Le Road Trip de Boo

It was the most gorgeous weekend here in New Jersey, so we took the Baby Boozer out on his first official road trip.

First port of call was the Cook Campus of Rutgers, where we enjoyed their annual folk festival.


Baby Boozer got to test out his new 'all terrain' ride, which paid for itself by tackling even the most rugged terrain. It's made by 'Jeep' - and like most of their vehicles, doesn't do many miles per gallon. The engine (i.e. me) has to be refilled with beer at the end of the day.


Cook Campus is where Rutgers students can study agriculture, so Boo got his first introduction to the farming lifestyle. We prepped him for his upcoming summer trip with a practice run on this cute little horse.


Boo clearly inherited some farming genes, as he went crazy for the Friesian cows on campus.


When it was time to leave, he clung stubbornly to the gate and wouldn't let go!


Next, we went off to the 15th Annual 'Cops and Rodders' car show (see last year's here). Mummy Militant immediately spotted a ride which appealed to her.


I got all wistful when I spotted this beautiful black 'bird.


But in the end, we both decided we wanted matching his 'n' hers Dodge Chargers.

The Election Aftermath

Well, the voters of New Jersey have spoken.

On Election Day 2007 - which I covered here - the people of Middlesex County voted in resounding support of their incumbent mayors, with only South River's Robert Szegeti getting booted off in favour of Republican challenger Raymond Eppinger.

And while this leaves South River with a 'one party' local government (the mayor and five council members are now Republican) the rest of New Jersey remained grudgingly loyal to the Democrats - although how they approached the four 'voters questions' revealed that they want their democratic representatives to rein in the spending and stay fiscally conservative.

North Brunswick's mayor, Francis 'Mac' Womack III was welcomed back for another term - and good for him. He's done our township proud.

Aside from choosing our representatives, however, voters of New Jersey were asked to vote on four specific 'questions' that effected our great state.

The first was:

1: Should New Jersey permanently dedicate a percentage of revenue earned from sales tax towards property tax relief?

New Jersey said no.

Which was the right decision, no doubts about it. While New Jersey has some of the highest property tax in the whole of the United States, it seems entirely illogical to take money out of one tax pool to alleviate the sting of the other. If New Jersey has such an enormous surplus in their sales tax revenue, perhaps they ought to lower the tax rate?

Or, alternatively, they should use that revenue stream to pay for whatever it is that keeps the property taxes so high?

Although it is more complicated than that. Sales tax is raised on a state level, while property taxes are raised by the townships where people live. It's easy to forget that government in America is a multi-tiered structure and the different tiers have responsibility paying for different things.

But accepting that makes the proposed property tax relief even more illogical. If property taxes pay for schooling, rubbish collection and local police and fire services - things only a particular township benefit from - why should the entire state of New Jersey bail out particular townships via the sales tax?

Because rerouting sales tax revenue to offer property tax relief essentially leaves everybody in New Jersey - renters and property owners alike - bailing out the home owners. Which simply isn't fair.

2: Should New Jersey approve borrowing $450 million for stem cell research?

Again, the answer was a resounding no.

On the surface, I think that's a very good thing. Borrowing such an astonishing amount of money to pump into an uncertain science doesn't make good financial sense. The people of New Jersey pay their taxes to receive the benefit of public services - not to invest in ill-considered business adventures.

My suspicion is, however, that many people voted 'no' simply because of the scary concept of stem cell research. There has been a pretty good disinformation campaign about this fledgling science that has people scared of human cloning and other people worried about the thought of human embryos being used in research.

To reject this proposal because it made poor financial sense is a good thing. To reject it because of ignorance and fear is bad. Stem cell research can be conducted ethically and might offer the chance to repair nerve damage and diseases that are currently untreatable.

It could herald a new era in science and medicine. We shouldn't reject it simply because we want to remain in the blissfully ignorant dark ages.

3: Should New Jersey approve borrowing $200 million for open space preservation?

New Jersey voted yes.

Which is a great victory. A victory because the borrowed $200 million can be invested in keeping the 'Garden State' living up to it's name. Forests, grassland, farmland and plains can be preserved and protected from aggressive redevelopment, meaning a new generation of New Jersey children will grow up being able to enjoy the beautiful countryside.

In America, there are currently 1 million unsold new homes, suggesting that the drive to build, build and build is not a wise one. There are strip-malls and shopping centres enough in New Jersey. While I'm all for supporting free enterprise and market forces, I think New Jersey needs a hundred acres of woodland far more than it needs another K-Mart.

