This post came about because someone had commented on the New Jersey Freezes $10 million in Cultural Grants article and I felt that my reply was important enough to bear repeating in its own article.
What a bogus argument from someone who never let facts get in the way of a rant. Sports Franchises are named after CITIES, not States (O.K. rare exceptions the New England Patriots and the old California Angels who are now LAA). New Jersey is STILL getting all the revenue from these teams, that’s why they buit these stadiums to keep them in Jersey. New York doesn’t get a royalty because a team whould rather be known as the New York XXX rather than the Secacus XXX.
Typical NJ inferiority Complex
–David Foreman
First let me say that being recognized for the many things that happen and take place in OUR state, has nothing to do with some inferiority complex – we have nothing to feel inferior about. We as New Jerseyans do have a right to receive the credit for having great things in OUR state, just as New York or anywhere else has a right to be proud and take credit for what happens WITHIN THEIR borders. What happens in New Jersey is New JERSEY – NOT New York, NOT Philadelphia. Read the rest of this entry »
The article below was in the Star Ledger today concerning the freezing of grant allocations to the arts organizations. Now I can see Christie wanting to freeze all new expenditure prior to him taking office, basically he wants to keep the politicians hands out of the cookie jar creating even more of a mess than what the previous administration already put us in. However, I don’t agree with freezing end-of-the-year grant money that was guaranteed to non-profit groups who balanced their budgets on this money which is what Corzine decided to do. The state is basically breaking their contract. When you receive a grant, the state generally gives 85% of the money at the beginning. After all end of the year reports are in and the grant requirements have been fulfilled, then the state issues the remaining 15%. Read the rest of this entry »
Once again New Jersey was the butt of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update jokes.
They made jokes regarding anything from the supposed smell of New Jersey to how our woman are ugly to our supposed lack of intelligence. They had on “former Governor Spitzer” and “Governor Paterson”. “Paterson” made the comment that having sex with a prostitute without a condom was like driving through New Jersey in a convertible. They also made comments on how our women look, which is ironic because the call-girl that Spitzer was involved with was from New Jersey and he was willing to spend all that money on her.
Basically it’s sort of funny – Saturday Night Live and these late night talk show hosts and all these other people deserve our pity – not our outrage. They are so lame, they are recycling the same jokes from the 70’s. The thing that has changed regarding the weekend Update episode this time, versus others – this time people were actually booing the New Jersey jokes.
Cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore ©MTV
What is it about the negative media and constant negative erroneous stereotypes constantly being laid on New Jersey? From Saturday Night Live, to late night talk show hosts such as Conan O’Brien, to now MTV, New Jersey is under siege. Let me just say this right from the start – it is time for New Jerseyans – ALL New Jerseyans, from northern mountains to the southern cape, to the Jersey Shore – to stand up and fight back. Enough is enough of being portrayed as low life’s without an ounce of brains.
In case you haven’t heard there is a new show that will be premiering on MTV Dec 3, 2009 called “Jersey Shore”. This is how they describe it…
Well this is a speech I gave 5 years ago concerning New Jersey pride for the first Celebrate NJ Day. I just found out yesterday while googling, that it was required reading for a New Jersey History class at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Fairleigh Dickinson University Chris Rasmussen
New Jersey History
History 2443, section 21 History House (135 SUB Lane)
Fall 2009 MWF 10-11 a.m., W 4-5 p.m.
September 4 Discussion: Garden State? Armpit of the nation?
Read: Robert Rosetta, “New Jersey’s Image”
Assignment: come to class prepared to discuss New Jersey’s image, at least one icon of that image, and the relationship between image and “reality”
It truly is nice to know that my message is being spread out there. I need to email the professor and see how the class is going, and find out particularly what the students came up with for the New Jersey Image.
Speech for Celebrate New Jersey Day – 10/21/2004
Over 300 years ago William Penn felt it necessary to stand up against the critics of New Jersey by saying, “That there is such a province as New Jersey, is certain…and it is not right in any to despise or dispraise it…”
170 years later, in 1846, Bishop George Washington Doane, son of the builder of the first NJ state house, declared “We have well nigh forgotten that we have a history. We have almost lost the very sense of our identity. We have no center. We have made no rally.” Now, 158 years later, we are here to make that rally.
