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American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

July 27, 2009 By Fausta

NJ corruption: The never-ending story

I have lived in New Jersey for decades, and this is not news:
In New Jersey, Ideal Conditions for Corruption

A decade-long building boom has flooded towns with millions of development dollars, as well as wealthy businessmen eager to secure sewer permits and zoning waivers. The Democratic Party firmly dominates local politics, turning most elections into sleepy coronations. The state’s news organizations, once vigorous watchdogs, have been decimated by a deep industry downturn.

Add to all that the fact that New Jersey is divided into hundreds of tiny fiefdoms, where part-time elected officials without much education and with small salaries wield considerable power, and the heady mix of arrogance, control and promised payoffs dissolves the will of even the most determined reformer.

It also seems to dissolve their intelligence and caution, because often enough, the man with the envelope is wearing a wire.

“In New Jersey, you are encouraged to break the law,” said Alan C. Marcus, a longtime Republican operative who has worked in the state for decades, observing all matter of malfeasance.

Like this: a state lawmaker, who, in fit of pique, said the reason he did not refer business to Mr. Marcus was “because you don’t kick back.”

One of the people arrested makes it sound like they have no control over it:

“Everyone says it couldn’t happen to them, until it happens,” said Robert C. Botti, who became mayor of Union City in 1982 after his predecessor was sentenced to seven years for seeking bribes for school construction contracts.

So how did Mr. Botti, a self-styled reformer, top that? He rigged bids for school janitorial contracts, earning an 18-month prison sentence of his own.

Prairie Pundit points out,

Government regulation in New Jersey is more than a speed bump on the way to completion of a project. Add to that the high construction cost because of unions and the high price of land and the slightest delay while the meter is running on construction financing gives the corrupt official the leverage to ask for an envelope with cash in it. It is part of the cost of doing business in the area and it is organized theft from the public as well as the developers.

It was this kind of corruption in Louisiana and New Orleans that made Houston a great city. In Houston there are few zoning codes to trap the developers and corruption is not tolerated. The free market system insures that the guy with the best product or service gets the deal, which is a benefit to everyone but the crooks.

Control freak government gives the corrupt too many opportunities, and in New Jersey there are few who can resist.

The NY Times is paying attention to the story because NJ’s Democrat governor is in trouble.

However, by now I am of the opinion that NJ has the stupidest electorate in the world, since, for the decades I’ve been living here, they have kept the same crooks in power. We’ll wait and see how the election turns out.

———————————————-

I just got back from Chicago. Please bear with me as I catch up with my email and other work. Thank you.

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Filed Under: corruption, New Jersey

Comments

  1. wildman says

    July 27, 2009 at 10:56 am

    The more regulations you put in place controlled by politicians and goverment employees, the greater the opportunity for corruption to bypass the regulations. Too much power and authority has been turned over to the state with nothing to show for it. As for the idiots in new jersey, you have two classes: those who do the work and produce something tangible and those who are beholden to the system. The more municipal, state and county employees you have the more they will vote for whats best for them and not for the state as a whole. Term limits and I&R would go a long way to solve this but the politicians would not go for it as it dilutes their power. Besides, the lobbyists would find it hard to bribe 7 million people.

  2. chsw says

    July 27, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    NJ may have the most corrupt pols in the country, but Hoboken’s new mayor has probably set some sort of speed record for fastest to be arrested on corruption charges.

    chsw

  3. Nolanimrod says

    July 29, 2009 at 3:16 am

    Man, did you hit the nail when you said New Orleans made Houston a great city. Heh. When I moved there One Shell Square was a glittering high-rise full of purposeful activity. By the time K finished the job most had left. Including Shell.

    I never re-built my house after K because not only could I not get through the red tape, the people handing out the tape didn’t get it either. So my choice was either rewire and replumb the house without permits and hope no one noticed (a possibility, believe it or not) and risk every dime that the utilities would hook me up or the city wouldn’t insist I pull it all out, or split.

    I split.

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