Garden State Patriot

Here’s the storyline:

TRENTON — Three public employee unions, headed by the Communications Workers of America, filed papers today with a New Jersey appeals court seeking to block the emergency rule allowing state workers to be furloughed.

The state Civil Service Commission last Wednesday adopted an emergency rule that permits the furloughs, which Gov. Jon S. Corzine says are needed on a once-a-month basis starting in May to help balance the state budget.

The appeal seeking to block the staggered furloughs says the rule was illegally adopted. The Corzine administration is also seeking a separate rule, adopted along the regular timeline, to permit furloughs for the fiscal year that begins in July.

CWA state director Hetty Rosenstein said the average state worker making $50,000 would lose nearly 10 percent of their income under Corzine’s budget plan, while a New Jersey resident making $500,000 would pay $625 more in taxes.

“Not only did the Corzine administration adopt this plan illegally, without the public notice and input required by law, the administration is continuing to ask public employees to bear the burden of our state’s fiscal crisis — while requiring only token contributions from the state’s wealthiest individuals,” Rosenstein said.

Quite frankly, I am growing weary of the whining of unions and union workers. If these people lived in the real world like everyone else, then they would be losing jobs not having them protected by way of furloughs. Unfortunately for New Jersey taxpayers, the last thing Democrats like Corzine want is for a government job to disappear.

Yet, the CWA would try to have us believe that Corzine is trying to balance the budget on their backs? When NJ taxpayers bear the highest burden in the country, one of their leaders has the gall to complain that they aren’t going to pay even more?

Sorry, spare us the sob story.

Cross-posted at Conservatives with Attitude! and Red County.

Hammering a few more nails into the Corzine coffin, the nonpartisan nonprofit National Taxpayers Union is the latest to rip the Gov’s anti-middle class budget proposals. They rightly point out that despite the Governor receiving his bailout from Washington, to the tune of $17.5B, he still plans to raise taxes on the middle class and NJ businesses.

(Alexandria, Va.) — The 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has urged lawmakers in New Jersey to reject the tax increases in Gov. Jon Corzine’s FY 2010 budget. Advocating on behalf of its 10,000-plus members in the state, NTU argued that New Jersey’s tax climate is one of the worst in the country as is, and putting further expansion of government on the backs of taxpayers will only worsen the recession in the Garden State.

“Gov. Corzine is punishing taxpayers for a problem he helped cause,” NTU State Government Affairs Manager Joshua Culling said. “Rather than coming to terms with the consequences of big government, he seeks to continue the tax-and-spend policies that got New Jersey in the economic mess it’s in. Conspicuous among them is that staple of dishonest budgeting — temporary tax hikes.”

The budget aims to “temporarily” raise the top personal income tax rate to 9.75 percent for a year, making it the third-highest in the country. It would also hike the cigarette tax, already the nation’s second-highest, another 12.5 cents per pack. A 4 percent “temporary” corporate business tax surcharge would be extended, and the excise tax on alcohol (excluding beer) would be increased 25 percent.

“Even though New Jersey is receiving $17.5 billion in stimulus funds from Washington and has already exported its massive cost of government to federal taxpayers across the country, Gov. Corzine is still intent on a slew of tax hikes,” Culling continued. “It’s as if he’s actively pushing residents out of the state.” 

It’s no wonder Corzine is already claiming to be “reconsidering” his proposals to eliminate property tax rebates and the property tax decuction.

By the way, for a good laugh, go to Facebook and tell Big Jon what he should do to balance the budget. I’m sure he’ll listen.

Cross-posted at Conservatives with Attitude!

Well, not the kind of shrinking you’re thinking, my friends. Nope. Alas, this is what happens when you have an “impotent” governor who is, ahem, “hard up” for cash to address the state’s financial woes. From PolitickerNJ:

“We all have to share the responsibility of keeping our financial house in order,” Corzine said in his noon address to a joint session of the Legislature. “The unprecedented circumstances of our national economic crisis requires choices we might not otherwise make.” –Governor Corzine

This is a really rich quote from our incompetent Governor. Make no mistake, he’s making it clear here that he felt New Jersey’s bloated state government and out of control spending before the economic downturn wasn’t a problem. He’s had to come kicking and screaming to make the cuts to balance the state’s budget.

And his priorities do anything but share responsibility. No, the Governor’s plan just sticks it right to the already beleaguered New Jersey taxpayer.

