend liberal in the comments (it could be worse; I could be one of the cut-taxes-and-spend-hand-over-fist-increasing-debt-exponentially Republicans) but I don't truly believe we're taxing adequately on our gas as we should. But I understand why the Governor has proposed doing this now, and I can only hope his finished proposals for the TTF include more to get us out of the hole which we've dug.

NJ's Friday Cat Blogging

In today's Times of Trenton printed edition (but not online, for reasons I couldn't explain,) on page one of the Living Section is an article about the phenomenon of Friday Cat Blogging. Not to be confused with Saturday Westie Blogging or the now-defunct Wednesday Naked Frog Day, Friday Cat Blogging is a large phenomenon and many blogs are involved. NJ progressive politics sites Poetic Leanings and Brilliant at Breakfast are both prominently featured in the article, even though it doesn't look like PL has done a lot of feline focus lately. The article also mentions the Infinite Cat project, which is kinda cool too.

Being an article about an online craze, you'd think the Times would put the article on their web site, wouldn't you? Oh well.

Carnival of NJ Bloggers 41

The carnival is up over at Northern New Jersey Real Estate Bubble. Have fun reading!

Homebrew update

I'm just not in the mood to get worked up about politics today, so I'll talk about beer instead. I do so love beer.

We have an ESB in fermenter we put down this past weekend; nice color and really active yeast so far. We plan to dry-hop with some Styrian Goldings next week, and bottle not too long after that.

A while back I mentioned a holiday ale and a pilsner we did; they were both great. The only problem is our homebrew supply shop, the Brewer's Apprentice, accidentally mislabeled the malt extracts- so we have a nice amber pilsner and a beautiful pale holiday ale. No big deal. The flavor on both is wonderful, and both came out with a lighter body than we used to brew- which was our goal. Happy happy.

More TTF plan and budget info

In an interview yesterday, the Philly Inquirer is reporting that Gov. Corzine took the Turnpike privitization off the table in the scramble to fund the Transportation Trust Fund before it goes broke in July. He plans to announce his solutions for the fund before March 21, the day that his total budget will be presented.

Corzine still wishes not to increase the gas tax, but the article does not state that he has ruled it out. He has not ruled out increasing the sales or income tax to fight the projected $4.5 billion hole in the budget.

Here's the part I didn't want to see, re: The TTF:

Refinancing the fund's debt of approximately $7.3 billion and pushing payments further into the future to pay for projects now is "a fiscally responsible" strategy, Corzine said. He has likened the strategy - used by past administrations - to stretching a home mortgage over 30 years instead of 20.
But critics argue that refinancing is only a temporary fix and will cost the state more in the long run. Yesterday, Corzine would not discuss specifics, saying only that the added hit that the state took depended on what revenue proposals he floated to lessen the blow.
"This will not be the only action we take" to fix the fund, he said.
...
New Jersey, which has the third-highest per capita debt in the country after California and New York, has done "too much borrowing for all kinds of crazy purposes," Corzine said. But issuing bonds to raise money for capital-transportation expenses is appropriate, he said.
"The idea of borrowing money to build 30 or 50 or 100-year assets, I think most intellectually honest individuals would say that's a good thing," Corzine said. "It spreads out the cost of who's paying for something and associates it with who gets the benefit."

Yes, it's like stretching the debt over 30 years instead of 20. That means you pay for ten more years, and pay interest for ten more years, and spend way more money over ten more years. It better not be the only action taken for the Fund; at this rate, maybe it'll take ten more years before we have this crisis again.

Seriously, do most roads and bridges really last 100 years? They'll need serious maintainence if we expect them to, and that takes serious funds- something we'll be short on in the future too, if we're still paying down the debt from decades gone by.

I'm disappointed that refinancing is a part of the plan for the TTF, yet I understand that it may be crucial to keeping the fund solvent in the near future. So, I'll wait until the final plan is announced next month before I get upset. The other elements of Governor Corzine's proposal may be bold and effective, and should be viewed as a complete package.

I sure hope the plan is bold and effective, because refinancing is simply shoveling off more debt payments onto my and my kids' backs.

Meet Nathan

Meet Nathan. His picture is over there on the right side of this blog (he's the bigger one with no hair.) Nathan is lending his hair to help Cure Childhood Cancer through St. Baldricks, a foundation dedicated to raising awareness of childhood cancers and raising funds for research for the Children's Oncology Group.

So, click through on Nathan's links there on the right, and learn more about this group and how you can help. Thanks!

Koufax Awards

BlueJersey, one of the other places I get to rant at you lovely fans and friends, has been nominated for a 2005 Koufax Award for Best Blog Community as well as Best State and Local Blog. Blanton's and Ashton's (another place I get to prattle on occasionally but is really the brainchild of DBK) was nominated for Best Single Issue Blog AND Most Deserving of Wider Recognition. How cool is that?

Also, basking in reflected greatness, I must mention that The Opinion Mill, to whom I very much lost the Screaming Carrot Award, was nominated for Best Writing. Dump Mike, who also lost to The OM for that carrot, was nominated for Best State and Local as well.

Voting will be open later this week.

Fun Lazy Link Tuesday

What song was number one the day you were born? Find out!

And, since I know you're going to ask, mine is Honky Tonk Women by the Rolling Stones. I've always been kinda proud of that. I always spend a week or two around my birthday every year haunting the classic rock radio stations, hoping to hear my song.

(hat tip to Sluggo)

Astonishingly bad use of the checks-n-balances idea

Bush backs Dubai port deal, vows veto
Lawmakers seek more thorough look at takeover by UAE firm

"No one can understand it, Democrat or Republican," said Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat and a leading critic of the agreement. "Average citizens, everywhere we go, are stopping us and saying, 'What is going on?' "
Critics say the takeover raises security concerns, noting that two of the hijackers involved in the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington came from the UAE, and that the hijackers drew funds from bank accounts in Dubai, the financial center of the Persian Gulf.

Sigh.

For the record, Our Fair State's Senators Menendez and Lautenberg, along with Senators Clinton and Boxer, sent Majority Leader Frist a letter urging his support of legislation they are proposing to stop "a company owned by a foreign government controlling operations at U.S. ports." Ful text of letter here.

Headline follow-up

Last Tuesday I posted a bit about a headline that was bothering me in the Times of Trenton: Corzine Plan would hike TTF debt. I was annoyed because Corzine is being blamed for something he hasn't done; he hasn't put forth a plan for the TTF or any budget issue!

Well, in today's Times, a Tom Hester Jr. article corrected that mistatement:

"What the TTF needs is a thoughtful, fiscally responsible, long-term solution," said state Sen. Robert Littell, R-Franklin (Sussex County). "What the governor is proposing is none of those things."
Corzine actually hasn't proposed anything, though he has said he wants to solve the TTF problem before his March budget address.

Today, in Hester's Capital Talk column, he also writes:

Never a group to let facts get in the way of a good story. Americans for Tax Reform blasted Gov. Jon Corzine for breaking a campaign promise not to raise taxes. Firstly, Corzine hasn't raised a tax, though it seems likely. But he also specifically refused numerous times during his campaign to make a no-tax-increase promise. Americans for Tax Reform conveniently ignored that fact.

