NJ and You?

It’s hard working/living in New Jersey.  The cost of living is high, and the real estate market is tough.  Jobs are sparse and social and environmental costs are taxing.  But, there’s fantastic access to New York City (and to a lesser extent, Philadelphia…because I like NYC better), but, overall, as the nation’s economy gets better, not much has improved in the Garden State.

Which is funny, if you think about it.  Because, when our current governor was campaigning and then his first few months in office, he criticized the previous administrations for screwing over Joe NJ.  This State was in a state of disrepair and he was going to fix it.  Over the course of the next 6 years, the governor waged war on all branches of social service: teachers, police unions, emergency personnel, etc., by reducing line-items in the State budget as well as pension contributions.  He killed a number of large projects which would have received Federal funding/support.  He’s backed “Big-Dig-esque” projects such as the American Dream megamall in the meadowlands (see: $675 million in tax-exempt bonds, see: one $390 million dollar grant of taxpayer’s money), while trapping residents in the state by singlehandedly killing the Access to the Region’s Core commuter rail tunnel project.  He is deeply in the pockets of “Big Business,” the latest of which trimmed a $8.9 billion restoration/compensation figure needed to clean up Exxon messes, to a much more modest “get-off-the-hook” figure of $225 million settlement. 

So, I am wondering, out loud, what’s gotten better?  I get it that a nation/worldwide economy downturn isn’t this governor’s fault…but the recovery is tied to how funds are spent throughout the state.  Natural disasters aside, the Love Gov hasn’t improved living conditions to the majority of the state (even those entitled to it due to the same natural disasters).  Property taxes are as high as they ever were.  State Employee benefit contributions have gone up by an order of magnitude, without any improvement in services or facilities, and the State is the largest employer in the…well, State.  What’s gotten better?  Seriously.  Leave comments either here or on FaceBook because I’m at a loss.