Political pirates and pundits hijacked state budget process

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Kudos to Corzine: NJ Budget Impasse result of years of political pirates and pundits

It was startling to observe an AOL poll (a non-scientific, voluntary poll) which asked:

Who is to blame for the [NJ State Government] shutdown?

As of Monday morning, July 3, 2006, the breakdown of responses was:

Both 59%

Governor 21%

State Legislature 18%

Neither 02%

Total Votes: 44, 951

What is ironic about the poll results is apparently how willing AOL users were to blame the governor for the current budget mess, although Governor Corzine has only occupied that office for less than six months.

In fact, the most troubling aspects of the current NJ fiscal outlook: the state transportation fund, the school construction fund, the state pension system, etc., were years in the making.

Yet if you were to listen to some political pundits, like the rabid right-wing conservative radio pundit, Harry Hurley, WKXW 1450 AM (see http://www.harryhurley.com/ ) you might think John Corzine created NJ's fiscal crisis single-handedly in the past five months.

Such political punditry and mumbo-jumbo is a public disservice, and distorts the record of honorable public servants, like Gov. Corzine, who have the backbone to stand-up to the Trenton crowd---both Democrats and Republicans alike---and say enough is enough.

Truth be told, it was Hurley's friend, former Gov. Christie Whitman, who used fiscal gimmickry to pass big tax cuts during her eight year tenure in office, chartering the course that has led to today's budget mess.

And, most of the state legislature has been in Trenton for longer than five months. Many have been in the Assembly or Senate for years while simultaneously holding county or local offices that is a clear conflict of interest in terms of fiscal sanity and budgetary propriety.

When push came to shove, the state legislators first call was to slash the benefits of ordinary, hardworking state workers. Never mind that many of these same legislators are bilking the pension system by dual office-holding, and political appointments to jack up their salary for three years before they retire to cash in on higher pension benefits for themselves.

Yesterday, state legislators managed four hours of direct negotiations on the budget situation with the Governor. These are the same legislators--both Democrat and Republican--- who have failed to pass a balanced budget in four of the last five years as mandated by the state constitution. These are the same legislators who have no substantive proposals for property tax relief. Many of these legislators are the same ones who expect free state police service for their local municipalities where they also hold office. Most taxpayers pay to maintain local police departments. Why should taxpayers subsidize the state for free state police service for some towns?

Some of these legislators represent districts where local officials can't manage and run their own local governments and school districts, forcing the state to invest time, expertise, and money to manage their affairs for them.

Kudos to Gov. Corzine for standing up to the spendthrift state legislature--both Democrats and Republicans---who, it seems, year after year fail in one of their most basic constitutional duties: passing a balanced budget.

The blaming and crying of political pirates and pundits does little to shed light and truth on the history of New Jersey's current fiscal crisis. That is a disservice to all New Jerseyans.

The distasteful medicine the state legislature must now swallow are proposals like shared-services, payment for state services provided to municipalities, and ethics reforms to stop patronage and pension abuse by elected officials, to name just a few.

New Jersey is supposedly the wealthiest state in the nation; why can't she afford to govern herself without putting an onerous strain on the backs of her working and middle class citizens?

The state legislature ought to be in session around the clock, 24/7 until they do the job they were elected to do. They would be wise to follow Gov. Corzine's lead: buy a cot with their own money---not state tax dollars---and plan on camping out under the gold dome in Trenton this Fourth of July.

Authors Website: http://www.blogger.com/profile/4236373

Authors Bio:
Constance Lavender is an HIV-Positive pseudonymous freelance e-journalist from a little isle off the coast of Jersey; New Jersey, that is...

In the Best spirit of Silence Dogood and Benj. Franklin, Ms. Lavender believes that a free country is premised on a free press.