Arlen Specter and NJ

Republicans and Conservatives are up in arms over Arlen Specter's defection to the Democrat party. My first impression is that I am not surprised. Specter has made a habit of using his "moderate" mantle to horsetrade for his own political base. And I am okay with that. What bothers me is his "holier than thou" approach to his current situation.

Here is the deal:

1. He has long been a conservative at election time and a liberal in the senate
2. He has never espoused any semblance of fiscal responsibility
3. He had been supported by the National GOP up to right now

So his response when things are looking bleak in the polls-defect. Ok.

But this isn't an indictment of conservative policies. The Republican party has the right and duty to promote politicians who agree with their principles. If members stray, they also have the right to disagree.

But Specter seems to believe that he has an entitlement to Republican support. He doesn't. Nor does any politician. Evidence? See Specter's announcement today.

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Chavez gift to Corzine - Marsy dotes, and doesy dotes...

Some comical news impacting the state of New Jersey:

Venezuela's U.S.-based oil company is donating an island in the Delaware River to the state of New Jersey to be turned into a wildlife sanctuary.

Alejandro Granado, president of Houston, Texas-based Citgo Petroleum Corp., said the donation of Petty's Island shows a commitment by President Hugo Chavez's government to environmental conservation.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine welcomed the move in a statement Wednesday, saying "Earth Day is a fitting time to consummate the donation of this special place."

I find it hilarious how often Democrat politicians in this country have no issue cozying up to dictators. And yet, these same policians would never speak civilly to Americans they do not agree with on politics. It just shows how there are no stateman left in today's Democratic party. Dictators ok. US citizens who do not share my view-evil.

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Morristown - Independence Day Tea Party Announcement

We just heard from the organizers of the Morristown Tea Party event last week. They are planning another event to be held on or around July 4, 2009. We are also very pleased to hear that theme of the event involves the importance of our constitution, a document that apparently not many of our elected officials have bothered to read lately.

We will be posting further information as we get it. NJTaxRevolution led the way on getting the word out on the Tea Parties in our area and we will continue to do so for all of the organizers working so hard to get on country and state back on the right path.

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Many, many guns....

Yes, I know this has nothing to do with taxes. But dude, you have to check this out. "God Bless America" indeed. Gun control still means "hitting your target." View the video.

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Corzine's answer to budget shortfall? In-state tuition for illegals.

I sometimes don't even know how to respond to New Jersey politicians and their incessant desire to spend our money on their latest pet project. We have documented here the tendency among new assembly members to immediately run to the floor to support raising taxes to add benefits with someone else's money (see our April 2008 archives on Paid Family Leave act).

Now our Governor, Jon "I didn't take this job to play scrooge" Corzine, has a new idea destined to close the budget gap. In-state tuition for illegal immigrants. From the New York Times:

Champions of a proposal to allow illegal immigrants in New Jersey to pay in-state college tuition could be forgiven for believing, after years of frustration and defeat, that their cause may finally have momentum.

A blue-ribbon panel convened by Gov. Jon S. Corzine to study immigration matters unanimously supported the proposal in a report issued last month, and the governor has also endorsed the idea. Meanwhile, a new, more liberal wind blows in Washington.

I would like to be clear. I am a major supporter of immigration to this country. I think that EVERY citizen of the world that WANTS TO BECOME AND AMERICAN and is willing to get in line and do it the right way should be supported and welcomed to our country. I do NOT support people coming here illegally, keeping their allegiance to their home country (thereby NOT desiring to become US Citizens other than to gain rights they are not entitled to) and taxing our infrastructure, health care system and criminal justice system.

I also believe that the companies who systematically recruit these illegals outside of the rules are criminally liable. Why? Because these companies are avoiding paying a fair wage and fair benefits to their people by bringing in cheap labor. I am not speaking about agricultural jobs which are frankly done legally via various migrant worker rules. I am talking about hotels, construction, restaurants and lawn maintenance firms.

You see, the only reason there are jobs "Americans won't do" are because employers will not pay competitive wages. Our kids used to mow the lawns in our neighborhoods. Now illegal Mexican immigrants do. The savings generating these firms profits are because the rest of us subsidize their illegality by providing healthcare in emergency rooms, educating their children and providing other social support services that should rightfully be paid by the employer.

But the net of this post is that Jon Corzine needs to wake up and start paying attention to what really matters. Stop trying to add on more spending line items because it makes you feel good. Stop promoting your latest pet project by bringing in some poor person who has been aggrieved and the State needs to correct it. We have several million aggrieved taxpayers in this state right now. How about addressing their concerns?

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Belmar Tea Party Pics!

I have to admit that the Belmar event so far has been one of my favorites
around the country. Why? I used to live at the shore and I know very well what happens when weather conditions like yesterday occur. They had 200-300 people in absolute nor-easter weather. Now that is impressive!


From citizen reporter Eileen:

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Trenton Tea Party Pics!

From citizen reporter Nicole:

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Morristown Tea Party Pics!

Citizen reporter Carl provided NJTaxRevolution with these pics:

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Tea Pictures Wanted!

