In the Flood Zone

In the aftermath of Sandy, FEMA issued new flood maps for the coastal areas in my part of the world.  The objective of these flood maps is to map out areas where flooding is likely so that homeowners can make plans (some folks need to raise their homes) or pay flood insurance rates that reflect their actual potential for serious damage.  Both prospects are expensive, of course, but they are also what is required to live by the water in the world of climate change.  

Or so you would think.  As it turns out, the news that more homes are in the high-risk flood regions, information that is hardly surprising news for people who flooded last fall, has caused endless complaining and hand-wringing in New Jersey.  There has been enough complaining for FEMA to issue new maps.  The new maps show less risk, thus ensuring that these folks can get less-expensive flood insurance and will undertake less flood prevention measures.

That would be just fine with me if the homeowners were really on their own.  But in point of fact, when flooding happens, and it will happen, homeowners along the shore will want help from the rest of us.  They will want that help despite the obvious risks they undertook.  I find this terribly frustrating.  Folks who want to live by the water are undertaking a risk and I am all for allowing that risk as a personal choice.  However, let's generate cautious flood maps, ones that take account of the serious risks of living near the water, and force those who wish to do so to pay the real costs of that choice.

Let's also undertake to plan wisely for the climate change that is obviously already at our doorstep.  That's a project for citizens and their government and it won't be easy.  But it is a a lot easier than cleaning up the aftermath of disastrous storms.  And it is our responsibility to one another.  New York City's Mayor Bloomberg has a plan for discussion.  It's not perfect and it is controversial but it at least starts a conversation.  New Jersey should take a page from the Bloomburg playbook and start a serious conversation.  The current strategy of hiding our head in the sand is not going to help.

Real Life Conversations with T: GOP Convention edition

The backstory: When I read that New Jersey's loud and belligerent governor, Chris Christie, had been selected to give the keynote address at the Republican National Convention, I was eager to share the news with T.

Me:  Chris Christie is going to be the….

T:  Head jackass?

Me:  Yes, that's exactly what they call the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention.  He's going to talk about the New Jersey economic miracle…..rising unemployment and the highest property taxes in the nation.

T: Oh, to be a rich bastard in New Jersey.  The living is easy.

Indecisions, Indecisions: An Endorsement of Sorts

It's gubernatorial election day in New Jersey; we are one of just two states holding statewide elections this year (Virginia is the other one) and it's a race that has attracted national interest.  The only reason that I can spell gubernatorial is because it was a spelling word for the 4th grade.  And 4th graders needed to know how to spell that word because they have been studying the election.  So it was that my son has come home this fall regularly expressing his opinions and asking questions.  God save me if I hadn't known about the public question or our representatives to the state legislature.  I was proud of my boy's interest in the race and I took his questions and ideas seriously.  And though I say it myself, I was impressed by his level of engagement in the races.

At school the 4th graders organized an election for the whole of the Lower School.  In that election, JT cast his ballot for governor.  He voted for Jon Corzine, the Democratic candidate.  This morning, it was my turn.  Four years ago, I voted for Corzine's first bid to be governor of the state.  This year, he's seeking another term and facing off against Republican Chris Christie and Independent Chris Daggett.  JT and I watched the debates and we've talked about the issues.

There are a host of problems in New Jersey, but it all boils down to one problem:  local control.  Towns and municipalities abound in New Jersey and they all seek their pound of flesh.  We need to break the back of local control, a task the established parties have failed to accomplish.  So, good Democrat though I am, I was interested in casting a ballot for the Independent.  That's always a risky strategy, of course, because in our two-party system I could be voting for a spoiler.  And I am concerned about that as I have neither faith in nor enthusiasm for the Republican candidate.  I wanted Daggett but I could live with another term for Corzine, who had one hell of a task before him when he first took office, a reality nicely illustrated by this New York Times article by Matt Bai.

This morning, before we set off to vote, JT and I took a final look at the polls.  Christie has a slight lead.  Daggett is a distant third.  Jon Corzine will need a last minute surge of support if he is to win today. So  JT and I talked it through and then we made our decision: at the ballot box this morning, we voted for Jon Corzine.

Family Viewing: Live-Blogging the New Jersey Governor's Debate

On the way home from school this afternoon, JT casually mentioned what he had read in the Star-Ledger today.  For the uninitiated, the Star-Ledger is a leading newspaper here in the Garden State.  And my fourth grader was reading it as part of his social studies lessons this year. 

Allrighty then.  No excuses for ignorance about local politics will be tolerated at Sassafras House.  Thus it is that we are sitting in front of the telly tonight, watching incumbent Democratic Governor face-off against two challengers: Republican Chris Christie and Independent Chris Daggett.

8:05 pm
JT's opening observation: "If these guys were a cartoon, Christie would be the fat guy, Daggett the really skinny guy, and Corzine the in-between guy."  True that.

And then JT notes, "They're all bagging on Corzine."

Daggett mentions raising the gas tax (NJ's is the lowest in the nation).  The proceeds could be used to repair our roads.  JT's assessment: "good idea."  That's my boy.

8:20 pm
For the non-Jerseyans among you, Incumbent Corzine is facing a bit of an uphill challenge.  For many Democrats, his failure to reform the Jersey political system has been a disappointment.  And governing in a recession hasn't been particularly easy, either.

Christie was a federal attorney in New Jersey and he has record of prosecuting corrupt politicians on both sides of the aisle (and there is no shortage of corruption in this state).  But Christie was a Bush appointee, no asset in blue Jersey.  And he's very conservative, also out of touch with the state.  He led this race for a while, but the August arrival of Independent Chris Daggett, who regularly polls in the 10% range, has closed the window of Christie's lead.

The race has tightened considerably and though Corzine is still behind, it's only by a few points.  Turns out that Christie's support was pretty shallow.

8:25 pm
Christie has been asked to justify his traffic-ticket dodges (there have been a few).  The question: "Is there a different standard for your behavior?"  JT says yes.....Christie says no.

And JT notes that Corzine isn't fit to discuss traffic violations either (Corzine was in a high-profile traffic accident a few years back; it was the result of speeding and the Gov was not wearing his seat belt).

9 year olds have no patience with hypocrisy on either side of the political divide.

8:33 pm
Daggett calls for state employees to accept salary cuts (they already have) and changes to the pension and insurance plans for public employees.  Christie agrees.  Corzine pays lip service to fixing the NJ pension plan.  None of these guys is willing to point out that state employee unions won't just lie back and accept these cuts.

And now we go to questions from the public.  The first one: how will you cut the budget and close our 8 billion dollar budget gap? "That's a lot of baseball  cards," the boy notes.

Christie proposes kicking people out of the state health insurance plan.  JT does not approve.

8:45 pm
And now the topic of abortion comes up.  Because that's what I want to explain to my son on a Thursday evening.   We're pro-choice around here and that's what I explained to JT.

Suddenly talking about property taxes sounds much more appealing.  JT notes that property taxes have been high in New Jersey forever.  He's right.

8:52 pm
Medical marijuana: yea or nea?  Corzine says yup.  Daggett thinks it might be okay.  Christie says he's down with a little pot if safeguards are in place.  JT thinks smoking is bad.

9:00 pm
The debate still has 30 minutes to go but bedtime looms....JT is going to cast his ballot for Corzine.  His second choice would be Daggett and his third choice one of the many other small potato candidates in the mix.  Sorry Chris Christie.