Death With Dignity

Sorry for the lack of blogging this week, but I do have to work sometimes. Besides, what could I write about this week that others haven’t. Pot? It failed. Doesn’t matter, it’ll pass eventually and at this point all I care about is they admit the real reason they want it to pass – money. Spare me all the social justice nonsense.

I suppose I could have screamed and yelled about CWA State Director Hetty Rosenstein tweeting that she hopes U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos “dies a horrible death.” But what would I say that hasn’t already been said?

I have decided that I am going to chime in on the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act, that Governor Phil Murphy has said he is going to sign into law.

There are a lot of folks who appear mad about this bill, mostly members of my own party. In the past I might even agree with them, but because of life experience I can’t.

Yes. I’m speaking out against my own party on this one and for once I agree with the Governor, sign the bill.

I will be honest – I even called my state Senator, who happens to be Senate President Steve Sweeney to voice my support for this bill. My mother called the Senate President and did the same, even offering to testify in favor of the bill. Truthfully, I think she more or less stalked him in the frozen foods aisle in Acme and begged him to get it passed.

So, back to my life experience and why I can’t be against the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act.

It’s no secret that the last time I left this state I swore I was never coming back for anything more than a visit. Unfortunately, I was left with no choice. When I came back this time it was obvious my mother needed my help – help dealing with her husband who had been diagnosed with a rare, terminal illness.

My mother’s husband withered away to nothing right before our eyes. First, he lost control of his muscles, then his central nervous system went, then he lost his mind, then the ability to eat and finally the ability to speak.

The beginning wasn’t too bad, he had to retire from his career as a cop because he was unable to even hold his gun steady to qualify at the range. He took retirement in stride and started spending a lot more time at his trailer in the woods of Salem County. He would jump on his beloved Harley for long rides. Then he steadily declined mentally and physically. It was terrible to watch this man waste away before our eyes.

My mother promised him she wouldn’t “ship him off to die” so we made the decision to go with home hospice until the very end.

I still remember walking into their house every afternoon to give my mom a break and hearing him pray to God to just take him, to end it, to let him die peacefully. Many times I had to tell him to knock it off with the morbid crap.

Things just kept getting worse. As he was losing control of basic bodily functions, as well as his mind, he would rip his catheter out – I can’t tell you how many times I was called to help with that. Many other things happened that I just don’t want to detail. It got to the point where he couldn’t even feed himself, which was after the only thing he would eat was pudding.

Several times the doctors would tell my mother to get the family together because it was time. The man was given Last Rites more times than Father Mulcahy gave them during the entire run of MASH.

I honestly lost count of how many times I had to call my son to tell him to get his ass over there to see his “pop,” but I do remember seeing the pain on my son’s face. I hated it!

It was horrible watching this Harley riding cop waste away to nothing. A man who prayed to God for the opportunity to die on his own terms while he was still of sound mind.

Having lived through it I can say beyond any doubt that dying with dignity is something that should be left up to families.

Besides, one thing I learned is that we already have assisted suicide – it’s called in-patient hospice care. They just keep loading the patient up with morphine until they overdose and die.

So, this one and only time I’m siding with the Governor. Sign the bill!

PRESS RELEASE: NJGOP Chairman Urges Governor Murphy To Look At The Numbers And Wake Up

NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt today, via press release, called on Governor Phil Murphy to “snap out of his tax and spend trance.” The NJGOP press release follows:

Trenton, NJ - Two more jarring statistics were released yesterday regarding New Jersey's economy. First, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimated that New Jersey lost 7,700 jobs in February. The state lost 9,300 private sector jobs, as the total number was offset by job gains in the taxpayer funded public sector.

Second, the Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) released an internal poll of 500 New Jersey CPAs, where 70% said they believe Governor Murphy's budget will harm the State’s economy. A measly 23% viewed the State’s economy as “good” and only 12% think it will get better.

NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt urged Governor Murphy to reverse course.

"These numbers and their meaning are clear. Bad policies have bad consequences,” said Chairman Steinhardt.  "The Governor needs to snap out of his tax and spend trance. People can only struggle for so long before they lose faith or give up. We owe it to New Jersey’s 9 million residents to help. ”

Steinhardt continues, “New Jersey is teetering on the brink of an economic meltdown. How many CPA’s, accountants and economists need to sound the alarm before our elected leaders respond? There are honest solutions to the State’s real problems. We can start by turning a billion dollar surplus and simple budget savings into real property tax relief for New Jersey’s struggling families.”

###

Who’s Worse, Aunt Becky Or Phil Murphy?

Governor Phil Murphy

It’s been nearly two weeks since the news of the college admissions bribery scandal, Operation Varsity Blues, broke and social media is still filled with folks talking about it. The national press is still churning out stories about it. I suppose the attention is because Lori Loughlin, “Aunt Becky” from the TV show Full House, is involved. Personally, I was never a fan of the show, so I really didn’t pay much attention to the stories.

I was, and am still, more concerned that over a month ago we learned that thanks to a new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy New Jersey spent $1.6 million to help send 513 undocumented immigrants to college during the fall 2018 semester.

So, who’s worse, Aunt Becky or Phil Murphy?

On one hand you have a bunch of millionaires allegedly paying bribes to get their kids into supposedly good colleges, on the other hand you have a millionaire governor rewarding the children of illegal aliens for the bad behavior of their parents by helping the kids go to college.

Worse, Murphy, or the state, used $1.6 million taxpayer dollars to reward those kids for the bad behavior of their parents.

At lease Aunt Becky and the others used their own money to allegedly bribe their kids’ path to college admissions. Besides, who wouldn’t do whatever they could to help their kids?

I’m not saying it’s right, or fair, that a bunch of millionaires allegedly paid bribes to get their kids into colleges, but at least I can understand it.

What I can’t understand is why not nearly as much attention has been paid to Governor Murphy using taxpayer dollars to help send 513 undocumented immigrants to college. That’s not right either and I cannot understand why anyone would think it’s even remotely fair.

For all Murphy’s talk of a “stronger and fairer” New Jersey, when it comes to spending $1.6 million taxpayer dollars to help send 513 undocumented immigrants to college there is nothing “stronger or fairer” about that.

Bottom line: I think Phil Murphy is definitely worse than Aunt Becky.