So this mayor, rabbi and real estate developer walk into this New Jersey diner…
Friday's extraordinary story about criminal charges placed on 44 people in New Jew Jersey, including three New Jersey mayors, two state assemblymen and five rabbis in a case that involves everything from money laundering to the sale of illegal organs raises questions about New Jersey, home of the Sopranos.
Truth is New Jersey has a culture of corruption. Over the past eight years, 130 New Jersey officials have been charged with crimes including Sharpe James, the former mayor of Newark, who was indicted in 2007 after an investigation into the sale of municipal land. "I think there is a culture in the state which, if it does not promote corruption, certainly tolerates it. In Indiana, if you hold two public jobs it's a felony. In New Jersey if you hold two public jobs, you're a slacker," Bob Ingle, a veteran reporter and co-author of The Sopranos State told the Globe and Mail.
Every time I have been New Jersey, I have been blown away by the power of all the municipal agencies. The other side of that is weak state government, something which might explain some of the corruption.
It's a point also raised in The Economist. "There are thousands of public officials in the state's 21 counties, 566 municipalities and over 600 school districts. But even so, it is shocking how widespread and ingrained public corruption has become. Ingrid Reed of the Eagleton Institute for politics, who recently wrote a study on ethics in local government in the state, notes sadly 'Corruption is part of the culture. For real reform, the culture of New Jersey has to change'. "
But then, it wouldn't be the Soprano state anymore, would it?
no comment untill now