Assemblyman John McKeon, Esq.

May 27, 2012
Assemblyman John McKeon, Esq.
250 Main Street
Madison, NJ 07940

RE: Déjà vu, déjà vu, damn that déjà vu

Assemblyman McKeon,

Flash back 20 years ago.

“Knock, knock”

“Who’s there”?

“Me” – In this case “me” is “you”

You were running for something in West Orange and your handlers told you to knock on some doors. You knocked on mine.

As was my wont, and much to my wife’s chagrin, I invited you in. Anyone who knocked on my door, aluminum siding salesmen, Jehovah’s Witnesses, beggars from PIRG, knife sharpening peripatetic Gypsies, - no exceptions – they were all invited in. Even politicians

One part of our conversation has stayed with me for 20 years.

You said that the key to a strong real estate market, both commercial and residential, was a “good” rent control law.

Jeepers, I thought, maybe he hit his head this morning. Maybe he took his wife’s pills. Maybe he thought he was talking to a nit-wit. Worse, maybe he thought he was talking to a fellow nit-wit.

I asked if any subjective criteria, things like equity, CPI, occupancy, taxes, capital improvement, interest rates, would apply.

“Absolutely”, you said.

Please accept the gently chastening admonishment in the Christian spirit in which it is offered.

“HUH”?

A law, any law, being interpreted subjectively?

You may wish to familiarize yourself with The Law of the Constitution by A.V. Dicey. Doubtless, you will be the first in your legislative caucus and probably in your law firm, to become familiar with it. He has some comments on the Rule of Law that still ring true

After you left my wife asked who you were. I paraphrased Samuel Johnson. “The man’s a boob and that’s an end to it.”

Fast forward 20 years.

I open NJ.com every morning to check on the Irish sports pages AKA the obituaries. Recognizing no names I move on to Paul Mulshine.

It would seem that you have gotten dumber over the years.

If your bio info is correct you were 12 years old when the weather crisis du jour
was Global Cooling. A multi-degreed wing nut named Paul Ehrlich predicted, and on national TV to boot, that we would either freeze to death or starve to death by 2000. Your photo says “I am well fed”. It is 88 degrees in Florida.

Que paso?

Perhaps it is time to come to Jesus. Beginning in the late ‘70s I would end my morning ablutions by opening the bath room window and squeezing off a few rounds from my Right Guard deodorant can. It was the least I could do to call attention to the hole in the Ozone layer. It was my way of Acting Locally while Thinking Globally.

I am sure you can remember when it was “settled science” that tomatoes were poisonous, when Ptolemy was top dog in the astronomy world, and when supposedly rational adults thought that rent control worked. I just looked it up. Wisconsin won the 2000 Rose Bowl, the one that supposed to played on ice skates by staving student athletes.

May I suggest that you set an example for your constituents? If ozone depletion, drowning polar bears, carbon foot prints, and the continued misuse of fossil fuels really bother you turn off your air conditioner. All of your air conditioners. Office, home, and cars even if theyt run on manatee eructations.

Talk is cheap. Walk the walk.

It’s probably too late for you.

Dr. Johnson and I were right.

There is no rehab for boobs. Many of you wind up in elected bodies. The only benefit there is that adults can keep an eye on you.





Kevin Smith