Paying Its Own Way

Don't give an inch! (4.00 / 3)

Christie, like George W Bush, is attempting to expand the office of the executive, to the detriment of the legislature.  He has shown contempt in his attitude and his words towards this branch.

There is NO need to bring the SCI under the executive branch.  Christie is power-grabbing.

It's the old saying; "give him an inch and he'll take a mile".

Additionally, I wonder if there is something Christie fears from an independent SCI. If it was under the executive branch it would be easier to hush up, wouldn't it?

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by: parnell44 @ Sat Jun 05, 2010 at 00:56:06 AM UTC

This Goes Beyond a Mere Power Grab.... (4.00 / 1)

Who really benefits most if he "SCI, the state Inspector General, and the state Medicaid Inspector General" are emasculated?

This is not just about "saving 3.5 million dollars".   The case is OVERWHELMING that these three entities far more than pay for themselves.   It's NOT the money! And to the extent that Christie claims that it is, he's a bald faced liar.

The crooks who steal and cheat will rejoice to see these agencies cut to shreds and crippled.    That's who benefits.

Christie is either so insanely power hungry that he doesn't give a crap about the state's best interests or he is himself corrupt and is intentionally creating/"fixing" an environment where thieves, corporate and otherwise, may operate with impunity......I should say...CONNECTED thieves.   No doubt some numbers of small fry would be served up with relish as "proof" that something was being done.     That's Christie's prosecutorial style.

Tom Hester's excellent reporting needs to be read by all, here's a snippet.....

State Inspector General Mary Jane Cooper, who told the committee that she will leave office when her five-year appointment expires on June 30, spoke in opposition to her five-year-old agency being placed under the State Comptroller.

Cooper said the independence of the Inspector General's enabled it to save the state $500 million that were being mishandled by the state Schools Development Authority and another $50 million placed at risk by mismanagement or improper actions by state bureaucrats.

Edwards told the committee the SCI has repeatedly demonstrated its value to the taxpayers and has earned its place as the state's premier independent government watchdog. He said it has conducted, and publicly reported on, more than 120 investigations and has revealed widespread waste, fraud and abuse in many areas critical to the interests of the citizens.

"It has kept you, the Legislature, and the law enforcement community and the public at-large informed about the scourge of organized crime - a vital oversight function performed by no other watchdog agency,'' Edwards said. " Furthermore, the SCI's findings and recommendations have led to the savings of tens of millions of taxpayer dollars and paved the way for extensive statutory and regulatory reforms on a systemic scale.

"That's because we do fact-finding investigations that identify systemic problems and ways to fix them,'' Edwards added. "We don't target individuals. The SCI is not an agency that plays "gotcha." Certainly, on occasion, we use examples but only to a limited extent and only when necessary to bring full transparency, disclosure and explanation to difficult systemic issues. But our primary goal, our fundamental objective, is to develop and recommend sensible, practical remedies so that the problems we identify can be fixed and don't happen again. And in this regard, the record speaks for itself: Over the past five to seven years alone, 80 percent of the SCI recommendations have been adopted by the Legislature and the governor.

And why is Senator Boxer not being actively loudly and aggressively being supported in her rational/principled stand against this move?  If THIS isn't an issue worthy of an all out unified opposition, then what is? Do the Republicans really want to run on the platform of cutting the heart out of these successful agencies?   Fighting this move would be good policy and good politics as even the Republicans would not back Christie if doing so left them open to losing some seats!

WTF is wrong with the NJ Democratic establishment???  Are they merely cowed.....or complicit?

It's not broke, don't "fix" it!  

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by: Nick Lento @ Sat Jun 05, 2010 at 08:54:30 AM UTC

Multiple investigative entities. (0.00 / 1)

Blue-Dogs, having multiple investigative entities charged with the same missions is not the way to solve problems.

Example:  If you have a department within your corporation that is failing to perform it's mission, you do not create another department with the same mission, you fix the one that is failing.

Too many agencies, councils, authorities, and the chains of command get clouded, miscommunication rises, efficiency drops.

