Hey Rep. Gottheimer: Are “Moocher States” kind of like “Shithole Countries”?

By Matt Rooney

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I couldn’t find much online from U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D, NJ-05) concerning Donald Trump’s alleged “shithole” remarks, Save Jerseyans, which makes him a bit of a rarity among his Democrat House colleagues. 

Maybe the following explains why…

“This Tax Hike Bill is bad for New Jersey families and businesses. The elimination of the State and Local Tax Deduction leaves us holding the bag while the Moocher States [emphasis added] get even more of our tax dollars,” Gottheimer opined via his campaign Facebook page.

Now, Gottheimer is pushing a charitable deduction work-around scheme to deal with the new SALT deduction cap, one which will never happen and consequently something that’s an all-around waste of time.

Whatever. It’s a scam.

My question at the moment: Shithole Country = Moocher State?

I get what he’s saying. New Jersey gets a disproportionately small amount of pennies back from D.C. for every dollar you and I, the taxpayers, send southbound on I-95. That’s been the case for a long time.

Gottheimer fails to discuss many of the key causations, of course, like our state’s highest-in-America tax burden and BLOATED federal spending. If the federal government was smaller, New Jersey could keep more of its cash instead of spending money on an entitlement system that disproportionately assists residents in poorer states.  Said another way… if Gottheimer is worried about mooching, then why does he caucus with the party that’s political philosophy is grounded in mooching?

What’s more Democratic (capital “D”) than redistribution of wealth from the wealthy to the poor?

Why is this the one example of redistribution (or “mooching” – his words, not mine!) which the Congressman finds objectionable?

But the shithole angle plays into this, too. Let’s assume Trump DID call certain countries “shitholes.” How is what Gottheimer said any better? Am I supposed to infer that Gottheimer believes every citizen of Alabama or Mississippi is a knuckle-dragging, low-rent “moocher” who’s less valuable to society than the average New Jerseyan? Simply because he used loaded language to advocate an economic/taxation position?

I’d expect not. Nor do I think Trump was revealing some sort of secret bigotry. 

Relax. Breathe. Think about it…

Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8403 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.