Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Zulima, girl, what were you thinking?
What was New Jersey Attorney General Zulima Farber thinking when she decided to attend -- and speak in support of -- an illegal immigration rally in Newark on Sunday?
She obviously wasn't thinking that she is New Jersey's top law enforcement officer and that she took an oath to uphold the law. I fear that she will become a disappointment, just like Peter Harvey.
More (hat tip) at Enlighten-New Jersey, including a call for Zulima to be removed from office. I'll sign that petition!
At the next rally, Zulima will be able to sing the Spanglish version of the national anthem.
McGreevey to Corzine: Thanks for making me look good!
The first 100 days of Governor Jon Corzine's administration is over and its 100 days he'd soon forget. A new Quinnipiac University poll released today shows Corzine with a dismal 35% approval rating and a 42% disapproval. When asked specifically about his handling of the budget, his numbers become 31-46%.
Yikes!
Even Jim McGreevey -- New Jersey's biggest governor-failure -- had better approval ratings in the same time period of his scandal-plagued shortened term (April 24, 2002): 40% approval, 32 disapproval (sidebar story).
Who would have thought 100 days ago that McGreevey would be considered a success when compared to Corzine?
More here.
Friday, April 21, 2006
New Jersey: The bio-hazard state
First we had the three mice with the bubonic plague go missing from a laboratory in Newark.
Now we have two missing viles of anthrax from a Trenton laboratory.
Amazing.
But don't worry, says the Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs: “We don’t think there is any threat to the public health.”
I'm less afraid about my health and more concerned (every day) that there are a bunch of boobs running this state.
The bad kind of boobs, not the good kind.
Now we have two missing viles of anthrax from a Trenton laboratory.
Amazing.
But don't worry, says the Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs: “We don’t think there is any threat to the public health.”
I'm less afraid about my health and more concerned (every day) that there are a bunch of boobs running this state.
The bad kind of boobs, not the good kind.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Corzine's wimp factor
The Philadelphia Inquirer's lead editorial today, Stand firm, Governor, is somewhat of a call on New Jersey Governor Corzine to not back down everytime he meets resistance from his party's members in the Legislature. The editorial:
I previously spoke about Corzine's "get tough, hold me accountable" Inaugural Address here and the hasty retreat he beat from his get tough stance one day later after his party elders (a/k/a bosses) didn't like the lecture he gave them.
Even though I didn't vote for Corzine, I would support him if he was making tough decision about the budget and corruption. Instead, he takes the easy way out on both -- raise taxes instead of (really) cutting the budget and the waste in state government and pal around with the party bosses that he sold his sole to in order to get elected to the U.S. Senate.
Remember, Corzine's ex-wife warned us about this.
We've got a long four years ahead of us.
(Note: I would discuss Senator Wayne Bryant's problems and Corzine's coziness with him, but the Senator's son died last night. I think a moratorium should be observed.)
The office of governor in New Jersey is supposedly the most powerful in the country. So far, you wouldn't know it by Gov. Corzine.
Corzine's meekness was on full display in his mystifying vote of confidence for State Sen. Wayne Bryant (D., Camden). Bryant is reportedly under investigation by federal authorities for allegations concerning his former cushy, $38,200-a-year consulting job at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. While on the payroll for doing goodness-only-knows at the school, Bryant also secured millions in state funds for UMDNJ. He's chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
That porky arrangement was in perfect keeping with Bryant's view of state government. Over the years, he has enriched himself and several members of his family at the trough of taxpayer-funded jobs and contracts.
The federal probe has prompted Republican calls for Bryant to give up his powerful chairmanship. Corzine at first trod where he need not have, saying that forcing out Bryant was "premature," and that accusations are not proof of wrongdoing. Apparently that wasn't good enough for Bryant, because Corzine soon issued a follow-up statement expressing confidence in Bryant's "leadership," and "respect" for the senator.
It was an unseemly act of kissing up, especially after Bryant had declared the governor's proposed budget dead on arrival. "This is not the budget I will be voting on June 30," Bryant huffed. Maybe Corzine still holds out hope of winning over the committee chairman in budget negotiations, but so far this political romance looks very one-sided.
He's only been governor three months, but it isn't comforting that so far Corzine is demonstrating a pattern of retreating at the slightest protest from the Legislature.
In his inaugural address, Corzine vowed to fight corruption and rebuked lawmakers for neglecting their fiscal duties. But when Bryant and Sen. Sharpe James (D., Newark) cried foul, Corzine backed down the next day and essentially apologized for being too harsh.
