By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
If the rejoined pension and benefits brawl is illustrative of everything that’s wrong with New Jersey’s governing regime, Save Jerseyans, then the fight over how to replenish our state’s transportation trust fund is the prime example of everything that’s wrong with the mentality of our opposition.
My question is in the title: Why is it the GOP’s responsibility to fix the transportation fund?
It’s a question that too few on my team are asking.
Think about it. After last fall’s disastrous electoral ass-kicking (let’s not sugar coat it, okay?), the Republican Assembly caucus is at its weakest point – only 28 seats to the Democrats’ 52 – since 1979. Two years after Jimmy Carter adopted “wear a sweater” as our national energy policy. So it’s not even debatable that our messaging sucks. Redistricting explains why there are few competitive seats but it is NOT an absolute excuse for losing most of those seats. I’m not blaming anyone in particular; this is simply a restatement of a harsh reality relevant to our analysis!
An equally unsubtle clue can be found in the LD11-specific Assembly race results where “no gas tax” garnered its fair share votes while GOP town turnout proved anemic. One month later, after her two Republican Assembly colleague were confirmed defeated, State Senator Jennifer Beck (R-11) came out hard against a gas tax increase, proposing instead “a seven-year, $11.2 billion funding plan that relies on $6.6 billion in cash and $5.4 billion in borrowing” which she says “can be absorbed by the state’s natural revenue growth without a ‘regressive’ tax increase.”
I’m not married to this particular solution (we’ve got our own ideas including one from our buddy Bill Spadea that involves LOWERING the gas tax), and I’m definitely not crazy about borrowing, but Save Jerseyans are even less thrilled over the prospect of raising ANY taxes in the most-taxed state in America, one that has already lost billions of dollars and two million residents because of taxes. What’s the point of roads if no can afford to live here, and do business here, to drive on them? THAT needs to be the NJ GOP message. Jennifer Beck gets it if for no other reasons because she’s no dummy and Election 2015 was the political version of a “near death experience” for her. She sees the writing on the wall. And she’s a fighter who is willing to fight.
Not all of her legislative colleagues get it or, if we’re being honest, want to get it? I’ve been given dozens of lectures on this point in recent weeks! All well-meaning and received in that spirit but none of them very convincing. Their worldview, in truth, is colored by life in safe(r) districts thanks, once again, to that G-damn map. They’re ready to compromise our natural fiscal conservative opposition to a gas tax hike before the debate even formally gets underway. Not because they’re evil RINOs or dumb people, hardly, but because they frankly have never had to fight so the killer instinct just isn’t in their DNA. For those who do know better: To what end? Do they still think Republicans win elections by presenting as superiorly “reasonable” to the Democrats? How’s that working out? Ask Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton! It’s a loser for us.
Courage and principles – happily and clearly articulated – win elections. Or at least put you in a position to win when other external factors converge in your favor. The ‘better manager’ argument buys you 28 seats and an existential crisis for whoever is left: what’s the point of going to Trenton every day when you’re living in a permanent minority party hell?
I can answer that rhetorical question with a quote from one of my favorite political commentators, Charles Krauthammer, a brilliant mind who can hardly be accused of being anything other than a strong conservative with pragmatic inclinations:
When a party is in opposition, it opposes. That’s its job. But when it comes to power, it must govern. Easy rhetoric is over, the press of reality becomes irresistible. By necessity, it adopts some of the policies it had once denounced. And a new national consensus is born.”
The Democrat Party, by hook AND by crook, is in charge of New Jersey government. It’s their job to govern. They control two of three branches and Christie Christie, outside of the pension and benefits fight, has chosen to work with them rather than try to dislodge’em from power. So be it. I don’t like it one bit but it’s the Democrats’ responsibility to solve each and every crisis, most of which are of their making to begin with.
With all due respect, it ain’t the Republican legislative caucus’s problem. It’s our job to OPPOSE. Articulately, loudly, and leveraging smarter and better techniques for reaching targeted voters who sat at home in places like LD11.
Will the fund go bust sometime this summer? That’s Steve Sweeney, Vince Prieto, and Governor Christie’s problem! If the people of New Jersey wanted Jon Bramnick and Tom Kean, Jr. to fix it, then they would’ve given them the reins. They didn’t. So why should the onus be on Republicans to solve this mess? Why should we undermine our own electoral prospects to give the Democrats cover with a veto-proof majority? That’s what this is all really about, by the way.
Said another way: how will New Jersey learn to voter smarter if we rescue them from some of their chosen party’s worst decisions?
Trump’s and Bernie’s early successes this cycle are proof enough: the people do want an alternative but not as much as they want to punish the status quo. Republicans in New Jersey need to line up on the right side and give voice to a justifiably pissed off electorate or come to grips with a permanent, helpless backseat position as our state speeds right over the cliff. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
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When is the last time you saw a NJ Democrat take responsibility and fix anything, other than fixing a hole in one of their donors pockets?
Jersey is run by democrats period they are owned by the unions more tax dollars go out in social programs instead of fixing roads that have been fucked up for years
This state is a mess,and i blame the voters.
Not crazy over borrow and spend ?? You should be dead against it! That is what got us in this problem state wide and nation wide.! Real fiscal conservatism has been dead for 25 years in NJ
You want to borrow against more tolls? Change the name and call the tolls a tax , what it really is!
We were all over Corzine for thinking and talking about adding and raising tolls… But that’s one area where Christie walked the walk, Toll man!
Heh…New Jersey is dead in the water. The only ones who can afford to remain here are the wealthy, the sinecured politicos, and the slip-n-fall shysters.
Audit the TTF !!!!! no audit no more money period
I guess when the kids screw up, the adults step in to correct their stupid mistakes
It’s the Legislature and the Governors responsibility but like a lot of these cans that get kicked down the road, the longer nothing is done, the more its going to cost taxpayers in the future.