Sometimes I think "never let the facts get in the way of a good story" is a media mantra these days.

Of course, Corzine may still propose a budget that includes a tax hike and a refinancing of the debt (bad idea!) or both. However, he hasn't yet. I'm glad to see that the Times of Trenton remember that today, especially on page one above the fold.

Senator Menendez podcast

Bluejersey has a short interview with our new Senator in a podcast. Go check it out, and subscribe if you haven't done so yet!

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Submitted for your approval... The Jersey Zone, over at the award-winning Opinion Mill.

Elections tomorrow in Central NJ

UPDATED 5pm- added new links and more townships

No, I'm not kidding. Franklin Twp. (Somerset), The Hopewells, Pennington, Lambertville, Plainsboro, Montgomery (article), Washington Twp. (Mercer), Erial, Beverly, Evesham, Florence, Moorestown, Edgewater Park, Mount Holly, Delran, Chesterfield, Bordentown, Delanco, Burlington Township, Cinnaminson, Florence, Mount Laurel, Tabernacle, Eastampton, (article) Howell, Millstone, Manasquan, Ocean Twp., Plumstead, Brick, Dover Twp., Piscataway, South Brunswick, East Brunswick, Monroe, Hazlet, Minotola, all the Woodbridge districts (Fords, Colonia, Sewaren Hopelawn, Iselen, Menlo Park) have Fire District elections tomorrow. These elections directly affect your property taxes via fire budgets, and your fire protection and officials, so read up on the issues and make your voice heard. Polls are open 2PM to 9PM at the fire houses.

The list of towns above is by no means comprehensive. It includes the info I could find on Mercer, Hunterdon, Ocean, Monmouth, and Burlington Counties only. Check with your local paper to find if your district also has an election tomorrow, and familiarize yourself with the candidates and budgets.

The Asbury Park Press today has an editorial about how the turnout is expected to be mighty low for these elections. S1188 has been proposed by State Sen. Leonard Lance to combine fire district elections with the school elections held in May to increase voter turnout. I wonder if it wouldn't save a bit of taxpayer money, too. The bill is sitting in the Senate State Government committee. This bill should get passed. Let you state senator know you support the combining of these elections.

Don't forget to vote!

Equality, for all

This week, the NJ supreme court heard arguments for equal marriage rights for homosexual couples in Our Fair State:

As activists for both sides rallied outside, the lawyer for seven same-sex couples yesterday urged the New Jersey Supreme Court to declare they have a right to marry -- not just to form second-class civil unions -- and to base that ruling on the state constitution.
"This is a historic case for civil rights in New Jersey," David Buckel, a lawyer with the gay rights organization Lambda Legal, told the justices.
A lawyer for the state countered with an argument that has carried the day in two lower courts: Only the Legislature can make such a radical change to the millennia-old definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Gay couples "have to take their claims to the legislative and executive branches and compete in the democratic process," said Assistant Attorney General Patrick DeAlmeida.
For just over an hour, the seven justices listened to the arguments and questioned both lawyers. As usual, the court reserved decision.
It was a day of high-stakes litigation poker, with neither side hedging its bets. Buckel insisted on full marriage equality for same-sex couples. DeAlmeida was equally insistent that only the Legislature can grant it, staking his entire case on that argument.

It will likely be months before a decision is reached. We can only hope they make the right one. All people are equal, and everyone deserves the equal protection described under the law.

Jay over at Lassiter Space went to the rally outside the court on Wednesday. His post about the rally and the arguements is here. From what I've read, the progressives and civil rights proponents are cautiously optimistic about the decision; keep your fingers crossed!

Tuesday lazy blogging

I would have to go back and reread a lot to verify if this is true, but it seems that my worst blogging days are Tuesdays. If I have a lazy linkin' day, it's usually a Tuesday. I only have a few small things to blog about today, none big enough to stand on its own, so we'll do it all in one big post:

1. This ticked me off a little this morning reading the paper: Corzine plan would hike transportation fund debt. It's a Tom Hester Jr. article about the proposed debt refinancing for the soon-to-be-broke Transportation Trust Fund. Why am I annoyed by it? Well, besides the fact that refinancing will, in fact, hike the debt and just push off the problem instead of solving it, I mean. I'm annoyed because of the article's title: It's not Corzine's plan. He hasn't proposed a plan to do this (yet.) It's one of several options being considered by Gov. Corzine, including the leasing of the toll roads. Titiling the article like this is inflamitory and somewhat inaccurate.

2. The Westminster Kennel Club dog show continues tonight, with the Sporting, Hound and Herding groups. I only really want to see the hounds, of course. The're the least likely to ever take best in show, and the greyhound has never done it, if I remember correctly. But they're my favorite.

3. Miss Tata over at Blanton's and Ashton's has two posts, here and here, about the Bush administration's plan to sell $1 Billion in public lands over the next ten years. As she says, "Shout, and don't quit. You have thirty days."

4. Harry Whittington, who was shot in the face by Dick Cheney, has had a "silent heart attack." Here's hoping he's ok, but a 78-year-old man getting shot in the face and then having a heart attack is a very bad thing indeed. We all wish you good luck, Harry.

5. In the meantime, the comedians went nuts with the Cheney shooting yesterday. If you haven't seen The Daily Show from last night yet, go. Now. The Onion is having fun too. Yesterday, WXPN's Top Five at Five segment- where they suggest a topic and have listeners suggest appropriate songs, then playing the top five at 5PM- included Bungalow Bill by the Beatles, Shotgun by Southern Culture on the Skids, and the number-one requested song: Lawyers, Guns and Money by Warren Zevon.

6. Happy Valentine's Day. Dial back on the chocolates, stay out of overcrowded restaurants, skip paying $4.50 for a card. Just tell someone you love them.

Public service announcement

This morning, heading across Our Fair State on Rt. 33, I drove through blizzard-like conditions- so bad you could barely see in front of you!

No, it wasn't more snowfall. I was stuck driving behind morons who didn't clean off the roofs of their SUVs. The eighteen inches of built-up snow blew off at sixty miles an hour while the inconsiderate drivers sped off, either unaware or uninterested.

For the safety of other drivers, and to prove you're not an uncaring jerk, please CLEAN OFF THE TOP OF YOUR DAMNED CAR!

Thank you.

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eCache has this week's Carnival of the NJ bloggers, and it's a long one.

We have 16 inches of snow here in Central NJ (as of 1PM) and it's still falling. So, stay in, and catch up on your blog reading!

What should be happening

Mercer county freeholders are looking to consolidate the oversight of the Mercer County Special Services School District and the Mercer County Technical Schools. Other aspects of the district administration would be merged eventually, according to County Executive Brian Hughes. The two districts only have 1270 students combined.

"We believe that over time, these savings will be significant and will set a model of regionalization that other school districts may replicate to combat the ever-growing tax burden we all share," Hughes said. "While this proposal may raise concerns among people who are concerned about change, it is reassuring to know that this model has been successful in Bergen and Gloucester counties."

