By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
I spend a lot of time – more than I’d like to spend, truth be told – complaining about Trenton’s dominant tax, spend and borrow culture, Save Jerseyans. ‘Robin Hood budgeting‘ is how I’ve explained it in the past. But someone needs to say something, right? Factor in the NJ Supreme Court’s interference in education funding and you’ve identified MOST of what’s wrong with our state sitting on the table right in front of you.
Few under the State House’s dome seems to understand. Or care. Probably a little bit of both in most cases.
Others have simply given up.
Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian seems to get it.
Yes, he raised taxes as the city’s collapsing casino tax base went up in flames. But he’s also looking to reduce AC’s workforce by hundreds of employees this fall and, believe it or not, said he’d even consider rolling up and shuttering entire departments during a WPVI interview!
Can you imagine? I know, you have to strain your imagination to envision it happening in Trenton or DC…
The Boardwalk Empire would be a much different place today had this type of thinking been implementing BEFORE the wheels came off of the cart. Taxpayers living hours away from A.C. would’ve been better off, too, for having saved countless millions annually in state aid devoted to propping her up.
Save Jersey bloggers, a few Republicans, and even a liberal Democrat pitched common sense budget cutting ideas earlier this year. We were ignored. I’m at least heartened by the examples of good, responsible governance in distressed urban centers and small suburban towns alike which you can find (if you look) throughout our great state.
There’s always hope for a better tomorrow when someone is out there today, even if they’re in the minority, setting a positive example by providing a real alternative to the unworkable status quo.
