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The saying once went “Trenton Makes. The World Takes.”

Nowadays, Trenton takes. And takes, and takes, and takes. It wouldn’t be so bad if Trenton just took taxes… in fact, a 1% sales tax increase is something I can stomach. But last week, Trenton couldn’t figure out how to spend its money. And in doing so, it also took away the confidence of everyone living in the little state it governs. For a week, it took away the income of an estimated 100,000 state employees and casino workers. And I even had the unfortunate opportuinity to see it, firsthand, take away the bread and butter of local businesses who relied on those now-temporarily-unemployed state employees who used to stop by on their lunch breaks to eat, or maybe pick up a knicknack or two on the way home.

It was probably eight of the most grueling days for the people of New Jersey in memory. While they were sweating it out, some out of work and with dim hopes of getting back pay for their troubles, a bunch of greedy little children in that town called Trenton bickered and fought, in the most embarassing display of chaos exhibited in the history of politics.

The sad thing is, the people who were hurt the most were probably not at all on the minds of those greedy little children, except in that some had a misguided notion that they would not be re-elected if they didn’t stamp ther feet and throw a tantrum. If that’s what it takes to win an election, then this little state is, alas, doomed.

I hope the citizens of New Jersey see fit to throw every last one of them out of office next go-round. When the people within the same political party can’t agree, and are at each other’s throats, and are even willing to hold the futures of millions of people hostage, then the system is truly broken. And that hurts everyone.

I’m really sorry, but knowing that people like this guy has a sex life is just plain disturbing. And now, his desire to get it up could cost him:

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (AP) — Rush Limbaugh could see a deal with prosecutors in a long-running prescription fraud case collapse after authorities found a bottle of Viagra in his bag at Palm Beach International Airport. The prescription was not in his name.

When is this guy gonna learn?!  If you want drugs, you have to get them legally!

Richard Grasso.  This guy dominated the headlines in 2003 for his $140 million retirement package, on which he got rather greedy and decided he should try and cash it out all at once while still serving on the NYSE board.  Needless to say, in the post-Enron era, a guy who already earned an average of $12 million a year cashing out on $140 million raised a few red flags.

But now, more details are emerging on those events.  Normally, some rich old coot trying to get richer is nothing new (even if egregiously disgraceful), but the New York Times indicates this guy was so miserly, he even charged flowers and 99-cent pretzel bags to NYSE expense accounts!

Then there are the e-mail exchanges:

“Pal Cody: I’m sorry I don’t need to go to Rao’s,” Ms. Lee wrote in an e-mail message in April 2003. Referring to missing a dinner at Rao’s, Mr. Grasso’s favorite New York restaurant, she continued: “I go there way too much and I’m being too selfish. No hard feelings there, Punky.”

Yeah, you guessed it: Mr. Moneybags was known as “Punky” to his inner circle. Does this guy look like a “Punky” to you?!  No… I’d be more inclined to refer to him as more of, say, a Talosian…