Vocal Minority

On Today's N.J. Special Senatorial Election

Coming out of hibernation to make a couple predictions (not rocket science really):

1) Although polls showed Steve Lonegan gaining on Cory Booker in the last several weeks, Booker is still going to win handily. (No, I'm not a pessimist; I'm a realist.)

2) Unlike with Tim Scott (R-SC), whose becoming the Senate's sole black member last November was ridiculed, pooh-poohed or ignored entirely by the DBF* media, Booker's election will be heralded as some major "civil rights" milestone.

Like I said, not rocket science really. Just my humble predictions.

It's 4:00 p.m. as I write this. What do you think? 

*DBF = Democrat-b*tt-f**king

 

 

UPDATE: I was wrong on both counts! While Booker won, it was much closer than expected and the Obammedia was actually concerned about the implications of that for Democrats in 2014. Go figure!

-

Schmuck Republicans: Chris Christie and Peter King [UPDATED 1/4]

Am I the only one who notices just how smoothly and effortlessly the Democrat Party plays the American people and establishment Republican leadership?

Basic timeline:

Last week of October: Hurricane Sandy visited destruction upon the East Coast, most severely New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.

First week of November: With the presidential election just days away, Obama lands in New Jersey to get bear hugged by Gov'r Chris Christie in order to give off a semblance of "bi-partisanship," and to secure extra votes from stupid Americans who actually thinks Obama caaaares about them. (Indeed it worked: Exit polls showed many still-undecided voters ended up pulling the lever for the president because it look like he cared about Sandy victims). Stupid-ass Christie took the bait.

First week of December: It took the administration over a month to formally request hurricane relief funding from Congress. Requested amount: $60 billion. (But remember: Obama really cares.) By stark contrast, George W. Bush got $51 billion in Katrina relief funding requested, approved by Congress, and on his desk for signing in less than two weeks. (But remember: George W. Bush hates people, especially black people.) 

Mid-December: The Senate releases its first draft of the relief bill, which is laden with pork and goodies for items and locales not remotely related to Sandy! Such expenditures include:

• $500 million to the NOAA (one full tenth of its annual expenditures nationwide). Part of that includes $150 for fishery disasters, including those having taken place as far as Mississippi and Alaska;
• $50 million for the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund (double its yearly funding);
• $5.4 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers and $12.1 billion to the Transportation; Department, mostly to rebuild public transit in the affected areas or to pay for projects that could prevent problems in other transit systems;
• Over $200 million for the VA Manhattan Medical Center;
• $100 million to Head Start programs;
• $41 million to fix up eight military bases along the storm’s path, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba;
• $4 million for repairs at Kennedy Space Center in Florida;
• Over $3 million for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, a federal research facility on Long Island, N.Y.
• $1.1 million to repair national cemeteries;
• $2 million to repair roofs on the Smithsonian in D.C.;
• Over $7 million to replace vehicles and/or repair buildings and equipment belonging to an array of federal agencies, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Secret Service, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration;
• Nearly $11 billion for public transportation, which FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe explains is mostly "allocated to future construction and improvements, not disaster relief";
• $17 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which Kibbe says "has become notorious for its use as a backdoor earmark program" and which Heritage Foundation's Patrick Louis Knudsen describes as an embarrassingly transparent slush fund."
• $13 billion for “mitigation” projects to prepare for future storms.

That's not all, but when you add this all up, not even half of the $60 billion would be going to help private citizens whose lives were uprooted by Hurricane Sandy.

Last two weeks of December: Despite criticism of Congressional Republicans and some of the news media, the bill sat languishing on the Hill without one penny of pork being stripped.

It bears noting that not all, but the lion's share of this pork was put in there by Senate Democrats. Indeed, the bill was co-sponsored by Chucky Schmucky Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Bob "Dominican prostitutes? What Dominican prostitutes?" Menendez (D-N.J.). Democrats knew that when it came to the Republican-led House voting, there would be one of two outcomes:

(A) The bill would be passed and all their cronies, home states, and pet agencies would get their taxpayer-funded goodies, all the while conning the American people into thinking they really care about them.

(B) The House Republicans would refuse to sign the bill, making them look really callous and cold for holding up such an urgent bill out of ideological spite and petty politics.

First week of January: As we catch up to the present tense, one of the above predictions comes true. Yesterday outcome (B) happened: GOP House leader Boehner and enough Republicans refuse to sign the bill, and it goes down in the defeat.

(That would make it the second time in one week Boehner and the House Republicans got played by the Democrat Party, the "fiscal cliff" "deal" being the first time.)

Here is where N.J. Gov'r Christie and N.Y. Congressman Pete King come in. Not only did Boehner and the House Republicans get branded Scrooge of the Century by the usual suspects (Democrats in Washington and the lib media), but both Christie and King took to the mic to lambaste their fellow Republicans for playing petty politics and putting their own interests above the people.

At his press conference yesterday, Christie said, 

"Unfortunately people are putting politics ahead of their responsibilities... You do the right thing. Enough with all the politics ... We respond as Americans, at least we did until last night... it was disgusting to watch. ... In our hour of desperate need, we've been left waiting for help six times longer than the victims of Katrina with no end in sight ... Sixty-six days and counting, shame on you. Shame on Congress."

On the House floor, Rep. King even more hostile. He threatened not to support the reelection of Boehner as House Speaker and said Americans shouldn't even donate money to House Republicans. He used the words "betrayal" and "cruel knife in the back."

These might as well have been Democrats talking!

Sorry, guys, but you are both sorely mistaken. It's the Democrats, who over two weeks ago presented a $60 bill filled over 50% with pork, who are playing petty politics and not putting the American people first.

