GOVERNOR CORZINE’S STATEMENT ON REPUBLICAN CRITICISM

TRENTON – Governor Jon S. Corzine issued the following statement regarding Republican’s asking for a special joint session related to the economy and budget: 

“I think that when Republicans have good ideas then we will be more than happy to engage with those ideas about how our budget evolves.  This is the first budget in history that has cut hundreds of millions of dollars of spending.  We are paying down $600 million of debt.  We have been very fiscally responsible.” 

“I would like to hear their suggestions but I do not think they need a special session to do that.  I would be more than happy to commit and do it.  I hope they are not the kind of ideas that create $700 billion spending programs because of failed policies that look over the housing market to stabilize the financial markets.  Any Republican that is thinking about anything in the economic sphere I think ought to look at what is happening to the country’s economy and question whether they have any credibility on the subject.” 

The Governor also commented on Republicans asking to re-open the current budget: 

“They must know something that I don’t know. I have not seen those declines and we will take responsible action as the facts unfold.  Those are the things we were talking about yesterday at the economic summit.  I am sure the legislature will continue to have discussions like they had yesterday.  We ought to be in the contingency planning phase.” 

“The Republicans probably should spend their time talking to the President to put together a stimulus plan that would help us with children’s health insurance, make sure that rising Medicaid costs are supported by the federal government, making sure that we are doing something to extend unemployment benefits as opposed to dealing with what I think we have done here in the state which is that we put together the most fiscally responsible budget in years.  If anyone needs any verification they should look at the rating agencies reviews.”                                            

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