Voters in Washington reject Affirmative Action ballot measure… while NJ Dems push Reparations bill

In Washington State, the affirmative-action measure known as Referendum 88 has gone down to defeat after a week of counting ballots. Had it been approved, it would have implemented affirmative-action legislation known as Initiative 1000. Passed by the state Legislature earlier in the year, Initiative-1000 codified affirmative action for public contracting, employment and education.

While recognized as a generally more liberal state than even New Jersey, Washington has embraced direct democracy in a way the party bosses in New Jersey wouldn’t dare. In response to the Legislature’s passage of Initiative-1000, a group called Let People Vote was formed by a group of immigrants, many of whom were originally from China. They argued that the policy reminded them of their country of origin, that it was a divisive policy, and that it created a system of racial quotas that would allow state government to discriminate. They won.

Back in New Jersey, the likes of Democrats Phil Murphy, Steve Sweeney, and Craig Coughlin don’t have much to fear from Initiative & Referendum. Even when people do manage to get something on the ballot, Governor Murphy sends the Attorney General’s office (i.e. men with guns) to try to prevent the democratic exercise of voting. Maybe they should consider changing the name of their party? Or maybe someone should sue them for false advertising? Because the last thing these Democrat party bosses are is democratic.

In the post-election lame duck session of the Legislature the Democrats have put so-called “criminal justice reform” at the top of the legislative agenda. No, not property tax relief… criminal justice reform. You know, that hobby horse of the very rich – of everyone from George Soros to Koch Industries. This so-called “reform” argues for the decriminalization of actual crime – assaults on human beings and their property – while it seeks to make thinking the “wrong” thoughts or expressing the “wrong” opinions illegal.

On Thursday, a performance has been scheduled, hosted by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. It will begin promptly tomorrow, November 14, 2019 at 1:00 PM in Committee Room 11, Fourth Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, New Jersey. Proceeds benefit the Democrat Party of Phil Murphy, Steve Sweeney, and Craig Coughlin.

Among the bills being considered is A-3722/S-2055. This legislation “permits incarcerated persons to receive student financial aid.” And A-5823, which “removes prohibition on voting by persons convicted of indictable offense who are on parole or probation.”

By the way, these are the same Democrats who slashed education funding to New Jersey school children across the state… causing property tax increases. Now they are proposing to provide funding to convicted criminals.

But it doesn’t end there. The Democrats are not only going to ignore property tax relief, they intend to ignore the high rate of foreclosure and the low rate of job creation too. And instead of addressing these important issues, the Democrats will opt to discuss… reparations for slavery. The Civil War ended in 1865 but rather than discuss a problem staring them in the face – like child hunger – the Democrats want to go back and take on history. Hey, Governor Murphy could address child hunger with more jobs and less foreclosure… but nooo, let’s talk reparations. It’s the process by which rich people like Phil Murphy seek to take money from these working class folk to give it to those working class folk, in order to buy votes.

A press release was issued late yesterday by a group calling itself the “Institute”, from which we have taken the following excerpts: “NJ Legislators to Address Voting Rights Restoration and Reparations Legislation This Thursday… Institute, Partners, and Supporters Will Show Support for Full Voting Rights Restoration and Policy-Driven Solutions to Systemic Racism in New Jersey… At 2 pm, the Institute and its partners will join legislators for the introduction of legislation to create a Reparative Justice Task Force in New Jersey. The Task Force will focus on repairing structural racism in New Jersey that can be traced back to slavery in the state and around the country, and recommend targeted policies and investments…”

“Partnering” with the “Institute” include any number of well-funded lobbying organizations – including several affiliated with Rutgers University. So let’s see… property tax relief, high foreclosure rate, low job creation… or reparations? Which will they get to first? We’ll let Princeton University answer that question…

It’s like the Princeton University study says…

“The preferences of the average American appear to have only a miniscule, near zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.”

Gas-tax repealers pass Black-Lives Matter bill

Last week, the New Jersey Senate passed legislation that will throw EVERY police officer who has to make the decision to use deadly force in front of a state-appointed special prosecutor.  Under this legislation, a police officer who arrives at a school shooting incident in the nick of time and uses his firearm to stop a would-be mass murderer of children will be presumed to have done something wrong and then tossed in front of a persecutory special prosecutor. 

This legislation -- S2469 -- could not become law without the support of two Republicans, Jennifer Beck and Gerald Cardinale.  Without their votes, the bill would not have passed the Senate.

The premise behind this legislation is that county prosecutors -- just by existing within the borders of a particular county -- have too close a relationship with the police officers of that county and therefore cannot objectively investigate an incident when a police officer makes a mistake or oversteps his or her authority. 

While this might be argued for states that elect their prosecutors, such as Pennsylvania, where police unions are active in that political process; in New Jersey all prosecutors are appointed by the same person -- the Governor.  So whether you are a county prosecutor, appointed by the Governor, or the Attorney General, also appointed by the Governor, you do not run for election and there is no potential for that kind of conflict.

If a county prosecutor is too conflicted to investigate a matter within his jurisdiction simply because he or she lives and works there, then the whole idea of county prosecutors needs to be scrapped and replaced with something like the United Kingdom's Crown Prosecution Service, where attorneys are appointed to prosecute on a case-by-case basis.  But the idea of dragging a police officer in front of a special prosecutor, simply because that officer did precisely what he or she was supposed to do in a deadly situation, is preposterous. 

All this legislation will do is to create a species of state prosecutor whose worth will be determined by the number of police officers' scalps collected and careers destroyed.  It will deteriorate the quality of police organizations  and with that, the safety of every community in New Jersey.

The Assembly might consider a "sensitivity training" amendment for special prosecutor designees.  It would include eight weeks of putting on a police officer's uniform, strapping on a sidearm, and engaging in day-to-day police work like traffic stops and domestic calls.  Call it prosecutors' boot camp.   

Just why two Republican Senators -- Beck and Cardinale -- would cross party lines to vote for this misguided legislation is open to question.  We suggest that it is because they find the contemplation of labor unions and working people disagreeable.  Senator Beck is a career  politician and lobbyist, while Senator Cardinale is a politician with a profession, as well as the owner of a luxury property in the Caribbean. 

According to a press release put out by the ACLU, Beck and Cardinale casts their votes on behalf of that organization as well as Black Lives Matter Morristown, Black Lives Matter Paterson, Black Lives Matter New Jersey, the Drug Policy Alliance, Garden State Equality, New Jersey Citizen Action, and the New Jersey Policy Perspective.  Beck and Cardinale stood with the far-left to screw working police officers and their families.