Maybe corrupt and bloated government is just the way it is in New Jersey. We don't expect too much and we'll adjust here in the former pig poop capital of the world.
Last summer, shortly after Adam Puharic was elected chairman, I rode down to Long Branch to help Adam and the Littles, Anna and Rob, at some huge festival Long Branch was having on the boardwalk. Adam had organized a "Monmouth Tea Party" as a campaign event at the festival. We were handing out iced tea for free and a colonial era type parchment about lowering taxes by voting for Anna Little and Andrew Lucas. It was pretty funny to see Adam and Rob wearing kids size three corner colonial costume hats. This is was during the short time that Adam and the Littles were still friends.
Thankfully they didn't have a three corner hat for me. But being a good Republican I grabbed some parchments and set out to engage with some passers by who were enjoying the festival. "Yeah right" was the second most common response after "No thanks." One sincere woman actually stopped and told me, "You'll never be able to lower taxes." After about a half hour of this I couldn't take it and went back to Highlands where I was on the ballot to go door to door and tell me neighbors my plans for lowering taxes. Evidently they didn't buy it either.
Anybody from New Jersey that reads Governor Corzine's pledge to enact governmental reforms after the election knows it really won't happen. Corzine might think he can do it, but he's a Wisconsin cheesehead. If it doesn't happen now, while the topic is hot, and the legislator's jobs are on the line,it won't happen.
We'll just shrug off the arrests and indictments until the next time. We don't expect too much.
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Maybe I'm too naive, but I feel we can still get it done. I'm not going to throw in the towel just yet on lower taxes and good government. I don't mind paying my fair share, never have, but it has to be more equitable. We need to plug the loopholes for corporations and have them give a fair accounting to pay their fair share.
I also think that while watered down, the ethics bills brought forth by Senator Karcher and Assemblyman Panter will prove to be good in the long run. Everyone wants reform NOW, but it just isn't realistic to think that politicians would cut their own throat today. They have no problem cutting someone else's throat in a few years, which is fine. And I can live with that because at least I know that in 4-8 years, most of them will be out of there and they will not be allowed to hold dual offices. Now we need a pay to play reform bill with teeth that the legislature can pass. I think that would go a long way to shore up our image across the country and with the people that live here. No, I'm not ready to throw it in yet...I still have some hope.
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