Corzine Budgeting for Corruption

                                                              by David DiBello

If every man, woman and child of New Jersey’s nearly 9 million populace sent in a dollar a week to Trenton for 52 weeks a year, it would take seven years to pay off the projected $32 billion deficit. This approach seems more feasible than to double and triple thruway tolls, singling out drivers both home and out of state for past legislative mismanagement.

We can tweak the contribution levels so little Timmy and Jane, or Rasheesh and Shaquana don’t get unduly burdened and rudely awakened to NJ economics. Of course there will be the clamor of discrimination of the wealthy if they have to pay $2 for this shortfall, but at these levels we can risk it.

Segregating the debt and eliminating it will not alleviate the real problem going forward.  Like teaching a man to fish instead of handing him a carp, it would be unwise to hand a new credit card to spendthrift legislators, especially ones still in the throngs of addiction. 

It’s time to address the waste in this city’s government, that is, if we can keep an elected official out on bail long enough to make a “town meeting.” New Jerseyans should question the need for an “ombudsman,” a window dressing office as old and irrelevant as the New Hampshire primary, or the countless dog catching titles that add to the fiscal mess. How difficult can these jobs be if one can hold dual titles, and matching pensions?

Then we approach perks given to “gift” office holders, along with Part Time employees (phantom jobs?) who receive full time benefits for life, including expensive health care and pension to boot. These employees work as little as 10 to 15 hours a week, equivalent to watching two Seinfeld reruns a day for six days; something to break up the monotony of doing nothing.

New Jerseyans are in a state of massive kickback and corruptions, and stolen funds never recovered, that it would be unwise to hand over a clean slate before Corzine confronts the fiscal hemorrhaging going forward for fear of another new deficit in ten years.

Credit Corzine for making his proposals, unlike Gov Florio, while New Jersey was awake. However we fear Corzine’s budget already takes into account future corruption as part of the state’s operating costs, explaining the toll hike request. Suspicious if it only takes a dollar a week from every citizen to pay off this debt.

We elected Corzine because he was a shrewd financial manger, but like driving without a seatbelt, he seems accustomed to the “old way of doing business,” especially allocations for frivolous projects and bureaucratic misadventures. If the Governor can’t adapt to prudence, then the electorate should consider its own drastic cost cutting measures – Impeach Corzine.

The only looming problem is explaining to your child as they break into their piggy bank why they have to pay for someone else’s misdeeds. It will be time for the “life isn’t fair” speech, to which they might reply “nonsense – it’s their fault; make them pay.”

Political Hypocrisy     

 By David DiBello

Like witnessing a loved one with an addiction problem, we have to stand back and let nature take its course to get a cure. The Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest is now taking place in the Republican Party as they weed out the weakest link to see who is the last man, or policy, standing.

 It is equally interesting to witness participants like deer caught in headlights. Journalist William Kristol of the Standard and Fox News, openly admires Obama every Sunday, talking about his charisma and loquacious oratory, much in the same way a cat initially shows fond affection for a mouse.

Kristol, along with the likes of Dick Morris, Fred Barnes, Hannity and Limbaugh sing praises of Barrack, a man they would slam the door on if he ever showed up at a Conservative Party rave, and gleefully warn Clintonians their candidate’s days are numbered. A vast conspiracy, if you will, of hypnotically trying to convince people Hillary is the weaker candidate, despite her experience, which they railed about in the 90’s, her organization and the fact that they have the best “two for one” scenario in that equation’s history – a former President as spouse who already knows the road travelled, and can render advice for the kinks along the journey.

They will point to Hillary’s negatives, constantly inflated by the barrage of right wing claptrap covering Whitewater, commodities futures, alleged pandering and connections, the sound of her voice and other quirks either proven nonexistent or overstated from a party consisting of Tom Delay, Scooter Libby, Grover Nordquist and Dick Cheney. These embellished negatives dissipate once her competition moves from a generic opponent to a specific name. As the economy further deteriorates, people will overlook the “ice queen,” which has since been debunked, in favor of someone who will tend to their needs.

It is also amusing to listen to their utter disgust at Bill Clinton for his campaigning tactics, despite the fact that the former President merely stated facts people need to hear if not want to hear. Its true Barrack lacks experience and would be a gamble, like the one we had with Jimmy Carter. It’s true that the South Carolinian primary results will be seen as an aberration, or a source of frustration for Democrats angered Clinton wasn’t considered in such a monolithic vote.  It is also true the media has given a pass to Barrack, never questioning his resume or associations, fearing they need tippy toe around the first legitimate African American candidate. In 1984, the Democrats had no problem saying “show me the beef!” Why not now; isn’t dishonorable to treat someone as less than equal?

This is irony at its best, since this is the party that backed Lee Atwater and Carl Rove, Republican hit men, the latter orchestrating the McCain “black baby” rumor in the 2000 campaign, and placed flyers on windshields of evangelicals warning them of Ann Richards “gay quota” hiring during Bush’s Texas Gubernatorial campaign. The alleged mudslinging Kristol and crew claim to find abhorrent will be child’s play come Fall, when these journalist will hem and haw, and remain tacit as henchman play their part. We will hear of Barrack’s inexperience, drug use or sale, and ruminations over fear of his middle name along with perpetration of the fraud that he “really is a Muslim,” playing on people’s fear.

Come Fall, we will hear that the Californian fires were started by a massive flag burning, the gay life style is an abomination while they court their vote, Democrats will require at least one abortion before registering to vote, and Iran will become our 51^st state. They will lie, cheat and distort, whatever works to regain control of the White House in their quest for more tax cuts further widening the class divide.