Instead of bashing Boehner, Christie and King should be castigating the Democrats. This pork had no business being in there in the first place. If they didn't stick it in there, the bill wouldn't have been voted down!

Unfortunately, Christie and King played right into the hands of the Democrat-media complex: They're now being used as pawns to further paint the Republican Party as cruel and heartless. And, may I add, Mr. Christie: You, sir, have an election coming up this November. You wouldn't happen to be playing Mister Bi-Partisan, Mister Populist right now for that reason, hmmmm? If so (And I, for one, do believe that to be so), then it is you who are putting your own personal political interests over the people.

As for you, Mr. King: In the arena national security/defense you are a patriot and deserve respect. In this instance, though, you are playing the boneheaded self-interested politician you accuse Boehner of doing.

So where are we now? Well, as of late last night, it was already being reported that Boehner was starting to cave and will approve an initial installment of the requested funding.

What of the rest of the $60 bil? Will it contain the pork, or will Democrats be asked to remove it?

What difference does it make? The damage has been done and the Democrats got what they wanted:

A Republican Party whose strength and influence in D.C. have been severely damaged and whose popularity with the American people is sure to plunge even further from the gutter-level depths it has already been.

And a Democrat Party who, knowing full well our nation is already $16 trillion in the hole, has no problem adding tens of billions of pork into a bill intended to help hurricane victims, and who will come out of this, no matter what happens, squeaky clean.

No thanks to Chris Christie and Peter King.

UPDATE (1/4): I can't believe who actually has the same opinion as I on this issue ... Nanny Bloomberg! Well, sorta. He thinks both sides are to blame. How egalitarian.

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/01/04/bloomberg-blame-pork-not-boehner-for-sandy-relief-delay/

Primary Day for NJ, Wisconsin Recall

All right fine, to hell with my home state! Here's real time results of the Wisconsin recall election of Governor Scott Walker.

For comparison, here's how Wisconsin voted in the 2010 gubernatorial election. Walker beat Democrat Barrett 52.3% to 46.5%:

And here's the map of Wisconsin for the 2008 presidential election. In that race Obama beat McCain 56.3% to 42.4%:

Over the next few hours I will post results at various point for today's recall election.

8:45PM Central: With 13% of precincts reporting, it's a romp for Walker:

9:00 PM Central: With 28% reporting, Walker has 373,000 votes, Barrett 228,000.

9:20 PM Central: With only 41% of the precincts in, Walker is ahead by well over 15 percentage points and many media outlets are already calling the election. I mean, not even Milwaukee Country (3rd up from bottom right) is still leaning Walker.

So congratulations, Scott Walker. Congrats, Wisconsin. Congrats, Tea Party. And as one Facebook friend just posted:

Dear Obama, You're next. From, the Tea Party.

NJ Primary Next Tuesday - IMO Qarmout Is the Best Conservative Choice

So wrapped up in the national events leading up to November’s elections, I totally forgot next Tuesday June 5 is the primary here in New Jersey. And we’ve got an entrenched Democrat Senator, Bob Menendez, up for his umpteenth reelection. Question is: Are there any Republicans who have a shot at unseating him?

U.S. Senate Race: Republican Party Primary
GOP voters have choice between three outsiders and a state Senator in June 5 primary to win change to unseat Sen. Menendez
By Joe Tyrrell, May 25, 2012

Some of the candidates may object to the pecking order, but both feathers and ideas are flying in a freewheeling, issue-oriented campaign for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

The battle for the dubious honor of challenging well-funded incumbent U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ, in a presidential year has attracted four energetic, if not especially well-known, contenders.

Best known is state Sen. Joe Kyrillos, R-Monmouth, and the most recent poll numbers found that more than two-thirds of New Jerseyans had never heard of him. None of the major polls even bothered to gauge voters’ opinions of the other Republicans: Bader Qarmout, David-Douglas Brown and Joe “Rudy” Rullo.

The polls also showed support somewhat soft for Menendez, which is giving Republicans hope in their quest to unseat him. They argue that the struggling economies of the nation and state make this year's contests harder to call than in other presidential years, when high turnouts often favor Democrats. ...

I think of the four GOP contenders, I like Qarmout the best. I like his story (He's a Jordanian Christian whose parents came over to the U.S.--legally!--to give their kids a better life). Plus he seems to be the only one of the four who is solidly conservative, based on their stances on national security, taxation, health care reform, and illegal immigration. Those are my top issues. 

But I’m a realist. Kyrillos is the odds-on favorite. He’s the most well-known, most politically experienced, and most frequently endorsed by other Republican politicians, including Governor Christie. But he seems to be too moderate and establishment for my taste. So why not support a true conservative?

I’m also realistic enough to accept that Menendez will beat anybody, including Kyrillos. Republican governor or not, New Jersey is still a blue state and as long as Democrat dinosaurs like Menendez keep bringing home the bacon for his constituents he’ll get reelected.

Christie Signs Pension and Health Reform Bill Into Law

Katie Pavlich at Town Hall's Tip Sheet blog reports:

Another win for New Jersey, taxpayers and private sector complete.

Gov. Chris Christie today signed into law controversial legislation that will force public employees to pay more for their pension and health insurance.

Christie, who signed the bill flanked by a bipartisan cast of mayors, said passage of the bill is his biggest legislative victory since taking office.

"It is important moment for the state of New Jersey, for its citizens, its taxpayers and New Jersey has once again become a model for America," Christie said at the bill signing.

Starting on Friday, public employees across all levels of government will pay an additional percent of their pay into the pension system.

