Governor Paralysis

Corzine and New York's Eliot Spitzer are birds of a feather, that is "New Progressives" who overestimated the liberalism of their states, and failed to realize how byzantine and powerful the state legislatures were.
Lets remember that now not only will Corzine have a feisty and re-energized GOP caucus in both Houses who have, with their work or not, come off winning some ballot victories in terms of his prized resolutions, but he will now have a Senate majority padded by conservative South Jersey Democrats, one of whom (Sweeney) has shown to be ambitious and I wouldn't be surprised at a primary if Corzine runs again.
Luckily for New Jersey I don't think Corzine is running again, which means we most certainly will have a better Governor come 2010.

Folks, you are shredding your credibility by allowing your website to become a message board for right wingers and dissaffected Democrats, like the anonymous poster.  Further, you're allowing the Republican spin machine to continue to dominate the site by posting comments like these.

Instead of being a needed news site on what's going on politically in New Jersey, you've become a tool in the partisan wars in NJ.  Actually you are worse than that, you are the gasoline that is poured on the flames by anonymous conservatives who simply want to win, whatever the cost. 

If you consider yourselves editorialists, then provide balanced commentary by people who are willing to be a part of the process.  Right now, you're no better than the National Inquirer.

Shame.   

The article is newsworthy to the extent that it is written by a Corzine appointee.  How many times have we seen the media trot out disaffected Bush appointee or staffer to state their opposition to the administration's policies?  As I have stated before, the referenda reflect a growing discontent with the cost of government in this state.  To their credit, Dems have made gains in areas of the state that have traditionally voted Republican.  And they have done so by running against the largesse that characterized the Whitman administration's fiscally incontinent policies and tacking toward the middle-right on spending reforms during campaign cylcles (in a New York Times election article, no less than Jeff Van Drew described himself as a "conservative democrat"). 

The more perceptive Dems realize that Corzine is leading them back toward the abyss and that once they lose the albeit marginal credibility they gained on fiscal issues these electoral advances will be negated.  Just wait until "Flor-Zine" pushes his monetization plan for the Turnpike.  Tolls will have doubled to go along with what should soon be $4 a gallon gas.  You'll also have a regiment of angry voters looking for pay back a la Jim Florio.  Then again, if you want to gloat about gains in south jersey while Governor giveaway lights his party's funeral pire, be my guest.

As for the "shame" you've visited upon this site and its ownership for their coddling of the vast right-wing conspiratorial agenda, I am in your debt for making me chuckle audibly.  On the bright side, your post places you squarely in contention for the 1st Annual Rich Dennison Big Fat Whiney Crybaby award.  The winner gets a free makeover by the mortuary staff along with as many Dennison for Senate signs as he/she can stuff into their trunk.    

Are the editors here aware of who "anonymous" is?

It seems that all they have done is to publish a critique that showed up in their mailbox one day.

Now, if the folks in charge of this site actually have confirmed/verified that the source is legit; that's one thing...but if they haven't, the credibilty of the site is in question.

If the former is true; then we need to have a statement from someone in charge here who has the authority to say that the source is confirmed or the courage to say that they just printed this on spec.

***********

Now, as to the substance of the letter. About 90% of it rings true...but there are bits in there that stink of hidden agendas. It could easily have been written by a Republican PRopagandist/flak.

Anyone who's read my stuff here and at BlueJersey knows how disappointed I've been with Corzine's failure to lead.

However; the solution is NOT for him to hire more "insiders" who know how to "play the game". That would be just greasing the path to hell.

In a nutshell, Corzine needs to do a 180 and let go of all of his fears/resistance to letting himself become an all out populist reformer that is willing to actually lead a kind of revolution in the state of NJ.

The people of New Jersey would back him up 100% if/when they truly believe that he's on their side.....not the side of the legally corrupt and ethically foul political establishment.

Clearly, the "long knives" are now out in the open for Corzine.

Republicans want him to fail and the Democratric machine pols, evidently, want him to fail (as they continue to "roll" him for the cash) because he's still, essentially, not one of them.

So, Governor Corzine, I suggest you turn a new leaf; but not in the direction of "playing ball" with the bosses in a more skillful/aggressive manner as the anonymous letter implies.

There are scores of progressive policy groups that can provide you with the chapter and verse; but the gist of it is that you need to declare war on the status quo and to declare war on the political and economic establishment of this state that is screwing the taxpayers and the consumers left and right....and mostly in a LEGAL manner!!!

You ran as a reformer who was going to clean up the filth; why not GO FOR IT!!!

If you truly lead; the people of this state will follow by becoming leaders themselves. That's what real leadership is; empowering others to be ACTIVE and to take back the power that has been stolen from them by the corrupt ruthless bastards (Republican AND Democratic) that are currently running New Jersey into the ground.

There's still time.

PS to commonsensenj:

Cleaning up the systemic corruption is neither a liberal nor a conservative partisan action; it's simply the right thing to do. The people of New Jersey are starving for a serious credible radical movement to, for one and for all, get the corruption out of our state.

