Question Authority -- And Authorities

by: Steven Hart

Sun Sep 24, 2006 at 11:08:17 AM EDT

Boy, I never knew what "the roaring silence" meant until I posted this item on New Jersey’s plague of county improvement authorities and how their ability to issue bonds and support patronage-laden payrolls with little or no public scrutiny is a recipe for generations-long debt. I know the topic isn't as sexy or funny as, say, Jim McGreevey's tour guide to Parkway rest stops, but this is nuts and bolts stuff we're talking about here. If you want to know how things work in New Jersey, you gotta get your wonk on and start reading the fine print.

Now here's the Star-Ledger with an editorial expanding on its original story about Gov. Corzine's very savvy and welcome veto of an under-the-radar legislative bid to upgrade the patronage-generating capabilities of improvement authorities.

Steven Hart :: Question Authority -- And Authorities

The editorial is long enough and detailed enough to qualify as a news story in its own right, and will open your eyes to why these stealth agencies should be exposed to daylight as often as possible.

Since this is a wonk-intensive subject that will go unnoticed by all except hardcore political types and inside players, I give double props to Corzine for slamming on the brakes. The move wins him little in the way of public glory, and earns him plenty of bad karma from the inside players who benefit from budgetary shell games. If that’s not a sign of both sincerity and smarts, I don’t know what is.

Cross posted at The Opinion Mill.

Tags: patronage, improvement authorities, (All Tags)

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Question Authority -- And Authorities | 4 comments

Corzine Did Well; So Why Not Go All The Way? (0.00 / 0)

He will do even better when he uses his bully pulpit to educate New Jerseyans about ALL the pork and pay to play corruption that is systemic throughout our state and nation.

He has to be aware of all of it; the man is no fool.

Yes, he deserves praise for the veto. But he could be doing so much more.

by: Nick Lento @ Sun Sep 24, 2006 at 15:37:08 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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The Auditor today.... (0.00 / 0)

The Auditor today has an item basically saying the reform bill we deserve and have been waiting for is ready to be unveiled in the senate this week by the republican leaders there.
I know we are all pretty much aware that the it's not that the republicans are the 'party of reform', it's the fact that they don't benefit from the system as it exists today. (IE. if they were in power they would make sure this didn't happen too)
But frankly, I don't care what the motivation is, the bill the Auditor described is good for NJ.
I'm very excited to see how much weight the governor lends to their effort.
If this bill is tabled like similar efforts past, unfortunately, we will know where he really stands.

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Sun Sep 24, 2006 at 18:49:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

not much to say (0.00 / 0)

I'm not sure what kind of response you're expecting - but yes, I agree with your position, and thank you for writing that diary on this important issue.

by: judd @ Mon Sep 25, 2006 at 03:44:15 AM UTC

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Re (0.00 / 0)

I understand your problem all too well. NJ Tammany is my attempt to expose the soft underbelly of hidden government, patronage, and corruption in NJ. I get enough responses to keep me going, but just barely.

by: Thurman Hart @ Mon Sep 25, 2006 at 15:18:45 PM UTC

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Question Authority -- And Authorities | 4 comments