If you work in New Jersey and your job deducts for UNEMPLOYMENT AND DISABILITY INSURANCE from your paycheck, you will want to vote YES on this public question.
A YES vote will change the state constitution to prevent raiding of the UNEMPLOYMENT AND DISABILITY INSURANCE FUNDS for any purpose other than that to which they are dedicated.
Reason?
State legislators and governors (the 'thieving magpies' of my headline) have been dipping into the fund for years -- 22 time since 1993, to the tune of $5.4 BILLION -- to divert the monies collected to OTHER USES, according to the NJ League of Women Voters (see here).
The confusion arises, as usual, from the so-called 'interpretive statement' which, clocking in at more than 100 words, does little to clarify the question.
Because no one ever believed unemployment would reach 10%, as it did earlier this year, the raids left the fund vulnerable, accounting for its running out of money earlier this year. Employers have since been assessed and extra $130 per worker to pump up the fund.
This amendment, jointly sponsored by Democratic and Republican legislators, would mean the funds would be statutorily beyond the temptation to spend them for other, short-term needs.
Makes sense to me, and I'm voting for it.
How about you?
- Division of Elections: "2010 General Election Public Question"
- Gannett: "Statewide ballot question causes confusion"
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4 comments:
To compare members of the crow family to NJ politicians is definitely a major insult to probably the most intelligent and social of all birds. Magpies are the only bird that can recognize themselves in a mirror!
That yes vote which is needed will stop NJ pols but what about a law to stop the US Congress from doing the same only worse.
I didn't mean to leave out the Mothers yesterday . . . please forgive me Mom!
Blackdog -- Do you suppose NJ pols are unable to recognize themselves in the mirror? Hmmmm.....
No, but I believe that the image their mind's eye sees, is quite different than what everyone else who looks at them sees!
What they see is a grandiose delusion. . . someone capable of saving society from itself if only given enough time . . . (will 40 years do?) . . . and of course, MONEY
Be careful what you wish for. Dealing in absolutes can cause unforseen problems, all sources of taxing income should be subject to use for their primary purpose with the understanding that critical shortfalls in other areas may need to be made up with excess funds.
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