Employees will begin to pay more for their health insurance when their contracts expire. For those without contracts or with contracts that have already expired, the increased payments could begin as soon as January, when new health insurance plans are expected to be completed.

The legislation will save at least $132 billion dollars over the next 30 years. Christie said the legislation will not only save the state billions, but is an assurance to government workers that they will have a pension to collect when they retire.

"This is an important moment for New Jersey, for its citizens, its taxpayers and New Jersey has once again become a model for America."

Thank you, Chris Christie, for doing what New Jerseyans sent to you to Trenton to do! Keep it up.

 

Video of the Day (11/20/10): N.J. Gov. Christie Rocks!

Here's (sniffle sniffle) my governor retelling a teacher union smackdown to an audience at the Goldwater Institute [h/t Right Scoop]:

Liberal Lie #14: The Right Is Violent, the Left Is Civil - GOP Staffer Slapped by Dem Staffer in NJ

From Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit:

Here we go… An unhinged staffer for liberal Rep. Frank Pallone slapped a 68 year-old female GOP staffer who was helping to put up campaign signs for Republican Anna C. Little.

It was caught on tape.

It sure was. What a piece of excrement this Joe Hawley is. You will notice that he is the only one in this scuffle that uses profanity. And the only time 68-year-old Jane Frotten used physical violence was to defend herself from when Mr. Hawley first assaulted her.

But you're not going to hear about any of this outside of local NJ news sources. Why should the mainstream media contribute to exposing the truth that, when it comes to comparing conservatives/Republicans and liberals/Democrats, it is always the latter that is uncivil and violent. Always.

By the way, this incident happened a whole week ago on September 29. You think this thug Hawley has been dismissed from the Pallone campaign? (If you do, I got some carbon credits to sell you.)

Central NJ Chapter of the RJC Launches in Manalapan

Last night, I and two other righties from my neck of the woods attended the inaugural gathering of the Central New Jersey Chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition. For a couple years I was waiting for such a chapter to develop, being sandwiched between two distant chapters in NYC and Philadelphia.

I don’t think anyone was really able to predict the turnout, optimistically setting up 200 chairs at a room at the Excelsior in Manalapan. It turned out about 275 came!

For those of you not familiar with Garden State demographics, the central part of the state is a tad more conservative than the parts neighboring deep blue NYC and Philly. Still (especially because these are Jews we’re talking about) the turnout was amazing. It was a mixture of Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. Some were longtime staunch Republicans, others were former Democrats—even former office-holders—who had recently seen the light about the Democrat Party and its radical leftist agenda, and still others were registered independents searching for a political home. It was a fantastic, uplifting feeling. As I shouted in the crowd at one moment, this is what hope and change looks like!

The keynote speaker was Commentary Magazine’s Jennifer Rubin. Two local running Republican candidates spoke as well, Anna Little and Scott Sipprelle. Sipprelle is running against long-time incumbent Congressman Rush Holt in NJ-12. Holt, a dependable liberal, joined Bill Pascrell (NJ-8) and Donald Payne (NJ-10) and 51 other Democrats to denounce Israel’s conduct during the “flotilla” incident earlier this year.

While yours truly, just on the edge of 40, was present, the average age of the attendees was probably the mid-50’s. You could tell these were decent, hardworking citizens who were concerned about security for Israel, for their children in their young adulthood, and for themselves in their retirement. Many had their own stories about being the only one of their ideological ilk in their family, or at their temple. So, naturally, the sense of comeraderie among all of us, was instantaneous.

One month to go before mid-term elections. Stories have come out since 2009 about Jews abandoning Obama and the Democrat Party as it currently exists (but not necessarily jumping gleefully to the Republican side.) I know at least two relatives who usually vote Democrat who are regretful of their Obama vote and who are already planning to vote Republican against the Democrat incumbent in their district.

Let’s keep looking forward, friends. This is what hope and change looks like.

Look Who Defends Fired Quran-Burner ... and Who Does Not

I like NJ Gov. Chris Christie a lot. He's been kicking a lot of ass and taking a lot of names. And he should continue to do so, for the good of the people of NJ.

But on this issue, I think he's totally wrong:

NJ Transit was right to can Koran-burning creep Derek Fenton, says Gov. Chris Christie
BY PETE DONOHUE | DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Thursday, September 16th 2010

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday backed the controversial firing of a transit worker who burned pages of the Koran outside a planned mosque near Ground Zero.

NJTransit fired assistant train coordinator Derek Fenton Monday, just two days after he ripped pages from the Koran and torched them with a lighter on the ninth anniversary of 9/11.

"We're supportive of the action taken by NJTransit," Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak told the Daily News.

But one New Jersey state senator defended Fenton's constitutional right to free speech and criticized his firing.

Fenton was not in uniform and apparently not on the clock when he staged his protest in front of news photographers and reporters covering demonstrations marking the anniversary of the World Trade Center attack.

"So long as his actions, however misguided, took place on his own time, and he was not acting in his capacity as a representative of NJTransit but as an American exercising his constitutional rights, then the agency is clearly in the wrong," Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) said in a statement. ...

Yup. Sen. Lesniak is right.

So here you have it one record, people: I am hereby disagreeing with a Republican and agreeing with a Democrat.

Yes, that was a pig you just saw flying past your window.

Wow, A NJ Town's Board of Ed. Figures Out How To Do With Less

Well well well, whaddaya know? When working with fewer dollars, a Board of Education in cash-strapped New Jersey actually can tighten their belts and make sane budget decisions. 

