NJ Services to be cut back (Newark, Jersey City: apartments, HOA, crime)
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It's amazing to me how so many conservative folks want to socialize services across towns to save a few bucks.
I wish everyone would just admit to being Libertarians instead of pretending to be non-Libertarians who just so happen to want to enact libertarian policies in order to save money (as if that would actually lower taxes or save money if such policies were implemented - yeah right).
Again, a library is not a "resource". It is something that costs a lot of money that comes from the taxes of families that need the money to pay for their own living expenses. We have people losing homes.
It is kind of ridiculous to have money taken from people's paychecks to feed their families so that others can, "for free", go read books and meet people.
How about this: Libraries can be privatized. You could have a reasonable fee structure and the people that use libraries could pay for libraries.
Also, the duplication is insane. You have 30 towns in a county each duplicating the capital expense, the labor expense, the insurance expense, and each buying hundreds of thousands of the same books, CDs, DVDs so that people can entertain themselves.
I would favor abolishing libraries altogether, but as a compromise, maybe get rid of all the town libraries and have only a county library.
We really need to have everyone get away from the idea of getting "free" things if we are going to reduce taxes and make NJ the great state it could be.
First of all, you don't have carbon copy libraries in towns that are right next to each other; it doesn't work that way at all.
There are two models for library systems that I see in NJ. I'll use Bergen and Somerset counties as examples.
In Somerset County, there is the Somerset County Library system. The County Library has several branches so that people across the county all have roughly the same access to a library facility. The library's books, DVD's, etc. are distributed throughout the various branches so that there is a similar mix of books with as little duplication as possible. Someone can request that a book be sent to the branch closest to him, or he can go to the branch that has the book he wants and get it directly.
In Bergen County, every town has its own library. However, they work together under the BCCLS (Bergen County Co-operative Library System). This means that each library can remain relatively small and offer a limited selection of books, DVD's etc. because by being in cooperation with the other libraries all residents have access to the entire system's collection. So someone in River Vale can request a book that is in Ho-Ho-Kus or Rutherford, or he or she can go there and get it directly.
It amounts to the same thing. In Bergen County, instead of every town paying into a system, every town takes care of its own branch and in turn cooperates with the other libraries in the system. But the effect is the same. And the costs should be about the same, also. I'll give that it's likely that the Bergen County system may cost a little more depending on what the town chooses to spend, but at least then the decision is in the hands of the town, so the residents in Teaneck can't decide to spend more on behalf of the residents in Tenafly - each town decides for itself. Some towns have big, elaborate libraries, some have small, simple ones. Upper Saddle River has a Keurig coffee machine for their visitors - if they want to spend the money on it, let them. Why shouldn't they? Why should residents of Hackensack dictate what Upper Saddle River's library be like through a "County Library System"???
As for privatizing Libraries, how does that solve anything? That will drive up costs. Even when there are competing libraries, they are duplicating each other's services. If and when one library wins out and drives the other library out of business, that library will be free to raise rates to increase profit, which is the goal of private business. Who will pay for that profit? The consumer. The whole point of public libraries is to provide a service to the public at as low a cost as possible. The fantasy of some kind of "free market" that will inevitably lead to the lowest possible cost is exactly that - a fantasy.
Look at what happened when some bird-woman named Christie Whitman had the BRILLIANT idea of privatizing the DMV. What a disaster! Now the MVC, back out of private, money-grubbing, profit-seeking hands and back under government control is effiient, more secure, easy, courteous, reduced bureaucracy, etc. I walk into the MVC and I'm out in 20 minutes, tops. Compare that to the crappy PRIVATIZED DMV when I had to set aside a couple hours, go wait on a line for 20 minutes to be told to go stand on another line for 20 minute to get a form which I then had to stand on line another 20 minutes to give back after it's filled out, and then wait up to an hour or even more for them to do whatever they have to do, then wait on line to pay, etc. Privatization is stupid.
As I said, if people want libertarianism and rampant capitalism, then leave NJ. NJ is not like that. People in NJ have shown time and again through their voting that they do not want that. They show that they want to continue boro-itis, they want to continue home rule, and they are willing to pay more for it to their respective towns.
The only time anything to the contrary is demonstrated is when people inexplicably get riled up over a gubernatorial election, like the last one, and vote out a governor for "not lowering property taxes". The same people will vote to spend more in the town and then get angry that their taxes are so high. My town just did it. In April they voted for a $10 mil spending spree on the schools and in November they voted for Christie because their property taxes are too high and they blame Corzine and the state for that. Inexplicable, indeed.
