New Jersey Is Closed
From the Star Ledger:
Special budget talks fail to curtail state shutdown
BY JEFF WHELAN AND JOHN P. MARTIN
An emergency legislative session and impassioned plea from Gov. Jon Corzine couldn't break the state's billion-dollar budget impasse yesterday, fueling a raging political war and sending taxpayers a message that might echo for days:
New Jersey is closed.
On the fourth day of the shutdown Corzine ordered for all nonessential state government services, he declared the situation had gone "from unfortunate to unacceptable" and urged legislators to adopt his spending plan and the sales tax increase it includes.
...
The impact of the state government's first-ever shutdown had been cushioned by the extended holiday weekend and an agreement to allow some state services to keep operating. But as millions of people who live, work or have business in the state return to their typical routines today, it is likely to hit with a thud.
Roughly 45,000 employees -- more than half the state work force -- will again stay home. Thousands of visitors will be turned away from state-run beaches and parks. Construction crews, motor vehicle services, racetracks and the lottery have been idled. And Atlantic City's 12 casinos will face the gravest financial threat in their history, forced to shutter their doors in the heart of their busy season.
The casinos lost yet another legal bid to keep operating even if state casino commission inspectors are furloughed.
14 Comments:
The welfare checks went out.
Good, then you're covered, Anonymous 8:21.
Yep, bought a carton of Kools
and my pint.
Hmmm - the govt is closed and I havent noticed one dam thing is different. Oh - the lottery isnt running - the horror. Talk about waste. I hope it stays closed.
New Jersey is a better place to live today.
pay the workers, dock the legislators. (I know, it'll never happen.)
More than half the state work force is government workers? Oh....my....God.
Gary- that's not correct. The state has roughly 80,000 employees, and a population of 8.5 million.
More than half of the state workers - 45,000 - are not at work. The rest are deemed essential. Additionally, more than 15,000 casino workers are out of work in AC, and that number will double within a week.
Hmmm - the govt is closed and I havent noticed one dam thing is different. Oh - the lottery isnt running - the horror. Talk about waste. I hope it stays closed.
Great, lets see if you still feel that way when the State Police shut down, when state agencies like NJTransit and the Turnpike authority shut down, when all the docks shut down, when most road work shuts down, when cars can't be registered, houses can't be sold.
Will the NJ Transit trains be affected? I thought the rail lines were Federal, despite the name?
In the words of Bill Clinton (and his wife). I feel your pain.
NJ and you the place to be.
"Great, lets see if you still feel that way when the State Police shut down, when state agencies like NJTransit and the Turnpike authority shut down, when all the docks shut down, when most road work shuts down, when cars can't be registered, houses can't be sold."
Well for starters, the police cannot shut down Einstein. The rest would be better served by private enterprise anyway.
Ill say it again, I haven't noticed a darn thing. Not one thing.
31b budget = $3600 per resident, including infants! Are they rats in the barn?
let these agencies stay closed.
all they are doing is picking
the taxpayers pocket anyway.
Cops going to shut down, what
a moron.
must be a realtor
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