Forrester Gets Star Ledger Nod

Low and behold, the Star Ledger has endorsed Doug Forrester for Governor link . Their endorsement was well reasoned and to the point. I've excerpted some of the quotes that I think were pertinent.

"While we support most of the policies Democrat Jon Corzine has championed as a U.S. senator, he hasn't convinced us he can stand up to the entrenched bosses of his party or to the powerful public employee unions.

Put simply, Corzine appears to suffer from the same disease of wanting to please everyone that contributed to the downward spiral of James E. McGreevey's administration."

This is something that Enlighten has been saying for close to a year now. It's good to see that others have also noticed.

"We supported Jon Corzine for U.S. Senate and have few regrets. But neither his time at Goldman Sachs in Manhattan nor his tenure in Washington strikes us as solid preparation to be governor of New Jersey. In the Senate, he supported worthwhile causes such as ending the genocide in Darfur and pushing for securer ports. But he voted against the well-qualified John Roberts for chief justice, apparently out of party loyalty alone."

Again, we have seen over and over, through the Katz situation and his relationship with Torcelli and Norcross, that Corzine is either a novice that gets ensnared in party politics or part of the machine. Additionally, the Ledger notes as have many of us bloggers that Corzines record as a Senator is not very impressive.

And lastly,

"So our choice for governor is Doug Forrester. We believe that the time has come for a distinct difference in how government operates in Trenton and that he is the person to jump-start that process"

It's good to see that the recent focus that the Ledger has put on corruption and incompetence in the State House and politicians in general has translated to its editorial page as well.

We Paid $260,000 for This?

The State paid a marketing company, Lippincott Mercer, a New York company no less, $260,000 to come up with a new slogan for New Jersey. What brilliance did they come up with? "New Jersey: We'll win you over."

Anyway the State has opened a phone line (609-984-9893) and a Web Site for people to make suggestions. Please do. There were some really good slogans listed in the paper yesterday. Let's see what we can come up with for free.

Here We Go Again

Reported in the Ledger today: Jersey City tries to seize bar for private school's field .

"...when the city's redevelopment agency moved this summer to seize the bar and the back room apartment where owner Cheng Tan lives, it wasn't to make way for another gleaming office tower or upscale residential project.

Instead, the city plans to turn the property over to a Catholic high school, so it can expand its football field."

There should be little doubt in anyone's mind that Kelo has emboldened local Governments to use their eminent domain powers.

But wait! What does the expert from Rutgers say?

"It's probably overblown for political reasons in the sense that municipalities have built in reasons why they should be wary of using eminent domain willy-nilly," said Damon Smith, assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Law School-Camden.

"There is reason to believe municipalities don't see this as the quick and easy land grab as it has been described." link "

Me thinks, it's time to leave the Ivory Tower.

I don't know. Do you?

I was stumbling through the channels on cable and I made a mistake and stopped on C-span. Rep. Lynn woolsey a Democrat from Ca. was making a speech. She said that it was time for others to take the lead in the war in Iraq. According to this International Relations genius we, the U.S., can fix all the issues we have in Iraq by, and I'm paraphrasing here, pulling out U.S. troops and letting the U.N take over.

As if any other nation in the world would offer up its sons at this point. As if any other nation in the world would have offered its sons at the beginning.

Spector Wants Proof Miers is Conservative

Arlen Spector wants proof that Miers is a conservative.
Maybe she should tell him that she disapproves of the GOP's new budget. GOP budget will include spending boosts. Nah! that would be too easy.

AP Story claims "Alien abductees prone to false memories"

According to Professor Chris French:

"People have very rich fantasy lives," said French, who is due to present his findings at a public seminar at London's Science Museum on Wednesday.

"So much so that they often mix up what's happening in their heads with what is going on in the real world." link

Bottom line according to the experts. They're crazy!

Cheap!

Frank Lautenberg lost his wallet in a cab the other day. link The wallet contained $200 in cash and identification stuff.
The cabbie took the time to track Frank down and return the wallet.
Lautenberg gave him $100.00 and a business card that said on the back: "Your daddy is a very honest, good citizen, and I appreciate it so much."

Do you think he could have spared the extra hundred? The cabbie could have kept it.

Double Switch

Over at Enlighten they are reporting that Corzine might have a big scandle about to blow up in his face link. Could the Dems polls be showing that Corzine is going to lose and they want to dump him in and have Codey step in.

If this is true it will be fun to watch.

Corzine Moves Ahead

It looks like Corzine has put a little distance between himself and Forrester in the past week or so. According to the Ledger link Corzine is leading 50%-43% with 7% undecided or saying they could change their vote by election day.

If I were Forrester I might be a little worried about this poll as it came out after the Ledger ran a two page detailed story about him.

Passionless Governors Race

With just a few weeks remaining until the General Election I've been struck as to how little passion the campaign for governor generated. There are so many issues in New Jersey e.g. property taxes, corruption, massive deficits and a slew of other problems that it is mind boggling that the citizens of the State aren’t more engaged. Additionally, on the national front this race could turn out to be very large. Electing a Republican Governor in New Jersey would be a large coup for the Republicans.

