Maybe California Isn't So Bad

The Lord of Truth makes me wonder why he continues to reside in the Garden State...

The Democrats in Trenton reached a last minute state budget deal and David Rebovich, political science professor at Rider University, is quoted by the Star-Ledger as saying: “while the budget may contain some ‘frivolous’ expenses, many more help quench the ‘pent up demand’ for services in the state."

...Over the past four years the state of New Jersey has raised taxes 546 percent, more than the average state in our nation. That amounts to an additional $924 in taxes for every man, woman and child in our state. And that doesn't include local property tax increases and liabilities in the tens of billions that hang over our heads for such things as public employee pensions.

By way of comparison, for the same four year time period, Nevada with the second largest increase, saw taxes go up $508 per person. Our neighbors in New York had their taxes increase $451, Connecticut $474 and Pennsylvania just $65 per person. The average state in the country raised taxes by $143 per resident over the past four years.

The average New Jersey voter seems oblivious to the cause of the state's financial mess, Democrats catering to special interests. How many know that only about 12 percent or $3.4 billion of New Jersey’s $27.9 billion budget is spent to run the state; providing common services such as highway maintenance, state police, courts and operating the state’s sixteen departments? How many know the remaining $24.5 billion is spent ‘solving problems’ by transferring money from taxpayers to tax receivers?

There's something scary about New Jersey, and I'm not talking about big hair or syringes on the beach. I keep telling the Lord he needs to run for office and save his adopted state. I'm starting to wonder if that's possible.