Based on the emails we have been getting, a lot of you will be attending the tea parties around the state. I have a flight tomorrow afternoon but am going to try to get to the early part of the Trenton event to shoot pictures. If any of you bring your cameras to your local tea party and would like us to post them here at NJTaxRevolution.com, we would love to provide a forum to display them.

Send your photos to: njtaxrevolution@gmail.com

If you want to be a citizen reporter, we will include any commentary you would like to add so even if you don't have photos, let us know what you have seen and we will share it.

Also let us know if you would like attribution - First name and town is all we will share on the blog unless you wish to share more.

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Homeland security answer to the Tea Party Movement

The Federal government has an answer to the Tea Party movement - apparently they will try to marginalize it under the guise of ginning up the right-wing extremist bogeyman. From the Washington Times:

A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines "right wing extremism in the United States" as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.

"It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," the warning says.

This is an interesting analysis. From my definition, this would include virtually every group in the United States on both the left and right that does any kind of advocacy. But as usual, this administration misses a key point. From the United States constitution:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Notice that the 10th amendment to the Constitution does not say congress can do what it wants and force it on the states. It says that the states and their people retain rights not specifically excluded by the Constitution. Liberals have moaned about George Bush and his assault on the rights of fictitious victims that they never produced citing facts never written down. Apparently, this administration is more open and forthright. They have no problem placing wording in a government document citing their intended oppression of the people and in direct contradiction to the United States Constitution in plain sight. More change you can believe in.

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The Real Meaning of the Tea Party Movement

Certain events cause you to think about what is going on in the world today and where you came from. Well over a year ago, Jake and I created this blog as a response to the New Jersey Governor and legislature's implementation of their massive sales tax increase. Early commenters treated us with a "grow up" kind of disdain. I am sure that their reasoning said that New Jersey citizens have always been apathetic to taxes and this would never change. We always believed that if people only knew the facts, they would respond and rise up against a culture of corrupt government that only serves itself and the politically connected. And never serves the taxpayer.

Fast forward almost two years. On April 15, we are likely to see a demonstration that none of us has ever experienced. You see, the tax tea party movement is not a pack of liberal professional protestors. It also is not a bunch of hippies looking to revisit the glory days of the 60's. The movement is made up of regular people who have not responded as expected to the anti-wealth rhetoric of the current administration and their liberal colleagues in the states.

I have been getting a steady stream of emails since our first posting of the tea party locations. While the comments section shows a lot of anonymous posters, these folks send us mails looking for help, offerring to volunteer and are generally disgusted by our state and the state of the federal government.

The media is trying to paint the tea party movement as a bunch of conservative kooks. It is clear to me that there is nothing kooky about what is going on. This movement is made up of honest, hard working, normal people who don't appreaciate the "changes" that we are supposed to believe in.

I think that the issue is that Americans at heart aspire to do better than their parents and even themselves. We are always striving to work hard and make sacrifices for our families. We don't resent the guy or lady in the fancy car that drives by, we strive to be that person. And we do not appreciate a president or governor that assumes that we want someone to take care of us. Thanks Barack and John, we will take care of ourselves thank you.

We all knew who brought us to this point and many of the same people who caused the current crisis are bathing in earmarks right now as a byproduct of the president's policies. Sure, Bush played a part. However, he has left the stage. What about those who would blame Bush but carry far more of the blame than he ever did? They are still on the stage, profiting from the crisis. Dodd. Frank. Schumer. Why don't they leave the stage?

And in the end, who is left holding the bag? Us. Hence the tea party movement.

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Latest Tea Party List

From Taxdayteaparty.com:

City: Belmar
When: April 15, Noon - 3:00pm
Where: 16th Avenue boardwalk

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City: Flemington
When: April 15, Noon - 2:00pm
Where: The northwest corner of Main Street and Court Street
Contact: flemingtonteaparty@gmail.com
Other Info: http://flemingtonteaparty.blogspot.com/
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City: Hackensack
When: April 15, 4:00 pm - 6:00pm
Where: Bergen County Court House, Hackensack, NJ (Court Street Side)
Contact: rratwt@optonline.net
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City: Jersey City
When: April 15:Cancelled
Contact: adcjul@aol.com
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City: Morristown
When: April 15, Noon
Where: On The Green at the center of Morristown
Contact: jeffreymw@gmail.com
Other Info: http://morristownteaparty.blogivists.com/planning-meetings/
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City: Newark
When: April 15, 12:00 pm
Where: Gateway Center One - 782 McCarter Highway, Newark Offices of Senator Lautenberg and Menendez conveniently located in the same building.
Other Info:Parking: 66 Edison Place, Newark
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City: Piscataway
When: April 15, 5:00pm
Where: Johnson Park (River Road, Piscataway Township)
Other Info:http://www.americansforprosperity.org/032409-new-jersey-tax-day-tea-party
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City: Trenton
When: April 15, 11:30am - 4:00pm
Where: New Jersey State House, 125 W State St
Email: bkkteaparty@gmail.com
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City: Vineland
When: April 15th, 1-4PM
Where: 722 E Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360
E-mail: t@thomassnow.com
Phone: 973-406-4688
Web Site: http://tomsnow.serveblog.net

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Maersk Captain Saved by Navy Seals

From the Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Navy Seal sharpshooters brought a five-day hostage standoff to an abrupt end Sunday with a hail of bullets that killed three pirates holding the captain of an American-flagged cargo ship.