Inexplicably, Corzine is proposing to eliminate the property tax reduction for homeowners, effectively raising their taxes during the height of one of the worst economic downturns we’ve suffered in our lifetimes. He is getting rid of the property tax rebate for all but a select few.  Then there are cigarette and alcohol taxes.

He’s raising the payroll tax on business which will only further hurt industry. This in a state that hasn’t created jobs in 10 years and is already has the worst in the nation climate for business.

Honestly, if this isn’t the last straw for Corzine in New Jersey then I have no idea what it will take. He refuses to address New Jersey’s bloated, bureaucratic and inefficient government. Instead, he makes it clear that his priority isn’t the everyday Jerseyan; it’s his constituency of special interests (i.e., government workers and unions). It’s just a disgrace. Enough is enough!

Here are some select reactions to the Governor’s budget proposals from several Republican leaders:

Assembly Republicans

Lonegan Response

Rottino & Caruso Response

Tom Kean Statement

Alex DeCroce

NJ Biz Article

Cross-posted at Conservatives with Attitude!

Gee, I was so looking forward to that extra $13 a week from Obama’s ‘tax cut.’ Wait, what am I talking about? I am probably too ‘rich’ for that.

Well, anyway, even if I were to get Obama’s unbelievable windfall consider that wiped out because Governor Corzine is ready to take away my property tax rebate.

With his budget-cutting options dwindling, Gov. Jon Corzine is preparing plans to severely curtail or eliminate New Jersey’s popular property tax rebates for the coming year, multiple sources close to the governor said today.

The rebate checks to homeowners and tenants, which cost the state about $1.7 billion last year, represent one of the largest remaining non-essential spending items in the budget Corzine will present to the Legislature on March 10.

Way to make the tough choices there, Gov.

Cross-posted at Red County.

My latest from CWA!

With the Inauguration taking center stage on Tuesday, this little tidbit seems to have flown under the radar. On CNBC’s Squawk Box, Governor Corzine said that New Jersey may receive as much as $4 BILLION in ‘economic stimulus’ over the next 2 years. That’s $4,000,000,000.00. Just last week the Governor announced that he would be seeking at least $300M for FY2010, but somehow this figure has multiplied more than tenfold - across 2 years - in a mere matter of days. 

Heck, Obama’s Oval Office chair isn’t even warm yet but our groveling Governor is acting as if it’s a fait accompli. However, I have the feeling our fellow Americans, who are still stewing over the trillion dollar TARP fiasco, might not take so kindly to this news. At the least, it will add more fuel to the fire of a Governor’s race in New Jersey that is already expected to be quite heated.

TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine said the Garden State could receive close to $4 billion in federal stimulus money over two years to help pay for education and health care.

Appearing on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Tuesday, Corzine called the federal stimulus package being advanced in the House “quite substantial,” but warned that it won’t be a blank check.

“We ought to take this time and make sure we’re reforming government, so it’s not just a bailout,” Corzine said.

Well, sorry to break it to you, Governor, but it is a bailout.

This notwithstanding, how can this even be called a stimulus? Throwing money at education and health care will do little, if anything, to create jobs. In fact, let’s face it. The only job that’s at issue here is Corzine’s.

Suffice it to say, this year’s Governor’s race is going to be one to behold. Most assuredly, Obama will finally make his way to this state – one which he has heretofore had little use for – to bail out Johnny completely by trying to drag him over the finish line in November. Dare I say: ‘Bring it on!’

Yesterday, Governor Corzine delivered the annual ‘State of the State’ speech before the state legislature. Not surprisingly, the Governor’s address was long on rhetoric and short on substance. Senator Tom Kean put it best in reacting to the speech:

There’s no doubt that these are extraordinary times for New Jersey. However, our governor used hyper-partisan rhetoric to try to persuade state residents that our economic problems began last year with the housing crisis and the stock market collapse.

“In truth, they began six years ago when Democrat Governor Jim McGreevey decided the best way to win re-election was to borrow, tax and spend the earnings of the middle class rather than exercising fiscal discipline during an economic downturn. Governor Corzine wholeheartedly endorsed those job-killing policies and is an enthusiastic advocate of many of them today. He’d rather use a pension gimmick that will cost property tax payers hundreds of millions of dollars than to reopen the budget and, at last, set the state on the right course toward lasting growth and prosperity.

Make no mistake. The state’s small business climate was ranked last in the nation long before the Dow plunged. New Jersey began losing private jobs three years ago, not three months. In 2007, New York’s rate of private sector employment growth was 12 times that of New Jersey, while Connecticut growth was eight times higher, Massachusetts growth was seven times higher, and Pennsylvania’s was six times higher.

