Corzine and the leadership question

Christopher Christie received some criticism for complaining about how Stuart Rabner's confirmation as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was being delayed by politics as usual.  After all, asked the critics, shouldn't the U.S. Attorney, who has the power - and has used it - to investigate and indict state and local officials, keep his editorial opinions to himself lest it seem that he is tacitly threatening any recalcitrant legislators?  But concerns about the appropriateness of Christie's comments were quickly replaced by the chatter of some legislators and members of the media about the substance of his remarks, particularly his assertion that there is a lack of genuine leadership in the State House. 

By leadership, Christie means the willingness and ability of those in power to stand up for whom and what they believe in.  When the U.S. Attorney made that point he was of course referring to what he perceived to be a failure on the part of Governor Jon Corzine, Senate President Richard Codey, and Senate Judiciary Committee chair John Adler to castigate anyone who was exercising senatorial courtesy to keep the highly qualified Rabner from being quickly confirmed.  To which Codey and then Corzine responded that leaders must respect the separation of powers, established procedures, and given the importance of the post Rabner was up for, the need for a thorough review. 

However, senatorial courtesy does not require its invoker to explain why he or she is stopping a nomination.  Corzine would soon admit his frustration with Senator Nia Gill for refusing to respond to media inquiries about why she was holding up the Senate's consideration of Rabner.  When Christie blasted this process days earlier, this writer assumed that the U.S. Attorney thought senators were holding up Rabner's confirmation to try to extract some benefit from the Governor. It's certainly not a news flash that quid pro quo is part of democratic politics. But Christie believes it as too prevalent in New Jersey government and especially insidious when in infects the judicial confirmation process. 

Rabner met with Gill on Tuesday, and whatever problems the Senator had were apparently resolved. Rabner is expected to be confirmed as the state next Chief Justice by the end of the week.  But his confirmation will not end discussion about Christie's larger criticism about the lack of leadership in Trenton. New Jersey's recent governors have each promised to tackle the state's biggest problems and to usher in a new era of more responsive, efficient and effective government while keeping taxes down.  Jon Corzine  entered office espousing an even more ambitious reform agenda, one that would require him to take on the self-serving, calcified political and bureaucratic establishment. 

As a former corporate executive with a businessperson's commitment to quality management and the bottom line, Corzine seemed to voters like a guy who would flesh out waste and give taxpayers a bigger bang for their buck. As a multimillionaire who financed his own campaigns, he presumably would not be beholden to the political bosses and interest groups who stand in the way of reform. And, as an ambitious public figure who left a safe seat in the U.S. Senate to help build a resume for a possible run at national office, Corzine would have a strong motive to reform government and politics in a state that has a reputation for fiscal irresponsibility, corruption, and high taxes. 

And reforming New Jersey is precisely what Corzine has said he will do.  The substance of that reform? Fiscal integrity, ethical integrity and property tax reform  While respecting the fact that he was sidelined for weeks by his serious injuries, it is still fair to ask how much progress the Governor is making on his reform agenda.  And, whether he has demonstrated the leadership - in Christie's terms, whether he has "stood up" for what he has believed in - while trying to move that agenda forward.

Well, while the Governor has certainly made progress in fiscal, ethics, and tax policy, he also has had some significant setbacks.  He proposed a one-cent hike in the sales tax last year to provide more revenue flow for a state government that suffers from a large structural deficit. He was willing to endure an eight-day government shutdown to get the legislature to pass this tax hike.  Now it is likely that all of the revenues from that sales tax hike will be returned to residents as property tax relief, ,because that's what the Democratic-controlled legislature wants to do. This despite the fact that the state has an anticipated $2.5 billion deficit going into fiscal year 2009. In addition, after lamenting about how the huge state debt is irresponsible, the Governor is expected to support borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars for stem cell research and open space.

On ethics reform, the Governor also capitulated. Corzine had insisted that he would not sign the new budget unless the legislature sent him a bill that banned dual office-holding for everyone, including current legislators who have other public posts.  The legislature will send him a bill that protects current dual officeholders, and the new budget will be signed.  And, there has not been any progress on banning pay to play or wheeling at all levels of government, two other priorities of the Governor.

What about property tax reform? Well, it's now called property tax relief. The good new is that school districts and municipalities will receive increases for the first time in five years, and homeowners will get rebate checks that average over $1,000.  A stricter cap on local and school spending increases has also been instituted.  But other cost control measures that the Governor supported, such as a powerful state comptroller and mandating the regionalization of services and perhaps the consolidation of school districts and towns, were watered down.  And, no action was taken on a much anticipated new school funding formula that suburban districts hope will help them deal with increasing enrollments, at risk students, and special education costs.

In a legislative election year, Democrats seeking reelection will prefer to focus on the positives - a budget with no new taxes, the increased property tax relief, that dual office-holding ban, and a more transparent budget process.  But there is a lot of work left to be done to improve the state's finances, to clean up politics, and to decrease the reliance on property taxes. Is Governor Corzine still committed to pursuing this agenda? 

Well, Wednesday night the Governor joined Christie on the dais at the Employer Legislative Committees of New Jersey 2007 dinner. After some good-natured teasing of Christie, Corzine spoke comfortably and confidently about his agenda for economic growth.  He noted that there will be tax cuts for business in the new budget, that his Administration has decreased red tape to expedite business expansion and relocation here, and his own commitment to improving the state's infrastructure and partnership with businesses to encourage growth.

Corzine also admitted that his Administration has a "full agenda ahead of us."  He said, "...We know we are not done with property tax reform...(and that)...the ethical climate of the state must reflect the character of people who live in the state."  He added that "We have to have the resources to invest in our future," to build mass transit and schools and to make sure that our university system can do its job.  But the Governor said,  "The way it stands today we do not have the money to invest in our future."  For that reason, he hopes that when he talks about plans for asset monetization in the near future, the business community gives him a fair hearing.  The Governor said to the audience of over 300 business people and lobbyists, "I need your need."

Asking for help is not inconsistent with leadership and, in Corzine's case, is quite consistent with his call for continued partnerships with businesses to try to improve the state's climate for business.  On these terms, the large audience seemed pleased by Corzine's remarks.  But what was not addressed was why there has been less progress on the matters of fiscal integrity, ethical integrity and property tax reform, all of which impact directly or indirectly on the state's business climate.  If the Governor  can ask the business community for help selling asset monetization, an unpopular for the good of the state, why not ask for help from business and other groups in taking on those in the political establishment who are standing in the way of other popular reforms?  That's the kind of leadership that the state needs and, one suspects, that most New Jerseyans want from this Governor.   David P. Rebovich, Ph.D., is Managing Director the Rider University Institute for New Jersey Politics (www.rider.edu/institute).  He also writes a regular column, "On Politics," for NEW JERSEY LAWYER and monthly reports on New Jersey for CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS Magazine.