No Legal Weed Yet, But It’s Coming

We got a break from the Governor Phil Murphy- George Norcross war yesterday because it was announced that legal recreational marijuana isn’t getting done this year. You’re going to have to wait a little longer before you can legally spark up a doobie.

Personally, I’m torn on whether or not recreational pot should be legal though I have said before I think as a Republican I am supposed to be against legal weed. Frankly, that makes no sense to me because we are supposed to be the party of personal responsibility. Making marijuana legal doesn’t mean you have to smoke it – one simply has to exercise personal responsibility. But that’s an argument for another day.

While opponents of legalizing adult recreational use marijuana celebrated yesterday’s news, based on comments on a tweet sent by Senate President Steve Sweeney supporters were very upset:

Apparently, upset supporters don’t understand the strategy of putting weed on the ballot in 2020 instead of this year. 2019 is going to be a low voter turnout election, thus making a legalization ballot referendum easier to defeat. 2020 will see President Donald Trump on the ballot, younger voters will be coming out in droves, meaning legalizing weed will be easier to pass.

For opponents of legal weed this means you have a year to get organized – you better get moving.

And for me, it means I have a year to decide if legalizing adult use recreational marijuana is a good thing.

Hey Camden, What Has 83 Years With A Democrat As Mayor Done For You?

Whether it be folks demanding EDA resignations or others complaining about a lack of jobs for Camden residents, activists have only one group to blame – the Democrats they support over and over.

Say what you will about the fight between Governor Phil Murphy and George Norcross over tax incentives in Camden, while exciting, the outcome of that fight will change nothing unless folks change the way they vote in Camden.

The last Republican to serve as mayor of Camden was Frederick von Neida. He was ousted in 1936 by Democrat George Edward Brunner ending Republican dominance in the City. Camden has had a Democrat as a state Senator and Democrats as members of the Assembly since the 40-district legislative map was created in 1973.

So, 83 years with a mayor from the Democratic party and 46 years with Democrats in the Assembly and state Senate.

Camden has been represented by a Democrat in Congress since Jim Florio left the state Assembly to become the Congressman on January 3, 1975. That makes 44 years with a Democrat as the Congressman representing Camden.

And, the last time a Republican freeholder was elected was in the 1990s.

Does anyone not see a theme here?

83 years with a Democrat as mayor. 46 years with a Democrat in the state Senate and the state Assembly. 44 years with a Democrat in Congress. What has that done for Camden?

While I salute the insurgent Democrats for taking on the machine, I think it’s a safe bet to assume that if you lose you’ll still vote straight Democrat and then wonder why nothing changes.

Maybe it’s time for the voters in Camden to try something new.

Murphy Vs Norcross. Republicans Probably Shouldn’t Get Too Excited

Gov. Phil Murphy - George Norcross

It’s an exciting time to be watching politics in South Jersey – insurgents are challenging the throne in Camden County and Governor Phil Murphy has decided to pick a fight with George Norcross.

All this appears to have the Norcross machine fighting a war on two fronts. South Jersey Republicans, especially the keyboard warrior types, are motivated. Rank-and file Republicans are motivated too. Over the weekend I chatted with a few GOP municipal chairs and other activist types who are helping some of the insurgent “progressive” Democrats.

Even soon-to-announce Republican congressional candidate in CD1, Josh Duvall, has met with at least one of the insurgent “progressive” Democrats.

I understand why Duvall would meet with Vida Neil, he has to try to find support where he can and Vida has been an outspoken critic of Congressman Donald Norcross.

What I don’t understand is why the keyboard warriors, a few municipal chairs and activists who actually go out and knock on doors for Republican candidates are lending a hand to these insurgent Democrats. It’s not like, win or lose, any of them are going to help Republicans come November. They proved that much last year in the special election for Assembly in LD5. Many of these insurgent “progressive” Democrats worked to ensure Camden residents could win the ability to elect their school board. The GOP candidate in that race, my father, Nick Kush, sided with them. Some of the same folks that are part of the insurgency made a point on social media to show they had the support of my father in their effort and being a good son I reached out to them on his behalf and every single one of them told me “I could never vote for a Republican.”

What makes Republicans think the insurgent Democrats will do things differently this time?

As to the other front Norcross is forced to fight on – the tax incentive issue, don’t get too excited. Norcross has the best lawyers money can buy. Does anyone honestly believe those lawyers allowed any laws to be broken to get those tax breaks? Sure, Norcross, or his people, may have walked up to the line, they might have even straddled it, but I’m sure those lawyers made certain not one single law was violated.

Some folks seem a little excited about a recent Star-Ledger opinion piece in which Norcross was referred to as “King George” in the headline:

I don’t understand the excitement. Here at the Bob & Steve Show we referred to Norcross as “the king of kings” in our first ever Naughty and Nice List (https://www.bobandsteve.com/blog/2018/12/25/2018-naughty-and-nice-list) and no one got excited:

At the end of the day nobody really knows how this whole tax incentive fight is going to work out, but my guess is it’s going to die because the budget needs to get done and no one wants a government shutdown. And the establishment Democrats aren’t going to lose any ground to the insurgents.

The only thing we know for sure is George Norcross never tried to steal $33 million from the state’s firefighters which makes Governor Murphy more evil than George Norcross.