New Jersey Elects No Change
Governor Jon Corzine commenting on Bob Menendez’ win over Tom Kean: "George Bush and Karl Rove can take it and put it in a place where it doesn't show."
How will the 970,381+ people who voted for Tom Kean feel when they hear or read Corzine’s remark? Yawn, what’s new, taxpayers are used to being treated with contempt in New Jersey.
New Jersey’s representation in Washington has not changed with this election.
NJ Senate Vote - 2006
Bob Menendez - 1,152,978 - 53%
Tom Kean - 970,381 - 45%
NJ Congressional Vote – 2006
Robert Andrews (D): Congressional District 1
Frank LoBiondo (R): Congressional District 2
Jim Saxton (R): Congressional District 3
Chris Smith (R): Congressional District 4
Scott Garrett (R): Congressional District 5
Frank Pallone (D): Congressional District 6
Mike Ferguson (R): Congressional District 7
Bill Pascrell (D): Congressional District 8
Steve Rothman (D): Congressional District 9
Donald Payne (D): Congressional District 10
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R): Congressional District 11
Rush Holt (D): Congressional District 12
Albio Sires (D): Congressional District 13
How will the 970,381+ people who voted for Tom Kean feel when they hear or read Corzine’s remark? Yawn, what’s new, taxpayers are used to being treated with contempt in New Jersey.
New Jersey’s representation in Washington has not changed with this election.
NJ Senate Vote - 2006
Bob Menendez - 1,152,978 - 53%
Tom Kean - 970,381 - 45%
NJ Congressional Vote – 2006
Robert Andrews (D): Congressional District 1
Frank LoBiondo (R): Congressional District 2
Jim Saxton (R): Congressional District 3
Chris Smith (R): Congressional District 4
Scott Garrett (R): Congressional District 5
Frank Pallone (D): Congressional District 6
Mike Ferguson (R): Congressional District 7
Bill Pascrell (D): Congressional District 8
Steve Rothman (D): Congressional District 9
Donald Payne (D): Congressional District 10
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R): Congressional District 11
Rush Holt (D): Congressional District 12
Albio Sires (D): Congressional District 13
Posted by Enlighten-NewJersey @ 1:31 AM
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12 Comments:
I heard Jon Corzine say that. He's even worse than I thought he could be.
New Jersey: The Gulag State.
Perhaps, just perhaps, tax-payers care about more than simply paying taxes.
My condolences, Enlighten. Sincerely.
But there was simply more at stake than percentages of our income going into the government coffers.
Patrick Thompson
Hightstown NJ
Enlighten, you've done a fine job this year posting news, commentary, and other information on this blog. If all citizens were as concerned or engaged as you, government would surely function much better and citizens would be less likely to base their support on pleasant-sounding-yet-ultimately-unhelpful ideas.
I thought about your posting on the voter who said she doesn't care about corruption as long as the candidate's other positions are aligned with hers when I was in the gym last night. (The membership fees of which are now taxed, thanks to Corzine.)
I wondered if I would do the same for a candidate who would offer a tax cut or prevent taxes from being raised, an issue of paramount importance to our economy. Although, as a small business owner, this issue is very important to me, I don't think I could vote for a corrupt politician because that weakness would likely affect all aspects of their ability to govern.
To Mr. Thompson - I am discouraged when people on the left, with whom I otherwise have many policy agreements, treat the rich as whipping boys. The other day, I saw former Governor Jim Florio speak. (He is, incidentally, quite charismatic in person.) He said that everyone agrees prosperity is important, that everyone wants prosperity.
What is the best way to achieve prosperity, then? A strong economy. And what is necessary for a strong economy? Low taxes. I am very concerned that a Democrat-controlled Congress will fail to extend Bush's tax cuts, which have helped the economy to boom. To dismiss this as a minor point is to harm American business and American tax payers.
One of the ways high taxes are justified is 'to pay for government services.' Obviously, you need money to pay for things, but when so much money is wasted to corruption and incompetence, perhaps more money isn't what's necessary. Money, by itself, doesn't solve problems. Never has, never will.
But when you jack up taxes to punish the rich for being rich, you harm the economy and everyone ends up losing. This is one reason we are better off than the Europeans in just about every economic indicator.
I am leaving New Jersey. Best of luck to everyone who stays, but I think you're all in for some hard times ahead as the politicians continue to drive wealth from the state. (I personally don't have wealth yet. If I did I might have left sooner.)
-Small Business Owner
To Mr. Thompson
- YES YES YES - I care about taxes, it is at the top of my list. Maybe you don't have to pay for college (3 children), mortgage, etc. I do and when my tax bill goes from 3380 (8 years ago when I moved in new development) to 8000 (current tax bill), I CARE ABOUT TAXES.
My salary has not increased over the past eight years. So YES I CARE ABOUT TAXES.
Patrick Thompson:
What exactly was it at stake that was greater than the taxes? What do you think it was that pushed Menendez over the edge? I'm curious to know.
Personally, I think it says more that the race was as close as it was. So a democrat wins in NJ, wow. That clearly shows a vote for change. Oh wait, no it doesn't.
