New Jersey takes a lot of abuse from late night comedians and others who haven't a clue. Where I live in South Jersey, you could drive for miles and see nothing but pine trees and corn fields. Granted, Northeastern Jersey is a sewer that we'd like to cede to New York but they won't take them, but I digress. We don't need anymore bad press than we already get so the arrests of 11 politicians in a bribery scandal is not helping our case.
Corruption in the Garden State is nothing new, hell, this is the state that the Soprano's was filmed in and it wasn''t too long ago that organized crime was flourishing from Bayonne to Atlantic City and over to Camden. Unions now rule and the politicians will do anything to secure their votes. Our long, proud history of corruption also includes the Abscam scandal--one of Representative John Murtha's shining moments. In the last five years, over 100 politicians in the state have been convicted of some crime.
As we speak, former Senator and now Governor Jon Corzine is fighting serious charges related to his ex-girlfriend who he showered money upon and leads one of the most powerful unions in the entire state. Add that to the resignation (for corruption of course) of U.S. Senator Bob Torricelli and the scandalous way the Democrats cheated state law to get Robert Menendez on the ballot (Menendez stayed true to N.J. Democrat form and got himself into an ethics scandal) and you have an idea of just how strong the Democratic machine is in this state. I haven't even mentioned Jim McGreevey and his secret trysts with anonymous men at truckstops throughout the state.
Update (9/7/07 1606): Another Dem scandal and guess whose name arises again? Rep. John Murtha and this one is $9-million+ in lost funds.
Yesterday, the corruption scandals continued as 11 people, including two mayors and a prominent Hillary supporter, were indicted on bribery charges. Of those eleven, one was a Republican (in New Jersey, a Republican need only be as conservative as Christie Whitman which is to say, A centrist Democrat) and another was an Independent. The rest had a "D" after their names. The beat goes on as we have our latest scandal. We average one every month or so it seems while the residents have to suffer the highest car insurance rates, highest property taxes and worst services of any state in the nation.
The moral of this story is that every time someone tells you how corrupt the GOP is, just mention the corruption that occurs in one state that is among the bluest in the nation and you can win the argument there.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. When Hillary is there this is the kind of people she associates with and woos for them supporting her, seems these facts come to light everyday, this is her background and future ones she develops. The Clintons are known for this.
Jane at 1:30PM on Sep 7th 2007
2. Isn't it interesting that every time someone gets caught for some wrong doing Hillary is/has been somewhere in the area. These types of reports are going to continue releasing into a flowing river of corruption that keeps winding back upon her doorstep (as the fountainhead).
Larry at 2:05PM on Sep 7th 2007
3. It is comical that conservatives want to play the corruption game...Good God, with every scandal that has inundated the Republican party in the last year, do you really think you are one to throw stones?
Bob Ney (R - Ohio) and Randy Duke Cunningham (R - California) are now rotting in jail due to their greed.
Mark Foley and his lust for teen boys and now Sen. Craig and his latent homosexuality? Not to mention Sen. Vitter and his "escorts."
Hey, at least Jim McGreevy did not lie about being gay nor did Barney Frank. Craig is lying and actually thinks he can maintain his Senate seat.
At least the Dems have kept the corruption tied to one state - the Republicans have covered a number of states now.
David S. at 2:16PM on Sep 7th 2007
4. Just curious, what charges have Foley and Vitter been convicted of? Craig plead to a a wrist-slap charge. 100 people in five years in Jersey and I haven't even scratched the surface with other bastions of liberalism like New York.
Murtha, Hillary, Feinstein, Boxer are all suspect as well.
Scott at 3:09PM on Sep 7th 2007
5. There is D corruption and there is R corruption. D corruption has been with us for centuries, as has R corruption. The difference is D corruption puts thousands of dollars in the hands of D politicians and their associates, whereas R corruption put billions of dollars in the hands of R politicians and the corporations that support them. It's not the same.
lfischerpe at 3:28PM on Sep 7th 2007
6. Substandard morals from democrats are expected. When a Republican steps out of line, it is news. At least the Republicans take care of those who misbehave. Democrat bad guys gain strength and popularity from their misdeeds.
thomasecw at 3:30PM on Sep 7th 2007
7. Vitter and Foley were not "convicted" of anything, Scott - but just curious if Foley did nothing wrong, why did he step down immediately from his congressional seat and was trashed by every elected Republican? As to Vitter, I will give him credit, he told the truth - besides, it was heterosexual sex and Republicans no doubt were relieved at that. But he is still a hypocrite - a married Senator running on "family values" while screwing hookers is not many people's idea of nobility.
David S. at 3:56PM on Sep 7th 2007
8. The Foley case was disgusting and it happened right before the election, that's why the GOP forced him out. I would hope that the Dems would do the same if one on their side was caught sending text messages of a sexual nature to ones so young.
As someone elese said above, when Republicans get caught fooling around, it's news. When a Dem gets caught it's par for the course. Ted Kennedy, JFK, LBJ, Bill Clinton, etc.
