N.J. just says no to pumping gas

The USA Today reports:

In New Jersey, motorists who need to fill 'er up haven't pumped their own gas in 57 years. But in the face of soaring gas prices, Gov. Jon Corzine came up with a novel plan last month to try to ease the pain: allow self-service at some stations along the New Jersey Turnpike and see if prices dip. He believed prices could drop 5 to 7 cents a gallon.

Corzine retreated after about 1,400 e-mails and calls poured in from a mostly outraged public. Concern about other state issues paled in comparison. A proposal to raise the sales tax by one cent, for example, received about 200 responses from the public, says Brendan Gilfillan, a spokesman for the governor.

So Corzine isn't going to push it. "He still thinks it's a worthy idea," Gilfillan says. "But with our budget, property taxes and ethics, there are just a number of things that are a bigger priority."

An outrage to pump your own gas in New Jersey? New Jersey doesn't appear to be pro-choice.