The ovations and adulation currently uttered will fade as we hear of displeasure over Obama’s theories of universal healthcare, open borders and raising taxes, making one wonder why all the praise now? A Kennedy endorsement will be portrayed as kissing a leper. The facts are simple; Clinton is the candidate Republicans fear, Obama being the weaker challenger. This explains the glee over one dimensional attacks on her by her own party, and the fraud conveyed by Republicans as to who they fear. Like a sports fan, they are silently rooting for the weakest competition to assure victory.

This plan of attack and desperate measures are just staving off the inevitable for Republican Conservatives. Any course of action based on playing up negatives is doomed for failure because the electorate is only interested, rightfully so, in positive plans as to what the next administration will do for the working class. This is now obvious based on the rise of not Guiliani and Thompson, but McCain and Huckabee, a candidate who consistently states he is unlike the man that will lay you off.

Every party needs a good bloodletting as the pendulum swings away, but lessons need to be learned. The new GOP needs to address the concerns of the socially conservative Republican middle class who are being harmed by a falling economy and turning to a brick wall Republican administration for help. The redundant diatribe of tax cuts are now seen for what they are – short term fixes that result in long term pain once those remedies start to fail, as they did in October 1987 and are now.

The recreated Republicans need to stand for the American family; they need to address and change substance, not the style of subterfuge to sell their old "tax cut cure all" product. Middle Class Republicans are fed up with a socially Conservative veneer masking anti worker policies, and not addressing rising costs for healthcare, tuition, pensions and living costs, being told to wait for the Capitalist gravy train to trickle their way.

This is the reason Huckabee (whose voters would gravitate to McCain, not Romney, in his absence) and McCain survive, and Republicans are revolting against the extremist of their party interested in big business and corporate profits, denying the middle class to the ash heap at the altar of Global Economics. The constant distortion of facts and canard being played out is evidence of frenzy in the Republican Party, and signals the Conservative Party death unless they adapt to the changing climate. Otherwise their party will go the way of the dinosaur, their new party mascot.

Bill Clinton stays “this side” of Fine Line

by David DiBello

It would be wrong for anyone, let alone the African American community, to think that they have to be treated with kid gloves in this political contest.  Since we are all equal, we are entitled to all the perks and responsibilities that come along with being equal, as we should.  Mr. Obama must lose the hands off perception of his candidacy and play hardball politics, which is what all this back and forth rhetoric would be considered had this contest been between two candidates of similar race or gender.

Bill Clinton must be tough but not offend, lest it come back to haunt the Democrats in the fall. He never said a black man can’t be President. Quite the opposite, he thought Barrack could very well be nominated. He had every right to question his inexperience, having only 1 year as senator prior to campaigning with no discernable accomplishments. Bill simply pointed out it would be a gamble, but we had inexperienced candidates with great vision before. Abraham Lincoln comes to mind. Unfortunately, Jimmy Carter, a one term governor and decent guy, proved from an accomplishment standpoint to be a disaster for which we got stagflation and hostages.

Obama also needs to say something more substantive than “hope,” a hard topic to argue pro or con, but hardly an economic policy or political platform. And when he does say something provocative like “Reagan was influential,” he needs to include the caveat that he disagreed with the influence but admired the motivation, much in the same way that change is only appropriate when it is good. Without further explanation he only opens the door to justified criticism.

If African Americans, or any race, wants to be treated with respect, than they will value being told the truths good or bad in honesty, albeit with dignity. Now is the time to get all the dirt out in the open and resolved, because come the fall, just as John McCain was besmirched by the Bush campaign in 2000, or Ann Richards was accused of a gay hiring quota in her Texas governor’s battle with George Jr., Obama’s omitted drug use will be made an issue by these Republicans, and Billy Shaheen, as ill conceived and translated as his message was, will be proven correct.

In the Democrat family it is important to air dirty laundry and come to a conclusion. Obama must lose the deity persona and fight for his nomination with dignity and no apologies. I will be voting for Hillary because if this were a job interview she has the best resume, but if Obama or Edwards are nominated, I will support their candidacy because the Democrats are the only party that will support the working class, the neglected faction which provides the hard labor to make profit for others.

If we hold a grudge we will insure another tax cutting Republican who doesn’t have a clue as to the struggles of the middle class and low income workers. As far as workers concerns, they wake up and say “good morning” to the night.

David DiBello

25 Nicole Court

Lakewood NJ 08701

646-275-7534

daviddibello32@yahoo,com

What a Difference a Day Makes

It's time the political analysts, pundits and news shows start taking a wider sampling of the electorate before they come up with such bogus, contradictory surprise results. So far Huckabee and McCain were on life support, Thompson was the reincarnation of Reagan, and the National Leaders Clinton and Guilaini should be on the verge of withdrawal after 1 caucus and 1 primary result.

We were told that anyone polling below 15% in Iowa would also sway the outcome, and we get not even of blip of votes after the three top Democrats. Last night's Independents went to McCain as well as Barack, in opposition of the prediction Obama would get the lion's share of that group.

Journalists consistently are making the error of judgment by making the news instead of reporting it, and in their passion and zeal of livelihood, and thirst for a thrilling election series, are drawing conclusions on questionably valid assessments. The great damage here is that it could possibly sway current voters in their decision making process, and sour the appeal of candidates who haven't gotten a vote chance in their home state and region.

The polling services and news shows need to expand either their research or their margin of error, thus toning down their "global" conclusions of a candidates chance. Last night N.H. said it was fed up with telling them that Mrs. Clinton, the National polling leader for the democrats, was near dead. Pollsters and journalists need to set their standard higher than that of our local weatherman.