eCache

Jeff “I Sponsor Every Bill” Van Drew

Looking through my posts about state assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, it is difficult not to see the moniker I have given him: Jeff “I Sponsor Every Bill” Van Drew. The name is warranted as session after session, Van Drew sponsors more legislation than any other legislator (442 to date in this session). Much of that legislation is feelgood legislation, which I loathe. Re-naming roads, non-binding resolutions, etc. are a total waste of the public’s time and money and the assemblyman is the leader in this area.

It is interesting when one’s views are confirmed. There is a spat in Atlantic City. Harrah’s Casinos is now offering free shuttle service for its players between its casinos. The jitney drivers are upset.

Here comes Van Drew. He has sponsored (not online yet) a bill (surprise!) that would make it illegal for a company that operates three or more casinos to shuttle its patrons. Yup, very specific language that is. The Borgata? It can shuttle. The Trop. It can shuttle. Harrah’s? Nope.

Van Drew is not new to writing legislation that targets a specific company. Just review the new tax that is going to be implemented at Thunderbolt Raceway in Millville. That tax will not be found anywhere else.

In the article in The Press of Atlantic City, Van Drew is portrayed exactly as I see him:

Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, is what you might call an excitable legislator.

Gas prices too high? Van Drew puts in a bill.

Irked that many American flags are made outside the United States? Van Drew is, too. In goes a bill that says, “Any flag of the United States or flag of the state of New Jersey purchased with state funds shall be manufactured in the United States.”

Sports betting in Atlantic City? It would take an act of Congress and a change in federal law to make it happen. But Van Drew introduces a bill in Trenton anyway.

I am not certain I agree with the following. Does every legislator actually do this? If so, it is sad commentary on New Jersey politics:

Every lawmaker in Trenton puts in legislation that he or she knows is not going anywhere. They do it to make a point. They do it to exert some pressure. They do it to curry favor with voters. Van Drew seems to do it more than most.

In the end, however, Van Drew’s tactics have to be scrutinized. Targeting a specific company is not what we want our legislators doing.

But certainly, singling out one company with a bill designed to force the company to make a deal that it doesn’t want to make borders on abuse of power.

Van Drew is running amok down here. He has gained so much strength, there is even talk of him challenging LoBiondo for his US House seat. Is this the kind of representation South Jersey wants? The last time I looked, Harrah’s put a lot of South Jersey residents to work and now our elected official is putting pressure on that company to not offer its customers a freebie. Why? Because the bloated jitney association wants in and to the tune of an extra million dollars. Put me on the side of Harrah’s in this one.

Also blogged on this date . . .

• Super Bowl XLII - 2008
• UP A LAZY RIVER - 2008
• Hunter's Mill, Finder's Cache - 2008
• Too Easy - 2008
• Vic's choice cache - 2008
• Super Bowl XLII Prediction - 2008
• Clinton's Socialism - 2007
• NJEA Lost Touch With Public - 2007
• Toronto Star Takes Shot @ US Politicians - 2007