In the spring, my town voted down its school budget proposal and forced the Board of Education to cut $1.5 million. When many N.J. towns similar results, legions of union-instigated teachers protested in the streets, warning of  the apocalyptic harm that would befall our children due to the cuts.

 Lo and behold, this article is found in my town’s local free weekly paper:

Board of Education, cuts $l.5M, no jobs

Board of Education members found five areas in the defeated school district budget to cut $1.5 million without eliminating any jobs, In May, the board voted to accept the … Council's $1.5 million reduction in the school tax levy, The board had the option to appeal the $1.5 million reduction to the Commissioner of Education.

Both the Township Committee and XXX Borough Council were required to review the $108 million school budget after the state last year merged the two communities into one district. Both governing bodies agreed to the $1.5 million reduction, which represents a savings of $140 for taxpayers with a home assessed at the township's average of $350,000.

… [T]he five areas of cuts, totaling $1,1302,451:

• A $118,298 cut recommended by the Township Committee, involving funds for district employees who retired after the creation of the school budget, as well as increments for nonaffiliated employees.
• A cut of $73,455 recommended by the Township Committee, involving a bus initially funded in the budget. School officials later were able to fund the bus through a federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant the district received as stimulus/special-education funding.
• A $122,319 cut recommended by the Township Committee, involving state aid adjusted in the district's favor following the budget defeat. The state provided the district with what is known as "extraordinary aid" for tuition students.
• The school board will go ahead with projects to refurbish an intercom at XXX School and a curtain at the high school's gym. The remaining capital projects will be suspended and re-evaluated in September. The cuts total $472,760.
• The school board's quote for health-insurance premiums is 4.8 percent less than what had been previously budgeted, amounting to a savings of $715,619.

Township officials recommended other cuts, such as reducing the number of vice principals at the high school, … intermediate and middle schools. …

The one about the health insurance premiums is very interesting. It suggests they either switched insurance companies or found a cheaper plan for their employees. Either way, it’s amazing what a bunch of public officials can do when there is less money being siphoned from the taxpayers. No teachers need to lose their jobs, children don’t need to write with blood because of a dearth of pencils, and no apocalypse.

The moral of the story: Just like a household or a private company, public government entities can do with less.

So to the spoiled, open-handed, greedy teacher unions: STFU.

Liberty Dodges a Bullet in N.J.

The menace of Marxism-socialism was thwarted in one corner of our fading republic today. In my state of New Jersey, Republican governor Chris Christie’s “millionaires tax” veto failed to be overriden by the Democrat Assembly:

N.J. Millionaires Tax Plan Fails
Monday, 21 Jun 2010, 2:38 PM EDT

TRENTON, N.J. - Democrats in the New Jersey Assembly have failed to override the Republican governor's veto of a tax surcharge on millionaires.

Monday's vote was strictly along party lines. All 47 Assembly Democrats voted for the override and all 33 Republicans voted against it. The measure needed seven GOP votes to advance.

The one-year surcharge would have raised about $600 million by increasing income taxes nearly two percent on the state's 16,000 highest wage earners.

It would have put the top earners into a 10.75 percent tax rate on income above $1 million.

Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the tax last month after the Legislature passed it along party lines. The governor vetoed the tax because it would deter hiring, Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said.

Democrats did not plan on using the money to close a huge budget shortfall. The plan was to use the money to restore property tax rebates to 600,000 senior citizens and the disabled. They also wanted to put Republicans on the record for voting against the proposal.

Let me make this perfectly clear: I am nowhere near a millionaire and will probably never be. Like many New Jerseyans and Americans, my wife and I live essentially paycheck to paycheck trying to pay our mortgage; feed, clothe, and educate our young children; and cover all our other monthly expenses. Neither my income nor my tax burden would have been affected had this bill passed.

The reason I am vehemently against the “millionaires tax” is because it is unfair, unethical, immoral, against American values, and against Judeo-Christian values. Anyone who believes that the wealthy (who already pay way more than their fair share of this nation’s tax burden) deserve to be taxed even more just because they are wealthy is a pawn of the class-warfare that has been waged by the Democrat Party for decades.

Unlike liberals/Democrats, I do not envy the rich, therefore I do not have this innate desire to get back at them for the “crime” of having more money than me. Unlike the Marxist-socialist in the Oval Office, I do not believe that “at some point you've made enough money” (unless you yourself made $5 million last year because of book sales).  

True, some Americans were born into wealth (like liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy), some married into it (like liberal Democrat John Kerry), some obtained it by selling propaganda, lies, and deceit (like liberal Democrats Al Gore and Michael Moore). 

But by and large most people got their through hard work. The class-warriors have no right to take it from them and those liberals/Democrats who vote for them in order that they fulfill their campaign promises of “giving the nation’s wealth back to its rightful owners” should be ashamed of themselves.

So cheers to Governor Christie for standing up to these Marxist-socialist thugs in the Democrat Assembly. Thanks for letting all citizens of New Jersey—rich, poor, and in between—that your success will not be punished by thieves in suits and ties claiming to stand for the little guy.

Article of Note: Hey NJ Teachers, Was It Worth It?

Recommended by a friend and VM reader:

Big blunder cost New Jersey teachers years of goodwill
By Kevin Manahan, May 27, 2010

Read article here.

While President Hope&Change Talks the Talk, N.J. Gov. Christie Walks the Walk [UPDATED]

A friend and VM reader tipped me off to this piece at the Hill:

N.J. gov. sets tone for US
By A.B. Stoddard - 05/12/10 05:45 PM ET

… Upon taking office Christie declared a state of emergency, signing an executive order that froze spending, and then, in eight weeks, cutting $13 billion in spending. In March he presented to the Legislature his first budget, which cuts 9 percent of spending, including more than $800 million in education funding; seeks to privatize numerous government functions; projects 1,300 layoffs; and caps tax increases.

