‘Jersey Shore’ rightfully taxes citizens

In a recent MSNBC article "Garden Staters would like to send ‘Jersey Shore' out to sea," many people from New Jersey don't approve of the show or its stereotypical portrayal of New Jerseyans.

The article stated that Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. conducted a survey that found 67 percent of New Jerseyans don't approve of the show.

Also, the article states New Jersey Governor Chis Christie blocked a $420,000 tax credit for the show's filming.

"I have no interest in policing the content of such projects," Christie said.  "However, as chief executive, I am duty-bound to ensure that taxpayers are not footing a $420,000 bill for a project which does nothing more than perpetuate misconceptions about the state and its citizens."

Unfortunately, there is one thing that Christie and the citizens of New Jersey don't realize: the reason why this show is so important for the younger generations that MTV pulls in.

This show is quite clearly a multi-million-dollar public service announcement, warning children of the things that are a danger to their health. It warns them to stay away from alcohol, tanning-booths and New Jersey.

The antics of the "Jersey Shore" stars are quite clearly meant as a morality tale about what can happen when a young person decides to become a drunken douchebag.

New Jersey should be proud to have such a wonderful public service like this produced in their state and with their tax money.

So Christie, you've made a mistake.

The U.S. Census Bureau states on its website that New Jersey has a total population of 8,791,894.

This means that every single resident of that state would only have to pay a nickel to help the social-conscious MTV fund this much needed intervention program.

And as a conservative Republican, Christie should be jumping behind this program that so wonderfully attempts to reinforce what can happen if children go down the liberal path and take up drinking and partying.

In fact, these public servants—the stars and the network—should be funded by the state of New Jersey with more than a tax credit.  The state should funnel all of its drug prevention budget into the program.

This would allow the program to branch out from the dangers of alcohol and cancer-causing tanning to much larger problems like meth and marijuana.

The wonderful stars of "Jersey Shore," I'm sure, would be more than willing to help their state by showing the dangers of using these drugs if the money was available to them for such purposes.

Why don't we make "Jersey Shore" its own line on the national budget.  Five cents from the 312,415,048 people who live in this nation would generate $15,620,752 that could be used by these people and MTV to great effect fighting the delinquent behavior New Jerseyans think the stars do just for fun.

It's not fun.  It's saving lives.

God speed, "Jersey Shore," and may all your shenanigans save the youth of this country from the drunken revelry you show every week.