NJ Legislators Find New Way to Act Like Morons

I'm so gald New Jersey legislators have got their priorites straight. While everyone with any means to pay is being taxed to death in this state, you can rest easy knowing that the Legislature is tackling the tough issues. Case in point Assembly Bill 4217 which allows pet owners to sue for negligent infliction of emotional distress if a pet food company accidently poisons a pet. That's right, if your pet is poisoned and dies, the state wants you to know that you are not expected to get over it, instead you can revel in your grief and sue for damages for emotional distress. . .you goddamn pansy.

This bill is obviously a response to the whole Menu Foods poisoned pet food debacle a few months ago. Of course, if the bill becomes law, no one who lost a pet because of tainted Menu Foods pet food could actually take advantage of it. It's too late to change the law for the benefit of those people, that ship has sailed. The bill would apply in the unlikley scenario any pet food company ever repeated this mistake.

I wouldn't worry about this bill becoming law though, the chances of this actually making it's way to the Governor to sign are somewhere between slim and none. While I'm outraged that this bill actually got out of committe in the State Assembly yesterday, it seems unlikely anyone is going to push this too far. This bill is simply a bone certain legislators are throwing to the animal rights crowd. It's typical shameless pandering for support. Legislators introduce a bill to make it look like they are doing something for you even though thye know the bill will never amount to anything.

Don't get me wrong by the way, I'm not anti-animal. I like animals well enough. I even think animals should have some rights, especially the right to be eaten if they are tasty.

However, this bill is pure nonsense. A person may recover damages for negligent infliction of emotional distress for the loss of a family member. By allowing a pet owner to recover damages for negligent inflection of emotional distress, it equates the loss of an animal with the loss of a person. Such a precedent that would move the ball a little bit further toward recognizing animal rights and that animals are just like people. Only furrier. What kind of moronic elected officials would get behind this? Oh yeah, democrats. Well, maybe they think if animals are given the same status as people they can tax them too.