Good on you New Jersey for raising the minimum wage

Well done. We'd like to underscore something with this ballot initiative. As Johnny said yesterday one of the best ways to get an economy running is to get money in the pockets of those who have the least of it. This does exactly that. But here is the point that really needed underscoring. As we also mentioned yesterday business groups will lie about the impact of these minimum wage raises across America. They'll say no jobs will be created, that -- well here, listen to one of their acolytes talk about raising the minimum wage:

Laurie Ehlbeck, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business said "We honestly believe there will be a loss of jobs and opportunities," Ehlbeck said. "They are not going to hire someone, they will give an employee fewer hours, they may reduce the benefits. They don’t want to do anything to hurt their employees, but they are working on a very small profit margin."

Now, would you like to hear from someone who actually OWNS a business with 120 employees (You know those small businesses the Chamber of Commerce likes to hide behind on such matters saying they'll all dry up and go away) and will be impacted by this vote:

“A higher minimum wage will actually help business owners by reducing absenteeism and worker turnover, which costs businesses way more than nickel and dime-ing on wages," Mitch Cahn, president of Unionwear, a clothing manufacturer in Newark with 120 employees, said. "Secure workers earning a living wage are productive workers and better consumers. A higher minimum wage just makes fiscal sense."

Game. Set. Match. to Mr. Cahn.

And good on you New Jersey.

Election day is at our throats again!

Spitballing election day here at the Jersey City Desk.

Are you really voting for Chris Christie today for governor or perhaps his number two? Everyone in the world knows he'll run for President within the next 16 months. The one point nobody has brought up (Even the supposed great writers of politick in this state like Paul Mulshine and others haven't yet mentioned it) is today's race is really between Barbara Buono and lieutenant governor Kim Guadagno if you're taking a long view of things. Christie can't continue to be governor because of the Garden State's tough pay-to-play laws once he's in the presidential race. Kim Guadagno refuses to answer questions pertaining to her job. Maybe she'd have to if anyone took this particular angle on election day. So, Kim Guadagno vs. Barbara Buono should be what some people are talking about, but they're not (except here).

Governor Christie will try to run up the score today to send a message to the remaining centrists and those who don't think compromise is a four letter word in the GOP. The governor wants to show the GOP leprechauns who dole out the money a guy who works across the aisle can win big in a blue state. He wants to show the Tea Party who have a stranglehold on the primaries his is the best way forward. Even if Christie wins by 40 or even 50 points tonight does anyone think the Tea Party is going to listen to reason and pick an electable candidate? No, they want purity and do not care how it is achieved. In fact Johnny is of the mind the Teabaggers would rather just have their candidates look into the camera and tell their public "I am not a witch." We wish the governor all the luck in the world breaking the Tea Party hold on the GOP, they've been nothing but clowns.

Onto the minimum wage increase on the ballot. Of course businesses are against it and so the Chamber of Commerce is against it and all conservative leaning groups will lie and tell you there will be no jobs left to pay minimum wage for. They've been saying this sort of thing forever and they are always wrong. No increase in the minimum wage has ever dropped the nation or a state or a township or a city into a depression or recession. Quite a few economists would tell you in fact the fastest way to pull out of an economic downturn is to get more money into the hands of those who have the least. They will need to spend that money as saving it is probably not an option. That extra money gets put right back into the economy faster than someone who is rich who might invest it or save it. What kind of a heart do you have inside you where you can't vote for those who have the least to have a little bit more?

Oh, and Hoboken, you're doing just fine with Dawn Zimmer. Any other choice would be the wrong one.

Get out there and vote New Jersey. It's your right and your responsibility.