At the same time, the tiny borough of Hightstown is beginning to discuss consolidating its police activities with the surrounding township of East Windsor.

Acknowledging that the topic is a "hot potato," Councilman (Walter) Sikorski asked if the borough has had any discussions on consolidating some police work with East Windsor. Mayor Bob Patten responded that the borough is always looking at consolidation and not just with East Windsor.

Consolidation! Oh my, it would put a pin in the inflated long-standing principle of Home Rule in Our Fair State, but with spiraling taxes we have no real choice. Kudos to Hughes and Sikorski for being willing to talk about it. One can only hope such cost-saving measures are enacted.

Winter in the Center of NJ

Damned groundhog was right; winter's back, full force. We're under a winter storm watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning, with estimations ranging from 6-12 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

I love the snow, especially when it doesn't affect most commuters. I have plans for tomorrow but I won't mind too much to cancel them. We'll put on the snowsuits and have a grand old time.

What I'm dreading? I have to go to the grocery store. I have no choice, we're out of too many things. Luckily, I don't really need bread, milk or eggs- why does everyone stock up on those when snow is coming? Are they planning to stay home and make French Toast?

I've talked to a number of folks who feel like they're in a funk lately. We all have separate reasons but it seems too many to be coincidental. Maybe a change of scenery will help us all; a change to a pretty white snowcover.

Flag stolen from Alito's mom

Reported in today's Times of Trenton, but I can't find it in the online edition:

Rose Alito, whose son Samuel A. Alito Jr. was recently confirmed as a US Supreme Court Justice, woke last week to find the American flag that had adorned her lawn for years was gone without a trace.
...
"I usually put it up in the morning and take it down at night," she said. "But when I went out to find the flag, it was gone."

Some of us are afraid of the same thing happening to our civil liberties, Rose.

Let's talk about the gas tax

The title read, in today's Times of Trenton: Search continues for ways to save transportation fund. There is much talk in the article about refinancing the Transportation Trust Fund's debt, which will only increase the total of the debt, and should be avoided as a gimmick that increases the load down the road. Refinancing the debt in the past has increased the total debt load and length, basically helping to put us where we are now.

So, should we raise the gas tax?

Our Fair State currently adds 14.5 cents to every gallon of gas bought here, which sounds high until you realize that we have one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation. (Alaska, in case you're wondering, takes the least. Table here. ) That's why everyone you know from out of state buys their gas on the turnpike, because it's so cheap! (I never have the heart to tell them that if they got off the turnpike, it'd be even cheaper.)

The arguments against raising the gas tax are varied but they come down to these:

1. Disproportionate to the lower income citizenry: a regressive tax

A wonderful report by New Jersey Policy Perspective titled Perspective on The Gas Tax and Car Registration Fees discusses this in full, but essentially it comes down to this: No, it's not regressive. The idea that a resource consumed equally by persons at all economic levels will disproportionately affect lower-income people is not applicable here- gasoline is not consumed at the same rate amongst economic distribution. The report quotes a study from 1997:

People from low-income households are more likely to walk to work and are more likely to use public transit - buses as opposed to trains - to get to work.
People in low-income households are nearly twice as likely to walk for other than work activities as well. Because so many trips are made by walking, the space in which people in low-income households travel is more constricted than for others. For low-income single parent households, about 66 percent of trips are three miles or less.
...
John Pucher, a professor of transportation planning at Rutgers University, used the same NPTS data to show that 80 percent of households with annual incomes of less than $15,000 either own no car (32 percent) or own only one car (48 percent). In contrast, only one percent of households with annual incomes that exceed $80,000 are without a car. And nearly 90 percent of households with income above $80,000 own two cars or more.
...
It is starting to become clear, then, that the vehicles that cost the most and, arguably, take the heaviest toll on the roads upon which they are driven, are owned by the people best able to pay higher taxes and fees.

So, to this argument: not really, no.

2. Out-of-state drivers buy gas in NJ, and they'll stop if we raise it.

Weak at best. First, here's the gas taxes in our neighboring states: Pennsylvania adds 31.1; New York, 31.9, plus county sales tax; Delaware, 23. Even if we add a 10 cent tax on to ours now, we're still substantially lower than NY and PA. (DE residents won't cross the bridge to buy gas then, of course; but I have to doubt sincerely if they ever really were, with a $3 toll on the Del Mem Br.)

3. We don't like it.

Oh, here's a big argument: We hate the gas tax, and we don't want it raised. Apparently, this is a big deal; the Quinnipiac poll in January shows that 69% of residents of Our Fair State don't want to raise the gas tax even to pay for roads and road work.

Unfortunately, of the arguments presented here, this one probably carries the most weight in Trenton. The people who vote on the increase in gas tax need you to vote for them, and we don't like raising taxes here in Our Fair State. Even though our State and Local Tax burden ranks 14th in the nation but our personal income ranks fourth, we feel we are unfairly, highly taxed here and we demonize anyone who tries to increase taxes.

Should we increase our gas tax in the face of a failing Transportation Trust Fund? We haven't raised our gas tax in New Jersey since 1988, and we're out of other gimmicks. Even if there are other viable options for the TTF, it's the best decision in the face of a crushing debtload. It will be damaging politically, yes; but folks, it's time. Raise it.

(cross-posted at bluejersey.net)

Lower Property Taxes? Go Solar!

Well, not quite- but if A1882 passes, you won't pay property taxes on your solar system. A press release on PoliticsNJ reports that the bill was released from committee to go to Appropriations for further consideration. From the release:

The bill would allow for a tax exemption for solar energy systems that provide heating, cooling, or general energy.
"Property owners who install certified solar energy systems, from cooling towers to solar cells, should be rewarded with tax exemptions for their environmental stewardship," said McKeon (D-Essex).
...
According to the Department of Energy, an estimated 50,000 American deaths per year are caused by airborne particulate matter of which one-third is generated by power plants. Solar energy is a clean resource that produces little or no air pollution or waste which reduces global warming and protects the environment.
"By supporting the use of renewable energy, we are protecting New Jersey's clean and healthy air. The state's most vulnerable residents, including children and seniors with asthma and allergies, will have less respiratory problems once we have reduced our reliance on power plants that generate particulate matter known as smog," said Gusciora (D-Mercer).

If this bill passes, it will be one more way to cement Our Fair State's position as a leader in alternative energies. And, good for those of us who made the investment in our solar systems. Hoody Hoo! Write your legislators!

Some Sunday evening fun

The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny. Go now.

(Note: not family-friendly. Hat tip to Rob.)

Carnival of NJ Bloggers 38

The carnival is up over at Philomathean.

I noticed looking at the main carnival post that there are hosts signed up through Feb. 19th, but none beyond that. It's a lot of fun to host a carnival! It is a bit of work, but if you participate as a submitter you should take your turn as a host. Send an email to sign up to host.

Better than I could say it

I wanted to post something today about the budget vote in Congress, but Blanton's and Ashton's and the Times of Trenton beat me to it, and better said than I would have. (Am fighting a head cold and not in a great mood. The bad mood could be from the general state of things in the US today or the head cold, probably both.)