By voting 'yes,' the people of New Jersey created a market force of their own - and proved that preserving the countryside was something they were willing to invest their tax dollars in.

4: Should we revise language outlining when voting rights can be denied by deleting from the state Constitution the phrase "idiot or insane person" and replacing it with the phrase "person who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting."

This was another resounding yes - and requires very little explanation.

The Next Step

Back when I was studying politics at Plymouth College of Further Education, we were taught that local elections can mean a lot of different things. Sometimes they can even predict the direction national politics will take.

If that's the case, I think New Jersey has spoken.

Support for the Democrats seems strong, suggesting that NJ will lean towards a Democratic candidate in 2008's presidential elections. However, this support is tempered by a growing demand for fiscal responsibility - and any hopeful candidates should accept and embrace that.

I think this might well prove to be a national trend. With America balanced on the knife-edge of recession, the important election issues are a lot closer to home than people suspect. Jobs. Taxes. Inflation. The Economy.

My father figures the 2008 elections will follow the 1992 ones, with the major campaign issue being 'the economy, stupid.'

It was that mantra, hung outside Bill Clinton's campaign headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas, that helped lure voters away from the seemingly unbeatable President Bush Snr.

Bush Snr. had seen the end of the cold war and the successful Desert Storm through - but left America in the depths of a recession. James Carville, the campaign strategist for Bill Clinton, coined the phrase 'it's the economy, stupid' to make Americans consider domestic financial issues as well as foreign policy ones.

It was enough to topple Bush Snr, whose approval ratings had been at 80% just the year before.

Now history threatens to repeat itself! With a Bush in the White House and a Clinton standing at the gates. Except this time, the departing Bush Jnr has an approval rating barely half that of his father.

If the local elections in New Jersey have taught us anything, it's that the winning presidential candidate will need to have some sensible spending ideas that will send the American economy trundling out of the doldrums.

Election Day

Today Middlesex County holds it's local elections, to decide the mayors of the townships in the county and decide on four very serious questions.

It's an event taken quite seriously in North Brunswick - driving down some of the major roads, you can see dozens of signs and posters endorsing candidates and pushing for a 'Yes' or 'No' vote on the important local issues.

Living where we do, however, the local candidates - including standing Mayor Francis 'Mac' Womack - decided not to bother campaigning. Perhaps the vast majority of our neighbours are undocumented aliens and not on the electoral roll - or maybe they just figured our votes weren't worth winning. Whatever the reason, you can't help but feel a little left out!

As it happened, I always take an interest in elections. I'm disappointed so many people I know don't bother voting. At the turn of the 20th Century, women were starving themselves and throwing themselves under racehorses to win the right to vote. Now their descendants sit filing their nails and chewing gum, not taking an interest in what political decisions are happening around them.

In the township of North Brunswick, the major issue was whether or not Francis Womack would be reelected as mayor or not.

Despite the apparent snub of not campaigning on my street, 'Mac' Womack is clearly a fine candidate for reelection. In the past three years, this mild mannered Democrat has established a position of leadership and order in a troubled township.

He's reduced crime, made the political process more transparent by televising public township meetings and is dedicated to making North Brunswick a pleasant place to live by stopping urban sprawl and preserving parkland and open spaces.

His election promises included getting a hold on local developers, so the township didn't get overwhelmed by business development as has happened in nearby New Brunswick and Highland Park. He's also promised to dedicate more effort to environmental issues and the community by 'creating a livable and welcoming environment in town' and constructing a new local library and senior centre.

The drawback to Womack's pledges are a possible rise in property taxes, which are often offset by increased business development and more conservative community spending.

At the end of the day, residents of North Brunswick have to decide whether they're willing to spend a little more in order to make their community a more enjoyable place to live or not. Given the high tax rates of other local townships (Highland Park especially) I think 'Mac' has quite a good handle on things.

On the election ballot are also four questions facing residents of Middlesex County. Voters are asked to vote 'Yes' or 'No' on them.

1: Permanently dedicate all revenue earned from last year's sales tax toward property tax relief.

I think people should definitely vote 'no' on this issue. The extortionate property taxes in New Jersey are no joke - even a modest home can cost the owner as much as a rent-cheque every month. However taking money from one stream of taxation revenue to offset another tax seems totally redundant. This just illustrates that the current taxation system in New Jersey is skewed and needs to be totally reassessed.

2: Approve borrowing $450 million for stem cell research.

