Jersey's 'Do Nothing' Legislature Still Doesn't Get It

TRENTON TO ENGLISH 
TRANSLATION: “DEADLINE”

TRADITIONAL USE:

deadline

[ded-lahyn]

- noun

1.      The time by which something must be finished or submitted; the latest time for 
finishing something.

2.      A line or limit that must not be passed.

(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/deadline)

TRENTON TRANSLATION:

deadline

[ded-lahyn]

- noun

1.   Since time is relative, then it’ll get done on our “time table”, which is indefinable; sometimes the beginning, middle, or end, but really just an ambiguous time for 
finishing something.

2.   A imaginary line or never ending limit that can be bypassed, avoided, or just plain ignored; We will get this done by the December deadline, well, we really mean at the 
beginning of the year, and by beginning of the year we mean mid-March/late-April, 
no but seriously, the deadline is firmly set at a date to be determined later.

Examples:

OLIVER:  “”This will be an extensive effort over the summer to properly analyze reforms put forth by Democrats and Republicans and develop a real plan of action to bring relief to taxpayers. This is going to be a thorough review that brings smart reform to New Jersey.”  (Oliver & Cryan Assign Property Tax Reform Ideas To Assembly Democrats For Summer Review, 6/28/2010)

SWEENEY:  “[Sweeney] believed a series of bills, called the "toolkit," aimed at controlling local spending would be passed by early September.” (Jason Method, “Deal reached on NJ property tax cap,” Asbury Park Press, 7/4/2010)

SWEENEY:  “"I've always said the bills would be moving in the fall and that we would be having hearings and we are." Sweeney insists he's always said work on the tool kit would be completed by early to mid-October.”  (Kevin McArdle, NJ 101.5 FM Website, 9/7/2010)

OLIVER:  “So far this year, the Assembly has moved nearly two dozen property tax reforms…Some of the bill's we've advanced were included in the governor's so-called tool kit … Still others remain works in progress that should be moved by year's end...” (Sheila Y. Oliver, Thorough effort is right approach to New Jersey property tax reform,” NewJereseyNewsroom.com, 11/18/2010)

SWEENEY:  “We have a commitment to get this done by the end of the year. And we’re going to get it done.” (FLASHBACK: Sen. Sweeney on Moving Forward with the Tool Kit, YouTube Video from 12/9/2010)

SWEENEY:  “The other commitment that we have made to each other. And all of us I think have said this repeatedly over time, is that when we turn in January to our work, that we are going to get pension and health benefit reform done. Each one of these things is a building block to finally controlling property taxes in New Jersey. We now have a levy cap. We’re dealing with interest arbitration. We have some other ‘tool kit’ items that we’re going to have to turn to as well. And then we’re going to turn to pension and health benefits as well.  We’ve made that commitment to each other both privately and public.”   (Sen. Stephen Sweeney, Arbitration compromise press conference, 12/9/2010)

SWEENEY:  “In the beginning of the year … I’m looking for pension reform -- I’m looking to do pension reform. And I have every intention of seeing pension reform go forward. Health care reform needs to be worked on also and needs to be done. Because they’re the big drivers – and you know – in government. They’re big drivers, and Eric. My biggest concern is making -- I want to fix the pensions for one reason alone. I want to make sure that the people that were promised them, have them.”  (Sen. Stephen Sweeney, Interview with Eric Scott on NJ 101.5 FM, 12/22/2010)

SWEENEY:  “I want this thing done by the middle of March. That’s my goal, to get the pension bill done. “ (Sen. Stephen Sweeney, Interview with Jim Gearhart & Eric Scott on NJ 101.5 FM, 2/10/2011)

SWEENEY:  “I’m working on benefit reform. I would like to get all of this stuff done, hopefully by April, the latest, with the benefit reform. But I want to get this stuff finished because it has to be finished. This is what’s killing the state of New Jersey. The cost of the pension and health care are destroying the state’s economy.”  (Sen. Stephen Sweeney, Interview with Jim Gearhart & Eric Scott on NJ 101.5 FM, 2/10/2011)