Governor Corzine did nothing to reverse those policies until polls showed that voters were demanding that he take action in the face of a national recession. Then he adopted measures that he ridiculed when Republicans proposed them in the Common Sense Plan they introduced in May and June. However, he has left many job-killing measures in place, including a $62 million utility tax increase that costs every family and business desperately needed resources during this recession.

Both Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature are now committed to finding real, long-term solutions to this state’s economic problems. The governor talks tough, but he hasn’t come through. On the economy, on ethics, on transparency in government, we urge the governor to conform his actions to his rhetoric.

Simply put, at a time of economic crisis the Governor is proving that he lacks the leadership skills and fortitude to honestly address the state’s fiscal mess and stand up for taxpayers. He is doing everything in his power to deflect blame and get himself re-elected.

Frankly, New Jerseyans deserve far better than this. Come November they ought to send a clear message that we have had enough. It’s time for Corzine and the Democrats to go.

Fellow blogger ‘Kempite’ of the Politics 24/7 blog has an excellent commentary up at NJ.com regarding Corzine and his proposed budget ‘cuts.’ Recommended reading for sure. And as a Led Zeppelin fan anything that includes references to airships is certainly going to also pique my interest!

I’m no economist – and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night – but I think I’m still smart enough to know that schools don’t create jobs. Ergo I found this little tidbit regarding the so-called stimulus that Corzine and his other Dem Governor brethren are seeking to be quite interesting:

Gov. Deval Patrick and four Democratic governors called on the president-elect to include $250 billion to support schools pre-K through college in the $1 trillion economic stimulus package.

“We think it’s critical to have a safety net investment for education,” said Patrick. “Schools are the one transformative investment that lifts people out of poverty and long-term reliance on the safety net. States have made tremendous progress in raising standards and in education reform and none of us wants to lose ground during this recession.”

In a conference call with reporters Patrick, Ted Strickland of Ohio, Jon Corzine of New Jersey, Wisconsin’s James Doyle and David A. Paterson of New York, the governors outlined three major categories for the infusion of cash: infrastructure for shovel-ready projects, money for essential services such as Medicaid, welfare and food stamps and school funding – pre-K through college.

So, Corzine, et al, claim they want $1 trillion buckeroos to help their state’s economies during recession but they want to take a full 1/4 of that – $250 billion – and allot it to pre-K through college education?

Certainly enabling our young people to obtain a quality education is a worthy goal – and the merits of spending that much on education are a debate for another day – but it is hardly a stimulus for the economy to buy new desks for little Johnny and little Jane. Moreover, money shouldn’t be a factor in “raising standards” or “education reform.”

Let’s take this again for what it is: a group of Governors unwilling to make the really hard choices for their state’s budgets, after having spent far too much, and now simply waiting for a handout from Obama when he takes office.

The Governor just announced today that he is planning to cut $2.1 billion from the state’s budget. The budget gap appears to be growing by the second as what was thought to be a $1.2 billion shortfall is now $900 million larger. Next year’s budget gap is anticipated to be a mind-boggling $5 billion and one now has to wonder if that, too, will only be worse.

The Governor is promising details this afternoon – perhaps a direct reaction to being sued by GOP lawmakers – but we are dubious. After all, the Governor keeps pushing for $1 trillion ’stimulus’ to help bail him and other Governors out of their budget messes and wants to put off his budget speech until mid-March. (Note: Notice how all these Governors with their hands out to Obama are Democrats in blue states: Wisconsin, Ohio and Massachusetts being the others.)

As pointed out at In The Lobby:

So now the governor says he wants to delay the budget speech until March 10, so he can take advantage of whatever belated Christmas gifts Barack Obama plans to give him.

But here’s what’s more interesting: State Treasurer David Rousseau told the Star-Ledger in the same article that “the move is also needed because treasury officials are running four to six weeks behind schedule trying to plug a $1.2 billion hole in the current budget.”

Here’s our question: Hasn’t Gov. Corzine been assuring us all along that he has this under control? That his Cabinet identified $400 million in savings in the fall, and another $400 million since? And wasn’t there some $600 million surplus as well?

But if the governor hasn’t figured out how to plug the $1.2 billion deficit that he already has, then what business does he have spending more money from the state budget, even if it’s for a stimulus package?

How can we spend money we don’t have?  Aren’t we already in the red?

Isn’t this what got us in trouble in the first place?

And if the administration is having this much trouble with $1.2 billion, how in the world will they handle the $5 billion deficit that’s expected in next year’s budget?