Criminal investigation is the function of the AG's office, the FBI for government corruption, and the local LEO's as fit the crime.    Throwing yet another agency into the mix just grows the bureaucracy.

Better whatever functions this independent group is doing be folded into the AG's office for the professionals to deal with.  

If y'all want to do separate investigation's then do them as not-for-profit watch dogs, but stay out of the way of the official investigators.

You two major parties each get a chance to appoint the AG, and we like it like that.   We independents swap you out one party for the other and when we swap one, we are saying "and take your little dog's too....." out the door when you go.

Then the other major party get's it's chance to do good things for we-the-people.   Republicans gave us civil rights laws.   Dems helped beef up environmental clean ups.

Each of you has some good points, some bad.  But when either of you let your extremists take over your party, liberal left or radical right, it's then our job to give you that boot until you straighten out your party and move back to the center...

We want consolidation of government, so folding up as many little fiefdom's as possible is one of the mission's we've set for this administration... and for you...    

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by: Nora's Tea Party @ Mon Jun 07, 2010 at 06:19:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Feeding the troll (4.00 / 1)

Definition of a troll: internet posting intending to provoke a response from the reader by containing errors, foolish contradictions, and offensive remarks.  

You say, "If a department within your corporation is failing, you fix it." While you provide no proof that SCI is failing, and I do not believe it's failing, you are not following your own prescription to fix it.  Reducing its budget by about 75% is not a fix but decapitation.

You state "better whatever functions this independent group is doing be folded into the AG's office."  While you agree it currently has an independent function you are content to end its independence. In actuality many corporations are slowly learning to place more value on independent compliance, risk, safety, and environmental departments within their organization. Look at the mistakes of banks and most recently BP where a lack of independent sub departments was in part to blame for catastrophic events.

Your statement that "Republicans gave us civil right" is inaccurate.  During the history of the many pieces of civil rights legislation, the democrats at some points and republicans at other points stood in opposition.  More accurately, it took members of both parties to bring us civil rights legislation.

If you are implying that extremists have taken over the democratic party, you leave me surprised. In any event you provide no proof.

I could go on, but I am violating Rule # 1: "Do not feed the troll." Sorry for that.... I will try not do it again.

P.S. I took a look at your comments on NJ.com. Of the 529 comments you posted, one was "recommended."  

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." - Sen. Ted Kennedy

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by: Bill Orr @ Mon Jun 07, 2010 at 15:53:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well Done Bill!!!! (0.00 / 0)

God, how I wish that Christie was man enough to come to Barbara Buono's committee and testify under oath re his "rationales" for killing these agencies.   LOL That will never happen.   The "best" Christie can do to defend his position on this is unleash anonymous trolls using spurious/deceptive non-sense.

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by: Nick Lento @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 at 03:07:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hi Nick.. (0.00 / 0)

Don't I just wish I could get into Christie's office in some capacity...   (sigh)   I'd love to give all of THEM a piece of my mind in quite a few areas.

He's not doing all in my Tea Party would like to see but we don't have access to give him input, which is why I'm blogging.

And Bill, if you read some of the posts you will see I try to STOP the trolls from just inciting reactions.   When I started blogging I was hoping to find intellectual debate, but what I am finding looks like a bar room brawl instead...

Oh well...  I know there is a compromise point out there somewhere.  I'd love to get the head Dem and the head Rep together in one room, knock their heads together and say "Play Nice!".

So sad for us independent American's to see our leaders so demean themselves by bickering, instead of really TRYING to find things they CAN do together.  

At least I try... not nice of you to be mean and make silly assumptions.  

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by: Nora's Tea Party @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 at 04:14:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not Credible.... (0.00 / 0)

....as you are clearly intelligent/articulate. That's why I don't believe that you failed to understand the case Buono made up top......it's quite compelling on a logical and factual basis.    These agencies have proven their worth many times over many years.....there is no rational intellectually/morally good reason to disembowel them.  At best Christie is driven by purist Tea Party ideology....and that's being charitable.  