The Navy acted after concluding Capt. Richard Phillips was in "imminent danger," said Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of naval forces in the Middle East.

I haven't lately had reason to write positively about our President but I will today. President Obama handled this exactly as it should have been handled and gave the commanders on the ground the correct latitude to do their jobs. And they did it in true United States Navy form.

Good job Mr President. And congratulations to a job well done to the Navy. We send our best wishes with pride and respect as always.

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Morristown Tea Party Update 3

Two updates to the Morristown event. First is that they have a new web site for the event. You can find it at the following link:

www.MorristownTeaParty.org

They have also put out a new invite that you can send to all of your friends. The next invite reads as follows:

Are you tired of all the talk about raising your taxes by the Obama Administration and the Corzine Administration? Are you fed up with all of the corruption in government at all levels? So are we! Our group - Morristown Tea Party - will be holding a Tax Day Tea Party on April 15, 2009 at Noon on The Green in Morristown, NJ, right in the heart of the city. We will be rallying against the Obama Administration' s Porkulu$ $pending and for a return to America's core values of less spending, smaller government and self determination. We are part of a national movement which will be holding these protests on April 15.

Why did we choose The Green for this activity? Of particular importance in the history of the Green is its role in various aspects of the American Revolutionary War period, linking local history to the history of the United States as a whole. General George Washington was headquartered at the Green in Arnold's Tavern during his first encampment in Morristown (January - May, 1777), and was in town again during the winter of 1779-80. As a result, the Green was frequently the center for military and political activities related to the period, and was visited by many of the national military leaders.

We hope to see you there on April 15, 2009 at 12:00 Noon rallying for honesty, responsibility, accountability and transparency in government.

Please get in touch with myself, or our Group's point person,
Jeffrey M. Weingarten, at: 973-272-3341 or JeffreyMW@gmail.com
..
Thank you and best regards,

Remember Boston - 1773!

Peter Glenn, Media Liaison
MorristownTeaParty
(TeaPartyMorristown@yahoo.com)

Be seen on the GREEN on April 15!
(Morristown, NJ)

If you are in the area, this promises to be an excellent event. Be there or quit complaining about how bad New Jersey and the federal government are beign run.

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Morristown Tea Party Update 2!

A message from the organizers of the Morristown Tea Party:

A group of concerned citizens has been working together with one accord to create an opportunity for their friends, neighbors, and fellow NJ residents to meet and announce to the world with one voice that we have all had enough of fiscally irresponsibile government.

To that end, we announce and invite you to attend the Morristown Tea Party to be held at the Morristown Green, at noon on April 15, tax day.**

Attached to this email is a video clip prepared one of the team members to advertize the rally. Please send it out to your email contacts. There is more information on our website: www.MorristownTeaParty.org.

**If the weather is bad, we will still hold the rally. Please make sure that you dress appropriately.

Check out their video:

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Bush vs Obama Deficits

A day doesn't go by when a Democrat does not decry the "Bush Deficits" on television while promoting their alleged fiscal responsibility. I ran into an acquaintance this weekend who went off on the canard that "Bush left a deficit of 1.2 trillion dollars". I tried nicely to explain to him that he was wrong but he loudly insisted that he was right. I mentioned to him that all he was doing was repeating something he heard from an Obama administration member in the midst of passing an 8000 earmark filled budget bill that Bush would not support but Obama signed.

I believe that origin of that was Rahm Emmanuel's statement on Face the Nation-"1.7 trillion dollars" (March 1, 2009). Interesting that this diagram that has been all over the blogs laid bare Rahm's claim.



There is no doubt that Bush utilized deficit spending. However, Rahm and his boss have taken the art to an entire new level. And I think I will keep re-posting this chart every time some major Obama cabinet member decide to trash everyone who came before them.

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NJ vs NY Tax War - A battle worth losing

American's for Tax Reform had an article tuesday discussing the battle going on between NJ legislators and NY legislators. Since there is only one thing both of those esteemed groups of politicians take seriously, you can guess what the article is all about:

New York and New Jersey are locked in an epic battle. The fight: which state can raise the tax burden the highest until virtually every resident and business just leaves.

The article proceeds immediately into a depressing mode:

In mid-march, we reported on New Jersey's attempt to turn the Garden State into a depopulated ghost town by raising $1 billion in taxes on individuals, businesses, homeowners, and consumers. As a result of having raised more taxes than any other state since 2002 (a combined $22 billion), the Garden State has seen hundreds of thousands of residents flee for low tax states like Pennsylvania and Florida.

It is so sad that we in New Jersey are routinely listed in case studies as one of 4 states that you really do not want to emulate-in any category. But there was at least some good news.

In a resounding victory for fiscal imprudence, the budget will give the Empire State the worst-ranked business tax climate in the nation - stealing the number one spot away from rival New Jersey.

Read the entire article here.

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