And now for a real tragedy in the making! New Jersey law-makers are trying to be sure they don’t flush money down the toilet, but they might be cutting off their noses to spite their faces (or, ah, other body functions). A budget stalemate in Trenton, N.J. has prevented the city from purchasing toilet paper, and supplies are running out fast. I hope your not planning a visit to Jersey Shores soon.
According to the Bloomberg News, Trenton will run out of toilet paper tomorrow unless the expense is approved. City Hall has enough to last until Friday, but other city buildings may be running out now according to Trenton Mayor Tony Mack. His office says the city council is refusing to sign off on the paper products purchase.
The bickering is over a $4,000 tab for paper cups, which some council members think is too high. Councilman George Muschal worries that the mayor is exaggerating the cup order because of reports that “employees may be stealing the products for home use”. The rest of the paper order includes toilet paper, seat covers and paper towels, items which have come under seemingly less scrutiny.
“We’re the checks and balances over the administration, and we’re not going to send out any blank checks,” Muschal said (he should probably keep those checks in mind when the toilet paper roll comes up empty). The dispute began in November when the annual paper purchase is submitted. The purchase order has come to a vote each month since then, with no conclusion. So the order has remained tied up, with supplies quickly dwindling. While it’s a good thing that New Jersey legislators are engaged in a battle against wasteful spending, sometimes they need to consider other forms of waste.
Live Long and Prosper....
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