Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray, a guest today on News 12's New Jersey Power and Politics, attributes Governor Christie's 44% approval rating to Democrats "begrudingly giving him credit for doing something that needed to be done, that is reign in state spending." Murray pointed out that Christie's disapproval rating is also 44%, which is in part due to unpopular budget cuts that "people are crying about." Murray says the lackluster numbers also have to do with voter reluctance to stamp their approval on Christie's approach before they see a cut in their property tax bills.
Murray and hosts Laura Jones and Jim McQueeny believe that the only thing voters want from their government is tax relief. Maybe it's true that many Jersey voters care only about the money in their pockets, but I suspect that results from fear in bad times. It's much like the run on the bank scene in "It's A Wonderful Life."
Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggests that you can't think much about your quality of life when you don't have a secure roof over your head. But that doesn't mean quality of life issues aren't worth discussing and considering in our current situation; people are just distracted and fearful. Too few teachers, expensive public transportation, reduced public services, such as closed libraries and reduced public assistance to the poor, are quality of life issues that we need to be weighing, and not just in the context of how funding will affect our pocketbooks. If that's the reality, then God help us. Potter wins.
I don't know, maybe we can't expect quality assessments of our life in Jersey from a couple of news anchors, but Murray should certainly be able to muster more complex thoughts about what's happening in our state than what he offered today.
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