In defense of Sue Altman and the American right to protest

Policy by policy, there is not a great deal that we would agree on, but what happened to Sue Altman at the hands of the Trenton Establishment is disgraceful. Whatever her views and opinions and whatever you think of them, Sue Altman has the right to voice an opinion, to speak out and challenge the powerful, and to protest the conduct of a taxpayer-funded hearing, about taxpayer-funded programs, by taxpayer-funded elected officials, using taxpayer-funded resources.

Sue Altman didn’t “milkshake” anyone. Her band of leftists didn’t attempt to charge the panel and take over the microphone. At no point did they threaten violence. As part of an exposition of feeling on both sides, they booed – or some of them did – and this became sufficient “cause” for Committee Chairman Bob Smith to send men with guns to remove them. In doing this, Smith behaved like the very worst of the British government during the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland. He should be ashamed of himself.

And it was clear that they were targeting Sue Altman, the leader of the opposition in the room. A note of thanks to InsiderNJ – specifically to Max Pizarro and Fred Snowflack – who were on the scene to report the details of Smith’s outrageous behavior.

Jay Lassiter nailed it when he said this is all about “corporate welfare”. Yes, corporate welfare – crony capitalism – the economic engine of choice in nations like the formerly “Red” China, or National Socialist Germany, or Fascist Italy. It is not the Free Market. It has nothing to do with the American ideal so often preached, so rarely achieved. Corporate welfare, crony capitalism, is simply Establishment corruption, codified and enforced. It kills freedom and enslaves what remains.

From her left-wing perspective, Sue Altman understands this as well as any free-market libertarian. It is one of those issues that brings reformers of all political persuasions together, as noted by Ralph Nader in his memorable book, Unstoppable, written in 2015.

What happened yesterday is also one of those events that sorts out just who is who. We note with sadness that Senator Loretta Weinberg, someone who once at least tried to embrace reform, issued a craven statement to the media that praised Committee Chairman Smith and the crony capitalist Establishment. So now we know where she is.

Whatever her faults on this policy or that, Sue Altman is a brave woman who is doing the taxpayers of New Jersey a great service by demanding transparency and providing scrutiny to the operations of what are, after all, taxpayer-funded enterprises. Where most fear to go, she has gone. Now that she knows what they are capable of, now that she has suffered the rough attentions of their men with guns, we hope that she will continue undaunted.

Godspeed.