The Save Jersey Blog

"The End of the Beginning" for Our Save Jersey Movement

mattrooney@savejersey.com (Matt Rooney) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT

| August 26, 2010

Until the Second Battle of El Alamein in November 1942, it definitely looked like the Allies might lose the African 'Western Desert Campaign' and, with it, all of World War II. The world seemed destined to suffer the wrath of Hitler's evil Third Reich. But the Allies didn't lose that key campaign thanks largely to the cunning, determination and genius of General Bernard Montgomery and the free European forces under his command.

Upon hearing news of the victory, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered a famous address from London's Mansion House, defiantly declaring:

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end! But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

I wanted to convey a similar albeit less dramatic message to you today, Save Jerseyans, as I announce my departure from The Save Jersey Blog.

This wasn't an easy decision to make, but I've decided to relinquish my coveted "Blogger-in-Chief" title in order to pursue other opportunities away from the political arena. Will I stage a grand comeback down the road? Maybe... God knows Barbara Streisand hits the road with a new "farewell tour" on an almost annual basis, and we've all seen plenty of commercials for Garden State furniture warehouses who've been in and out of business for the past 30 years. Time tells all tales. However, at least for the immediate future, I'm leaving you in the trustworthy hands of a fresh, capable, and dynamic new blogging team ready to take Save Jersey to the next level.

That's right, folks! I may be moving on but the blog we built together isn't going anywhere. 2010 is a huge year for the cause; we certainly wouldn't leave you flapping in the wind, now would we? SAVE JERSEY 2.0 (as I like to call it) is already in the advanced planning stages. Please remember to check back for the big relaunch on Wednesday, September 8th, Save Jerseyans. I really think you'll like what the new management has planned for what I'm absolutely sure will continue to be New Jersey's #1 conservative website.

ABOVE: Your Blogger-in-Chief sharing a tender

moment with Governor-elect Chris Christie on

Election Night 2009. I'm NOT crying for the

record... our Guv is just a very strong hugger!

I won't waste your time with a teary farewell or a cautionary lecture. That's not my style.

For now, I'll say only that this is a very appropriate moment for a Save Jersey transition. We've arrived at the "end of the beginning" of sorts in our ongoing mission to "Save Jersey" from rampant waste, greed and corruption. New Jersey was, in many ways, a very different place when I launched this blog back in May 2008. Think about it... few pundits could've guessed just two short years ago, that we'd have a fiscally conservative Republican in the State House, let alone one who is unafraid to take on this state's institutionally corrupt influences. Property tax caps, public pension and education compensation reforms, a budget balanced without tax increases and an end to special treatment for state employee unions... indeed, we've come a looong way (in a relatively short period of time) from the depressing and embarrassing McGreevey-Corzine years!

New Jersey is back on track, my friends. This state's media-battered self esteem is on the mend. Machine-bullied voters are no longer willing to blindly endorse the status quo. Our citizens finally admit to having real hope that something besides death (or relocation to North Carolina) can deliver us from high taxes and the abuses of an out-of-control government!

ABOVE: Meeting then-U.S. Attorney for the first time on

March 6, 2008 after a guest lecture at South Jersey's

Rutgers-Camden Law School.

And yet none of these taxpayer triumphs could've been achieved without you, Save Jerseyans. Don't be so modest! The indisputable truth is that this blog's ever-expanding audience had Chris Christie's back way before it was cool. When self-interested megalomaniacs and third-party plants tried to derail the future governor's campaign for reform during the 2009 campaign, Save Jersey was there to set the record straight and make the enemies of limited government reform infamous. Again, after the election, we worked hard 24/7 to bring national attention to our new Governor's early efforts on behalf of the beleaguered taxpayers who turned to him as their last best hope for an affordable tomorrow.

Over 1,000,000 visits (and almost as many controversies) later, I can comfortably claim that we helped make the Garden State a freer and more prosperous place.

So it's goodbye for now, my dear Save Jerseyans. I'll always be grateful for your participation, support, spirit and friendship over the past few years. This experience has been more fun for me than you'll ever know, and I sincerely wish each and every one of you the best in your future work, public and personal, towards furthering the cause of liberty and prosperity in our great state.

But never forget that this is not the end of our battle to Save Jersey... merely the end of the beginning! And what an awesome beginning it's been.

Blue Jersey Blogger Compares American Founders to Terrorists

mattrooney@savejersey.com (Matt Rooney) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:30:00 GMT

| August 25, 2010

The Blue Jersey blogging community skews far-left, Save Jerseyans, but I've rarely been offended or shocked by anything their typically-civil bloggers have written... until now.

The contributor "KendalJames" got lost on his way back to Looneyville and commented on your Blogger-in-Chief's Tuesday morning post discussing Ground Zero Mosque imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's outrageous anti-American remarks. Call me "naive," but I'd like to think that all red-blooded Americans of any political persuasion would be disgusted by someone equating Osama bin Laden's terrorist activities and United States foreign policy.

