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From our perch on the proper side of the Hudson River, we gaze across the waters at the Garden State, where things seem to be all sorts of fucked up. In case you haven't heard, Jersey shut down this weekend, ushering in a whole new set of jokes about exits and essential personnel. We're sure you're as interested in the causes of the crisis as we are (read: not terribly), but here's a quick summary for those of you who might be going to a cocktail party in Manalapan and need to sound up-to-date: Governor Jon Corzine has proposed a sales tax increase to cover the state's massive deficit; his legislative counterparts, who were badly burned by the state's previous tax hike (nearly fifteen years ago) have balked at the rise. The ins and outs are particularly Jerseyan (and could, quite frankly, all be resolved if Corzine were simply willing to open his checkbook and take care of the whole thing himself), so it's easy to lose sight of the real tragedy here: not only can't you buy lottery tickets, the casinos are closing. It's bad enough to have to be in Jersey; once you strip away the dream of making enough money to get out, what hope is there?

No break in budget crisis [S-L]
Atlantic City Casinos Ordered to Close [AP]