Perhaps it's because the candidates themselves are not fiery and passionate. I know for me, neither Corzine nor Forrester makes me want to jump up and down. Perhaps it's because the positions the candidates have taken on hot button issues like tax reform are so clearly not going to be effective at solving the problem that there's no reason to fight for one over the other.

The New Jersey Blogs have also been fairly tame in this election. There has been many interesting posts on Corzine and Forrester, some with extremely detailed reporting, yet at least to my knowledge the blogs haven't gotten the amount of readership and comments one might have thought.

I guess the problems that the state faces are just not pressing enough to generate passion in people. Perhaps when they see the tax bill that the next Governor is going to drop on them they'll get the message.

Wild Speculation from the Rabid

I was watching Chris Mathews last evening and he had David Gergen on to discuss the Plame affair. There was wild, almost giddy, unfounded speculation that the Vice President and perhaps the President, as an un-indicted co-conspirator, were going to get indicted for conspiracy. This charge having its foundation in their efforts to get the country into the Iraq war. This is left-wing, conspiracy, lunacy from wacky websites like Tom Flocco's site. link

I think it is shows like this that ruin the sound discourse of politics in this country. General Electric should be ashamed.

The Devil is in the Details

In an article today in the Star Ledger Yvonne Wesley was quoted as saying

"Corzine's positions on health care convinced her to mail a $500 check in July. She finds the Democrat "warm and friendly. He looks like he could make friends with the devil."

Doesn't Yvonne know that Corzine did, in fact, make friends with the Devil in the form of Torricelli and Norcross.

Is Corzine Just Dumb?

What's up with Jon Corzine? Criticizing Codey, a very popular figure these days, while his own numbers seem to be falling off a cliff doesn't seem to smart. I would think this knucklehead would be trying to stand next to Codey just hoping that some of the good will would rub off. He's out on the campaign trail criticizing Codey on his management style with DYFS and then he starts on Pettello and the board at UMDMJ. Just last month Codey scored big with his board replacement members. Corzine is just a bad campaigner. Even if he wins, you just know Codey's going to beat on him as Senate President. Then after all that, he lets out that he would consider a Federal takeover of DYFS.

"Corzine didn't rule out receivership -- a takeover by the federal government -- for the troubled social services agency.

"If we don't see measurable progress soon ... we have to do whatever is necessary," he said." link

What a loser.

I Think I found a Blue Stater

A reader of the Star Ledger felt compelled to write a Letter to the Editor about a recent Paul Mulshine column. I'm sure that Mulshine is more than capable of defending himself and I'll let him, but I haven't heard drivel like this from anyone since I left the great liberal bastion of college. Since these links go away I've decided to post the whole letter here.

Hewitt Lessons in education Paul Mulshine ("Rival plans for tax relief both miss the point," Oct. 4) confuses the doctor with the disease when he calls the New Jersey Supreme Court the main source of the state's property tax crisis.

The justices did not take over distribution of state income tax by judicial fiat. They did so for a legal and common-sense reason: The state for decades has been violating its own constitution by allowing an unfair system of paying for education.

The court has consistently held, in case after case over three decades, that a system that relies mainly on local property taxes to fund local schools discriminates against children in urban areas, where there is too little taxable property to adequately fund education.

In contrast, comfortable suburban districts -- where I suspect Mulshine lives -- have considerable leeway in taxing well-heeled denizens who want the best for their children and are willing to pay, but expect state aid to boot.

Mulshine does a disservice to readers in failing to explain why the court is playing Robin Hood.

The fact is the court is simply upholding the state constitution's guarantee to provide a thorough and efficient education to all students.

Students in poor districts are being shortchanged because under the current system, their municipalities lack the tax base to support education properly, while rich suburban districts can get all they need with hardly a groan.

It's all about who pays for the poor inner city kids' schools, since city dwellers can't and suburbanites won't. The sad fact is: Any system that relies on local property taxes to fund schools is unfair.

Mulshine is right in urging reform. But no tax reform can succeed legally or otherwise until and unless it addresses this inequality, which has prevented generations of children in poor urban districts from getting their constitutionally guaranteed right to a decent education.

It's a shameful reality that gutless politicians have turned their backs on for years. It would be laughable were it not so tragic for kids.

If the court is robbing educationally and economically entitled rich districts to give to the poor, it's because our political leaders haven't had the stomach to take on an unjust educational funding system that deprives the already helpless of the chance to acquire a decent education -- and with it a shot at bettering their lives -- while giving the Millburns and Saddle Rivers of the state a free pass.

If the state assumes responsibility for education, as the constitution declares, then it should put its money where its mouth is, and pay all education costs.

As for your high-handed pundit, I thought journalists were supposed to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. In calling for tax relief -- code for tax breaks for landowning classes -- while ignoring the plight of the undereducated underclass, Mulshine is missing the point. Perhaps the Fourth Estate has its own estates to tend.

