Corzine touts his accomplishments

The governor is right in many of his assessments in this article, including the primary one where he states that he is accused of "doing nothing" as governor, though he has been the most ambitious governor the state has had in probably decades.  Besides the aforementioned property tax relief -- which does need long-term reform in order to make the program viable, the low unemployment in a shifting economy, and the syringe exchange program, Corzine has tackled the core issues involved in property tax increases (local spending capped, direct relief to local districts), increased the percentage of children that have health care in the state (it is unconscionable, in a democratic society, not to have every child under some health care plan), let two business taxes run out, making the state better for small businesses, increased aid to soup kitchens and other charity organizations, and, generally speaking, had a frank and honest assessment of the terrible fiscal state of our finances.  My town, Haddonfield, for the first time in years received hundreds of thousands in aid from the state, which helps alleviate the need for local property taxes to pay for schools and other endeavors.

Party bosses no longer have access to the governor's mansion, since Corzine doesn't need their financial backing, nor does he attend to their wants; he even only makes $1 as governor. Ethics reform, as discussed this past week on NJN, is something of a feather in Corzine's cap, since a dual officeholding ban is now a law, and pensions and other benefits (thanks to Corzine and Adler) are now forfeited for corrupt public officials. Is there more work to be done? Absolutely -- but we have a good start for a governor who has been in office only a year-and-a-half and for someone who is derisively called Mr. "Hold Me Accountable" on this website on a weekly basis.

Corzine deserves his fair share of criticism, from his appointment of Farber to AG (the McGreevey admin had already vetted her -- what did he miss?) to not making the so-called Katz emails available immediately (of course, he's already been cleared by an ethics committee on that charge) and for not keeping a tighter net around the BPU and other entities.  But he doesn't get enough credit for the work he has done, and the asset monetization plan, which may help our state in the long run, is something that at least deserves fair assessment, since we need to think of the long-term health of the state and pay down debt. Shortly, the governor will release a new school funding formula -- of course, we need school funding reform that merges districts a la Sweeney's initiative -- and we will probably become the first state to outlaw the death penalty, something that makes me rather proud.  If Corzine can marry the his actions with the convictions of his ideals, then he will be a successful governor.

Martin1,

 Do you even READ your own tripe before you post it?

It is altogether logical that a democratic society would leave children uncovered in terms of medical coverage.  The term "democratic" simply denotes that the majority of voters have their will reflected through the electoral process.  The fact that a democratic form of government is instituted by a people does not guarantee a moral outcome in terms of political action.  For instance, if you live in a society of cannibals, chances are the popular vote will tend toward placing the missionary de jour on the menu for the village's evening meal.  Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote very eloquently about the dark side of democracies, cautioning about their tendency toward social Darwinism.

If the democratic process produces an immoral outcome, it is not a refelection of the process.  Rather, it is a direct reflection of the people whose will is manifested thereby.  Then again, Marty's appeal to a process rather than a higher natural law is illustrative of why the secular left inevitably falls short in terms of securing the rights set forth by the founding fathers -- rights that derive their validity not from the will of the masses, but from the divine wisdom of a loving God.