Interesting for those of us in the 4th district: Rep. Chris Smith voted against the bill, joining twelve other Republicans who crossed the line to vote against the damaging bill that Bush has said will become law. I'm glad to see Smith on the good side.

(Why are we in red today? Find out here. Then understand your enemy and do something about it.)

Fun with Lautenberg

jmelli at Bluejersey.net reports:

Sen Lautenberg filed an amendment today (2/2) to rename the "Tax Reconciliation Act of 2005” to “More Tax Breaks for the Rich and More Debt for Our Grandchildren Deficit Expansion Reconciliation Act of 2006.” "This bill will stuff the pockets of the rich and pick the pockets of our grandchildren. The American people want straight talk from Congress. Let’s start by telling them what this bill will really do."

If more bills were named accurately, I bet they wouldn't pass. How about instead of the name "Patriot Act," it was called the "Sacrifice Liberties in Exchange for No Increase in Security Act of 2001?"

Yay, Lautenberg.

(Why are we in red today? Find out here. Then find your numbers and do something about them.)

Go Red for Women Day

Why are we in red today? Why, it's National Go Red for Women Day! Eight million women in our country are living with heart disease right now. Heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women and kills 32% of them. It's the biggest killer of women in this country, more than all cancers combined. More women than men will die from a first heart attack. (via womenheart.org.) The worst thing is much of this is preventable, but we just don't do it. Here is some info about how to save your heart.

Exercise, eat better, weigh less, quit smoking- and stick around to see your kids grow up.

National Wear Red Day is Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Feb. 3, is National Wear Red Day to raise awareness of heart disease for women. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States- far bigger than breast cancer or any other cancer. Indeed, it's a bigger killer than all other cancers combined. More women than men die of heart disease every year. Did I get your attention?

So, why am I going on about this today, when tomorrow is Wear Red day? First, because, if you're like me, you'll forget to wear red unless someone reminds you, so I just did. Second, it will explain why any posts I get up here tomorrow will be in this nice shade of red. Third, it's one more time I get to ask you- male or female- to know your numbers and to do something about them. We care about you here at TCoNJL.

The real problem here

I watched the SotU last night, and the Dem. response. Of all the things that were said, of all the things that were implied, and all the times I was angry, there's one particular issue that is still sticking with me. W said:

"Yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success,
and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure. Hindsight alone
is not wisdom. And second-guessing is not a strategy."

Boy, I was angry. What unmitigated gaul, to smack at his dissenters in the speech. W, You ignore responsible criticism in the same way you ignore anyone who isn't in your groupthink- how would you know the difference? By the way, hindsight may not be wisdom but learning from your mistakes is, and hearing second-guesses is a good way to find alternatives.

I remebered these words of W's when I listened to Gov. Tim Kaine's response. I was disappointed. No, wait, that's not fair- more accurately, I thought it was horrible. He didn't address much of the SotU, spent forever trumpeting how well his state of Virginia has done, and had weak presence. My husband argued with me here extensively; he felt Kaine had done a pretty good job and addressed many issues. For anyone who knows us personally, it's no surprise how this went next- we quickly found the text of the Kaine's speech online and argued our points using the individual words from the speech.

The more I read the speech, I realize Kaine did address some of the points in the SotU. He talked about Medicaid cuts, the war on terror and the related issue of border security, veterans' benefits, underfunding of No Child Left Behind- he hit on a lot of the highlights. So, why did I despise his speech so much?

The Mr. Rogers-like stance. The arguing of how poorly the Repubs have done. The permeating theme of "Together, we can do better." That's what was really bothering me.

There's no strength in it, no leadership, no real message.

The phrase "Together, we can do better" is the theme for the Dems this year, so we'll be hearing it a lot. They're right; it can be technically argued that truly, if we bind together we can do better than the Repubs have given us these last years. However, it's not a message or a leadership stance- it sounds like we're begging for a chance. It defines the Dems based on what they are NOT- the implied object to "do better" is "than the Repubs have done."

Americans crave leadership. That's why we elect the people we do- we want them to LEAD US. We follow morons because they step up and take the reins. We vote in corrupt liars because they show strength when we are afraid of weakness. We don't want another policy wonk in a sweater explaining why his way is better- we need someone to show some backbone, dammit, and push through the pack to the front and LEAD.

This is what has bothered with me since last night's speeches: the president was right. Hindsight alone is not wisdom, and second-guessing is not a strategy. Right now, that's how the Dems seem to moderates, undecideds and Repubs; instead of steping up to the front of the class and taking charge, the Dems seem like kids in the back passing notes about how stupid the teacher is. It doesn't matter at all that that's not what the Dems are doing; that's how they are seen, and that does matter. When will the Democrats learn what the Repubs figured out a long time ago- all the good policy in the world, all the noble intentions and brilliant plans mean nothing if you can't get elected? If you can't present a coherent message that people can get behind, no one will hear about your good candidates and excellent bills.

For goodness sake, LEAD already.

The State of our Union

He's begun. Do you have your drink ready?

SotU blogging, revisited

Rep. Tim Ryan will NOT be at www.mydd.com after all. According to the Stakeholder, the DCCC's blog, Congressmen John Conyers, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Tim Ryan and Jim McDermott will be there also.

The State of the Union Blog Response

UPDATED 2:30PM!

The following members of Congress will be participating in a blog response to the State of the Union speech this evening:

Congressman Rush Holt (NJ-12) www.bluejersey.net
Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-6) www.njfordemocracy.com
Congressman Jim McDermott (WA-7) www.washblog.com

These start about 10:30PM, after the speech.

(hat tip to jmelli)

Rep. Rush Holt podcast!

The first bluejersey.net podcast is up: an interview with Rep. Rush Holt of the 12th district.

I'm listening to it right now, and I can tell you it's a good interview. Also- for the few of you who may check this blog who aren't lucky enough to be residents of Our Fair State- this is not a Jersey-centered discussion, so listen anyway. Some highlights:

"It just makes no sense to continue our dependence- psychological, military and economic- on oil."

"I have found no one who actually feels safer, and can demonstrate that she or he is safer, because of our war in Iraq."

"I see no justification for the program that the White House has described. I see no need to have an ongoing spying mechanism against Americans. I see no need for them to be conducting this on their own suspicions, not by demonstrating a probable cause of action before a court."

Must... go... listen... again....

It was so easy to subscribe to the podcast, even I could do it without panicy phone calls to computer-savvy people.

Carnival of NJ Bloggers 37

The carnival, along with extensive historical data analysis, is over at SmadaNek.

We're number six!

Here, Ann, have some creme brulee

From CNN:

Poison Justice Stevens, Coulter jokes
Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, speaking at a traditionally black college, joked that Justice John Paul Stevens should be poisoned.
Coulter had told the Philander Smith College audience Thursday that more conservative justices were needed on the Supreme Court to change the current law on abortion.
Stevens is one of the court's most liberal members.
"We need somebody to put rat poisoning in Justice Stevens' creme brulee," Coulter said. "That's just a joke, for you in the media."

