Do You Support Trenton's A.C. Takeover? 
A DEEP THOUGHT: What's So Painful About Budget Cuts?
| March 13, 2010 You could call this weekend the "quiet before the storm," Save Jerseyans, were it not for the fact that New Jersey residents are already grappling with nor'easter-like conditions outside. There's no rest for the weary.
As you try to stay dry today, consider allowing your beloved Blogger-in-Chief to get something of his chest? Something's really been bothering me lately: why are New Jersey Republicans qualifying all of their budget cut commentary and accepting the liberal premise that spending reductions will necessarily translate to "pain" for our state?
Frankly, I expect to feel pretty good about life after Christie's Tuesday address!
Will public school teachers who have paid literally NOTHING towards their generous medical plans now suddenly be required to contribute meaningfully? Sure.
Will state worker unions responsible for coercing bloated pensions and salaries from taxpayers at above-market rates now have to cut back and trim their sails? Absolutely.
Will those who generally take more out of the system than they put in now find themselves responsible for more of their own financial upkeep? You bet.
So exactly which aspect of these allegedly terrible cuts will be "painful" for the average taxpayer? Beats me, Save Jerseyans! If you've been dutifully contributing to our state's fiscal maintenance as a property and/or business owner, then you have nothing to fear from Tuesday's budget speech. For you, the skies are finally clearing! If, however, you've allowed taxpayers to pay your way for the past decade or longer, then your day of reckoning has indeed arrived. Just deal with it. Taxpayers have "dealt with it" for years. Now it's finally time to distribute the tax burden fairly. The producing class can't afford to carry the government class on its back any longer.
And guess what? My outlook doesn't reflect a minority viewpoint anymore. That same sentiment carried Governor Chris Christie into office in November. I lived it, just like many of you who were battling in the trenches as voters were making their decisions. Hence, those fools whining about budget cuts represent an entitled minority who never supported Chris to begin with. Let'em scream, Republican leaders! And don't forget that Tuesday shouldn't be a "sad" day at all. Quite to the contrary, it should be represented as a glorious day for taxpayers! We're finally going to take an affirmative step towards returning government to the people. Isn't that what getting Chris elected was always about?
I promise you this, Save Jerseyans: if Republicans adopt a more positive attitude about the Governor's budget cuts, the voters will once again recognize that downsizing government in the interest of affordable and accountable governance is an act worth endorsing with their votes! Take it to the bank...
Good points Matt. The state should tax less, spend less, and do less.
I remember that last year, at one of the debates, Gov. Christie said that if you took the FY 2005 budget and factored in increases to meet the rate of inflation, NJ would save $5.4B! Right there, you're halfway home and you add the increases in worker contributions and ending useless and redundant programs and the job is done.
Were the big spenders saying that the sky was falling in back in 2005? No, they weren't and the sky won't fall in now either. The tax and spend crowd is just upset that their ever-expanding Ponzi scheme got caught & they were left here in NJ holding the bag when the taxpayers caught on.
We have a spending problem not a revenue problem. Gov. Christie, please get spending and taxes under control and let the critics whine. They had their chance and they blew it.
Reply to this