Death of a blogger

I've been writing this blog for over a year. I'm done. My writing isn't very good and I believe that all I do is whine about taxes and stupid stuff in The Star Ledger.

I thought I would be be a lonley voice, however, Enlighten, Smadanek and so many others are so much more articulate... I feel humbled.

I'll still read, but no longer post. After a year, I now see the futility of the pen vs. the gun.


REVOLUTION!,

A stand against State workers and unions

Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), Assemblyman Gerald Green (D-Union) and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester) deserve strong backing for their stand on solving the State's budget issues by looking at State Employees and their benefits.

Sweeney, Assemblyman Gerald Green (D-Union) and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester) proposed saving about $700 million by cutting employee costs for New Jersey's 70,000 state workers by 15 percent, including sweeping reductions in pension benefits, longer working days without additional pay, and limits on vacation and sick time.

Yesterday's proposal was accompanied by a 34-page packet of statistical highlights the lawmakers said show state workers enjoy premium pay, benefits and vacation time in a period when private workers and taxpayers are being asked to cut back and pay more.

"This is not an attack on unions or employees, but we deal with reality," said Green. "The state of New Jersey cannot afford the luxury we had in the past. link

Let's see if we can get our own representitives to join!

Why not just enforce the existing laws

Since it would take too much effort and brains to arrest criminals what politicians do is create new, "stricter" laws to make the bad guys go away.

"Criminal street gangs have become an epidemic across our state," said Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer), a sponsor of the package. "They are destroying neighborhoods. They are terrorizing residents. They are engaging in crime, violence, and general depravity. Most alarmingly of all, they are corrupting our children." link

Someone sent me this

Can I get this option

The United States Senate, in its immigration bill, will allow illegals to pick which of 3 of 5 years that they are going to pay back taxes on and they get to choose the years. Don't you want that option?

Our country has gone insane. No one cares about the stupidity, corruption or downright incompetence in Washington.

Eminent Domain Under Review

After Kelo v. New London I posted a number of times on the abuse of local New Jersey governments taking land for developers. Finally, yesterday, a new report makes clear that political contributions have a direct impact on who's land gets taken.

As others have testified in re cent months, however, Chen said constitutional protections for property owners have eroded to the point that property is being seized almost without notice, for little compensation and to enrich developers using campaign contributions to win support.

In what may be his most stringent suggestion, Chen zeroed in on the loose definition for deeming a property "in need of redevelopment," thus making it eligible to be seized.

A 1992 change by the Legislature allowed local officials to seize property that is "underutilized." Chen noted that another change in 2003 made his own suburban home in Berkeley Heights subject to condemnation, because it is located in a state-declared growth area. link

Why can't they just get rid of the agency

I guess it's a start.

Inspector General to put agents on SCC
The state Inspector General, whose scathing report on waste and mismanagement prompted widespread reforms at the state Schools Construction Corp. last year, will be invited to install two of her agents in the corporation's offices as part of ongoing reforms at the agency, a task force appointed by Gov. Jon Corzine reported today.