If you are for real, then I urge you to come out and "blog" under your own name.    

Obviously, you are free to do as you wish.......but so far, what I've read from your verbiage comes across as the kind of thing a slick smart PR person would come up with as a defense of Christie's policies in this kind of forum......that doesn't necessarily mean you're a paid "troll"......you may just be a sincere "true believer" in a libertarian world view that simply hates all government (except that which protects the property rights and personal safety of the wealthy).    

A "libertarian" America did exist in the robber baron era.....and it was hell for the poor, the children, women and minorities........I don't believe most people really want to go there again.   They don't want to lose child labor, workers comp, EPA, unemployment insurance, SCHIP, pre-k, libraries, wage hour laws, the 1964 Civil Rights Act .....etc etc etc etc.

The Libertarian  world of Ayn Randian fantasies is one in which few New Jerseyans would choose to live.

 

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by: Nick Lento @ Mon Jun 14, 2010 at 05:43:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hi Bill (0.00 / 0)

My reference to a department failing was not that the SCI is the failure, but that the creation of the SCI initially was because of a failure in the AG's office.  

Had the AG's office been adequately performing investigative duties there would have been no need for yet another investigative entity.

The AG's failure may have been personnel oriented or budget related.  I do not know.  

Thank your for the definition of "troll", I did not know what it meant.   I always try not to be offensive, and not being a perfect person I may at times be inaccurate in details.

I am new to blogs (since Jan? Dec?) and interested in what y'all were saying as I am interested in what the right wing is saying.

As an independent there are many times I simply don't understand what on earth you two are fighting about when logical solutions exist to most problems.  (except world peace (grin).

If you Blue-Dogs want to simply chat among yourselves and are not interested in how we middle-of-the-roaders out here feel, I consider that a crying shame as you waste the opportunity to pick the brain of someone who will honestly answer any questions asked.

I am much more interested in school reform than what the LEO's are doing as that has a greater impact on our individual lives on a daily basis (property tax.)

Is there a Blue-Dog (that is not a bad word is it?  I just made it up and thought it kind of cute) group out here in New Jersey that is willing to discuss solutions without being nasty to one another?

Nora

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by: Nora's Tea Party @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 at 04:07:18 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Welcome (0.00 / 0)

I haven't read your post in its entirety but I will.  In the interim please know that your views are welcomed and some of US will read them in the context with which they were offered; your heartfelt thoughts and concerns.  Don't let the elbows turn you off.  I did that once and the next thing I knew we were at war.

Best regards.

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by: Got Kids @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 at 02:53:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

An unsolicited endorsement (4.00 / 2)

Democrats need better Senate leadership.  Sweeney should step down. Senate Majority Leader Buono should become the Senate President. She understands the difference between tactics and strategy.  In a period when the Executive perniciously seeks more and more power, she "speaks truth to power, " stands up for those most vulnerable, and is a strong, progressive leader for New Jersey.  

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." - Sen. Ted Kennedy

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by: Bill Orr @ Sat Jun 05, 2010 at 13:47:04 PM UTC

Chris Christie is a thug (4.00 / 1)

I'll make it simple for you Senator Buono.  There's no sense being nice here because the Guv is not being nice to anyone except millionaires.  Chris Christie is a thug.  He's a Bush henchman who sadly was elected was voters based on false promises.  Christy isn't interested in oversight.  He wants to hide facts from the public so he can push a right wing agenda - mainly, gutting public education.  It's up to you to come out strongly against Christie's budget.

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by: rjsnj @ Sat Jun 05, 2010 at 17:22:10 PM UTC

I sure hope she read what you wrote and.... (0.00 / 0)

....takes it to heart.

Christie is a monster with a pleasant demeanor.    Like George Bush himself.....he's a likable guy....but not someone you should trust with you children's and great grand children's lives.

Will any Democrat have the nads to stand up to this "Goliath"????

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by: Nick Lento @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 at 03:11:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]