Can Corzine Get a Break?
Steve Adubato, Ph.D.
CBS 2 Political Analyst

Three major political chief executives are having a very hard time with things lately— New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Governor David Paterson, and New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine.  I’ll save Paterson and Bloomberg for another blog; but right now let’s focus on Governor Corzine.

New Jersey is facing a massive $4 billion budget hole, and Governor Jon Corzine is looking for ways to close it in a hurry.  To Corzine’s credit, he’s had the political courage to do away with property tax rebates, which cost the state $1.7 billion a year.  Of course, everyone wants a rebate from the government, but sometimes you just can’t afford it. 

You know, it’s funny; people say they want the government to spend less money, but what most people really mean is that they want the government to spend less money on everyone except them.  I understand it’s tough for a struggling family who has come to depend upon a few hundred bucks, even possibly a few thousand dollars, from the state every year.  But times have changed, and the money just isn’t there.  No governor can balance by deficit spending.  The Feds can do it, but state government can’t.  So in my book, Corzine gets points, even though he is probably going to become a political pariah this fall when the Republicans make him public enemy #1 and the reason for all of New Jersey’s fiscal problems. 

The other area that Corzine gets points on is his proposal to have state workers be furloughed for two days this fall, which would simply mean they wouldn’t come to work and they wouldn’t get paid.  I know, it doesn’t sound like fun, but Corzine says (rightfully so) that furloughing state workers is one of the only ways to save the jobs of public employees.  Corzine has also asked state workers to accept a wage freeze that is intended to save jobs.  However, public employee union leaders have said, no way, and have vowed to fight Corzine to the death. 

I’m a big supporter of unions when they make a valid case against management and protect workers from workplace abuse.  However, in this case, Jon Corzine is giving state workers the chance to save the jobs of their brothers and sisters.  I say, that in this economy, that’s a pretty good deal.  However, if the unions say no way, we have a contract, and tell Corzine that he can’t furlough workers and his idea of a salary freeze is “dead on arrival”, then there’s going to be a bloodbath in New Jersey.  Massive numbers of state workers are going to lose their jobs.  Many of those same union leaders will then blame Jon Corzine.

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