Thursday, April 22, 2010

I'm so vain, I think this George Will article is about me

Mr. Will applauds the new governor of New Jersey for trying to reverse runaway taxes and statism. This section seems extremely familiar:
There is, he says, a connection between the state being #1 in total tax burden and being #1 in the proportion of college students who, after graduating, leave the state.
Hey, that's me! But I moved to Massachusetts, so, well...

6 comments:

Brian said...

And I evacuated New Jersey to go to college out West.

Nigel Tufnel said...

It's not hard to picture a young Viking Pundit, wearing a UB40 T-shirt and sitting at the kitchen table, saying:

"Dammit, Ma, I've had it with runaway taxes and statism! After I attend our high quality state school, which is subsidized by taxes, I'm leaving New Jersey forever!"

Consider the stronger correlation between the number of plutonium chloride plants per turnpike exit and the rate of youngsters leaving to pursue opportunities in other less densely populated states.

Eric said...

Notice how I avoided mentioning my state-subsidized education at Rutgers.

No UB40 T-shirt. My first concert ever? Dire Straits (Brothers in Arms tour).

After some training in fiber optics, my options for employment were extremely limited after school. It was either Corning, NY or some places in Massachusetts. Still, the 5.3% state tax rate beats NJ.

Eric said...

I think the PuCl plants are down to seven.

Nigel Tufnel said...

You know you love Massachusetts, VP.

I submit for your consideration: the Adams brothers and their namesake beer, Thanksgiving, the best football team EVER, checking out a show at Pearl Street in NoHo, the beaches in the East, the mountains (OK, glorified hills) in the West, our rustic neighbors in VT and NH who look down their noses at us until they need to go to a real hospital or college, our fondness for Republican governors (prime opportunity this election cycle if the GOP can field a decent candidate), the list goes on.

I bet after a couple of jynnan tonnix you might even admit to kind of liking Barney Frank (on a strictly intellectual level, of course).

Bram said...

I fled MA as soon as I could. Traveled the country randomly for a while. Went back to school in CA, knowing I wouldn't stay there either. Went to Las Vegas for a while, then ended up in NJ somehow. I will escape south and/or west again - permenantly this time.