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New Jersey legislators are trying to ensure they don’t flush money down the toilet, but pretty soon, they might not be able to flush the toilet at all. A budget stalemate in Trenton, N.J. has prevented the city from purchasing toilet paper, and supplies are direly low.

According to Bloomberg News, the Garden State’s capital will run out of toilet paper next week unless the expense is approved. City Hall has enough to last until Friday, but other city buildings may run out early this week, Trenton Mayor Tony Mack said in a statement. His office says the city council is refusing to sign off on the $42,573 paper products purchase.

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The bickering is over a $4,000 tab for paper cups, which some council members think is too high. Councilman George Muschal worries that the mayor is exaggerating the cup order because of reports that “employees may be stealing the products for home use,” he told Bloomberg. The rest of the paper order includes toilet paper, seat covers and paper towels, items which have come under seemingly less scrutiny.

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“We’re the checks and balances over the administration, and we’re not going to send out any blank checks,” Muschal said. Muschal would do well to keep those checks in mind when the toilet paper roll comes up empty on Friday. The dispute began in November when the annual paper purchase is submitted. The purchase order has come to a vote each month since then, with no conclusion. So the order has remained tied up, with supplies quickly dwindling at Trenton’s police department, senior centers, and government offices. While it’s bold that New Jersey legislators are engaged in a battle against wasteful spending, sometimes they have to simply consider their own waste.

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