We’ve all seen those roadside memorials commemorating a crash victim, Save Jerseyans. Flowers, teddy bears, crosses, small signs… all intended to help distraught loved ones cope with a tragedy (and perhaps even remind other passersby to ease up on the gas peddle?).
I’m equally unsure that I’ve never heard of anyone dying BECAUSE of a roadside memorial.
Bob Andrzejczak (D-Cape May) and his equally dense Assembly district-mate Bruce Land apparently know something we don’t.
They want to regulate these ad hoc memorial sites by eliminating them; instead, if Bob and Bruce get their way, grieving families would need to submit an application (with a fee! the amount which they refuse to disclose) to NJ DOT. The state would then fabricate some sort of standardized, impersonal sign for the location.
Three (hopefully obvious) points to consider:
(1) Trenton politicians are always shameless about demanding more money (see the gas tax hike supported by Bob and Bruce’s party), but you’d think these clowns would feel an ounce of remorse for hitting up grieving families for a signage fee? What’s next? A DEP “tears and tissues” disposal tax?
(2) This is yet another example of a Trenton solution in search of a problem. How many people are actually distracted/injured/killed every year in New Jersey by roadside memorial teddy bears? Date, please? Anyone? Hello?
(3) Aren’t there more important things for these losers to worry about? LD1 (Cape May and Cumberland Counties) consistently face the highest unemployment, foreclosure and associated economic challenges of any region in the entire state. These two haven’t proposed a damn thing to address any of those challenges. They’re too preoccupied with regulating how New Jerseyans mourn crash victims. Tell me again why these deserve seats in the legislature?
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