Post by richardkelsey on Aug 12, 2006 13:40:00 GMT -5
This one was NOT published. I know, because I lobbied to get it pubnlished. I re-wrote it a few times. It is one of my favorites.
The Politics of Patronage
Governor Richard Codey has told legislators that New Jersey is close to bankruptcy. That must come as great news to the most over-taxed citizens in the country. The average working New Jerseyan is taxed, tolled, and fee'd to death. Property taxes are soaring, state courts have long ago stolen legislative responsibility and rights creating enormous costs in affordable housing and school funding, and illegal immigrants are stealing services while the federal government stands by and applauds. And, of course, New Jersey's 6 billion elected and appointed officials seem to only find ways to spend, rather than save money -- well except for a few who managed to save some bucks on driveway paving. Perhaps New Jersey should just let Mr. Corzine have the governorship if he will agree to put the purchase price back into the state treasury.
New Jersey is not close to being bankrupt; the truth is it has been in receivership for years. It receives the money of its working citizens, and it wastes it. Some political bottom-smoocher recently took an $80,000 a year job to be the director of signs. That's why New Jersey is bleeding cash. That's just one job. New Jersey is bleeding cash because it gives too much money to too many people for doing far too little. It really is not more complicated than that. The state, the counties, the municipalities, and the authorities all are political fiefdoms where local politicians and party insiders dole out favors and jobs. Indeed, the recent events in Monmouth County show the ill effects of a system where political patronage is the primary criteria for job creation and retention. Most frightening, Monmouth County is one of the more fiscally sound counties in New Jersey.
New Jersey's real bankruptcy problem is not financial in nature, it is political in nature. The state is devoid of leadership in either party. The political system has become so dependent upon party favors, political patronage, deal-cutting, and self-preservation, that long ago the public was cut out of public service. Selfless political servants would have long ago taken back their legislative rights and duties from the political hacks in the Court system that have usurped them. Yet legislators fail to act. Selfless political servants would have long ago restructured school funding, curbed the growing power of the NJEA, and put children ahead of political patronage. Yet legislators fail to act. Selfless political servants would have long ago ended the practice of filling state, county, municipal and authority jobs with over-paid, under worked and marginally qualified candidates. Yet legislators failed to act. Selfless political servants would have long ago found ways to eliminate patronage jobs, rather than create them. Yet even today, legislators fail to act.
In a state where the director of signs tells people that he got his job because he paid his dues, legislators should be embarrassed. The only problem is, the dues he paid were to the legislators in the same corrupt system. Those dues, by the way, were paid directly out of the pocket of hard-working New Jersey families. New Jersey may not file for bankruptcy any time soon. Indeed, I suspect she will just raise taxes, tolls and fees instead. But make no mistake, the politics of political patronage in New Jersey has left the state with too many politicians and too few leaders. For that reason, she is already bankrupt.
The Politics of Patronage
Governor Richard Codey has told legislators that New Jersey is close to bankruptcy. That must come as great news to the most over-taxed citizens in the country. The average working New Jerseyan is taxed, tolled, and fee'd to death. Property taxes are soaring, state courts have long ago stolen legislative responsibility and rights creating enormous costs in affordable housing and school funding, and illegal immigrants are stealing services while the federal government stands by and applauds. And, of course, New Jersey's 6 billion elected and appointed officials seem to only find ways to spend, rather than save money -- well except for a few who managed to save some bucks on driveway paving. Perhaps New Jersey should just let Mr. Corzine have the governorship if he will agree to put the purchase price back into the state treasury.
New Jersey is not close to being bankrupt; the truth is it has been in receivership for years. It receives the money of its working citizens, and it wastes it. Some political bottom-smoocher recently took an $80,000 a year job to be the director of signs. That's why New Jersey is bleeding cash. That's just one job. New Jersey is bleeding cash because it gives too much money to too many people for doing far too little. It really is not more complicated than that. The state, the counties, the municipalities, and the authorities all are political fiefdoms where local politicians and party insiders dole out favors and jobs. Indeed, the recent events in Monmouth County show the ill effects of a system where political patronage is the primary criteria for job creation and retention. Most frightening, Monmouth County is one of the more fiscally sound counties in New Jersey.
New Jersey's real bankruptcy problem is not financial in nature, it is political in nature. The state is devoid of leadership in either party. The political system has become so dependent upon party favors, political patronage, deal-cutting, and self-preservation, that long ago the public was cut out of public service. Selfless political servants would have long ago taken back their legislative rights and duties from the political hacks in the Court system that have usurped them. Yet legislators fail to act. Selfless political servants would have long ago restructured school funding, curbed the growing power of the NJEA, and put children ahead of political patronage. Yet legislators fail to act. Selfless political servants would have long ago ended the practice of filling state, county, municipal and authority jobs with over-paid, under worked and marginally qualified candidates. Yet legislators failed to act. Selfless political servants would have long ago found ways to eliminate patronage jobs, rather than create them. Yet even today, legislators fail to act.
In a state where the director of signs tells people that he got his job because he paid his dues, legislators should be embarrassed. The only problem is, the dues he paid were to the legislators in the same corrupt system. Those dues, by the way, were paid directly out of the pocket of hard-working New Jersey families. New Jersey may not file for bankruptcy any time soon. Indeed, I suspect she will just raise taxes, tolls and fees instead. But make no mistake, the politics of political patronage in New Jersey has left the state with too many politicians and too few leaders. For that reason, she is already bankrupt.