Shorter Chris Christie: Philadelphia and New York Do Public Broadcasting Better than Anyone in New Jersey
That is essentially my takeaway on this article:
New Jersey is planning to get out of the broadcasting business, handing control of its New Jersey Network television station to a public broadcasting outfit in New York and laying off its approximately 130 state employees, Gov. Christie announced today.
NJN will become NJTV and will be operated by WNET, Channel 13 in New York, beginning July 1 — unless the Democratic Legislature intervenes to block the move….
All of NJN’s radio licences are also being sold as part of the deal. WHYY in Philadelphia, which did not bid on the TV portion, is acquiring five licenses for FM radio stations in Manahawkin (89.9), Atlantic City (89.7), Cape May Court House (90.3) Bridgeton (89.3) and Berlin (88.1). It is paying just under $1 million, according to The Associated Press.
For years, New Jersey has had an inferiority complex about New York City and Philadelphia, and it’s well earned: after all, New Jersey could be split between the two cities and divied up as suburbs. Try driving into New Jersey from Philly during the morning rush: it’s a piece of cake, because all the Garden Staters are coming here for work. Same is true of New York City in the north: that’s why the transit tunnel Christie rejected was so important. Good paying jobs in New Jersey are about as plentiful as needles in haystacks. If you want a job better than Wal-Mart employee and you live in New Jersey, you’re coming to Philly or Gotham. That’s just a fact. I’ll be the first to point out that Philly’s in deep shit right now, but compared to Camden or Trenton? I live in PARADISE compared to those shitholes.
The inferiority complex plays out in a number of ways, but my favorite is the motto of their right-wing commercial radio station, jersey 101.5, playing the tritest classic rock you can imagine, which trumpets ever ten minutes or so “”Not New York. Not Philadelphia. Proud to be New Jersey!”
yeah right. Jersey is ANYTHING but proud: if New Jersey had any pride, they sure as hell wouldn’t be intent selling off their public broadcasting system to superior cities like New York and Philly.
You know what New Jersey is? It’s a state full of parasites who depend on Philly and New York for almost everything: jobs, entertainment, culture, seasonal revenue, and now even local news. That ain’t my opinion: that’s what New Jersey’s governor obviously thinks of his constituents. And if they vote him back into office, they’ll have proved him right.
