Cutting Corruption In New Jersey Includes Sports Perks

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Governor Chris Christie is living up to his promises, and he is cutting all of the wasteful spending in New Jersey. While he is at it, he is going after the corruption, too. Christie's actions, to the dismay of the smug little elitists that call themselves politicians, includes eliminating many of their perks, including entertainment tickets.

Last time I checked, persons with political connections are not supposed to receive gifts, but if a politician has a direct pipeline to the hottest concerts and sports events, because of his political office, that is the act of receiving a gift, and is corrupt beyond imagination.

Who in the hell do these people think they are?

Commissioners, legislators, judges, and even the governor’s office, in New Jersey, has been repeatedly able to obtain scarce or prime seats at public venues without ever going through the same channels everyone else must navigate.

And Chris Christie is putting an end to it.

In letters to the entertainment industry the governor’s chief counsel indicated that the controversial perks are a violation of the state’s ethics code and could not be offered to any state officers or employees — including cabinet members, employees of the governor’s office, authority members or the Legislature. In the future, seats that have already been contractually provided to the authorities by promoters must be turned over to the box offices and made available to the public.

Let me say this as plainly as I can. These people, politicians at the city, state, or federal level, are no better than you and I. We sent them there to do a job, not to use their positions as a skeleton key for all of their desires. The public sent them there to do their job, and then when these politicians have some free time, they can go through the same channels as everyone else.

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, should be placed at a level higher than anyone else.

Message to the politicians: Serve. Then when you are done, go home and live under the laws you helped pass. You should not be exempt from anything, or treated any more special than anyone else. You are not better than we. You are simply a fellow citizen elected to be a representative of the people, and in the case of the federal government, the states.

Period.

No more special perks, no more using your office to receive things, or for seats to be held for you because of your office.

And if there are politicians who don't like it, fine with me. Go home and cry, and let true statesmen serve in your place.

I am so sick of these people thinking they are better than everyone else because they got elected, or thinking they are so much more intelligent because they earned a degree from some prestigious university.

You are nothing more than a person, just like me.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Gov. Christie ends sports, concert ticket access for N.J. officials - NJ.com