Ex-Fort Lee mayor thinks Chris Christie scandals center around land shortages

[Tx4obama]

Ex-Fort Lee mayor thinks Chris Christie scandals center around land shortages

From the September George Washington Bridge lane closure controversy to Trenton Mayor Tony Mack's recent bribery conviction, New Jersey is awash in political scandals.

And former Fort Lee Mayor Burt Ross thinks he knows why: land shortage.

Ross, who was a mayor in Fort Lee during the 1970s, wrote in the Daily Beast today that New Jersey's low supply and high demand for land is the source of many political controversies in the state.

"Land in New Jersey is worth a fortune. Corrupt politicians sell their souls for power or money, and the dense development of land is where the action is. It’s as simple as that," he wrote.

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Full article here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/13/ex-fort-lee-mayor-thinks-chris-christie-scandals-center-around-land-shortages/

[notadmblnd]

1. Christie and his cohorts, cronies and relatives were/are looting the state of NJ

nt

[Laxman]

2. Sorry, But That Doesn't Cut It....

I read that this morning and started yelling over my coffee. Failure of morals, greed, lust for power, hubris are all the root causes for corruption. Density of development? What a comedian. Does competition for land and the amount of money that can be made because of the proximity to New York and Philadelphia create an atmosphere where there are large sums of money at play? Sure. But whether you are faced with stealing $1.00 or $100,000, the amount in question is not the cause. You are either a corrupt scumbag or not. In fact, you don't need to be a saint to not be corrupt, just honest. An honest person wouldn't take money improperly no matter what the amount. Having spent a substantial amount of time in pubic office in NJ I take great exception to this assertion. The vast majority of my colleagues were honest hard working public officials. Honest, being the operative word. Either you're a person of character or not. What the large sums of real estate development money do create are more opportunities for those of lesser character-period. No excuses. No rationalizations. It is also very clear where Mr. Christie and his circle of operatives stand on this spectrum.