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You have no clue as to what you talk about. My wife is a social worker and the funding of social services in NJ is a small fraction of NY. She works in Brooklyn because that's where the money is.

But you're right about the unions & pols!

I know it is so much fun to blame all of our problems on corruption and cronyism, but unfortunately that does not work here.

BPU rates are largely set by the market for the commidity, such as natural gas. Unfortunely, or fortunately if you care about the environment, there have been record increases in fuel costs, such as oil, natural gas and coal.

So the fact that BPU rates tripled under Fox means absolutley nothing.

Oh and despite all the hooplah, not one cent of the Clean Energy Fund Money has been shown to have been misappropriated or unaccounted for.

I have no skin in this game, just pointing out facts instead of hysterical corruption claims.

Anyway, stop bitching and use less energy.

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And yet they come here in droves. Led here like lost sheep to financial slaughter.

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Is this sarcasm? You can't be serious. The cronyism, incompetence and corruption are the sources for the high government costs.

Its amazing that New Jersey residents keep voting for the same people.

It has to do with the fact that we are being choked by unions, corrupt politicians and one of the highest welfare populations in the country. Do the math, we are as close to a scoailist state as there is in the U.S. for now atleast.

And we have the highest property taxes in the nation and the highest auto insurance rates. And we have high housing costs and high labor costs and high education costs. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that its more expensive to provide services in the most populated state in the nation then it has to do with individual personalities.

Jersey Journal
Editorial
March 10, 2009


BPU chief's hold on job: Pathetic
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
N ew Jersey lawmakers continue to send the same message to their constituents: We care about politics as usual, and not you.

Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a second six-year term for Jeanne Fox as president of the state Board of Public Utilities. She won support from a majority of Democrats in a partisan vote.

There have been complaints of cronyism and poor financial management of the agency during Fox's first term. The center of controversy was a bank account used for part of the $480 million Clean Energy Program that was authorized in 1999 to encourage renewable energy development.

Instead of placing the account with the state Treasury, the BPU placed ratepayer money for the program into the Wachovia bank. Fox's explanation was that she feared the governor or state Treasury would take the funds out of the Treasury account for other uses. She said the Attorney General's Office helped negotiate the Wachovia deal, but state auditors reported that the account was in violation of state procedures.

The Star-Ledger reported that Fox's nomination is wrapped in layers of politics. Her husband, Steve DeMicco, is a top Democratic strategist who managed Corzine's 2005 gubernatorial campaign. His firm is now managing the re-election of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

Her backers point out that Fox has pushed renewable energy development and financial support for low-income residents struggling to pay utility bills. They say many complaints against her are misleading.

In this newspaper's opinion, what is not misleading is that under Fox's leadership the BPU has been a rubber-stamp machine when it comes to utility rate increases.

New Jersey has the eighth-highest electric rates in the country. The average residential price was 15.55 cents per kilowatt hour last November, triple the cost when Fox took office. Retaining her in the influential post on the BPU could mean darker homes in the future.

The Jersey Journal
Editorial
Tuesday,March 10, 2009
www.nj.com/hudsoncountynow