He Proposes Law to Train, Certify, Charge Office Holders License Fee

To The Editor:
I became quite perplexed after reading the Herald’s account of Sen. Jeff Van Drew’s newly proposed bill to make it easier for New Jersey residents to carry firearms. I naturally was suspicious concerning the reasons responsible for the senator’s action, because it is such an unusual policy position for a Democrat to embrace.
I thought this could be a carefully crafted political maneuver to persuade gun enthusiasts, who tend to have conservative leanings, to support the Democrat senator’s re-election campaign. I also considered that perhaps the senator’s endeavor emerged from a nobler rationale rooted in his understanding of the Second Amendment; the right to bear arms. But, I soon determined that such speculations may be just a pretext for Van Drew’s main focus, which might be more revenue related.
Sarcastically speaking, Van Drew has neatly packaged a bill with broad appeal. He certainly has stirred up the interest of gun enthusiasts and conservatives in his district, which may work well for him politically. His proposal adequately provides reasonable requirements addressing safety issues in the form of background checks, safety and use of force courses, and mandatory testing. And like all praiseworthy programs it requires a generous amount of government oversight.
But the best portion of this new law is its revenue- generating component that will contribute to the reduction of the state’s indebtedness. Van Drew estimates approximately 20,000 gun owners at $500 each for a total of $10 million. annually. That sounds like a “win-win” situation for all New Jerseyans.
However, after reading the comments about the proposed bill, I must say I was troubled to discover how willing so many citizens are to treat their constitutional rights as ordinary merchandise for sale on the open market. I don’t expect this letter will make a difference in helping to preserve the unalienable rights of Americans, but it will mark the fulfilling of Thomas Jefferson’s warning in 1778 that, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.”
Today’s government has abdicated its original role to secure the peoples rights and has reinvented itself as the “decider and provider” for the people. As long as our representatives in government can satisfactorily redistribute tax revenue and kept the populace comfortable then no one really cares about or notices the erosion of personal liberty.
So why not really contribute to the increase in the size of government? I propose a bill that would require all potential government office holders to undergo a criminal background check before gaining access to the ballot. I also propose easier access to the ballot by not requiring any nominating petitions. All candidates would be required to complete some training courses on the U. S. Constitution and the state constitution since they will have to take an oath to uphold both once they are elected.
After completion of the training courses, each candidate would be required to pass a test in order to obtain certification. There would also be some annual continuing education requirements in order to keep their certification current. And best of all is the revenue-producing component that requires each candidate and current office holder to pay an annual license fee of $500. This is a real “win-win” for all New Jerseyans. Just do the math.
In order to facilitate this I recommend the creation of the State Department of Homeland Government Development and offer my services as its first czar.