At Last, Our Own Dragon Slayer

Imagine a room through which you must travel. It has two doors; one you enter while across the room is the exit door. Passing through the room should be easy, you can see from one door to the other, and it’s not that large a room. However, from entry to exit, strewn across the floor, virtually every inch is covered with a layer of sticky red tape. Think of old-time fly paper, that dangling mass of doom for winged insects that used to be a standard in many homes and offices before modern inventions, like pesticide, screens and the like.
That room is New Jersey. You, who seek to enter and cross over to the other side, are in business, or a homeowner who wants to accomplish something beneficial. STOP! There is likely a regulation that will slow you down or stop you altogether. To list those regulations would literally fill rooms.
Enter a chap named Chris Christie. He heard the grumblings of many voices that the “room” he fought hard to govern as its chief executive had to get rid of a lot of that red tape or it would choke future passage through the room.
If the situation was not so serious, we could have a big belly laugh about all this red tape in New Jersey.
However, we have been beaten to the punch by the governor and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. There already is a Red Tape Review Commission. Wipe that smirk off your face, this is serious stuff. It was created shortly after the pair took office in 2010. Of more immediate note, Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1st) has been appointed by Christie to serve on that very austere body.
Anyone who has attempted to or began a business or wanted to do just about anything in our beloved Garden State has likely encountered a full roll of sticky red tape from Day One. That’s not good, and to Christie’s credit, he saw the need and did something to try to fix it.
Whether the Red Tape Review Commission is actually staffed by bi-partisan dragon-slayers has yet to be seen. While their task is monumental, (that’s an understatement), there have been successes, as reported in the commission’s April 30 “Finds and Recommendations.”
For those who enjoy a taste of alcohol, the commission is an ally. As the “craft liquor industry” blossoms, “In recognition of this burgeoning industry, as well as some of the more antiquated provisions of New Jersey’s liquor license statutes, Christie signed two laws to facilitate the growth of this industry in New Jersey,” the report stated. It stated he first penned legislation “modernizing antiquated restrictions governing micro-breweries and brew pubs, eliminating burdensome red tape, and allowing these businesses to compete more effectively with competitors in neighboring states.”
“The new law allows brew pubs to produce 10,000 barrels of alcohol per year, up from 3,000, effectively lowering the cost of a license from $625 to $250 for every 1,000 barrels produced. The law also permits brew pubs to expand their franchises to 10 locations, up from two, and allows the sale to wholesalers through a three-tier system. The former law only permitted the sale on its licensed restaurant premises. Microbreweries may offer samples of their beer on- and off-site.” A sample of that sampling took place at Feasting on History at Naval Air Station Wildwood May 6.
For those who still enjoy a friendly game of bingo, the dragon-slayers were there, too, slashing red tape.
An amendment to the Bingo Licensing Law removed the “licensing requirement for recreational bingo games held by individuals or organizations. This bill applies if no player furnishes anything of value for the opportunity to participate; the prizes awarded are nominal; and no person is paid for conducting the game,” the report stated.
Van Drew stated in his release, “It also led to several laws, including a measure abolishing 110 entities in state government that were inactive and obsolete. Reforms also included updating licensure requirements for certain regulated professions and eliminating fees for certain business transactions with state departments.
“We are making strides in the effort to make New Jersey more attractive to companies looking to open or expand their operations,” stated Van Drew. “But in order to ensure we are competitive with surrounding states, we have to continue our work to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles, streamline regulations and cut excessive regulatory costs. I have committed to this effort in my legislative work and am eager to continue to make New Jersey a more business-friendly state as part of this bipartisan commission.”
The Red Tape Review Commission is comprised of the lieutenant governor, two members of the Senate and two members of the Assembly (currently consisting of one Democrat and one Republican from each house), and four public members.
If that didn’t catch your interest, but you are a boater or marina operator, maybe this will. Related to red tape reduction this regards streamlining of coastal permits by the Department of Environmental Protection in a June 10 release: Simplifying the permitting process for minor dredging projects undertaken by homeowners and marinas. Providing greater flexibility to construct new or expand existing marinas in certain circumstances and allowing the construction of restaurants at existing marinas.
Here’s one that will stop some breathing for a second or two: Modifying the coastal wetlands mitigation requirements to achieve consistency between the DEP’s freshwater wetland and coastal wetland mitigation requirements and terminology.
For the latter from DEP, there is a 60-day public comment period through Aug. 1. To read all the DEP proposals, visit www.nj.gov/dep/rules/proposals/20140602apdf.
With less red tape to slow us, could more possibly get done, and our home state will no longer be the butt of snide comments about being business unfriendly?
Rejoice, we now have our own senator ready to hear us when we gripe about red tape. Our own dragon slayer, ready to cut through all the red tape Trenton has served up over the years.
Senator, keep a sharp scissors at your side. May the force be with you.