Teachers unions are incensed, fighting Christie’s proposal that — in order to avoid cuts to education — teachers accept a one-year wage freeze and contribute 1.5 percent to the generous-by-every-standard healthcare plans they now enjoy for free. New Jersey, which has the highest unemployment in the region and highest taxes in the country, lost 121,000 jobs in the private sector in 2009 while adding 11,300 new education jobs. During the last eight years, K-12 enrollment rose just 3 percent while education jobs increased more than 16 percent. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, during the recession that has cost many residents their homes and jobs and scaled back hours and pay for the employed, teachers’ salaries rose by nearly 5 percent, double the rate of inflation.

Christie is adamant about lowering taxes. After taxes were raised 115 times in the last eight years, he said the wealthy are tapped out. Property taxes rose nearly 70 percent in the last decade, and studies show top earners — the 1 percent of taxpayers paying 40 percent of income tax — are fleeing the Garden State.

The goal is not just to crawl out of crisis but ultimately to lead, said Christie in his budget address. “If we make the tough decisions now, we will be one year ahead of 80 percent of the states in the race to economic growth. If we fail to act, we will fall even further behind ... by going first, we can become first.”

Can Christie succeed? We will find out on June 30, when the Legislature must pass a budget . But no matter the political price, Christie is determined. “You just have to stand and grit your teeth and know your poll numbers are going to go down — and mine have — but you gotta grit through it because the alternative is unacceptable,” he told The Wall Street Journal. …

President Golden Calf only talks about making the “tough choices,” but makes the most gutless and politically-expedient decisions. However, Gov. Christie does make the tough choices. While the man-child president only talks about changing the way business is done in Washington and not catering to the “special interests,” he makes Washington even more “Washington”-like and caters to every big-moneyed special interest he likes. By stark contrast, Chris Christie is taking on the state’s most powerful special interest: the unions who have suckled greedily on the state teat for too long. Many New Jerseyans, including myself, are thankful for that.

So go get ‘em, Governor. Don’t let the politically- and financially-entrenched union beat you down. And maybe, other governors and maybe even the president himself will learn a lesson from your real example of leadership.

UPDATE 12:00 PM: This video was just posted by a Facebook friend:

Now this is hope and change!

Another Victory in NJ: Over Half of School Budgets Rejected Statewide

In many ways yesterday was like Election Day 2009: a good day for New Jersey. 

In many counties, a majority of school budgets were defeated. This despite the bloated, pampered, thuggish, politically-connected NJEA having Republican Gov’r Christie in their cross hairs. This despite their misleading radio commercials. This despite public school teachers brainwashing children to make their parents vote a certain way.

Slightly over half of local school budgets statewide were rejected. That’s a start. Some highlights: Nearly all schools budgets voted down in Burlington and Somerset Counties, two-thirds defeated in Morris, more than half rejected in Middlesex.

Also, as I surmised yesterday, the long lines were not unique to my town: All over the Garden State thousands of citizens who never voted in a school board election came out to do their civic duty. When election results favor the liberal agenda, the Democrat-media complex celebrate the civic process. But I don’t expect much celebrating from them w.r.t. these elections. 

John Fund writes in today’s WSJ yesterday’s victory: Chris Christie and The People: 2 (the November election was 1), Big Edu: 0.

Gov. Christie - the Non-Crist

Overtaxed New Jersey voters sent a clear message in yesterday’s voting on 479 public school budgets: Enough is enough. A stunning 54% of the budgets went down to defeat, the most since the recession year of 1976. The results have clear implications for a bitter power struggle between New Jersey GOP Governor Chris Christie and the state’s powerful 200,000-member New Jersey Education Association.

With turnout up significantly, voters were clearly responding to Governor Christie’s call for voters to reject budgets in districts where teachers have not agreed to a plan of “shared sacrifice” proposed by the governor. Given the state’s distress, he asked for a one-year wage freeze and teachers to contribute at least 1.5% of their salaries toward their own health benefits. The governor said the cuts were necessary in the face of a massive $11 billion budget gap.

But local school districts have balked at any changes, even though New Jersey has the fourth-highest teacher salaries in the nation. More than 80% of school budgets put before voters instead demanded property tax increases on homeowners at a time when many families are financially strapped. Few of the budgets reflected any of the shared sacrifice the governor asked for. Only 20 of the state’s nearly 600 districts have so far implemented a pay freeze on teacher salaries.

In a recent visit to the Wall Street Journal, Governor Christie said he recognizes the political peril he faces because of the tough stands he’s taking. “Lots of folks want me to fail so they can go back to budgets as usual,” he said. “I’m here to say that’s no longer possible and it’s time to make tough decisions.”

It looks as if New Jersey voters are both watching his back and demanding more accountability from one of the most expensive public education systems in the country.

That’s right. Next task: Making sure that town councils/committees see the will of The People through.

A Citizen's Heart Swells in NJ

Just came back with the wife and kids from our municipal center to do something I've never done before: vote in a local school board election.

Evidently, this was no ordinary election: The lines were practically out the door. We bumped into at least three families we knew from school. Even our 18-year-old babysitter was there. There was a sort of communal feeling in the room while we all waited on line. Just to choose three of four candidates and vote yay or nay on a simple budget question.

The man working the sign-in table told me he hasn't had a break. I asked, is it normally this busy for a school board election. He told me it's not even this busy for a presidential election.

