It seems like only yesterday that Plainfield Today credited former Gov. Jon Corzine with unusual testicular fortitude for vetoing the Legislature's rush job bill that would set a 10-year interval between referendum votes on structuring local governing bodies (see here).
Actually, it was only yesterday.
My post was based on a story that appeared on the Courier's website (see here), filed as a 'staff report', a story without a reporter's byline.
I had been happy to find the online item, as I was stymied in trying to find out the fate of the bill on the Legislature's website, since I didn't have the bill number and couldn't find my way through the maze.
Turns out that Gannett's statehouse reporter Michael Symons posted an item to the 'Capitol Quickies' blog at 1:27 PM yesterday afternoon REVERSING THE STORY (see here).
Corzine did NOT veto the bill, he signed it. Take back that 'testicular fortitude' stuff. Not only that, it is RETROACTIVE to 2009, meaning the New Brunswick folks are 'grandfathered out', so to speak.
Which also means that Assemblyman Jerry Green, the 'team player', voted with the winning side -- guaranteeing that New Brunswick's voters would not enjoy a chance at the same sort of governing body representation that his hometown Plainfielders do for another ten years.
If you want to see how quickly the Legislature can move when it has a mind to (check THIS out, good government advocates), consider the history of the bill --
1/4/2010 Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government Committee-- ONE WEEK FROM INTRODUCTION TO PASSAGE. You can also read the bill as introduced in full here (PDF).
1/4/2010 Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
1/7/2010 Passed by the Senate (21-15)
1/7/2010 Received in the Assembly without Reference, 2nd Reading
1/11/2010 Substituted for A4264
1/11/2010 Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (41-34-2)
1/18/2010 Approved P.L.2009, c.339.
It should come as no surprise that the 'big D' Democrats would stack the cards against 'small d' democracy if exercising that democracy impinges on their preponderance.
That doesn't make it right.
Do you suppose that the moral dunces in our Legislature will draw the appropriate conclusion from the loss of Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat to a Republican in yesterday's Massachusetts election, that voters -- across the board -- are tired of being taken for granted?
I wouldn't bet on it.
- Plainfield Today: "Corzine veto was the right thing to do"
- Courier: "Corzine vetoes bill restricting government-reform ballot questions"
- APP's Capital Quickies Blog: "Strike that, reverse it"
-- Dan Damon [follow]
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4 comments:
NOPE....they will not. And per Corzine's testicular fortitude...please..My Grandmother had a bigger set. Thank god that train wreck is gone.
dan, please...I now have images of bollocks running thru my head--ugh.
@ 10:40 -- which is precisely why we have the phrase 'to bollix something up'. At least we're not dining in a restaurant offering Rocky Mountain specialties.
I agree with Rob...to think that they have learned anything would assume they can.
On the national front the White House and Democratic pundits are saying that the real lesson here is that we didn’t spend enough money in stimulus or ram through the health care "fix" fast enough.
They just don't get it...and neither does the NJ Legislature. But...given enough time...the voters will make sure they understand.
Bo
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