Or a threat. Why aren't this woman's fifteen minutes over yet?

The Xpatriated Texan is organizing action. Contact UPI, distributors of Coulter's column, and tell them her hateful ways and uninformed commentary are not wanted.

(And, if you haven't seen it, here's the video of Ann arguing about Canada's involvement in Vietnam. Just something more to get you in the mood to write angry letters about her.)

Next NJ Blogger Carnival

Don't forget to submit links to njcarnival@gmail.com by midnight tonight to be included tomorrow.

Wait on the pitchforks

The Quinnipiac poll numbers from yesterday show that we're worried about the budget: 54% see very serious problems in our budget, 38% see somewhat serious ones. In general, we'd rather see services cut than our taxes raised, 57% to 28%. And we absolutely don't want a gas tax, even if it's to fix up the roads: 69% oppose that (increased 12 points from the same time last year.)

So, what are we gonna do about it?

Well, according to Gov. Corzine's budget advisory group, we have to consider expanding the state sales tax to include previously exempt sales (such as tanning salons and limo services,) implementing a temporary income tax surcharge, and:

For this fiscal year, to ensure state spending remains balanced, the group's
proposal includes requiring state departments to cut budgets, freeze work-force
levels, slice salaries of nonunion employees, mandate a week off without pay for
state workers and prepare layoff plans.

The unions flipped about the week off w/o pay. Carla Katz (you may remember her, she's president of Communications Workers of America Local 1034, the largest state employee union) said "That's a pay cut as far as we're concerned, and we would vehemently oppose a program like that." And the Repubs were quick to condemn also; "I am disappointed by the direction this report has taken. It fails to consider the consequences of adding to the tax burden on New Jersey's families." said Sen. Peter Inverso, R-Hamilton.

I'm not ready to throw stones yet. First, it's a draft report, not strong recommendation. Second, let's see what parts of it actually get proposed as law. (That temporary income tax thing will never pass- really, who believes it would actually be temporary?)

The new Governor now has to reconcile his committee's proposal with the polls showing what residents of Our Fair State want, while remembering that he has the tough decisions of who gets how much of what they want. Before the Repubs and the Unions bring out the torches and pitchforks, let's see what happens next.

Let's just call him "Junior"

Tom Kean Jr. wants Senator Menendez to vote to confirm Alito to the Supreme Court. No big surprize there. But the senator hasn't yet said how he will vote, and hopefully he's listening to the people. Reported on NorthJersey.com:

"If we can't count on our two senators to fight for New Jersey and a highly qualified judicial appointment, who can we count on to fight for us?" Kean said.
...
""We take the views of all our constituents seriously," Menendez spokesman Matthew Miller said. "Right now, the calls into our office are going 83 percent against confirmation, but we'll add Junior's call to the list.""
With the Republican's campaign sometimes omitting the "Jr." in the candidate's name, Democrats have begun pointedly dropping the "Tom Kean." Kean is the son of former Gov. Thomas H. Kean, and his name is probably helping to make him more of a threat to Menendez than most Republicans would be in Democratic-leaning New Jersey."

I like that. Let's just call him Junior.

Let's hope it's just his genetic popularity that's causing the closeness in the race so far: the latest poll figures (from Quinnipiac) show Menendez with a slim 2% lead over Junior, 38%-36%. However, for "favorable" ratings, 64% of residents state that they haven't heard enough to make up their minds about both Senator Menendez and Junior. There's plenty of time; I'm sure we'll hear a lot from both men in the next few months.

(hat tip to bluejersey for the NorthJersey.com link)

Rep. Chris Smith on Oprah today

Yup.

Smith to visit Oprah, discuss trafficking law
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-Hamilton, will appear on Oprah Winfrey's television show today to talk about a bill he sponsored to strengthen and expand the nation's laws against human trafficking.
President Bush signed the bill, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, into law earlier this month. Last fall, Winfrey encouraged her viewers to send letters and e-mails to their elected representatives in support of the bill.

Am not an Oprah watcher, so I don't know if I'll see it. It's good trumpeting for Smith though, an issue that is important and a bill he sponsored. I'd say it's all good publicity for re-election this year, but still no one has signed up to run against him for the NJ-4 congressional seat so I doubt he's very worried. (The 2nd and the 11th also have no Democrat challenger yet.)

So, who's going to run against Chris Smith? Who should?

Xyzzy

If you've been around personal compters since the early eighties, you'll quickly recognize those letters. Now, go read Defective Yeti's Iraqi Invasion: A Text Misadventure.

You are in a twisty maze of passages, all alike.

(Hat tip to The Contrarian.)

Carnival of New Jersey Bloggers XXXVI

Welcome to the Carnival! The tents are up, the weather is pretty good for this time of year, and we're glad you're here. Let's see what's going on in the blogosphere in Our Fair State this week.

Our Stories

Daniella's (Mis)adventure this week was going to see The Daily Show taping. It's Handless Mutant-Retard Month over at Laughing at the Pieces. Truth wants to know what's wrong with me?"- but it's a slippery slope at Imaginary Therapy. We're Trading with Tom over at D'igital Breakfast, looking for the dummy spots. We're gettin' F.I.L.T.H.y over at This Full House. Shamrocketship is thinking about how someone might be remembered. Prussian Tiger over at Surrounded by Women knows whose fault it's not. Bob at the Rix Mix just can't get away from religion. GiggleChick is thrilled about the launch of a new website she's designed. *Rob at Usdin.net announces a new episode of the Jersey Jamcast. Catheters and drunks are on tap over at No/w/here. Jay tells us of the odd, ironic advantage to being HIV+ at Lassiterspace. Gil analyzes Dr. King's "I have a dream" speech at Virtual Memories. Tata at Poor Impulse Control may be controlling her temper, but she still can't take hypocrites.

New Jersey

Janet at The Art of Getting By is ready for smokers to Take it Outside. The Xpatriated Texan discusses Ocean County Lt. Laurel Hester as a hero who shouldn't be made a martyr. El Zorro over at The Old Fox's Den also expresses outrage at the treatment of Lt. Hester by Ocean County. BlueJersey.net announced earlier today that Lt. Hester should be receiving domestic partner benefits after all. Lou at Cinnaman wants the truth before we all River Dance down the Delaware Dredge. Roberto at Dynamobuzz discusses Corzine's inaugural speech and some challenges ahead for Our Fair State, while TigerHawk discusses Corzine's choice in locations. The Jersey Tomato mourns the loss of Krispy Kreme. Fausta discusses Ben Franklin on his 300th birthday. Suzette is leaving to get her mojo back. Jersey native Greg Gethard talks about one amazing acting class.

In the News

Tami, the One True wants legislators to Read The Bill! Dossy notes that witchhunts may still be around in Mass., especially if there's kinkiness involved. The Nightfly notes: "Severed fingertip - fifty dollars. Putting that fingertip in restaurant chili - nine years. Cost of subsequent frostees at restaurant - zero dollars. Making fun of everyone involved - PRICELESS." Karl isn't going to let the terrorists stop him. Steve Hart at the Opinion Mill wants respiratory distress related to Ground Zero to be called "Whitman Lung." Andrew at Did I Say That Out Loud? is sick of the same old 9/11 song. Media in Trouble discusses David Drier's interview on NPR, the deaths at this year's hajj, and the Washington Post's ombudsman. Tom at Fractals of Change wants the NY Times to discuss all the alternative fuel options. Roderama has us a little worried about Rutgers breeding fearless mice.

