Good News for Modern Man

David Weigel | February 27, 2008

In New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine is submitting a lean budget. I don't know if it'll survive his same-party legislature, but check out the details:

Corzine wants to spend less, in actual dollars, next year than this year - something Jersey's managed only three other times since 1951, he said.

... Most noteworthy, Corzine seeks to:

* Axe three entire Cabinet departments and trim the state payroll by 3,000 (though it's a trifle, given that the payroll grew by 23,000 from 2000 to 2006).

* Require state employees to chip in for their own health care.

* Trim Medicaid costs, local aid and higher-education spending.

In Virginia, conservative and libertarian groups are protesting making their presence known outside an annual John Murtha high-five to the contracters who get his earmarks.

Americans for Prosperity, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) and the National Taxpayers Union are holding a rally in front of the hotel where the fundraiser is being held to “display their displeasure with Rep. Murtha ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz,’ ” according to a press release. 

The groups called Wednesday’s event “a swanky fundraising dinner with pork-barrel-seeking defense lobbyists.”

“Americans are sick and tired of the wasteful and abusive spending of tax dollars, and … the time has come to shut down the Congressional favor factory,” the groups said in their release.

Don't cry for Murtha, though: His opponent fell seven signatures short of making the ballot, so he won't be challenged for re-election.

Comments

|2.27.08 @ 6:17PM|#

* Axe three entire Cabinet departments and trim the state payroll by 3,000 (though it's a trifle, given that the payroll grew by 23,000 from 2000 to 2006).

I'd like to know what those departments are, but alas, TLTG.

stephen the goldberger|2.27.08 @ 6:41PM|#

As a Jersey native I can say Corzine has been somewhat solid in terms of fiscal responsibility as a Governer. It comes from his financial backround I would assume. He raised the state sales tax 1% in order to handle a budget crisis, but this new budget is fairly impressive work I think, especially for a democrat.

He's certainly been better than McGreevey.

|2.27.08 @ 10:05PM|#

Why is Murtha raising money in VA when he is supposed to represent his constituents in PA? They really don't have a problem with this?(They being his actual constituents) Before anyone slams me for being naive, I used to work for a congressman from SC.

unbeliever|2.27.08 @ 11:38PM|#

He must follow the news. This is going to be a tough year or two and any Governor with the sense to start the cutting early is admirable. Let's leave the rest aside and give the guy kudos for being honest with himself and putting the important things first.

|2.28.08 @ 12:30AM|#

Re NJ & quoting from the article ...

Corzine seeks to:

* Axe three entire Cabinet departments and trim the state payroll by 3,000 (though it's a trifle, given that the payroll grew by 23,000 from 2000 to 2006). TO LITTLE TO LATE ! ROLL BACK STAFF BY 25,000 IMMEDIATELY. EVER watch a road crew ... 1 works and 5 supervise !

* Require state employees to chip in for their own health care. LETS MAKE THAT A 50% "CHIP-IN" LIKE PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES ,... AND LETS NOT FORGET A SUBSTANTIAL DEDUCTIBLE AND COPAY ! AND NO RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE! PAY YOUR OWN WAY .... I HAVE TO PAY MINE ...& I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR YOURS !

* Trim Medicaid costs, local aid and higher-education spending. DUMB IDEA. LETS NOT GO AFTER THE POOR, SICK, AND THOSE LOOKING TO BETTER THEMSELVES VIA HIGHER EDUCATION. LETS CUT THE STATE STAFF, AND THEIR OVERSTUFFED PENSIONS AND BENEFITS ... FOR CURRENT AND NOT JUST NEW EMPLOYEES.

|2.28.08 @ 1:54AM|#

Interesting. As I recall (and feel free to correct me if necessary), when Corzine ran for the office he positioned himself pretty well to the left. Perhaps it's another case of "only Nixon can go to China"...

|2.28.08 @ 2:41AM|#

Regarding Corzine: his cuts don't go deep enough for my taste, and he is still hanging the specter of his toll-hike scheme over the state.

The State department needs to be cut. The Abbot program needs to be restructured. The no-show political appointees need to be fired. The double-dipping pension folk need to be cancelled out...

NJ needs to cut spending drastically enough to do the following:
1) Pay off the state debt.
2) Cut the overall tax burden on residents.

Corzine is a failure when it comes to this. He is better than McGreevey, but he is not so much better as to deserve my applause.

Pax|2.28.08 @ 9:15AM|#

At least Corzine is moving things in the right direction, something I thought I'd never see here in NJ.

Yeah it doesn't go far enough. So no applause, but at least a golf clap for recognizing that there is a problem. The bullshit runs so deep here in NJ that it's about the best we could have ever hoped for.

|2.28.08 @ 2:10PM|#

In New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine is submitting a lean budget. I don't know if it'll survive his same-party legislature,

It won't, and you both know it. He's just setting up a nice defensive position for the uproar when another bloated budget passes and taxes have to be raised.