Editorial: Booker and Kim Have Lost Sight of Reality as New Jersey Crumbles.
Instead of sitting on steps and giving 12 hour speeches, or showig up to forest fires for Smithsonian photo-ops, Cory Booker and Andy Kim need to start paying attention to the state of New Jersey two key problems that plague our state. Ironically, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the Democrat party tout their ideals of being stewards to the environment and infrastructure, yet New Jersey is one of the worst states in America for both topics.
New Jersey, the Garden State, is wilting under the weight of neglect, its infrastructure crumbling and its waterways choking on decades of pollution. Yet, our U.S. Senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, seem more preoccupied with political theater—photo ops, partisan battles against Trump and Republicans, and symbolic sit-ins—than addressing the urgent crises eroding the state’s foundation.
While they chase headlines, New Jersey’s bridges teeter on the edge of disaster, and its rivers rank among the most polluted in the nation. It’s time for Booker and Kim to refocus on the reality facing their constituents.
New Jersey is home to three of America’s most contaminated waterways: the Delaware River, the Hackensack River, and the Passaic River.
The Delaware, which supplies drinking water to 17 million people, including half of New York City, is plagued by 7–10 million pounds of toxic chemicals, largely from industrial dumping by companies like DuPont. Pollutants in its waters are linked to birth defects, infertility, and cancer.
The Hackensack, a federal Superfund site since 2022, was once a hypoxic dead zone, barely able to sustain life.
The Passaic, with 4.3 million cubic yards of toxic mud laced with dioxin from the production of Agent Orange, is one of the most polluted stretches of water in the country. These rivers, once lifelines of commerce and community, are now environmental catastrophes, impaired by urban runoff, sewage overflows, and hazardous waste. Cleaning them up should be a top priority, yet Booker and Kim have offered little leadership on this front.
Equally alarming is the state of New Jersey’s bridges, critical arteries of the nation’s most densely populated state.
The Vincent R. Casciano Bridge in Newark Bay, built in 1955, and the Commodore Barry Bridge, constructed in 1974, have been flagged by the National Transportation Safety Board for elevated collision risks. The Casciano, deemed “critical/essential” to the Strategic Highway Network, and the Commodore Barry, connecting New Jersey to Delaware, are among 20 U.S. bridges requiring urgent risk assessments.
The Bayonne Bridge and Delaware Memorial Bridge, both vital to regional commerce, are also among the nation’s most vulnerable. These aging structures, battered by time and heavy use, demand immediate attention. A single failure could paralyze transportation, disrupt supply chains, and endanger lives. Where are Booker and Kim’s voices in demanding federal funding and oversight to secure these lifelines?
Instead of tackling these pressing issues, our senators seem distracted by the allure of national politics. Booker’s impassioned speeches and Kim’s carefully curated public image may win applause in Washington, but they do little to address the toxic sludge in the Passaic or the cracks in our bridges.
New Jerseyans deserve leaders who prioritize the state’s deteriorating infrastructure and poisoned waterways over partisan posturing. The senators’ focus on political fights and symbolic gestures—like sitting on steps for hours—feels like a betrayal of their mandate to serve the people who elected them.
Booker and Kim must rediscover their purpose. They should be championing federal resources to remediate Superfund sites, pushing for stricter regulations on industrial polluters, and advocating for infrastructure investments to shore up our bridges.
New Jersey cannot afford their detachment from reality. The state’s rivers and bridges are not just local concerns—they are national priorities, affecting millions beyond our borders. If our senators cannot rise to the challenge, they risk leaving a legacy of neglect as New Jersey continues to crumble.
It’s time for Booker and Kim to step off the steps, roll up their sleeves, and get to work.
The Garden State is dying.
Will they help save it, or will they keep chasing the spotlight while our rivers choke and our bridges buckle?
The clock is ticking.
