The New Jersey legislature is considering legislation to ban winged, flying monkeys in the state.
Wait a minute, I got that wrong – the New Jersey legislature is considering legislation to ban natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fracking.
The mix-up is an easy one to make. Neither winged, flying monkeys nor hydraulic fracturing exist in the Garden State. With high unemployment, budget deficits, crime, etc., taking their toll on New Jersey residents every day, the state legislature feels it should prioritize its limited time and resources to wage war against winged monkeys – er, hydraulic fracturing.
The Press of Atlantic City published a good article on the topic this morning. The pertinent question is, why are legislators who are charged with the important job of solving real problems choosing instead to waste their time scoring symbolic points with environmental activist groups regarding issues and problems that simply do not exist?
Perhaps there are members of the legislature who believe going the extra mile to appease environmental radicals will fill their coffers with donations before the next elections. Perhaps there are members of the legislature who have spent too much time watching the Wizard of Oz and fear an imminent attack of winged monkeys. Either way, I suspect voters who see real problems not being addressed will remember this monumental waste of time come November.
