In one of the grassroots political groups I follow on Facebook, a member posed the following question in light of the recent NJ government shut down and specifically about Governor Christie...
"This may be a loaded question, but what has NJ done to deserve 8 years of this man? We need everyone actively engaged in voter registration and voter turnout efforts in the future!"
I thought it was an important question to ask and I answered with the following:
An honest answer to this question...
1. A majority of under-informed voters voted for him. Twice.
2. More than 60 democratic elected officials broke ranks with the party and endorsed him in 2013 in his reelection bid.
3. Democrats from around the state who bow to the Norcross machine allowed that unholy Christie/Norcross alliance to be built and it is still functioning to the benefit of Christie and Norcross' cronies. Few Democrats dare challenge it because they want Norcross' money and political support for their respective races.
4. In 2015 when we had a chance to get a veto-proof majority in the State Assembly, only 20% of voters came out to vote. Ask yourself the question, "Did I vote in the Assembly races in 2015?" Only two in ten New Jersey voters can answer this in the affirmative.
5. The old adage, we get the government we deserve, is quite apropos in this situation. If we have an absentee governor who has failed our state, do we need to take an honest look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we have been absentee citizens who abandoned our responsibility of being active civic participants for far too long?
I know the above may sound harsh to some, but it's the truth and the sooner we confront it and change and really dig in as citizens, the better we and our state will be.
Peace,
Jim Keady
#Keady4Congress
www.jimkeady.com