Sooner or later, the governor will need to stand up to such bullying. Taxpayers might accept Corzine's proposed sales tax increase, grudgingly, if they believe he is doing all he can to clean up financial waste. But it's hard to sweep the system clean while you're backpedaling.
I previously spoke about Corzine's "get tough, hold me accountable" Inaugural Address here and the hasty retreat he beat from his get tough stance one day later after his party elders (a/k/a bosses) didn't like the lecture he gave them.
Even though I didn't vote for Corzine, I would support him if he was making tough decision about the budget and corruption. Instead, he takes the easy way out on both -- raise taxes instead of (really) cutting the budget and the waste in state government and pal around with the party bosses that he sold his sole to in order to get elected to the U.S. Senate.
Remember, Corzine's ex-wife warned us about this.
We've got a long four years ahead of us.
(Note: I would discuss Senator Wayne Bryant's problems and Corzine's coziness with him, but the Senator's son died last night. I think a moratorium should be observed.)
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
People to Corzine
We . . . don't . . . want . . . higher . . . taxes.
Period.
Mr. Corzine, don't think your plan to raise taxes will go over any better than these school budgets. As Dan O'Neil of Freehold Borough said after voting against the school district's budget, "It's just a matter of being taxed to the hilt."
More cuts, less taxes means an easier re-election campaign for you in 2009 and less worrying amongst your party's members in the legislature in 2007.
More on the school budgets here and here. More on Corzine's tax and budget scheme here and here.
Period.
Mr. Corzine, don't think your plan to raise taxes will go over any better than these school budgets. As Dan O'Neil of Freehold Borough said after voting against the school district's budget, "It's just a matter of being taxed to the hilt."
More cuts, less taxes means an easier re-election campaign for you in 2009 and less worrying amongst your party's members in the legislature in 2007.
More on the school budgets here and here. More on Corzine's tax and budget scheme here and here.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Malkin Legal Defense Fund?
Michelle, if the UC Santa Cruz "Students Against War" sue you for republishing information they themselves published (their names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, etc.) in a press release, then I'm first in line to make a contribution to your legal defense fund.
What a frivilous piece of litigation this would be, especially in light of their thuggish actions on campus and their disgusting, racist e-mails in response to Michelle's blog posts.
Simple fact . . . you have no expectation of privacy over information you release to the public. See Nation Magazine v. United States Customs Serv., 71 F.3d 885, 896 (D.C. Cir. 1995) (finding no privacy interest in documents concerning presidential candidate H. Ross Perot's offer to aid federal government in drug interdiction, a subject about which Perot had made several public statements).
What a frivilous piece of litigation this would be, especially in light of their thuggish actions on campus and their disgusting, racist e-mails in response to Michelle's blog posts.
Simple fact . . . you have no expectation of privacy over information you release to the public. See Nation Magazine v. United States Customs Serv., 71 F.3d 885, 896 (D.C. Cir. 1995) (finding no privacy interest in documents concerning presidential candidate H. Ross Perot's offer to aid federal government in drug interdiction, a subject about which Perot had made several public statements).
Friday, April 07, 2006
Oink, oink
For a country that cannot maintain reliable and profitable passenger rail service between New York and Washington D.C. (or Boston and New York or New York and Chicago or . . . ), spending at least $12 billion on a 269-mile high-speed train from Anaheim, California to Las Vegas, Nevada seems downright ridiculous. But that's exactly what Senator Harry Reid of Nevada has already spent $54 million on. Such insane and wasteful spending must be stopped if this country has any hopes of attaining fiscal discipline.
Senator Reid is not the only railroad porker in the Senate.
This is pork at its worst. A true waste of money, and a lot of it.
Senator Reid is not the only railroad porker in the Senate.
This is pork at its worst. A true waste of money, and a lot of it.
Great job news
Despite the press's insistence on highlighting that "wage raises were slim in March," the Department of Labor's jobs report released today showed that another 211,000 new jobs were created last month. That's 2.1 million new jobs over the last year and over 5 million new jobs since August 2003. Unemployment is at 4.7%, matching a 5-year low (despite some small downward revisions to January and February's jobs numbers).
That's good news. It shold be reported as such.
Update: I'm glad to see that the White House is trumpeting this good news. An not surprised to see that some Democrats are still playing the gloom and doom game.
That's good news. It shold be reported as such.
Update: I'm glad to see that the White House is trumpeting this good news. An not surprised to see that some Democrats are still playing the gloom and doom game.
