Post Diwali Morning Regrets

Last night was Diwali and we live in Bridgewater.  About 50 of us Chindians gathered in the cul-de-sac. It was cold and a firepit was started. Even so, lots of the women folk came out in traditional sari dress. The Indian gals tried to get Mrs. Stroock to put one on but she said no. Damnit. We had a second drink. Wow. Diwali is the kind of night that separates the childhood fireworks dabblers from the fanatics. In a time honored New Jersey fireworks tradition, many times was said, 'Check this out, it's from Pennsylvania!' Kaboom!

This blog endorses Hot Air's analysis of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. This bill was gonna pass one way or another. Haven't you people ever heard of a managed vote? And passing this bill makes it much harder for the Dem's to strongarm Manchin, Sinema and the rest. Zerohedge lists all the things in the bill that are crazy. But most of them aren't that crazy. Is the bill great? No. But it ain't bad either. 

NJ.com has a great piece on the political situation here in New Jersey. Basically it mirrors Virginia. Dem's too far left, unmotivated voter base, energized GOP. Here's a great point about outgoing Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney: 'Sweeney probably saved numerous Democratic legislative seats and maybe even the governor himself by protecting the party from going even further left on taxes, borrowing and spending these last four years.' Which is one of the reasons why we liked him. There's also some talk about Governor Murphy's 'branding'. Yes, he's running for president. 

We got a credit memo from Decision Games yesterday, which tells us they're publishing a piece we wrote about general Hunter Liggett; 2,400 words. We have vague memories of writing a short article about Hunter Liggett. We also have vague memories of having published a short article about Hunter Liggett. Did we already publish this piece somewhere else? Yes our publishing is so vast we have trouble keeping track. Military Heritage, Inforos, Strategy & Tactics, it all mergers together after a while, especially the Russian collusion. Writers aren't supposed to publish a piece in one magazine and then turn around and publish it in another. Of course magazines aren't supposed to stiff writers and put someone else's name on the wargame they designed. So screw Decision Games. Screw them with extreme prejudice.

Happy Unity Day, Comrade

Good morning! After a late and restless night on election night we slept in a bit this morning. Besides, the girls have the next two days off as these are in-service planning days for the teachers. Because these people haven't had enough time off the last few years. 

Do recall we've been a substitute teacher, a full time teacher at a second rate Yeshiva in Passaic and a college prof. So when we talk about teaching, we know what the fuck we're talking about. The gig ain't rocket science. Of course the teaching class will tell parents one needs a masters degree to assign chapters one and two, odd numbers only. 

Here in New Jersey, they called the gubernatorial race for Murphy. This blog is not surprised. As of this writing we know of no evidence of fraud. Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney was taken out by a truck driver who spent a couple of hundred bucks on his campaign, about half at Dunkin Donuts. Too bad, we liked Sweeney, he fought Murphy on taxes. Even so, this is pretty cool.

Two questions about the Virginia elections. Since the Democrats didn't steal the gubernatorial race, does this mean they didn't steal the presidential race last year? Second, does Youngkin's win mean the GOP doesn't need Trump to rally the base and win? This would be the 'Trumpism without Trump' particle that physicists have yet to locate. Discuss.

They'll be no Russian collusion from us this week, as Thursday and Friday are holidays over there. Day of Unity? Looks like we're celebrating the expulsion of Polish troops from Moscow, the foundation of the Romanov dynasty and the end of the Russian 'Time of Troubles'. Yeah, 'cause that's when the Russian troubles stopped. Who's your favorite Czar? Post in comments. 

8-8-19 in New Jersey

The state's going to pot again.

[Clap...clap...clap-Ed]

Via NJ.Com,:

Just three months ago, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney — New Jersey’s highest-ranking lawmaker — announced he was ending the roller-coaster efforts to pass the bill in the state Legislature because leaders couldn’t muster enough votes. Instead, Sweeney said, it would likely be up to the state’s voters to decide whether to make pot legal here, at the November 2020 ballot box.

But Garden State leaders privately believe there’s still hope, however slim, of convincing enough lawmakers to vote for the bill either during the “lame duck” session at the end of this year or in the first half of next year.

Sweeney, D-Gloucester, told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday: “I’m not going to give up trying."

Read further and reader(s) will see last year more than 34,000 people were arrested for 'marijuana offenses' in New Jersey.

We don't have a strong opinion on Legalizing It either way. Being middle-aged, pot conjures images of lay-about stoners lolling on in our cul-de-sac. We lean slightly against. 

But at some point one has to realize the ship has sailed, the horse is out of the barn, the dog barks but the caravan moves on.

Thirty-four thousand people? Jayson Christ, it ain't worth it.

We haven't gotten flared up or spent some time with Modie as we used to say in our old frat days*, since 1994. We've never missed it.

7-11-19 in New Jersey

Governor Phil Murphy is a little man:

The Murphy administration has specified $235 million in programs the governor is putting a hold on until revenues meet projections.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced that he would hold $235 million in reserve when he signed the fiscal year 2020 budget on Sunday. The money will be released once revenues meet expectations.

