Six years ago, in response to a lawsuit, the state created something called the School Construction Corporation, which was not a corporation but rather a government agency tasked with spending $8.6 billion to rebuild a bunch of schools in crappy school districts. That $8.6 billion was borrowed in contravention of the state constitution, but that's besides the point for the moment. You of course won't be surprised that the SCC was a cesspool of waste and mismanagement, and destroyed a couple neighborhoods in the process. Now, stuff like this might discourage a real corporation, but not the government. They want to borrow some more money. Yay. More borrowing is exactly what this state needs.
I kinda see gas station attendants as welfare for the, well, unskilled. I mean, if people can pump their own gas, then hundreds of NJ burnouts and illegals will be out of a job. Is that good for society? You doubt me? I was down in Puerto Rico, and at a highway toll-plaza - you can't toss your quarter into the automated bucket. Nope - you have to hand your quarter to an attendant - who then tosses it into the exact same automated bucket you see on the garden state parkway. And then the gate goes up. Is that because puerto ricans are so dumb and spastic that they can't drop a quarter into a bucket? Or is it because the government needs to provide jobs for those with the most minimal of work skills?
Last year, I started pumping my own gas in Jersey, and the attendant ran over and grabbed it from me. I said sorry, and he said "welcome to America" (I have NY plates). Now I know, it wasn't only dumb ass, it wasn't even true.
Funny thing is, they don't bother if you're on a motorcycle, or at least that's been my experience. Fueling a motorcycle can be considerably more dangerous than fueling a car.
The Ramapough Mountain People (they are not indians) are mostly like inbred descendants of early Dutch settlers and their slaves. Most likely little to no indian blood at all. Anyway, I guess they eat squirrels from time to time. The site where Ford dumped the sludge is not a dump. It's the woods near their old plant. These people live in those woods. Ford gave the land to state in a really shady deal when they closed the plant. Really crappy situation.
The Ramapoughs claim to be a Native American tribe, but have repeatedly been denied this status by the federal government. With advances in DNA research, it should currently be easy to determine how much, if any, Dutch, African & Lenni Lenape ancestry the people possess. Unfortunately, even if Native American, they would still probably have a hard time meeting the non-genetic critieria for tribal status. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramapough_Mountain_Indians http://www.bartlconsult.de/bc/proseminar/literatur/Ramasum.htm http://www.ramapoughlenapenation.org/index.php
Well if they keep eating toxic squirrels from the local dump, it's gonna be DNA testing by exhumation.
New Jersey actually plans on spending its money on something intellegent for once: This is totally needed.
I was referring to the fact that this road is primarily serving beach traffic, so naturally all the work will be done during beach weather to cause the most problems. I'll try to clarify my humour in the future. And the reality of weather here in NJ in the last few years has meant construction can proceed well into what used to be considered winter.
For those not familliar with NJ, the GSP is the road to the shore. Construction during the summer would be a nightmare, and that's the optimistic scenario.
I know that, and it was funny. What's sad is the knee-jerk response to traffic jams. "Build wider roads so we can handle more cars!". No ideas on mass transportation. Rt 80 is what, 6-8 lanes wide out near Denville, and all it did was lead to more traffic and more traffic jams. Jeez - you'd think someone would come up with a "Bennie Express" bus making regular Fri night/Sat day runs down to the shore, and Sun nite/Mon morning return trips. It works surprisingly well for the geriatrics headed to AC. Now if they could just do it for the drunks and bennies. They could even put a free keg of beer on the bus. Everyone is a winner. (except the illegal swabbing the vomit out of the bus)
JCPD officers haven't learned from this: http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070130/NEWS/70131001 "drunken driving arrest of an off-duty Jersey City police officer ... comes only days after the arrest of another Jersey City policeman whom authorities said was driving drunk when he was involved in a fatal crash" Rumor mill that 1st officer had called in sick to attend Knicks-Heat game in NYC. Other officers also missing the message: http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770127017 "Days before being sworn in as the new police chief, ... charged with driving while under influence of alcohol."
Here's one word: disbarment. As in Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez who actually made the statement, "it violates a person's person."