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The Swamps of Jersey ~ John Fund
The Wall Street Journal. ^ | June 2, 2005 | John H. Fund

Posted on 06/02/2005 4:13:04 AM PDT by Elle Bee

TRENTON, N.J. -- This year's race for governor finds the residents of the Garden State in a surly mood. Personal and financial scandals forced Democrat Jim McGreevey to resign last year, and the recent release of taped conversations between a South Jersey Democratic boss and other pols have only deepened a public perception that the state's local governments are dominated by a public-sector version of the Soprano family.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: corzine; govwatch; nj; swampthings
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New Jersey .... like a lawyer, always living down to its sterotype

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1 posted on 06/02/2005 4:13:04 AM PDT by Elle Bee
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To: Elle Bee

I live in CT and see lots of the ads: mainly negative ads against Schundler. And it seems as if property taxes are the big issue there. Why would those guys elect the incredibly liberal Corzine to reform property taxes?


2 posted on 06/02/2005 4:14:50 AM PDT by Koblenz (Holland: a very tolerant country. Until someone shoots you on a public street in broad daylight...)
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To: Koblenz

Because they are stupid.


3 posted on 06/02/2005 4:15:42 AM PDT by Rodney King (No, we can't all just get along.)
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To: Rodney King

I lived in that area 40 years ago -- actually, 50 years ago but I only really paid attention to the politics beginning in 1958 -- and New Jersey was run by the Mob back then. Could anyone possibly be surprised that it still is?

Will we have an astonishing revelation next that water is wet and the sea is salty?


4 posted on 06/02/2005 4:30:03 AM PDT by KateatRFM
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To: Koblenz

No one ever claimed the majority of people in Blue States had any common sense.


5 posted on 06/02/2005 4:30:40 AM PDT by Misplaced Texan
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To: Elle Bee

Great Swamp Bump - Chatham Twp


6 posted on 06/02/2005 4:31:48 AM PDT by conservaDave
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To: conservaDave
from a Monmouth Co ex-patriot

also here on Opinion Journal without subscription:

The Swamps of Jersey - BY JOHN FUND ~ Can New Jersey Republicans convince voters they can clean up the corruption?

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7 posted on 06/02/2005 4:34:21 AM PDT by Elle Bee
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To: Misplaced Texan

The State of New Jersey is not bad, it's our politicians that suck.
The margin that the state went for Gore in 00 was 500,000 votes, in 04 it was only 150,000. If we even gain half of what we did in the previous four years, in 08 NJ just may be the next red state.

As for the gubernatorial race, unfortunately we have 7 guys that hate each other and have the same platform running for the GOP nomination, and five of them are irrelevant. The negative attack adds against on another are just rediculous, they should be focusing more on what the Demogogues have been up to for the past few years and attack Corzine for being the liberal SOB that he is.
The next governor will probably be Corzine, the true battle will be who replaces his seat in the senate.


8 posted on 06/02/2005 4:43:54 AM PDT by Nipplemancer
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To: Elle Bee

I have always said that one of NJ's greatest exports is their own people. I was driven away 20 yrs ago. I know that it has only gotten worse.


9 posted on 06/02/2005 4:48:56 AM PDT by conservaDave
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To: Koblenz
Why would those guys elect the incredibly liberal Corzine to reform property taxes?

Because we have a self-financed vanity candidate who has made it his mission to get elected to something, or kill the Republican Party trying. This moron is the political equivalent of the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps running and running and losing and losing. He makes Golisano of New York look good by comparison!

10 posted on 06/02/2005 4:50:43 AM PDT by gridlock (ELIMINATE PERVERSE INCENTIVES)
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To: gridlock

"Because we have a self-financed vanity candidate who has made it his mission to get elected to something, or kill the Republican Party trying."

We have two self-financed vanity candidates. One is the Democrat (Corzine), and one is a Republican (Forrester) who will bloody every other Republican with attack ads.


11 posted on 06/02/2005 4:59:09 AM PDT by nj26
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To: Rodney King
Correction:

Stupid & proud of it!

12 posted on 06/02/2005 5:01:42 AM PDT by johnny7 (PREDICTION; Bill Clinton will die of 'Arafat's Disease'.)
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To: nj26

But the Democrat self-financed vanity candidate wins, at least. Our's just screws over his party and loses, over and over again.

Of course, now that it is basically illegal to contribute to any politician in New Jersey, we will never again have a statewide candidate who can't self-finance. Get ready for a conga-line of well-heeled billionaire candidates, because that is all we will see in New Jersey for the forseeable future.

Say what you will about the Luv Guv, but at least he was a man of the people. Kean, Lautenberg, Whitman, Forrester, Corzine, Torricelli... What do all of these guys have in common except that they all have hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank?


13 posted on 06/02/2005 5:14:51 AM PDT by gridlock (ELIMINATE PERVERSE INCENTIVES)
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To: Elle Bee
NJ is first of all a great state. The wealthiest and highest educated in the nation, I believe. Home to many great companies, especially pharma, with surprisingly attractive areas for the most densely populated state, and a Southern half that is truly rural/suburban with tremendous ocean communities (e.g. Cape May).

Unfortunately, it is also in the grips of dem block voters and a corrupt dem machine. Some is real organized crime but most is the pay to play political variety. Professional machine pols making fortunes for their real estate developer friends throughout the state.

14 posted on 06/02/2005 5:28:45 AM PDT by Williams
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To: conservaDave
Dave

Like you, i got out of NJ, you have a 19 year head start on me though. Now living in Carbon County PA for the last year, it is hard to believe that we are only 80 or 90 miles west of NYC. I was a life long NJ guy and my family lived there for 5 or 6 generations. My last residence NJ was Little Egg Harbor Twp. (Tuckerton) we were there for 19 years.

One thing i can say for sure, I'm never going back to NJ. I will watch the upcoming race for governor ith some detached interest. I agree with those who say corizine will win, I can't wait to hear his proposals to balance the tremendous budget deficit

Tom

15 posted on 06/02/2005 6:51:48 AM PDT by fatboy
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To: Williams

What you said...


16 posted on 06/02/2005 6:53:58 AM PDT by Pharmboy ("Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God")
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To: Elle Bee
a public perception that the state's local governments are dominated by a public-sector version of the Soprano family.

Many times perception IS reality.

17 posted on 06/02/2005 6:57:06 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: Pharmboy
I was listening to a realtor radio program in S Jersey this weekend. He said people love to criticize NJ and they love to move here. Someone mentioned Egg Harbor TWp. He said there are 80 developments building or undergoing approval there. Part of S Jersey is being populated by folks who commute 2 hours each way to NYC. NJ was and still is a good place to live.

The dems are also totally corrupt here and when/ if we lose the republican US Attorney it will be worse.

18 posted on 06/02/2005 9:23:41 AM PDT by Williams
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To: Williams

I moved to Northern Morris County a few years ago. I love it here...


19 posted on 06/02/2005 9:27:08 AM PDT by Pharmboy ("Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God")
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To: Pharmboy

NJ is a good state with surprising diversity, mountains, farms,ocean. I grew up in N Jersey moved South some years ago. It's a nice state but the dem control that developed is a serious problem. It's really an eye opener when you observe that in a N East "blue" state the allegedly "liberal" dems are totally in the pocket of certain business interests and are totally corrupt. All the silliness you hear about the environment and minority rights is meaningless. Those issues are just for show.


20 posted on 06/02/2005 1:02:27 PM PDT by Williams
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