To be sure, voters from both sides were there: Some to vote for candidates on governor Chris Christie's side, and others to vote for Christie's philosophical opponents. It's been an interesting few months with him taking on the Goliath teacher unions and facing the fallout as citizens and boards statewide figure out how to run their school districts with less funding from Trenton.

But no matter what the results are, it was heartwarming to see that, at least in my town, the people were not apathetic. This is the way election day should always be.

Any similar stories to share?

While D.C. Burns, NJ Tries to Rise from Its Ashes

I suppose every cloud has a silver lining. While the President and Congress put in motion their agenda to bankrupt the nation and put every human living within our borders dependent on the state, NJ Republican governor Chris Christie signed a bunch of bills yesterday in Trenton, making good on his promise to reform the Garden State’s broken pension system.

For those of you not familiar with NJ politics, the state has been reeling in billions of debt. For years public employees - particularly school teachers, administrators, and superintendents - have gotten union-guaranteed fully paid health care benefits and pensions. Public officials like mayors and even emergency personnel have been able to turn decades of unused sick days into six-figure payouts at retirement, as well as generous pensions. Not to mention that the Garden State has had "double dipping" problems - people holding two taxpayer-funded jobs and collecting two salaries, two benefit plans, and two pensions.

No governor has had the balls to do anything about this unsustainable situation - until Christie came into office.

Kevin McArdle at NJ 101.5 has the story. There’s video available at the link:

Posted: Tuesday, 23 March 2010 5:01AM
CHRISTIE SIGNS PENSIONS AND HEALTH BENEFITS REFORMS INTO LAW (WITH VIDEO)
Kevin McArdle Reporting

Governor Chris Christie has signed his first bills into law. Last night, Christie signed the three measures designed to save taxpayers billions by making pensions and health benefits for government workers less generous.

“The passage of today’s set of bills is a solid start to reforming our pension system and I applaud the Senate and Assembly Leadership and the entire bipartisan efforts of the legislature for taking this necessary first step,” says Christie. “It is clear that our state can no longer afford a system that is rife with abuse, that promises substantial payouts with little buy-in, and that provides benefits that are wildly out of proportion with the private sector.”

To hear full audio of Christie’s press conference go www.nj.gov and click on the Governor’s page. …

“This is a key step toward fixing our broken pension and benefit system with a comprehensive bipartisan package that’s been studied and analyzed to ensure it will eventually save taxpayer money,” says Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver. “Our system is unsustainable for both taxpayers and public workers, but with this expanded and sweeping package we will bring real reform and relief to taxpayers and create a reliable system for public workers.”

“The bills represent the first step towards achieving important and necessary reforms to the state’s pension and health benefits program,” says Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce. “Everyone acknowledges the current structure cannot be supported by taxpayers alone and needs to be revamped. We are past the point of talking about the problem and I am pleased that the long overdue changes the system requires are finally becoming a reality.”

Christie says the legislation has far-reaching savings. Two of the bills are projected to save $8 billion over 15 years. The third bill, which requires a health care contribution from all workers, is projected to save local governments and school boards $315 million in the coming year alone. …

Yesterday, The Senate also passed a resolution that would require the state to begin making its annual pension system contribution. The constitutional amendment requires voter approval.

Two other reform bills, both originating in the Assembly, were held. One would bar quasi-government employees from enrolling in the pension system. The other would apply pension reforms to employees of authorities, boards and commissions. Oliver says those bills would be worked on over the next couple of months and returned for consideration when the Legislature returns from a break in May.

Thank you, governor, for defending us NJ taxpayers, and especially for standing up to the teachers union. These spoiled brats need to understand that they've milked the cow dry enough.

This morning at NJ 101.5 they announced that school budgets were being delivered to Trenton, most of which contain property tax hikes. Why? Without any cut in state aid, my property taxes have gone up 25% in five years while teachers, administrators, and superintendents win the lottery. For years their union contracts have guaranteed automatic raises, accumulated sick days, and paid-for pensions and health benefits. And for what? Are NJ’s public schools the best in the country? In the world? Hardly. As with most government-run endeavors, we’re giving a whole lot and getting very little return on the investment. Enough. The gravy train is closed!

Christie Ruffling Feathers in Dem-Dominated NJ, Part 2

[Part 1 here]

I love my new governor. Love him.

New Jersey’s Chris Christie has been in office for only one month and he’s already kicking ass and taking names.

Our state, which has the highest property taxes in the nation and among the highest auto insurance, has a $2.2 billion budget deficit. And Christie is intent on fixing that right away. Late last week he proposed a spending freeze, effective immediately, on $1.6 of yet unspent funds currently in the budget.

One report read:

In an executive order and speech to both houses of the Legislature, Christie said he would close a $2.2 billion budget hole, saying New Jersey is on “the edge of bankruptcy.” He revoked funds from local school districts, hospitals and NJ Transit and declared a “state of fiscal emergency,” forcing more than 500 school districts to spend their surpluses in place of state aid.

The governor slashed programs labeled wasteful and worthwhile, cut aid to colleges and universities and killed the Department of the Public Advocate. He urged pension and benefit cuts for all public employees, and mocked their unions by comparing their objections to his 9-year-old son’s cry of “unfair.” He called opponents of his plans defenders of “the old ways.”

“Now is the time when we all must resist the traditional, selfish call to protect your own turf at the cost of our state,” the Republican governor said. “We chose to confront the problem head on by reforming our spending habits, and laying the groundwork for reform. We have set out in a new direction, a direction dictated by the votes of the people of New Jersey, and I do not intend to turn back.”