Apparently "KendalJames" is the exception:

I must've missed the day in class when my high school history teacher discussed Continental Army soldiers strapping pouches of gun powder to their waistcoats, boarding clippers bound for London, and hijacking the vessels at sea and driving them directly into British piers screaming "God is Greater!" The Founders I recall learning about literally risked (and often lost) everything in their previously affluent lives to bring democracy back into a world weary of tyranny.

Yes, "my dear boy" KendleJames. I'm denying that anything you said is true and, quite frankly, I'm questioning whether you've taken complete leave of your senses. And that's assuming you ever had sense to begin with!

It might've done you some good (although I doubt it) to attend Monday's bill signing ceremony in Haddon Heights. Governor Christie and legislators from both parties joined together to honor Garden State veterans from several foreign wars. Each of these conflicts saw young Jersey men and women risk their lives for the cause of freedom and to protect anonymous individuals in distant lands. They did this with little regard for their own safety; many died, and many more came home with physical or emotional scars that would never completely heal.

And what do these heroes get for their sacrifice? A few colorful ribbons, discount college tuition, and a bunch of bullshit from a smart ass liberal ingrate such as yourself.

You're obviously entitled to your opinion, KendalJames. That's exactly what these brave American soldiers fought to defend. But if you can't appreciate the simple distinction between their sacrifice and the actions of the evil rapists, thieves, and mass murders comprising Al-Qaeda's ranks, then perhaps your freedom wasn't really worth their effort.

An Epic ObamaCare #FAIL in New Jersey

mattrooney@savejersey.com (Matt Rooney) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:00:00 GMT

| August 25, 2010

During the prolonged ObamaCare debate, many of the plan's critics (including your Blogger-in-Chief) questioned the rush to pass a healthcare package. Was there really a large and urgent demand for government-subsidized health insurance? Or were Democrat leaders' motivations to move things along more political than humanitarian? After all, it's well-established that Obama's "47 million uninsured Americans" line is rubbish. Only the marketplace can efficiently account for demand; government involvement is always based on guesswork. No Democrat could've rightly claimed to know how many Americans would even want an ObamaCare package!

Now I think we may have our answer, Save Jerseyans.

In New Jersey, for example, only two people out of nearly nine million Garden State residents have bothered to sign up!

MyFox 5 NY

"Just two people in New Jersey will begin receiving coverage Monday under new plans created by federal health care reforms.

NJ Protect plans are available to those who have been without insurance for at least six months and submit evidence of pre-existing health conditions.

The state will receive $141 million in federal subsidies to cover claims that exceed the premiums paid by the beneficiaries."

This epic ObamaCare #fail is bad news for the legislation's backers.

A low level of participation is good news, however, for the two individuals who actually got off their butts and enrolled. They get to split $141 million worth of coverage right down the middle!

That's change John Doe #1 & #2 can believe in. The rest of us will pay for it even though we have no desire to use it!

"The Difference Between a Real Man and a Fake Man"

mattrooney@savejersey.com (Matt Rooney) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:34:00 GMT

| August 25, 2010

The Guv returned to Morning Joe today to discuss his latest approval ratings, Save Jerseyans. On the program's set, however, I think his approval rating is closer to 100%.

Watch:

Race to the Top: Throwing Big Money at a Non-Monetary Problem

mattrooney@savejersey.com (Matt Rooney) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:30:00 GMT

| August 25, 2010

Do you factor winning the lottery into your family's annual budget, Save Jerseyans? What about the small business owners out there in this blog's audience... do you collect scratch-off tickets and pray for the best when it's time to satisfy your company's payroll obligations?

Of course not! Sure, you'd happily accept the money if awarded but you'd be a fool to count on it, particularly at the expense of responsibly managing the resources already in your possession. Why, then, should a state or school district behave any differently? I can't think of a good reason. Can you?

I highly doubt the NJEA and its Democrat enablers can, either, but that certainly won't stop them from pretending otherwise. Governor Christie's detractors in the teachers union and elsewhere are pouncing on New Jersey's narrow loss in the nationwide "Race to the Top" competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Education. The top ten scoring states received federal education funds ranging from $75 million to $700 million; when the results were promulgated on Tuesday, New Jersey was in eleventh place. Published reports cite "errors" in the Christie Administration's application as the reason for our disappointing finish.

Who's to blame? I don't know if it even matters. What I do know is that the public education system is a lot of things but "underfunded" isn't on of them (see below). A few governors like Chris Christie get it, yet Washington is stubbornly doing everything it can to thwart any reforms capable of undermining union power. The recent costly (and futile) federal teacher bailout is a glaring example. This multi-billion dollar "race" program is another. Would it be cool if New Jersey miseducators had more money to throw at more random crap? I guess; not a dime of it, however, will help produce better educated kids until we correct the institutional, legal, and culture problems plaguing our school system.

Think I'm full of it? Get in line! Then click here to view a classic clip from The Cartel. It highlights shocking facts supporting the conclusion that want of money is not that which ails our struggling school system. Not even close, Save Jerseyans: