Corzine defends budget

By Max Pizarro | June 30th, 2008 - 8:56am
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In advance of a signing today, Gov. Jon Corzine tried to defend hisGov. Jon Corzine and NJN's Michael Aron on "On the Record."Gov. Jon Corzine and NJN's Michael Aron on "On the Record." administration’s $32.9 billion budget in a Sunday broadcast with NJN’s Michael Aron.

Corzine admitted the state is looking at a projected $1.7 billion budget shortfall in the coming year, but noted, "We were projecting a $2.8 billion shortfall."

While he boasted that this "very tough and painful" budget contains no new taxes and pays down $650 million in debt, his critics cite reductions in state aid for smaller towns as a tax inducer at the local level.

In his interview with the governor, Aron kept on Corzine over the issue of borrowing, pointing to the $3.9 billion the governor wants for school construction.

Corzine said he has a Constitutional obligation to provide free and equal access to education for children.

"I can take you to schools where kids have been in trailers for ten years," said Corzine, who stressed in the face of critics that project overseer, the Schools Development Authority (SDA), is not the same organization as the scandal-ridden Schools Construction Corporation (SCC), which the governor dissolved a year ago.

"In the midst of an economic recession (nationwide) we ought to see up to 5,000 new jobs in (schools) construction and another 10,000 if we get this in place," Corzine said.

Quoting former Gov. Brendan Byrne, who said there out to be no borrowing without an identified funding source, Aron questioned Corzine’s plan to carve out a means of payment from income taxes.

"We will find additional sources to fund this," promised Corzine, who said he had been asking for months for the no-borrowing without voter approval bill, co-sponsored by state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon), which passed in the legislature last week.

With asset monetization and large-scale toll hikes dead at the moment, Corzine told Aron he expects to put forward a new transportation plan in the "next couple of months."

Budget

"While he boasted that this "very tough and painful" budget contains no new taxes and pays down $650 million in debt, his critics cite reductions in state aid for smaller towns as a tax inducer at the local level." Here's the truth everyone expected Corzine to be a wizard and when he presented solutions (that were unfortunatly painful) he got nothing but pushback...if the state has to do more with less so too do the municipalities. Thats it and thats all. Everyone thinks cuts are great until they have to start doing some work on their own. Consolidate the schools, towns and everything else.

It is Painfully Obvious

That Max needs a new TV

We Need to Consolidate Local Government

Corzine is not forcing the towns to raise taxes, he is promoting consolidation. New Jersey has too much local government and its way past due to consolidate at the local level. First get rid of the school districts without schools. Then merge certain services into county government. Then merge small towns into larger towns. These towns can retain an identity as neighborhoods but there is too much government in New Jersey.

Unfortunatly there are too many local officials who would lose their power fiefdoms if they merged that they don't want to entertain it. And others who are afraid of their political party being out of power in a larger entity that they oppose it.

Corzine does not want consolidation

I was elected to the Mt. Holly School Board this year on a pro-consolidation promise (merging with the regional district). But Governor Corzine, and others in Trenton, who claim to be in favor of consolidation really are not in favor. They talk and talk and do nothing. He took a year to appoint 3 people to the LUARC Commission. Since Governor Corzine took office, no towns have been consolidated. NONE. It's all a sham.

the Corzine administration's

the Corzine administration's vow, early on, to tame the tax. Now, they are setting a whole new standard in terms of degree of hurt. Every dollar [cut from municipal aid] is going to have to be made up with property-tax increases, or reductions in service. It's clear property increases are out of the question ...laying off union municipal workers are the only solution ,right Jon ?

Corzine pays NJ Visa card with a Master Card

Just how can you pay down $ 600 mil by borrowing nearly $4 billion? on the backs of future generations. $ 4 billion on Hip Hop buildings who is going to pay that. What a waste

Still Spending Too Much

While Corzine pats himself on the back, he's still borrowing nearly $4 billion to build more schools. If Corzine would just get the Urban Schools Scholarship Act passed, some of those new schools wouldn't be necessary and the quality of education would improve.

