There They Go Again

By a single vote the New Jersey State Senate has passed yet another piece of tax and spend legislation and the Governor has said he will sign it.
No matter that the state is deeply and debt. No matter that we are one of the highest-taxed states in the nation. No matter that the state legislature and the Governor have done nothing to tackle the state debt or lessen the burden on taxpayers.
This time it's the paid family medical leave bill which will create a new state fund and tax the typical worker an additional $33.00 per year. Understand, that's just the starting point. It's a new fund for the state to raid and a new agency for the state to run.
Businesses in the state begged the Senate not to pass this legislation -- especially now -- but it all fell on deaf ears. So what if businesses are leaving New Jersey because the state is overtaxed and over-regulated. Why worry about that?
The vote was pretty much along party lines except that one wimpy Republican (isn't there always at least one?) crossed over to vote for the bill and a couple of Democrats got cold feet.
The bill's sponsor, Democrat Senator Steve Sweeney has been yelping and crying for passage for a couple of years. Sweeney's the guy who holds two state jobs (Freeholder and Senator) and also holds another job with the Iron Worker's Union. Sweeney said he would give up one of the state jobs but, guess what? He changed his mind.
Meanwhile, here in Camden County Congressman Rob Andrews will give up his seat in the U. S. House to run in the Dem primary against Senator Frank Lautenberg. And while that's happening, Andrews' wife will likely be nominated by entrenched Dems to fill his House seat.
The Inquirer reports: "The entry of his wife into the congressional race while he is running for the Senate set off a wave of criticism, with some analysts questioning his commitment to the Senate race and others wondering how voters would feel about being asked to vote for two Andrewses on June 3. Camille Andrews declined to comment yesterday. She is of counsel to the powerful law firm Dilworth Paxson, an associate dean at Rutgers University's law school in Camden, and works for an investment firm in Bala Cynwyd." (THREE jobs, again!)
So, if Andrews loses the Senate bid, his wife can conveniently step aside and he can move back into his House seat. Course, Andrews says that's not why his wife is running and we shouldn't interpret it that way. Sure....of course not....mmm hmmm......
You see, with unaccountable one-party rule you can indeed give new meaning to the term "arrogance of power."