Jon's plan to save the Star-Ledger

The assest monitization plan was far more complex (and if the GOP had any other issue to lach onto in 07 would have worked). The point is this Corzine offered budgets cuts, both parties in the State Leg wouldnt take them. Corzine has repeatidly defined the state and its problems accuratly and has offered aggressive measures to solve them. If the state leg wont allow for deep drastic cuts (like agriculture, commerce, and personell) Corzine still has to balance the budget. How else can he do that without increasing revenue? Assest monitization? taxes? tolls. The money has to come from somewhere. Furthermore, Corzine was one of the most celebrated and popular men in NJ when he was a Senator. The GOP was content to let him be there without a formal challenge, but they attempt to win the Gov races and they have done a remarkable job at cutting him down. Corzine is a terrible politician in the back slapping is an art form definition. But as a policy guy he is solid and has been NJ's most active and bold governor in decades. Corzine didnt politic Codey enough, and he embarresed the State Leg by shutting down the government (a move that declared that illustrated he was not playing the usual Trenton parlor games). Ever since, Codey and the rest of the corrupt bunch of vanity-driven media sellouts in Trenton have done their best to halt Corzine's adgenda. Corzine will hopefully run and get re-elected. I cant imagine what will happen if Sweeny, Andrews, or Codey gets in. Just wait and see how many more people get added to the state payroll. Corzine has been a good governor, and a terrible politician. I will however concede that he has made some absolutley terrible personell choices. I would say that a good 40% of his staff is just terrible.

SJ Blue falls into the typical Democratic Party mindset.
What Corzine needed to do was line-item veto and cut the budget, not come up with new ways to raise revenue. Corzine has taken several good steps such as paying a small share of the State obligation to PERS.
He should match the 5.5% that the employees have taken out of their pay for the pension system.
But he is a failure as a Leader for good government when he promotes increasing bond debt without voter approval.
Although, I was never a believer in dedicated funding, Corzine could gain voters support by dedicating all motor vehicle fees to the Transportation Trust Fund and costs of running MVC and for the cost of State Police.
This would cause a hole in the general fund, but voters want to know exactly what their money is paying for and co-mingling user fees into a general fund leads the public to be dissatified and suspicious that their monies are not going where they want them to be spent.

The same goes for the lottery. The public never wanted monies from the lottery to go to pay for criminal in state prisons. They wanted the lobbery and casino monies to go to education and senior citizens.

VinCognito Misinformed statements are not accurate.

State Employees pay 1.5 percent of their gross salaries to Health Benefits and $15-$25 co-pay depending on health plan. Employee also pays all amounts over the "normal and approved fees as set up by the insurance plan deductable.

VinCognito Misinformed statements are not accurate. State Employees pay 1.5 percent of their gross salaries to Health Benefits and $15-$25 co-pay depending on health plan. Employee also pays all amounts over the "normal and approved fees as set up by the insurance plan deductable.

I did not advocate fixing problems with increased revenue. I stated the fact that as governor he has a constitutional responsibility to sign a balanced budget. If the State Leg wont send a budget with cuts than he has to increase revenue or he is in violation of the state constitution. Yes VinCon is a bit misinformed, but he does make a good point. Corzine could go after the unions as sternly as he has the state leg. However, we should be looking for ways to increase pension and medical benifts to all workers in all sectors. Police, Teachers, and Fireman should be afforded good benefits and pensions they perform a vital service and their work and professionalism should be rewarded. State workers (the majority that are essential) should also get solid retirement and medical coverage. Corzine has quitely taken on state workers without going through the union. A dark secret of the asset monitization plan was that if you leased the highways you could eliminate the SJ and NJ Transportation Authorities. These quasi-state agencies have been the dumping ground for political cronies for ages. Yet another reason the plan should have been endorsed

I could not have said it better. It wasn't the asset monetization, taxes or tolls in and of themselves. It is, THAT IS WHERE HE STARTED!

If Mr. Corzine is so fond of tolls how about some tolls on the miles and miles of brand spanking new roads in and around Trenton. Just a thought.