Have you ever read anything more absurd about politics?

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Legislators opposed to Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposal to raise the sales tax rejected a compromise sought by the governor Tuesday and began devising their own budget plan, which might involve an income tax increase...

...The dispute between the governor and his fellow Democrats who control the Legislature centers on his plan to increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent to help overcome a $4.5 billion budget deficit for his $31 billion spending plan. The proposal would cost the average New Jersey family $275 per year, according to experts.

Corzine had urged the lawmakers to approve a compromise plan rejected Tuesday. Offered by Senate President Richard J. Codey, it would have used half the $1.1 billion raised by his sales tax increase to ease the state's property taxes, among the nation's highest.

Only 15 of 49 Democrats in the state Assembly supported the compromise, Robert said.

Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew said a new plan may involve a proposal to increase the income tax for those earning at least $200,000 per year. In the past, Corzine has rejected proposals to increase the income tax.

I guess it just doesn't occur to the Democrats that there is another option - you know, mabe cut some spending? Right now, New Jersey is in crisis because the Democratic governor and the Democrat-controlled legislature can't figure out whom to screw over so that spending doesn't have to be cut - Corzine wants to screw over working people, and that scares the bejabbers ouf of the legislators because they'll have to face the wrath of the working people long before Corzine does; the legislators want to screw their ready stand-by, "the rich", but Corzine doesn't want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs in New Jersey.

As a service to my fellow Americans in New Jersey, I now provide a list of New Jersey government entties culled from the government directory - my advice is to contact your legislator and ask him if he can immediately provide a concise explanation of what these entities do...and if the legislator can't do that, then the entity should be axed:

Garden State Preservation Trust; New Jersey Building Authority; New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission; Division of Marketing and Development; Division of Plant Industry; Council on Local Mandates; Economic Development Authority; Department of Departmental Affairs; Highland Council; New Jersey Network; Pinelands Commission; Public Employment Relations Commission; State Ethics Commission (like it actually does anything in New Jersey); Department of Community Affairs; Elevator Safety Program; Division of Citizen Relations; Division of Public Interest Advocacy; New Jersey Single Accountability Continuum; Center for Hispanic Policy; Bureau of Financial Regulations and Assistance; Displaced Homemakers Centers (there is more than one?); Hispanic Women Demonstration Resource Center; Job Training Centers for Urban Women (what about rural women?); Emergency Grant and Loan Fund

Only one of those listed organizations are bogus - I made one of them up. Can you spot it?

So, do we think that NJ can cut a bit of non-essential spending? Or does anyone want to say that NJ can't live without each and every one of these? Please keep in mind that I kept at it until I got bored...I probably didn't get throuh 25% of the government...

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