Corzine: Squeeze the towns for state trooper costs

Coalition of the Swilling has the story:

Rather than do something silly like, say, cut waste in Trenton or perhaps not add thousands of people to the state payroll our glorious bloated bureaucracy has instead chosen to charge people for what they already pay for.

Asbury Park Press has the details: As times change, so may NJ's free rural state police patrols

TRENTON — New Jersey State Police have patrolled the state's rural areas for 87 years at no extra cost to smaller towns that never created police departments.

In fact, the law that created the state police agency stated it would "primarily'' be used to protect rural areas.

But times have changed, and free rural New Jersey state police patrols may soon end.

As the state grapples with chronic state budget woes, Gov. Corzine has proposed requiring municipalities that get free state police patrols to pay a quarter of the estimated patrol cost to raise $20.5 million for the cash-strapped state.

"These are difficult times, and the decisions and choices we must make are difficult,'' state Attorney General Anne Milgram said.

Of course, reducing the bloated state bureaucracy would never cross their minds, would it?

Did you listen yet? and today's items

I'll post more about Venezuela later today, but here's the morning round-up:

Did you listen yet?

Last Monday my guests were Dymphna and Baron Bodissey of Gates of Vienna and Siggy co-hosted. Listen to a most enjoyable podcast, and tell your friends. If you listened already, go back and listen again.

Soldier's Family Needs Immediate Help

Victor Davis Hanson writes about The Global Immigration Problem

The moment illegal immigrants arrive, a sort of race begins: Can these newcomers become legal, speak the host language and get educated before they age, get hurt or lose their job? If so, then they assimilate and their children are held up as models of diversity. If not, the end of the story can be welfare or jail.
...
Governments in countries such as Mexico and Morocco usually care far more about their emigrants once they are long gone. Then these poor are no longer volatile proof of their own failures, but victims of some wealthy foreign government's indifference. And these pawns usually send cash home.

Don't miss also The Legal Visa Crunch: The Senate bill is worse than current law for skilled immigrants.

And Now...British Academia

Investor's Business Daily continues its series on Jimmy Carter, Friend of dictators

Via Red State, Sen. Byrd: "Allowing the public to actually see earmark requests...isn't a good idea"


We beat global warming, and "Al's the guy!"

Via Larwin, Ace posts that Jon Corzine didn't think of wearing a seat belt, and zoomed down the turnpike going 90 miles an hour, but he's going to keep you from getting fat. Maybe Corzine should call Michael Moore for diet tips.

Mitt gets heckled in New Hampshire for being a Mormon. Harry Reid better stay away.

Also from Ace, some fool at Newsweek thinks wussy men are hot. Where is Pullo when we need him?
Here's a short list of other non-wussies. And the ever-popular Swiss.

Speaking of wusses, Betsy has The humbug that is John Edwards, who, by the way, may have some trouble getting some of the treasure money as Spain sues over shipwreck bonanza

Harry Potter theme park planned in Orlando. It'll take real magic to duplicate the terrain and the weather, for sure.

And last, but not least, The Studied Linguist (a poem)

Smadanek posts on the NJ budget

It's annual budget time at the state house, and Smadanek has the post on New Jersey 2008 State Budget - Municipal Aid. The bottom line?

The budget does not, as the governor said in his address, provide "an across-the-board two percent increase in municipal aid." It provides additional aid at less than the 2% he claims, and in the most divisive and partisan manner possible. If he had any shame, Governor Corzine would resign after submitting this garbage.

Enlighten NJ has more.