Tuesday, July 8th, 2008
Remember when New Jerseyans were told we are in tough economic times? Remember how municipal aid was slashed? Hospital subsidies cut? How Gov. Corzine fought for a responsible budget?
The spending spree has begun today. On the heels of commandeering $3.9 billion outside the budget from tax payers, Corzine is set to begin an expansion of state government unseen before.
New Jersey is expanding a government health insurance program to cover more low-income families and provide coverage for all children in the state.
The bill scheduled to be signed today by Gov. Jon Corzine is viewed as the first step toward requiring all New Jerseyans to have health insurance by 2011. It mandates that all children have insurance through government or a private provider within a year.
Got that? Government is mandating health insurance. And what happens if someone cannot afford insurance? That’s right, tax payers will fund it.
While the benevolent among us will state that it is the right thing to do, why should tax payers pick up the tab? This has welfare written all over it. There is no incentive to purchase insurance when one can rely on the government.
This is not the purpose of government, folks.
This new spending will need to be funded. Just where is that money going to come from?
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 8th, 2008
Very quietly New Jersey lawmakers and Gov. Corzine took another $3.9 billion from taxpayers last week. It is not unprecedented; $8.6 billion was taken and squandered on school construction. Of course that money didn’t get the job done because it was so poorly mismanaged. Now that Corzine has installed his crony at the headed of the former Schools Construction Corp. does anyone feel it will be any less so? Neither do I.
So these folks decided $3.9 billion wasn’t worth asking our opinion of. Today they began shelling out the money.
Just what does a $127,000,000 school look like? I cannot fathom why any one school needs to cost that much.
Dunston McNichol’s article states:
Officials said the original program has been completely re-tooled, and includes tight controls to limit overhead costs and ensure that officials have enough money in hand to complete the projects they launch.
What’s the over/under before we hear about corruption with this money?
Posted in Education, New Jersey, Politics | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
It was just days ago that Gov. Corzine heralded the passage of a bloated state budget as unprecedented, fiscally responsible.
This budget takes us through a turning point and confirms our commitment to a common sense principle of finance, often ignored, that we should spend no more than we take in.
Of course this fiscally responsible state budget did not address school construction nor did it address infrastructure. The fiscally responsible state budget has nothing about the $3.9 billion Corzine is urging the legislature to commandeer from taxpayers.
Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday pressed the Legislature to revive New Jersey’s school construction program to the tune of another $3.9 billion.
No, that isn’t in the fiscally responsible state budget. Nor is the the threat Corzine issued taxpayers this morning on Good Day Philadelphia about funding infrastructure:
I’m not anxious to move forward with a gas tax. I really think we’ve got to find another way.
First of all Gov. Wall Street, the word to use is eager not anxious. Besides that, threatening to raise gasoline taxes if you do not get your toll increases just may be the issue that sinks your re-election. New Jersey voters are ultra-liberal, but they already know they are being gouged and aren’t going to accept much more.
They refused you on both issues previously. (Remember dear reader, Corzine’s first act as governor was to indebt us for 30 years to fund the Transportation Trust Fund for five years. Time is beginning to run out on that (of course, after the gubernatorial election) and he needs to find another shot of money to keep things going.) Now you’re pitting one tax against the other expecting the taxpayers to pick the lesser of two evils.
What was responsible about this monstrous budget you just signed? Bridges, roads, and school construction cannot continue to be funded outside the budget.
Posted in New Jersey, Photography | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine says he is fighting for principles by appealing a judge’s ruling that he cannot claim executive privilege in hiding e-mail between union boss Carla Katz and himself.
“The decision recognizes the long-established legal principle that a governor has a right to have candid and private conversations with others, but the judge defined that privilege quite narrowly,” Howlett [Corzine spokeswoman] said. “It is an issue that should be addressed, especially in this rapidly expanding digital age.”
Why isn’t Corzine fighting for the principle of keeping an appearance of impropriety from affecting the way state government is run? Corzine is using quite a bit of tax dollars arguing that e-mail with a union boss/former girlfriend during a time when the state was negotiating a new contract with her union is protected private speech.
A leader has the responsibility to his constituents to have heir business conducted openly and without corruption. Corzine has been less than candid about his relationship with Katz that included large financial sums that finance schools for her children. This ongoing relationship has the possibility of hurting citizens. Corzine should immediately release the e-mails and drop the appeal in the best interests of New Jerseyans. Refusing to do so is only working for the best interests of himself and Ms. Katz.
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | No Comments »
Saturday, May 31st, 2008
A judge finally ruled that the e-mail between Gov. Corzine and his former girlfriend is not private. These e-mails occurred while Katz’s union negotiated a contract with the state of New Jersey. It is nice to finally see some reasonableness displayed in the Garden State.
The public has a right to know whether the relationship between the governor and Ms. Katz had any improper influence on the governor’s paramount obligation to serve the interest of the citizens of New Jersey first.
Chalk this one up on the public’s side. We absolutely deserve to know that the governor is serving us before the woman with whom he has an ongoing financial relationship.
The first response from Corzine is via his taxpayer-funded lawyer, Attorney General Anne Milgram:
We intend to appeal.
Of course.
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | No Comments »