Today we fight against and for over 300 years of long history. Against, because we have long sat in the shadow between Philadelphia and New York, never getting the recognition we so richly deserve. We fight for our history, because it is something to be proud of. States throughout the country would die to have the history that is contained in these 7,000+ square miles, yet we as a people do not celebrate it.
Dear Mr Christie -
I wanted to congratulate you on your win. Hopefully now we can make some very necessary changes to New Jersey, and I hope for the better.
I did want to point out to you the importance of tourism and the image that New Jersey portrays to the world. Everyone goes over the numbers – billion dollar industry, for every dollar invested in tourism the state gets back over $30, etc, etc. But really it seems that this gets lost on people and the politicians really don’t seem to understand how much people’s livelihoods are tied to the tourism industry. Not just directly like Six Flags Great Adventure or Liberty Science Center, but indirectly also, from the fisherman who catch the fish, to the farmers who supply fresh fruits and vegetables to the restaurants, to the laundry and maid service for hotels. Most politicians seem to think that “tourism” – means fun and vacation – not money and so they think of it as a frivolous expense. This is the farthest thing from the truth and New Jersey relies very much on the tourism dollar. Here is a blog post I had written concerning how tourism touches everyone’s life in New Jersey -
NJ Tourism and You – Perfect Together
Now in addition to numerous cuts in state tourism funding, New Jersey is besieged by negative press from reality shows, late night talk show hosts, etc. This all has an affect on how effectively our tourism advertising works. The latest attack is the MTV show called “Jersey Shore”. MTV’s promos describe it as this – “… the hottest, tannest, craziest Guidos. They keep their hair high, their muscles juiced and their fists pumping…Get ready for a whole new crazy.” Now if that wasn’t bad enough – this is how New York’s NBC describes OUR Jersey Shore in their review of the show….
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It’s amazing – people get upset and say stop the exporting of America. The labor unions in particular are very supportive of this mantra. However, when it comes to our own state – everyone is silent. Of course most people don’t look at this particular issue as “Exporting of New Jersey”, but that is EXACTLY what it is and it has been going for at least a century and is only get worse.
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Tags: commuters, hudson rail tunnel, new york, newark, philadelphia, state economy
As some people know, in addition to the founder of AboutNewJersey.com, I am also the VP of the Princeton Battlefield Society – the official friends group of Princeton Battlefield State Park and I also do the website for the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. I am very involved with educating non-New Jerseyans as well as my fellow New Jerseyans on the importance of New Jersey on American history. Sadly when people say – “Revolutionary War” they generally think Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and to some extent New York – New Jersey seems to not fall much in the picture. Yet, New Jersey played a much larger role from start to finish than any other state in the nation, Washington spent more than 50% of his time fighting on New Jersey soil, the Turning Point of the Revolution took place in New Jersey, Washington had his first victories right HERE in New Jersey, the American Flag was designed by a New Jerseyan – Francis Hopkinson. 4th of July is just as much New Jersey celebration as it is an American celebration!
Tags: 4th of july, american revolution, governor of new jersey, history, monmouth battlefield, old barracks, perth amboy, princeton, princeton battlefield state park, proprietary house, rockingham
Well on Friday June 20th I took a ride up to Newark for my first ever NJ Devils Draft Party at the Prudential Center. This was the first draft party to be hosted at the Devils new arena and I have to say it was fantastic and it was really made into a family event. Being the first draft party at the Prudential Center, the Devils were expecting possibly 1500 people, instead they played host to around FOUR THOUSAND! To all the nay sayers out there who said people wouldn’t come to Newark to the new arena, I have to say – I am very happy you were wrong.