Scott at 4:02PM on Sep 7th 2007
9. The most corrupt state is Illinois. In my lifetime, 3 governors have been convicted by federal juries. Two were Democrats, and 1 is a Republican.
The U.S. Attorney in Chicago, who convicted Scooter Libby, is working is way up the food chain to the current Governor and the Mayor of Chicago.
Just to add to the mix, the mob, known in Illinois as the Chicago Outfit, has ties to the Democrats and has backed some Republicans.
New Jersey? No way.
Kent at 4:19PM on Sep 7th 2007
10. Listen Kent, I live in South Jersey and we support Philly sports teams. They have not won a championship in a major sport since the 76'ers won in 1983. Don't think you're going to wrest the title of most corrupt from us that easy. We need a championship here, you had the Bulls and White Sox, we have nothing except the title of most corrupt. Don't take that from us.
Scott at 5:01PM on Sep 7th 2007
11. That's it, I'm running for president!!
David McCool at 7:07PM on Sep 7th 2007
12. Oh, sure Scott, no one said a WORD about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Not a word....and yes he was wrong to do what he did. My personal ethic is that married people should be faithful. However, most reasonable people understand that we are all human.
As to JFK and LBJ, that was a different time and the press did not report a politicians personal life.
The difference is the Democrats don't go around screaming about being so pure and innocent and the guardian of morality the way the GOP does. When you put yourself up as a family values politican, you have to live up to it. And clearly not everyone can..
As to the gay issue, most reasonable Democrats don't believe there is anything wrong with being gay. I am sorry your party does not feel the same, Scott. It is an issue they are in denial about even though they know there are gay conservatives.
David S. at 7:42PM on Sep 7th 2007
13. I live in a 'burb of Philly, the thing that po'd me the most about Jersey was Corzine didn't wear a seatbelt and got in a car crash. Now, I go to Jersey to see my Doctor, go 15 friggin' feet and get a 'Click It or Ticket', $46.00. I send it ASAP, month later summons in my mail that if I do not pay that tix a warrent will be issued for my arrest in NJ. No moving violations and I'm 52 yrs young. Now, I have to stop payment, $35, for original payment because some idiot in Trenton, lost it and must now pay $86 for tix. For a $46 tix, it cost me $121, because imbeciles work for the Dept of Motor Vehicles in Trenton. Thanks, Corzine, you putz! Corzine gets an annual bonus, 'ya think they will ever refund me for THEIR MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
rhodalee at 9:51PM on Sep 7th 2007
14. I live in Central Jersey. While the corruption is a rather colorful spectacle, as poster 6. pointed out, it is really very small time stuff.
Yet NJ is one of the most progressive states in the US. It has the second highest income of the 50 states, first until last week. It is usually ranked at the top of the federal list for quality public education; 10% of high school graduates go to ivy league schools. Seniors citizens have many services available to them including local mini buses that will take them to doctor's appointments, the supermarket and the malls much the way a taxi would but it's free. Seniors get property tax rebates. This yeear all homeowners got a minimum $500 tax rebate. Sorta makes up for the tax revenue lost to corruption. Ha!
We have many great beaches, beautiful mountains and farms. think juicy Jesey tomatoes and sweet corn and blueberries. (It is The Garden State, after all.) We've got fabulous state of the art libraries, free concerts in every county all summer long (including the Metropolitan Opera that appears for free around the state) and casinos. The arts actually flourish in NJ. No, really. There are wonderful state grants for every imaginable art form.
And two years ago the town I live in was named the Best American Town in America by Money magazine (ca' ching! up went my property value!)
Of course the air in the metro NYC area of Jersey is chunky with particulates. And Atlantic City is so bizarre that it's other-worldly.
Still, the state acknowledges same sex marriage and doesn't execute convicted murderers. For these things alone, NJ gets my admiration.
Now Illinois is The Corruption Capital of the nation! They think BIG there...
Liz at 3:16AM on Sep 8th 2007
15. Democrats have kept the corruption confined to one state? Give me a break.
The state of TN, the red stae that it is, has a very strong democrat stronghold in the west called Memphis. THIS Democratic stronghold was until recently run almost exclusively by the Ford family.
In the South, if you look up the term Political Corruption in an encyclopedia, you will find this family's Police Mugshots covering several pages.
The Fords sent 2 of their own to the US House. Harold Ford and his son Harry Jr. Junior did not win the house seat as much as it was given to him by his father. A running joke amongst white politicans in Memphis has become that you must put on black face and change your name to Ford to win a major election.
Harold Ford's uncle, John Ford, has been a political embarrassment for many years and yet he kept getting reelected to office. Recently, he was convicted of taking 55 k in payoffs from the FBI in a sting operation called the Tennessee Waltz. Fortunately for Memphis, the state legislature in Nashville has made it illegal for a convicted felon to hold public office. If John Ford does not win his appeals (which are mostly based on Race charges, even with videos showing him happily stuffing the payoff monies in his pockets) he will find his political career finished.
Not to worry though. Johns sister, Ophelia Ford got his seat in the state house and she looks to be a bigger loon than her brother.
Democrats. You got to love them.
WilliamT at 7:42AM on Sep 8th 2007