Or maybe not so inexplicable - I think it's because the conservative whining is so persistent and repetitive that people let themselves be led by it, as it tickles their ears to hear that someone else is to blame for their high property taxes rather than to face the truth that their high taxes are the result of their choosing to spend millions more on the schools.
Much like how the same idiots go out and buy a huge Expedition, fully loaded with DVD and all, to protect and entertain little Susie and Billy as they're driven around to school and dance class and soccer practice and cub scouts and whatever else, but then become indignant about gas prices when they rise, a rise in price which is directly connected to increased demand by people like them who are buying gas guzzlers for their selfish pampering of their families.
That's what people REALLY want - they want everything, they want the government to spend and spend, but they want the government to go elsewhere to find the revenue to spend.
I've been to dinner with people like this. They order up appetizers, drinks, desserts, everything they want while others are more careful, then when the check come they divide it equally amongst the number of people there, all the while complaining about the price. I don't so much mind paying a little more while they pay less, but THEY are the ones bitching about the price, and that I can't stomach.
And it's the same thing here - people here are whining and complaining about the very things they support and want and use. Enough already!
Last edited by BergenCountyJohnny; 01-11-2010 at 01:25 AM..
Yes, just don't set foot in most areas of Trenton, Newark, Paterson, Camden, or any other semi-urban area in our state after dark...
NJ is probably the only state I can think of in which I generally feel unsafe in every major city. The state's largest city, Newark, is a dump fit for the scrap heap, Camden is a warzone that rivals Mogadishu, and the state capital is a physically nauseating disgrace.
Of course, everyone feels safe in NJ's suburbs and at the beach, where it's all parties and good times.
But, bottom line. The STATE as a whole ranks top 10 safest.
First of all, you don't have carbon copy libraries in towns that are right next to each other; it doesn't work that way at all.
There are two models for library systems that I see in NJ. I'll use Bergen and Somerset counties as examples.
In Somerset County, there is the Somerset County Library system. The County Library has several branches so that people across the county all have roughly the same access to a library facility. The library's books, DVD's, etc. are distributed throughout the various branches so that there is a similar mix of books with as little duplication as possible. Someone can request that a book be sent to the branch closest to him, or he can go to the branch that has the book he wants and get it directly.
In Bergen County, every town has its own library. However, they work together under the BCCLS (Bergen County Co-operative Library System). This means that each library can remain relatively small and offer a limited selection of books, DVD's etc. because by being in cooperation with the other libraries all residents have access to the entire system's collection. So someone in River Vale can request a book that is in Ho-Ho-Kus or Rutherford, or he or she can go there and get it directly.
It amounts to the same thing. In Bergen County, instead of every town paying into a system, every town takes care of its own branch and in turn cooperates with the other libraries in the system. But the effect is the same. And the costs should be about the same, also. I'll give that it's likely that the Bergen County system may cost a little more depending on what the town chooses to spend, but at least then the decision is in the hands of the town, so the residents in Teaneck can't decide to spend more on behalf of the residents in Tenafly - each town decides for itself. Some towns have big, elaborate libraries, some have small, simple ones. Upper Saddle River has a Keurig coffee machine for their visitors - if they want to spend the money on it, let them. Why shouldn't they? Why should residents of Hackensack dictate what Upper Saddle River's library be like through a "County Library System"???
As for privatizing Libraries, how does that solve anything? That will drive up costs. Even when there are competing libraries, they are duplicating each other's services. If and when one library wins out and drives the other library out of business, that library will be free to raise rates to increase profit, which is the goal of private business. Who will pay for that profit? The consumer. The whole point of public libraries is to provide a service to the public at as low a cost as possible. The fantasy of some kind of "free market" that will inevitably lead to the lowest possible cost is exactly that - a fantasy.
Look at what happened when some bird-woman named Christie Whitman had the BRILLIANT idea of privatizing the DMV. What a disaster! Now the MVC, back out of private, money-grubbing, profit-seeking hands and back under government control is effiient, more secure, easy, courteous, reduced bureaucracy, etc. I walk into the MVC and I'm out in 20 minutes, tops. Compare that to the crappy PRIVATIZED DMV when I had to set aside a couple hours, go wait on a line for 20 minutes to be told to go stand on another line for 20 minute to get a form which I then had to stand on line another 20 minutes to give back after it's filled out, and then wait up to an hour or even more for them to do whatever they have to do, then wait on line to pay, etc. Privatization is stupid.
As I said, if people want libertarianism and rampant capitalism, then leave NJ. NJ is not like that. People in NJ have shown time and again through their voting that they do not want that. They show that they want to continue boro-itis, they want to continue home rule, and they are willing to pay more for it to their respective towns.