It won't happen overninght; but I bet that the "corruption tax" is easily 20% of every dime spent by NJ governments across the board. And it's not just money; the health safety and quality of life of all of us are negatively impacted by the fallout from corruption of the legal and ilegal kind.

From Frederick Douglass

If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

Corzine listens , but he has a real problem comprehending what is important.

His big problem is that he hears more B.S. in one week than most of us hear in a lifetime. He has never developed the capability to sift through and see what is important and what is not. He has also refused to recognize this weakness within  himself. That is why he has never hired savvy political advisors.

He is " business" smart, he is not " political" smart.

The Katz problem and his whole relationship with those CWA leadership losers is a perfect example. Do you think Codey or Sweeney would have fell into that mess?

Corzine can save the next two years by a simple self examination. His strengths are many . He must work on his weaknesses.

His biggest weakness is undersatnding politics in New jersey so he must hire the best available political person and give him/her the power to tell the emperor that he has no clothes on .

There are some insider names that can help him get his agenda moving forward. 

Corzine has to understand that as much as he hates the reality of " politics" at every turn , IT IS THE REALITY!

Let us hope he has learned some lessons. 

The poster has the right to air his grievances but he goes beyond that to make specific, serious allegations.    There's nothing to back this up nor is there space in the comments for a response.  That's not reporting or editorializing.  That's innuendo.  As I write this, I see a column by Steve Lonegan.  The website includes this in a section with other columns, many written by those who have partisan positions that are known to all.  That's where this belongs, for starters.

Also, it's one thing when members of the public comments on this board anonymously.  But to allow a Democrat in the administration to make comments like these (if that's what he/she is) anonymously, is reckless. 

How can anyone argue that the Corzine Administration has been anything less than a dud?

Where are the accomplishments? They simply don't exist. Why is it that the content of the author's opinions and well constrcuted arguments are somehow ignored because he won't reveal his identity?

In other words, hopless liberals like Lento rant and rave about legitimacy, but can't answer the author's challenges and accurate assessments of an administration gone astray!

The Corzine Administration is a pathetic collection of insider developer deals like the Newark Arena, Xanadu and EnCap. It's about girlfriends who receive millions in gifts, an increase in the Sales Tax and a failed rebate program designed to get legislators re-elected, not deliver on the promise of property tax relief.

Nearly 75,000 people have left the state and voters rejected a phony rebate ballot question along with a fraudulent stem cell boondoggle.

The only person with the stones to address the soaring debt issue is Mayor Steve Lonegan who seems to be much more in tune with the voter than the hysterical left of Corzine or the pathetic center of country club Republicans like Leonard Lance and Alex DeCroce.

Jon Corzine is not only vulnerable in a general election, he's vulnerable in a Democratic Primary! The party is adrift and this cycle was slippage for Democrats in places like Bergen where inroads were clearly negated, especially in South Bergen.

Can any of the posting liberals address the CONTENT of this well written opinion?

Of course not. That would take a degree of thought.

First and last time I will say this "WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER 6 POINT PLAN FRON JONNIE” the current one is a joke and like his administration it is BORING and WORTHLESS.  Send the OLD MESSENGER of the plan back to retirement in case you don't know who, Gary “I REPORT TO NO ONE” Rose, along with the other losers of his “Office of Non-Economic Growth”.   

I should have realized that the writer was one of “Guardrail Jonnie’s” soldiers especially after reading the pitiful excuse of trying to say he did ANYTHING worthwhile when he was Senator.   

This guy made one deal in his 25 years that made him rich so please don’t tell me he is the savior of New Jersey or some great international anything except a big bag of wind that nobody with any brains is listening to before, now or in the future.   The accomplishments that the writer suggests are “Guardrail Jonnie’s” strength’s are the same OLD TIRED DEMOCROOK useless words that are not believable to anyone with any brains, which probably eliminates most of his athletic supporters. 

“What happened to that Jon Corzine, the gutsy, strong, and bold Corzine?” -  you have to be joking with that statement,  this guy was never any of those things and  has been useless in both his government  representations.   

I could talk for hours about this loser but I will leave you with one line I remember and you will remember the source “John will let the people of New Jersey down”.    

“Guardrail Jonnie” needs to do my 6 point plan that is good for New Jersey that doesn’t need legislative or people approval just like his method of doing business in the state. 

      1.      RESIGN

      2.      LEAVE NEW JERSEY      

      3.      GO 90 MPH ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE      

      4.     GO BACK TO ILLINOIS WITH HIS MOTHER  

      5.     GO TO NEW YORK WITH HIS SOCIALIST FRIEND CLINTON  

      6.      MOVE TO PENNSYLAVNNIA WITH CARLA   

The author of this response is a poor long suffering New Jersey resident who is tired of coming out people and liars with money.

From Frederick Douglass

If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

The statement posted at the end of the article 

The author is a Democratic political appointee who holds a senior position in the Corzine administration.

Should tell you that the authors identity was checked.  Quit grasping for straws.