Posted on 07/12/2010 4:58:48 PM PDT by majormaturity
I'm from Jersey. This guy is a breath of fresh air. Hope he lasts...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I like to see someone who acts to cut government back to 1960s levels. We had schools, police, roads, snow plowing etc., then. In fact I cannot think of anything we didn't have except an income tax and a 7% sales tax.
ML/NJ
Be confident! We may fight and lose many battles...but the war is won!
I ran into a gentlement from New Jersey while waiting at the doctor’s office in Scottsdale. We shared our mutual respect for both our governors. It sure felt good.
The 1960s level was 50 years ago...that cannot happen overnight - the question is, do you like the direction and course he is setting?
Well, could we START heading in that direction? Show me the cuts. In 1960 2.79% of the population worked for State and/or Local Governments. In 2007 (the last year for which I have data) 5.93% "worked" for State and Local Government here in NJ. Government "work" has become an extension of the already liberal welfare payments this State makes.
Christie's bluster is good, I have to admit. But that's all it is. Bluster. Christie wants us all to take some great satisfaction from the agreement he forced upon the teachers' unions where they would contribute 1.5% of their salaries toward their own health care. Oh wow! What's that, $1200 a year for someone "earning" $80,000 a year? (Absurd but probable salary for a teacher.) Out here in taxpayer land my wife and I pay $338 26 times a year into an employer subsidized plan with $30 co-pays all over the place, and no dental coverage.
Show me the cuts, even a cut (and I don't mean closing a State Park). I mean cuts in welfare payments, programs, employees, and pensions. I don't mean freezing things at current absurd levels. Then I'll be impressed.
ML/NJ
It seems that this problem--debt--runs all the way down to the most local levels of government. Actually, it runs directly back to the people of New Jersey, and the country, and many other countries in the world. It's not going to be fixed overnight.
The people have to get their heads right first, if that's possible. In the meantime, given the circumstances, you simply have to acknowledge that Gov. Christie is leading the people of NJ in the right direction, a direction they didn't want to go, and weren't expected to go.
I didn't call it demagoguing. I called it bluster. He talks big. I think there's a difference. Couldn't he throw a bone to someone like me who wants to see real cuts to pare back some of the cancerous growth of that has occurred during the past 50 years.? Isn't there ANY discretionary spending he could have eliminated already? Christie speaks like someone who recognizes the problems but, if you think about it, so does Obama (sort of, anyway).
ML/NJ
I think it would be more reasonable to tie any increases in government costs to the regional CPI.
As for reducing the government payroll and comparing the payroll today with that of many years ago, in the intervening years the legislature has enacted more and more mandates on local and state government.
Some of these were a good idea, but all too often they are merely execizes in pandering to one presure group or other, and exerting unnecesssary control or power by the State.
The way to reduce the state and local payrolls, and thereby the tax burden, is for the state to REVIEW all the legislation that has been enacted and all the Administrative Rules that have been created in the last 25 years or so, determine which mandates are ABSOLUTELY necessary and which are not, and eliminate the non-essential mandates. Once this is done, those positions in government service supporting said mandates can be eliminated.
It is pretty simple in concept, but the very people who need to do this, are the people who have benefitted most by this system, i.e. the State Legislature.
Reviews of this type, i.e. of mandated services, should be done on a regular basis at all governmental levels - local, state AND Federal. It should eb the NEW WAY the gvoernment “does business.”
We are STRANGLED not just by taxes, but by the endless bureacracies, red tape, rules and regulations which are imposed on us.
Were the Foudning Fathers to be resurrected today, they would wonder why they bothered in the first place
He might be better than the last guy, but his demagoguing on this 2% property tax cap is disturbing.
Like what? What was a good idea?
And what legislature are you talking about? The NJ Legislature doesn't impose mandates upon itself, unless you are talking about things like pensions. (I say these pensions can be reduced or done away with altogether, BTW.)
ML/NJ
Well, obviously you are right about this!
When I wrote what I wrote (about Bluster) I was thinking more about some of his speeches I've seen on YouTube where he talks about things being unsustainable. And certainly I agree they are, but freezes don't help if things as they are now are unsustainable. It's sort of like having a fire and not applying any water or flame retardant. The government needs to be hosed, big time. It no longer serves us. We serve them.
ML/NJ
Give me a few months and I'm sure I could find one or two.
Seriously, there are SOME new mandates that may need to be implemented, and other older ones which may need to be removed.
“And what legislature are you talking about?”
The New Jersey Legislature is CONSTANTLY grinding out nerw mandates for local governments and state agencies.
Check out:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/legdigest.asp
Some time ago, the State enacted no pay no mandate legislation for local governments. That is the State would not establish new mandates for local governments to enforce without accompanying the mandate with State Funds to support it. The law has been largely ignored, after being touted as a great new break-through. At any rate, no pay no mandate is just another government shell-game. The State has NO money. ALL its money comes from the taxpayers, so if the State is requiring the local governments to enforce new rules or provide new “services” and then providing State money to pay for it, its still coming from the same source - us.
” The NJ Legislature doesn't impose mandates upon itself, unless you are talking about things like pensions.”
By “mandates” I mean requirements that the State or local governments provide additional services to the public, or impose new regulations - all of which require more personnel to implement.
“(I say these pensions can be reduced or done away with altogether, BTW.) “
Easier said than done. There are legal issues involved. New Jersey has more lawyers per capita than any State in the Union and the U.S. has more lawyers per capita than any country on earth - which explains a lot about New Jersey’s problems. Also, New Jersey is burden by a State Supreme Court comprised of frustrated legislators - they would rather make new law from the bench than follow their constitutional responsibility of interpreting enacted legislation.
Ever hear of bankruptcy?
It certainly USED to be a principle of our form of government that future legislatures could not be bound by their predecessors. Every legislature has to authorize payments from the treasury for them to happen. I suggest they stop authorizing those payments. I would hope the governor would lead them in that direction.
ML/NJ
Well, we certainly are headed in that direction.
But that’s bad news. Bankruptcy means repudiating debts. Even coming CLOSE to that means lowering the bond ratings whcih translates into lower interest rates on state bonds and higher taxes.
Actually, I think it could lead to a strengthened bond ratings. I know =I= would have greater confidence in a State that would clean house compared with one that thinks it is obligated to pay money to people who do nothing and were overpaid whenever they were doing whatever job they held.
Bankruptcy means repudiating debts.
Or "restructuring" them.
ML/NJ
ML/NJ
I also.
I am not disappointed by Christie as he is performing as I suspected.
Tom Kean is one of his mentors - hence Paula Dow and the anit-Second Amendment stand she and he have assumed, as well as his view of illegal invaders.
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