Around Town

Dossy found a new family place- Unbelievea-Bill's. Tammany on the Hudson notes that Public Safety is Job Zero when it comes to the Lincoln Highway bridge. Enlighten is no fan of the Sports Arena Deal for the Medowlands.

Entertainment

The Contrarian notes the connection between Comedy Central and NJ pols- but, what can we say, he's not a Springsteen fan. Maureen at Jersey Writers discusses Boardwalk Memories: Tales of the Jersey Shore, about thirteen shore towns with actual boardwalks. We're talking Ferris Bueler over at A True Jersey Girl. Nordette Adams and Aberjhani will be together- on CD, that is.

Blogging

Mike at the Ipso Facto Comic tells it like we all know it really is. But, Noreen Braman has turned her blogging into a "blook!" Fred at The Eternal Golden Braid is distributing erotica with his blog!- or is he?


Thanks for visiting the Center of NJ Life, and we hope you enjoyed reading what our fellow residents are saying. Next week the carnival travels over to SmadaNek. You can submit posts during the week at njcarnival@gmail.com . Have a great week!

Tough luck, casinos!

Press of Atlantic City:

Corzine not ready to ban smoking on casino floors

Asked if it was fair to only give an exemption to casinos, Corzine answered, “Is
it fair to undermine the economic well-being of an enormous asset like the
casinos, which claim that this will have real impact with their ability to
compete with Las Vegas or all of the other elements of gaming around the country
or around the globe?”

I ask, is it fair to treat casino workers as second-class citizens compared to other workers around Our Fair State?

The bill is S-1089/A2067. Write your state senators to let them know how you feel.

Carnival Submissions for tomorrow

I'll be accepting submissions until about 11PM tonight, if you want to be included in the Carnival of NJ Bloggers tomorrow. Send to njcarnival-at-gmail.com.

HR 550: Keep trying!

Eariler this week, Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) stepped down from his chairmanship of the House Administration committee due to his involvement in the Abramoff scandal. He says it's temporary. Yeah.

Anyway, HR 550- the bill sponsored by Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) that has gotten so much blogswarm attention late last year- was being held up in that particular committee! The new, uh, temporary chair is Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers (R-MI), who is the longest serving member of the committee. Rep. Ehlers authored some of the language of the Help America Vote Act of 2001 and is considered more moderate than Ney. Hopefully, he'll see some merit in a paper trail for voter verification!

Two things can be done here: first, if you haven't signed Rep. Holt's petition about HR 550, go now and do so. Second, contact your representatives and make your wishes known about verified voting- then contact Rep. Ehlers and tell him you want the bill passed by the committee. (Only residents of his district can contact him electronically, so it's the old-fashined snailmail, phone or fax for the rest of us.)

Tags: HR 550 verified voting rush holt

NJ is a bit more fair today

From the Ocean County Observer:

Hester to win as freeholders change mind
Will vote to extend benefits Wednesday
Posted by the Ocean County
Observer on 01/21/06BY DON BENNETT STAFF WRITER
TOMS RIVER — Reversing themselves after months of battering at public meetings and in the press, Ocean County's freeholders are scheduled to vote Wednesday to extend pension benefits to the domestic partner of Lt. Laurel Hester and other members of the Police and Fire Retirement System.
The decision came after a political teleconference among the Republican leaders of the county yesterday afternoon.
The agreement that emerged calls for the freeholders to vote Wednesday, after a closed-door meeting that is a routine part of their caucuses, to extend the pension benefits to Hester and her partner, Stacie Andree.
In addition, state Sen. Andrew Ciesla, R-Ocean, has asked the state Office of Legislative Services to prepare a bill he will sponsor that will eliminate the difference in the pension inheritance rights of members of the police and fire retirement system and other state public employee retirement systems.

Quoted on Bluejersey.net:

Steven Goldstein of Garden State Equality: "Truth be told, we did lose hope for a reversal in the last couple of weeks. We had applied all the pressure in the world, embarrassing the freeholders and few public servants had ever been embarrassed before in the state of New Jersey or in this country, and they would not budge. Finally they did. Hallelujah! There is a God....Now that the Ocean County freeholders have done the right thing, we thank them with all our hearts and welcome them to the New Jersey of the 21st Century, where compassion and common-sense prevails over hatred and outmoded homophobia."

In Ocean County, a change is coming. Our Fair State is a better place to live today, for all of us.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, go here, here and here. I'm remiss by not blogging in a long time on this issue, which has big impact on the life of one woman, and on the equality of all residents of Ocean County- indeed, the equality of all residents of Our Fair State.

(Big ol' tip of the hat to bluejersey.net.)

I can't believe he's really doing that

Tom Kean Jr. has decide to run for senate under his dad's name. Wait- I mean, he plans to drop the "Jr." from his name, reports Wally Edge of PoliticsNJ:

The presumptive favorite for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination will run as Tom Kean -- not as Tom Kean, Jr., as he did in previous races for Congress, State Assembly and State Senator. Tom Kean is the son of Thomas H. Kean, who served as Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990.

I guess daddy's coattails weren't enough; he wants to be absolutely sure that voters confuse him with his dad.

Scott Shields (from whom I lifted almost this entire post) said it best at BlueJersey.net: "really, really gross."

Interesting interview

On this morning's Radio Times, second hour, is an interview with Duncan Black (aka Atrios.) Atrios is one of the few bloggers who makes a living at our hobby. He's being interviewed by Dave Davies of the Philadelphia Daily News, who also discusses blogging with Michael Cornfield of the Pew Internet and American Life project.

I heard the very end of it earlier and am relistening to it now. The RealAudio and mp3 is available at the above link.

Include the casinos!

Shirley Turner(D-Ewing), and John Adler(D-Cherry Hill), have introduced S-1089 - and in the Assembly, Jim Wheelan(D-Atlantic County) and Reed Gusciora(D-Trenton) have introduced A2067- to include Atlantic City casinos in Our Fair State's Smoke Free Air Act, which goes into effect April 15.

Why should casino workers not get the protection from secondhand smoke that the rest of Our Fair State gets? The casinos should never have gotten an exemption in the first place, so let's get them in now.

The bill is supposed to be in the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee soon. Make your voice heard.

NJ Carnival is coming here!

The Carnival of NJ Bloggers will once again be here this Sunday, January 22nd. If you are a blogger in Our Fair State you can submit a post for the big tent at njcarnival@gmail.com.

(Your blog doesn't have to be about Our Fair State, BTW. As long as you're a NJ blogger you can participate.)

