This week's editorial: Business taking it on the chin, as usual

I wrote an editorial in this week's Courier after I received an e-mail from the Northern Monmouth Chamber, which is doing some fine work these days.

The long story short is this: As usual, Trenton is finding a new and different way to punish business for setting up shop in the Garden State. There is pending legislation that would mandate employees working for small and large companies in New Jersey would receive 10 weeks of paid vacation every year.

Sure, this is a stupid proposal that, in all likelihood, is going to be shot down because of the ridiculous nature of it. But, this is far from the first piece of outrageous legislation to come out of Trenton in even the past year.

Between bear hunts, trans fat nonsense and devising new ways to bleed a stone dry of blood (money from small business), the state Legislature has been little more than an advancing threat to state businesses.

The problem isn't just this proposed law (though there is certainly nothing right about it). The problem is career politicians who have never actually worked in the traditional sense and are basically a new welfare class created by various county political machines -- career politicians.

If anyone wants to try and sell that Republicans in Monmouth are any different than Democrats in Hudson, that argument should be saved for someone who is going to buy it. Corruption is far and away not limited to one party or one geographic area in this state. And the problem starts with a lack of term limits and encompasses the distinct lack of any practical campaign finance reform.

So long as special interests operate the campaign process, help choose candidates and are power brokers on the level they are today then nothing -- absolutely nothing -- of any worth is going to be accomplished in Trenton.