Tags: hockey, new jersey devils, newark, prudential center, trenton devils
Last night I decided to go to the BlueClaws game. I’m not sure how many games I have attended this year, but I do really enjoy going to the games. In 2006, the year they won the South Atlantic League Championship against the Augusta GreenJackets, I attended nearly all the games. My cousin said i was their good luck charm, because the games I didn’t attend, they generally lost This year the BlueClaws started out the season slow, but they have improved a lot. They are now in third place in the South Atlantic League (northern). Last night they played the Lake County Captains who are in first place with 41 wins, versus the Lakewood BlueClaws with 39 wins. The BlueClaws won – 5 – 0 and hopefully the BlueClaws will move up into first place this week.
Tags: baseball, family fun, first energy park, irondog, lakewood, lakewood blueclaws, nj ironmen, prudential center, soccer
Well the legislature is considering severe cuts in the funding for NJ arts, history and tourism. Some people may on the face of it it say that these are frivolous expenditures anyway when we have so many other pressing issues in this state. The thing is – these investments, and yes they ARE investments, actually bring back more money than what is spent. The money is then used to fund the many things that new Jerseyans find so necessary. Without this money coming into the state from visitors, New Jerseyans would be paying $1500 more in taxes a year! For every dollar spend on promoting tourism, the state receives back $36. Now you tell me – what investment do you have in your stock portfolio, IRA, mutual fund – that has a $36 return on investment?
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Tags: arts, budget proposal, cultural organizations, fiscal crisis, history, legislators, new york, nj state government, philadelphia, taxes, tourism industry
My friend Trish came out May 1st to 5th. We’ve known each other since college and she’s been out to NJ many times. I like to take her to things that she hasn’t been to before. Well this time had a special reason, because I was attending the New Jersey Hall of Fame 2007 Induction ceremony at New Jersey Performing Art Center (NJPAC) in Newark.
Tags: amusement park, atlantic city, beach, boardwalk, great adventure, hard rock cafe, history, lucy the elephant, margate, newark, nj hall of fame, njpac, pizza, princeton, princeton university, seaside heights, washington crossing state park
I wanted to add a forward to this blog post before people think that they have found proof that New Jersey beaches are littered with garbage. This is NOT the case – but vacationers often don’t care about what they do with their garbage. This is NOT strictly a New Jersey problem, but you will find it in any beach community throughout the US. I have done a search and the same complaints are made about Gulf Shores, Florida, California and the Carolina beaches. However, people seem to expect New Jersey to be better than everyone else and when they encounter trash on our beaches – it just seems to confirm their ignorant stereotypical view of our beaches as if no one else has this problem. The sole purpose of this article is to ask vacationers who come to OUR beaches, to please respect them and pick up your trash! It isn’t that much to ask. If you want to trash a place – then stay home and trash your own house and town. If you have come here to look for confirmation that New Jersey beaches are filled with litter, please go someplace else – because that is not the case.
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Tags: beach, benny, boardwalk, day trippers, garbage, Jersey Shore, littering, Ocean County, seaside heights, shoebee, tourist, trash
ROYAL CARIBBEAN UNVEILS FIRST ARCHITECTURAL MARVEL
ONBOARD PROJECT GENESIS SHIP Central Park Brings the Outdoors In, Creating Open-air Neighborhood for Guests That Reaches to the Sky
MIAMI, April 15, 2008 – In its latest evolution in cruise ship design, Royal Caribbean International’s Project Genesis will bring the best of the land to sea with Central Park, a revolutionary design in which the center of the ship opens to the sky and features lush, tropical grounds spanning the length of a football field. An exquisite public gathering place featuring serene pathways, seasonal flower gardens and canopy trees, Central Park will provide cruisers with more choices in a unique outdoor space. One of the ship’s most ground-breaking spaces, this new concept is the first of seven neighborhoods to be unveiled on Project Genesis. Each neighborhood will provide vacationers with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences in various locales based on their personal style, preference or mood.
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Tags: cruise, oasis of the seas, royal caribbean
I thought it would be great to open up the new AboutNewJersey.com Blog at the start of the New Jersey tourism season – Memorial Day weekend. I know, I know, many New Jerseyans do not see the benefit of tourism to the state’s economy and many actually complain and wish that people would go home. But in actuality – it benefits the average citizen immensely.
Tags: business, economic benefit, great adventure, memorial day weekend, new jersey economy, New Jersey Tourism, New Jerseyans, tourism business