The programs range from $50,000 for a traffic study in Little Ferry to more than $100 million in aid for struggling cities and towns.

That last item is a blatant attempt to hurt municipalities and stick Senate Leader Steve Sweeney with the blame.

Murphy lost the battle over his phony-baloney Millionaire's Tax and now he's going to pout.

Governor Phil Murphy is a little man, petty.

Sweeney 2021!

7-5-19 in New Jersey

As we have said before, Governor Phil Murphy is setting the stage for a presidential run in 2024:

Gov. Phil Murphy marked the July 4 holiday Thursday by announcing New Jersey’s government would once again oversee resettling refugees in the state, three years after former Gov. Chris Christie ended the practice.

The Democratic governor also signed an executive order to create a state Office of New Americans to help immigrants and refugees resettle here.

Murphy cast the moves as his latest broadside against Republican President Donald Trump’s administration.

“While the federal government takes action that prevents immigrants from seeking the American Dream, New Jersey will fight for our brothers and sisters and stand against the hatred and bigotry coming from Washington,” Murphy, a frequent Trump critic, said in a statement.

That's first rate virtue signaling. 

Wonder where the refugees will end up. Probbaly Newark. Murphy will know better than to piss off subrubanite Dems by dumping a bunch of Central Americans in their midst.

Actually, we're all for placing these people in Camden. They can't do worse.

This blog earnestly hopes State Senate Leader Steve Sweeney runs in 2021.

Sweeney! Sweeney! 

When Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean beats our own Tom Malinowski in next years NJ-07 Congressional election, he'll be in great shape for a run at Trenton in 2021.

7-1-19 in New Jersey

Insider New Jersey reports that President Trump congratulated Senate leader Steve Sweeney and the NJ legislature for standing strong against Governor Murphy and his virtue signaling millionaire's tax:

The legislature is run by machine Democrats, including Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Steve Sweeney, who together are locked in an ongoing political fight with progressive Democratic Governor Phil Murphy.

At various junctures of the budget battle, which ended yesterday on the last day of the month when Murphy signed the legislature’s $38.7 billion budget rather than force a government shutdown, the governor and his rivals each attempted to paint the other as the more Trump-friendly side of the divide.

Murphy repeatedly pointed out that Trump’s tax policies and SALT deduction freeze punished New Jersey’s middle class, which could benefit from a state millionaire’s tax in the name of tax fairness.

Machine Democrats. 

Do we detect a taste of sour grapes from editor Max Pizarro? 

As far as the SALT Deduction freeze goes, hey Progressives, you love taxes. Pay 'em!

It's not like Trump knows anything about New Jersey's business environment.

6-28-19 in New Jersey

While Governor Phil Murphy continues to win friends in New Jersey, proposing a tax on opioids, Paul Mulshine reports that Senate President Steve Sweeney continues to be eminently sensible:

“Opioids is a crisis, but now I’m gonna tax medication that people rely on? That some people need?” he said yesterday. “Maybe the next idea is we’ll go after diabetic medications.”

Some staffer thought of this, didn't they? I know, let's tax pain killers! There's an opioid crisis right? Right?

Steve Sweeney for Governor! 

6-13-19 in New Jersey

Governor Phil Murphy presses ahead with his stupid Millionaires Tax. 

Murphy has been pushing for months for New Jersey to enact a millionaires tax to infuse the taxpayer-funded state budget with more money for education, transportation, and public-worker pensions.

But he needs the Democratic-controlled state Legislature to pass the plan. And the top lawmakers who decide which bills come up for a vote — Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex — have remained fiercely opposed to a millionaires tax. They say the upcoming budget doesn’t need the money and New Jersey is already rife with taxes.

That's the Dems telling Murphy no, mind you.

Senator Sweeney would much rather do something about the state's huge unfunded liabilities:

Meanwhile, Sweeney is pushing his own controversial “Path to Progress” proposals to scale back public-worker pension and health benefits, which is opposed by government-employee unions and unlikely to be supported by the progressive Murphy. The Senate president said the current cost of pensions and benefits is not sustainable for the state.

Quite right and sensible of Sweeney, no?

Murphy understands that Trump is going to be reelected and wants to be in position to run in 2024, doesn't he?

If virtue signaling toward the Dem nomination means turning New Jersey into California, then Murphy's willing to do it.

6-11-19 in New Jersey

Governor Phil Murphy wants to institute a so called Millionaire's Tax here in New Jersey, for fairness, you see.

Like the plastic bag ban, this is about virtue signaling.

Senate President Steve Sweeney, a giant in state politics, opposes the idea with every fiber of his being.

Here's a good primer on the Murphy-Sweeny fight and the fiscal issues at stake. The state's finances aren't a complete mess, but they are messy, pensions, healthcare costs, etc.

Gee, wonder whose picking up the tab for that?

In this blog's opinion, Murphy is going to virtue signal New Jersey right off the fiscal cliff, Illinois style.

What's Murphy want to do with the Millionaire's Tax money anyway?