Some of the leading research into stem cells is done just down the road, in New Brunswick. We already have a reputation in New Jersey as a leader in the field of medicine and pharmaceutical developments. A gamble into the future of Stem Cell research might pay off handsomely in a few years time. However, the $450 million has to come from somewhere and eventually residents of New Jersey will feel that pinch. My recommendation is to say 'no' to this question and source the money some other way (perhaps with all that sales tax left over from last year!)

3: Approve borrowing $200 million for open space preservation.

New Jersey is known as The Garden State. Once you get passed the big industrial and chemical plants on the outskirts of New York City, you really see that she lives up to her name. With beautiful woodland, rivers and forests, New Jersey is absolutely gorgeous. The problem is that continued urban development and sprawl threatens to swallow all the lovely countryside up. I think $200 million to preserve the beautiful forests and greenlands of New Jersey for future generations is a wise investment. Vote yes.

4: Revise language outlining when voting rights can be denied by deleting from the state Constitution the phrase "idiot or insane person" and replacing it with the phrase "person who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting."

Vote 'yes'! As fun as old fashioned and politically incorrect language is, by making this change in the state constitution, we make it absolutely clear under what circumstances a person's right to vote can be refused. Besides, this restriction clearly isn't being enforced, because we saw plenty of idiots march into the ballot centres to vote for [CENSORED - Editorial Bear]

So there we have my brief election overview - if and when I hear the results of the local elections, I will update you on them.

Oh, illegal immigration...

Oh, illegal immigration!

What a nightmare this farce is. It's the elephant in the living room every American is trying to ignore during their day-to-day existence - but arguing vocally about in the presidential debates and elsewhere.

The scope of the problem is far greater than most people are aware of. Take where I live, for example. In North Brunswick, the census reports a mere 10-15% of residents as being Hispanic in origin. If that's true, every single one of them must live on my street. Although some of my Hispanic neighbours are perfectly legal, there are others who speak no English and drive rickety old cars with out-of-state licence plates - making me highly dubious of their immigration status.

Not that they do us any harm. This is why I refer to them as 'an elephant in the living room.' In pubs and at dinner parties, I'm more than happy to rant about how unfair it is - but on a day-to-day basis, I smile and nod and ignore 'them' because they just seem like normal, peaceful, everyday people trying to make it like everybody else.

And that's the problem, really.

People like me, who topple just over the 'moderate' knife-edge towards liberalism, see illegal immigrants as regular folks who want to make a better life for themselves and their families. We live in the same communities as illegal immigrants and they do us no harm, except when we can't understand them (Carlos Mencia has a skit about the immigrants working at the local fast-food place saying "Weyo to Madonnas" instead of "Welcome to MacDonalds.")

However, there's a steady shift going on regarding people's attitudes to illegal immigration. The right wing has always gnashed their teeth at the thought of immigrants exploiting America's welcome policy. Now more and more left wing people seem to be joining them.

Events like this can't help:

At a recent protest for illegal immigrant rights, the arguments the illegals used shifted focus. Instead of the old cries - demanding the right to earn a decent wage and support their families - the illegal immigrants held up signs protesting America's very existence.

White people and Europeans (and presumably African American people as well, since we Europeans were responsible for 'importing' them) were genocidal invaders and the American nation was built on land that belonged to the native Americans and Mexicans.

In Texas, New Mexico and southern California, some illegal immigrants are explicitly declaring that this is THEIR land and the Americans living on it are the REAL illegal immigrants. They call themselves the 'reconquista' - a play on the Conquistadors who travelled from Spain to conquer the Americas five hundred years ago.

As far as the Right Wing is concerned, these protesters are no longer illegal immigrants, but an unofficial invading army.

With thanks to Jenn of Take A Stand Against Liberals. I shamelessly stole these photographs from her website while she was distracted by the oncoming California wildfires.

Babbage to the Future

Yesterday was a lovely day.

It was swelteringly warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Tina and I managed to get things accomplished (this doesn't happen very often) and then we decided to head out to our local pub for the first time.

Because we're both very keen on being sensible and saving money, we hadn't gone out before and just the simple act of walking through Babbage Park to a good old fashioned American steakhouse and pub, on nearby George Street, seemed like a real extravagance. I can't remember a cold pint of beer ever tasting so good. Except the second one.

Buoyed up with foamy goodness, we then returned to Babbage Park where the local church group had set up a big screen to show Back to the Future. Tina and I grabbed a blanket from our house (which overlooks the park) and then enjoyed free popcorn and one of my favourite movies out in the starlit park.

