A Crippling Blow To New Jersey...

...has just been delivered by Jon Corzine, hand in hand with psuedo-scientist Al Gore, as a draconian energy plan has been imposed - the "Global Warming Response Act":

Al Gore, the former vice president turned environmental activist, was on hand Friday as Gov. Corzine signed legislation requiring the Garden State to achieve ambitious reductions in emissions of global-warming gases.
New Jersey became the third state, behind California and Hawaii, to pass a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction law.

So we are modeling ourselves after California? A state that, besides being fiscally insolvent and overrun by illegal immigrants, has the worst air-quality in the nation and is plagued by rolling blackouts? Can liberals be so blind that they see the absolute failure that is California and say, "Yeah baby, I want that " ?

The legislation requires the state to reduce global warming gases to 1990 levels by 2020, and to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions do not exceed 80 percent of 2006 levels by 2050.
New Jersey is the first state to set global warming targets so far into the future, activists said and the first to require that energy imports adhere to New Jersey's standards.

So expect New Jersey to fall behind the rest of the country - and the world - while using inferior energy products. We'll be a third-world state by 2020, no less 2050. Won't Al Gore be proud!

"This is the strictest global warming law in the country for two reasons," said David Pringle, campaign director of the New Jersey Environmental Federation. "Because of the mandatory emissions reductions and because of a provision that says out-of-state power producers can't move power through New Jersey without meeting New Jersey standards."

How is this good for anybody, except the liberal elite (like Corzine ,Gore, and the hypocritical millionaires profiled by Gateway Pundit), who can afford the drastically higher prices these misguided policies will involve, and the (usually childless) tree hugging enviornmentalists, whom usually don't have problems like, oh - heating homes, driving around kids, and the sort? These are the only winners under Corzine's/Gore's "Global Warming Response Act"; the rest of us are merely victims...

But here's the kicker:

A study by The Associated Press using 2003 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed that in terms of total emissions of carbon dioxide, New Jersey came in 16th in the country with 123.7 million metric tons; per capita, New Jersey was much lower, in 40th position.

So we already 40th out of 50 states in carbon dioxide emissions, and even more stringent requirements are forces down our throats? That's like admonishing a child who scored a "B+" for not getting an "A". Furthermore, it is even more evidence that this law was not enacted out of need, but out of a sheer desire to force New Jersey into lockstep with the most extreme liberal ideology.

One more ominous note:

Critics of the New Jersey law argued that it would hurt the state's energy industry and that the act contained no specific proposals to lower emissions.

"No specific proposals" means that virtually any type of trendy anti-energy law/agenda can be placed into effect and codified under this legislation.

And I can tell you what will be first: The Governor's long-held dream of raising New Jersey's gasoline taxes to a more "liberal" standard. Long held down due to political pressure, the pendulum is starting to swing - state roads are falling apart as the gas tax monies, which were to be set aside for repair/maintanance, have been diverted to every pet project the Democrats need funding for, while Corzine, who promised during his campaign that these taxes would not be raised, has hinted since the moment he was sworn in that he intends to renege on his vow.

In other words, the first to play for the latest liberal guilt scam will be New Jersey's middle class, as their gas prices go up, their home energy bills go up, and the prices of automobiles bought in-state go up. All this, while we are coughing up for the needs of the fourth-largest illegal alien population in the United States, and paying for the pensions and healthcare of the nation's largest per-capita body of state employees.

When the Democrats finish chewing the fat of, and cleaning their teeth with the bones of, the middle class, who will be left to support the People's State of New Jersey?

UPDATE: Who's in bed with whom? From the New York Times:

Public Service Enterprise Group, owner of New Jersey's largest utility, said PSEG supports the law but that it would lead to higher power prices.
"I believe customs are willing to pay for the higher costs associated with the environmental benefits," the company's Chief Executive Ralph Izzo told Reuters at the ceremony where Corzine sighed the bill.

Wonder why PSEG waited until the bill became law to admit that they are going to jack up our prices? Bet if they said something beforehand, there may have been a ruckus...so what promises did Corzine make to Izzo?

And which customers, pray tell, does he believe are willing to pay more for the same product? He didn't poll anyone in my neighborhood...