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Headline Message Is Good News: “Spending Declines” 

NJ Spotlight Targets Teachers Union, AARP And ACLU, Not Chemistry Council

The Money Bought Windfall Corporate Profits, Subsidies, Deregulation, And Privatization

I threw up in my mouth a little this morning upon reading NJ Spotlight’s coverage of the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) annual Report.

Here’s the incredible Spotlight lede:

For the second year in a row, groups spent less money trying to influence state government than the prior year, with pandemic-related lobbying waning and no major statewide issues driving spending.

After that little introductory gem, readers are given a vague allusion to “some” unquantified “subsidy” to PSE&G, but immediately then assured that things in Trenton are “settling down” after a “tumultuous time”:

A number of other big issues have influenced spending in recent years, including the approval of a subsidy to keep PSEG’s nuclear power plants operating, the restructuring of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and the legalization of marijuana.

“The last five years have been a relatively tumultuous time for the state and lobbyists,” said Jeff Brindle, executive director of ELEC. “Things seem to be settling down somewhat.”

Could the “tumult” referred to be PSE&G BILLION DOLLAR PLUS (and increasing) nuclear bailout?

In some other States – ahem, Ohio – that kind of corruption resulted in criminal prosecutions.

PSE&G received not only a $300 MILLION annual State taxpayer subsidy, but hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from BPU approvals and the continuing lax DEP regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

On the billion dollar nuclear subsidy alone, PSE&G received a staggering 28,500 % rate of return on their $3.5 million lobbying expenses.

That’s legalized bribery and journalistic malpractice, my friends.

And NJ Spotlight fails to report on the policy implications of the ELEC Report that documents the “Top 25″ lobbying expenditures from 2000 – 2022.

No mention at all of the $45.5 million spent by Verizon, Prudential, and Blue Cross – gee what could that corporate money be buying in Trenton? Surely not better and cheaper internet service or health care for all.

No mention either of the lobbing money dished out by the NJ Builders Association ($9 million), JCP&L ($8.9 million), Chemistry Council ($8.8 million), Atlantic Electric ($8.7 million), NJ BIA ($7.6 million) and United Water ($5.5 million).

Then people wonder why DEP regulations of industry are weak and the air is polluted and drinking water is poisoned with toxic chemicals and the climate catastrophe is accelerating and sprawl development continues to destroy the last remaining forests and farms.

After targeting the Teachers Union – Spotlight is sure to tell us that “no other group came close in spending”  – the best NJ Spotlight could muster up about the actual public policy impacts of all this money (on laws, regulations, actual environmental impacts, etc) was this bit of gibberish:

“Most of these are large organizations with big financial stakes in New Jersey,” Brindle said. “Policies they support or oppose can have a significant impact on these organizations and the lives of New Jersey citizens.”

Say what?

[Update: of course, there can’t be problems with the cushy jobs of teachers, right? Jeff St. Clair reports:

+ Across the country, the number of teachers quitting their positions has continued to spike. Between 2021 and 2022, Maryland lost 11.2% of its teachers, Louisiana 13.9%, North Carolina 15.6% and Washington state 12%.

Its as if lobbying by the teachers Union, AARP, and ACLU (which benefits the education of our kids; assures the dignity, security, and basic income of old people; and protects Constitutional rights) are no different than the interests of energy companies, builders, and the chemical industry!

They are all just “special interest groups”.

I fired off this snarky email to reporter Colleen O’Dea but it was blocked by the new PBS email system:

Colleen – I’m so comforted by the fact that the Trenton lobbyists are, as you put it, “settling down”and I guess I don’t have to worry anymore because your headline writer blared the good news message that “spending declines”.

And those greedy teachers!

Thing is, when the teachers’ lobby exerts influence, our kids benefit.

When PSE&G and the chemistry Council lobby exerts influence, we are ripped off, devastated by the climate catastrophe, and poisoned by chemicals.

Not quite a fair comparison, eh?

Wolfe