There's a new sheriff in town

"What we need is not a new day of reform, but a new era. An era where working with or serving in New Jersey state government is not viewed as a chance to make a deal, but as an opportunity to make a difference. A way to enrich, not the well connected, but the lives of our children, our working families, our veterans, and retirees." -Governor Jon Corzine, Inaugural speech

Text is here. NJN has the rebroadcast here. I did get to see some of the speech and festivities on NJN this afternoon.When the colors were brought in- and the pipers were playing- it's such a stirring moment, I was so proud to be from NJ. Even more than usual.

Now, the real work begins.

Real Life intrudes on the Center of NJ Life, AGAIN

Been busy lately, in monumental proportions. But thanks for stopping by, and I hope to be back with snarky commentary and sarcasm a'plenty by the end of the week.

Carnival of NJ Bloggers 35

Euian has this week's carnival. Lots to see!

Come See For Yourself!

"New Jersey- Come See For Yourself" is our new slogan.

It's not so bad. It kind of reflects what most residents of Our Fair State feel- that we have something of a bad rep, but if you live here you know what's good, and why we love Jersey. Check it out.

It's also a bit defensive. "Ya made up your mind about NJ without even visiting? Ya should come see for yourself, ya bozo!" We're nothing if not defensive about Jersey.

So, come see for yourself.

Indoor smoking ban discussion

My post The Costly Indoor Smoking Ban is getting hits due to a high position on Yahoo Search and is therefore suddenly getting more comments. If you're interested in reading some of the debate, join us.

You'd think that people would have had enough of silly lawsuits

Right next to each other in today's Times of Trenton:

Judge won't block appointment

TRENTON (AP) - A superior court judge yesterday rejected an effort by two lawyers to force a special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat Jon Corzine will vacate next week. Corzine, when he becomes governor next week, will name his own replacement, and has chosen Rep. Robert Menendez, D-Union City, for the senate seat.
After hearing about an hour of testimony, Mercer County Superior Court Judge Linda R. Feinberg ruled that state statutes and the U.S. Constitution clearly allow a governor to make such appointments.
The ruling was another defeat for Carl Mayer and Bruce Afran, two Princeton Township lawyers known to accuse both Democrats and Republicans of subverting the democratic process.

Bowling alley owners fight smoking ban (Also AP article but not up on Times's site, found on newsday.com)

TRENTON, N.J. -- Bowling alley owners, who oppose an imminent statewide ban on indoor smoking, have filed a lawsuit asserting that Richard J. Codey does not have the authority to sign the measure into law. In its filing Tuesday, the Bowling Proprietors Association of New Jersey claims that his service as governor ended with the passing of the 211th Legislature, which formally ended Tuesday morning. Codey, who is state Senate president, became acting governor in November 2004 after Gov. James E. McGreevey resigned.
The bowling group maintains that Codey is no longer governor because the new Senate term does not begin until Jan. 17.

Makes my head spin, the resources that are wasted on silliness such as this.

Ban Passes Assembly

The headline on 1010WINS is, Smoking Ban Bill Arrives on Gov. Codey's Desk.

Woo-hoo!

The Carrot Screams For Thee

The Screaming Carrot Award for Best NJ Blog of 2005 has been awarded over at Bluejersey.net, and the winner is:

The Opinion Mill by Steven Hart.

Congrats to Steve! The Center of NJ Life garnered an honorable mention, along with Blanton's and Ashton's and Dump Mike. Thanks to everyone who voted.

Dear Jim Goodman,

Dear Jim,

I read your article, "Codey leaves much for Corzine to deal with" in today's Times of Trenton early this afternoon and, frankly, I'm still going over it in my head, even at this late hour. Let me see if I can explain why.

First, let's start at the very beginning- that's a very fine place to start.

Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, one of the most popular chief executives in state history, is about to put the 211th New Jersey Legislature to bed without making the deals that might have reformed property taxes, cleaned up the state's corrupt image and launched a new era of embryonic stem-cell research. Perhaps that helps explain why he showed little enthusiasm for the proposal of a new state slogan declaring New Jersey as the state where you can get a "real deal" and why incoming Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine's main job might be getting his Democratic legislators to play ball on the same team.

Now, I see why you're all upset about Acting Gov. Codey not reforming property taxes, cleaning up the state's image or starting his own stem-cell research facility because these were all things he had campaigned for governor on- OH, WAIT, he didn't campaign for this job, right? That's why he's Acting Gov., not Gov. We didn't get a lot of promises not kept; we got someone stuck holding the bag, a big ol' bag filled with corruption, the skeletal remains of scandals, screaming citizens angry about property taxes- and with a massive budget hole in it to boot. He had to do his best to move the state forward, with some dignity. He sure did that.

Moving on:

(Suddenly being Acting Gov.) has given Codey all the clout of an elected governor, plus the rights of a Senate president with power over all legislation and political nominations. ...
In theory, Codey could do almost anything he wanted. But he soon discovered that the Assembly considers itself a separate but equal entity to the Senate.

Did I miss something here, where Codey had an "oh, I could've had a V8" smack on the head when he realized he wasn't omnipotent? No reason he may have known there was an Assembly before- Oh, wait, except his four terms in it, ending in 1981. While he was in the Senate he might have been tipped off, too. I think Codey has some knowlege of the Assembly and its role as a government body, Jim.

You go on to discuss rivalries between Codey and Assembly Speaker Albio Sires and Assembly Majority leader Joseph Roberts, and how they showed in the Acting Gov.'s term by the Assembly not voting on some of Codey's proposals, most notably the stem cell research bonds. I won't go into whether or not there are rivalries in Trenton, there undoubtably are. But if you're going to suggest that the Assembly didn't consider a valid proposal on such a controversial issue because of a schoolyard squabble between boys, I wish you'd offer something more than:

Some call it revenge. Others say it was just a matter of timing.

You go into a discussion for the second half of the article about the challenges facing Jon Corzine- and there will be many. But what I'm angry about is the title of the article, and the first half, insinuating that Codey acomplished nothing while he was governor. From the Star-Ledger's article and interview:

He negotiated a deal for a new stadium for the Giants and the Jets, raised the state's minimum wage, cracked down on teen steroid use, delivered a budget that won the state's first credit upgrade since 1976 and enacted a series of ethics reforms.
"He'll go down in the history of New Jersey for restoring integrity to the governor's office," said Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon).
...
He said his biggest accomplishments were in the area of mental health. Despite budget problems, Codey invested $200 million in housing for the mentally ill and provided $40 million for other programs. He also went along on surprise inspections of mental hospitals to push for improved conditions.

Codey had limited time in the big chair and may not have achieved massive property tax reform, which should be the biggest goal of any politician in Our Fair State. He may have not achieved complete unity of purpose and harmony between all Democrats in New Jersey. He may not have been all-powerful in passing any legislation he wanted. However, he made a difference in the lives of many New Jerseyans, and brought some integrity back when we needed it. According to the interview in the Star-Ledger, Codey said he wants to be remembered "as someone who in a very tough time came in and did a decent job." You bet, he gets that. As he returns to the Senate, I believe his time as governor will be remembered as a lot more than the guy who left much for Corzine to deal with.

As I return to my regular life, I'll remember you as the guy whose headline ended with a preposition.

