Merkt questions three-year delay in Corzine ethics overhaul
By Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterOn the occasion of Gov. Jon Corzine’s release today of wide-ranging ethics reform, GOP gubernatorial candidate Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham), criticized Corzine for dragging his heels.
"The Governor acknowledged from his first day in office that there was a need for a change in the culture of corruption enveloping Trenton," said Merkt, who launched an exploratory committee for a 2009 bid in late summer. "That being the case, it is hard to understand why it took him three years to propose ethics reforms that he could have demanded on his first day in office. In the meantime, dozens of public officials have been indicted and millions of taxpayer dollars have been squandered as these corrupt practices continued without any meaningful opposition by the administration.
"I look forward to seeing the details of these ethics reform proposals, but the fact that Governor Corzine delayed to long before advancing these proposals makes me wonder whether he plans to hang around as Governor long enough to implement them," Merkt added in his statement.
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"Please. I wouldn't have enough paper. So let’s not even bother writing one. This is now about governing. I won. The one thing I could never understand about people in politics was winners who are sore winners." -- Gov.-elect Christopher Christie, on putting together an enemis list.
“He’s a nice man with good intentions, but in the end he’ll be remembered for timidity. Being a business titan and issuing orders from the corner office is a lot different than having to cajole and persuade people in politics and having the toughness and fortitude to see your vision become reality.”-- Ross K. Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University, on Gov. Jon Corzine.
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