Clearly the writer jests. Newark, an abbott district, has managed to find $200 million for a hockey arena that no one will use. Shouldn't the city be putting education in front of sports? Does he not know that Newark and Jersey City pay more per student than virtually every other school district in the state with abysmal results. Perhaps he should read Enlightens excellent post federal funding for education or Ken Adams' equally outstanding two part review of test scores and school spending. link

The Case Against Using Mass Transit for Vacation Travel

Recently, as my family and I were contemplating a trip to Boston, I looked at fares to go from Newark to Boston via train. A round trip ticket cost $208.00 per person. A round trip ticket on Greyhound was $120.00 per person.

Using these modes of transportation for your family vacation travel are not cost effective. Even using the new, temporary IRS miliage number of $.48 per mile for your car's usage, the trip to Boston for a family of four would only cost $288.00 vs. $832.00 for train and $480.00 for Bus.

Until a new model arises wherein the pricing for a trip is not by seat, but by group, there will never be mass rail travel.

The Military and Avian Flu

WASHINGTON -- A super-flu could kill up to 1.9 million Americans, according to a draft of the U.S. government's plan to fight a worldwide flu pandemic. link

Now, it's not that I think 1.9 million people dead isn't a bad situation, however... Do we really need to have the military quarantine entire cities because it.

WASHINGTON — President Bush, increasingly concerned about a possible avian flu pandemic, revealed Tuesday that any part of the country where the virus breaks out could likely be quarantined and that he is considering using the military to enforce it. link

What's really going on here. Is this President so out of touch that he can't see what a public relations disaster this will be. Does he think that Americans are going to stand by and let their rights be trampled?

Oh, he does? Hmmm, I see. Can I place my hands behind my back? Why? Unhand me sir! OUCH! STOP! HEeelllp!

Closer He Gets, Step by Step....

The Ledger is reporting today that an FDU poll has Forrester closing the gap on Corzine. Corzine leads by a 44 to 38 margin with a +- 4 point sampling error. Some time back I was writing that Forrester had to solidify his base and according to FDU poll director, Peter Woolley

"The difference is that while Corzine's numbers are high, he has been going sideways while Forrester has been creeping up, consolidating his core and picking up more discontented voters"

The poll also showed that Forrester is leading Corzine on the property tax issue 34 to 23, a huge 16 point swing since last month. More importantly, it appears that Forrester's attempts to link Corzine to the Democratic corruption is sitting better than Corzine's attempts to link Forrester with Bush.


It's getting interesting!

What Do People think?

A recent Star Ledger poll found that 67% of likely voters link Doug Forrester to George Bush. link

I find this amazing! According to Bill Kennedy of Jersey City, "I oppose the war in Iraq. We got in there under false pretenses..."
"...A Democrat in office would be better as a way to fight the Bush administration."

Yeah, Corzine is going to have alot of input on that issue. Raise my taxes, keep the same corrupt Democrates in power in Trenton just to express your disapproval of Iraq. Brilliant.

Killing Us Softly With Stupidity

I can't believe that we are profiling young Arab Muslim men in our counter terror efforts here in the great State on NJ. We really shouldn't because we all know it's old Irish Grandmothers with blue hair blowing up people and buildings all over the world.

The database NJ is using to track possible terrorist activities can't contain information "...such as political, religious, or social views, associations and activities...". link So, if I get this, a person that publicly advocates killing all politicians because they are social scum can't be put in the database because it's just a social view. Hmmm.

Anyone Else?

Has anyone else noticed the rise in news reports on the Avian Flu coupled with Bush speaking of using Federal Troops in the case of a pandemic or natural emergency? I'm not a tinfoil hat type of person, however, it has struck me as odd.

Mulshine Gets it Right

Once again Paul Mulshine is the only one on the Ledger staff that understands why property taxes are so high. Of all the editorials and columns and news articles and candidate plans for fixing the problem he alone lays the problem at the proper doorstep. The State Supreme Court.

When are the politicians going to ignore the court. As President Andrew Jackson said about an 1830 supreme court decision that he disagreed with: "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it."

Mulshine is a must read for "true" property tax relief advocates.

No Eminent Domain Abuse Here

Back in June I wrote a piece on Kelo v. New London and was quickly told by an anonymous poster how wrong I was in my comments. I took the time to do some research and put my rebuttal in this post . I believed then and I am certain now, that the Kelo ruling gave the Government a license to steal private property.

Yesterday the Star Ledger did an article on how Union Township's Town Council is trying to take Carol Segal's land and give it to a developer that has given large sums of money to Assemblyman Joseph Cryan. Cryan runs the Democratic party in Union and although he denies any involvement in this decision, the council (all Democrats) voted to seize the land just 3 days after the developer gave Cryan over $70,000.

Sandra Day O'Connor, in her dissent of Kelo v. City of New London said:

"The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms."

Truer words were never spoken.