7 of New Jersey’s dumbest moments (Opinion)

This isn’t a ‘High 7’ checklist. As a result of if you concentrate on the politics, corruption, enterprise interference, superstar gossip, idiotic driving maneuvers and all the remaining, the checklist of New Jersey dumb moments simply goes on and on.

So that is solely an appetizer. You’ll be able to serve your self a full course dinner of stupidity and it may be an all-you-can-eat buffet and you continue to would solely scratch the floor.

So these are simply seven issues off the highest of my head that stand out about how ridiculous New Jersey can get.

The Runny Egg Legislation

This went into impact on January 1, 1992, through the Florio administration. The federal government made it unlawful for diners and eating places to serve undercooked eggs. It meant eggs over straightforward, eggs Benedict and different dishes have been immediately towards the legislation.

Even Jim Florio referred to as his personal Well being Division’s regulation intrusive, unenforceable and foolish.

The Huge Costco Gasoline Lie

You all the time needed to have a membership to buy at Costco and that included to replenish at their gasoline stations. Then in Might of 2004, the New Jersey Division of Shopper Affairs informed Costco they have been in violation of state legislation concerning the sale of gasoline, that you could possibly not require a membership and that gasoline needed to be made obtainable to any paying member of the general public.

Costco complied.

The issue? There was by no means any such legislation. In an epic FUBAR, all of it got here out when Costco, through the outrageous gasoline costs of 2022, let it’s identified they have been going again to requiring a membership. New Jersey officers moved heaven and earth to search out the outdated legislation that prevented them from doing this in 2004 and it turns on the market by no means was one.

Murphy’s First Snowstorm Adopted By Overbrining

Do you bear in mind the photographs of individuals stranded on snow-covered highways that have been fully shut down and unplowed? It was November of 2018 and the fledgling governor, Phil Murphy, needed to take care of his first huge snowstorm and failed in epic vogue.

Then to make issues worse, for a very long time afterward in a pathetic overcorrection, his administration ordered roads brined if there was even the slightest likelihood of a mere flurry. Your tax {dollars} at work.

The Banning Of Self-Serve Fuel in 1949

An entrepreneur named Irving Reingold got here up with a wildly standard enterprise mannequin for promoting gasoline within the Forties. He opened a 24-pump gasoline station on Route 17 in Hackensack which operated on a self-serve foundation and due to the financial savings on labor the associated fee per gallon was greater than 10% cheaper than the competitors.

Folks lined up and could not get sufficient of it. The competitors needed to maintain the established order and tried to drive Reingold out of enterprise with intimidation ways and when that did not work they went with the final word thuggery. The New Jersey Legislature. They lobbied for a ban and received it.

All these years later we’re the one state within the U.S. the place there’s a full ban on self-serve gasoline.

Snooki and ‘Jersey Shore’

You noticed the present. You know the way dumb these folks have been. All I’ll say is it was a time so darkish in tv historical past that it led to much more nationwide disrespect for the Backyard State and plenty of consider impressed Gov. Chris Christie to remove tax incentives for filming right here.

The Seaside Chair

Talking of Gov. Christie, there was that point he let the state authorities shut down throughout a funds deadlock however then allowed the horrible optics of selecting to nonetheless benefit from the seashore at Island Seaside State Park, which was immediately closed to the general public however open to him prefer it was the emperor’s non-public seashore.

Did he actually not notice somebody within the media would discover a option to get footage? It led to large photoshopping and one other black eye for Jersey.

The Pandemic Response

Positive it was a brand new virus and Gov. Phil Murphy had his arms full. Positive he tried to go together with the science. However apart from some preliminary proper strikes at the start, it quickly spun right into a mountain of government orders main even his personal occasion to confess he was being heavy-handed.

The stunt he pulled simply days earlier than the Fourth of July in rescinding eating places’ proper to reopen led to wasted cash and spoiled provides and extra eating places to both die or be on the brink. The closing of companies at the start of the pandemic with out having a plan for the Labor Division to deal with the document variety of unemployment claims was ridiculous.

The debacle that ensued after they reopened MVC workplaces after months of the shutdown ought to have been seen coming from 10 miles away. Let’s not even point out the hundreds of nursing house deaths. Is there a vaccine for silly?

Opinions expressed within the put up above are these of New Jersey 101.5 speak present host Jeff Deminski solely.

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