I'm laughing pretty heartily about the fact that all non-essential services in New Jersey are being shutdown, in effect closing the state. Not just parks and other state run areas, but even the mighty Casinos -- cash cows that they normally are -- are being shutdown because the New Jersey legislature couldn't meet their mandated (apparently by New Jersey state law) requirements to pass a balanced budget.
New Jersey's governor, former U.S. Senator Corzine, has slammed the legislature for failing to meet their obligations and for failing to pass his own preferred tax hike to solve the crisis.
Will the Democrats that control New Jersey pay a price for this budget shutdown? Probably not. After all, Bill Clinton and company were easily able to pin the mid '90's government shutdown on the Republicans in congress. Corzine -- even as he trumpets undesirable tax increases (which may be necessary considering that New Jersey apparently has a $4 billion with a B gap to close) to solve the problem -- will probably emerge unscathed.
Will Republicans make up ground in what was formerly a solid "Blue" state? Possibly. It really depends on just how fed up the citizens of that state get as they let their leadership screw the state out of even more revenue that could have been collected for the state (including casino taxes, lottery revenue and more).