Good for him!

Naturally, Garden State Democrats and their union-heavy supporters are pissed and are going to try to block this decision. Some are kvetching that teachers will have to be laid off and that property taxes will have to rise. Others worry that after-school programs will have to be dropped.

With regard to teacher lay-offs, here’s my suggestion: Fire some of the excess administrators or state bureaucrat instead. New Jersey’s educational system is notoriously too top-heavy. Get rid of the busybodies who take up space for six figures a year, and then millions in pension once they retire. I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but I’ll bet you can pay two teachers with the salary of one administrator, three teachers with the salary of a state bureaucrat.

Property taxes rising? Not if the citizenry doesn’t vote for it. Despite my own “nay” votes on election days, my own town has gotten enough votes to increase local education funding. So yes, I understand this is a risk. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Besides, Christie’s message was clear: School districts are going to have to do more with less. I’ve had experience in public and private school classroom, and I can teach a class of kids with $0 dollars. All I need is my salary. In 2008, New Jersey paid a ridiculous amount of $12,750 per student. If spending truly equaled success, then every NJ public school student should be f**king Einsteins! But they’re not, are they? No, far from it. So, enough with the “We don’t have enough funding!” complaint. It’s B.S.

Shannon Bell at Right Pundits feels similarly:

… Within the New Jersey spending freeze, Christie even had the audacity to cut money to school districts which enjoy surpluses. One whiney democrat said that the districts would be forced to raise property taxes to make up for the shortfall in state aid. I suppose the terms “budget crisis” and “financial emergency” don’t resonate if you have a D beside your name, no matter where you’re from.

Another cut came at the expense of New Jersey transit; Governor Christie cut subsidies saying that the system needs to be fiscally efficient. Democrats played the environment card on that one saying that Christie’s decision would hurt the environment and the economy because people needed the transit system to get to work.

Anybody else see a pattern here? The Democrats complete argument is that every system, whether it be public transit, schools, or healthcare is completely dependent on government to operate. Governor Christie is living up to a campaign promise to fix New Jersey’s budget problem. Most with common sense would agree, the first step in fixing a budget shortfall is to stop spending. No matter what the argument against doing so is.

Christie said that he doesn’t think schools will cut jobs or programs right now, but he also promised that the spending cuts would likely continue in next year’s budget. One thing that really rubbed the democrats the wrong way was the way in which Chris Christie initiated the spending freeze in New Jersey. He did it by executive order; not wasting time with a bunch of democrats who wouldn’t have went along with a spending freeze regardless.

When Chris Christie beat Jon Corzine in January’s election, he ran on a platform promising “fiscal reform.” I’d say that a complete and total spending freeze New Jersey style is the first step in the right direction to accomplish just that. If only other conservative Governor’s and lawmakers would take such measures. When will the Democratic Party understand that spending money isn’t the answer to every problem and more often than not causes more?

Exactly.

With regard to after-school programs being cancelled? Since I’m a parent, I believe I have a perfect right to say this: Let parents pay for their own f**king after-school care! I pay out of my pocket for child care until 6:30 at night. Why should my tax dollars pay for theirs as well!? That’s part why our state is in such a hole. Too many people have this sense of entitlement! If you can’t afford after-school care for your child, don’t have them. It’s called “personal responsibility.” Used to be an American value, I think.

Too mean-spirited? To vitriolic? Tough sh*t. It’s the pure unadulterated truth.

So you go get ‘em, Governor Christie. Keep rustling the feathers of the status quo Democrat-union complex. New Jersey conservatives were a bit worried we were voting for a “McCain Republican” with you. So far, you have pleasantly surprised this one.

A Tearful Farewell to Jon Corzine ...

Thanks IHateTheMedia:

Corzine's name is scraped off of the governors office

Congratulations, Governor Christie [UPDATED]

Today at noon Chris Christie relieves failed governor Jon Corzine and becomes the first Republican to serve New Jersey since RINO Christine Todd Whitman eight years ago.

People are already wondering whether Christie will renege on his many campaign promises, such as reining in out-of-control spending in Trenton and lowering our notoriously hight property taxes. I think he's going to try his hardest. He's already showed some big cajones by taking on the NJ teachers union. If certain promises don't get fulfilled, I would bet it will be more because of the Democrat Senate and Assembly he'll be battling.

I wish our new governor the best of luck in bringing New Jersey real hope and change!

Now all eyes on Massachusetts ...

UPDATE 4:45 PM: AP reports this afternoon from Trenton:

“You voted loudly and clearly for change, and you have entrusted us with what may be our last, best hope for a stronger New Jersey the New Jersey of our youth, full of hope and opportunity,” Christie said in his inaugural address. “New Jersey, you voted for change and today change has arrived.”

Christie, takes over a state plagued by the nation’s highest taxes, a deficit that could hit $10 billion by July and unemployment near 10 percent.

Christie’s swearing in marked another reminder of President Obama’s vulnerability on the same day another Northeastern election could derail parts of his agenda.

On Tuesday, Democrats nervously watched the Senate contest in Massachusetts where Republican Scott Brown threatened to take the seat held by the late Edward Kennedy. Obama campaigned for Democrat Martha Coakley and a loss would break the Democrats’ filibuster-proof 60 vote majority in the Senate.

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden had campaigned for Gov. Jon Corzine in the fall, but it wasn’t enough for him to beat Christie. The loss was the first blow to Obama, followed by a Republican in Virginia winning the only other governor’s race in November.