Sincerely,
-Sharon GR

I get -cough- searches

I've had an increase in traffic in the last week. I can't say for sure why, but I think my search engine keyword report may have the reason. My top search terms are: NJ smoking ban - nj indoor smoking ban - Petty's Island - nj cable choice - smoking ban nj - nj smoke ban - smoking ban in nj. Versions of 'indoor smoking ban in nj" or phrases incorporating the bill number S1926 comprise fully half of the next eighteen terms on the list.

I see a theme here. Clearly, this is an issue in which residents in Our Fair State have an interest. I've made it pretty clear how I feel about it here. Enact the ban, and now.

The full Assembly vote on this bill is expected to be tomorrow, and it is expected to pass; Acting Gov. Codey has said he'll sign it if it does. Like I said before, if it's important to you (and it really looks to be important to visitors to TCONJL) contact your legislators quickly. On those pages you can get phone numbers to their offices to leave messages or you can email and hope it gets read before tomorrow morning.

Jersey Jamcast

I updated the side panel a few times in the last month or so, adding several blogs that should have been there. Right now, I want to plug one:

Jersey Jamcast

The Jamcast is a podcast focused on NJ music. I downloaded the three podcasts available so far and listened to them in rapid succession yesterday. Very, very cool. A forum for local music that should be heard. (On the #3 cast, especially the Jim Testa song.)

It's remarkably easy to subscribe, even I figured it out. Head over and listen to some of NJ's own music.

Carnival of NJ Bloggers 34

"D"igital Breakfast has the 34th Carnival of NJ Bloggers. Enjoy!

Vote for the Screaming Carrot!

The Screaming Carrot Award voting closes this Sunday at midnight. If you haven't voted, now is the time to get over there and do so.

Now, some of the competitors have gone into begging and groveling for votes. I won't sink to that level. I'll stick with thinly veiled hints that I would love to place a little higher than I am as of this writing. Plus, there's some seriously good blogs nominated who haven't gotten the showing they should have yet. Get over to Blue Jersey, read about Our Fair State from some of the best blogs out there, and vote! (You do have to sign up, but you won't start getting buckets of email if you do.)

Monday's votes

Monday will have several votes in our Assembly. Two of the more publicized ones, the moratoriam bill on the death penalty, S-709/A 2347 and the indoor smoking ban, S1926/ A3424 are out of the Judiciary and the Health and Human Services committees, respectively, and should go up for full Assembly vote on Monday.

There is a very short time left to get your voice heard by your Assemblyfolk. Contact your legislators and voice your support. (Or, voice your dissent if you feel you must.) I have received responses from my Assemblymen on weekends, so I don't believe it's too late. Make your opinion known!

"We have lost our way in this country in terms of values."

"Imagine where we could go as a nation if we all started looking up again, looking to our dreams for our own lives and for our children, instead of just looking down on each other."

Read A Question of Doing What's Right by ReddHeadd over at Firedoglake. I dare you not to get tears in your eyes, chills, and inspiration- all at the same time.

(Thanks to Curmudgeon at Mapleberry Blog for the link. For some reason, I can't comment on his post to thank him there, so I hope he sees it here.)

The Fleecing of Hamilton and NJ- The money begins to flow

Hamilton has made its first three interest payments to Fieldstone Associates in regards to the Klockner Woods land deal. This would be the payments due on Oct. 1, Nov. 1 and Dec. 1; January's payment hasn't been made yet, according to Hamilton Township officials, as reported in today's Times of Trenton. These payments may possibly someday hopefully but probably not be credited toward the purchase price of $4.1 million, but under the current deal they are on top of it. The township also owes $100k on a loan for money alloted to buy the property, so right now we're looking at approx. $4.3 million.

All for a bit of land the developers bought in 2001 for $375,000.

Back at the end of October, someone in Hamilton's administration leaked that a deal was reached to build 100 age-restricted housing units on half of the property and conserving the other half. This was close to the deal Fieldstone wanted in the first place, but several township council members were in danger of losing their seats in the following week's election and it really looked like they were trying to save face. It turned out to be even worse- the deal was never struck and they were grasping at straws.

Weak straws. The three council seats in play, all held by Democrats, were turned over. And the Republicans danced, as they regained control of the town council.

Hamilton has just over 90,000 residents, making it NJ's eighth largest municipality, and politically has a lot of focus from both parties. It was solidly Republican until just about six years ago, when the longtime mayor lost reelection due to a nice scandal involving gambling, possible Mafia ties and lots of politicians. (PoliticsNJ has the rundown on that story in a piece currently on their front page about Hamilton and the Republican hopes.) A loss of this town by the Dems is felt far and wide.

The Republicans spent a good deal of time campaigning on the Klockner Woods issue, but really, did they have to? It was front page fodder for the Times of Trenton several days a week. (Probably the Trentonian too but I can't bring myself to read it and find out.) The Republicans promised to try to void the deal as is and and seek to pay a reasonable price for the land. New councilman Dennis Pone is quoted in the Times today, "Our goal is to preserve it, but we want to preserve it having all of the information about the land and preserve it at a fair price. It's unfortunate that the deal was brokered with this interest payment, but we really can't do anything about that at this point." Ah, but it made good campaign fodder, whether or not you could actually do anything about it, right?

Mind you, Hamilton isn't the only ones paying for this soggy boondoggle. Hamilton pays some and Mercer County covers a bit, but much of the purchase price is to be paid by Our Fair State through grants and loans. That's why the DEP balked at paying so much and requested a study of how much of the property is swamp- oh, I'm sorry, "wetland." This study will be completed in the spring. I wonder after how many more interest payments are sent will the results come back.

The Screamin' Carrot

BlueJersey is hosting the Screaming Carrot Award, for Best NJ Blog of 2005. Shockingly, The Center of NJ Life has been nominated- and it's an honor to be nominated, fans and friends. These folks are the heavy hitters of NJ liberal political blogs, places I try to visit most days. Just check out the company I'm in:

Blanton's and Ashton's
The Contrarian
Dump Mike
Jersey Perspective
Mapleberry Blog
Media In Trouble
The Opinion Mill
Tammany on the Hudson
Xpatriated Texan

The polls close on Sunday the 8th at midnight. Head on over and vote.

Carnival of NJ Bloggers 33

The first Carnival of 2006 is up over at The Coalition of the Swilling. Happy New Year, NJ!

Times of Trenton's 2006 Predictions

From Tom Hester Jr., Capital Talk colmunist:

-- Proving he does plan to impose a "Sixties Hippie Agenda," as conservative Bogota mayor and likely 2009 gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan contends, incoming Gov. Jon Corzine will attend Pink Floyd laser shows at the state planetarium.
-- Attempting to ward off the deficit, Corzine will sell the naming rights to the newly revamped planetarium.
-- A special commission will be formed to find out whatever happened to West Brunswick.
-- A Democrat will run against U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-Hamilton, and claim his abortion opposition is too radical for New Jersey. Smith will win by nearly a 3-1 margin. (Again, I need some safe predictions.)

Read 'em all for a few laughs and a few sighs.

(cross posted at bluejersey.net)