The only time anything to the contrary is demonstrated is when people inexplicably get riled up over a gubernatorial election, like the last one, and vote out a governor for "not lowering property taxes". The same people will vote to spend more in the town and then get angry that their taxes are so high. My town just did it. In April they voted for a $10 mil spending spree on the schools and in November they voted for Christie because their property taxes are too high and they blame Corzine and the state for that. Inexplicable, indeed.
Or maybe not so inexplicable - I think it's because the conservative whining is so persistent and repetitive that people let themselves be led by it, as it tickles their ears to hear that someone else is to blame for their high property taxes rather than to face the truth that their high taxes are the result of their choosing to spend millions more on the schools.
Much like how the same idiots go out and buy a huge Expedition, fully loaded with DVD and all, to protect and entertain little Susie and Billy as they're driven around to school and dance class and soccer practice and cub scouts and whatever else, but then become indignant about gas prices when they rise, a rise in price which is directly connected to increased demand by people like them who are buying gas guzzlers for their selfish pampering of their families.
That's what people REALLY want - they want everything, they want the government to spend and spend, but they want the government to go elsewhere to find the revenue to spend.
I've been to dinner with people like this. They order up appetizers, drinks, desserts, everything they want while others are more careful, then when the check come they divide it equally amongst the number of people there, all the while complaining about the price. I don't so much mind paying a little more while they pay less, but THEY are the ones bitching about the price, and that I can't stomach.
And it's the same thing here - people here are whining and complaining about the very things they support and want and use. Enough already!
You are complicating a simple issue. Tax dollars need to be limited to what people need. Nobody needs libraries. Some people want libraries. Let them pay, that is moral.
If all the libraries magically disappeared tomorrow, there would be 2 weeks of mental adjustment, people would find new ways to solve the minor personal inconvenience of not being able to read for free, and within a month they would be totally forgotten.
Millions and millions of dollars saved. Taxes reduced. My goal is to allow the family of 4 to KEEP THEIR MONEY IN THE FAMILY. Getting rid of libraries is a great start.
After all the screaming and crying, 2-3 weeks, they would be forgotten. And a few more people would not lose their homes.
Millions and millions of dollars saved. Taxes reduced. My goal is to allow the family of 4 to KEEP THEIR MONEY IN THE FAMILY. Getting rid of libraries is a great start.
QUOTE]
If you want to keep money in families, keep the libraries. Libraries are a hallmark of a literate, erudite, inquisitive and intelligent society and afford those who can't afford to attend a university or to buy every latest best seller to read and educate themselves.
Millions and millions of dollars saved. Taxes reduced. My goal is to allow the family of 4 to KEEP THEIR MONEY IN THE FAMILY. Getting rid of libraries is a great start.
QUOTE]
If you want to keep money in families, keep the libraries. Libraries are a hallmark of a literate, erudite, inquisitive and intelligent society and afford those who can't afford to attend a university or to buy every latest best seller to read and educate themselves.
Why not publish books online and have an online library system or ebook that is SHARED across the US. That would save billions and save a LOT of trees.
Yes, just don't set foot in most areas of Trenton, Newark, Paterson, Camden, or any other semi-urban area in our state after dark...
NJ is probably the only state I can think of in which I generally feel unsafe in every major city. The state's largest city, Newark, is a dump fit for the scrap heap, Camden is a warzone that rivals Mogadishu, and the state capital is a physically nauseating disgrace.
Of course, everyone feels safe in NJ's suburbs and at the beach, where it's all parties and good times.
Having been to other cities in TX, NC and FL. I agree, almost all our cities except for the waterfront in JC and hoboken are failures.
Why not publish books online and have an online library system or ebook that is SHARED across the US. That would save billions and save a LOT of trees.
Excellent idea, I love it.
The excuse will be "Oh no, what about all the poor people who don't have Internet"
The answer is: There are no such people. I work the poorest neighborhoods in Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth, you name it. Every one of them has Internet, cell phones, flat screens.
There is no one who cannot afford Internet. It is a utility, like heat. Computers now cost less than microwaves.
The excuse will be "Oh no, what about all the poor people who don't have Internet"
The answer is: There are no such people. I work the poorest neighborhoods in Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth, you name it. Every one of them has Internet, cell phones, flat screens.
There is no one who cannot afford Internet. It is a utility, like heat. Computers now cost less than microwaves.
If you really believe this, then there's been a lot of sheltering going on. Many, MANY people can't afford even a telephone. Much less internet service.
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