I've always loved Back to the Future. I think I was obsessed with it when I was a kid. It's fun and exciting and the scenes set in the fifties are wonderfully nostalgic. Micheal J. Fox was young and vibrant back in the eighties and boy could I relate to him every time his time-travelling DMC Delorean refused to start (since this happens to me on a regular basis. Well, not the time travelling part.) It reminded me of all the things that fascinated me about America when I was growing up. All these years later - here I am.

Tina I snuggled up and enjoyed the movie. When we walked back afterwards, listening to the crickets humming, I decided that this was probably one of the nicest days I've had since coming back to America.

I think one of the problems with modern life is that everybody WANTS things. Complicated things. Unrequited love. Unlimited money. Firm abs. Calorie free pancakes.

Yesterday reminded me that real happiness doesn't need to involve much. Two pints at Happy Hour. Free popcorn in the park. One of my all time favourite movies and somebody to enjoy it with. Sometimes, the simpler a pleasure is, the more you enjoy it.

A place called Home...

Another common preconception about America concerns the quality of their houses... And that one's often true. To keep building costs down, most houses are timber with plaster and wood sidings. It's quite rare to see a real brick house in the States.

Which is where Tina and I have lucked out, because our new home is made entirely of red bricks. They used to be part of a bridge spanning the Hudson river, but at the turn of the 19th century a builder carted them from Manhattan all the way to North Brunswick and used them to build two cute little houses, side by side.

We can't move it yet - the house is undergoing a pretty extensive refit ready for us. However it's a nice little place and we can't wait to move in and start actually living.

Normal Service will Resume Shortly... (Fingers crossed!)

Today is my final day in the office. Two more footloose days in blighty and Tina and I will be zooming up to Gatwick to catch our plane.

Firstly - and most importantly - it means we're going to be out of internet contact for at least the next few days. In modern society, that's the equivilent of having your arm hacked off. On the other hand, perhaps it'll be refreshing not to have to delete sixty emails each morning from Nigerian 'businessmen' offering you millions of laundered dollars if you'd only give them your bank details.

Secondly, it means the impossible is about to happen. We're going back. We're REALLY going back. And America awaits like an enormous blank canvas. Assuming, of course, the immigrations men in rubber gloves actually let me through.

They should do. My paperwork's all kosher.

We're flying out on the 3rd of June. Ironically, that's the same date last year that I started this blog.

I originally started blogging to chronicle my experiences getting back to America. Tina and I have been waiting since we got married in 2003 and I would hardly have believed that my goal would have been accomplished in just twelve months. I thought our immigration journey would carry on forever.

But it didn't. It's happened and it's here.

This means the nature of my blog will change. Anybody who's been reading it so far (Hi, Dad!) will have seen a mish mash of reviews and articles and podgy editorial pieces. and some reviews. Those where awesome!

The inconsistent content came about because I didn't have anything specific to write about. Now I do. Arriving in America is just going to be the first step in a whole new journey as I find myself a home, a job and a whole new life.

So stay tuned. There should be some good stuff coming up.

But not for a while. It'll probably be at least a week before I blog again.

Next time I write, it'll be in America!

A Place Called Home

One of the major dilemmas we've faced returning to America is finding somewhere to live.

Thanks to Tina's brother, that problem is over. And how!

Now we've got a place to live in the Township of North Brunswick.

That's in New Jersey, which is really good as far as I'm concerned. After our week long visit in October, I decided that New Jersey was a lot nicer than Long Island. More space. More trees and still only half an hour or so to the centre of Manhattan.

Of course, we don't know what to expect with this apartment. We haven't seen it. I don't think I've ever even driven through North Brunswick. But thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I do know this much about it.

North Brunswick - a Place called Home

North Brunswick is in Middlesex county, New Jersey. It's a sprawl from nearby New Brunswick, originally founded by German settlers in the 1600s. The British occupied the region during the Revolutionary War and anglicised the surrounding area.

Just over 36,000 people live in North Brunswick and it's a reasonably affluent place. The average family income is over $70,000. If you took a cross section of 10 North Brunswick residents, 6 would be white, 1 would be African American, 1 would be Hispanic and 1 would be Asian. The final person could be any of the above!

Francis "Mac" Womack III is the current mayor of North Brunswick - although his term is due to finish in December 2007. The township is in the twelfth congressional district and is represented in the houses by Democrat Rush D. Holt Jr.

Although North Brunswick has a fairly diverse population, it has a long Italian American history. For the last two decades, an annual celebration of Italian Culture has been held climaxing in a stunning fireworks display.

North Brunswick even has an important place in modern British culture. Tim Howard, born in North Brunswick, was the first American to play for Manchester United!

It's funny to think that this little slice of small town America will soon be our home!