Here in Crappy New Jersey™, we've a long history in electing Regrets-in-Waiting. As soon as we make someone governor, we either hate him (Jim Florio), endure him (Christine Todd Whitman, admittedly not a 'him'), or lose him (James McGreevey).
It's not much better on the national level. Bob Toricelli should probably be in jail, along with the eleven Monmouth county officials recently swept up by the feds. Those who hold office do a poor job of bringing our federal tax dollars back to the state. (Here are the numbers for FY '03. We're last.)
Now comes word that the intrepid folk elected to represent the interests of New Jerseyans have failed to save Fort Monmouth. Needing to convince five of nine panelists of the base's necessity, we swayed....two.
Way to come up big! And will Rush Holt be reelected despite losing the base (and the 2000 jobs) in his federal district? Hells yeah. Better the regret we know. The new guy might (horrors) try to accomplish something in office.
2 comments:
There's a lot of blame to spread around, but I wonder if saving the Fort was even possible. The Pentagon clearly had Fort Monmouth in the bullseye this time around. The Army has wanted to close it for two decades. Monmouth County is mostly Republican & there's more profit for the notorious local politicians of both parties in parceling up the base than in keeping it.
I keep hearing people on both sides piss and moan about how it's nothing but pork for congressmen to fight the closure of bases in their own constituencies, but I seem to recall that such congressmen were elected to represent the will of those selfsame constituencies. It's their job to stand up for their state!
On the other hand, it's the job of the congress as a whole to seek what's best for the country as a whole.
Interesting conundrum, to say the least.
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