Check the number of people leaving NJ according to the census bureau. Consider the fact that NJ is right now 50th out of 50 states as having the best climate for small business.
NJ is an entitlement state right now. The rich pay for all the welfare and other benefits that the poor in places like Camden and Newark vote for by consistently electing democrats. If you think that isn't true, check out the county breakdown and see where each candidate won. The government continues to overtax the wealthy to support the entitlements and the wealthy continue to take their money elsewhere. So if this continues, what will happen when there are no wealthy left to tax in this state?
Didn't the two trillion dollars absorbed by the Iraq war raise your taxes? Do you really believe that Bush and his ilk are fiscal conservatives? Why did the developers and the drug companies so heavily support the Republicans. Corzine has solid business sense and he should be listened to.
Okay - this is a fairly typical rambling of the left. You're really making several discrete statements.
1. 'The Iraq war is expensive.' True.
2. 'Bush is not a fiscal conservative.' Agree with that one.
3. 'I hate drug companies and developers.' Eh. Lots of developers are actually Democrats. I think Nancy Pelosi's husband is. As an aside, I think it's interesting that those on the left demand the federal government fund embryonic stem cell research instead of looking for that funding from drug companies.
4. 'Corzine has solid business sense.' Can't agree with you on this one. He certainly knows a lot about business to have become a centa-millionaire before getting canned from Goldman Sachs. He might not know enough about leadership, however, that he didn't extricate himself from the political bosses and unions. What I mean to say is that Corzine jacked up the sales tax by one cent, added new taxes, and shows no signs of reducing any taxes. In fact, he's talking about selling/leasing the turnpike.
Can you tell me what Corzine's saying that we should listen to?
-SBO
Anonymous:
Corzine should absolutely never be listened to on business or economic matters. The "business" in which he made his millions doesn't add any new value to the economy, it takes value away by "skimming" it off every financial transaction it performs. Jon Corzine made his millions principally by skimming value off of the investment transactions of union pension funds and charitable institutions. That was the "little peoples" money, Anonymous.
Small Business Owner,
Thanks for the kind words. Sorry to hear you’ll be leaving New Jersey. Unfortunately, you are not alone in your intentions. We hear the same from more people everyday and it’s a serious problem. It’s not a good sign when so many of the most productive people in the state can’t wait until their personal circumstances make leaving possible.
Anonymous 6:35 pm:
1. The war in Iraq has not cost $2 trillion.
2. What's the break down in campaign contributions for each member in NJ’s congressional delegation (congress and senate) from drug companies?
3. Can you provide some specifics on “developers” contributions?
3. This post was questioning Gov. Corzine’s lack of tact and graciousness in victory. As for taxes, even Corzine has expressed opposition to higher business and income taxes for the state. You really should try to understand his argument for this position and then let us know if you disagree and if so, why?
Republicans do not have what it takes to win in New Jersey because they are not willing to get their hands dirty in Democrat strongholds like Hudson, Essex, Passaic and Camden. It's just the same old methods over and over that don't work.
Tom Wilson can't do it alone. He needs better management around him.
If it's any consolation, Kean won Hunterdon County by a landslide!
Motocrossed - Yes! Our property taxes are far too high. I too have children to educate and a mortgage. (Not to mention my second mortgage, credit cars, etc) You are right to point out just how difficult it is to survive when wages are stagnant but your property taxes have tripled.
This is the absolute tragedy of regressive taxes, such as property taxes; many people like yourself have to PAY more, although you do not MAKE more. This is why some people like you and other are forced to leave NJ.
This is the elegance of progressive taxes like income tax. You MAKE more morey, you PAY more money. The sad irony here is that if we did have higher income taxes, particularly for those of greater means, to fund things like public education, your property taxes would not need to rise so dramatically each and every year (yes, we would effective, enlightened leadership for it to work that way, ok, enlighten?). Those more fortunate who WERE seeing increase in their earnings, would accordingly pay more in taxes each year. Not as some sort of success penalty, but simply because they had more money.
This is what the Democratic Party stands for. Not punishing the rich. I hope to be truly rich one day and I look forward to being able to contribute more to my state and country via the ability to pay more in taxes. I mean that in all sincerity, and trust me, I pay an enormous sum in taxes currently. This is patriotism, not liberalism.
Interesting my experience in local government has confirmed tha fact that locally, Republicans do NOT work tp lower property taxes. It's the progressive taxes, the ones that vary based on your income, that Republicans lobby and legislate against.
There was much at stake in this election. Yes, there is ample corruption and ineptitude on both the Repulican and Democratic sides of the aisle. No, Menedez does not excite me and stike me as the picture of rightousness and virtue. But I believe strongly in the principles of the Democratic Pary and look forward to the fresh leadership.
Patrick Thompson
Hightstown, NJ
There is a great lesson to be learned from the N.J. elections -- one that seems to be lost on the rest of the country. When Republicans run AS CONSERVATIVES, not only do they win -- they win BIG. Even in the "blue" (as in sad!) state of New Jersey. Chris Smith, Scott Garrett, Frank LoBiondo -- good conservative records, and they won with nice majorities. I sure wish the GOP establishment in Washington would wake up to this fact.
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