Instead, 14 Catholic elementary schools in Camden, Gloucester and Atlantic County will close this summer and the public school rolls will increase. That creates an even greater demand for education money in just 3 counties as more kids will be forced to enroll in failing schools that spend over $20,000 per student.

Despite campaigning on a platform of running the state "like a business" because he's a " political outsider," Corzine's a typical Democrat who would rather add more teachers to the state payroll than keep these kids in (and get more kids into) good schools with graduation rates 95% or higher. He just doesn't care if kids get shoved into failing schools and the state continues to mortgage its future away. Not so long as his party benefits. UGH!

"I figure people drift toward liberalism at a young age, and I always hope that they change when they see how the world really is.”
- Johnny Ramone

Education

How exactly will education get "better" if Catholic schools stay open...now I am a practicing Catholic, but there schools are not exactly what they used to be. Catholic schools dont even require teachers to be certified...I am sure there are exceptional teachers in them, but the quality of education is just as arguably worse as it is arguably better. You can point to the % of catholic school grads that go to college as a fine number, but you cant ignore that these children come from families that can afford private school tuition...its a false argument. School choice is a slippery slope and it should not be public policy.

Come on, SJ, Get a Clue

SJ, Catholic Schools in urban areas have a graduation rate of over 90%, and of those who graduate over 90% go on to college.  That record absoultely destroys the record of pubic schools in those very same urban areas. 

Oh, and you're wrong in your assertion that Catholic schools "dont even require teachers to be certified."  Dead wrong.

School choice is competition and competition will improve the quality of education. 

Handing out scholarships funded from private donations will save taxpayers tons of money, put kids in better schools and prevent the School Construction Corp., or whatever they call it now, from blowing through another $4 billion the way with little to show for it.

 "I figure people drift toward liberalism at a young age, and I always hope that they change when they see how the world really is.”
- Johnny Ramone

As a matter of fact

I am not dead wrong...my brother and sister are uncertified Catholic School teachers. I noticed that you missed the point of my post however (something that does not surprise me...the GOP is often "selective")My point is this...families that can afford private school education are in far better shape financially than those who cant...or if families prioritize education children will too. Catholic school students are 90% wealthy and come from educated successful families...Yes there are problems with the schools, but its not the capability of teachers in public schools. As a Republican you should understand the personal responsibility argument...the goal should be to improve public schools (which is something that the GOP never wants to hear-considering its a public service and the GOP is usually too short-sighted to fund any program that does not offer on the spot gratification-plus they usually hate programs that help poor people...) Schools need to be re-worked in this state, no question too many districts, too many administrators. However, there are not enough actual schools, teachers, or respources for students. The future of children in the state (and country for that matter-we should all thank Ronald R for handicaping education in this country) is a sound and solid investment, the answer is not removing more resources from the excellent teachers in this state. To answer your oh-so-hip Johnny Ramone..."Men are Conservatives when they are least vigerous, or when they are most luxurious. They are conservatives after dinner," Ralph Waldo Emerson

The government telling us it

The government telling us it costs more to provide services is baseless as it is a monopoly and collects taxes under the threat of property confiscation or jail. The only way to determine what it costs will be based on free market-I mean free market.
Government lacks accountability. There is no consequence for poor performance but only a guarantee to pile more taxes.
WE must cap the spending by making it a constitutional amendment so that any vision of override on the part of future politicians for increased revenue will require 80% majority in a referendum.
Tell me again why we are spending upwards of $27,000 per student per year (highest in the world) and finishing below average in math, science and reading among 56 countries that take the OECD sponsored testing for 15-year olds? All we see on the ballot is cry for more $$.

We spend that much

True but not enough of it makes its way to student resources...nationalizing education would be a huge step in the right direction....but sadly Pres Reg decided that he wanted to make sure anyone born from 1980-1988 would have ot pay a huge amount to get an education

not event to mention

That many districts in the country forbid the teaching of science...education in this country is a pure mess...in NJ we need to consolidate the to county wide school districts.

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