Christie, a 47-year-old former federal prosecutor, ran on a platform of smaller government and took shots at Corzine, a former Wall Street executive, for what he called poor economic stewardship. But Christie was criticized during the campaign for remaining vague about how he would solve New Jersey’s chronic fiscal problems.

He seized on the dual themes of voter discontent and change in his 33-minute inaugural address.

“Rarely in New Jersey’s history have we faced the challenges we face today,” Christie said.

“There is fear and uncertainty. But fear and uncertainty are not necessary and do not have to be permanent. We have the tools for a brighter future, if we change direction.” …

OK, governor, let’s get to work.

Christie Ready to Ruffle Feathers in Dem-Dominated NJ

We’re just days from the installment of Republican Chris Christie as New Jersey’s new governor. I admit I’ve had pangs of worry that, despite promises of changing the way business is done in heavily Democrat New Jersey, Christie was going to end up just another establishment elitist politician once he moved into Trenton.

But my worries were assuaged by two bits of news, which I heard about this morning on NJ 101.5 FM. First, his appointment of anti-NJEA Republican Bret Schundler as education commissioner:

N.J. Gov.-elect Christie targets teachers' union with Schundler appointment
Tom Moran/ The Star-Ledger
January 13, 2010, 10:00PM

TRENTON — Sitting in his transition office a few block from the state capitol in Trenton, Chris Christie was in full battle mode today, like a boxer who couldn’t wait to climb into the ring and start pounding away. In fact, he wasn’t waiting.

His target: The 200,000-member strong New Jersey Education Association, the most muscular special interest group in town. …

Christie threw the first jab earlier in the day by appointing as education commissioner former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler, a national leader in the movement for school vouchers and a long-time nemesis of the NJEA.

Brace yourself. The days of timid leadership in New Jersey are over.

“They (voters) didn’t pick me because they were looking for a subtle approach,” he says. “So, here it comes.”

When you listen to Christie spell out his agenda, you see a million political brawls breaking out over the next few years. …

I have to say this appointment is a really ballsy move by Christie. I like Bret Schundler; I voted for him in the 2005 Republican primary, but he got beaten out by whatshisface and the rest is history.

But Christie’s not done: He’s on the verge of undoing Jon Corzine’s gifting of taxpayer-funded goodies on his Democrat cronies who run what are called “distressed cities”:

Christie Could Block Aid to Distressed Cities
Kevin McArdle and David Matthau Reporting
Posted: Thursday, 14 January 2010 5:24AM

The state’s Local Finance Board, which advises on the financial condition of municipalities, has approved $121 million in special aid to five so-called distressed cities; Camden, Paterson, Jersey City, Union City and Bridgeton. Governor-elect Chris Christie is anything but thrilled with the move and could decide to block the aid.

The funding is called special, extraordinary municipal aid, but Christie contends, “Aid that is given every year is not special or extraordinary……..This aid has been coming every year and people budget anticipating the aid.”

Jim Gearhart at NJ 101.5, reading this article on the air this morning, elaborated on this comment. It seems that the cities on this list (with the exception of Bridgeton, pop. 22,000) are entrenched Democrat-controlled s**tholes who have come to expect this aid that they actually count on it in their budgets. Yet their cities continue to be s**tholes! What do these Democrat politicians do with this ridiculous pile of undeserved taxpayer money? Nothing that benefits their cities, that’s for sure. It’s no different from Wall Street execs getting those exorbitant bonuses despite their company’s miserable performance. It’s rewarding failure and/or mediocrity.

So when Chris Christie says to these corruptocrats, Don’t cash those checks yet. They might be cancelled when I get into office next week, I say: Good. For. Him.

Christie could hold back the aid after he’s sworn in Tuesday. He explains, “I’m not going to foreclose any options of what I may do with the distribution of that aid come the 19th of January…….I’m not going to make a promise either way. We’re going to take a look at it on the 19th and take a look at each particular city’s circumstance……All options are on the table, but we will do it on a city-by-city basis. We will not just do it across the board.”

“In past years, the board awarded these grants in April or May. Clearly, the Corzine administration is afraid that this process would not survive the scrutiny of a new governor who demands people play by the rules when handing out taxpayer money,” says Steve Oroho, a republican member of the State Senate Budget Committee. “We have a $1 billion deficit this year and face a $10 billion deficit next year. Every dime of questionable spending approved in the waning days of this lame-duck administration is money that won’t be there to pay for essential services next year.”

At the beginning of this week, outgoing Governor Jon Corzine approved a plan to funnel an additional $44 million in so-called “surplus funding” to a Special Municipal Aid account for Camden, Paterson, and 3 other cities…that already contains $72 million.

Yesterday, the Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Local Finance Board approved the proposal to distribute the money. This comes as New Jersey is already facing a $9-$10 billion budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.

“The people of New Jersey should take notice of this” said Christie on Monday, “because this is exactly the type of Wall Street fiscal shenanigans that got us in the spot we’re in right now—we’re in a situation where we are going to be unable to meet payroll in March—he (Corzine) has now taken $44 million more off of the payroll of State workers for March.”

Christie also said Monday that Corzine “has put us $44 million closer to insolvency- now I guess since he’s leaving office, he doesn’t care- but it’s my job to care…this has got to stop—and these cities have got to be taught to budget responsibly…these are the kinds of Trenton games that the people of New Jersey are quite frankly tired of…we’re in a new era now of responsibility, and we have to do it differently.”

Thank God this corrupt schuck Jon Corzine is out of here in a week. Stick it to the taxpayers one more time before the door hits you on the ass, ey guvna? What an embarrassment.

And who wants to bet there’s a cushy little position waiting for him somewhere in the Obama administration?